IHS's Log Services Helps Tom Brown, Inc. Improve Productivity and Optimize Use of Log Data

Business Challenge
Ensuring his interpreters have the most complete and accurate well log data available to them is very important for Dave Thomas, Southern Region exploration manager for Denver-based Tom Brown, Inc. Thomas's team, based in Midland, Texas, uses well logs to evaluate a prospect. However, much of the existing log data for older wells is in a hardcopy format. To be able to incorporate this data into the interpretation applications used by geologists, these logs must first be digitized and then edited and standardized, which is referred to as petrophysical data processing (PDP). Essentially, this process must first ensure that the digital logs match the output of the original hardcopy logs, regardless of the types of logs digitized, and that the data is also improved to a level that is ready for use in an interpretation software application.

Since PDP can be a tedious and time-consuming process, few interpretation teams have the in-house resources to process the amount of well logs available for all the prospects being evaluated. And, most consider this task a poor use of their petrophysicist's time, which is better spent focusing on the actual interpretations, rather than data processing.

The IHS Log Services Advantage
With this in mind, Thomas said he relies on IHS Log Services to digitize his logs, but also to process those logs, so his petrophysicist is more productive. "Much of what we do is focused on drilling of deep, onshore, tight-carbonate horizontal gas reservoirs — which is not for the faint of heart, because these reservoirs are very difficult to drill. Once we acquire the hardcopy data on wells, there is quite a bit of disparate data. We send it to IHS to digitize and process," Thomas said. "From there, we can hand it to our petrophysicist who can immediately apply it to his interpretation. This allows him to work more quickly and evaluate more prospects."

And when his team presents a prospect, because of the methodology he uses, his prospect is considered more robust.

"This is because we've brought the data together and we've taken advantage of all the modern computing tools and power. When you do this process, you are more thorough. It does make more work, but it makes the prospect more complete.

"Petrophysical data, like any other raw data," he said, "has some value, but its value is not fully realized until it can be fully analyzed. At some companies, you have limited petrophysical expertise in relation to the amount of work that needs to be done. If you have access to a petrophysicist," he added, "you don't want them spending all their time cleaning up data.

"Because data is time-sensitive, if you need something digitized in a timely manner, you are probably limited by human resources if you try to do it internally. IHS Log Services," Thomas said. "has the resources to get the work done — when I need it. Having IHS do our data processing eliminates another bottleneck.

"The data isn't fully useful until it is digitized, and with IHS, we get better results for less than it would cost to employ people to do these services in house.

"When we look at areas to acquire seismic, the cost of the petrophysical data is very small compared to the big-picture costs relating to seismic," Thomas said."And, if we were to process the data in-house, we would only have time to process a single interval of the log digitally. This is a very limited use of the data, whereas, with IHS, we get the complete log digitized. We've established a long-term working relationship with IHS Log Services, which has helped us to be successful, because we know we get quality data processing in a timely manner. And this reliability also saves us the time and effort of constantly re-bidding our projects with other vendors."

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