Fiber-optic technology has been tip-toeing around the periphery of accepted oilfield kit for quite some time now. Long used in telecommunications and other industries, fiber-optics have offered a great promise - smaller tools, no electronic parts, greater reliability. But even in relatively simple applications such as pressure and sensor testing, uptake has been limited.
Now a company hopes to take advantage of the burgeoning permanent monitoring market by introducing fiber-optic seismic sensors that can be plowed or jetted into the seafloor and left in place, offering up the ability to conduct time-lapse, multicomponent (4-D/4-C) surveys at will. As with other reservoir monitoring techniques, the ultimate goal is to gain understanding of the reservoir over time to wring out as much oil and gas as possible.
The new company, Stingray Geophysical, is a spin-off from QinetiQ in the United Kingdom. QinetiQ was formed in 2001 from the UK Government's Defence Evaluation & Research Agency. Researching the uses of fiber-optic technology in the energy industry is one of hundreds of research avenues the company has studied since its inception.
Stingray actually got its start last year when Chief Executive Officer Martin Bett decided to leave QinetiQ and devote himself full-time to commercializing Stingray. "I thought it would take a couple of months," he joked. In fact, it took a little more time to overcome a "technical hiccup" and to work through the legal requirements of the investment consortium, including Energy Ventures, Hydro Technology Ventures and Chevron Technology Ventures, and QinetiQ.
Going forward Stingray will also enjoy the support of a Joint Industry Partnership (JIP), whose members, major oil companies, will provide invaluable industry feedback into the development of the Stingray product. "It's an important part of making sure our product meets the requirements of the oil companies that have signed up," Bett said. "They're giving us plenty of input and encouragement."
Stingray will spend its immediate future bringing the technology to full commercialization. Already several JIP members are interested in using the technology on their fields, and in fact Bett said that the reason some of the companies are involved is that they want "priority access" to the technology. "We know from conversations with them that they will have specific projects in mind," he said.
Why is the buzz so strong? Fiber-optic technology fits the holy grail of seismic equipment - lightweight and reliable - better than its electronic competitors. Until recently the main hurdle was the quality of the seismic image itself. Bett thinks his company has that issue conquered.
"There are two types of sensors - a hydrophone and accelerometers," he said. "We've been comparing our sensors directly with electrical equivalents, and the hydrophone is already achieving equivalent performance. We have some refinements to make to the accelerometer to achieve best-in-class performance."
Still, there is no real competition when it comes to permanently installed fiber-optic sensors. Only one company has sold and installed permanent seismic monitoring equipment at all, and although Bett said he knows of other companies working on fiber-optic-based solutions, Stingray officials believe that they have the best technical approach and the right business model to deliver a solution to the market. For deepwater reservoirs the belief is that fiber-optic-based solutions will be the only viable approach.
"In deep water, currently only nodal approaches work, and the economics of nodes mean that oil companies are deploying them with 1,300-ft (400-m) spacing or more," Bett said. A system that is smaller, more lightweight and less expensive will certainly compete favorably in the offshore market.
"BP has placed two contracts this year for permanent installations," Bett said. "Valhall was done 2 or 3 years ago, so BP has obviously deemed that it's been a success. They've also conducted nodal surveys with Fairfield.
"The technology of seabed 4-C seismic is starting to be more widely adopted, and hopefully we are coming to the market with a solution that will make that economic for them in terms of cost and the durability of our system at just about the right time."
The ultimate goal, of course, is greater recovery of existing reserves. "Even if they extract just a bit more of the oil from these reservoirs, I think that will be good for everybody," Bett said.
For more information, visit www.stingraygeo.com.

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