US-based oil major Chevron has showcased how advanced imaging technology is enabling it to better characterise reservoirs in the subsurface.
Accurate imaging is key to understanding what lies underground, both onshore and offshore, and thereby evaluating exploration prospects. Chevron says a proprietary technological advancement combined with services from tech giant Microsoft is enabling it to do this more efficiently.
Chevron, which makes the Texaco lubricant range, calls its new technology Extended FWI, because it builds upon existing full waveform inversion (FWI) technology. This industry-leading technology for seismic imaging was designed to deliver a more accurate picture of challenging subsurface formations in a much faster time.
This, in turn, helps exploration teams to map potentially productive resources. What is more, the technology can handle all sorts of seismic data thanks to its inherent flexibility, potentially leading to even better imaging.
The technology is paired with Microsoft’s Azure platform to achieve highly efficient cloud functionality that can be scaled easily for large data volumes.
Seismic imaging technology resembles a medical ultrasound in that it generates a 3D image based on how sound waves are reflected. Extended FWI uses algorithms to match the produced data to known geological features in a certain subsurface area. James Davenport of Chevron Technical Centre said:
“We get a clearer picture of the subsurface. That leads to better understanding of the geology and enables us to target oil- and gas-bearing reservoirs more accurately.”
He added that artificial intelligence could further complement FWI in future to generate even better images while also saving time.
