DownUnder GeoSolutions has added to its diverse pool of experience by adding Pore Pressure Prediction expert, W. Rex Butler, to our team. Rex has more than 30 years industry experience which, when combined with DownUnder GeoSolutions’ existing Petrophysics and Seismic Processing teams, provides the skills to solve even the most challenging overpressure problems for our clients. When you further combine this team with the products we develop for solving the most complex of oilfield problems, you have an unbeatable combination.

Predicting and quantifying overpressures in drilling targets is of significant value in hydrocarbon exploration. Value extracted from the safety and cost considerations of drilling as well as having a better understanding of the reservoir quality and fluids.

Overpressure can arise from a number or sources including undercompaction, thermal effects, tectonic stress, clay diagenesis, charging and hydrocarbon generation. To understand the geopressure we begin with analysis of well information which allows us to establish the pressure, porosity and lithology regime at well locations. We then combine the results from various calculations from well data and calibrate to real pressure information from well pressure tests and drilling event. From this we build an accurate deterministic model of pressures in each well. Calibration of sonic data from the well to seismic velocity data then provides a means of predicting overpressure away from well control. This allows us to model overburden, pore and fracture pressures. The resulting pore pressure cube and target well pressure models allow for better well planning and prediction of overpressure.