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  • Decarbonise with diagnostics

    Decarbonise with diagnosticsDecarbonise with diagnostics Overview Decarbonise video Greenhouse gas emissions How can TGT help? Applications Go to section OverviewDecarbonise videoGreenhouse gas emissionsHow can TGT help?Applications Home Search Results Global warming, climate change, and hydrocarbons Today, global warming is an existential crisis facing our planet and all of its inhabitants. Climate science tells us that if global average temperatures rise more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the impact could become catastrophic and irreversible.   In the oil and gas industry, we are all aware of the very real impact the climate crisis is having on society and the planet. Whilst we provide energy for the world to prosper, the way most of this energy is produced as well as consumed, is ultimately leading to climate change.   Whilst we continue to develop clean energy solutions, the reality is that ~56% of the global energy mix continues to come from hydrocarbons, and it will take years, if not decades, before the balance shifts to cleaner sources. Global warming, climate change, with diagnostics Today, global warming is an existential crisis facing our planet and all of its inhabitants. Climate science tells us that if global average temperatures rise more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the impact could become catastrophic and irreversible.   In the oil and gas industry, we are all aware of the very real impact the climate crisis is having on society and the planet. Whilst we provide energy for the world to prosper, the way most of this energy is produced as well as consumed, is ultimately leading to climate change.   Whilst we continue to develop clean energy solutions, the reality is that ~56% of the global energy mix continues to come from hydrocarbons, and it will take years, if not decades, before the balance shifts to cleaner sources. Watch our video to find out moreGreenhouse gas emissions in GtCO2e Every barrel of oil or gas equivalent has a carbon overhead because of the energy consumed to produce it, the flaring of gas, and the leakage or venting of methane from well infrastructure. In 2019, upstream activities released ~2.9 GtCO2e, or ~6% of the total annual greenhouse gases produced by human activity.   As suppliers of energy to society, our industry has a vital role to play in taking action today to achieve a low-carbon future.   TGT is at the forefront of this with our diagnostics-led sustainability framework. With this, our role is to help oil and gas producers deliver energy through the transition, but with significantly lower environmental impact. Every barrel of oil or gas equivalent has a carbon overhead because of the energy consumed to produce it, the flaring of gas, and the leakage or venting of methane from well infrastructure. In 2019, upstream activities released ~2.9 GtCO2e, or ~6% of the total annual greenhouse gases produced by human activity.   As suppliers of energy to society, our industry has a vital role to play in taking action today to achieve a low-carbon future.   TGT is at the forefront of this with our diagnostics-led sustainability framework. With this, our role is to help oil and gas producers deliver energy through the transition, but with significantly lower environmental impact. How can TGT help you reduce your carbon footprint? TGT is a different kind of company. Our unique technology and fresher thinking take us beyond the traditional restrictions of the wellbore, seeing more, seeing further. We create powerful diagnostics that help you to keep wells safe, clean and productive.   Our diagnostics help operators and regulators achieve their NetZero targets by revealing inefficiencies in energy-intensive operations and locating sources of greenhouse gas. Equipped with the right information, our customers can take evasive action to improve energy efficiency, decarbonise operations and reduce environmental impact. We’re out of time. Not options.We’re out of time. Not options.Applications There are several areas where TGT can help you to reduce emissions and support your sustainability targets: Energy and resource efficiency Flaring Methane emissions Pollution Water management Carbon capture and storage Enabling cleaner energy

  • Pollution

    PollutionPollution Overview Reduce fugitive emissions Secure abandoned wells Eliminate Pollution Go to section OverviewReduce fugitive emissionsSecure abandoned wellsEliminate Pollution Home Search Results Oil and other liquids can leak from active wells and abandoned or ‘orphaned’ wells. TGT diagnostics locate the source and flowpaths of rogue leaks so they can be sealed off, reducing pollution.Reduce fugitive emissions Well systems are designed to connect high-pressure oil or gas in deep underground reservoirs to surface flowlines securely with full containment. Rigorous industry standards necessitate the presence of at least two ‘integrity barriers’ between produced fluids and the environment outside of the well system. Occasionally, one or more barriers can fail allowing fluids to escape, sometimes with dire consequences.   Apart from the major oil leaks that make headlines, some smaller oil and gas leaks can continue undetected for years, especially if they are hidden underground or migrate far from the well system. TGT’s Seal Integrity products are designed to locate even the smallest seal failure anywhere within the well system, enabling precise targeted repair. Used proactively, the same diagnostics can be used routinely to ensure well barriers are intact at all times, reducing fugitive emissions. MULTI-SEAL INTEGRITY CASE STUDY Methane emissions from upstream oil and gas operations are 1.9 GtCO2e annually. Secure orphan and abandoned wells Orphan wells typically have no legal owner and may have been abandoned without undergoing a proper decommissioning or plugging process. Methane or liquid emissions from orphan wells can be significant contaminants, especially when the number of orphan or incorrectly decommissioned wells is thought to be in the millions globally. The burden of responsibility for these wells typically falls with operators, regulators or local government, and permanently sealing them is a top priority.   Validating well barrier status and revealing emission sources downhole inside the well system is the first step in sealing these wells properly. TGT’s Seal Integrity and Tube Integrity surveys are used to achieve exactly that. Precision diagnostic insights inform and guide the decommissioning agent to design and execute an effective plugging programme. This approach is equally applicable for any well decommissioning operation, not just for orphan wells, helping operators to secure them efficiently and cost effectively. Regulators estimate >3.5 million abandoned wells in US emit 7.1 mtCO2e annually. Eliminate pollution According to the ISO standard for ‘well integrity’ (ISO/TS 16530-2), a typical well system contains 26 potential leak paths that could lead to fluids escaping the well system. This is why the standard calls for a ‘dual barrier’ approach underpinned by routine testing of well barriers. Despite these efforts, oil or other harmful fluids such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) can sometimes spill to the environment.   In most cases these spills are visible or detected quickly, enabling operators to take urgent action. However, sometimes they may go undetected for months or years because there is no visible warning. An example of this might be oil or gas flowing to and contaminating aquifers. TGT’s Seal Integrity answer products are specifically aimed at locating unwanted fluid flow anywhere within the well system, enabling precise targeted repair. Used proactively, TGT diagnostics can be used to ensure well barriers are intact at all times, reducing the risk of pollution. PRIMARY SEAL INTEGRITY CASE STUDY A typical well system has 26 potential leak points.

  • Flaring

    FlaringFlaring Overview Reduce flaring Go to section OverviewReduce flaring Home Search Results Gas flaring contributes significantly to upstream sector emissions. TGT’s diagnostics locate the source of unwanted gas enabling it to be sealed off, thereby reducing the need to flare.Reduce flaring At an estimated 310 MtCO2, routine and non-routine gas flaring is one of the largest and most pervasive sources of upstream CO2, accounting for ~30% of all upstream emissions globally. During oil production, associated gas is produced from the reservoir together with the oil. Much of this gas is utilised, but excess gas is flared because of technical, regulatory, or economic constraints. Understanding the source is a key step in minimising the flaring of excess gas.   If unwanted gas is produced unexpectedly from targeted or non-targeted formation layers, it may be possible to shut this off if the source can be precisely located. Conventional well diagnostics can locate where gas is entering the wellbore, but not always the true source. TGT’s True Flow and Seal Integrity products can identify the primary source and pathways of unwanted gas from formations beyond the wellbore, even behind casing. This can lead the way to stopping the gas and its associated flaring. Flaring is responsible for more than 30% of all upstream CO2 emissions.

  • Water management

    Water managementWater management Overview Resource management Improve injection performance Reduce water production Go to section OverviewResource managementImprove injection performanceReduce water production Home Search Results Water is a precious natural resource that is used prolifically by the industry for a wide range of purposes, such as drilling, reservoir injection, cementing and hydraulic fracturing.Improve natural resource management Water is a precious natural resource that is used prolifically by the industry for a wide range of purposes, such as drilling, reservoir injection, cementing and hydraulic fracturing. Water can come from recycled sources, but in some areas it is sourced from natural aquifers or the oceans, and this can cause an ecological imbalance. It’s important that water is used sparingly and efficiently.   Apart from the large amounts of water used for injection, hydraulic fracturing and chemical also needs huge amounts of water to be effective. TGT has developed two specific answer products in our True Flow range that help operators assess the effectiveness of fracturing and stimulation operations—Fracture Flow and Stimulate Flow. These surveys can be deployed pre- and post-operations to help optimise fracturing and stimulation programmes, and potentially reduce associated water usage. RESERVOIR FLOW CASE STUDY A typical hydraulic fracturing job uses 5-10 million gallons of water per well. Improve injection performance Most oil reservoirs will inevitably require additional pressure support to maintain production and improve oil recovery. Water injection is used widely for this purpose and many oilfields are injected with tens to hundreds of thousands of barrels per day. Pumping water is energy intensive and the resulting CO2 emissions can range from 1-2 kgCO2 per barrel. In fact, water injection is responsible for ~40% of total CO2 emissions for a typical oilfield.   Making matters worse, well completion and formation integrity issues can lead to water being diverted away from the target reservoir. This can result in abnormally high injection rates, reduced field production performance, and high water cut in producer wells. TGT’s True Flow products are being used globally by operators to ensure that all injected water is reaching the target and revealing where it is not. In many cases, these diagnostics lead to a significant reduction in water volumes and CO2 emissions, and increased field production. RESERVOIR FLOW CASE STUDYFIBRE FLOW CASE STUDY Pumping 10,000 barrels of water per day produces 5.4 ktCO2 annually. Reduce water production High water cut is a persistent industry challenge responsible for unnecessarily high CO2 emissions and higher carbon per barrel. Excess water needs to be managed at surface, treated then reinjected or disposed of, and this requires energy. Also, excess water often means less oil, reduced recovery and longer production times, increasing emissions even further. And complicating the issue, produced water may be channeling from several elusive sources hidden behind the casing.   In many cases, excess water cut can be minimised or cured. If the operator can identify the true source of water downhole, measures can be taken to shut-off the water and restore oil production to lower carbon and economic levels. TGT’s True Flow products are used widely for this purpose. Unlike conventional diagnostics that can only detect water entering the wellbore, TGT’s through-barrier diagnostics can reveal the true source behind casing, enabling effective remediation, improved recovery rates and reduced carbon emissions. MULTI-SEAL INTEGRITY CASE STUDYTOTAL FLOW CASE STUDY High water-cut leads to higher CO2 barrel and lower oil production rates

  • Energy and resource efficiency

    Energy and resource efficiencyEnergy and resource efficiency Overview Infrastructure performance Intervention efficiency Improve injection performance Reduce water production Go to section OverviewInfrastructure performanceIntervention efficiencyImprove injection performance Reduce water production Home Search Results Producing hydrocarbons requires energy. Turbines and diesel generators account for 70% of upstream CO2 emissions. Our diagnostics can help you become more energy efficient and reduce your carbon overhead.Improve infrastructure performance Building and operating hydrocarbon extraction infrastructure represents a huge investment in energy, capital, time, materials and people resources. Maximising the return on that resource must be achieved, while protecting people and the planet. If a well or reservoir is not producing to its full potential during its life then the resource that built or operates it is not being fully leveraged and some is being wasted. Equally, if maintenance and workover resources are being utilised, they should operate efficiently and contribute to overall asset performance with the goal of keeping wells safe, clean and productive.   All TGT diagnostic products are adept at revealing inefficiencies and guiding measures that enable existing infrastructure and resources to operate at maximum efficiency. For example, if a well is producing at high water cut, our Total Flow product will reveal the exact sources of water to enable targeted remediation. True Integrity products can be used proactively to identify casing weakness before the casing fails, helping to maintain asset performance and preventing more costly scenarios. Equally, because workover and rig resources are better targeted, time and energy is saved in getting the job done right first time. TOTAL FLOW CASE STUDYPRIMARY SEAL INTEGRITY CASE STUDY Drilling a single deepwater well can produce more than 20 ktCO2 Improve intervention efficiency Well delivery and intervention operations such as drilling, fracking, workovers, decommissioning [P&A] and diagnostic surveys require energy intensive surface equipment. Rigs, trucks, and pumps derive power from diesel engines or gas turbines that emit CO2 when the fuel is burned. A typical semi-submersible drilling rig emits roughly ~130 tCO2 per day and a Light Well Intervention vessel around 30 tCO2 per day. Improving efficiency and minimising the time to perform operations is a key factor in reducing energy consumption and emissions.   All TGT diagnostic products deliver insights that enable all types of operations to be carefully planned and precisely targeted so they can be executed efficiently with precision. Also, by enabling ‘lighter’ or ‘rigless’ interventions, our diagnostics can be deployed with minimal carbon footprint before heavier equipment is mobilised. Lastly, because through-barrier diagnostics provide a more complete picture, we provide maximum information in the minimum amount of time. Time savings translate to both cost and carbon savings and our aim is make every hour count. MULTI TUBE INTEGRITY CASE STUDY A typical Jack-up rig emits 70 tCO2 per day. Improve injection performance Most oil reservoirs will inevitably require additional pressure support to maintain production and improve oil recovery. Water injection is used widely for this purpose and many oilfields are injected with tens to hundreds of thousands of barrels per day. Pumping water is energy intensive and the resulting CO2 emissions can range from 1-2 kgCO2 per barrel. In fact, water injection is responsible for ~40% of total CO2 emissions for a typical oilfield.   Making matters worse, well completion and formation integrity issues can lead to water being diverted away from the target reservoir. This can result in abnormally high injection rates, reduced field production performance, and high water cut in producer wells. TGT’s True Flow products are being used globally by operators to ensure that all injected water is reaching the target and revealing where it is not. In many cases, these diagnostics lead to a significant reduction in water volumes and CO2 emissions, and increased field production. RESERVOIR FLOW CASE STUDYFIBRE FLOW CASE STUDY Pumping 10,000 barrels of water per day produces 5.4 ktCO2 annually Reduce water production High water cut is a persistent industry challenge responsible for unnecessarily high CO2 emissions and higher carbon per barrel. Excess water needs to be managed at surface, treated then reinjected or disposed of, and this requires energy. Also, excess water often means less oil, reduced recovery and longer production times, increasing emissions even further. And complicating the issue, produced water may be channeling from several elusive sources hidden behind the casing.   In many cases, excess water cut can be minimised or cured. If the operator can identify the true source of water downhole, measures can be taken to shut-off the water and restore oil production to lower carbon and economic levels. TGT’s True Flow products are used widely for this purpose. Unlike conventional diagnostics that can only detect water entering the wellbore, TGT’s through-barrier diagnostics can reveal the true source behind casing, enabling effective remediation, improved recovery rates and reduced carbon emissions. MULTI-SEAL INTEGRITY CASE STUDYTOTAL FLOW CASE STUDY High water-cut leads to higher CO2 per barrel and lower oil production rates.

  • Enabling cleaner energy

    Enabling cleaner energyEnabling cleaner energy Overview Secure gas storage Go to section OverviewSecure gas storage Home Search Results To reduce carbon emissions, society needs to switch from fossil fuel energy to alternatives. However, non-fossil sources only satisfy 17% of the world’s energy demands. As a transition fuel, gas offers a cleaner alternative to coal, provided it doesn’t leak from infrastructure.Secure gas storage To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, society needs to switch from fossil fuel energy to alternative forms. In 2020, only 17% of the world’s energy came from non-fossil sources, 31% came from oil, 25% from gas, and 27% from coal. At 56% of the energy mix, oil and gas are still essential. Whilst oil and coal use are in decline, gas use is trending up.   Gas is the cleanest burning fossil fuel, but with the increase in use comes the risk of methane leaks in production and storage wells. Since methane is 85x more potent as a greenhouse gas than CO2, the integrity of producing and storage wells is essential in enabling cleaner energy solutions. Used proactively, TGT’s True Integrity diagnostics can be used routinely to validate seals in gas producing and storage wells, and assure methane containment. Burning 1kg methane produces twice the energy and half the CO2 than 1kg coal

  • Carbon capture and storage

    Carbon capture and storageCarbon capture and storage Overview Store captured carbon Go to section OverviewStore captured carbon Home Search Results Reducing the level of carbon in the atmosphere to safe levels requires significant carbon removal. Captured carbon is stored underground in depleted oil and gas reservoirs. TGT diagnostics can monitor the integrity of storage wells to ensure gas isn’t leaking back out.Store captured carbon Reducing the level of carbon in the atmosphere to safe levels will require both a reduction in emissions and a significant carbon removal programme. In fact, experts indicate that even if we reduce emissions to zero, existing carbon gases need to be removed from the atmosphere to prevent further climate change. Carbon capture facilities of all types are emerging globally, and some involve storing CO2 underground in depleted oil and gas fields.   Storing CO2 underground is similar to methane storage. Well and reservoir integrity is vital to avoid leakage. TGT’s True Integrity products can be used to validate integrity prior to re-purposing existing well systems, and True Flow products can be used to ensure that 100% of the injected gas is reaching the target formations. And just like conventional producing well systems, storage wells can be monitored routinely to ensure integrity compliance. Experts indicate that even if emissions are reduced to zero, existing carbon gases need to be removed from the atmosphere to prevent further climate change.

  • Methane emissions

    Methane emissionsMethane emissions Overview Stop methane venting Secure abandoned wells Emissions Go to section OverviewStop methane ventingSecure abandoned wellsEmissions Home Search Results Oil and gas producers vent leaked methane from casing cavities to reduce pressure. TGT’s diagnostics can locate the source and flowpaths of rogue gas leaks, ensuring they can be sealed, thereby reducing the need to vent.Stop methane venting Sustained annulus pressure (SAP/SCP) is caused by a build-up of fugitive fluids such as gas in the annular spaces surrounding well system casings. The casings are designed to withstand high pressure but if this pressure is reached, the gas is diverted to the production stream or vented to atmosphere. The global warming potential of methane is ~80x that of CO2, so even small amounts are damaging and must be contained.   These rogue fluids reach the annulus via seal failures and flowpaths that begin at hydrocarbon-charged formations and continue towards surface causing a build-up of annulus pressure. TGT’s True Flow and Seal Integrity products can locate the source of annular fluids and trace the flowpaths, enabling well operators to target effective repairs and eliminate SAP-related methane venting. Methane has 85x higher global warming potential than CO2. Secure orphan and abandoned wells Orphan wells typically have no legal owner and may have been abandoned without undergoing a proper decommissioning or plugging process. Methane or liquid emissions from orphan wells can be significant contaminants, especially when the number of orphan or incorrectly decommissioned wells is thought to be in the millions globally. The burden of responsibility for these wells typically falls with operators, regulators or local government, and permanently sealing them is a top priority.   Validating well barrier status and revealing emission sources downhole inside the well system is the first step in sealing these wells properly. TGT’s Seal Integrity and Tube Integrity surveys are used to achieve exactly that. Precision diagnostic insights inform and guide the decommissioning agent to design and execute an effective plugging programme. This approach is equally applicable for any well decommissioning operation, not just for orphan wells, helping operators to secure them efficiently and cost effectively. Regulators estimate >3.5 million abandoned wells in US emit 7.1 mtCO2e annually. Reduce fugitive emissions Well systems are designed to connect high-pressure oil or gas in deep underground reservoirs to surface flowlines securely with full containment. Rigorous industry standards necessitate the presence of at least two ‘integrity barriers’ between produced fluids and the environment outside of the well system. Occasionally, one or more barriers can fail allowing fluids to escape, sometimes with dire consequences.   Apart from the major oil leaks that make headlines, some smaller oil and gas leaks can continue undetected for years, especially if they are hidden underground or migrate far from the well system. TGT’s Seal Integrity products are designed to locate even the smallest seal failure anywhere within the well system, enabling precise targeted repair. Used proactively, the same diagnostics can be used routinely to ensure well barriers are intact at all times, reducing fugitive emissions. MULTI-SEAL INTEGRITY CASE STUDYMULTI-SEAL INTEGRITY CASE STUDY Methane emissions from upstream oil and gas operations are 1.9 GtCO2e annually

  • Decarbonise with diagnostics

    Decarbonise with diagnosticsDecarbonise with diagnostics Overview Decarbonise video Greenhouse gas emissions How can TGT help? Applications Go to section OverviewDecarbonise videoGreenhouse gas emissionsHow can TGT help?Applications Home Search Results Global warming, climate change, and hydrocarbons Today, global warming is an existential crisis facing our planet and all of its inhabitants. Climate science tells us that if global average temperatures rise more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the impact could become catastrophic and irreversible.   In the oil and gas industry, we are all aware of the very real impact the climate crisis is having on society and the planet. Whilst we provide energy for the world to prosper, the way most of this energy is produced as well as consumed, is ultimately leading to climate change.   Whilst we continue to develop clean energy solutions, the reality is that ~56% of the global energy mix continues to come from hydrocarbons, and it will take years, if not decades, before the balance shifts to cleaner sources. Global warming, climate change, with diagnostics Today, global warming is an existential crisis facing our planet and all of its inhabitants. Climate science tells us that if global average temperatures rise more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the impact could become catastrophic and irreversible.   In the oil and gas industry, we are all aware of the very real impact the climate crisis is having on society and the planet. Whilst we provide energy for the world to prosper, the way most of this energy is produced as well as consumed, is ultimately leading to climate change.   Whilst we continue to develop clean energy solutions, the reality is that ~56% of the global energy mix continues to come from hydrocarbons, and it will take years, if not decades, before the balance shifts to cleaner sources. Watch our video to find out moreGreenhouse gas emissions in GtCO2e Every barrel of oil or gas equivalent has a carbon overhead because of the energy consumed to produce it, the flaring of gas, and the leakage or venting of methane from well infrastructure. In 2019, upstream activities released ~2.9 GtCO2e, or ~6% of the total annual greenhouse gases produced by human activity.   As suppliers of energy to society, our industry has a vital role to play in taking action today to achieve a low-carbon future.   TGT is at the forefront of this with our diagnostics-led sustainability framework. With this, our role is to help oil and gas producers deliver energy through the transition, but with significantly lower environmental impact. Every barrel of oil or gas equivalent has a carbon overhead because of the energy consumed to produce it, the flaring of gas, and the leakage or venting of methane from well infrastructure. In 2019, upstream activities released ~2.9 GtCO2e, or ~6% of the total annual greenhouse gases produced by human activity.   As suppliers of energy to society, our industry has a vital role to play in taking action today to achieve a low-carbon future.   TGT is at the forefront of this with our diagnostics-led sustainability framework. With this, our role is to help oil and gas producers deliver energy through the transition, but with significantly lower environmental impact. How can TGT help you reduce your carbon footprint? TGT is a different kind of company. Our unique technology and fresher thinking take us beyond the traditional restrictions of the wellbore, seeing more, seeing further. We create powerful diagnostics that help you to keep wells safe, clean and productive.   Our diagnostics help operators and regulators achieve their NetZero targets by revealing inefficiencies in energy-intensive operations and locating sources of greenhouse gas. Equipped with the right information, our customers can take evasive action to improve energy efficiency, decarbonise operations and reduce environmental impact. We’re out of time. Not options.We’re out of time. Not options.Applications There are several areas where TGT can help you to reduce emissions and support your sustainability targets: Energy and resource efficiency Flaring Methane emissions Pollution Water management Carbon capture and storage Enabling cleaner energy

  • dot
    Elevate well performance with “Through-barrier Diagnostics”

    Creating reservoir flow profiles can enable better well and field management decisions Article featured in Harts E&P   A completed well is a sophisticated industrial-scale plumbing system, designed to transport fluids between subsurface reservoirs and the surface safely, productively and profitably. Injectors transport fluids one way, and producers transport more valuable fluids the other. Well system fusion Before the insertion of this grand plumbing scheme into the earth, the targeted subsurface reservoir and the fluids contained within it existed for millennia in a state of relative equilibrium. However, when the human-made tubulars, cement sheath and other well completion elements were “fused” with the subsurface by the well construction processes, this stasis was dramatically transformed into a complex and turbulent dynamic state.   This fusion between the human-made materials of the well completion and the natural materials of the earth, together with the dynamic interplay that now exists between the two, is what TGT Oilfield Services calls the “total well system.”   The well system includes that previously elusive volume of earth that exists beyond the wellbore, in the outer periphery of the well completion and the cement sheath that surrounds it—the so-called “well-to-reservoir interface.” Understanding the behavior of fluids here, and specifically the “flow” of fluids, is crucial to understanding the productive behavior of the entire well system. This is one reason why TGT Oilfield Services developed through-barrier diagnostics, which reveal flow behavior throughout the well system, from the wellbore through the completion and to its outer extremities where it connects intimately with the reservoir. An imperfect world In a perfect world, the well completion behaves according to its design and transports the right fluids to and from the right place in the subsurface. Moreover, in the same perfect world, the reservoir surrenders or receives the right fluids, and the total well system delivers safely, productively and profitably according to plan.   However, imperfections corrupt this ideal relationship and forces conspire to undermine the system. Imperfect cement seals, degraded packers, worn out valves, corroded pipe, near wellbore fractures and other barrier failures collude to open unwanted flow paths throughout the well system. As a result, essential fluids are diverted, sustained annulus pressures can dangerously manifest and, ultimately, producers or injectors will not behave as expected or underperform. Water destination A classic example of this occurs in injector wells. Petroleum and reservoir engineers determine that if water is injected at a particular pressure, then subsurface target zones will receive a certain volume of water over time. If the predicted flow rate is not observed, then either something is wrong with the assumptions and calculations or something is wrong with the well system—or both. Even worse, the predicted flow rate might be within range, but the water might not be reaching the target. The latter scenario is particularly insidious because it may be weeks, months or longer before an alarm is raised.   TGT has diagnosed thousands of injector wells and, in the majority of cases, has revealed unwanted flow paths behind the production casing, under- and overperforming target zones, and “thief zones” that effectively “steal” water from its intended destination.   Consider the injection well case shown in Figure 1. Conventional borehole flow diagnostics using production logging techniques (PLTs) tell the operator that most of the injected water is reaching the top half of the target reservoir unit (A3), and the rest is entering the lower half (far right track labeled “borehole flow profile”). Injection well case However, through-barrier spectral diagnostics by TGT reveal the true picture of what is happening with the well system. In reality, only 25% of the injected water is entering the target reservoir unit. The rest is channeling upward to a shallower unit (A2) from 210.3 m (690 ft) to 158.5 m (520 ft), probably though an imperfect cement sheath behind casing. A smaller amount is channeling downward.   This is a serious issue from both a well and reservoir management perspective. Not only is the target reservoir not receiving enough water to fulfill the field injection strategy, but 75% of the injected water is being wasted and potentially causing water breakthrough issues at other wells, compounding the loss. This essential information directly impacts well performance and potentially fieldwide management decisions. Harnessing acoustic and thermal energy TGT’s spectral diagnostics harness acoustic and thermal energy to locate and quantify fluid flow behind well barriers, thereby providing a complete picture of flow dynamics and pathways throughout the well system. High-fidelity sound recordings and processing technology deployed downhole locate flow activity by capturing and analyzing the characteristics of sound energy generated by pressurized fluid passing through well system restrictions, such as cement channels and reservoir entry points.   The position and relative intensity of the resulting spectral signature indicate the precise locations of flow activity (see the middle track of Figure 1 labeled “spectral injection”). This information is then used together with other well system data to guide a powerful and unique flow modeling engine that transforms precise thermal profiles into flow rates. The result is a behind-casing reservoir flow profile, which can be used in combination with the borehole flow profile to enable better well management and field management decisions (see right-hand track labeled “reservoir flow profile”).   Well barrier imperfections exist in all well types, so similar “unwanted flow path” scenarios exist in production wells too. Water source The case shown in Figure 2 is a deviated production well exhibiting a very high water cut of greater than 90%. Identifying the source of high water cut is one of the most urgent priorities for petroleum and reservoir engineers to resolve.   Whereas the PLT-derived borehole flow profile can only measure flow entering the wellbore in front of the perforated interval (A2), the spectral signature map indicates significant flow activity behind casing at several other producing intervals, namely A3, A4 and A5, and to a lesser extent at A1. Given that these intervals are known to be water-filled, the operator can confidently conclude that more than 60% of the produced water is coming from these zones. Knowing the exact locations of the source, the operator can take appropriate action to seal off the unwanted flow paths. Deviated production well exhibiting a very high water cut of greater than 90% Good bond, bad seal In the case study, the operator concluded that water from these zones was channeling through an imperfect cement sheath. Even though the azimuthal cement map and cement bond log indicated that the cement sheath had good mechanical coverage and a good bond with the casing, the cement was not providing a hydraulic seal. This specific aspect underlines the importance of verifying both barrier condition and barrier sealing performance when deciphering flow dynamics around the well system and eliminating unwanted flow. Completing the picture Conventional technology, such as PLTs, helps operators understand flow dynamics within the wellbore. However, this information does not always align with what is happening beyond the wellbore—beyond casing and cement at the reservoir interface. Evaluating the well system with through-barrier diagnostics is the only way to understand what is happening in the well system. Armed with a complete picture, the operator can confidently make better decisions to ensure the well system delivers the right fluids to the right place, safely and profitably for the entire productive life of the well.