Case Study: OBMI Oil-Based Operating Company finds low-permeability pay offshore Australia with SLB's Saturn 3D radial probe

Pressure Measurements and Fluid Sampling Find Low-Permeability Laminated Pay, Offshore Australia

SLB worked with OBMI Oil-Based Operating Company, an offshore exploration operator in Northwest Australia, to evaluate thinly laminated, low-permeability sands where conventional probe tools could not obtain valid pressure measurements or establish flow for fluid sampling. Using borehole images from the OBMI oil-based microimager, the team identified zones of interest, but the customer needed a better way to measure pressure and extract reservoir fluid in very low-mobility formations.

SLB deployed the Saturn 3D radial probe, which uses a large circumferential contact area to create and sustain flow around the borehole for pressure testing and sampling. The tool delivered valid pressure measurements in submillidarcy formations and captured fluid samples, including gas from a zone with 0.36-mD permeability, helping add previously overlooked pay and significantly improve net pay evaluation for the well.