Jan 31 2011
Producer of fiber optic sensing systems and Acorn Energy’s subsidiary, US Sensor Systems (USSI), has finished the side-by-side testing of the Ultra High Sensitivity (UHS) fiber optic geophones.
The fiber optic solutions have demonstrated more than 300 times the sensitivity delivered by other competitive electronic geophones.
The UHS fiber optic sensors’ increased sensitivity level will allow gas and oil producers to map reservoirs precisely and enhance the production and reduce the effect on environment. The enhanced oil recovery technologies such as horizontal drilling, directional drilling and CO2 flooding are based on seismic monitoring.
At the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Richmond Field test site of the US Department of Energy, the UHS fiber optic sensors were tested against legacy electronic geophones. USSI signed a deal with Octave Technology in October 2010 to design a tailored miniature fiber optic geophone (MFOG) for Octave's Slimhole seismic reservoir monitoring system usage.
US Sensor Systems’ Chief Executive Officer, Jim Andersen, stated that the conventional electronic-based sensor systems are deficient in bandwidth and sensitivity required for the oil and gas monitoring applications. He added that the company’s sensor systems would facilitate economical mapping of the fracking process and meet the issues associated with the extension of fracking process into underground aquifers.