Kamal BABOUR has studied Physics and Applied Mathematics at the university Paris beforespecializing in Earth Sciences. After 8 years spent in academic research on
electromagnetism, he joined Schlumberger in 1980 to work in the newly createdBorehole Seismic Interpretation department in Montrouge (Paris).
In 1983 hejoined the Schlumberger-Riboud Product Center where he was successively the headof the Seismic Interpretation group, program leader for cross-well seismic,wireless telemetry, Scientific Advisor, Reservoir Monitoring Line Manager andfinally Engineering Director during the last 4 years.
He is now in charge of theexciting task of creating a new R&D center dedicated to Carbonate in Dhahranon the campus of KFUPM.
Since its foundation, Schlumberger has shown a strong commitment to research. Today, in order to expend its researchpotential, Schlumberger has decided to create new centers close to its majorcustomers and close to recognized Universities.
The Dhahran Center is one of theexpressions of this decision; it is dedicated to the study of problemsassociated with carbonate reservoirs.
This center is anintegral part of the Schlumberger R&D organization and thus will be in veryclose relation with the Schlumberger R&D centers. Most of the subjectshereafter are part of more general programs currently ongoing in the othercenters.
Carbonate reservoirs are characterized by their high degree of heterogeneity. Their behavior is ingeneral unique, and improvement of our understanding requires a closecooperation between the scientists developing the technology and the scientistsusing it.
We believe that it is the fastest way to improve our understanding ofcarbonate rocks and reservoir.
Extensivediscussions with oil companies have led us to choose the four domains: reservoirevaluation, water control, well stimulation and land seismic:
- inreservoir evaluation, we willconcentrate on two subjects:
- improvement of ourunderstanding of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) in carbonates.
In this domain,we will complement the work ongoing in our Ridgefield center (USA, CT) byfocusing on measurements at reservoir conditions;
- perform allSchlumberger carbonate case studies currently done in the Ridgefieldcenter.
- inwater control, we will attack thefollowing aspects:
- downholeseparation and re-injection. We will focus on injectivity problems; the hardwareis being developed in the Rosharon center (USA,TX);
- water fronttracking and residual oil saturation estimation.
-well stimulationwill be concernedwith two problems, which will be developed with the collaboration of theCambridge (UK) and Houston (USA,TX) centers:
- the long termbehavior of carbonates vis-a-vis acid stimulation;
- the inducedfracture characterization.
- forland seismic, wewill:
- complement thework currently done at Cambridge on the newly introduced Qsystem;
- be theexperimental part of the ongoing work in passive seismic.
We will not attack all these subjects from the first dayfor obvious reasons. We currently believe that it will take at least two yearsto be fully operational.
These two years correspond roughly to the time framenecessary to build our laboratories. In the meantime, KFUPM has kindly acceptedto host the group in the Research Institute.
The final size of the center willstrongly depend on its successes. A group of 30 to 50 persons within 4 years isa reasonable goal.
Dr. Kamal Babour
Note: modified from an abstract provided by K. BABOUR
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
