The Forum is an arena for dialogue and co-operation on exploration technology improvements relevant for future exploration on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

FIND Members

Amerada Hess Norge A/S
BP Amoco
Norsk Chevron A/S

RWE-DEA

Elf Petroleum Norge AS

Enterprise Oil Norge Ltd

Esso Norge AS

Fortum Petroleum

Idemitsu Petroleum Norge AS

Mobil Exploration

Norsk Agip

Norsk Hydro a.s

Norske Conoco AS

A/S Norske Shell

Norwegian Petroleum Directorate

AS Pelican

Phillips Petroleum Company Norway

Saga Petroleum a.s

Den norske stats oljeselskap a.s (Statoil)

Total Norge A.S

Totally 19 oil companies and NPD are members

FIND Guiding Principles

-     All members can propose projects

-     All members have the option to take part in individual projects

-     The projects are independent scientific and economic entities

-     The participants in each project have one member each in the Project Group

-     The Project Group has the total responsibility for project execution

-     The members in the Project Group appoint the Project leader

-     The members in the Project Group appoint members to Work Group(s)

FIND Process and Organisation

The Board consists of one representative from each member company. The Board elects the chairman and the vice-chairman. The present chairman and vice-chairman are  Terje Hagevang (Saga), and Andreas Lunde (Shell). The Board is the main arena for discussing topics and the Board is responsible for deciding start up of projects.

Project groups are responsible for the management of budgets for projects.

The Secretariat is located at the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate who will act as co-ordinator and distribute information.

Current and Recent Projects in FIND:

Super Grid: Initiated by the NPD.

Objective:  Develop software and methodology that enables utilization and maintenance of multi 3D seismic dataset with multiple versions. Make use of existing PetroBank formats and access/security systems.

Status:

Pilot phase was completed early 1998.

A total of 21 3D surveys in the Northern North Sea are rotated to a common co-ordinate system, and matched for phase and amplitude.

Development of Petrobank software:

1.     Easy definition of cubes and random  lines

2.     Prioritisation of surveys in overlap zones

3.     Smooth downloading of seismic data to the most used workstation formats

Phase 2 will be completed in 1999: Development of software to rotate and match for timeshift and amplitude directly from original seismic stored in Petrodata. Full integration of pilot and new software into standard Petrobank structure.

Effects of Drilling Mud Components on the Quality of Geological Data: Initiated by Leteteknologisamarbeidet.

Objective: 

To construct a set of guidelines for selecting drilling mud system for wells.

12 oil companies participated in the Project.

Various parts of the Project have been set out to consultants:

Core Drilling/inorganic geochemistry                               Robertson Research/SIEP

Core Analyses                                                                   Reslab

Organic geochemistry                                                       Robertson Research

PVT analyses                                                                    Core Laboratories

Petrophysical well logging                                               Prof. Max Peeters (Delft U)

Project co-ordination                                                        Robertson Research

The project was completed in May 1999.

Evaluation of Norwegian Wildcat Wells: Initiated by the NPD.

Objective:

To improve the understanding of factors critical for exploration success.

Scope of work:

Systematic comparison of prognoses and results of a large number wildcat wells.

Organisation:

The operators perform the compilation of their own well data.

-         NPD is the Project Leader.

-         NPD prepares the results and distributes these to the companies.

-         20 companies and NPD are participating in the Project

Deliverables: a database in EXCEL and LOTUS formats of prognoses and final well results. A set of agreed statistical analyses.

Basin Analysis and Applied Thermochronology on the Mid-Norwegian Shelf: 

Initiated by the Geological Survey of Norway (NGU) and the University of Bergen and Oslo.

Objective: To generate new and comprehensive data types for incorporation into basin models of the Norwegian Sea

Scope of work: To combine multiple techniques to characterise Norwegian Sea provinces in terms of provenance, thermal- and structural histories and paleogeographic settings. To establish a national ⁴⁰Ar / ³⁹Ar Geochronical Centre at the NGU is an internal component of the Project

Organisation: The Project integrates personnel and laboratories from universities, the NGU and the oil industry. The NGU acts as the main contractor for the Project. Norske Conoco AS reports status and progress of the Project to the Board. Nine oil companies and the NPD participate in the Project.

Time frame: Five years, 1998 - 2002

Budget: NOK 18.732.000,- of which NOK 11.332.000,- is funded by industry

Deliverables:

-         New data on provenance, thermal history for the sediments and for the provenance areas (Greenland and Mid-Norway)

-         Databases for thermal history, age of sediments and their provenance

-         Digital paleogeographic atlas

-         ⁴⁰Ar / ³⁹Ar Geochronology Centre available as consultant for industry projects.

For further information , please contact:

The Secretariat      Att: Arild Haugen

Norwegian Petroleum Directorate

P. O. Box 600

4003     STAVANGER

NORWAY

Phone: + 47 51 87 61 91   Fax: + 47 51 87 61 69   e-mail: arild.haugen@npd.no