The future activities on the NCS will largely focus on technology developments that can contribute to finding more oil and gas and reducing CO2 emissions, in addition to building next-generation infrastructure and realizing increased subsurface understanding and collaboration. Combined, such technology developments will generate a lot of value for the oil companies, vendors, and the Norwegian state.
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) is mandated to stimulate the industry to utilize technology to a greater extent.
They are particularly focused on the development of cost-efficient technologies, such as improved seismic imaging in areas with complex geology and where data collection is conducted close to existing infrastructure. This is considered an important factor in the development of the NCS.
In recent years, the NCS players, including the operators, have increasingly focused on infrastructure-led exploration (ILX), also known as near-field exploration.
Looking for additional hydrocarbon accumulations close to existing platforms, pipelines and subsea templates makes good economic sense as they can quickly be put into production, even if they are small. Discoveries of oil (and gas) near and below existing fields are often referred to as “High-Value Barrels”.
ILX, near-field exploration or High-Value Barrels will be one of the topics at the NCS Exploration – Recent Advances in Exploration Technology conference in Oslo in September.
In the session Technology Assisted Near-field Exploration, we will mainly be focusing on the extended Q35 area in the northern North Sea, in addition to visiting the Alvheim area in the Q25 area further south. Both areas currently have significant interest and high activity in near-field exploration.
We will see concrete examples of how different exploration technologies significantly improved imaging results and takes near-field exploration to the next level, including 3D and 4D seismic showcases.
Tor Sømme from Equinor will give the session keynote presentation, focusing on the implications of regional understanding for near-field exploration, mainly the Late Cretaceous play in the Norwegian Sea and the Paleocene play in the northern North Sea.
Recently, the Paleocene play in the North Sea has been extended towards the Greater Horda Platform area. Recent discoveries such as Kveikje and Heisenberg prove further potential and new possibilities.
Similarly, after several years without success, recent discoveries like the Balderbrå and Obelix Upflank demonstrate that there is remaining potential in the deep-water region of the Norwegian Sea.
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