Badger completes testing of subsea mapping technology

Submitted by Paddy Harris on Mon, 2015-02-09 10:47

09th February 2015

Badger Explorer, the developer of an innovative subsea system sponsored by Statoil, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Wintershall and CNPC, has stepped closer to commercialisation of its tools with the completion of complete system testing

The Badger Explorer is a revolutionary method to obtain subsurface data for oil and gas exploration, mapping of hydrocarbon resources and long-term surveillance

On the 5 February 2015, the steering committee of the Badger Demonstrator Program approved the results of Milestones 5 and 6.

“The delivery of the Demonstrator Program represents a major reduction of the technical risk of the Badger Explorer technology,” said Steiner Bakke, Badger Explorer CEO. “Milestones 5 and 6 have given Badger Explorer valuable information about the tool performance. We are now focusing on the development phase and the future delivery of commercial Badger tools.”

Milestone 5 was the final test in the Badger Demonstrator Program. Milestone 6 contains evaluation of the demonstrator programme and definition of the scope of work for the next phase, the Badger Explorer Development Program 2015 - 2017.

The main goals of Milestone 5 have been achieved. A full system test of the tool was performed, and modifications and adjustments were implemented where necessary. After the system test, the tool was installed in a custom built setup to allow horizontal drilling and compaction. The tool has drilled through a set of formations and used drilled cuttings to compact a plug. The drilling and compaction test has been performed in selected formations.

The sponsoring partners will now release the remaining funding worth of USD 1.045m (NOK 7,965,000).

The Badger Demonstrator Program started in 2012 and has been supported by Statoil, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Wintershall and China National Petroleum Corporation.

The Badger Explorer is a revolutionary method to obtain subsurface data for oil and gas exploration, mapping of hydrocarbon resources and long-term surveillance. The Badger Explorer drills and buries underground, carrying a unique package of logging and monitoring sensors, at a substantially lower risk, cost and complexity of utilising an expensive drilling rig.

The tool penetrates the sea bed and the subsurface by using a mechanical drill bit driven by an electrical motor to loosen and crush the formation ahead of the tool. The crushed formation is transported through the device and deposited in the void behind the tool. The tool carries an electrical cable, which is spooled up inside the unit, connected to the surface and powers the electrical motors. The same cable is used for continous transfer of data back to the surface.