EAGE NEWS How your membership is aiding Energy Transition
CROSSTALK Fracking and the US election
TECHNICAL ARTICLE Determining time-distance rules for Vibroseis acquisition
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EDITOR
Damian Arnold (arnolddamian@googlemail.com)
MEMBERS, EDITORIAL BOARD
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Philippe Caprioli, SLB (caprioli0@slb.com) Satinder Chopra, SamiGeo (satinder.chopra@samigeo.com)
• Anthony Day, PGS (anthony.day@pgs.com)
• Peter Dromgoole, Retired Geophysicist (peterdromgoole@gmail.com)
• Kara English, University College Dublin (kara.english@ucd.ie)
• Stephen Hallinan, Viridien (Stephen.Hallinan@viridiengroup.com)
• Hamidreza Hamdi, University of Calgary (hhamdi@ucalgary.ca)
Saskia Nota (firstbreakproduction@eage.org) Ivana Geurts (firstbreakproduction@eage.org)
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FIRST BREAK ON THE WEB
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ISSN 0263-5046 (print) / ISSN 1365-2397 (online)
Editorial Contents
29 A practical method to determine time-distance rules for efficient Vibroseis acquisition
Tim Dean, Richard Barnwell and Damien Barry
37 A proposed standard seismic frequency nomenclature for geophysical site investigation surveys in the offshore energy sector
Andy W. Hill, Gary Nicol, and Mick R. Cook
Sp ecial Topic: Marine Acquisition
43 Seismic rock properties and their significance for the interpretation of seismic amplitude variation with angle (AVA), offshore Liberia and Sierra Leone
David Went, Jon Rogers and Felicia Winter
49 Short streamers and sparse OBN acquisition: Potential for CCS monitoring? S. David, F. Ten Kroode, E. Cho, M.A.H. Zuberi, G. Stock, S. Baldock, J. Mispel, H. Westerdahl, M. Thompson and Å. Sjøen Pedersen
59 Industry-first deployment of simultaneous source acquisition using a Dispersed Source Array with Tuned Pulse Source and conventional airgun for a shallow water seismic survey offshore Malaysia
Maxime Benaniba, Jeremy Aznar, Stephane Laroche, Philippe Herrmann, Shuki Ronen, Julien Large, Shamsul B Shukri, Tasvir Kaur Rajasansi, Sukhveender Singh, Law Chung Teck, Faizan Akasyah, Chetan Anand Karri, Ewan Neill and Craig Walker
67 OBN for the energy transition era
Robert Basilli
71 Drone-borne marine magnetic surveys for UXO and cables/pipelines tracing Alexey Dobrovolskiy
77 Transforming seismic surveys with OBN and autonomous technology
Lerish Boshoff
81 Trusting the process
Neil Hodgson, Lauren Found and Karyna Rodriguez
85 CO2 storage capacity classification and compliance Ruud Weijermars
94 Calendar
cover: An Ocean Infinity vessel, A78-01, which is offering latest advances in OBN technology. See page 67.
European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers Board 2024-2025
Near Surface Geoscience Circle
Andreas Aspmo Pfaffhuber Chair
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Micki Allen Contact Officer EEGS/North America
Hongzhu Cai Liaison China
Deyan Draganov Technical Programme Officer
Eduardo Rodrigues Liaison First Break
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Myrto Papadopoulou Young Professional Liaison
Catherine Truffert Industry Liaison
Mark Vardy Editor-in-Chief Near Surface Geophysics
Jonathan Redfern Editor-in-Chief Petroleum Geoscience
Xavier Troussaut EAGE Observer at SPE-OGRC
Robert Tugume Member
Timothy Tylor-Jones Committee Member
Anke Wendt Member
Martin Widmaier Technical Programme Officer
Sustainable Energy Circle
Carla Martín-Clavé Chair
Giovanni Sosio Vice-Chair
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Why your membership counts in progressing energy transition
As geoscientists and engineers, EAGE members are at the forefront of transformative change in the energy sector, playing a pivotal role in addressing the growing energy demands, diversifying energy sources, as well as developing more efficient and cleaner methods of energy production. Our members are catalysts of change – essential to the energy transition, driving innovation and sustainability in a critical sector.
Within the Association, the journey towards a more sustainable energy future celebrated a milestone in 2019 when a community dedicated to Decarbonisation & Energy Transition was established to offer a permanent space for members to connect. This quickly became a reference point for everyone at EAGE interested in knowing more about relevant projects, ideas and career opportunities.
As the Community grew and its scope expanded, it branched out into five more specialised groups earlier this year. These continue the important work in various areas, each focusing on specific aspects of the challenge: Carbon Capture and Storage, Geothermal Energy, Hydrogen and Energy Storage, Critical Minerals, and Wind Energy. This evolution reflects the dynamic nature of our professional association and our commitment to adapting and empowering innovation through multi-disciplinary connections.
Matthias Imhof, chair of the Technical Community on Carbon Capture and Storage, says: ‘The energy transition operates with new entrants, stakeholders, and market participants. While skills and workflows may be similar to the ones of the traditional O&G business, they require adaptation to the novel value chains and demands. Our tasks involve training a fresh workforce, integrating skilled experts from oil, gas, and related industries, and creating practices. To facilitate deployment at scale, our communities play a crucial role in networking, collaboration, sharing, and learning.’
EAGE is not new to change; we thrive on it. Our network represents a wealth of knowledge that can significantly boost each member’s journey. Through opportunities to present and distribute their work to an international audience, share and gain knowledge, discuss ideas, and find new resources and colleagues, our members are continually advancing their careers and contributing to the broader goals of the geoscientific community. For example, Sanket Bhattacharya, co-chair of the GET 2024 Offshore Wind Energy Conference, notes: ‘EAGE GET this November will play a significant role in bringing minds together for achieving a unified global success.’
For Gehrig Schultz, co-chair of the GET 2024 Geothermal Energy Confer-
ence, EAGE brings together people from different sectors and ‘we start having people talking between different technical silos. With that interaction, we can surpass barriers faster.’
The energy transition is a collective effort, and every member’s contribution is vital. By renewing your membership, you are committing to continued professional development and joining a global community dedicated to making a difference.
Join us in 2025 as we continue to drive innovation, share knowledge, and support each other in all the fields covered by the Association.
the Laurie Dake Challenge
Through opportunities to share and gain knowledge, EAGE members drive innovation and sustainability.
Latest short courses added to Education Catalogue
We are pleased to announce the expansion of our Short Course Catalogue with the addition of three new courses aimed at enhancing members’ expertise in key areas of geoscience: data visualisation, seismic processing, and compressive sensing. The courses, developed by leading experts in their respective fields, offer a combination of theoretical foundations and practical applications, tailored for geoscientists seeking to expand their skill sets and keep up with industry advances.
The new offering, ‘Data visualisation principles for scientists’, is designed to equip participants with the knowledge to effectively communicate complex data through clear, impactful visual representations. The course, led by Dr Steve Horne, covers the core principles of data visualisation, including appropriate chart selection, colour usage, and design strategies that cater to human visual perception. With a blend of historical context, scientific insights, and practical exercises, participants will learn how to identify and avoid common visualisation pitfalls and ensure their presentations are both accurate and engaging. This course should be particularly beneficial for anyone working with scientific data and is
delivered in both online and classroom formats.
‘Seismic multiple processing techniques: concepts, applications, and trends’, taught by Dr Clément Kostov, focuses on the complex world of seismic data processing, specifically addressing the challenges of dealing with multiples in seismic datasets. Participants will be taken through key concepts such as multiple prediction, adaptive subtraction, and redatuming. The course includes case studies from land and marine environments, as well as a review of the latest research and technological developments in seismic multiple processing. This intermediate-level course is ideal for geoscientists working with surface seismic data who want to deepen their understanding of how multiples affect velocity model-building and imaging workflows. Both online and classroom versions are available to accommodate various learning preferences. The first delivery of this course is scheduled on 20-21 November 2024.
‘Compressive sensing: explained and challenged’, presented by Jan de Bruin, offers a comprehensive overview of the increasingly relevant technique of com-
pressive sensing (CS) in seismic acquisition and processing. Without diving into the complex mathematical theory, the course provides participants with the necessary understanding to make informed decisions about when and how to apply CS in seismic projects. With a focus on real-world applications, participants will explore the benefits and limitations of CS, ensuring they gain a balanced view of this innovative technology. The course is available in a classroom format and is highly recommended for those involved in seismic survey design or geophysical data acquisition.
These new courses reflect EAGE’s commitment to providing members with training opportunities that meet the evolving demands of the geoscience industry. Whether your interest lies in improving data presentation, mastering seismic processing techniques, or understanding the potential of compressive sensing, these courses offer valuable tools for professional growth. With the flexibility of online and classroom options, geoscientists at all stages of their careers can now enhance their expertise and apply new knowledge to their work.
Learn more at learninggeoscience.org.
4 NOV RESERVOIR ENGINEERING OF GEOTHERMAL ENERGY PRODUCTION, BY D. VOSKOV SHORT COURSES AT GET 2024 IN-PERSON 1 DAY AN INTRODUCTION TO OFFSHORE WIND, BY J. GODTSCHALK
CO2 STORAGE PROJECT DESIGN AND OPTIMIZATION (SALINE AQUIFERS), BY P. RINGROSE
5-8 NOV BOREHOLE SEISMIC FUNDAMENTALS AND INTRODUCTION TO ADVANCED TECHNIQUES, BY A. CAMPBELL INTERACTIVE ONLINE SHORT COURSE 4 HRS/DAY, 6 MODULES
8 NOV EXPLORATION OF SUBSURFACE NATURAL GEOLOGIC HYDROGEN AND STIMULATION FOR ITS ENHANCED PRODUCTION, BY D. STRA¸POC ’ SHORT COURSES AT GET 2024 IN-PERSON 1 DAY
GEOPHYSICAL MONITORING OF CO2 STORAGE, BY M. LANDRØ GEOSCIENCE COMMUNICATION AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, BY I. STEWART
12 NOV12 DEC
RESERVOIR ENGINEERING OF GEOTHERMAL ENERGY PRODUCTION, BY D. VOSKOV EXTENSIVE ONLINE COURSE 3 LIVE WEBINARS OF 2 HRS
20-21 NOV SEISMIC MULTIPLE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES: CONCEPTS, APPLICATIONS, AND TRENDS, BY C. KOSTOV INTERACTIVE ONLINE SHORT COURSE 4 HRS/DAY
* EXTENSIVE SELF PACED MATERIALS AND INTERACTIVE SESSIONS WITH THE INSTRUCTORS:
CHECK SCHEDULE OF EACH COURSE FOR DATES AND TIMES OF LIVE SESSIONS FOR THE FULL CALENDAR, MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.EAGE.ORG AND WWW.LEARNINGGEOSCIENCE.ORG.
DUG Elastic MP-FWI Imaging solves for reflectivity, Vp, Vs, P-impedance, S-impedance and density. It delivers not only another step change in imaging quality, but also elastic rock properties for quantitative interpretation and pre-stack amplitude analysis — directly from field-data input. It’s worth reading that last sentence again!
info@dug.com | dug.com/fwi
COURTESY OF SHELL
Conventional Workflow
DUG Elastic MP-FWI Imaging
Alternative petroleum systems of NW Europe discussed at Annual dedicated session
Session conveners Jean-Jacques Biteau (TotalEnergies, retired) and Axel Wenke (Neptune Energy) report on the dedicated session ‘Anything but Kimmeridge! Alternative Petroleum Systems of North West Europe’ held at the 2024 EAGE Annual Meeting in Oslo.
The session highlighted other sources than the classical and major Kimmeridge Clay Formation (KCF)/BCU related reservoirs, the prolific one in the North Sea provinces in terms of generated, expelled and trapped hydrocarbon volumes.
Central Graben alternatives
David Gardiner introduced the general framework of generative systems in the North Sea Central Graben. Although a great proportion of hydrocarbon fields in this area are correlated to the predominantly dysoxic to anoxic marine shales of Upper Jurassic age, presence of these organic-rich intervals is not ubiquitous in the area due to non-deposition, subsequent erosion or simply because these are in shallower stratigraphy than neighbouring discoveries with no viable migration mechanism. Gardiner mentioned as proven generative sections Middle Jurassic coals in the Danish Søgne Graben, Upper Permian Kupferschiefer sapropelic carbonates in Denmark, Zechstein of the Mid North Sea High as well as older Westphalian gas-prone coals and marine Namurian shales.
He concluded from analytical geochemical data and understanding of the central Graben regional geology that there was evidence for alternative source rocks to the Kimmeridge Clay Fm (and
equivalents) outside the main kitchens: localised lacustrine to restricted marine Jurassic source rocks may be present throughout the platform in mini-basins caused by salt withdrawal adjacent to salt diapirs. In addition, higher maturity fluids and Paleozoic-age diagnostic biomarkers indicate that deeper source rocks may underlie the Central Graben and environs, which are generally associated with deep listric faults, providing a vertical migration route for high maturity O&G.
Paleozoic generative systems
Barry Bennett mentioned the Southern North Sea as a prime example where exploration has mainly targeted gas fields arising from Carboniferous-aged deposits. Recent findings along the Mid North Sea High, such as the Ossian Darach and Pensacola and related prospects, have stimulated further interest in the area. He explained that biomarkers could help with differentiating KCF and older sections. For that purpose the saturated and aromatic hydrocarbon composition of potential source rock samples and oils from the Palaeozoic-related petroleum systems were analysed by gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The sample suite consisted of source rock samples from the Devonian, Carboniferous and Permian
along with samples from the Jurassic KCF for reference.
A suite of oils from the Southern North Sea basin onshore and offshore well locations were analysed by GCMS for classical molecular markers. The aim of the investigation was to perform oil-source correlation and establish the application of age-diagnostic markers to assign to various source rock units. The application of aromatic steroid hydrocarbon compositions carries age-diagnostic information to primarily resolve the Palaeozoic relative to the Mesozoic and younger source contributions. Meanwhile, the aromatic-8,14-secohopanes (and benzohopanes) due to the increased carbonate (e.g. Jurassic Marl; Athena) and restricted conditions associated with the Zechstein provide markers to recognise Zechstein contributions. The lack of aromatic-8,14-secohopanes is a compositional feature assigned to clastic source derived oils from the Carboniferous and Jurassic KCF.
Haltenbanken area example
Based on a biomarker specific case study of a selected field in the Wintershall-DEA portfolio, Thorsten Garlichs discussed the potential of the Äre Fm and associated humic and coaly materials for providing gas contributions in the Haltenbanken area while oils were mainly generated by the Spekk FM (KCF equivalent).
Early-Mid Jurassic in North Sea
The study presented by Kiara Gomez from the University of Texas in Austin was mainly focused on representative Jurassic stratigraphic sections of a selected zone of the Viking Corridor (VC) and revealed a high-resolution, multi-proxy approach to understanding the evolution of a sub-boreal locality within the VC during the Early-Middle Jurassic.
TOC and organic carbon isotope composition (δ13Corg) data point to potential alternate source rocks within the Toarcian
‘Anything but Kimmeridge!’ continues a successful series of dedicated sessions held at the EAGE Annual since 2021.
and Aalenian-Bajocian (Middle Jurassic). High Hg content documented within the study area suggests that the intervals associated with the Early Jurassic KarooFerrar-large Igneous Province and Middle Jurassic North Sea doming uplift/eruption are likely sources of mercury.
The Alien: Upper Rhine graben
Far away from the North Sea examples, Johannes Böcker from Neptune Energy addressed the Upper Rhine Graben (URG) area which is at a high level of exploration maturity. The URG extended study on four oil families (Jurassic and Tertiary source rocks) and corresponding migration systems emphasises the role of the main interval as the Liassic Shales already demonstrated in Alsace and in the Paris Basin amongst others. A comprehensive overview on the distribution of oil families in the URG, the evaluation of source quality and migration pathways was presented as a conclusion.
Cretaceous and Paleogene deepwater offshore Norway Ivy Becker from Equinor focused on the Cretaceous intervals of the Norwegian Sea. Several source rock layers of Jurassic, Cretaceous and Cenozoic age which have been widely discussed to be present in the Norwegian Sea deepwater area but only some of them are proven.
In 2015, the 6706/12-2 (Snefrid Nord) well in the Norwegian Sea deep water triggered renewed interest in the understanding of the petroleum system in the Møre-Vøring basins. The geochemical composition of the discovered hydrocarbons allowed for another source rock other than the known Jurassic Spekk. For example, age-specific biomarkers point to a Cretaceous or Cenozoic origin in the context of hydrocarbons.
Those findings reduced uncertainties regarding source rock presence and integrated into conventional basin modelling for new functioning prospects. At the end of 2016, drilling of the exploration well 6608/10-17 S confirmed a discovery, which contributed to planning of the Verdande field. The hydrocarbon charge history of the Verdande field proves an alternative model without Jurassic source rocks at work on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.
Sverre Planke presented the relationship between Cretaceous and Paleogene source potential of the Norwegian Atlantic margin highlighting the possible role of sill intrusions. This area represents one of the last frontier petroleum provinces in Europe, which may also hold a vast reservoir potential for CO2 sequestration. The rich Jurassic source rocks are typically deeply buried and overmature in the outer part. Organic-rich Cretaceous, Paleogene and Neogene sediments are rare, but slightly enhanced TOC levels are present. Igneous sill intrusion emplaced at approximately 56 Ma represents a critical moment that is modelled to have generated large amounts of hydrocarbons from low TOC Cretaceous sediments. Enhanced TOC is found in immature Early Eocene and Miocene sediments cored on the Skoll High at IODP Site U1572. The measured temperature gradient at the site is around 75°C/km. Hydrocarbon maturation would require burial of approximately 1-3 km, achievable below the North Sea and Bear Island Trough mouth fans.
Neogene generative system?
The last talk, by Rune Maattingsdal from NOD addressed a possible Mid Miocene generative system present in the Svalbard province as a proxy for West Barents Sea. In 2021 and 2022 two different active oil seeps were sampled west of Svalbard. Geochemical analysis indicates that both oils come from the same source rock deposited in a deltaic environment, and are very young, most likely Tertiary in age. The characteristics of these oils seem to correlate quite well with a young Early Miocene deltaic-derived source rock previously proven and sampled in ODP Site 909 west of Svalbard.
Existing paleogeographic models indicate that at this time large parts of the Barents Sea shelf were exposed, most likely with large rivers and delta systems, both from Svalbard and the southwest Barents Sea, supplying terrestrial organic matter to the ocean. In addition, the Early Miocene Norwegian–Greenland Sea was probably still an oceanographically isolated basin, a setting likely favourable for source rock deposition. SAR-satellite observations on the slope west of the Barents Sea shelf shows abundant oil slicks at the sea surface, most likely originating from an active young petroleum system underneath
the many kilometres-thick Quaternary Bear Island Trough Mouth Fan. These new results and observations can form the basis for a new play model in the westernmost Barents Sea, sourced from a new young Early Miocene source rock.
Conclusion
Other generative systems than KCF can be found and be of economic interest mainly in the frontier parts of the oil and gas provinces (in space and depths), i.e., Paleozoic and Permian south Central Graben, Toarcian to Bajocian in the Viking Graben, Norwegian Atlantic margin cretaceous and Tertiary.
This session, organised by the EAGE Technical Community on Basin and Petroleum Systems Analysis, continues a successful series of petroleum system-related dedicated sessions that were introduced at the EAGE Annual in Amsterdam (2021), and followed by Madrid (2022) and Vienna (2023). The 2024 extended abstracts are now available in EarthDoc.
Join the Basin and Petroleum Systems Analysis community
Special issue submission deadline reminder
Don’t miss the chance to contribute to these special issues.
• Geoenergy thematic collection ‘The sustainable future of geoenergy in the hands of early career researchers’: Expressions of interest, with commitment to publishing a paper, should be sent by 30 November 2024
• Geophysical Prospecting special issue ‘Advances in geophysical modelling and interpretation for mineral exploration’: Submit your manuscript by 31 December 2024.
Advancing offshore safety discussed at EAGE LC London
Safety in various offshore contexts was the topic for an evening lecture in May organised by the EAGE London Local Chapter (LC) at Imperial College and streamed online to allow a broader audience to join.
Cai Glyn Ferguson, principal marine geoscientist at AtkinsRéalis gave an insightful presentation about the GEOCAST-GO research project which is underway in collaboration with University of Florida for OESI (Ocean Energy Safety Institute). The main purpose of the project is to support safety and environmental advances in offshore energy, including renewable and traditional sectors. It aims to deliver openly accessible reports for cable designers,
installers, and maintenance personnel in the offshore industry. The initial stage involves a forensic examination of cable failures in the EU/UK by linking geotechnical and metocean conditions to cable failure. Databases defining globally relevant morphodynamic provinces based on seabed conditions will be integrated with the forensic analysis to enable the assignment of georisk to different provinces localised around the American Continental Shelf. This will facilitate knowledge transfer between different regions and help predict key risks associated with those provinces.
Ferguson explained the modelling of seabed morphodynamics and hydrodynamic forces, investigated both primary and secondary scour and described the interaction of bedforms with cables and subsea structures. These numerical models will be refined through hindcasting against analogous data, conducting forward modelling to predict future behaviour.
EAGE London LC thanks Cai Glyn Ferguson for sharing the research results and look forward to seeing the outcome of this project. We also thank Dan Wagner, Tiexing Wang and Celina Giersz for hosting and moderating the event. The presentation has been recorded and is available on the EAGE YouTube channel.
EAGE launches Rosemary Hutton Award for Best Paper in Geoenergy
EAGE is introducing the Rosemary Hutton Award honouring the Best Paper published annually in Geoenergy Named after pioneering geophysicist Rosemary Hutton, it joins EAGE’s five prestigious Best Paper awards, celebrating outstanding geoscience and engineering research in our multi-disciplinary community.
Hutton’s groundbreaking work in electromagnetic geophysical methods to study the Earth’s crust and upper mantle continues to inspire modern research, and this award reflects her enduring impact on the field.
Launched in collaboration with the Geological Society of London, Geoenergy publishes timely research on key
topics like energy storage, geothermal energy, subsurface disposal, hydrogen energy, critical and raw materials, and sustainability – critical areas in the era of sustainable energy.
Peter Rowbotham, EAGE Publications Officer, explains the award’s selection process: ‘The selection of the Best Paper author(s) will be conducted by the EAGE Awards Committee, based on a rigorous review by the journal’s editors, and put forward to the EAGE Board for approval each year.’
Sebastian Geiger, Geoenergy editorin-chief, invites members to take advantage of the journal’s benefits: ‘A digital subscription to Geoenergy is included in EAGE membership, offering access to
cutting-edge research. We look forward to celebrating the research that will drive our community forward in the years to come.’
Geoenergy invites submissions that advance fundamental research and case studies in subsurface and near-surface analysis. The journal currently has several thematic collections open for submissions. Read Geoenergy published papers and explore its thematic collections directly on EarthDoc.
Modelling for cable avnd other seabed damage.
Submit Your Abstract for the EAGE Annual 2025 Technical Programme
We are excited to invite you to submit your abstracts for the upcoming EAGE Annual Conference and Exhibition, set to take place in Toulouse from 2 to 5 June 2025. Under the theme ‘Navigating Change: Geosciences Shaping a Sustainable Transition’, the event once again promises to gather leading experts and innovations in geosciences, engineering, and technologies driving the global energy transition.
The 2025 Technical Programme will be carefully balanced across the core fields of oil and gas, carbon capture and storage, renewables, and infrastructure geosciences. According to EAGE Techni-
cal Programme Officer Martin Widmaier, the focus will be on representing the three key Circles of the Association while maintaining technical quality and fostering discussions on crossover technologies that have the potential to bridge sectors.
Widmaier says: ‘The EAGE Annual Conference 2025 in Toulouse promises a compelling Technical Programme and high-quality papers. The themes will reflect the evolving focus and interests of the EAGE and its three Circles: Oil and Gas, Sustainable Energy, and Near Surface Geoscience, especially in the context of the energy transition. Topics will range from geophysics and geology to integrated
Student Calendar
PROF FABIO ROCCA
subsurface, reservoir engineering, mining, and data & computer science. Energy transition-related topics will once again be highlighted as a key theme.’
EAGE Annual values diverse voices in the field and is anticipating strong participation from young professionals and students, broadening perspectives and creating space for inter-generational knowledge exchange. This is the perfect opportunity for those who wish to showcase their research, enhance inter-disciplinary collaboration, and advance their careers in a highly visible event.
The Call for Abstracts is now open. We welcome submissions across a wide range of topics, including Geophysics, Geology, Reservoir Engineering, Integrated Subsurface, Mining, Renewables, Infrastructure, and Data Science. Submit your work by 15 January 2025 and become a part of the Technical Programme that defines the future of engineering and geosciences.
For more details on the topics, visit www.eageannual.org. We look forward to receiving your submissions and working together to build a Technical Programme that reflects how our geoscience and engineering community can advance our disciplines and be a leader in the energy transition.
A rewarding week for Near Surface Geoscience 2024 in Helsinki
Helsinki was the gathering point for over 500 geoscientists at Near Surface Geoscience 2024 (NSG2024), offering a dynamic mix of technical sessions, practical workshops, insightful panels and memorable field trips. Across three parallel conferences, attendees explored the recent progress in near-surface geophysics while enjoying opportunities to network and collaborate.
The event started with a series of workshops developed to provide in-depth learning in specialised areas of geophysics. Participants could explore the Digital Outcrop Modelling, Transient Electromagnetic Methods, or Hard Rock Physics, each offering a mix of theory and interactive sessions. These workshops allowed geoscientists to engage with topics of professional interest, while also providing a space for practical application and discussion.
Following the workshops, the event began with the Opening Session led by Andi A. Pfaffhuber, EAGE NSG Circle chair, followed by welcome remarks from Valentina Socco, EAGE president, and Suvi Heinonen, chair of the Local Advisory Committee. Their remarks set a collaborative tone for the week, highlighting the importance of innovation and knowledge sharing within the geoscience community.
The European Meeting of Environmental and Engineering Geophysics, celebrating its milestone 30th edition, focused on the application of geophysical methods to solve environmental and engineering issues. Presentations covered a variety of topics, from novel approaches to mapping soil contamination to geotechnical monitoring techniques in urban environments. Among the highlights was the application of remote sensing technologies for infrastructure stability monitoring in risk-prone areas. Several case studies showcased how geophysics is being integrated with other disciplines to address complex problems
such as industrial waste management and natural hazard mitigation.
Running alongside, the 5th Conference on Geophysics for Mineral Exploration and Mining centred on geophysical methods applied to mineral exploration. Experts shared new methodologies for mapping mineral deposits at greater depths and in remote locations. One notable area of focus was on innovations in airborne and ground-based geophysics, which are revolutionising the exploration of critical metals for renewable energy and tech industries. Techniques like magnetometry and electrical resistivity were examined in detail, emphasising improvements in accuracy and operational efficiency.
The 4th Conference on Airborne, Drone, and Robotic Geophysics highlighted the increasing use of drones and robotics in geophysical surveys. These technologies are enhancing data collection in challenging environments, such as mountainous or otherwise difficult-to-access regions. Participants explored how these emerging tools are influencing the future of geophysics, with applications ranging from mineral exploration to archaeological surveys.
The Exhibition was one of the central features, running alongside the conferences and bringing together 35 exhibitors. The space allowed participants to explore new technologies and services related to near-surface geoscience, while also providing a key area for interactions, including the Icebreaker Reception, which encouraged informal discussions among attendees.
As ever, one of the event highlights was the field demonstration of various geophysical equipment in action, always popular with participants. Whether observing electromagnetic or drone survey technologies, these sessions provided a practical look at how innovations are being applied in practical scenarios, bridging the gap between theory and practice.
Another standout moment was the special session ‘Rocky Road to Success’, organised by the EAGE Women in Geoscience and Engineering community. The session focused on the challenges and opportunities in the profession, featuring inspiring stories from industry leaders. It was a moment of reflection and motivation, resonating with many attendees as a call to action for greater diversity and support within the profession.
The event also offered participants the chance to step outside the conference setting and explore Finland’s unique geology through the field trips. From walking through the historic Suomenlinna Fortress to descending into the Tytyri Mine, these excursions combined geological learning with cultural experiences, allowing attendees to see up close some of the region’s most iconic geological formations.
As NSG2024 came to a close, delegates left with strengthened professional relationships, fresh perspectives and an appetite to convene again at Near Surface Geoscience 2025 in Naples, Italy. This next edition will introduce two new conferences – one on Geohazard Assessment and Risk Mitigation, and the other on UXO & Object Detection – broadening the technical programme and fostering innovative synergies. Next year’s event promises to further expand the horizons of geoscience so make sure to book Naples on 7-11 September 2025 in your calendar.
Opening Session in Helsinki.
Field trip to the Tytyri Mine.
New generation of Seismic instruments
Nodal Seismic data acquisition system
550,000 Seismic nodes to be delivered.
Hackathons among challenges planned for EAGE Digital 2025
The highly anticipated Fifth EAGE Digitalization Conference & Exhibition (EAGE Digital) in Edinburgh on 24-26 March 2025 has more than ever to offer, especially if you register with the All Access Pass.
Activities available will include short courses on topics from data visualisation and python AI for reservoir modelling. Hackathons will focus on innovating geoscience with co-pilot systems, GenAI systems, and a geosteering challenge. These activities will provide unique engagement opportunities to solve important technological
and business challenges in an interactive environment.
This year’s conference is hosted with BP as lead sponsor under the theme ‘Enhancing predictions and investments with digital technologies’. The wide range of short courses, workshops, and
LC Germany hosts event on UAV and
satellite data
EAGE Local Chapter (LC) Germany met in June at the Technische Hochschule Georg Agricola University (THGA) in Bochum for the first time. The occasion was a hybrid event, titled ‘Innovative environmental monitoring using multispectral UAV and satellite data’ attracting a range of professionals and researchers from the oil and gas environmental monitoring, geosciences, and remote sensing community. The focus was on how advanced technologies can be used to protect ecosystems and manage risks, marking an exciting step for the Chapter as it expands its activities in Germany.
In the keynote presentation, Benjamin Haske, Tobias Rudolph, and Marcin Pawlik from THGA introduced a new multi-level monitoring approach that uses satellite data for large-scale analysis alongside UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) data for more detailed monitoring. To ensure accuracy, this approach is supported by on-the-ground measurements providing a comprehensive view of environmental changes.
The presenters showcased how these monitoring systems can be applied in real-world scenarios, especially in post-mining areas and for managing risks in the oil and gas industry. Using vegetation indices from satellite and UAV data, they demonstrated how changes like subsidence and product leaks can be quickly and accurately detected helping to make better decisions in environmental management.
The event also looked ahead to future projects and discussed ongoing work at the Research Centre of Post-Mining, including 3D modelling,
hackathons are just part of an extensive technical and strategic programme providing unrivalled opportunities to address the technological and business challenges in the digital sphere.
We are welcoming your contributions as we seek to build resilience for the energy industry through innovation and technology. Are you working on a project that boosts digital efficiency in our industry? Share your breakthrough ideas and pioneering progress! Submit your abstracts by 24 December for a chance to showcase your insights and inspire change.
For more details visit eagedigital.org.
multi-sensory drone flights for disaster protection, and drone-based inspections. The insights gained from these projects are expected to be valuable across different industries showing the flexibility and importance of the multi-level monitoring system.
The event wrapped up with a networking session where participants could chat and exchange ideas over snacks and drinks provided by EAGE. This relaxed atmosphere helped foster new connections and collaborations. Overall, the event in Bochum was a great opportunity for the EAGE LC Germany to build its presence and foster collaboration within the geoscience community. The chapter is looking forward to hosting more events in different parts of Germany, continuing to tackle important environmental challenges.
Connect with EAGE LC Germany
Keynote speakers (from left to right): Marcin Pawlik, Tobias Rudolph, and Benjamin Haske.
Panel of experts at EAGE Digital 2024.
University of Manchester is latest EAGE Student Chapter
A new Student Chapter at the University of Manchester, UK has joined the EAGE community. This is what the students say.
We are a strong group of PhD researchers and Masters students across the Departments of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Chemical Engineering that are excited to join and network with the global EAGE community. Within our Chapter, we encompass active research in all aspects of energy systems including geothermal, carbon capture and storage, hydrogen, deep geological disposal of radioactive waste, and oil and gas. These research areas integrate geological, geophysical, and engineering approaches at multiple scales to understand current world problems. Within our research, we apply observational, experimental, and modelling approaches to understand geological problems.
Our Chapter’s mission is to apply our geological and engineering research expertise to address the challenges of the energy transition. We intend to hold
seminars and lectures from external speakers from academic and industry knowledge bases to share novel research and the latest updates in earth sciences and engineering disciplines. We will also be organising field trips for the Chapter to understand the larger context of subsurface research projects.
We are also proud that a team of students from the University of Manchester won the Laurie Drake Challenge in 2023, and that a team came second in the 2024 competition. To contact the Manchester Chapter, please email our president, Holly Mills at holly.mills@manchester.ac.uk.
Renew your EAGE Student Chapter for 2025
As 2025 approaches, exciting opportunities await for all EAGE student chapters to grow and thrive once again. If you’re passionate about geoscience and engineering, now is the perfect time to reactivate your student chapter and become part of a dynamic international network of like-minded individuals.
Reactivating your chapter offers numerous benefits that can enhance your academic and professional journey, including networking opportunities with industry leaders and professionals; access to support programmes that help you develop both technical and soft skills; exclusive activities like competitions, conferences, and workshops with top experts; mentoring programme that guide you through your
career path in the energy and geoscience sectors.
To make this even more rewarding, we’re providing 15 free memberships supported by EAGE Student Fund for each reactivated student chapter. This is a fantastic opportunity to bring more students into the fold and allow them to enjoy all the benefits of an EAGE membership ranging from access to exclusive events and academic resources to professional growth opportunities.
We want each of you to tap into the potential of being part of a vibrant, global community where innovation, energy, and geoscience meet. Don’t miss the chance to elevate your chapter and engage your academic community with new members and exciting activities.
In order to reactivate your chapter, gather a motivated team of students passionate about geoscience and engineering; reach out to the EAGE Students Community Manager to receive guidance and support in revitalising your chapter; and then utilise the 15 free memberships to encourage your peers to join and get involved taking advantage of EAGE’s global student initiatives to enhance your chapter’s presence and engagement.
If your university doesn’t yet have an EAGE student chapter, this is the perfect opportunity to establish one and lead the way in creating a dynamic, forward-thinking academic community. For more information on reactivating your chapter, don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’re here to support you every step of the way.
Group photo of the ‘Basins’ research group at the University of Manchester at a field trip to see the Sherwood Sandstone Group. Some of the attendees are now members of Manchester’s new Student Chapter.
Time to team up for the next Laurie Dake Challenge
The Laurie Dake Challenge is back for the 2024-2025 edition, and we invite you to be part of the competition. If you’re studying with a diverse group of peers who love problem-solving and collaboration, and have a passion for geosciences, this is the perfect opportunity to showcase your skills.
As one of EAGE’s premier student competitions, the Laurie Dake Challenge encourages inter-disciplinary teamwork, data integration, and the refinement of project management, and presentation skills. Competing teams will be tested not only on their technical expertise but also on their creativity, innovation, and ability to think critically. This year’s Challenge, sponsored by TotalEnergies, focuses on a crucial global issue: CO2 capture by mineralisation in basalts.
The Challenge unfolds in three rounds, with each round bringing new hurdles to negotiate. Participants will be able to work on real assignments, gaining invaluable hands-on experience while learning directly from industry experts. If your team makes it to the final round, you’ll present your findings at the EAGE Annual
Conference & Exhibition in Toulouse, France, in June 2025.
How to apply
Gather a multi-disciplinary team of three to five students (including no more than one PhD student), submit your application, and demonstrate your passion for tackling one of the most pressing climate challenges of our time. Your submission must include a ‘Declaration of Academic Integrity’ and a Motivational Letter explaining your team’s goals, why you want to join the Challenge, and the importance of developing CO2 capture by mineralisation technologies.
Key dates
The competition includes three selection rounds, each of which is further explained in more detail below.
Application deadline — 15 November 2024
Each team signing up for the competition will receive an assignment provided by TotalEnergies. The earlier you register, the
more time you will have to work on the assignment and prepare your submission. So, register your team today rather than tomorrow.
First round submission — 3 January 2025
At the end of the first round, the ten best teams will be selected for the next round of the competition.
Second round submission — 7 February 2025
The ten teams will be asked to create a three-minute video pitch and a maximum 3000-word report, including images, to describe and provide evidence of their proposed development plan for the area. The jury will select the six teams to compete in the final round.
Final competition — 1 June 2025 in Toulouse, France
The six finalist teams will be invited to present their findings in Toulouse, France at the 86th EAGE Annual Conference and Exhibition.
Don’t miss the chance to be part of the Laurie Dake Challenge 2024-2025. Apply now and begin your journey toward becoming a leader in the energy transition and geoscience innovation. For any questions, feel free to reach out to us at students@eage.org.
The Laurie Dake Challenge awaits, ready to empower you with knowledge, experience, and the chance to leave a lasting impact. We look forward to seeing your teams in the competition!
The EAGE Student Fund supports student activities that help students bridge the gap between university and professional environments. This is only possible with the support from the EAGE community. If you want to support the next generation of geoscientists and engineers, go to donate.eagestudentfund.org or simply scan the QR code. Many thanks for your donation in advance!
Finalist teams at the Laurie Dake Challenge 2024, along with the committee jury, in Oslo, Norway.
Aiming for end of the rainbow Personal Record Interview
Lindsey Smith has spent her entire career so far (18 years) with bp as a geophysicist based in Aberdeen, working on North Sea and international projects including early experience with ocean bottom node seismic acquisition. She is now becoming known in the geoscience community for her advocacy of scientific colourmaps over the typical ‘rainbow’ software defaults for geophysical data visualisation. She presented a paper on the topic at this year’s Annual in Oslo.
How was growing up on a farm?
I grew up on a mixed farm in Perthshire, Scotland. My dad had suckler cows, grew cereal crops, potatoes and probably the best fruit, raspberries (although we didn’t think that at the time, we were always sick of raspberries by the end of the summer). I am the eldest of four and my mum once told me that if we weren’t bothering her, she didn’t mind what we were up to, so we had a lot of freedom, particularly when the weather was good. If it was bad, we watched a lot of TV.
Geology v geophysics dilemma
My favourite subject at school was geography. I liked learning about the physical processes that formed the landscapes around me and the art of drawing figures and diagrams, rather than writing essays. I chose geophysics rather than geology for two reasons: images of the earth’s interior and sea floor age (ironically in a rainbow colour map) inspired me to study the physical processes and properties of the Earth, and secondly, we had the 1990 film Tremors on VHS — I wanted to be a seismologist like Rhonda LeBeck.
Year off experience
After my undergraduate degree at the University of Edinburgh, which included a year abroad at Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada, I wanted to stay in academia, but had a year off including some time in New Zealand. I managed to do some voluntary geophysical field work
on a project studying the Alpine fault in South Island, as well as working on a fruit farm picking pears and agricultural labouring on the back of a potato harvester. I cut my trip short to come back to the UK for a seismic acquisition cruise in the North Atlantic to collect data for my PhD.
Career highlights so far
I worked in bp’s North Sea seismic delivery team in the late 2000s/early 2010s. This was a time when we started to acquire more ocean bottom cable surveys across our producing fields, balancing imaging requirements with survey costs. Latterly, I worked on Clair for four years after bp acquired an ultra-high density nodes survey in 2010, looking at the multi-component data and testing FWI-technology. These roles were great, but the real highlights for me were the people I worked with.
Current role at bp
With the advent of remote working, I’ve had the opportunity to work on some fields outside the North Sea including Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG), Azerbaijan, again with interesting imaging challenges and new OBN seismic. I am currently back in the North Sea, working on site characterisation of potential saline aquifers for CCS as part of the North Endurance Project.
Colourmap mission?
In one sentence: Change the default colourmap! In a bit more detail: we’ve been talking in bp about improving data visualis-
ation with colour since 2017 after we read Matt Hall’s Agile Scientific blog titled ‘No more rainbows!’. We have seen from tests on our data the improvements to be gained in interpretation, analysis and communication by swapping out bright colourmaps like rainbows for those designed specifically for scientific data visualisation. I want to help close the knowledge gap around the science of visualisation of data with colour in the wider applied geosciences community and encourage people to both explore how the choice of colourmap influences the ease and accuracy of interpretation and to challenge the default colourmaps that are available in their visualisation toolkits. There are many open source scientific colourmaps which are accurate, intuitive and accessible for those with colour vision deficiency. Search for ‘scientific colourmaps’ to find out more.
Mid career: what next?
I like what I do. There are always new things to learn, new ways of working and new technologies to help us understand the subsurface geology better, all of which will keep me in a technical role.
How do you spend time off?
My main hobby is cycling, either commuting to work or out at the weekend with family or friends. For the past 15 years bp North Sea has organised a three-day coast to coast charity bike ride from the west coast of Scotland back to Aberdeen. I’ve done six of those rides and I’m planning to do it again next year.
Lindsey Smith
MORE TO EXPLORE
CROSSTALK
BY ANDREW M c BARNET
BUSINESS
Drilling down on the fracking issue
In such a contentious US presidential election (due to end early November after First Break publication), energy policy may have a surprisingly significant bearing on the result whichever way it turns out. Not because what the polls have been saying are the key issues on the minds of most of the country’s voters, but due to the electorate college system enshrined in the Constitution and, in such a divided nation, unlikely ever to be reformed.
No country’s election is perfect. Arguments for first-pastthe-post versus some form of proportional representation haunt all democracies. But the US elections operate under special rules created by the founding fathers in 1787. They are so manifestly inequitable today that the voting in a handful of so-called swing states frequently determines who becomes president. Essentially the result is decided by an Electoral College of 538 electors from all the US states plus the District of Columbia (DC). Each state is guaranteed two senators and one congressional district with the 435 congressional districts distributed among the 50 states based on population census. This arrangement favours the smaller states giving them more electoral votes per person. The fear in the early days was that without this power, politicians would completely ignore small states and only focus on big population centres. Over time this has become absurd with people, say, in Wyoming, having nearly four times the clout of people in California in presidential elections, e.g., if California were represented on an equal scale to Wyoming it would have 205, rather than 55, electors.
‘New equivalent of ‘drill baby drill’’
ground states such as Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Hence candidates and surrogates have been focusing more or less all their attention on these key constituencies and the local issues which concern them. Which is where fracking maybe comes into play, specifically in Pennsylvania (with 19 Electoral College votes at stake) and to a lesser extent in Michigan (with 15 votes). During the campaign Democratic candidate Vice-President Kamala Harris has been on the back foot. She had to reverse a 2019 pledge to ban fracking which she made during that year’s Democratic primary in her first attempt to win the presidential nomination. This headline issue has been successfully obfuscated by the intervention of ex-president Donald Trump, the Republican contender. He would know that no president has the authority to ban fracking, as it would require Senate and Congress approval, an unlikely outcome. Yet he seized on what is seen as a vulnerability (Harris ‘flipflopping’) to berate the Democrats with a familiar cocktail of lies/half truths and fear-mongering, which would not pass first base of a fact checker, but nonetheless makes a powerful message difficult to unpick in the heat of an election campaign.
Under this current electoral system, the winner of the popular vote may not secure enough Electoral College votes to win the presidency. This happened in both the 2000 and 2016 elections. George W. Bush and Donald Trump won these elections with clear Electoral College victories, but they did not win the most votes nationwide.
With the country so divided, the outcome of this year’s presidential election will be decided by the results in a few battle-
His artful message has been based on conflating fracking with US energy policy generally, in the process somewhat muting well known environmental and health objections to fracking, for example in Michigan, where there is growing public concern over the increase of high volume hydraulic fracturing technology. At his rallies Trump has claimed Democrats are anti-fossil fuel endangering US oil and gas production (which has actually been at a record high during the Biden-Harris administration) and linked this to his hostility to renewable/ climate change policies highlighted by his notorious antipathy to wind farms. This latter is often attributed to the trauma of witnessing the building of a 11-turbine wind farm 10 years or so ago right next door to his newly opened prestige golf course in Aberdeenshire, UK.
Politics have a way of grossly over-simplifying some issues, such is the case of Pennsylvania. Even in that state not to mention nationwide, it is doubtful whether many voters would know that fracking has been an industry option since the 1940s or the details of how fracking and horizontal drilling made the shale boom possible. Nor would they necessarily understand that fracking already accounts for the bulk of America’s domestic oil and gas production with 95% of new wells being hydraulically fractured, creating two-thirds of the total US gas market and about half of US crude oil production, according to the US Department of Energy (DoE).
At the federal level, the original bill to phase out fracking was introduced in January 2020 by among others left-leaning Democrats Senator Bernie Saunders and Congress Representative Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez. It went nowhere but obviously caused some alarm in Pennsylvania. The state is the second largest US gas producer after Texas with natural gas output totalling 7.5 trillion cubic feet in 2022, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Any threat to the future of fracking (unlocking the Marcellus and Utica shale reserves) could be viewed as a challenge to the state’s economy.
Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin in the 2008 election won by Barack Obama.
In 2019 when president, Trump commissioned a report from the DoE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management on ‘Economic and national security impacts under a hydraulic fracturing ban’. The conclusion echoes his current public thoughts on the topic. The report stated that an ‘ill-conceived’ ban would have far-reaching and severe consequences, including the loss of millions of jobs, price spikes at the gasoline pump and higher electricity costs for all Americans and the likelihood of increased CO2, SO2, and NOX emissions. Furthermore a ban would end the US role as the world’s largest oil and natural gas producer and would force the United States to become a net importer of oil and gas once again thereby weakening the nation’s geopolitical influence and putting national security at risk.
‘Fracking boom … curse of overabundance’
The stats tell a more nuanced story. In March of 2024, the state reported 16,831 direct jobs in the industry, less than one half of 1% of all jobs. Some claim an improbable 120,000, if indirect employment is taken into account. Half of Pennsylvania households use natural gas as their primary home heating fuel, although the price to the consumer is nothing like the cheapest in the US. Adding to a complex picture, in the rural areas of Pennsylvania where most production occurs, the fracking boom has come with the curse of overabundance. Natural gas prices in southwest Pennsylvania have plunged some 80% over the past two years, after surging to $9 per million BTU in August 2022, after Russia invaded Ukraine, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights. As a result, royalties paid to local landowners have shrunk. In these mainly rural areas the key question is said to be not how to produce more natural gas, but how to build the infrastructure necessary to get it to places like New England and the Gulf Coast where it is likely to fetch higher prices. Yet any investment in cross-state pipeline infrastructure would be highly problematic, especially with all the uncertainy of energy transition.
The most recent poll indicated fracking remains a divisive issue in the state with support highly partisan. Fifty-one per cent of all Pennsylvania voters say they support fracking, 30% per cent say they’re opposed, but a call for more regulation enjoys significant majority backing. Only 42% of respondents said they’d support an outright ban.
Trump has therefore cleverly converted his advocacy of fracking into a catch-all call for unrestricted production of oil and gas, the new equivalent of ‘drill baby drill’ expressed by
A Trump second term energy policy can therefore be expected to expand offshore drilling, ease regulations on fracking, and open federal lands for expanded energy exploration, all with the purpose of US energy dominance and self-sufficiency. Renewables such as solar and windpower may come under scrutiny as the former president has often complained that they drive up electricty prices for the consumer. He has also spoken against carbon capture and storage initiatives. His previous scepticism about the value of rebates for electric vehicles, however, has evaporated since billionaire Elon Musk, CEO and founder of Tesla, became an enthusiastic Trump booster and donor. Also noted no doubt, nearly four-fifths of credits are flowing to Republican districts, which explains why 18 Republican congressmen declared in August that they opposed repeal of the climate-friendly Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
Harris can be expected to continue on the path pursued by President Biden, with all its ambiguities, to satisfy simultansously the oil and gas business and demands for climate change mitigation measures. Biden began his term in office cancelling the planned Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline from Canada to the US but presided over a record increase in oil production, the third president in a row to do so. At the same time offshore drilling permits are at a record low, a consequence of tougher regulation but maybe also reflecting the high cost of viable prospects in the Gulf of Mexico. Harris’s green credentials include inheriting the IRA, the CHIPS and Science Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law all designed to decarbonise the economy. She would also cooperate on international climate policy, in contrast to Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accord.
The choice is between an insular pro-industry player that will slow the US path to Net Zero and a candidate already committed to change but feeling the constraints of enacting a green agenda while maintaining oil and gas output for energy security and revenue. The candidates’ stance on fracking may be a factor in those crucial swing states.
Views expressed in Crosstalk are solely those of the author, who can be contacted at andrew@andrewmcbarnet.com.
INDUSTRY NEWS
TGS launches big CCS assessment on US Gulf Coast
TGS is making strides in its Energy Transition offer in America with two big surveys to assess carbon capture and storage in the US and a major offshore wind survey. Firstly, the company has launched the US Gulf Coast CO2 Storage Assessment package.
Spanning 70 million acres across the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast, the assessment offers insights that streamline storage evaluations and guide strategic decisions. With data from 9000 wells and evaluations of 22 key geologic formations, TGS’s assessment is providing comprehensive formation top and petrophysical interpretations. These findings are being integrated into advanced workstation environments, equipping decision-makers with actionable information for informed strategic planning, said TGS.
Carel Hooijkaas, EVP of New Energy Solutions at TGS, said: ‘This assessment package is a game-changer for the industry, providing unparalleled data coverage and expert analysis to identify the most viable reservoir and seal formations for CO2 storage. Leveraging our extensive well log library and deep subsurface expertise, we are uniquely positioned to support carbon sequestration efforts across the Gulf Coast and beyond.’
The Gulf Coast CO2 Storage Assessment is strategically aligned with the recent Texas General Land Office CCS Lease Sale along the Texas coast providing data opportunities for carbon storage evaluation.
The assessment features a stratigraphic framework, comprehensive petrophysical analysis, and visual log curves, alongside extensive regional mapping of storage properties and volumetric visualisations.
‘By extending its coverage to the Gulf Coast and neighbouring regions such as Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama, the assessment equips stakeholders with the data necessary for planning and executing carbon sequestration strategies in the rapidly evolving landscape,’ said TGS.
Meanwhile, TGS has announced the availability of its CO2 Storage Assessment for the Michigan Basin. Spanning 50 million acres, the study provides detailed insights into the region’s geological formations, capacity estimates, and site suitability for carbon sequestration, offering strategic guidance for optimising carbon storage projects in the Midwest.
The study leverages data from 1650 wells in Michigan, alongside core data from Western Michigan University, to conduct an in-depth analysis of key geologic formations and their potential for CO2 storage.
The assessment features a fully integrated stratigraphic framework, comprehensive petrophysical analysis, and advanced log curve interpretations. Both reservoir quality and sealing integrity are examined.
Finally, TGS has completed acquisition of an ultra-high-resolution 3D (UHR3D) survey on behalf of Community Offshore Wind in the New York Bight.
The survey characterised soil conditions at the site, which is critical for designing the offshore wind project. The survey commenced in October 2023 and had a total duration of more than eight months.
Community Offshore Wind, a joint venture between RWE and National Grid
TGS and Aker BP digitalise Yggdrasil area
Norways pledges $3.5 bn for floating offshore wind
Carbon emissions to peak this year, says DNV
The company’s study covers 70 million acres.
Ventures, won the largest parcel in the competitive lease sale off the coasts of New York and New Jersey, held in February 2022 by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). The lease area has the potential to host 3 gigawatts (GW) of capacity.
Starting its second offshore wind site characterisation project, TGS was contracted to acquire UHR3D data over the entire lease, providing significantly more detailed information about the near-surface geology than traditional site surveys, which have historically used 2D technology. The survey was
conducted by the TGS vessel Sanco Swift
Hooijkaas said: ‘The acquisition of UHR3D seismic over the full lease will provide Community Offshore Wind with a solid foundation to develop their offshore wind farm site in the New York Bight. Our geophysical approach to mapping and understanding the shallow subsurface layers will reduce uncertainty and speed up site characteriaation. We have received considerable interest in our solution from pioneering developers, and this high demand has driven our decision to invest in an additional UHR3D stream-
er set, which will be in operation in a few weeks’ time.’
Doug Perkins, president and project director of Community Offshore Wind is using the latest technology to study how the soil behaves in our lease area, so that it can engineer the project in an environmentally friendly way. ‘We are building a project that is going to generate clean energy for communities in the US Northeast for roughly 30 years, so precision is key for building a project of this scale. The data acquired from the survey allows to plan with more precision and certainty than ever before.’
Shearwater wins Angola OBN project
Shearwater Geoservices has won a contract from TotalEnergies for an OBN project offshore Angola.
The deepwater OBN survey will be conducted by the dual ROV-equipped SW Tasman, the seismic node-laying vessel which was converted in 2023, and SW Gallien as source vessel. The survey will commence in January 2025, over a two and a half-month duration. Shearwater will utilise its compact high-endurance Pearl node for the project.
The work will be performed in Block 32 over the Louro and Mostarda fields where Shearwater previously completed a 4D streamer survey for TotalEnergies.
Shearwater CEO Irene Waage Basili said: ‘We are very satisfied with the performance of our SW Tasman/Pearl OBN platform which has been in continuous operation since its introduction last year. We are pleased to see one more key client use this unique platform to introduce deepwater OBN to new areas of their operations.’
Meanwhile, Shearwater has won the Petrobras Best Suppliers award for its offshore exploration programmes. Beginning in 2020, Shearwater and Petrobras have collaborated on several big projects, including advanced 3D and 4D seismic programs. This award covers the period from January 2023 to July 2024.
TGS and Aker BP sign deal to digitalise Yggdrasil
oil and gas area
TGS has signed a strategic partnership with Aker BP to digitalise the operations of the Yggdrasil oil and gas area in the North Sea.
Aker BP will integrate TGS’ Prediktor Data Gateway into its digital ecosystem for Yggdrasil as a process data server. At Yggdrasil, Aker BP has developed remotely controlled operations, unmanned production platforms, new technology and data-driven decisions and work processes. The Prediktor Data Gateway will help to optimise work processes and enhance operational efficiency through real-time, high-quality, reliable data.
‘The Prediktor Data Gateway offers unique flexibility and efficiency, represent-
ing a new frontier in field operations,’ said Carel Hooijkaas, EVP of New Energy Solutions at TGS. ‘With the Prediktor Data Gateway, Aker BP can achieve greater control, leveraging real-time data from OT systems through an OPC-UA standard information model for improved decision-making.’
Meanwhile, TGS has won a baseline 90-day 4D streamer contract in the Southern Atlantic region with an independent energy company. The contract spans approximately 90 days.
Finally, TGS has completed the PGS24M04NWS project in the Outer Vøring area of the Norwegian Sea, carried
Ramform Hyperion.
out by the crew on board the Ramform Hyperion. Despite periods of rough weather, the vessel covered more than 1500 km2 in one month.
Vessel
Norway bids to unlock Norwegian Sea discovery with hydraulic fracturing
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate believes innovations within hydraulic fracturing will solve one of the largest puzzles of them all – the Victoria discovery in the Norwegian Sea.
Victoria was proven by an Exxon exploration well 6506/6-1 in the year 2000. Total took over the operatorship six years later, and an appraisal well was drilled in 2009. The work to mature the discovery, given the state of technology at that time, indicated that profitable production would be challenging, and the acreage was relinquished in 2018.
‘We want to inspire the companies to take another look at the Victoria discovery. Yes, it’s a tight reservoir at significant depths, with both high temperature and high pressure, as well as a high content of CO2. Nevertheless, a study indicates that current well technology, combined with hydraulic fracturing, could allow production of substantial gas volumes,’ said Per Valvatne, senior reservoir engineer at the Norwegian Offshore Directorate.
‘This is one of the largest remaining gas discoveries on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) that is still not covered under a production licence. This is acreage that the companies can apply for in the next APA (Awards in Predefined Areas). Previous work on the discovery has shown around 140 billion standard m3 of gas in place, and the study reveals that four wells could yield production of 29 billion m3,’ said Arne Jacobsen, assistant director of technology, analyses and coexistence at the Norwegian Offshore Directorate.
Opecs, a British consulting company, has assisted the directorate in this study, which also includes a geomechanical study of the discovery. Opecs’ report shows that use of modern hydraulic fracturing technology can improve well productivity enough to ensure profitable production from Victoria.
The discovery is located at a water depth of 400 m, approximately 4800 m below sea level. The Dvalin field (10 km away), Heidrun and Åsgard (50 km away) are potential tie-back points.
The study shows that the aforementioned four wells could produce 10 million m3 of gas per day; a level that can be maintained for nearly two years. This would mean a total production of 29 billion m3 over a production lifetime of 30 years.
Another finding in the study indicates that there may even be room for additional wells, which would further increase recovery.
Jacobsen said: ‘It’s important to get development started while there is existing infrastructure to tie into: that’s why we believe efforts to unlock these reservoirs must be increased now.’
Hydraulic fracturing has mainly taken place in chalk reservoirs on the NCS. The Victoria discovery is situated in a sandstone reservoir, where fracking experience is limited on the NCS. ‘This was the reason for bringing in UK-based Opecs, as the Brits are more experienced when it comes to these types of fields,’ said the Norwegian Offshore Directorate in a statement.
Jacobsen said that both the technology and expertise are better than was the case 10-15 years ago: ‘Fluids and propping agents used in hydraulic fracturing have improved, the vessels used are better, and we’re also able to deal with higher reservoir pressure and temperature. These operations can also be done faster and with greater reliability, thus reducing costs and uncertainty.’
He added that the study shows that producing Victoria may now be commercially profitable: ‘Our hope now is that this will spark someone’s interest, and a willingness to commit to this huge proven gas resource. Moreover, we also have several discoveries on the NCS in tight reservoirs. The study shows that using today’s technology could mean that hydraulic fracturing can unlock substantial values on the challenging Victoria discovery. If we can solve the challenge there, then we can also set our sights on other challenges. As resource managers, we believe that hydraulic fracturing will become a key technology for realising the resource potential in tight reservoirs.’
SLB launches AI to enhance workflows
SLB has launched the Lumi data and AI platform, which integrates advanced artificial intelligence (AI) capabilitiesincluding generative AI - with workflows across the energy value chain.
The open, secure and modular platform unlocks access to data across subsurface, surface, planning and operations, increasing cross-domain collaboration and releasing new intelligence and insights to improve the quality and speed of decision-making. The latest large language models (LLMs) as well as domain foundation models from SLB will be embedded in the platform, enabling customers to accelerate AI adoption at scale.
‘AI is fundamentally altering the dynamics of our industry, but its transformational potential is hindered by the complexity of our industry’s data eco-
systems,’ said Rakesh Jaggi, president, Digital and Integration, SLB. ‘Through the Lumi data and AI platform, we will liberate and contextualise data for our global customers across domains – enabling them to scale advanced AI workflows and accelerate their ongoing digital transformation.’
The Lumi platform is built on the latest industry standards and will be available on all major cloud service providers as well as on-premises. SLB’s customers can train and deploy industry-specific traditional and generative AI models, including foundational models for exploration and production (E&P) by SLB.
SLB’s Delfi digital platform will be enhanced by leveraging the data foundations and machine learning capabilities of the Lumi platform. This will enable
more powerful and agile reservoir modelling, seismic and wellbore interpretation, directional drilling and geosteering workflows. It will also enable new capabilities for automation and operational efficiencies.
The Lumi platform integrates technologies from leading technology partners with SLB’s digital and domain expertise to facilitate access to data and AI capabilities across the energy production cycle. The open architecture of the platform liberates data from structured and unstructured sources using standard and open protocols, including the Open Group’s OSDU Technical Standard, an open data standard for the energy industry. It leverages Cognite Data Fusion to connect and analyse production data to optimise operations.
STRYDE provides seismic solutions to six academic instutions
STRYDE has secured six contracts with leading academic institutions to provide its solutions, including its newest seismic system, ‘The STRYDE Mini System’, across the US, Europe, and Africa.
The Mini System is a complete nodal seismic system specifically designed to enable small-scale seismic projects, including research projects for the academic sector.
‘Our investment in the development of the Mini System, coupled with recent contract wins, represents a continuation in the company’s commitment to making seismic data accessible for any industry,’ said STRYDE in a statement. ‘This ini-
tiative also underscores their continued dedication to fostering collaborations between industry and academia, driving innovation, and nurturing talent for a sustainable future.’
Rice University in Houston, Texas; the University of Exeter in the UK; and Uppsala University in Sweden are some of the academic institutions leveraging STRYDE’s technology to advance a variety of subsurface research initiatives in 2024.
These projects encompass geothermal, well monitoring, geohazard identification for civil engineering, agritech, and mine development.
Mike Popham, STRYDE CEO, said: ‘Our agile and lightweight seismic system offers a rapid, cost-effective solution for seismic data acquisition.
‘At STRYDE, we understand that high costs can hinder fundamental research and development, and I am proud that by further miniaturising our system, we’ve removed this barrier to innovation and can fulfil our mission of delivering high-density seismic capabilities across various
industries. This advancement supports the next generation of geoscientists by equipping them with essential tools for conducting crucial research.’
Rice University is using STRYDE’s seismic system to perform subsurface monitoring of geothermal well stimulation at the Utah FORGE site with high-density seismic.
A STRYDE user at Rice University said: ‘This survey was the highest in density and channel count ever conducted by our team. Achieving our desired trace density within our time and labour constraints would not have been possible without STRYDE’s agile nodes. The lightweight nature of these nodes marked a significant advancement for us, allowing for high-density deployments on foot, even in rough terrain.’
STRYDE has deployed more than 760,000 unique nodes, supporting more than 260 projects in over 50 countries, across multiple sectors, including oil and gas, mining, civil engineering, and emerging renewables market.
Mike Popham, STRYDE CEO.
Norway allocates $3.5 billion for floating offshore wind
Norway is poised to announce the next project areas for development of offshore wind on the Norwegian continental shelf in 2025 and is proposing $3.3 billion of state support towards the first floating offshore wind tender within the Vestavind F and Vestavind B areas.
‘Norway has an enormous potential for floating offshore wind on its continental shelf, but because the technology remains immature and costly, state support is required to accelerate its development. That is why we are proposing an ambitious support scheme,’ said Minister of Energy, Terje Aasland.
As part of its plan to allocate project areas for 30 GW offshore wind by 2040, the government has recently held a public consultation on the proposed support
Viridien
scheme models for the areas Vestavind B and Vestavind F, supported by state funding capped $3.2 billion.
Norway aims to conduct the next tendering round for offshore wind in 2025. Thereafter, the government intends to hold regularly scheduled tendering rounds and state aid competitions up to 2040.
The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) is conducting a strategic impact assessment of 20 areas suitable for the development of offshore wind. The strategic impact assessment of the areas Vestavind F, Vestavind B, and Sørvest F will be completed by November. The strategic impact assessment for the remaining 17 areas will be completed in June 2025.
wins contract to support mineral exploration in Oman
Viridien has been awarded a comprehensive remote sensing programme from Minerals Development Oman (MDO) to identify, map and rank mineralisation prospectivity potential across seven concessions, covering a total area of 16,000 km².
Viridien’s multi-disciplinary team of experts will use machine learning, high-performance computing, advanced processing algorithms and archives of multi- and hyperspectral satellite imagery to create their innovative Bare Earth Plus models. These will be integrated
with structural, airborne geophysical, and gamma-ray spectrometry data, to support MDO in identifying the mineral potential in the Samail and Masirah Ophiolites.
Peter Whiting, EVP, Geoscience, Viridien, said, ‘Following our 50-year track record supporting mineral exploration projects, Viridien is pleased to assist MDO with our advanced remote sensing, AI and integrated Minerals & Mining solutions. Our aim is to support more efficient and accurate decision-making for mine operators throughout the mining lifecycle.’
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BRIEFS
bp has abandoned a target to cut oil and gas output 25% by 2030 as CEO Murray Auchincloss scales back the firm’s energy transition strategy to regain investor confidence, according to a Reuters report.
ExxonMobil is proposing a $10 billion investment in offshore oil operations in a new investment push in Nigeria. The investment was announced during talks between Nigeria’s vice-president Kashim Shettima and the CEO of Exxon’s Nigeria operations Shane Harris at the UN General Assembly in New York.
The UK North Sea Transition Authority has published guidance and recommended principles which will encourage buyers, sellers and interested third parties to work together to ensure that transactions go through quickly. There are currently more than 100 transactions per year on the North Sea ranging from multi-million-pound transfers of field ownerships to smaller changes of Joint Venture (JV) partners. The guidance addresses the role each can play in helping these deals proceed efficiently.
Chevron has agreed to sell its 20% non-operated interest in the Athabasca Oil Sands Project in Alberta, Canada, to Canadian Natural Resources Limited. The $6.5 billion all-cash transaction is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2024.
Equinor has reported that it is operating of 19 projects in Norway with a total investment value of $18.5 billion. Costs on projects have increased by $610 million over the past year, around 3%. Two of the projects, Johan Castberg and Oseberg gas compression and partial electrification, have experienced a postPDO increase of more than 20%.
TGS has been assigned a Ba3 rating with a stable outlook from financial services company Moody’s. The $450 million-backed senior secured notes (originally issued by PGS – now a fully owned subsidiary of TGS) are upgraded two notches from B2 to Ba3 with a stable outlook.
Denmark starts tendering for $4.2 billion CCS fund
The Danish Energy Agency is publishing the final tendering materials for the $4.2 billion CCS Fund, which will cover the costs of capture, transportation and geological storage of fossil, biogenic or atmospheric CO2 over a 15-year contract period. The subsidies are tied to a requirement for the commissioning of capture facilities by 1 December 2029 and a minimum requirement for full capture and storage from 2030.
The tendering materials are available on the CCS pages on the Danish Energy Agency website and are being published on the EU’s electronic tendering platform: Tender Electronic Daily (TED).
The European Commission has recommended capturing and storing approximately 50 million tonnes of CO2 by 2030 to achieve a 90% reduction by 2040 towards climate neutrality by 2050. Similarly, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that 730 billion tonnes of CO2 will have to be stored globally by 2100 to meet the Paris Agreement.
The CCS Fund will secure carbon reductions or negative emissions that contribute to meeting Denmark’s climate goals. Overall, it has been estimated that the fund will reduce Denmark’s annual carbon emissions by 2.3 million tonnes from 2030. This corresponds to around 5% of Denmark’s total current emissions over a year.
The fund has been designed to ensure maximum competition for funding to achieve the highest possible carbon reductions at the lowest possible cost. The subsidy will be paid per tonne of CO2 stored. The tendering procedure will be carried out by negotiation, in which market players bid a fixed amount of CO2 per year and a price per tonne they will capture and store. Funding can be awarded to multiple tenderers.
The most important terms of the tendering materials for the CCS Fund were announced in June, in connection with a market consultation. The Danish Energy Agency has also held two market dialogues about the fund, most recently from June to August 2024.
The deadline for applications from potential tenderers to be pre-qualified to participate in the tendering procedure is 25 March 2035. The Danish Energy Agen-
cy plans to hold a follow-up information meeting about the tendering materials on 21 November 2024.
The CCS Fund is the third fund administered by the Danish Energy Agency for carbon capture and storage. In total, approximately $5.6 billion has been set aside.
The first fund, the CCUS pool, worth approximately $180 million, was won by Ørsted, which will capture and store 430,000 tonnes of CO2 annually from 2026 and for the following 20 years. Ørsted expects to capture and store the first CO2 from as early as 2025.
The NECCS pool was completed in May 2024, when the Danish Energy Agency contracted three companies to capture and store 160,350 tonnes of biogenic CO2 annually from 2026 to 2032.
According to the Danish Energy Agency’s latest point source analysis, the full capture potential of all Danish point sources amounts to 6.9-13.7 million tonnes CO2 in 2030. Denmark has granted six licences for exploration for CO2 storage and has political agreements with several countries for cross-border transportation of CO2 for geological storage under the seabed.
Implementation of the new CCS Fund requires state-aid approval from the European Commission. Meanwhile, DNV, the independent energy assurance provider, has certified the first CO2 storage site for Project Greensand in Denmark. Building on prior certifications issued in June 2023, DNV has granted the Certificate of Conformity – Site Endorsement and Storage Site, confirming that the project operator has developed plans for the safe and effective geological storage of CO2.
Denmark’s first offshore CO2 storage site, Project Greensand, is a collaboration of 23 partners and serves as a key example of the potential for safely storing CO2 permanently to mitigate climate.
‘We now have independent evidence, backed by DNV’s certification, that our site can safely and permanently store large volumes of CO2 that would otherwise have been emitted into the atmosphere in the North Sea subsoil,’ said Mads Gade, Head of INEOS Energy Denmark, the leading partner behind Project Greensand.
TGS studies electrical interconnection of Cape Verde
TGS is conducting a pre-feasibility study for the electric interconnection of the Cape Verde islands off the West Africa coast in collaboration with RTE International and Consultores de Engenharia e Ambiente S.A. (COBA).
The analysis will assess the technical, economic, and environmental feasibility of interconnecting the islands, a vital step towards optimising renewable energy resources such as wind, solar, and potentially green hydrogen.
Key elements of the study include: evaluating the potential for offshore and onshore renewable energy integration; exploring storage solutions such as pump storage systems and battery storage; addressing the environmental impact of interconnection; and assessing long-term economic benefits for the nation, particularly in reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
This study will be a cornerstone of Cape Verde’s Energy Master Plan (2018-2040), which aims for 50% of its electricity to be generated from renewable sources by 2030.
TGS will leverage its 4C Offshore power intelligence.
‘With its unique geographic and climatic conditions, Cape Verde presents opportunities to harness renewable energy effectively, and the island interconnection would further enhance energy efficiency, reduce costs, and increase the potential for offshore renewable energy projects,’ said TGS.
Meanwhile, TGS has announced the availability of fast-track data from the Nefertiti Multi-Client 3D seismic survey conducted in partnership with the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS).
The survey, with the aim of understanding the potential of the shelf and transform margins in the western part of Egypt’s Meiterranean offshore area, is situated near the Sidi Barrani-1 well in the far west of Egypt’s offshore Mediterranean and covers shallow-to-medium water depths within the shelf and transform margin domains. The proximity to the well will add control to the full-integrity imaging. Targets are likely to be Lower Cretaceous and Middle Jurassic structures with clastic reservoirs.
Norway to invest $24 billion in exploration this year
Norway’s net cash flow from petroleum activities is estimated to be $60 billion in 2024 with $24 billion invested in petroleum activities.
The expected revenues from the petroleum industry in 2024 are lower than in 2023, when the state’s net cash flow was $91 billion. The decline is mainly because of lower estimates for gas prices compared to last year.
Oil and gas production is expected to remain relatively stable towards 2030. In the national budget, the government expects that total Norwegian petroleum production in 2024 to be 239 mil-
lion Sm3 of oil equivalents, while the production is expected to be 243 million Sm3 in 2025.
‘Production from the Norwegian Continental Shelf contributes large amounts of energy and is significant for the energy supply to Europe. We will continue to develop the petroleum industry and remain a stable and long-term supplier of energy to Europe’, said Norway’s minister of energy Terje Aasland.
Investments in the petroleum industry are estimated at $24 billion in 2024, including both new field developments and investments in producing fields.
SLB and NVIDIA use AI solutions to enhance seismic imaging for energy industry
SLB and NVIDIA are developing generative AI solutions for the energy industry.
The collaboration accelerates deployment of industry-specific generative AI foundation models across SLB’s global platforms, including its Delfi digital platform and Lumi data and AI platform, by leveraging NVIDIA NeMo, part of the NVIDIA AI Enterprise software platform, to develop AI that can be run in the data centre, in any cloud or at the edge.
The companies will build and optimise models to the specific needs of the data-intensive energy industry, including
subsurface exploration, production operations and data management. This will help to unlock the full potential of generative AI for energy domain experts including researchers, scientists and engineers ― enabling them to interact with complex technical processes in new ways to drive higher value and lower carbon outcomes, said SLB.
‘As we navigate the delicate balance between energy production and decarbonisation, generative-AI is emerging as a crucial catalyst for change,’ said Olivier Le Peuch, chief executive officer, SLB.
‘Our collaboration with NVIDIA will accelerate the creation of tailored generative AI solutions, enabling our customers to optimise operations, enhance efficiency and minimise their overall footprint.’
SLB and NVIDIA’s collaboration first began in 2008 with the innovative use of graphics processing units (GPUs) for subsurface imaging and geoscience interpretation. The companies have continued to work closely to optimise every generation of SLB’s high-performance compute and visualisation technologies available on its Delfi platform.
ENERGY TRANSITION BRIEFS
The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has approved the Atlantic Shores South project plan to construct and operate two wind energy facilities. The original lease was divided into two separate leases, both approx. 8.7 miles offshore New Jersey. The approved construction and operations plan includes up to 197 total locations for wind turbine generators providing clean electricity to the New Jersey grid.
The world’s first cross-border CO2 transport and storage facility, the Northern Lights CO2 transport and storage project in Øygarden, near Bergen, is ready to receive and store CO2. The Northern Lights facility is a joint venture between Equinor, Shell and TotalEnergies.
ExxonMobil has executed the largest offshore carbon dioxide (CO2) storage lease in the US with the Texas General Land Office (GLO). The 271,000-acre site complements the onshore CO2 storage portfolio ExxonMobil is developing, and further solidifies the US Gulf Coast as a carbon capture and storage (CCS) leader.
Equinor has acquired 9.8% of shares of the offshore wind company Ørsted. The transaction establishes Equinor as the second largest shareholder in Ørsted, after the Danish State, which holds a controlling stake in the company. Ørsted has a net renewable generation capacity of around 10.4 GW, and a gross portfolio of offshore wind projects in execution of around 7 GW. The company’s ambition is to achieve a gross installed renewable capacity of around 35 to 38 GW by 2030.
Statera Energy has submitted plans for Europe’s largest green hydrogen project in Aberdeenshire, UK. Kintore Hydrogen will help balance a renewables-led power system by using surplus renewable energy to produce green hydrogen. The first 500 MW of operational capacity is expected to be online by 2028, and when operating at its full, 3 GW capacity Kintore Hydrogen could save up to 1.4 million tonnes of CO2 per year.
Carbon emissions from energy sector to peak this year, says DNV
This year 2024 will go down as one of peak energy emissions, according to DNV’s Energy Transition Outlook. Energy-related emissions are at the cusp of a prolonged period of decline for the first time since the industrial revolution. Emissions are set to almost halve by 2050, but this is a long way short of requirements of the Paris Agreement. The Outlook forecasts the planet will warm by 2.2 °C by end of the century.
The peaking of emissions is largely due to plunging costs of solar and batteries which are accelerating the exit of coal from the energy mix and stunting the growth of oil. Annual solar installations increased 80% last year as it beat coal on cost in many regions. Cheaper batteries, which dropped 14% in cost last year, are also making the 24-hour delivery of solar power and electric vehicles more affordable. The uptake of oil was limited as electrical vehicles sales grew by 50%. In China, where both of these trends were especially pronounced, peak gasoline is now in the past.
China is dominating much of the global action on decarbonisation at present, particularly in the production and export of clean technology. It accounted for 58% of global solar installations and 63% of new electrical vehicle purchases last year. And whilst it remains the world’s largest consumer of coal and emitter of CO2, its dependence on fossil fuels is set to fall rapidly as it continues to install solar and wind. China is the dominating exporter of green technologies although international tariffs are making their goods more expensive in some territories.
‘Solar PV and batteries are driving the energy transition, growing even faster than we previously forecast,’ said Remi Eriksen, group president and CEO of DNV. ‘Emissions peaking is a milestone for humanity. But we must now focus on how quickly emissions decline and use the available tools to accelerate the energy transition. Worryingly, our forecast decline is very far from the trajectory required to meet the Paris Agreement targets. In
particular, the hard-to-electrify sectors need a renewed policy push.’
The success of solar and batteries is not replicated in the hard-to-abate sectors, where essential technologies are scaling slowly. DNV has revised the long-term forecast for hydrogen and its derivatives down by 20% (from 5% to 4% of final energy demand in 2050) since last year. And although DNV has revised up its carbon capture and storage forecast, only 2% of global emissions will be captured by CCS in 2040 and 6% in 2050 A global carbon price would accelerate the uptake of these technologies.
Wind remains an important driver of the energy transition, contributing to 28% of electricity generation by 2050. In the same timeframe, offshore wind will experience a 12% annual growth rate although the current headwinds impacting the industry are weighing on growth.
Despite these challenges, the peaking of emissions is a sign that the energy transition is progressing, said DNV. The energy mix is moving from a roughly 80/20 mix in favour of fossil fuels today, to one which is split equally between fossil and non-fossil fuels by 2050. In the same timeframe, electricity use will double, which is also at the driver of energy demand only increasing 10%.
‘There is a compelling green dividend on offer which should give policymakers the courage to not only double down on renewable technologies, but to tackle the expensive and difficult hard-to-electrify sectors with firm resolve,’ added Eriksen.
Solar energy is becoming cheaper than coal.
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Special Topic
MARINE ACQUISITION
Submit an article
Geoscience companies are continuing to innovate in the marine seismic acquisition sector.
David Went et al demonstrate that lithology has a very strong impact on the amplitude variation with offset or angle (AVO/AVA) response and that shale and brine sand responses need to be identified with confidence before any prognosis of a hydrocarbon signature is made.
S. David et al demonstrate the added value of using the multiples in FWI, deriving a velocity model to migrate the short streamer data, and suggest ways to address limitations encountered when trying to push FWI on sparse nodal data to higher frequencies.
Maxime Benaniba et al present a shallow water case study where a Tuned Pulse Source (TPS) and Conventional AirGuns (CAG) were deployed simultaneously to ensure optimum low-frequency signal from the emission stage to 4C fidelity sensor recording.
Robert Basilli outlines a fresh approach to OBN survey work, introducing a new class of vessels and utilising advances in remote OBN operations including ROVs and robotics.
Alexey Dobrovolskiy explains why drone-born marine magnetic surveys are coming into their own, especially to aid the construction of offshore wind farms.
Lerish Boshoff considers the evolving landscape of OBN seismic operations.
Neil Hodgson et al demonstrate how discarded legacy seismic data can be reprocessed to make the invisible unmissable and let the prospectivity shine out brighter than it ever did before.
Ruud Weijermars clarifies the status of the proposed classification methodology and how new tech companies are developing a separate code of practice for carbon removal claims.
First Break Special Topics are covered by a mix of original articles dealing with case studies and the latest technology. Contributions to a Special Topic in First Break can be sent directly to the editorial office (firstbreak@eage.org). Submissions will be considered for publication by the editor.
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Special Topic overview
January Land Seismic
February Digitalization / Machine Learning
March Reservoir Monitoring
April Underground Storage and Passive Seismic
May Global Exploration
June Technology and Talent for a Secure and Sustainable Energy Future
July Modelling / Interpretation
August Near Surface Geo & Mining
September Reservoir Engineering & Geoscience
October Energy Transition
November Marine Acquisition
December Data Management and Processing
More Special Topics may be added during the course of the year.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
20-21 Nov Asia Petroleum Geoscience Conference and Exhibition (APGCE) icep.com.my/apgce
25-26 Nov First EAGE/SBGf Conference on The Roadmap to Low Carbon Emissions in Brazil www.eage.org
December 2024
3-5 Dec First EAGE Symposium & Exhibition on Geosciences for New Energies in America www.eagenewenergies.org
EAGE Workshop on Near Surface Geoscience & Mineral Exploration in Latin America
Part of First EAGE Symposium & Exhibition on Geosciences for New Energies in America
EAGE Workshop on Geothermal Energy in Latin America
Part of First EAGE Symposium & Exhibition on Geosciences for New Energies in America
EAGE Workshop on Water Footprint
Part of First EAGE Symposium & Exhibition on Geosciences for New Energies in America
3-5 Dec 3 rd SEG/EAGE Workshop on Geophysical Aspects of Smart Cities www.eage.org
11 Dec 1st CEEC London Roadshow www.ceecsg.org/1st-ceec-london-roadshow/
México City
México
February 2025
3-4 Feb EAGE Workshop on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) in Basalts www.eage.org
17-19 Feb EGYPES 2025 www.egypes.com
18-20 Feb International Petroleum Technology Conference (IPTC) 2025 www.iptcnet.org
20-21 Feb GeoTHERM Expo & Congress 2025 www.geotherm-offenburg.de/en
27-28 Feb First EAGE Workshop on the Triassic and Jurassic Plays in Northwest Europe www.eage.org
March 2025
19-21 Mar 2 nd AAPG/EAGE Papua New Guinea Petroleum Geoscience Conference & Exhibition www.eage.org
24-26 Mar 5 th EAGE Digitalization Conference and Exhibition www.eagedigital.org
April 2025
2-4 Apr 23 rd European IOR+ Symposium wwww.ior2025.org
14-16 Apr Fifth EAGE Well Injectivity & Productivity in Carbonates Workshop (WIPIC) www.eage.org
14-17 Apr International Scientific Conference on Monitoring of Geological Processes and Environmental Conditions www.eage.org
29-30 Apr EAGE Workshop on Advanced Sesimic Solutions for Complex Reservoir Challenges www.eage.org
May 2025
5-7 May First EAGE Atlantic Geoscience Resource Exploration & Development Symposium www.eage.org
8-9 May First EAGE Workshop on Land Seismic Acquisition www.eage.org
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
August 2025
26-27 Aug EAGE Workshop on Machine Learning for Geoscience www.eage.org
September 2025
Sep Second EAGE Workshop on Hydrogen (Exploration and Development) www.eage.org
1-4 Sep World CCUS Conference www.wccus.org
7-11 Sep Near Surface Geoscience Conference and Exhibition www.eagensg.org
7-12 Sep 32 nd International Meeting on Organic Geochemistry (IMOG) www.imogconference.org
9-11 Sep Second EAGE Conference and Exhibition on Guyana-Suriname Basin www.eage.org
14-18 Sep Seventh International Conference on Fault and Top Seals www.eage.org
16-18 Sep The Middle East Oil, Gas and Geosciences Show (MEOS GEO) www.meos-geo.com
