Research Indicates Dakota Field Larger than Anticipated

While oil and gas companies typically seek ways to reduce risk, exploration and production can be a high-risk and expensive business. One of the best ways to reduce the inherent risk of exploration is to gather additional information from core samples. A wealth of information can be gained from a geological formation, including conductivity. The amount of conductivity usually depends on the direction of the measurement. As a result, it is considered to be anisotropic. This is often the result of numerous thin layers of oil-bearing rocks that are trapped between thin layers of shale. This forms a laminate structure that can potentially reach a thickness of thousands of feet. It can also potentially contain vast amounts of oil. It is now even possible to make measurements and analyze information about cores that are hundreds or even thousands of feet long.

 

Through the use of cutting-edge tools, it is possible to carefully analyze core samples in Texas to gain valuable information about the nature and structure of rock layers.  As a result of the information gained from these samples, it is possible to assess the productivity of a potential well. Not only does a drilling team gather information about the potential of a site, it also provides information regarding the depth at which certain formations occur at specific depths.