Case Study: Shell maximizes North Sea recovery with SLB GeoSphere reservoir mapping-while-drilling

Shell Maximizes Potential Recovery in North Sea with Optimized Landing

Shell worked with SLB to maximize recovery in the North Sea Draugen field by landing a horizontal well as close as possible to the top of the reservoir. The company needed to reduce mud-loss risk, avoid entering overburden shale, and overcome uncertainty in reservoir depth caused by multiple seismic interpretations and time-to-depth conversions.

SLB used the GeoSphere reservoir mapping-while-drilling service, along with geoVISION imaging-while-drilling and adnVISION azimuthal density neutron services, to detect reservoir boundaries in real time and guide optimal landing. SLB helped Shell land the well and place the casing shoe within 3 ft of the top of the reservoir at 88° inclination, detect the reservoir top while the bit was still 328 ft away, and confirm an oil column greater than 33 ft, supporting the field’s production potential and reducing the risk of mud loss.

Shell