OIL AND GAS

Application of the PMRSE technology in oil and gas projects has demonstrated that the use of the technology can exclude or reduce the number of empty exploration and production wells drilled outside the boundaries of a deposit; additional PMRSE survey conducted at the explored deposits can show new locations for drilling production wells and discover new productive horizons missed or not tested during the deposit exploration, etc. Below is a summary of some oil and gas projects implemented using the PMRSE technology.

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2008 – Survey of natural gas resources in coal-bearing deposits of a dome structure, Donetsk coal basin, Ukraine. The PMRSE survey was conducted at the worked-out coal minefields with the total area of 23 sq.km. and had a goal to determine the natural gas resources below the worked out horizons. Earlier in the 1960-70s at the area there was a recovery of the natural gas from the depths not exceeding 1000 m. The PMRSE survey was performed from a car following a grid of routes with a more detailed survey performed at the areas of most interest. Driving along the routes the maximum methane content in a geological section was measured every 10-20 m without specifying the bedding depth of gas saturated rocks. To determine the bedding depth of gas saturated rocks in a geological section within the anomalies found three soundings were performed to the depth of 2600 m. The results of the areal survey (PMRSE mapping) showed three dome structures with the anomalous gas saturation of rocks. The map of the anomalous methane content is shown on the left. In the depth interval from 1000 to 2600 m the results of soundings showed several gas saturated horizons with the total effective thickness from 160 to 350 m in different locations. The gas saturated were found to be sandstone, calcareous sandstone and Carbonic limestone. In the detected hydrocarbon deposits an estimated correlation between the natural gas and liquid hydrocarbons was also calculated based on the sounding data.   

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2004 – Exploration of an oil field in the Crimea, Ukraine. The object of investigations was one of small-scale oil fields at Kerch Peninsula (eastern part of the Crimea) coinciding with anticlinal structures in the formations of the Oligocene period. The productive horizons are usually observed in packages of siltstones and sandstones inside the clay mass and are often controlled by tectonic fractures. The deposit was discovered using 2D-seismics and explored by drilling. From many wells drilled at the site only well No.18 produced oil. At present it is still in use. The rest wells produced water. The goal of the PMRSE investigations was to determine the boundary of oil-saturated rocks in plan and suggest a location for drilling a new production well. Thus, in the vicinity of well No.18 areal survey was conducted afoot using a grid of profiles located every 100-200 m and two soundings were performed within the anomaly mapped to the depth of 900 m looking at the lithologic composition of oil-saturated and watered rocks in the cross-section. The soundings were performed with the step of 0.5 m. Sounding No.1 at the well No.18 was conducted as a test and sounding No.2 was targeted for drilling another production well. The PMRSE survey determined a boundary of oil saturated rocks which formed an anticline structure, recommended a location for drilling a new production well and indicated depth intervals with expected oil inflow. At present the well recommended from the PMRSE survey is drilled and produces oil.

2002-2003 – Exploration of oil and gas fields at Poltava and Sumy regions, Ukraine. The PMRSE additional investigations performed at the explored oil and gas fields confirmed the available information about the boundaries, composition, spatial variability of hydrocarbon deposits and location of water-oil contacts as well as provided some new conclusions about the structure of the deposits. The PMRSE findings were of special value when the decisions had to be taken about putting into operation the existing wells and selecting locations for drilling new ones. The PMRSE soundings confirmed the location of all productive horizons tested in the exploration wells. Besides, some soundings detected new hydrocarbon horizons missed during the deposit exploration.

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1999 – Oil survey in the Western Siberia, Russia, from board of a helicopter. The PMRSE survey was conducted at three oil fields with the total area of 800 sq.km. in Mesozoic formations of the sedimentary cover of the Western Siberian Plate for Lukoil Company. The main target was to test the technology for mapping oil fields from the air. The survey was performed at the control areas of Lukoil company using a helicopter MI-8 along east-west striking profiles located every 2 km from each other. Based on the survey results a map of hydrocarbon anomalies was plotted. A fragment of the map is shown on the left. The PMRSE air survey results were confirmed by inclusion of the oil production wells inside the boundaries of the PMRSE mapped anomalies. A positive reference was provided by the Client for application of the technology in oil and gas exploration from air.

1997 – Oil and gas survey at the Black Sea shelf, Ukraine, from board of a research vessel. The investigations were performed by the order of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in the Northwestern sector of the Black Sea shelf. Hydrocarbon anomalies detected from board of a research vessel confirmed the oil and gas prospectivity of a number of structures known from the findings of traditional geophysics. The survey results were confirmed by the exploration drilling.

1995 – Oil and gas survey at Odessa region, Ukraine. Based on the PMRSE survey conducted at Burnasskaya area it was concluded that the area had no prospects. A well drilled later according to a positive recommendation by Unical company produced no oil what confirmed the PMRSE field findings obtained earlier.

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