DAS technology turns a piece of fiber optic cable, similar to what one would use for cable or telephone service, into a fully distributed noise logging system. When applied to an oil and gas well, operators can tune in to any section of the fiber, and listen to what is happening in their well. Applications are varied, and include stimulation and production monitoring, verification of downhole equipment operation, pipeline monitoring and collection of seismic imaging data.

In addition to fiber’s ability to transmit data at high rates, the same piece of glass can be turned into a distributed sensing system, or point sensors can be spliced into the line to provide additional capabilities. The naturally high melting point of glass and its immunity to electrical noise make it ideal for use in harsh, high-temperature environments such as deep unconventional wells or wells stimulated with steam to increase oil mobility. Operators are using this new high-speed, optical collection of information to more efficiently operate their assets.

Acquisitions that make up Halliburton’s fiber optic capability include the assets of permanent reservoir monitoring company Pruett Industries some 10 years ago; an equity investment in Prime Photonics, a company that specializes in designing fiber optic sensing for extreme environments; Pinnacle Technologies, which focuses on the use of fiber optics for both high-speed wireline telemetry, as well as distributed wellbore sensing; SensorTran, the world leader in distributed temperature sensing (DTS) systems; and Davidson Downhole, with a focus on pressure sensing in high-temperature environments.

Founded in 1919, Halliburton is one of the world’s largest providers of products and services to the energy industry. With more than 73,000 employees, representing 140 nationalities in approximately 80 countries, the company serves the upstream oil and gas industry throughout the lifecycle of the reservoir.