Oil and Gas News from OilGasDaily.Com  
OIL AND GAS
New tool for oil and gas exploration beats all competition
by Staff Writers
Moscow, Russia (SPX) Oct 09, 2017


An autonomous seismic station developed at MIPT is unmatched in terms of several key parameters.

The MIPT Center for Molecular Electronics (CME) has developed and tested a seismic station for hydrocarbon exploration. The new device has an unparalleled bandwidth, enabling it to reveal the structure of underground reservoirs at the depth of up to several tens of kilometers. The seismic station can be used for onshore, transition-zone, and marine exploration. It can be deployed at depths of up to 0.5 kilometers, both in the Arctic and in the South Seas. The test findings were published in the Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology of the American Meteorological Society.

The standard technique used in hydrocarbon exploration worldwide is active seismic surveying. It involves the generation of seismic waves at the Earth's surface or underwater, which then penetrate soil or water, traveling tens of kilometers deep. When the reflected waves arrive back at the Earth's surface, they are picked up by seismic sensors. The reflected signal contains information about the location and properties of underground structures.

Vadim Agafonov, who heads the Center for Molecular Electronics at MIPT, describes the new device: "The seismic station that we developed can be mounted on the seafloor or on land for the purpose of conducting oil and gas exploration. It is a sealed module packed with its own power source, a range of highly sensitive seismic sensors developed by our team, and a signal recording system. The data collected by the sensors are written into a built-in storage unit. The station is equipped with interfaces for setting up the recording parameters, as well as downloading data and transmitting them to the central station for subsequent processing."

The station can pick up seismic signals containing data useful for hydrocarbon exploration. In general, shelf exploration involves the use of a network of stations positioned on the seafloor. Powerful air guns deployed on a ship blast compressed air to produce seismic waves. These waves travel towards the seafloor, penetrating into the ground. As a wave propagates further down, it bounces back off the surfaces it encounters.

A seismic station is capable of picking up the reflected signal for subsequent analysis. This allows revealing underground structures, including potential hydrocarbon reservoirs. The station can operate onshore, on ice, on rough terrain, and in transition zones where sea meets land. It is capable of withstanding hostile conditions, including temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius and as high as 65.

The data collected by land-based modules is transmitted to the central station in real time for subsequent processing. By contrast, those stations that are based on the seafloor accumulate data, which can be relayed to the central unit when the experiment is over. The station is designed to operate autonomously and is capable of continuously recording data for 30 to 60 days, depending on the recording parameters.

At the heart of the device are unique seismic sensors developed at MIPT. Each of these consists of a micron-sized node immersed in a liquid that has a high electrical conductivity. The seismic signal causes the liquid to move relative to an electrode, which affects the current between electrodes. The sensors are incorporated into the system, allowing the recorded signals to be digitized and stored on the internal drive.

The performance characteristics of the system are significantly superior to those of currently available analogues. The majority of similar seismic stations now in use feature electromechanical geophones with bandwidths of 10 to 250 Hertz.

The sensors developed at CME have a bandwidth of 1 hertz, enabling low-frequency waves - the ones that travel the farthest - to be picked up.It is usually the case that marine and transition-zone exploration systems cannot be mounted onshore due to their weight and size. At the same time, land-based stations are not fit for offshore use because they are not watertight. The seismic sensor developed at MIPT is universal. It also incorporates cutting-edge circuitry and hardware components.

The field tests were conducted on the shore of the Sea of Azov in Krasnodar Krai, a territory in southwestern Russia. A network of 17 stations was installed on the seafloor, and a further control station was mounted on the shore. The stations enabled the synchronized pickup of seismic and hydroacoustic signals at predetermined recording sites.

In addition to routine data collection, the system proved sensitive enough to detect the 7 Aug. earthquake in Ukraine, despite being deployed 200 kilometers away from the epicenter. The seismic stations have thus proved their usefulness for seismic and seismological research on the seafloor and in transition zones, including the detection of low-frequency events such as regional earthquakes.

The device has already attracted the attention of Lukoil, Rosneft, and other companies.

Research paper

OIL AND GAS
Shell defends divestment efforts, but cancels sale in Thailand
Washington (UPI) Oct 4, 2017
While defending a robust spending program, Royal Dutch Shell said Wednesday it was canceling an agreement to sell off a stake of its assets in Thailand. Subsidiaries of Shell and the Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Co. said they mutually agreed to cancel the multilmillion dollar sale of shares in Shell Integrated Gas Thailand Pte. Ltd., known also as SIGT, and Thai Energy Co Limite ... read more

Related Links
Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology
All About Oil and Gas News at OilGasDaily.com


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

OIL AND GAS
Bioreactors on a chip renew promises for algal biofuels

Surrounded by potential: New science in converting biomass

Algae with light switch

With extra sugar, leaves get fat too

OIL AND GAS
Saudi Arabia opens bid for 'utility scale' solar project

DOE should take steps toward facilitating energy development on its public lands

Researchers set time limit for ultrafast perovskite solar cells

'New era' in solar energy fuelling growth in renewables: IEA

OIL AND GAS
Germany gets economic lift with wind energy

French energy company to build wind power sector in India

Finding better wind energy potential with the new European Wind Atlas

Last of the 67 turbines for a British wind farm installed

OIL AND GAS
Largest Nuclear Training Center In France Opens Its Doors

BWXT awarded contract extension for nuclear waste facility operations

UAE to open Arab Gulf's first nuclear reactor in 2018

Russia floats out powerful nuclear icebreaker

OIL AND GAS
Drought not dingos behind mainland Australia tiger extinction: study

Cost of climate disasters to reach half of US growth in a decade: report

Science denial not limited to political right

Canada Tory MP called out for referring to minister as 'climate Barbie'

OIL AND GAS
The U.S. needs at least twice as many charging points for EV

Uber competitor hits Paris roads with Chinese help

US car sales get boost from hurricane recovery

General Motors targets 20 all-electric models by 2023

OIL AND GAS
Iraq forces claim recapture of IS-held areas near Hawija

Shiite pilgrims throng Iraq's Karbala for mourning ritual

Iraq forces attack IS-held town of Hawija

Iraq says defeats IS infiltration near Ramadi

OIL AND GAS
Negotiating with North Korea a waste of time: Trump

US and North Korea: To talk or not to talk?

Thinking the unthinkable in China: Abandoning North Korea

Iran's Zarif urges Europe to defy Trump on sanctions









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.