3-D Seismic Imaging
As the need to protect precious resources increases, forward-thinking companies such as EnerMax are providing an economical approach to oil and gas drilling. Using state-of-the-art technology, EnerMax selects high quality prospects, eliminating many dry holes and recovering more resources from every well drilled. In 2005, EnerMax, Inc. and its industry partner, AEPI, Inc., began working with Geotrace Technologies, Inc., an industry leader in imaging and analyzing subsurface data, to reprocess 3-D data from recent seismic acquisitions.
Technological developments in reservoir imaging are largely responsible for the increasing success rates of exploration and development in the oil and gas industry . Using geophones, scientists bounce sound waves into the earth and then construct models of underground rock formations. The models were initially two-dimensional. Unfortunately, 2-D models are difficult to read. Companies who rely on them often drill a high number of unproductive wells. The introduction of 3-D technology was a turning point for the oil and gas industry. 3-D techniques have significantly reduced the number of dry holes drilled, thus increasing the number of productive wells.
Currently, massive amounts of old seismic data is being compiled and then fine-tuned to create 3-D images of possible hydrocarbon zones. The 3-D seismic data is then reviewed by expert geologists, who determine the likelihood oil or gas in a given area. If the geologists determine that the area is likely to contain hydrocarbons, they use the information gathered from the seismic data to predict/estimate how much oil or gas might be in the reservoir. EnerMax uses these estimates to determine whether or not it is economically advantageous to drill the well.
"Seismic techniques and satellite imaging, which are facilitating the discovery of promising new natural gas reservoirs, have nearly doubled the success rate of new field wildcat wells in the United States during the past decade."
-Testimony of Alan Greenspan speaking about natural gas before the Committee on Energy and Commerce, U.S. House of Representatives, June 10, 2003