Successful marine test for MTEM
Posted: 10 November 2005
Edinburgh-based fledgling university spin-out MTEM has successfully tested its electromagnetic (EM) hydrocarbon survey technology in shallow water in the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh.
Deploying a 2km ocean bed cable and using a low power experimental source, data was recorded at offsets of up to 8km, allowing the detection of hydrocarbons up to 2km below the sea bed.
With water depths of 12m to 20m, this is the first use of such technology in shallow water.
MTEM Chief Executive, Leon Walker said: “With this success, we activate our plan to put a marine crew out next year. By June we expect to be conducting surveys in the North Sea and other basins which have been considered as shallow water for EM surveys until now. The scope for exploration and appraisal surveys, with the potential for finding millions of additional barrels of oil and gas, is enormous.”
Chairman, Bruce Dingwall said “This is another milestone for us. Having recently carried out successful testing on land, this breakthrough now enables us to commercialise its application in shallow waters up to 300m deep in major offshore oil and gas provinces throughout the world.”
MTEM is the largest ever spin-out from a Scottish university.
Its multi-transient electromagnetic technology is a step-change geophysical method that can determine whether deep underground reservoirs contain hydrocarbons before drilling and may also be used to find hidden oil in mature producing fields.
Electromagnetic surveys are designed to provide a measure of changes in subsurface resistivity with depth below ground. This information can be useful in locating recoverable oil and gas since hydrocarbons are more resistive to electrical current than the water typically found at similar depths.
The design work for the MTEM receiver cable and source was done in-house with assistance from Seabed Geophysical AS, who drew upon their deep experience in developing and operating autonomous multi-component ( 4C ) seismic node equipment designed to be planted into the sea bed.
The design work for the MTEM receiver cable and source was done in-house with assistance from Seabed Geophysical AS, who drew upon their deep experience in developing and operating autonomous multi-component ( 4C ) seismic node equipment designed to be planted into the sea bottom.
Logistical and operational support for the test was provided by Westland GeoProjects who have a long experience of designing and supporting safe operational procedures for testing marine geophysical equipment temporarily installed on suitable work boats.
MTEM received funding of £7.4 million last November from a syndicate of venture capitalists made up of Stavanger-based Energy Ventures and HitecVision and Scottish Equity Partners from Glasgow.
For more information see www.mtem.com
Posted by Richard Price, Editor, EnergyME.com
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