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FLAIR™ a new era in formation evaluation
Determining the nature and the properties of the formation fluid is one of the critical factors in successful appraisal and development of any oil or gas field .
Interpretation of wireline formation testing data (e.g., static pressure gradient analysis and downhole fluid analyses), PVT and geochemical fingerprinting provide information for reservoir modelling, however, none of these tools provide information during the drilling process of a given well, but only after the well has reached final depth. Moreover, the information is available only on a discontinuous basis at localized depth or as an average over a depth interval.
The monitoring of gas extracted from drilling mud has been used for decades as a basic hydrocarbon indicator. Gas extraction and analysis equipment were not accurate or efficient enough to provide reliable measurements for reservoir evaluation.
As formation fluids are continuously mixed with drilling mud, gas fraction analysis represents the only direct way for "drilled" fluid evaluation in real time. Therefore, the challenge of obtaining sufficient reservoir fluid data, over short time frames, on a continuous basis and at manageable costs, prompted Geoservices to improve gas measurement technology and interpretation methods to achieve the status of a real fluid evaluation tool.
FLAIR™ - Fluid Logging & Analysis In Real time – a service able to assess quantitatively the C1-C5 composition of the fluid downhole, providing data and interpretation suitable for “Hydrocarbon Evaluation” rather than a basic assessment of extracted gas composition.
By providing FLAIR™ data during the drilling process, the Formation Fluid Sampling program can be optimized, reducing rig time and costs. Observed anomalies can be investigated in more detail during formation evaluation, sample collection, and geochemical fingerprinting techniques and, in addition, by systematically combining and integrating these fundamentally different data streams, a much more robust picture of the reservoir fluid distribution becomes clear. The FLAIR™ service provides solutions for:
- Reservoir characterisation
- Pay zone delineation
- Formation Fluid Composition
- Fluid contact location
- Identifying compositional gradients in the reservoir
- Detecting geochemical alteration
- Reservoir compartmentalisation / connectivity
The monitoring of gas extracted from drilling mud has been used for decades as a basic hydrocarbon indicator. Gas extraction and analysis equipment were not accurate or efficient enough to provide reliable measurements for reservoir evaluation.
As formation fluids are continuously mixed with drilling mud, gas fraction analysis represents the only direct way for "drilled" fluid evaluation in real time. Therefore, the challenge of obtaining sufficient reservoir fluid data, over short time frames, on a continuous basis and at manageable costs, prompted Geoservices to improve gas measurement technology and interpretation methods to achieve the status of a real fluid evaluation tool.
FLAIR™ - Fluid Logging & Analysis In Real time – a service able to assess quantitatively the C1-C5 composition of the fluid downhole, providing data and interpretation suitable for “Hydrocarbon Evaluation” rather than a basic assessment of extracted gas composition.
By providing FLAIR™ data during the drilling process, the Formation Fluid Sampling program can be optimized, reducing rig time and costs. Observed anomalies can be investigated in more detail during formation evaluation, sample collection, and geochemical fingerprinting techniques and, in addition, by systematically combining and integrating these fundamentally different data streams, a much more robust picture of the reservoir fluid distribution becomes clear. The FLAIR™ service provides solutions for:
- Reservoir characterisation
- Pay zone delineation
- Formation Fluid Composition
- Fluid contact location
- Identifying compositional gradients in the reservoir
- Detecting geochemical alteration
- Reservoir compartmentalisation / connectivity
FLAIR™ Service benefits
FLAIR™ interpretation gives quantitative fluid identification and, consequently, yields upfront information during the drilling process, in real time and on a continuous basis, regarding fluid facies similarities/dissimilarities, reservoir compartmentalization, and compositional grading. This information can be paramount in cases where wire line logs are not obtained and may be the only insights into fluid characterization if samples are not recovered.
FLAIR™ extractors are quantitative, after proper extractor calibration and recycling correction, in their extraction and characterization of the light hydrocarbon gases (C1-C5) as shown in Table 1 (Courtesy of SHELL SPE Number 109861). In this table, a comparison is made from a number of basins, globally, between the normalized gas composition (C1-C5) of Geoservices’ FLAIR™ and compositional analyses of a downhole fluid samples taken from the same interval.
FLAIR™ extractors are quantitative, after proper extractor calibration and recycling correction, in their extraction and characterization of the light hydrocarbon gases (C1-C5) as shown in Table 1 (Courtesy of SHELL SPE Number 109861). In this table, a comparison is made from a number of basins, globally, between the normalized gas composition (C1-C5) of Geoservices’ FLAIR™ and compositional analyses of a downhole fluid samples taken from the same interval.
Table 1: n-PVT = Normalized PVT composition; FLAIR™ = Geoservices; Trad = standard gas system.
Because of the quantitative nature that has been demonstrated by the FLAIR™ technique, customers propose as a standard approach that data sets generated from FLAIR™, downhole fluid sampling (DFA) and fluid analysis (e.g., PVT data) should all be in agreement with one another, thus providing internal quality checks amongst the datasets.
Because of the quantitative nature that has been demonstrated by the FLAIR™ technique, customers propose as a standard approach that data sets generated from FLAIR™, downhole fluid sampling (DFA) and fluid analysis (e.g., PVT data) should all be in agreement with one another, thus providing internal quality checks amongst the datasets.
FLAIR™, providing data on a continuous basis during the drilling process, allows the interpreter to fingerprint the penetrated hydrocarbon accumulations and begin mapping fluid facies prior to any electric logging.
Fluid similarities or heterogeneities (e.g., compositional grading or compartmentalization) can be fed into the objectives of the wire line formation testing program to assist in:
- Tool string design (e.g., sample volumes necessary for fluid evaluation programs).
- Determination of a preliminary number of sample points (right samples at right depths).
- Focus the evaluation program on any anomalies that might be observed.
Fluid similarities or heterogeneities (e.g., compositional grading or compartmentalization) can be fed into the objectives of the wire line formation testing program to assist in:
- Tool string design (e.g., sample volumes necessary for fluid evaluation programs).
- Determination of a preliminary number of sample points (right samples at right depths).
- Focus the evaluation program on any anomalies that might be observed.
FLAIR™ Service applications
The applications of FLAIR™ are many:
- As a logging optimisation tool, FLAIR™, having a direct impact on the optimisation of the Downhole Fluid Sampling program, can be used to reduce rig time and costs.
- As a field development tool, due to the high repeatability of the system, FLAIR™ can be used on a development field to replace partially traditional wireline sampling and help answer issues such as vertical connectivity, horizontal connectivity and fluid contacts.
- As an exploration tool, FLAIR™ can increase the reliability of the data collected in an unknown field and help in the overall reservoir interpretation (fluid facies similarities/dissimilarities, reservoir compartmentalization, and compositional grading).
- In ultra-deep wells, FLAIR, being a surface measurement, can be vital for recording fluids that conventional wireline tools cannot reach due to high temperatures and pressures.
- In high-angle horizontal wells where wireline measurements cannot reliably be taken, FLAIR™ can be used as a replacement tool to continually record all data from the well.
- In extended-reach horizontal drilling, as fields become more mature, FLAIR™ can help to distinguish between hydrocarbon-poor formations and hydrocarbon-rich zones. Thus helping the wellbore to follow a very specific path, where going too high or too low can cause the loss of the project (assistance for ‘geo-steering’).
- In addition, in the absence of electric logging data (e.g., borehole stability or difficult logging conditions), FLAIR™ may be the only tool available to provide hydrocarbon information, and it can be utilized for characterization of by-passed pay or unsampled secondary targets.
- In many deepwater settings, where oil base mud systems are commonly used, the mud return temperature can be as low as 10-15ºC. These low temperatures make gas extraction extremely inefficient with standard gas traps, especially C2+ gas components. FLAIR™ improves the capacity to detect and characterize the hydrocarbons in the formation by dramatically improving gas extraction efficiency at low mud temperatures.
- When combined with open hole sampling and fluid evaluation programs, FLAIR™ guides the investigation of anomalies or fluid facies variations, and provide a smarter approach to wire line formation testing.
FLAIR™ has been implemented in almost all operational and geological environments:
- As a logging optimisation tool, FLAIR™, having a direct impact on the optimisation of the Downhole Fluid Sampling program, can be used to reduce rig time and costs.
- As a field development tool, due to the high repeatability of the system, FLAIR™ can be used on a development field to replace partially traditional wireline sampling and help answer issues such as vertical connectivity, horizontal connectivity and fluid contacts.
- As an exploration tool, FLAIR™ can increase the reliability of the data collected in an unknown field and help in the overall reservoir interpretation (fluid facies similarities/dissimilarities, reservoir compartmentalization, and compositional grading).
- In ultra-deep wells, FLAIR, being a surface measurement, can be vital for recording fluids that conventional wireline tools cannot reach due to high temperatures and pressures.
- In high-angle horizontal wells where wireline measurements cannot reliably be taken, FLAIR™ can be used as a replacement tool to continually record all data from the well.
- In extended-reach horizontal drilling, as fields become more mature, FLAIR™ can help to distinguish between hydrocarbon-poor formations and hydrocarbon-rich zones. Thus helping the wellbore to follow a very specific path, where going too high or too low can cause the loss of the project (assistance for ‘geo-steering’).
- In addition, in the absence of electric logging data (e.g., borehole stability or difficult logging conditions), FLAIR™ may be the only tool available to provide hydrocarbon information, and it can be utilized for characterization of by-passed pay or unsampled secondary targets.
- In many deepwater settings, where oil base mud systems are commonly used, the mud return temperature can be as low as 10-15ºC. These low temperatures make gas extraction extremely inefficient with standard gas traps, especially C2+ gas components. FLAIR™ improves the capacity to detect and characterize the hydrocarbons in the formation by dramatically improving gas extraction efficiency at low mud temperatures.
- When combined with open hole sampling and fluid evaluation programs, FLAIR™ guides the investigation of anomalies or fluid facies variations, and provide a smarter approach to wire line formation testing.
FLAIR™ has been implemented in almost all operational and geological environments:
Deliverables
The FLAIR™ service is aimed at providing high quality measurements of gas extracted from the mud and specific processing / interpretation to correct these data.
FLAIR™ provides an evaluation of bottom hole fluid composition through an identification of the Fluid Facies (defined as a depth interval for which the fluid appears homogeneous as regards composition or specific component ratios).
FLAIR™ delivers a Fluid Facies Log which highlights the major changes in the fluid and can greatly assist in petroleum system evaluation such as cap rock and reservoir characterization, fluid contact identification, determination of fluid variations or probable alteration by secondary processes. As the information provided is related to actual fluid and no longer dependant on any specific drilling context, it can also be extensively used for correlation in the context of multi-well studies.
With FLAIR™ , we deliver to our customers Formation Fluids Composition, to be compared with the results obtained through downhole sample analysis. The results can also be used in the same way for further subsurface evaluation and modelling processes performed by our customers.
This fluid composition provides valuable information that helps our customers assess the nature of the fluid or determine fluid contacts.
FLAIR™ Fluid Logging provides information for fluid characterisation that should be considered as complementary to standard fluid analysis, the advantage being that it is available very quickly (quantitative composition provided at the end of the drilling phase) and on a continuous basis. This very early assessment is helping our customers to make faster decisions in an ever-more costly environment.
FLAIR™ provides an evaluation of bottom hole fluid composition through an identification of the Fluid Facies (defined as a depth interval for which the fluid appears homogeneous as regards composition or specific component ratios).
FLAIR™ delivers a Fluid Facies Log which highlights the major changes in the fluid and can greatly assist in petroleum system evaluation such as cap rock and reservoir characterization, fluid contact identification, determination of fluid variations or probable alteration by secondary processes. As the information provided is related to actual fluid and no longer dependant on any specific drilling context, it can also be extensively used for correlation in the context of multi-well studies.
With FLAIR™ , we deliver to our customers Formation Fluids Composition, to be compared with the results obtained through downhole sample analysis. The results can also be used in the same way for further subsurface evaluation and modelling processes performed by our customers.
This fluid composition provides valuable information that helps our customers assess the nature of the fluid or determine fluid contacts.
FLAIR™ Fluid Logging provides information for fluid characterisation that should be considered as complementary to standard fluid analysis, the advantage being that it is available very quickly (quantitative composition provided at the end of the drilling phase) and on a continuous basis. This very early assessment is helping our customers to make faster decisions in an ever-more costly environment.
Remote service delivery
In order to provide our customer with the ‘best-in-class’ service, FLAIR™ comes with a new feature called “RTDC”. With the full remote support of the centralized Geoservices Expertise Center (G.E.C.), our engineer in town can work more closely with our customer to bring him the best possible level of service for Formation Evalution during drilling.
Note: RTDC can be embedded within the customer’s proprietary IT infrastructure when required.
Note: RTDC can be embedded within the customer’s proprietary IT infrastructure when required.
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