Applications of Oil-base Mud Earth Imager for a High-temperature and High-pressure Exploration Well

An exploration well was drilled as a wildcat targeting high-pressure and high-temperature gas condensates within Jurassic-age reservoir sandstones offshore Norway. The well, drilled to a depth of more than 5000 m (16,404 ft) subsea with bottom-hole temperatures up to 176C and mud pressures up to 93 MPa, was successfully tested. As part of a comprehensive logging and coring program, oil-base mud EARTH ImagerSM, Baker Hughes/Baker Atlas data were acquired in the discovery well. The objectives of the wellbore imaging were to determine the structural dip, confirm the presence or absence of (seismic and subseismic) faults, support detailed core sedimentology studies, and determine the orientations of depositional or architectural elements. This contribution summarizes the acquisition and interpretation of the borehole images. Structural dip and an apparent low density of faulting interpreted from the images were consistent with the predrill structural interpretation. Comparison of the core and images assisted in the characterization and orientation of the depositional architecture.