(Offshore Energy) Tullow Oil has discovered oil at its Jethro-1 well in Guyana using the XWI algorithm developed by technology company S-Cube.
The XWI algorithm allows entirely data-driven earth model building with more automation and accuracy. The cloud solution helps Tullow Oil reduce the risk and uncertainty in subsurface imaging and subsequent business risk.
Tullow Oil principal geophysicist Gareth O’Brien said: “The sheer flexibility of the XWI cloud solution, as well as the advanced nature of the optimisation algorithm that drives, is exactly what’s required to gain an edge in the competitive area of E&P.
“The velocity prediction it offers can be applied across our portfolio from block screening to drill or drop to optimal well placement in exploration and production.”
The oil and gas exploration firm selected XWI solution for its waveform inversion based on the four guiding principles of accuracy, resolution, differentiated capability and predictive power. The company ran several scenarios simultaneously to increase quality score from a baseline of 57% to 75% by narrowing uncertainty in the sea floor position and density ratio.
S-Cube COO Nikhil Shah said: “The XWI algorithm marks the start of the big data parameter learning and HPC convergence using cloud compute infrastructure for the energy industry.
“We continue to advance our search platform to solve for unknowns which affect the quality and accuracy of the final result maintaining predictive power of earth rock property trends below 3km depth.”
The Jethro-1 was drilled by the Stena Forth drillship to a total depth of 4,400m in approximately 1,350m of water. Tullow Oil said the evaluation of logging data confirmed that Jethro-1 was the first discovery on the Orinduik licence and comprises oil bearing sandstone reservoirs of Lower Tertiary age.
The well encountered 55m of net oil pay which supports a recoverable oil resource estimate which exceeds Tullow Oil’s pre-drill forecast. The company said it will assess the data from the Jethro discovery and identify suitable appraisal activity.
Source: Offshore Energy
