In October 2019, we began work on Norsk Olje og Gass’s (NOROG) Released Wells Initiative.
Working alongside our partners Stratum Reservoir in Stavanger, we are extremely proud and honoured to be involved with this ambitious, ground-breaking project processing and analysing over 700,000 drill cuttings samples from over 1,900 exploration and appraisal wells drilled on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.
Every sample is washed using our proprietary methodology, imaged in white & UV light and chemically analysed using XRF. As part of the wider Released Wells Initiative, a selection of other analyses are being performed on 5% of all samples (SpecCam, TOC, QEMSCAN, XRD) by a collection of service companies.
Using the “every sample in every well” approach, these data will play a fundamental role in reducing future exploration risk by providing a vast database fit for machine learning algorithms.
Cuttings from every available depth interval are digitalised, regardless of lithology, age or sample condition. A strict QA/QC procedure is employed at every stage of the process, ensuring we maintain a high-quality product throughout.
This project represents a new frontier in rock digitalisation and the untapped value of cuttings lie at the heart of it.
The database will be available to 27 operating companies in Norway through Diskos (The Norwegian National Data Repository for Petroleum data), providing geoscientists with a vast new resource to improve their exploration workflow.
The consistency and repeatability by which our processes are underpinned mean these data are extremely useful in the context of Big Data and Machine Learning.
Our most notable Norwegian projects are listed below:
NOROG Digital Cuttings Project 2019-2022: Full digitalisation of all Norwegian exploration and appraisal wells drilled before January 2020 (>1,900 wells)
Norwegian Type & Reference Wells in conjunction with the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate 2013-2014: PhotoSTRAT™ database