Oil & Gas
‘Energy Transition’ and ‘Peak Oil Demand’ are popular terms today, not without some validity. Yet, oil demand is approaching 104 MMbbl/d. Global production declines at an average annual rate of 5+%, and large volumes flow from aging fields discovered decades ago. For unconventional oil fields, initial decline rates approach 40%. Gas demand (currently ~400 bcf/d) is forecast to grow at a faster rate than oil, with the proliferation of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and global trend towards electrification. Recent geopolitical events emphasize the importance of energy security.
To avoid an energy supply crisis and associated 'sticker shock', we must continue oil & gas investment. This means exploration. This especially means maximizing recovery from existing fields – using detailed geologic interpretation, and implementation of improved/enhanced recovery methods. Average recovery factor for oilfields worldwide is <30%. We can do better!
Successive stages of project maturation require different skills and competencies –
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Opportunity Screening
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Feasibility Studies
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Field (Re-)Development Planning
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Execution, Monitoring and Adaptation
It may not be practical for firms to maintain all technical capabilities full-time.
APEX Subsurface Consulting can help!
The founder has experience in all phases of the upstream O&G value chain
The founder is well-connected in professional organizations such as the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), and the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) … with a network that includes top-notch expertise in geoscience, reservoir engineering, drilling, production technology, facilities and more. Access to sophisticated software solutions through cloud computing and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) helps us deliver advanced solutions in a cost-effective manner.
Top - Bottom: Steepbank River AB (Alberta Oil Sands), Book Cliffs UT (deltaic deposits), Zion NP UT (eolian deposits)
Consulting offerings in the international realm? Download some ideas!
Clients' Subsurface Needs
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Feasibility studies drawing on collective industry experience and relevant analogs
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Accurate assessment of in-place volume ranges, with sensitivities for key variables
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Flow rate forecasts for production/injection, based on detailed understanding of reservoir architecture and permeability networks
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Recommendations to optimize development scheme, well count and well placement based on robust economics (NPV/IRR with sensitivities)
The Offering
✅ Feasibility studies
✅ Competitive intelligence
✅ Regional and local opportunity screening for new business development
✅ Subsurface input for Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED), interpretation and/or modeling prior to project sanction
✅ Proposals for (re)development later in field life; i.e. infill drilling, reservoir management
Adding Value at Every Stage
At early stages of a project, analog studies and competitive intelligence (using collective industry experience) are most cost-effective.
At intermediate stages, data collection and integration come to the fore. The best-designed data acquisition campaigns are shaped by geoscientists in collaboration with engineers, and reduce high-sensitivity uncertainties with the biggest impact on project value - gross rock volume (GRV), porosity, saturation, permeability distribution, geomechanical properties, fluid properties, etc.
Simple 2D mapping may progress to detailed 3D modeling as uncertainty analyses warrant.
Modeling
If first-pass forecasts and economics appear favorable, a significant component of fit-for-purpose reservoir simulation may be required to improve the robustness of project economics across a full range of uncertainty, in greenfield and brownfield (post- first production) settings. Modeling may entail both static (geologic) modeling and dynamic simulation, at full-field or sector scales.
Model output feeds directly into cash flows and economic forecasting. The founder of APEX Subsurface led an initiative related to model streamlining at a 'supermajor' energy firm, focused on uncertainty reduction and development optimization.