Exploration • Drilling • Field Services
Elsevier, has announced the launch of Geofacets Connector for Schlumberger Petrel and Studio. The connector integrates hundreds of thousands of maps and associated papers seamlessly with the Petrel platform’s analysis and workflow tools. Using the connector, geoscientists can query
a specific area or topic and, via a single interface, combine georeferenced maps and scientific
New plug-in makes exploration easier for geoscientists A
leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services,
data from Geofacets with 2D and 3D geological and geophysical models created on the Petrel platform. This integration not only provides a more detailed overview of a region when investigating ways to develop and improve yields, but it also enables users to validate proprietary data with external insights from trusted sources including the Geological Society of America, the Geological Society of London, the Society for Sedimentary Geology and the Society of Economic Geologists. Geoscientists tasked with the discovery and analysis of oil and gas reserves in upstream exploration can therefore make quicker decisions and more confidently assess risks relating to exploration projects. “Geofacets Connector
for Petrel and Studio enables users to access valuable geologic insights via a single
Oil & gas industry drives patent applications up a third in one year
applications filed by the sector up by a third in the past year alone, as the global scramble for energy continues, according to figures from Thomson Reuters legal business, a leading source of information for businesses and professionals. Thomson Reuters says that there were 12,062 oil & gas patent applications worldwide in 2013, up from 9,080 in 2012 as businesses look to exploit ever more hard-to-access reserves and new sources of energy. In the past decade the number has more than tripled. The company says that the pursuit of new
A
technologies in ultra-deepwater drilling, oil sands and the growth of fracking are the key factors, as both oil companies and oil service companies look for more cost-effective and efficient extraction methods and then seek to protect this intellectual property. Higher crude prices, the eventual decline of older oil and gas fields, as well as intensifying pressure from national governments keen to secure energy supplies, continue to drive R&D across the sector.
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period of intense innovation in the oil & gas industry has driven the number of patent
Thomson Reuters says that fracking success in the USA has also inspired a drive amongst other countries from China to the UK and EU to step up the pace in developing fracking techniques. Research has also found that the number of worldwide fracking patents is at an all-time high, with 706 patent applications filed for fracking technology in 2013, up from 550 in 2012. According to Thomson Reuters, 60% of all
oil & gas patents are now filed in China. In 2013, it published 7,243 inventions, bringing its total in the last 10 years to 26,847. There is intense pressure from the Chinese
government to increase patent output generally, having identified innovation and IP as a key target in its five-year plan, and with subsidies available to promote patent filing. This has led to a huge quantity of patents being filed. According to the figures, the UK now only
makes up 1% of patents in this area. Its number of applications has halved in the last decade, from 300 in 2004 to 150 in 2013. l
For more information visit
www.thomsonreuters.com
platform,” said Ella Balagula, SVP, Engineering and Technology at Elsevier. “The insights added from georeferenced scientific maps play a key role in helping geoscientists understand the potential risks associated with exploring new or frontier areas. No two geoscientists will have the exact same interpretation of a single set of information. Access to Geofacets within the Petrel platform and Studio environment will help to validate and deepen a geoscientist’s analyses and interpretations.” The Geofacets Connector for Petrel and
Studio is designed to address the evolving ways in which geoscientists work in the 21st century. By seamlessly integrating content and analysis within one platform, the connector removes the need to consult multiple sources and tools when performing analysis. Geoscientists have access to the best of both worlds – content and analysis tools – on a single platform. l
For more information, visit
www.elsevier.com/gfconnectors
Estimates of shale gas and oil in Scotland published
T
he British Geological Survey’s report of the resources in the Midland Valley, Scotland,
suggests a modest amount of gas and oil in place. The central estimate of shale gas in place is 80 trillion cubic feet. The central estimate for shale oil in place is six billion barrels of oil. This does not mean that this amount could
be extracted, as exploratory drilling is needed to determine how much can be recovered. This is expected to be substantially lower than the total amount of gas and oil in place, and the estimates are particularly uncertain because the area has fewer historic wells and less seismic data than previous study areas. The complex geology and historic mine workings means that exploratory drilling and testing is even more important to determine how much can be recovered. The estimates compares to a central estimate
for the Bowland shale (in the north of England) of 1,300 trillion cubic feet of gas in place and a central estimate of 4.4billion barrels of oil in place in the Weald basin (in the South of England). l
For more information visit
www.gov.uk/government/publications
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