Subsurface noise #6
REDEVELOPING AN OIL FIELD WITHOUT DRILLING A NEW WELL During a lunchtime talk in Aberdeen in October, Curtis Bracher from NEO Next presented on the Affleck field redevelopment in the Read More
KOC continues its exploration success in what could be described as a syncline
A bit more than a year ago, KOC announced the discovery of oil and gas in the Al-Nokhatha structure offshore Kuwait. Based on regional data and the location of the Read More
Renaissance ramps up exploration activity in Nigeria
“To meet the economic demands of the Nation and mandates given by the Federal Government, we need to increase production,” says Johnbosco Uche, “that is one of our main targets Read More
An unconventional unconventional gas project
When I visited the MEOS GEO Conference in Bahrain last in 2025 and spoke to some people about projects currently ongoing in the region, it slowly dawned on me that Read More
Looking for a low-risk infill well? You might want to consider areas of weak 4D response
When porosities and fluid contrasts are modest, the acoustic impedance (AI) changes associated with water sweeping oil can be small, even at relatively shallow depths. That is the case in Read More
Karabash – West Siberia’s new frontier?
The region of Karabash sits in the southern part of Khanty-Mansiysk and Tyumen. Historically, oil and gas developments have been more limited in this part of West Siberia, as the Read More
A greenprint for deep sea copper exploration
The Semenov hydrothermal fields along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 13° N, the same latitude as Senegal and Nicaragua, boast the world’s largest known Seafloor Massive Sulphide (SMS) deposits, with a Read More
When perforating below the Free Water level makes sense
“It may be the last oil field development in the Dutch sector,” upstream analyst Bert Manders told me the other day. The IJssel field development in the northern part of Read More
Progress over perfection
The Norwegian continental shelf offers a wealth of opportunities for new industries alongside and after oil, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) has gained a solid foothold. Northern Lights has Read More
How structural setting and hydrocarbon phase are closely related
The Papuan Basin is located across a tectonically active area and is dominated by a gas-prone Jurassic petroleum system with a whole-of-system Gas-Liquid Ratio of 30,000 scf/bbl. The complex geology, Read More
US Permian Basin – the largest injection experiment
If you look at the volume of water versus hydrocarbons produced from the Permian Basin per day, the basin would surely qualify as being predominantly a water production exercise: 20 Read More
Layer cake geology and a lack of grid access
A few years ago, I asked a seasoned wellsite geologist about the biggest subsurface surprise she had ever seen over her long career working on rigs. Rather than coming up Read More
Understanding the “Minimum Economic Field Size” concept and aggregating targets
Applying a “Minimum Economic Field Size” (MEFS) to your prospect assessment is a key process in quantifying the probability of finding hydrocarbon accumulations of a volume large enough to develop Read More
The absurdity of security… or… comfortable being uncomfortable
My father, 90, is a product of the random precariousness of this world. His mother’s first husband died at sea, washed overboard in a storm, whilst his father’s first wife Read More
France’s first stimulated natural hydrogen project
Clean hydrogen production from electrolysis remains expensive and difficult to scale, leaving industry without the reliable, affordable supply needed for substantial decarbonisation. Vedra Hydrogen has embarked on a complementary approach: Read More
From cuttings to clarity: AI unlocking the Norwegian Continental Shelf
Turning archives into insight The goal is simple: Make geological cuttings not just visible, but actionable (Figure 1). Traditionally stored in boxes and rarely re-examined, these samples record the geological Read More
Exploration in the vast marine expanse of Oceania
Texas-based Palau Pacific Energy (PPE) is the operator of the North Block Concession, off the northern part of the Republic of Palau, east of the Philippines, and is planning the Read More
Predicting viscosity in an undrilled panel of a deep-water field in West Africa
In 2023, the rapid oil production decline from the Bombadil Field (fictitious name), deep-water West Africa, triggered the necessity to develop additional resources. This is the moment prospect E appears Read More
Producing more by producing less
“The pressure in the separation unit, where the produced oil is separated from gas, is the ultimate driver for your entire field development approach,” says Alexey Danilko, production engineer at Read More
Sweetness and light in Oman’s Indian Ocean
Bringing the light to Oman’s India Ocean hydrocarbon-rich future Karyna Rodriguez describes how improved data resolution facilitating new technological inquiry in Oman’s Indian Ocean is turning “flickering shadows on the Read More
Going deeper for salt mining
The Dutch subsurface is well known for its gas resources, hosting the world-famous Groningen field. What is less well known is that there is plenty of salt, too. These evaporites Read More
Being smart with data
On the fringe of the EAGE GET Conference in Rotterdam, I meet with May Zhang, who is representing Carbon Guardian in the start-up zone. We previously met at the Annual Read More
Cameroon: Unlocking potential and reigniting exploration
Play diversity and untapped promise – A new licensing round opens fresh horizons in Cameroon Opening the door to discovery Cameroon’s 2025 Licensing Round, launched by the Société Nationale des Read More
What do air hockey and induced seismicity have in common?
At first glance, air hockey – a fast-paced arcade game – and induced seismicity – earthquakes triggered by human activity – seem unrelated. Yet, both share a fascinating connection through Read More
When geology just happens, and you happen to be quite good at it
Geology? Going to university? It was not on his mind at all when he finished high school. Yet, he has become a world-renowned expert in petroleum systems and basin modelling, Read More
Deep-sea mud trial extraction to begin in 2026
Japan is set to launch test mining of a unique deposit of rare earth element (REE)-rich deposits in an area off the Minami-Torishima Island (Marcus Island) in the Pacific Ocean, Read More
The Grand Canyon of the Middle East
The outcrop photo shows what is commonly known as the Grand Canyon of the Middle East: Wadi Ghul and Wadi Nakr in the Jebel Shams Massif in northern Oman. From Read More
Where the earth yawns
I first visited Iceland a decade ago. Recently, I returned, courtesy of a European Geothermal Research project, hosted by Reykjavik Energy. We learned about heating and electricity production in Iceland, Read More
When your oil reservoir turns out to be a lithium deposit
As the global energy transition accelerates, the demand for critical raw materials (CRMs) is rising at an unprecedented pace. The list of elements essential for modern technologies – from lithium Read More
Are the problems around the Gorgon CO2 storage project proof that CCS does not work?
“The world’s largest CCS project, the one that underpins CCS as a climate solution, as advocated by the oil and gas companies. But as the graph shows from the data Read More
It’s time to introduce chromostratigraphy
“Off-white, grey, quartz-rich, some occluded quartz and kaolinite.” Simon Molyneux cites the description of a cutting sample from a composite well log, which is thought to represent an interval of Read More
A “monumental deposit” or an attempt to revive coal-seam gas exploitation?
A discovery of hydrogen in Lorraine, France, made headlines in 2023. “Hydrogen deposit of staggering proportions” and “A gigantic hydrogen deposit in northeast France” were some of the quotes. With Read More
Proper sampling of near-surface geologic complexity illuminates tight oil reservoirs in the Permian Basin
Understanding sampling densities required to map the geology Why high-trace-density seismic surveys will be required to accurately image reservoirs in the world’s major hydrocarbon-producing provinces. A case study In some Read More
A loss of connection to our energy system
Three essential pillars of modern society are food, energy and access to clean water. The World Resources Institute refers to insecurity in these resources as a “Triple Threat”. The UN Read More
Escaping the relentless cycle of re-orgs
“The reactions were overwhelming,” Samuel says at the start of our conversation in October. He alludes to the LinkedIn post he made when he left his role at Shell in Read More
From scattered campfires to integrated cities: The future of energy software
For the last decade, the technology landscape of the energy industry has resembled a wilderness at night – vast, dark and punctuated by innovative points of light. Over time, these Read More
Denmark to embark on an innovative geothermal drilling project
Green Therma, in collaboration with Aalborg Forsyning (the local utility company), is currently preparing to drill a single well to deliver geothermal heat directly to Aalborg’s district heating network. While Read More
Offshore Otway Basin drilling campaign
The Otway Basin, offshore Victoria and Tasmania, is undergoing a significant drilling campaign, using the Transocean Equinox semi-submersible rig, aimed at bolstering Australia’s domestic gas supply. This initiative seeks to Read More
American Samoa offshore minerals planning advances
The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has completed Area Identification offshore American Samoa, marking the first time US waters have reached this stage in the federal seabed minerals Read More
The Koloma Enigma
The company describes itself as a technology-enabled exploration firm that leverages industry expertise, proprietary data, specialised exploration tools, and advanced data analytics to facilitate large-scale natural hydrogen production. Backed by Read More
Finding big fields by detecting the smallest element
“We are changing the world of exploration,” says Denis Krysanov from Heologic, when we meet on Teams. “I’m now planning on expanding Heologic’s operations in the United States,” he says. Read More
Open for business, again
“We have to inject life back into the economy and avoid de-industrialisation,” said Shane Jones during a webinar yesterday, hosted by Ross Compton from the EnerGeo Alliance. Mr Jones is Read More
“The day I cut an 88 ft core of top seal”
“LinkedIn seems to be the place to brag about your career successes,” says Luke Johnson from TRACS International in this video. But sometimes, it is things that went wrong that Read More