Petrobras and PGS (Petroleum Geo-Services) announced on June 14th, 2010 in Rio de Janeiro that they have signed an agreement for PGS to install a permanent seismic monitoring system in the Jubarte field in the North Campos Basin, Espirito Santo province, offshore Brazil.
PGS will install its OptoSeis fiber-optic system, as well as perform seismic acquisition and data processing for the project. This project is a significant step forward in the use of geophysics for reservoir surveillance, in particular 4D-4C seismic to map the flow of fluids in Brazil's deep water reservoirs. It is hoped that the system will improve the quality and timeliness of information that Petrobras' geophysics team provide their counterparts, reservoir and production engineers, that operate the fields.
The OptoSeis technology provides richer data than other commercially available optical systems. The OptoSeis system is certified for reliability for the life of the reservoir.
Higher channel counts with high quality sensors recover more seismic energy and help cancel noise. The improved resolution and imaging translate into better exploration decisions.
PGS currently offers Integrated Reservoir Services and full solutions based on the OptoSeis fiber-optical permanent reservoir monitoring systems that enable cost-effective time-lapse 4-component, ( 4D-4C), seismic to improve recovery from existing reservoirs. Synergies from this development effort will further enhance the competitive edge of PGS with its existing fiber-optic instrument offering to the seismic industry for permanent reservoir monitoring, or life-of-field seismic.
"Petrobras is recognized as a world leader regarding deep water technology. Hence PGS is very pleased to have been given the opportunity to help Petrobras moving the technology frontiers again," said Per Arild Reksnes, Executive Vice President New Ventures, PGS. "OptoSeis provides high quality seismic on demand for both new and mature fields. The data from the system will give the basis for improved decisions on well placements and IOR/EOR programs. This will increase the recovery factor, which is vital for the commercial success of expensive deepwater field developments."
PGS OptoSeis is a completely passive in-sea system with no in-sea electronics. Operational down to 3000m water depths, this system offers a more cost-effective alternative to electrical systems. PGS was awarded the project after winning a commercial tender. The initial project covers a portion of the Jubarte field that is over 245 sq-km, in water depths of 1240 - 1350m. Depending on the results the project can grow to cover the entire field.
The introduction of a new fiber-optic seismic reservoir monitoring system is a very important accomplishment as is expected to enhance seismic data recovery and eventually help decrease seismic survey costs, which are vital for efficient field t development. With the huge amount of potential fields to be explored off the Brazilian coast, the efficiency of seismic survey systems is hugely important.
Claudio Paschoa
Illustratio courtesy of PGS (Petroleum Geo-Services)