Tool Tuesday #17 - DIY Geosteering

Software is an enabler that gives individuals the opportunity and ability to carry out tasks that were previously only possible by dedicated or separate organisations. The modern world is full of such examples; publishing software gives aspiring authors the ability to no longer fully depend on publishing houses. E-commerce platforms enable individuals and small businesses to create online marketplaces without physical stores or a large budget. Video editing software offers professional level production capabilities without the need to rely on expensive equipment or studio time. Accounting software that allows individuals to complete complex and taxing (bad-dum-tish) accounting tasks that were once the domain of professional accountants. Perhaps a prime example is the use of social media by individuals and small businesses to market their products, software or technical expertise (*cough* one&zero cough) online. Social media platforms have provided individuals and small businesses with powerful marketing tools that were once the exclusive domain of large companies with big advertising budgets. These platforms enable targeted marketing, brand building, and direct customer engagement, and put this in the hands of individuals to take control and ownership of the process.

A key theme of software is often the independence it brings to the individual, removing the reliance on outsourcing, on the use of third parties, or being tied to a specific vendor. Independence gives a level of freedom and ownership that is often missing or hard to achieve without the right tools at your disposal. Thinking specifically about our industry, and following on from the last LWD #ToolTuesday, this week we are examining software that allows individuals, be that in subsurface departments, operations and geoscience, to[MT1]? take ownership of the geosteering modelling process. Allowing initial pre well planning and modelling, real time drilling and decision making with well path optimisation, and post well review and evaluation, while being independent from drilling or LWD vendors. If it sounds too good to be true, it’s not. Introducing ROGII, and the range of software solutions granting independence and giving you back control of your geosteering operations!

StarSteer

ROGII’s main geosteering offering is StarSteer, a geoscience software package that combines several data solutions to act as an all-in-one geosteering platform. Supporting integration of extensive data and interpretation methods, StarSteer can be used to aggregate your subsurface data: 3D seismic, 3D geomodels, grids, SEG-Y files, logs, surveys and well paths, etc into one digital location. The system allows pre well modelling, visualisation of the expected stratigraphy and log responses using synthetic logs and predictions from StarSteer’s forward modelling tools, and to manipulate the well path while optimising the well plan to hit the expected targets and avoid any geological hazards. The end user can load and/or create earth model, understand uncertainties, manipulate their data and has ownership of their data outputs.

As drilling commences and real-time data is gathered (either via a WITS/WITS-ML feed, or Electronic Data Recorder (EDR), useful from smaller vendors who struggle for data aggregation), the user can display and manipulate the subsurface model, updated in real time based on the LWD log data. This ongoing refinement helps the user make informed decisions to adjust the drilling direction, ensuring optimal placement of the wellbore within hydrocarbon-rich or target zones, and avoid non-productive or hazardous geological areas. The software’s visualisation capabilities allow for stratigraphy-based correlation in True Vertical Thickness scale, real time (and memory) image log interpretation, and perhaps the jewel in the crown, to perform vendor independent inversion calculation (utilizing both forward modelling and inversion techniques, see Geosteering #ToolTuesday for more info on this), including deep and ultra deep resistivity inversion. Post run, the inversion model can be refined including the larger dataset (memory data) that was previously not available in real-time.

• Encounter a fault and need to change the geological model? No problem, simply stretch or squeeze the log in the vertical track in
• Need to adjust the well path to accommodate the faulted zone? No problem, either upload a new survey listing, or manipulate the well path in the software directly, then export the new well plan to send to the directional driller.
• Well and log responses starting to look more like offset well B rather than offset well A? No problem, multiple models are supported and can be updated in real time. Offset well A at the heel, well B at the mid, well C at the toe.

Digital Collaboration

One of the key aims and benefits of the cloud based digital platform is to enable seamless communication and visualisation across the whole operations team, from top to bottom. Imaging the operations team collaborating in real time with multi user concurrent access to the data and interpretations. The ops geologist working with the geoscience and streamed LWD ?data. The petrophysicist is able to perform formation evaluation ?in real time. The drilling team seeing updated well paths in the drilling dashboard app DrillSpot, check the geotarget, monitor drilling KPIs and track both time and depth data sets.? ?Completions engineer revises their completion string and ops plan based on the latest information. Remotely, the asset management team or well partners can access the StarLite app (on web browser/ Android/ iOS, phone or tablet) to access the visualization to track progress or to help with important decision making. While primarily designed for accessibility on mobile devices, the StarLite app can display geosteering data and results in real-time, allowing field personnel and remote experts to view and interpret the data simultaneously. This enables efficient collaboration, communication, and with immediate and informed decision making, all with the aim of delivering more target zone, a smoother wellbore and improved performance. Time is money after all.

Ref: A. Zaputlyaeva, D. Nemuschenko and J. Hansford "Enhancing Well Placement and Drilling Efficiency through Cloud Workflows and Multi-Disciplinary Collaboration",?Proceedings from DIG X 2024, Oslo, March, 2024

Key Software Features

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• Multi-Well Analysis: StarSteer can integrate data from multiple offset wells to perform inversion calculations during prejob stage. This helps in building a comprehensive subsurface model that includes variations and anomalies across different wells, enhancing the overall strategy for drilling new wells in the field.
• Proof Of Concept:? Once the subsurface model is understood, the synthetic log and inversion capabilities can be used as a proof of concept or pre tender screening to understand how vendors LWD tools should respond. Understand how your chosen (or tendering) tools will behave in your inversion.? Do you need the UDAR? Not if you can verify it yourself. Can use cheaper BHA, don’t need to use the UDAR if DAR sees it.
• Synthetic Log Generation: StarSteer generates synthetic logs based on forward modelling. This allows operators to predict the responses of various logging tools (gamma ray, resistivity, density, neutron, sonic logs) along the proposed well path(s). This predictive capability is crucial for planning the well trajectory in advance and making real-time adjustments as drilling progresses.
• Real-Time Predictions: During the drilling process, using forward modelling to predict upcoming geological layers and properties ahead of the bit, users are able to predict and react proactively, either by adjusting the model or the well path to stay within the target zones.

• Data Integration and Interpretation: As real-time data from logs and other measurements are collected, StarSteer uses inversion techniques to update the geological model. LWD data can be interpreted in situ or exported to the likes of Petrel or Techlog. Simply draw your dips in the image, and the system automatically measures the depth, ?geosteering drip, TVD dip angel etc. With each data input, this allows refinement of the subsurface model and a better understanding of the actual subsurface conditions, allowing for more accurate geosteering decisions.
• Geosteering Automation: Using the Auto Steer functionality, the user is able to use AI and machine learning to offer a second opinion on their geosteering decisions, or run on a historic data set to ‘re-steer’ past wells. The AutoSteer AI’s steering suggestions can then be used to adjust the well path and model to match the synthetic model.
• Vendor independent: StarSteer can be used to either replace or augment the vendors geosteering software. Independent QA of the log responses and planned well trajectory can be carried out as a sense check, the user can follow along the vendors geosteering suggestions, models and inversion canvas to offer an alternative or balanced view of the operation.
• App suite: Solo Cloud suite, including StarSteer, StarLite, and DrillSpot applications, offer cloud-based data management and visualization capabilities, enabling the integration of data from various sources. This is crucial for performing robust inversion analyses, where diverse data sets are synthesized into a single, coherent geological model.

Deep and Ultra Deep Resistivity

DAR or UDAR - you choose!

Modern deep reading azimuthal resistivity tools represent the latest in LWD technology and can provide an abundance of multi-spacing, multi-frequency, and multi-component resistivity data. Historically, when geosteering, using one of the main LWD providers deep or ultra deep resistivity services meant you were tied into using their tools, geosteering personnel and the interpretation results as a package. This also meant that the output was dictated by their own in house algorithms for resistivity data processing. As a result, the operator was to rely on the vendor to log the well, process the data and interpret the inversion results as a data deliverable, leaving the operators with limited opportunities to process azimuthal resistivity data themselves.

With StarSteer, this is no longer has to be the case. With the latest development of a vendor-independent stochastic inversion method (the inversion can be solved by applying various mathematical algorithms, deterministic, stochastic or a combination of the stochastic and deterministic) that is applicable to almost any deep-azimuthal resistivity tools. A major benefit of the software is its ability to forward model and perform inversion calculations on all the main service providers deep and the latest ultra deep resistivity tools that have come to market in the last ~5-10 years (AziTrak, VisiTrak, PeriScope, GeoSphere, GuideWave, ADR, EarthStar). It’s worth noting that each resistivity LWD tool specification varies sometimes significantly from vendor to vendor, and every vendor has developed their own algorithm to calculate the inversion. With StarSteer, this vendor-independent stochastic inversion technique allows operators to carry out pre-job modelling, real-time geosteering, and post-well data analyses, without relying on the service companies' proprietary algorithms. Independence gained!

How well does the inversion stack up against established providers?

The acid test of this independence comes from how well the ROGII inversion stacks up against the vendors own in house inversion. Since the algorithms are tool and vendor specific, there is a risk that a 3rd party inversion may not match the vendors inversion results, and subsequently, which inversion do you trust?

Thankfully, the real life comparisons, both of synthetic data and actual well data, are favourable. By using vendor specific and StarSteer inversion results and comparing them both in real time?and memory (see SPE-218466-MS and SPWLA-2022-0111 for detailed info) shows that the inversion output and visualisation canvas’ are remarkably similar to each other. See for yourselves:

Independent Verification

As the product owner of their geosteering data, operators manage all aspects of data usage, interpretation, and application. This ownership ensures that all decisions—from initial drilling plans to adjustments during drilling—are made with a clear, unfiltered understanding of the subsurface conditions. Operators can prioritize their own operational goals and economic interests, leveraging the data to maximize resource extraction efficiency and minimize drilling risks. Independent verification of geosteering data plays a crucial role in ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the information used in drilling operations. By independently verifying data, operators can confirm that the information they are using to make critical decisions is correct and unbiased. This verification acts as a check against potential errors or misinterpretations that could arise from single-sourced data or vendor-controlled processes. It also fosters transparency and accountability, as the data and its interpretations are subjected to scrutiny without vendor influence.

The usage of the unified approach of vendor-independent stochastic inversion can contribute to the operator’s efficiency in decision making while drilling and enables them to select the best bottom hole assembly configuration depending on the well targets and drilling strategy. The significant advantage of the stochastic inversion calculation is that the calculation is data-driven, simple to carry out, and unbiased with respect to the user's influence. However, since inversion is only a mathematical algorithm and is based on the input data, low quality or incorrect data can lead to erroneous results. Therefore, the quality control of the input data is necessary before any inversion calculations.

Value Demonstrated

• Reliance on vendor modelling: Typically during the start of any planned geosteering operation, be that in the tender stages or pre well, multiple subsurface models will be generated and refined. During the tender stage, it is possible that a proof of concept is provided, showing how the vendors tools will likely react to the well plan and subsurface model. It should be noted that typically there will be a limit to the number of models provided at this stage. Additionally, once awarded, there may be an associated cost from the vendor for each model (check those contracts!).? While understandable, generating geosteering models can be a time-consuming task, this can have an negative affect on your planning. By removing the requirement and reliance of using the vendors modelling, using the software the user is able to satisfy any pretender or pre well modelling, without incurring a charge by the vendor. ?
• Post well manipulation: Most contracts will have either a discreet geosteering planning or modelling cost, or these costs will be included in the day rates of either the LWD tools or the geosteering personnel carrying out the work. This means that unless you are willing to pay for it separately, any modelling carried out post well will incur a charge from the vendor (again, understandable). This is no longer the case when you are able to quickly and easily model, update and manipulate the subsurface model as its under your ownership. In addition, as inversion algorithms become more refined (e.g. ‘HD’ inversion), then any reprocessing of historic data can be accomplished without raising a new PO!

Conclusion

Our industry has many opportunities for collaboration, both internally and externally, to aid in achieving the well objectives. While collaborative approaches should be encouraged, there is also space for independence and ownership of the process, something that has historically been a challenge with geosteering. By utilising the latest in software developments, ROGII has provide a viable and highly adopted tool kit that allows subsurface teams to bring the geosteering process in house, giving greater flexibility and control than before.

With increased control, and offering the ability to act as an independent verification of the LWD vendors geosteering outputs, this allows operators to harness their geosteering data most effectively. By combining both forward modelling for predictive planning and inversion for continuous refinement, ROGII’s tools provide a comprehensive, flexible, and dynamic approach to geosteering that can enhance communications, improve well bore and drilling efficiency, help achieve better well placement, with more reservoir contact, and more net pay, to ultimately deliver a more productive reservoir.

The vendor-independent stochastic inversion calculation module is a unique and innovative approach that can be applied to almost any resistivity LWD tool currently available on the market, therefore allowing us to use the same approach to interpret various resistivity tools responses in the same medium.

The cherry on the pie, the operations teams can seamlessly collaborate in the multiuser concurrent cloud environment. These innovative tools empower operational teams to make informed real-time decisions, minimizing the risk of costly errors.

Now who doesn’t like the sound of #ReduceRisk #ReduceCost #MaximiseQuality for their upcoming operation.

#DIY #Geosteering #DirectionalDrilling #MLWD #DrillingOptimisation #QualityAssurance #HassleFreeOperations