A Summary of Coalbed Methane Potential in British Columbia

Barry Ryan

…Introduction For the first part of 2003 wholesale natural gas prices have been in the range of 4 to 6 $US per million btu, this compares to prices of about 2.2 $US in 1998. The price increase reflects increased demand and a decrease in reserves within USA and Canada. In…

Microbial Methanogenesis and its Role in Enhancing Coalbed Methane Recovery

Karen Budwill

…Introduction It has been recognized in recent years that ongoing methane production is occurring in deep coal beds. This observation was deduced from studies of isotopic fractionation of coal gases, changes in coal-gas chemistry and the biodegraded nalkane pattern of some coal-extract samples (Scott, 1999). Research is limited in understanding…

Michelangelo, Seismic and Seeing What’s There

Jan Dewar, Jon Downton, Glen Larsen

…In oil painting restoration, masterpieces dirtied by centuries of grime and smoke are cleaned to reveal the original brilliant image. The recent cleaning and restoration of the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel are a familiar example. Once the unwanted dirt had been removed, the beauty and vibrant colors of the…

Santosh K. Majumdar

An Interview with Santosh K. Majumdar

…[Satinder]: Can you tell us about your educational background and professional experience? Well, after being in the industry for 43 years, this will not be an easy task. How much time do we have? (laughter). When I was in university, India followed the British educational system. In order to obtain…

Executive Message

…Many miles to go before I sleep... Having spent the past winter and spring wrapping up my obligations with the 2003 convention committee, it’s only now that I’ve begun to wonder about my role and responsibilities as Assistant Director of Communications. Thinking ahead makes me look backward to the CSEG…

CAGC Column

…The winter season is almost upon us. Commodity prices remain solid; the electricity blackout in Eastern North America has caused a refocusing on the Energy sector. Something we all take for granted – the flick of a light switch – was suddenly gone. The need for an energy plan not…

Tracing the Industry

…Robin Owens joined Talisman Energy in July 2003, as a Geophysicist in the International Exploration team. He has been assigned to the Alaska NPRA project, following Talisman’s recent deal with Total in Houston. Robin has experience working the North Sea and Gulf of Mexico with Amerada Hess, and most recently…

Grapevine

…Core Lab is on the move! Core Laboratories Reservoir Technologies Division has moved and are now housed with sister Core Lab Divisions: PROMORE, ProTechnics, and Owen Gris Gun. One Palliser Square 17th Floor, 125 - 9 Avenue S.E. Calgary, Alberta T2G 0P6 Tel. (403) 571-1555 Fax (403) 571-1550 Core Lab’s…

Visualization and Volume Interpretation in Geoscience: 3-D Seismic and Beyond

Steven R. May

…Volume interpretation technologies are revolutionizing the way geoscientists interpret seismic data and engineers evaluate reservoirs, thereby improving the accuracy of subsurface predictions. The development and application of visualization and volume interpretation technologies within petroleum geoscience has experienced rapid change within the past decade. This history provides an interesting case study…

Multicomponent Seismic Data Acquisition… The Economics Revisited

John Gibson, Howard Watt, and Steve Roche

…Introduction Over the past several years, significant advances have been made in the acquisition, processing and analysis/interpretation of converted-wave (PS) multicomponent seismic data resulting in renewed enthusiasm for use of this technology. The development of purpose-built multicomponent data acquisition systems based on MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) digital accelerometers has…

Full-Wave Digital Seismic Recording and the Impact of Vector Fidelity on Improved P-wave Data

D.J. Tessman and P. Maxwell

…In 2002 Input/Output commercialized its full-wave digital sensor system known as VectorSeis™. Since the initiation of field testing in 1999 more than 65 surveys have been acquired worldwide with these MEMS (micro electro-mechanical systems) based sensors. Of these, 38 have been commercial seismic surveys in Western Canada. Observations by interpretation…

Combined Ocean Bottom Stations and Streamers

S. Ronen, C. Ansorger, R. Leggott, K. Hawkins, K. Mills, P.Nicholls, A. Ratcliffe and L. Scott

…Abstract We propose to combine sparse multi-component (MC) seismic data with dense single component (1C) data. Such a combination provides the best of both: cost effective imaging and AVO analysis from the streamers, together with cost effective VP/VS ratio and MC AVO from the multi-component ocean bottom stations. Introduction MC…

Filling in the Gaps in Our Understanding of Converted-Wave Fold

Peter Cary and Don Lawton

…The “Problem” For a newcomer to converted-wave processing, one of the most confounding things that is encountered early on is the realization that the fold of P-S data can differ so much from the fold of ordinary P-P data. For example, Figure 1 shows the PP and P-S fold distributions…

Analyzing Multicomponent Seismic Data from the Mackenzie Delta, N.W.T.

Carlos E. Nieto and Robert R. Stewart

…Summary A set of seismic test lines was acquired in the spring of 2001 by the CREWES Project and Devon Canada Ltd. (formerly Anderson Exploration Ltd.) in the Mackenzie Delta, N.W.T. The lines, shot with dynamite and vibrator sources, included a 750m spread of 3-C geophones across a transition zone…

9C, 4D Seismic Processing for the Weyburn CO2 Flood, Saskatchewan, Canada

Robert R. Kendall, Robert Winarsky, Thomas L. Davis and Robert D. Benson

…Abstract We present a summary of the 9C, 4D processing used for the seismic monitoring of a CO2 flood in the Weyburn Field, Saskatchewan, Canada. The resultant time-lapse amplitude anomalies for both the P- and S-wave volumes are coincident with the locations of the CO2 injection patterns. Furthermore, the anomalies…

Utilization of Seismic Attributes for Reservoir Mapping: A Case Study from Cambay Basin, India

A.K. Srivastava, V. Singh, B.G. Samanta and G. Sen

…Multi-layered Hazad sands of Middle Eocene age deposited in deltaic environment are the main hydrocarbon producers in south Cambay Basin, India. These sands are broadly divided into twelve units (1 to 12) from bottom to top. These individual sand units are further subdivided in to smaller subunits which are selectively…

The Controversial Pore Pressure Conversion Factor: PSI to PPG MWE

Selim S. Shaker

…Geoscientists are inclined to use pore pressure (PP) plots expressed in PSI vs. Depth (P-D). This graphic illustration is beneficial for prospect and play-concept compartmentalization and seal integrity appraisals. On the other hand, drillers and engineers prefer to use Mud Weight Equivalents (MWE) in pound per gallon vs. depth (PPG-D)…

Russian Oil and Gas: A Compelling but Troubled Future

Michael J. Economides

…An energy story, bigger than Iraq, bigger than Venezuela and Nigeria combined, is unfolding in Russia. The government of President Vladimir Putin has thrown down the gauntlet at oil “oligarchs”, most prominent among which is Mikhail Khodorkovsky, CEO of Yukos, Russia’s largest oil company and the world’s second largest oil…

Mike Bahorich

An Interview with Mike Bahorich

…[Satinder]: Mike, tell us about your educational background? I have a B.S in geology from the U. of Mo. Columbia, and an M.S. in geophysics from Virginia Polytech. [Satinder]: So, you do not lend credence to the notion that a Ph.D. degree is a necessity for doing R & D…

Executive Message

…Although this is my second opportunity to serve the CSEG in the capacity of Director of Finance, (well actually, in 1983, the position was called Treasurer), the organization seems different in so many ways that it may as well be my first time around. And yet in so many ways,…