Wellify

The idea behind Wellify is to provide the geoscientists with easy access to the high-resolution photos and mineral analysis coming from the joint industry collaboration project, Released Well Initiative (“RWI”). With cuttings samples from more than 1,900 wells on the Norwegian continental shelf being digitalised, on average 300 – 400 samples per well, this project has created more than two million files and 30 terabyte of data.

Wellify provides instant and dynamic access to the RWI photos and data. As all files are streamed through a cloud-based solution, saving the users from having to download large quantities of RWI data sets or to install and integrate a new software into existing systems.

Digitalising cuttings data through collaboration

Norwegian Oil and Gas Association initiated the Released Well Initiative (RWI) in late 2018, where cuttings data from 1,933 exploration wells offshore Norway are being digitalised and made available for members of the RWI consortium. The project is ongoing and will be completed within Q2 2022. 

Cuttings extracted from the many layers of seabed contain valuable information on the subsurface geology and may uncover clues leading towards new plays or play extensions. At Pandion Energy we find the data useful for improvement of stratigraphic control, reservoir characterization, provenance understanding and planning of drilling operations. In addition, the data holds valuable information on seal capacities and reservoir properties which may be utilised for identifying reservoir zones suitable for CO2 storage.  

Cuttings data analysis 

Cuttings data are sampled through the entire borehole approx. every 10 m as oppose to well cores that are typically taken for limited reservoir intervals. 

The cutting samples are first washed, dried and photographed, and then subjected to analyses to determine the mineral composition (XRF) and high-resolution white light and UV light photography. Cutting samples are subjected to special analyses that include QemScan, SpecCam, TOC and XRD. 

  • XRF (X-ray fluorescence):  Specification of the chemical composition of the minerals  
  • QemScan (energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy):  Quantitative analysis of the rock mineralogical composition  
  • SpecCam (infrared spectroscopy):  Analysis of the distribution of the minerals and hydrocarbons in a rock sample by infrared camera  
  • TOC:  Total organic carbon content   
  • XRD (X-ray diffraction):  Specification of the mineral composition of the rock 

Unlocking the potential

Historically the cuttings data have been challenging to utilize efficiently due to its physical nature, the many separated and different formats and the vast amount of data and storage capacity needed.   

In 2020 Pandion Energy initiated a non-commercial collaboration project together with DNO Norge AS and Spirit Energy Norway AS, called Cuttings Insight, to develop ready to use solutions for tapping into the potential previously hidden within this underutilised data source. As a result, the partnership created Wellify, an easy to use cloud based solution that aggregates, streamlines and visualises all the data from the Released Well Initiative.  

A key motivation behind Wellify is a strong belief in the added value from the cuttings data, which traditionally has been an under-utilised and hidden data type, while now in a digital format, has the potential of bringing new insightful information of the subsurface.

Streaming cuttings data like music

The name Wellify is inspired by a widely familiar music streaming app as the solution gives its users instant and dynamic access to RWI photos and data. As all files are streamed through a web-based solution, it saves the users from having to download large quantities of RWI data sets or to install and integrate new software with existing systems. 

Users can easily log on and stream the datasets they need and perform analysis that earlier took countless of hours and required huge amounts of storage capacity. 

How it works

After getting access and logging on, you can select any RWI well of interest, either by typing a well name directly or through selection in map view. Browsing through the cutting photos, you can display the photos together with NPD well tops, casing shoe and selected logs. Element and mineral composition at selected depths are easily visualised. 

Contact information

Wellify is a product of a non-commercial collaboration project, Cuttings Insight, between Pandion Energy, DNO and ConocoPhillips. The technical solution has been delivered by Itera. The project is currently enrolling new members and will enter the next development phase, further investigating additional functionality and potential uses of the RWI data set.  

Contact us at Pandion Energy for a demo and virtual coffee, where we can discuss how Wellify can create value for your company.