Scientists at Hydro's Research Centre in Bergen have have received the prize awarded by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) for the best research presentation at the international geology conference in Barcelona. Three hundred contributions from all over the world were considered.
Project manager Tore M. Løseth received the prize on behalf of the group at a ceremony in Dallas on 18 April. The research scientist had developed a visualization method that sets a new standard for accuracy in three-dimensional reservoir models.
Three-dimensional reservoir models are used to calculate volumes of oil and gas. They can also be used to simulate how the oil flows through the reservoirs. The Hydro research scientists have developed a method that makes it possible to create three-dimensional models of reservoirs with a high degree of accuracy.
Out into the world
In order to build up these models, the research scientists travel out into the world to find rock formations that developed under similar conditions to the areas that contain oil and gas in the North Sea. Field studies give valuable information on what the inside of oil reservoirs look like, and have long been used by Hydro to gain more information on new drilling areas.
"So far, the data we have acquired from field studies has been two-dimensional and qualitative. The new method makes it possible to build up models that are three-dimensional and quantitative," explains Løseth.
Recreating formations
The three-dimensional model shows how the landscape in the North Sea must have looked several hundred million years ago; in other words it makes it possible to recreate the formations in the North Sea.
What impressed the panel of judges at the AAPG conference was the pilot project. In order to apply the model to the North Sea, the data has to be linked to data from seismic studies. Løseth believes the new method will make it easier to plan drilling operations and recover more oil.