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2009 DISC instructor advocates integration

Linda Holeman, Associate Editor, The Leading Edge

Patrick Corbett delivered his message of discipline integration and sustainable petroleum engineering, “Petroleum Geoengeneering: Integration of static and dynamic models” to a near-capacity house Friday, 23 October at the SEG Annual Meeting in Houston, USA.

The 2009 SEG/EAGE Distinguished Instructor was on the 22nd stop of a 29-city tour that has spanned six continents.

The SEG/EAGE Distinguished Instructor Short Course (DISC) is an intense, one-day course that promotes the concept of geoengeneering as a holistic workflow unconstrained by discipline, integrating geology, geophysics, petrophysics, geomodeling, and reservoir and petroleum engineering.

Says Corbett, “I use petroleum geoengineering to focus on planetary oil recovery factors rather than a specific oil field. The focus also is on what is common to all petroleum reservoirs and how we can better understand and exploit these factors more effectively in order to improve hydrocarbon recovery.”

According to Corbett, the long-term future of the oil and gas industry depends on improving recovery:  “Every 1% of extra recovery equals four years of world consumption.”  And in this course, Corbett makes a convincing case for integration as the key, demonstrating how improved linkage between the techniques used at various scales to describe and model petroleum reservoirs can enable technical staff to maximize the recovery of hydrocarbons.

The rewards of geoengeneering for companies are obvious: more oil in less time plus reduced capital expenditures equals greater profits. Yet there are personal rewards for scientists as well, including increased “geo-understanding,” increased satisfaction gained from working in cohesive, multidisciplinary teams, and a sense of pride and accomplishment that comes from improved recovery.

Corbett also discussed the barriers to integration. Often, organizations are too large, too rigidly compartmentalized, and too asset based, and; therefore, resistant to change. He noted that smaller, discipline-based companies are more flexible and; therefore, more open to the idea of geoengeneering.

Cultural differences also play a role in how well the integrated approach can be adapted. In his fascinating diary of his DISC sojourn, Corbett notes that France and Norway culturally are suited to this approach and are working hard to implement it.

Attendee Paul Allen, a reservoir engineer with PEG, praised Corbett’s presentation and its relevance to all disciplines. “As a reservoir engineer, I am very familiar with the concept of geoengeneering. However, Corbett did an excellent job of breaking down the role of each discipline and how each of them contribute to successful integration,” he said.

Corbett is taking the DISC a step further with a blind survey of participants that will measure whether their companies are familiar with the geoengeneering concept; 
how well their companies implement integration strategies, or not; the typical oil recovery factor in the participant’s respective regions, and their limitations; what companies are doing with respect to the geoengeneering problem of C0₂ levels in the atmosphere; along with the participants’ locations, job functions, years of experience, and level of participation in  professional societies like SEG, EAGE, SPE, etc. Corbett will release the results of this survey after he completes the DISC tour in December.

Adds Corbett, “I fully plan to give this talk again 20 years from now just to see if things have changed. Stayed tuned!”
 

 

Photographs provided by Barchfeld Photography