Abstract: The Recent Changes in R&D for Exploration-Production: A Research Institution Point of View

Bernard Tissot, L. Montadert

The low price of oil forecasted on a long period of time brought deep changes in the oil companies which adapted to this economic environment. They largely succeeded to decrease the technical cost of discovery and exploitation of hydrocarbons; while simultaneously R & D expenses have been generally reduced. It demonstrates that the "technological scenario" for reducing costs have been efficient, and also that new ways of conducting R & D were defined. It consists in transferring a part of the effort to the contractors and service companies, in sharing R & D efforts with other companies while keeping in house what is considered the most strategic ie. generally R & D related to Geosciences.

This evolution will probably favour the development of a limited number of service companies capable to have an important R & D program and provoke regrouping of smaller companies.

It implies also an adaptation of the Research Institution. IFP already moved in three directions by: 1/ selecting research project oriented towards the reduction of costs at all stages of exploration, delineation and exploitation, 2/ proposing projects to different Companies for sharing expenses and experience. For example consortia were created on structural imagery from seismics, compositional basin modelling, 3D basin modelling, gas condensate, polymers for EOR... 3/ developing common projects with other research Institutions and Companies in the framework of the R & D programs of the European Union.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90956©1995 AAPG International Convention and Exposition Meeting, Nice, France