Efficient HED Antenna Design for Exploring Scaled Offshore Oil Reservoir

Controlled Source Electromagnetics (CSEM) is an innovative methodology in hydrocarbon exploration surveys that uses HED antenna to generate EM signals. The method enhances the decision-making process for drilling offshore oil fields while diminishing risk factors and uncertainties in the hydrocarbon mapping. Erroneous mapping may lead to losing huge resources due to false target drilling. To reduce such perils, enhancement of major peripherals involved in the method is crucial. Antennas being one of the most imperative components of CSEM, are subject to many challenges faced in the process of Seabed Logging (SBL) and yet have huge room for improvement. In this research, a mathematical expression is used to elect the right input levels that can be scaled to actual seabed environment. Based on the calculations, for the first time, a seabed environment is modeled in a lab scale tank containing sea water, over-burden layer, hydrocarbon reservoir and under-burden layer to study and enhance current limitations in the antenna system. The effect of increased transmitter surface area in this study reveals that the increment in area of electrodes by 66.67% is capable of increasing oil delineation by 103.11 %. Based on the outcomes, a prediction model is also generated for deriving the relation between the area of electrodes and oil delineation for the given scaled offshore environment.