General

What is ZoneVu?

ZoneVu is the industry’s first complete cloud and browser-based solution for live drilling visualization and compliance, geosteering, and frac design and visualization.

Who is ZoneVu for?

ZoneVu is for today's unconventional asset teams who are drilling and completing horizontal wells.  

ZoneVu is used by geologists and geophysicists who are doing geosteering to support drilling, for completion engineer who are working with the geoscientists to design optimal fracs, and for drilling engineers and land personnel working with geoscientists to make sure drilling complies with drilling restrictions and hazards. 

ZoneVu is also valuable for anyone needing to observe these operations, including engineers, management, partners, or other departments.

What business advantage can ZoneVu bring?

Many E&P companies seek to maximize the percentage of wellbore in the target zone, and to engineer their fracs in accordance with the geology uncovered during drilling, in order to drill and complete the most optimal horizontal wells possible.  ZoneVu is tailor-made for this purpose.

Another business advantage ZoneVu brings is to boost in asset team efficiency in several areas: automating drilling data capture; providing a common subsurface work area and visualization for the whole asset team and across a whole E&P company; providing a shared workflow for geosteering, drilling compliance and frac design.  Since ZoneVu is a browser-based solution, anyone in the company or even in its contractors can be provided a login.

What problem does ZoneVu solve?

We noticed that people, systems, and processes are having trouble keeping up with ever increasing drilling rates when performing drilling, geosteering, and frac design.  We concluded that a native cloud application that connects to the drill rig with real-time drilling data capture, that can be delivered by browser across the whole asset team and beyond, would be an ideal way to help companies improve their capability for dealing more effectively with these "high velocity workflows".

What do you mean by "High Velocity Workflows"?

In today's unconventional O&G environment, asset teams are required to spend around $10 million in capital in 2 or 3 weeks to drill and complete a horizontal well.  During that time period, they must work around the clock to monitor drilling progress, make target change decisions to maximize percent in target zone, comply with land and hazard drilling restrictions, and design and implement an effective frac.  We have nicknamed this work "high velocity workflow".

Why isn't my existing GG&E software PC workstation solution sufficient?

PC workstation software solutions were designed during the conventional E&P era for what we call "ahead of time" workflows.  These legacy solutions remain very important for many of the workflows in developing an unconventional lease, including for geologic mapping, 3D seismic interpretation, geologic and reservoir modeling, production data capture and analysis, and many other areas.

Nonetheless, they were not designed for the high velocity, real-time, multi-disciplinary workflow that occurs during drilling and fracking at which ZoneVu excels.  However, it is important to realize that every ZoneVu project begins with a geologic and/or 3D seismic interpretation created in a GG&E workstation software package.  Therefore, ZoneVu complements and enhances these existing systems making them even more relevant for unconventional workflows.

What opportunities exist to improve collaboration during drilling & geosteering? 

We noticed that companies are not getting the most from their geosteering contractors and that a number of collaborative multi-user workflows are not being addressed by the current generation of PC-based geosteering systems.  ZoneVu, as a cloud/browser-based solution, is a natural and powerful solution for remote geosteering (in the office or from home) and for multi-user and multi-company co-geosteering.

Furthermore, we saw an opportunity to improve collaboration between asset team geoscientists, drilling engineers, and completion engineers.  On the one hand, the geoscientists are often tasked during drilling with making sure that horizontal well placement complies with hardline polygons and existing well exclusion zones.  ZoneVu's Drilling Alerts capability provides these two groups with a shared environment to work together in for real-time compliance with drilling restrictions.

On the other hand, geoscientists are often tasked with providing geologic information to the completions department after drilling to help with frac stage design.  ZoneVu's Frac design and visualization capability brings these two groups together with a shared environment for performing geoengineering design of frac stages.

How is ZoneVu sold?

ZoneVu is a SaaS (Software as a Service) cloud application that we sell in an annual subscription model.

We already have PC-based geosteering software.  Why should we consider ZoneVu?

ZoneVu is a paradigm shift as compared to conventional PC-based geosteering software, such as SES, StarSteer, or workstation geosteering modules, such as Kingdom.  Because ZoneVu is cloud and browser-based, it excels in the areas of real-time and multi-user and multi-company geosteering as compared to PC-based software.  ZoneVu also has strong support for 3D seismic visualization and modeling similar to workstation-based products.

In addition, as discussed above, ZoneVu is the first system that provides a seamless workflow environment for the asset team and beyond for drilling visualization and compliance, geosteering, and frac design.  ZoneVu is for all the high velocity workflows that occur during drilling and fracking horizontal wells.

Cloud

Where does the ZoneVu app run?

ZoneVu runs in the Microsoft Azure cloud.  Our home region is located in San Antonio, Texas and our backup region is Chicago, Illinois.  These regions were chosen due to their proximity to North American shale drilling operations and relative safety from hurricanes, earthquakes, and other natural disasters.

Why did Ubiterra choose the Microsoft Azure cloud for ZoneVu?

Our research indicates that most energy companies are already in a business relationship with Microsoft, so Azure is a natural choice.

How do I install ZoneVu?

There is no software to install for ZoneVu.  It runs in the cloud and is operated through a web browser.  We support Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge browsers.  It also runs in Firefox.

How do users sign-in to ZoneVu?

ZoneVu can integrate with a customer’s Active Directory, meaning that users can just use their corporate user ids and passwords to sign into ZoneVu.  This option ensures that corporate user authentication policies, such as requiring MFA (multi-factor authentication), are honored.  Alternatively, a company can choose to use ZoneVu’s built-in basic authentication where users have ZoneVu-specific user ids and passwords that are managed in ZoneVu.

What about mobile devices?

There is a mobile device optimized version of ZoneVu for Android and iPhone.  It provides a subset of the larger ZoneVu functionality.

Security and SOC 2

How safe is my data in ZoneVu?

Cloud based storage is arguably the most durable form of digital storage available.  All ZoneVu customer data is stored in Microsoft Azure cloud storage.  During drilling and geosteering, data from the rig and the geologist’s work are saved immediately to the cloud.

What about hackers and security?

Microsoft Azure has enormous physical scale with 10’s of thousands of IT professionals dedicated to ensuring its reliable and secure operation.  It complies with international IT security best practices frameworks.  Ubiterra follows Microsoft’s recommendations for Azure-based applications.

Does Ubiterra have a SOC 2 Type 2 report?

Yes, Ubiterra complies with and has a SOC 2 Type 2 report.  This certifies that Ubiterra follows IT security best practices.  Ubiterra performs 3rd party security penetration tests and regular disaster recovery exercises.  Our SOC 2 Type 2 report and related security and uptime information is available on request.

Real-time Rig Data

How does ZoneVu Real-time work?

An important component of ZoneVu is RigStream, which is a cloud agent that runs 24/7 in Azure.  RigStream talks continuously to your drilling rig from spud to completion, and captures drilling and LWD/MDW data.  RigStream sends live notifications to any ZoneVu users who are observing drilling and/or doing geosteering from their browsers.  ZoneVu was built from the ground up for real-time drilling and geosteering.

Which EDR Platforms do you support?

ZoneVu uses WITSML to communicate with the EDR (Electronic Data Recording) system on the rig.  We have long experience working with Pason and NOV Totco EDR systems.  We also support Canrig (Nabors) and Schlumberger (Interact).  Now, we support a number of other rig EDR systems.

What real-time data does ZoneVu collect from the rig?

RigStream by default gathers MWD & LWD data (GR, INCL, AZIM, and survey stations), and ROP, WOB, RIGCODES, and Gas measurements.  Also the drilling notes are retrieved.  All of this is displayed in ZoneVu’s real-time dashboard.  You can map and pull any other channel.

What about data quality issues?

ZoneVu includes well log curve processing capability, including de-spiking, smoothing, and interpolation so that curve data from the WITS feed matches the quality of emailed LAS files.  It also includes features to detect and correct bad survey stations.

What are the advantages of real-time data?

There are two obvious advantages to real-time data in ZoneVu.  First, manual email handling is eliminated.  Second, ZoneVu gathers the real-time inclination and azimuth and gamma ray data.  It estimates the bit position ahead of the last survey station.  This means you can geosteer up to the drill bit in ZoneVu.  At today’s ROPs, this is a very important advantage.

What about deviation survey quality control services?

ZoneVu connects to popular deviation survey quality control services such as Superior QC and Magvar and can automatically capture and incorporate survey data from these sources.

Data Management

Where is ZoneVu data stored?

All ZoneVu data is stored in the Microsoft Azure cloud.  As your well drills, ZoneVu’s RigStream service automatically captures your drilling data to the cloud.  Uploaded well and seismic data is stored there.  Geosteering interpretations are stored there.

Can I use my own cloud storage?

ZoneVu optionally supports linking to your own Azure storage account, where it can store files and documents.

How do I find data in ZoneVu?

Data objects that you setup in ZoneVu (including Wells, Projects, and Seismic Surveys) have comprehensive PPDM style headers that you can populate.  Also, these objects are geospatially indexed.  ZoneVu presents a map-oriented user interface for searching for your data that resembles Google and Bing maps. This database is of course shared across all users.  So it is as easy to find a well in ZoneVu as finding a restaurant in Google maps.

How do I protect access to data?

ZoneVu has two mechanisms for controlling access to your data.  The first is a system of rights and roles.  For example, one user may be setup in a role that allows them to create/delete/upload/download well and other data.  Another user may be setup in a role that only allows viewing of data.  Also, ZoneVu supports the setting up of a business unit hierarchy, within which data and users are organized.  This is very helpful for larger organizations.

Can I share data?

Live Shared Projects in ZoneVu allows a customer to share a project – under certain constraints – to another company, for example their geosteering contractor.  Now the contractor can steer wells in that project together with their client.  This leads to increases in productivity and speeds up the drilling targeting process.

Geosteering

Can I really geosteer in a browser?

Yes you can!  Ubiterra has spent years of software development time creating an interactive geosteering experience as good or better than any PC-based solution.  In the software industry, 99% of the focus these days is on cloud and browser and we have reached the point where application user interfaces can be better than that which is possible for a Windows application.

What is geosteering like in ZoneVu?

ZoneVu supports the ‘standard’ approach to  geosteering, where the user creates blocks and compares GR or other type curves to LWD curves for those blocks and changes the block offset and/or dip.

Does ZoneVu support multiple type curves?

Yes, you can change the type curve at the block level.

Can I geosteer with multiple type curve types?

Yes, you can steer with two (or more) curves at once, such as a gamma ray and resistivity.

How do I make target changes in ZoneVu?

This works similarly to other systems.  You can measure 1 or more waypoints while using a target centerline to measure dip and other parameters.  You can turn that measurement into an email report and send it off.

How are geosteering interpretations handled in ZoneVu projects?

A ZoneVu project typically has multiple wells in it – the active wells to be drilling and the type reference wells.  You can have multiple named geosteering interpretations per well.

Can I print geosteering reports?

Yes, ZoneVu support setting up a report that includes the wellbore cross-section, log tracks, percent in zone calculations, and other items.  This can be printed to a printer or to a PDF file.  Another option in ZoneVu is to simply email a link to your ZoneVu scene – the recipient can click on it and see what you are seeing!

Workflow

What are ZoneVu projects and how to set them up?

Initially, you setup wells and seismic surveys within ZoneVu’s database.  Then you create a project, which typically would represent a pad of wells to be drilled.  Then you upload drilling plans, your type wells (including LAS files), and (if you have it) your 3D seismic interpretation, including SEGY files, grids, and fault traces.  A project has an areal extent and a projected coordinate system.  It is geospatially indexed and appears on ZoneVu’s main map.  Now you are ready to connect the well to the rig and begin geosteering.

How are wells connected to the rig for drilling?

The well management area in ZoneVu (the “Well Folder”) has a dialog for managing the connection to the WITSML server of the EDR system you are using for the drilling rig.  This facility in ZoneVu is called RigStream. This is where you configure which channels to pull during drilling.  In addition to the previously mentioned defaults, you can map and pull any channel.

Do I need emails from my LWD provider during drilling anymore?

Not really.  ZoneVu is designed to work seamlessly and completely using the real-time data.  If desired, you can drill and steer manually from the emails. 

Collaboration

Describe collaboration in ZoneVu.

ZoneVu has a variety of advanced collaboration features, possible because of its cloud architecture.

Documents

The simplest kind of collaboration in ZoneVu is document sharing, much like DropBox.  Documents can be attached to wells, seismic surveys, or projects.  They can be anything – PDFs, spreadsheets, contracts, etc.

Remote Geosteering

Because ZoneVu is cloud and browser based, you can geosteer wells from any browser from anywhere.

Watching Geosteering -- Visualization of Drilling and Geosteering

When a well is drilling in ZoneVu, anyone (per access policies in ZoneVu) may watch that well drill and the geologist geosteer, from a browser on any device from anywhere.  While the well drills and the geologist steers, your screen just updates when are you watching.

Co-geosteering -- Two Company Geologists Working Together

In one example, two geologists could be geosteering the same well from the same project, each with their own geosteering interpretation.  The first geologist perhaps is working on his geosteering interpretation in one ZoneVu browser tab, while watching his colleague steer her interpretation in a second ZoneVu browser tab.  Even better:  instead of watching his colleague work her interpretation in a different browser tab, he can watch it as a live backdrop to his own interpretation.

In a second example, two geologists could be geosteering the same well from the same project using the SAME geosteering interpretation.  Here the first geologist tilts a block.  Then the second geologist, from her browser, tilts the block to a different dip.  Each will see the change their colleague makes immediately in their browser.  They can “fight” over the dip of the block if they want!

Cross-company Geosteering -- Company Geologist and Contract Geosteerer Working Together

Here the company geologist shares his project to a geologist working at the company’s geosteering contractor.  Now this contract geologist can create her own geosteering interpretation on the well in her client’s project.  He can watch her steer either in another tab or as a live backdrop to his interpretation.  Furthermore, he can limit what she is allowed to do – for example, he can prevent her from deleting or downloading any of the project data.  This kind of collaboration boosts the efficiency and timeliness of drilling advice of the contract geosteering service.

Real-time Drilling Compliance

Here, a member of the asset team loads lease, hardline, or pad polygons into a ZoneVu project, as well as existing well locations and surveys to be avoided.  Now members of the asset team -- such as drilling engineers and land department personnel -- can subscribe to email and text proximity alert notifications.

Frac Geoengineering and Stage Design

Once drilling is complete, geoscientists and completion engineers can work together in ZoneVu on a frac design that leverages the geology uncovered during drilling and geosteering interpretation. ZoneVu automatically extracts rich data along the wellbore to aid in the frac design process.

For example, lithologic and petrophysical information can be used to tailor stages to like rock, or the fault interpretation from 3D seismic or geosteering can be used to isolate portions of the well bore from the fracking process.  Shale markers can be tracked across the wellbore to tune frac treatment. 

Also, well logs, such as cement bond logs can be used as a reference for adjusting cluster locations in ZoneVu.

Seismic Support

How do I get seismic data into ZoneVu?

ZoneVu provides seismic visualization capability similar to a 3D seismic interpretation workstation software.  You export your interpretation project from your interpretation system, such as Kingdom.  You import into ZoneVu your grids, fault traces, and depth-converted SEGY seismic volumes.  Typically, you will cutout a portion of a larger seismic survey to support the drilling and steering of wells for a handful of pad projects.

How does ZoneVu display seismic lines?

ZoneVu generates seismic line displays on-the-fly from the SEGY trace volumes you have uploaded to your ZoneVu account in the cloud.  A typical line takes 1 second to generate and display. Ubiterra holds a patent on the technology that makes this possible.

What are the display options?

You can control the color table and gain of seismic displays.  You can show inlines, crosslines, depth slices and wellbore curtain lines (more below).

What about seismic attributes?

You can upload multiple attribute volumes.  Then you can flip between a the amplitude display and, for example, a display of a coherency or an inverted volume.

What are Live Seismic Curtains?

When you display a seismic line on a wellbore during drilling, it is initially based on the well plan.  As the well drills and as survey stations come in (in real-time of course, this being ZoneVu), the system automatically re-extracts interpolated traces from your seismic volume and re-renders and redisplays the well bore curtain line.  It also recomputes the intersections of the seismic grids and fault traces with the wellbore line.  This ensures that the seismic line and the intersections visible on the well vertical section are always accurate.  This is especially important in situations where cross-dip exists.

Visualization and Geologic Modeling

How are formations and well tops managed in ZoneVu?

First, you setup a stratigraphic column.  Strat columns are shared across projects and wells.  When you import well tops for a well you refer to formations in a given strat column.

Can you build a 3D geologic model in ZoneVu?

Yes, you can.  ZoneVu’s 3D geomodels are based on gridded surfaces, that can either be from a 3D seismic interpretation project you have imported, or as a gridded surface (perhaps from your geologic modeling software) that you import (typically as ZMap+ format).  Those surfaces are referenced to a formation in your strat column.  From those surfaces, you can define zones using a constant or an isopach gridded thickness.  These surfaces and zones are visible in the ZoneVu Viewer either in 3D or in 2D well vertical section.  Surfaces can also be gridded from control points in ZoneVu.

Can you grid geosteering picks?

Yes, once you have started a geosteering interpretation for a well bore you can use the picks from it and other interpretations from previously drilled wells to create a new gridded surface.  You may include control points such as well tops or data imported from another system.  This surface can be used to predict the expected structure of the target zone on an as yet undrilled well on a pad.

How does visualization work in ZoneVu?

ZoneVu’s Viewer has a 3D mode, that shows you well planned and actual wellbores, surfaces from the geologic model, seismic including fault surfaces, and other items.  Having selected an active wellbore in the scene, you can toggle to its well vertical section view.  In that view, all the intersections with the vertical section are shown.  You can switch the vertical section view between MD and Vs mode.

How hard is it to operate visualization in ZoneVu?

ZoneVu has followed the lead of other browser-based 3D visualization products from other industries – we are told that our 3D scene is quite easy and intuitive to operate.

How do I save scene settings?

ZoneVu saves your scene as you work, so that when you return at a later time, you are looking at the exact same scene with the same objects showing – we call that “Snapshots”.  If another person looks at the scene from there browser it remembers it the way they have it set up – there is no interference.  However, you may name your Snapshot and share it or email its link to another person.

Application Programming Interface (API) and Exports

Does ZoneVu have an API?

Yes, ZoneVu has a REST style API that uses JSON data structures.  You can access drilling data (such as LWD or engineering data) or geosteering interpretations through the API, in addition to other items.

What about exports?

Geosteering structural interpretations can be exported as ZMAP+ data files.

Does ZoneVu support scripting?

Thanks to our REST API, you can access ZoneVu data from Python (or other) scripting languages.

Customer Support and Software Releases

How often are new versions of ZoneVu released?

We release new version of ZoneVu around every 3 months.  We release patch versions as frequently as needed.  Since ZoneVu is a SaaS application running on Ubiterra’s Microsoft Azure resources, all customers and users are always on the same version.  We notify customers 24 hours in advance of upcoming releases.  We schedule those for after office hours.

How does ZoneVu support work?

We provide training via online video call meetings.  For software issues or suggestions you email us or call our support phone number.  One of the advantages of cloud software is that if you are having a problem with the software or with data, we can sign in (using our system admin credentials) and work the problem in your project even if you are not currently signed in and/or are busy on something else.  This is a big efficiency increase for both you and us.

What if there is a problem with real-time data from the rig during drilling?

We can support you on this.  Again, since we can sign-in to your projects when doing support for you, we can resolve real-time drilling data issues – and we are good at this, since ZoneVu is a real-time product.  We know how to talk to the support organizations at Pason, NOV Totco, and others.  We can also know how to talk to your LWD contractor.

Demos and Trials

How to setup a ZoneVu demonstration?

Contact us to arrange a demonstration.  We can use Microsoft Teams or your preferred video calling system. 

How to setup a ZoneVu Trial?

To setup a trial, we have you sign a 2 page trial agreement.  We walk you through the whole process.  We setup a trial ZoneVu account for you, typically for a handful of users.  We setup your trial project for you, including wells, seismic, etc.  We setup your EDR WITSML credentials for you.  Now you drill 2 or 3 wells with our training and support.

How to transition to being a customer?

At the conclusion of the trial, if you want to become a customer, you sign a subscription agreement, and just keep drilling!  We can work with your IT Department to integrate to your internal user directory and/or private cloud storage accounts if desired as part of the transition.