-- Miles Anson revealed new insight from a geosteering specialist's perspective in oil & gas. As the global demand for energy continues to drive the oil and gas industry, the role of the Geosteering Specialist has become critically important. His journey, spanning numerous basins and over 500 successfully managed unconventional wells, is a testament to the blend of geological expertise, technological proficiency, and collaborative effort required to maximize the value of every drill bit.
Having navigated the challenges of the Williston Basin, the intricacies of the Powder River Basin, the prolific stacked plays of the Permian Basin, and the demanding stratigraphy of the Gulf Coast Basin. This breadth of exposure has honed his ability to adapt geological models and real-time decision-making to diverse lithologies, structural regimes, and drilling challenges. Each basin presents its own unique puzzle, and successfully delivering on hundreds of wells highlights a consistent track record of converting geological interpretation into profitable drilling execution.
The Synergy of Geoscience and Engineering: Optimizing Wellbore Placement
A key focus of his career has been the critical interface between geology and reservoir engineering. The pursuit of increased well productivity is not solely a drilling exercise; it is a collaborative effort to ensure the wellbore is positioned in the "sweet spot" of the target formation. This involves: Real-time interpretation of Logging While Drilling (LWD) data to identify subtle changes in rock properties. The process involves making dynamic adjustments to the drilling trajectory in order to maintain the highest possible percentage of the lateral wellbore within the most productive part of the target zone, a process that directly leads to higher initial production rates and estimated ultimate recovery (EUR).
Maximizing Value: Cost Reduction Through Precision
In the capital-intensive world of oil and gas, reducing costs without sacrificing performance is paramount. By meticulously guiding the wellbore, He works to maximize pay zone exposure, ensuring that every foot drilled is a productive foot. Simultaneously, he focuses on: Minimizing unnecessary drilling time spent correcting major deviations. He avoids costly sidetracks by anticipating and mitigating drilling hazards such as fault crossings or unexpected pressure changes.
By maximizing the pay-zone and minimizing unproductive footage, the operator achieves the dual goal of a higher-quality asset and a lower cost per barrel of oil equivalent (BOE). The goal is always to achieve maximum geological efficiency while maintaining rigorous drilling efficiencies.
Operating as a Cohesive Unit: Integration of the Drilling Team
Successful geosteering is impossible in a vacuum. It requires seamless integration with all facets of the operation. His approach emphasizes functioning as a cohesive unit with the entire drilling team, including the Company Man, directional drillers, MWD/LWD specialists, and reservoir engineers.
Miles Ansons ability to translate complex subsurface interpretations into actionable drilling instructions has been a cornerstone of maintaining an efficient, safe, and successful operation.
Technological Command: Geosteering Software Expertise
The backbone of modern geosteering is the sophisticated software that allows for real-time visualization and decision-making. Miles Ansons expertise spans leading geosteering software platforms, including proficiency in: Data loading, calibration, and visualization of well logs, seismic data, and geological grids.
This technological command allows him to swiftly process massive amounts of LWD data, model the most likely subsurface path, and issue confident, precise steering recommendations, ensuring the well stays on course for maximum return.
The Williston Gauntlet: Training for Tighter Targets
In the Williston Basin, specifically in the Bakken and Three Forks Formations, geosteering proved to be more than just a job; it was an unparalleled experience in precision and adaptability.
If someone can successfully navigate the Williston, they can steer anything. Those specific Williston difficulties has prepared him for success in the Permian, Powder River, and beyond.
The Minimal Target Zone: From 5-Foot Targets to Universal Precision
Application in Other Basins: Compared to the thin Bakken, guiding a wellbore through a 30-foot or 50-foot thick pay zone in the Permian or Powder River Basins feels generously forgiving. The precision honed in the Williston allows him to consistently hold the absolute petrophysical "sweet spot" within those thicker targets, maximizing the exposure to the highest-quality rock and guaranteeing superior productivity, where other geologists might settle for simply "being in zone."
Drilling Hazards: The Sandwich Model for Risk Mitigation
The Bakken reservoir is famously "sandwiched" between hazardous non-pay shales (Upper and Lower Bakken), meaning the wellbore has immediate, significant consequences for straying too high or too low. The Skill Developed: This created a zero-tolerance policy for error. One must be acutely aware of the risk zones (e.g., source rocks, water zones) above and below the target and develop immediate mitigation plans. The frequent, rapid Gamma Ray (GR) responses in the Williston taught him to interpret subtle lithological shifts not as noise, but as crucial early warnings.
Application in Other Basins:
Whether it's steering a Wolfcamp wellbore to avoid a costly brine-laden zone below, or adjusting trajectory to avoid hard drilling breaks above in the Powder River, the "sandwich model" approach is the same. The Williston experience allows him to anticipate and manage drilling hazards more proactively and confidently, translating directly into reduced NPT and lower well costs for the operator across all plays.
Changing Lithologies: Mastering Dynamic Real-Time Correlation
The Williston laterals are notorious for structural dips, lateral thinning, and intermittent facies changes that can turn a predictable log curve into a chaotic mess.
He learned to move beyond simple "cookie-cutter" correlations. This required a deep reliance on multiple LWD measurements (Resistivity, Gamma Ray, Photoelectric Factor) and cross-referencing real-time data with offset well models to understand subtle structural trends in the formation. When the geology changed rapidly—and it always did—the process demanded quick, high-stakes trajectory changes.
Anson Geophysical owner Miles Anson says there are many people looking for insights and answers about how to navigate the subsurface. This case study reveals in a practical way what's possible with the right information and guidance.
The case study is available at https://www.ansongeophysical.com/.
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Name: Miles Anson
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Organization: Anson Geophysical Consulting
Address: 529 E Main St Unit 1000, Bozeman, MT 59715, United States
Website: https://www.ansongeophysical.com/
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