Introduction to the April 2020 Focus:  Geomodelling and Geosteering

Special Coordinators: Devik Naidu
Technical Editor: Steve Jensen
Format Editor: Elizabeth Atkinson

Improving Your Forward Vision – How 4D Geosteering Software Improves Well Placements by Proactively Catching Deviations Early and Reducing Drilling Risks
ROCKY MOTTAHEDEH

Forward Vision for Geosteering and Mitigating Risk by Volumetric Simulation of Well Drainage and Frac Shadows
ROCKY MOTTAHEDEH

Geosteering – The Basics for Geophysicists
CURTIS JAMES

The April edition features compelling articles on geomodelling and geosteering. These articles were selected by the RECORDER Committee based upon the expertise of the authors and we wanted to feature their outstanding work in this edition of the CSEG RECORDER. The authors submitted their articles upon the request of the RECORDER Committee and we are grateful to all who took the time and effort to work on these articles.

Rocky Mottahedeh is the CEO of United Oil & Gas Consulting and SMART 4D Geosteering. His first paper provides details of the various uses and advantages of a continuously updated, fully-3D geomodel when geosteering horizontal wells. His second paper shows that integration of real-time 3D geological models with reservoir drainage modelling can substantially improve well and project economics and enable the drilling team to avoid low-pressure zones and mitigate frac hits.

Curtis James is an up-and-coming young geophysicist who took the time and effort to write about the basics of geosteering from the perspective of a geophysicist. Curtis, Rachel Binnion and the team at Geo-Steering Solutions Inc. contributed to this tutorial which outlines how they utilize their expertise (most North American basins) and skills to facilitate the proper build and lateral placement of horizontal wellbores. Curtis also talks about the advanced drilling techniques used to deal with longer, deeper laterals that need to be drilled in a timely manner to reduce the rig time and subsequently the cost of drilling the horizontal well. By drilling deeper, longer and faster it ultimately reduces the break even price for the wells in that particularly field which is necessary in today’s economical environment.

I hope that you enjoy reading these articles as much as our RECORDER team has. We are very grateful to these authors for sharing these articles on geomodelling and geosteering with us.

KIND REGARDS, THE CSEG RECORDER TEAM