Shell and Baker Hughes have teamed up in a software licence and joint development agreement to produce a high-end platform for geological and reservoir modelling.
They claim that the initiative, which is based on Baker Hughes’ JewelEarth platform will lend competitive advantage, including for the exploitation of shale gas and liquids resources.
The agreement is intended to bring enhanced evaluation and visualisation capabilities to Shell, so enabling geoscientists and petroleum engineers to better plan and manage the extraction of oil and gas resources.
The system will be particularly optimised for resource modelling and production from tight/shale reservoirs.
According to Shell, the world is now thought to have around 230 years of recoverable gas resources at current production levels – of which roughly half is tight gas, shale gas, and coalbed methane.
The Baker Hughes JewelEarth platform already has a strong track record of delivering integrated, data-driven workflows for optimising such plays.
The new platform will complement Shell’s existing applications, including GeoSigns, the super-major’s proprietary software used to visualise and interpret seismic data, and will form part of an integrated working environment for its exploration and modelling experts.