The Board of Appeal of the European Patent Office in Munich has today found that EMGS’ patent for the use of CSEM for the direct detection of hydrocarbons in submarine reservoirs is valid.
The patent (EP 1256019) was the subject of an Opposition in the European Patent Office, but has successfully overcome that opposition at the final appeal level.
CSEM
In the marine environment, a survey or method in which an electromagnetic field is generated in the substrate using a controlled source and measured at different offset locations using surface/seabed receivers
In principle, CSEM techniques cover all geophysical, electromagnetic surveys with an active source. The CSEM method when applied offshore may be known as marine CSEM, mCSEM or seabed logging (SBL).
EMGS, the marine EM market leader, uses its proprietary electromagnetic (EM) technology to support oil and gas companies in their search for offshore hydrocarbons. EMGS supports each stage in the workflow, from survey design and data acquisition to processing and interpretation. The company’s services enable integration of EM data with seismic and other geophysical and geological information to give explorationists a clearer and more complete understanding of the subsurface. This improves exploration efficiency, and reduces risks and the finding costs per barrel.
EMGS has conducted more than 600 surveys to improve drilling success rates across the world’s mature and frontier offshore basins. The company operates on a worldwide basis with main offices in Trondheim and Stavanger, Norway; Houston, USA; and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
[mappress] Offshore Energy Today Staff, December 13, 2011: Image: EMGS