WorldWide Drilling Resource

A New Kind of Wildcat Adapted from a Press Release by Chocolate Flats Petroleum, Inc. Chocolate Flats Petroleum, Inc. is an environmental explo- ration and production company using nuclear magnetic resonance to determine drilling sites. Drilling wildcat wells in search of oil and gas deposits can come with substantial risks, which means tech- nological advancements are key to helping lower the inherit risk and increase potential rewards. Using the most accurate and advanced mineral exploration technology known, they are attempting to succeed with newer technology in areas where other methods might fail. The company is collaborating with leading scientists from Institute of Geophysics and Problems of the Earth, Ltd who have published extensive articles concerning hydrocarbon exploration using innovative techniques in nuclear magnetic resonance for remote sounding in mineral deposits. This nuclear technology has the capacity to redefine how modern day wildcat wells are identified and approached. In the early days of exploration, where to drill for oil and gas often came from guesses based on basic surface geology. The development of seismic survey technology has replaced guessing with the use of science and geological mapping. Modern advancements in seismic survey technology have helped find, drill, and produce oil and natural gas, reducing the probability of drilling dry wells while minimizing the environmental impact of oil and gas exploration. Wells drilled with this tech- nology have a success rate which peaks at 35-40%; however, the costs associated with this process can reach into the mil- lions of dollars, and can present difficulties in planning land surveys without disturbing communities and sensitive areas. Jeff O'Neal, CEO said, "We added nuclear magnetic resonance imaging with accuracy better than 95% to our extensive arsenal of exploration data from digitized original logs, proprietary Western Geophysical deep reflective seismic, water test- ing, soil sampling, Grace gravity data, Bouguer gravity data, and hyperspectral images from AVIRIS, LANDSAT, and ASTER satellites to confirm what we've known for a long time. This project is for the state of Iowa and the generations past and pres- ent who have waited for this day to come. After all, Iowa played an important role in the Texas oil and gas industry by funding development wells of the famous Spindletop in 1901." 45 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® JULY 2018 EXB Geothermal Training Program has Great Success Adapted from a News Release by the United Nations University The United Nations University Geothermal Training Program (UNU-GTP) provides university graduates extensive on-the- job training for geothermal projects. Geothermal professionals from around the world travel to Iceland every spring to spend six months studying geological and geophysical exploration tech- niques, borehole geology, chemistry of thermal fluids, environ- mental science, geothermal utilization, drilling technology, and other geothermal-related topics. Recently, the University offered a short course on geothermal exploration and development in Kenya. The course was organized by UNU-GTP, KenGen, and Geothermal Development Company in an effort to support the UN’s sustainable development goals. It is focused primarily on goal 7 to ensure access to affordable, reli- able, sustainable, and modern energy by 2030, and goal 13 to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. The first week was devoted to fieldwork around Lake Bogoria in the Rift Valley. The course progressed to Lake Naivasha where participants attended lectures on geoscientific exploration, the environmental aspects of geothermal development, drilling, reservoir engineering, utilization, project management, and financial considerations. The lectures were accompanied by field trips to the nearby Olkaria geothermal fields, laboratories, power plants, and other destinations of interest to geothermal stu- dents. Participants were given data from both high- and low-temperature geothermal fields, with the objective of constructing simple conceptual models and siting wells. Led by instructors from Kenya, other countries in East Africa, and Iceland, there were a total of 63 participants from 17 countries who took part in the course. GEO