SUPPORT

This page provides help on downloading, installing and getting started with PathFinder.

Introduction to Geosteering

What is geosteering?

Geosteering is a technique used in drilling operations, particularly in the oil and gas industry, to navigate and control the direction of a wellbore in real-time. It involves adjusting the trajectory of the drilling path based on geological data and measurements obtained while drilling. The primary goal of geosteering is to keep the wellbore within the desired geological formation or target zone, such as an oil or gas reservoir, to maximize production and minimize drilling risks.

Here are some key points about geosteering:

Real-Time Navigation: Geosteering allows drillers to adjust the wellbore's path while drilling is ongoing, using data acquired from downhole tools and sensors. This real-time navigation helps in staying within the target zone and avoiding hazards or non-productive formations.

Geological Data Integration: Geosteering relies on integrating various geological data sources, such as measurements of formation properties, rock types, and fluid content, to make informed decisions about wellbore direction and placement.

Formation Evaluation: Geosteering software and tools provide information about the geological formations encountered during drilling, including their thickness, porosity, permeability, and other characteristics. This data helps in assessing the potential for hydrocarbon production.

Efficient Reservoir Exploitation: By accurately steering the wellbore within the reservoir's productive zones, geosteering contributes to efficient reservoir exploitation, maximizing the recovery of oil or gas resources.

Minimizing Drilling Risks: Geosteering helps in minimizing drilling risks such as drilling into non-productive zones, encountering unexpected geological formations, or hitting geological hazards like faults or fractures.
Technological Advancements: Advances in geosteering technologies, including advanced sensors, data analytics, and modeling software, have significantly improved the accuracy and effectiveness of geosteering operations.

Overall, geosteering plays a crucial role in optimizing drilling operations, improving well productivity, and reducing costs and risks associated with oil and gas exploration and production

The importance of geosteering in drilling operations.

Geosteering plays a crucial role in drilling operations due to several important reasons:

Optimizing Reservoir Contact: Geosteering helps drillers maintain optimal contact with the targeted reservoir zones. By steering the wellbore within the most productive layers of the reservoir, operators can maximize hydrocarbon production and recoverable reserves.

Maximizing Drilling Efficiency: Efficient geosteering reduces the need for costly corrective measures such as sidetracking or re-drilling. It helps drillers avoid non-productive formations and geological hazards, saving time and resources during the drilling process.

Reducing Drilling Risks: Geosteering enables real-time monitoring and decision-making based on geological data. This helps in avoiding potential drilling hazards such as encountering water zones, unstable formations, or faults and fractures, which could lead to wellbore instability or equipment damage.

Improving Wellbore Placement: Precise geosteering allows for accurate placement of the wellbore within thin or complex reservoir layers. This is especially important in unconventional reservoirs like shale formations, where maximizing contact with hydrocarbon-bearing zones is critical for economic viability.

Enhancing Production Rates: Wellbores that are effectively geosteered can achieve higher production rates by accessing the most prolific parts of the reservoir. This leads to increased overall well productivity and improved ultimate recovery of hydrocarbons.

Optimizing Completion and Production: Geosteering data provides valuable insights for planning completion and production strategies. It helps in designing well completions such as perforation intervals and hydraulic fracturing stages to target specific reservoir zones for enhanced production performance.

Real-Time Decision-Making: Geosteering software and technologies allow for real-time monitoring and adjustments during drilling. This enables drillers and geologists to make informed decisions promptly, optimizing well placement and overall drilling outcomes.

In summary, geosteering is important in drilling operations because it contributes to maximizing reservoir contact, improving drilling efficiency, reducing risks, enhancing production rates, optimizing completion strategies, and enabling real-time decision-making for better overall well performance and economic viability.

Advantages of using PathFinder Geosteering Software

Our geosteering software offers several benefits for drilling operations in the oil and gas industry:

Real-Time Monitoring: PathFinder provides real-time data visualization and monitoring of the wellbore trajectory, geological formations, and drilling parameters. This allows geologists to make immediate adjustments and decisions during drilling operations.

Optimized Well Placement: By analyzing geological data and formation characteristics in real-time, PathFinder software helps in accurately placing the wellbore within the target reservoir zones. This optimization maximizes hydrocarbon production and improves reservoir drainage efficiency.

Reduced Drilling Risks: The ability to continuously assess and react to geological challenges while drilling reduces the risks of encountering unexpected formations, hazards, or drilling problems. Pathfinder helps in avoiding costly delays and operational setbacks.

Improved Reservoir Understanding: Pathfinder integrates various data sources, including well logs, seismic data, and downhole measurements, to provide a comprehensive understanding of the reservoir geology. This knowledge contributes to better reservoir characterization and development planning.

Enhanced Drilling Efficiency: PathFinder streamlines drilling operations by enabling precise wellbore navigation and minimizing unnecessary drilling in non-productive areas. This efficiency leads to cost savings and optimized use of drilling resources.

Increased Well Productivity: Accurate well placement facilitated by our geosteering software results in higher well productivity and ultimate hydrocarbon recovery. By targeting the most productive reservoir zones, operators can maximize the economic potential of their wells.

Data Integration and Analysis: PathFinder allows for the integration and analysis of diverse data sets, including geological, geophysical, and engineering data. This integrated approach enhances decision-making capabilities and promotes collaboration among multidisciplinary teams.

Enhanced Safety: By reducing drilling risks and improving operational efficiency, geosteering software contributes to a safer work environment for drilling personnel and equipment.

Optimized Completion Design: Geosteering data aids in designing optimal completion strategies, such as perforation placement and hydraulic fracturing designs, to enhance well performance and production rates.

Compliance and Reporting: PathFinder includes features for compliance monitoring, reporting, and documentation, ensuring that drilling activities adhere to regulatory requirements and industry standards.

Overall, the benefits of using PathFinder include improved well placement accuracy, reduced drilling risks, enhanced productivity, better reservoir understanding, and increased operational efficiency, leading to cost-effective and successful drilling campaigns.

Getting Started

How to download and install PathFinder.

Download the Setup File
- Right-click on this download link and select "Save link as...".
- Choose the appropriate location on your PC and click "Save" to download the PathFinder Zip Setup file.
Prepare the Setup File
- Navigate to the downloaded Pathfinder_setup.zip file.
- Right-click on the file and select "Properties".
- In the General tab, check the "Unblock" option next to Security, then click "Apply" and "OK".
Extract the Setup File
- Right-click on the Pathfinder_setup.zip file and select "Extract All...".
- Click the "Extract" button.
- Once extraction is complete, the folder containing Pathfinder_Setup.exe will open automatically.
Run the Setup File
- Right-click on Pathfinder_Setup.exe and select "Run as administrator".
- Administrator privileges are required at this stage. You may also need to add the program to your firewall and antivirus exclusions. (Contact us if you encounter any issues).

By following these steps, you will successfully download, prepare, and install the PathFinder software on your PC.

PathFinder - Geosteering Software
On the Setup Window, Click "Next".

PathFinder - Geosteering Software
Fully read the End User License Agreement (EULA), select "I accept.." option, then click "Next".

PathFinder - Geosteering Software
Click "Next".

Click "Finish".