On behalf of Member companies, PSTI creates and maintains networks for technical collaboration across the industry-research interface. The Institutes goal is to improve the effciency of petroleum exploration and production through research and the transfer of information and new technology.
Network update will appear three times a year and will complement the present Management and Technical Briefing for Members.
Network Update will be distributed widely throughout our membership and research networks in order to improve the flow of up-to-date information on PSTI's plans and activities.
Welcome to PSTI's growing research and technology Networks
PSTI's 1990-93 subscription-funded research has been evaluated recently by the Institute's Science Advisory Committee (SAC).
PSTI's investments in the Predictive Geoscience Unit (Edinburgh University) and the Horizontal Well Technology Unit (Heriot-Watt University) were also assessed.
Scope: the SAC posed the following questions:
Conclusions: the primary conclusions from the review are:
On funds used for research, and assuming (conservatively) that each Member company had a real interest in only 25% of the portfolio, the SAC considered that Members had achieved a leverage factor of 10 on their investment in PSTI's research.
Research Units: the Predictive Geoscience Unit was viewed as a good example of what PSTI-university collaboration could achieve and had the potential to be very useful to the industry. On the Horizontal Well Technology Unit, the SAC judged that a new centre of excellence had been established with effective links to industry.
Recommendations: the SAC proposed that PSTI:
With the support of Scottish Enterprise National, a pilot SME Membership Scheme has been launched which now has nine members:
These companies are provided with R&D and market intelligence, and new industry contacts.
Close links with technology delivery companies is of particular importance to PSTI's technology transfer process: we expect to see an increasing number of "technology delivery"companies recruited to membership in the future - both as SME Members and full Members.
(For further information on membership contact Graham Stewart, PSTI's Business Development Manager on 031 451 5231)
The list below provides information on the active projects within PSTI's subscription-funded research portfolio.
Further information is available from Irene Hepburn, PSTI's Information Manager.
PSTI's Aberdeen Rock Imaging Centre in Aberdeen closed down in April after three years of operation using X-ray techniques to scan rock core.
First established with the strong support of many companies in the core analysis and E&P sector in Aberdeen, ARIC had a reputation for the quality of its customised processing of images from both its C-T Scanner and Real-Time X-Ray Scanner. ARIC also promoted the concept of routine non-destructive core screening to optimise subsequent sub-sampling and analysis.
However, ARIC failed to win sufficient funds to support research to advance the application of X-ray technology to core analysis - PSTI's original objective for the facility. Also, despite providing a scanning service for many industry clients, it was unable to operate successfully in a wholly commercial mode to achieve the capital investment required for the essential upgrading of the Centre's C-T Scanner to match the quality of the image processing capability.
From an analysis of activity in scanning elsewhere, especially in Norway, we remain convinced in the technical importance to the industryof X-ray scanning in the future; our ARIC initiative was simply out of time.
Research news
The research team at Heriot-Watt and Edinburgh universities established to
conduct the PSTI subscription-funded research on the effects within a
production time frame of changing pore fluid chemistry and stress state on
reservoir permeability, has won support to extend this research from the
OSO/NERC Reservoir Sciences LINK scheme.
Their project, "Recovery Enhancement and New Awareness of Injection from Simulation of Stress and Chemistry Effects" (Project RENAISSANCE), involves collaboration with Vector International Processing Systems (VIPS) Ltd and INTERA Ltd.
The objective of the project is to provide industry with a stress sensitive reservoir simulator for predicting injectivity behaviour and for improved management of recovery operations. The new tool will be an essential aid to the application of reservoir stress state management.
Funding commitments from two major companies have already been received to add to the LINK funds. Discussions are well advanced with another potential sponsor for the project.
Diagenesis project gains further support
The PSTI co-ordinated joint industry-funded research project on "Quantification of Fault-Related Diagenetic Variation of Reservoir Properties at Outcrop"being conducted at Heriot-Watt, Liverpool and Manchester universities has gained additional industry support. Begun in October 1993 with sponsorship from Amoco, British Gas, Mobil, Shell, and Total, the sponsor group has recently been joined by Amerada Hess and Exxon.
The aim of the research is the identification and quantification of spatial diagenetic heterogeneity and scaling relationships from rigorous documentation of diagenesis around faults at outcrop.
The outcrops selected for initial investigation are the Moab-Lisbon Valley fault system, Utah, USA.
This project tackles technical issues flagged up as an industry priority by PSTI's Fluid Flow in Complex Reservoirs and Production Geoscience Technical Interest Groups in early 1993, and builds on PSTI's subscription-funded research within its Fluid Flow in Complex Reservoirs Programme.
PSTI produced in March 1994 the 2nd edition of its Petroleum Research Directory now with international coverage of research projects (and known as the International Petroleum Research Directory, or IPRD). PSTI is now achieving the goal of producing the authoritative source of information on exploration and production research activity world-wide.
The publication of the 2nd Edition also marks the first tangible product of a new joint venture with Longman, the international publishing house, whose affiliates already provide, for example, the BEST Database on UK research capability and the World Energy Database. This collaboration will allow PSTI to move more quickly and efficiently to provide and maintain the highest quality international research directory - that is to provide Members with more (and better) for less.
The CD ROM format of the IPRD will be published in August 1994.
Commercial product development opportunities in fault analysis and modelling
Kinematic Model for 3-D Fault Geometry Determination
PSTI, in association with researchers in the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, has recently announced an opportunity to develop commercial software from PSTI subscription-funded research conducted during 1991-93. The research project resulted in the development of a general 3-D kinematic model for determining the shape of any normal fault at depth from deformed hanging and footwall strata. The model was tested during the research on sand box models at the University of Rennes and on industry seismic data.
A "technology delivery" company interested in seismic interpretation/fault analysis and modelling is being sought to bring this research to commercial application.
FaMOUS - Innovative reservoir modelling software tool incorporating sedimentary architecture and faults
FaMOUS (Fault Modelling of Uneven Stratigraphy) was conceived initially as a research tool in the PSTI subscription-funded project "Sensitivity Analysis of Depositional Architecture vs Faulting on Effective Connectivity in Clastic Hydrocarbon Reservoirs", being conducted in the Department of Geology and its Fault Analysis Group at Liverpool University, but quickly became recognised as a powerful new modelling tool for the reservoir geologist and engineer in industry.
The research project within which FaMOUS was born, has the following objectives:
The present research project ends in March 1995 but already PSTI and the University are searching for a suitable "technology delivery"partner to bring FaMOUS to commercial application.
One key element underpinning PSTI's activities on behalf of Members is the continual process of building and maintaining networks of contacts in both industry and the R&D community. Often only in retrospect can the importance of such activity be evaluated when it has matured into an opportunity or hard deliverable evident to Members.
To raise awareness of this activity, Network Update will include a regular section highlighting PSTI's networking activities.
ENeRG works to influence EU research agenda
The European Union is currently deciding on the shape and size of its Fourth Framework Programme (1995-98) in the field of Non-Nuclear Energy.
To promote the case for investment in upstream oil and gas research, development and demonstration projects, PSTI joined forces with TNO (The Netherlands) and IFP (France) in forming the European Network for Research in Geo-Energy (ENeRG). Since its formation in early 1993, ENeRG has grown to include R&D organisations in Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway and Portugal.
In addition to its co-ordinated actions during the past six months to lobby the European Union over budget allocation, ENeRG is also making proposals on the scientific and technical content of the Programme. PSTI brings to this process information on Members' short and medium term R&D priorities gained from both Technical Interest Groups and from contact with individual companies.
PSTI currently holds the Presidency of ENeRG.
European Coiled Tubing Technology Forum An action on PSTI from the Drilling & Downhole Technology Technical Interest Group was to create a European Forum for Coiled Tubing Technology. The need for such a forum was also emphasised in a recent coiled tubing study carried out by PSTI on behalf of a third party.
An independent steering committee has now been brought together consisting of representatives from PSTI, Rogaland Research, SPE-Continuing Education (Aberdeen Section) and Drexel (USA). The two-day event will take place on 18-19 October 1994 at the Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre.
PSTI's High Pressure/High Temperature Technical Interest Group meeting in March 1994 was convened in conjunction with MTD Ltd to review research proposals for the proposed MTD/PSTI Managed Programme on HP/HT. In addition, the meeting heard presentations on technical capability and work in progress from the Materials Engineering Research Laboratory, Nan Gall Technology, Prodrill Engineering and Oilphase Sampling Services
The Horizontal Well Technology Unit, the PSTI/Heriot-Watt University joint venture, held a successful Forum in Aberdeen in January 1994 attended by 110 international delegates. The next Forum focusing on horizontal well performance case studies is scheduled for 18-19 August 1994 in Edinburgh. for further information contact the Unit on 031 451 3163
At PSTI's seminar on "The Fate of Drilling and Production Chemicals - is there a need for more research?" held in Edinburgh in April 1994, 30 delegates heard presentations from IOE, MAFF and UMIST on current research, and from Oil Plus, EOSCA, Aquateam and from a representative of the E&P Forum on current legislation and industry action in this area
The PSTI co-ordinated project "Engineered Depressurisation of Water-flooded Reservoirs" started in April 1994. Supported by BP, Elf, Enterprise, Marathon, Mobil, Shell, Statoil, Total and the UK Department of Trade & Industry, the research will be conducted at AEA Technology, Heriot-Watt University and Imperial College
Irene Hepburn - Colin Sanderson - Mandy Watson
THE PETROLEUM SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE
Dunedin House, 25 Ravelston Terrace, Edinburgh EH4 3EX, UK. Tel: +44 (0)31 451 5231 Fax: +44 (0)31 451 5232
Offshore Technology Park, Exploration Drive, Aberdeen AB23 8GX, UK. Tel: +44 (0)224 706600 Fax: +44 (0)224 706601
