No reason to fear the added muscle and acceleration that artificial intelligence offers to the geoscience sector, writes Mark Brownless, Chief Technology Officer at Geoteric, a global AI seismic interpretation specialist.
The power of artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the art of what is possible across the entire energy sector, from oil and gas to offshore wind and carbon capture and storage (CCS). Incredible advances in AI have come with people, combining forces to accelerate crucial energy projects; human experience and expertise have informed the AI journey so far and will continue to shape its future.
However, like any sector undergoing significant change, barriers to adoption have formed. Within the energy space, there are concerns about the impact of AI on employment – there is a fear that experience will be trumped by algorithms, expertise sidelined by automation, and humans replaced by machines.
Energy professionals with an extensive track record of achievement have understandable concerns that have somewhat delayed the embrace of what AI has to offer to segments, including seismic interpretation.
In reality, the power of AI to deliver rapid, exceptionally high-quality results places the geoscientist at the centre of the asset team. All seismic data gathered, for example from new surveys, angle stacks and azimuths can be efficiently analysed to deliver value to the business in a timeframe that can positively impact decision-making.
Time saved by faster interpretation from the geoscientist can be redirected elsewhere in the project. AI accelerates rather than replaces decades of experience gathered across the sector and enables improved decisions that – ultimately – lead to better subsurface projects.
Power at your fingertips
The power of AI is obvious. At Geoteric, for example, we have achieved a 95% time reduction for fault interpretation. Overall project timelines are cut from years to weeks – only made possible with AI.
In terms of seismic surveys, AI technology opens the door to using 100% of data collected over time, rather than just a fraction, and provides a solid foundation of information to be integrated into a more holistic interpretation landscape, which geoscientists can arrive at in less time.
The result is maximised returns on both live and historic investment, as well as the increased profitability linked to reduced operational costs and the avoidance of unnecessary drilling – think better-quality drilling targets and a higher chance of success, with reduced project cycle times and rig downtime.
And the benefits extend to the net zero journey, cutting the environmental impact of oil and gas, providing critical knowledge for CCS over time, and establishing unrivalled early visibility of potential impacts from shallow geology on proposed offshore wind infrastructure.
Working together
At its core, AI is about powerful digital tools adding richness, detail, and complexity to the process of generating better information and understanding. It is about enabling decisions that reflect every possible dimension and horizon, with minimum bias, providing the maximum number of dependable options, and with the highest level of certainty.
And that extends beyond the here and now. AI opens several new doors that benefit the overall shape of any project. This extends to information and understanding that might previously have been considered sub-seismic and was invisible to even the most experienced of human eyes.
AI also works across time. Historic and existing datasets can provide valuable new insight while removing the need to re-commission or re-shoot new data and can provide additional perspective.
Eyes on the prize
There are multiple examples of the application of AI in the seismic landscape.
INEOS, for instance, wanted a better understanding of a structure in the Danish North Sea that was obscured by a shallow gas cloud. The company secured multiple data sets of varying angle stack and azimuth across 100 square kilometres but faced tight timelines.
Geoteric quickly delivered a highly-detailed structural framework across multiple volumes with unprecedented accuracy and with zero bias – all in just two weeks.
For bpx Energy, the challenge was an unconventional play in the Eagle Ford and Permian basins, which required detailed and accurate interpretation to avoid faults in the overburden, and stay in the sweet spot while geosteering, or target naturally fractured areas to maximize production.
Rather than years, the results were delivered by Geoteric AI Faults in just days, providing the basis for updated reservoir models based on fault interpretations in challenging data.
The operator was able to optimise well paths, reduce shallow hazard risk and avoid drilling difficulties.
Deep impact
AI, seen through the lens of the Geoteric vision, represents nothing less than a fundamental and complete shift in the energy sector workplace. It has the ability to transform the way we approach projects across the industry, and is game-changing in terms of reliability, visibility, speed and scope.
But the technology also works with the industry, enabling those with decades of experience and expertise to do more. That is why Geoteric AI is fast and easy to use, has a low user-training threshold, features an enhanced visual interface, and boasts seamless integration with third-party solutions.
AI has demonstrated that it is accurate and efficient, that it can reduce risk and can cut the costs of any project, in any location – even in the most complex geology.
Geoteric believes these results strengthen trust and confidence in AI, establishing an impact far greater than the individual elements could achieve on their own.
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