Distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS) presents a good ability for the oil and gas industry to operate and optimize its resources more effectively going forward. Expenses on DFOS by the oil and gas industry worldwide was $341.2m in 2015. The rise of expensive multilateral hydraulic fracturing, an ever-greater focus on improving oil recovery and the continued strength of capital expenditure on thermally enhanced oil recovery techniques provide the main markets for the uptake of DFOS over the next 10 years.
During the past five years distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) – one type of DFOS – has approved itself as a pipeline in-service surveillance and monitoring system. Moreover, distributed acoustic sensing as technology looks set to add value to DFOS monitoring solutions of wells and reservoirs. DTS (distributed temperature sensing) is already established as a well-monitoring technique and the complementary application of a DAS interrogation enhances the future business case. The last main type of DFOS equipment – distributed temperature and strain sensing (DTSS) – is competing for market share as well as being able to market itself as a solution that can anticipate structural problems with the oil and gas industry before they occur.
The application opportunities within the oil and gas industry for DFOS are poised to enable a substantive growth in spending on DFOS equipment. After well monitoring, permanent reservoir monitoring and seismic acquisition is an especially exciting venture market for DFOS, as is the use of fiber optics for monitoring offshore infrastructure and downstream process integrity. The use of DFOS as part of a 4D solution and vertical seismic profiling is the most deserving attention market space growth ability for DFOS equipment expenditure over the coming 10 years.
For emphasis: an oil price of $100 per barrel continues to enable exploration and production expenditure on unconventional oil and gas development, thermal enhanced oil recovery (EOR), and ever more IOR (Improved Oil Recovery) activity. Distributed fiber optic sensing is a part of this story: a tool to better the industry’s understanding of how to optimize recovery and improve development techniques.