Ingrain Releases RSS Feed

Ingrain Launches CoreHD High-Definition Core Imaging and Logging

noemail@ingrainrocks.com — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 20:00:00 GMT

Houston (April 21, 2010) Ingrain, the oil and gas industry’s fastest growing digital rock physics company, today introduced CoreHD®, its breakthrough technology platform for 3D high-definition imaging of whole core from oil and gas wells. Ingrain’s CoreHD technology has significantly advanced the oil and gas industry’s ability to use CT scanners to image and analyze core. “CoreHD gives geoscientists high-definition 3D visibility into their reservoirs at the wellbore scale,” said Henrique Tono, Ingrain’s CEO. “CoreHD is a major advance over the imaging that traditional core analysis labs provide. As the industry moves into complex rocks like oil shales, 3D high-definition whole core imaging is becoming an essential tool for geological core description, rock properties analysis and reservoir modeling.” CoreHD Suite for Whole Core Logging Combined with Ingrain’s proprietary image processing capabilities, the company...

Ingrain obtains service mark registration for vRock

noemail@ingrainrocks.com — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Houston (Nov/Dec 2009) Ingrain was granted a service mark registration by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for on Nov 3, 2009. The vRock service mark refers to using a digital reservoir rock used in determining fluid transport properties of rock formations from computer tomographic images of rock formation samples.

Ingrain is a Platinum Sponsor at the 2010 Annual HGS Applied Geoscience Conference - US Gulf Region Mudstones as Unconventional Shale Gas/Oil Reservoirs

noemail@ingrainrocks.com — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Houston (Dec 2009) Ingrain will be the Platinum Sponsor at the 2010 Annual HGS Applied Geoscience Conference taking place February 8 & 9, 2010. Attendees of the conference, which is being sponsored by the Houston Geological Society, can expect to interact and learn applied techniques from knowledgeable unconventional reservoir characterization specialists on reservoir and system characterization for Gulf Coast region shale gas/oil reservoirs and learn about reservoir characterization advances of multiple targets, including the Haynesville / Bossier System.

To learn more about this conference and to download the technical program, please visit www.hgs.org.

Ingrain Rock Physics Science Advisor Dr. Jack Dvorkin discusses the benefits of using digital rock physics to determine permeability in the latest issue of The Leading Edge

noemail@ingrainrocks.com — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Houston (December, 2009) -- Trying to determine permeabilities and elastic properties with conventional, physical lab experiments can not only be lengthy and expensive, but hard to conduct given the type of rock material available. In the article From Micro to Reservoir Scale: Permeability from Digital Experiments, Rock Physics Science Advisor Jack Dvorkin explains how digital rock physics can reliably address these challenges, thereby enhancing data obtained from physical laboratories and reducing the number of complicated and costly measurements being used today.

The article is featured in part of a special section in this month's issue entitled Reservoir Modeling Constrained by Seismic.

To read the article in its entirety, please click here.

The Leading Edge compliments Geophysics SEG’s peer-reviewed publication, long unrivaled as the world's most respected vehicle for dissemination of developments in exploration and development geophysics. TLE is a gateway publication, introducing new geophysical theory, instrumentation, and established practices to scientists in a wide range of geoscience disciplines. Most material is presented in a semitechnical manner that minimizes mathematical theory and emphasizes practical applications. TLE also serves as SEG’s publication venue for official society business. For more information, visit http://www.segdl.org/tle.

Noble Energy co-authored case study with Ingrain is featured in latest issue of World Oil Magazine.

noemail@ingrainrocks.com — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Houston (Oct/Nov 2009) -- The latest issue of World Oil magazine features an Ingrain case study co-authored with Noble Energy. The case study discusses how comparative analysis shows that a digital and real core compare favorably when digital and real experiments are run.

The project, initiated by Noble Energy in March 2009, included three main processes. First, 3D imaging of small rock fragments at a resolution high enough to discriminate between pores and minerals was conducted, followed by segmentation of the images to digitally define a finite number of the elements of rock (specifically porosity and basic mineral compound) and finally 3D computer simulations of single and multiphase fluid flow for absolute and relative permeability, respectively, electrical current flow for resistivity and formation factor determination.

The case study verifies that Ingrain's technology and use of proprietary algorithms quickly obtained more accurate measurements of porosity, permeability, formation factor and relative permeability, and that the rapid turnaround (30 days from sample selection to reporting of analytical results) time can allow for more accurate information to be used as inputs, resulting in the creation of better reservoir models.

To read the article in its entirety, please click here.

Chief Marketing Officer John Elmer discusses Ingrain's technology in Geo ExPro

noemail@ingrainrocks.com — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Houston (Nov 2009) -- In the Vol. 6 No. 4 issue of Geo ExPro magazine, Chief Marketing Officer John Elmer discusses Ingrain's imaging technology in a featured article entitled Revolutionizing Core Analysis.

The article explains how Ingrain is addressing many of the technical challenges facing physical experiments today with the introduction of a series of technical breakthroughs in 3D imaging and computations of reservoir rock properties. Using any rock sample, including sidewall core plugs and drill cuttings, Ingrain can quickly and accurate determine absolute and relative permeability, resistivity, elastic properties and pore and grain statistics.

Geo ExPro is a technical magazine tailored for geoscientists, petroleum engineers and industry decision makers. Each issue covers geological and technical exploration, production, development, geological resources, geotourism and people.

To read the article in its entirety, please click here.

Ingrain's newly acquired Zeiss AURIGA CrossBeam workstation goes online.

noemail@ingrainrocks.com — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Houston (Nov 2009) -- Ingrain’s new workstation, the AURIGA^® CrossBeam^® FIB-SEM (focused ion beam scanning electron microscope) allows the digital rock physics lab to generate 3D images at resolutions as high as 3 nanometers. These images are used to create the company’s vRock digital reservoir rocks from shale rock samples. Ingrain then uses proprietary simulation technologies to compute rock properties such as permeability, elastic properties, pore and grain statistics.

“This is really big, not only for us but for the industry as a whole,” said Boaz Nur, Ingrain’s VP of Operations. “We can now accurately image and compute the pore space and mineralogy of shale and other tight rock formations, which up until now hasn’t been physically possible. We’re excited that we can now offer this technology to our clients throughout the world.”

Dr. Amos Nur, Ingrain CTO, Dr. Jack Dvorkin, Ingrain Rock Physics Science Advisor, set to present papers at the Society of Exploration Geophysicist's International Exposition in Houston, TX later thi

noemail@ingrainrocks.com — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Houston (October 14, 2009) -- Dr. Amos Nur, Chief Technology Officer of Ingrain, and Dr. Jack Dvorkin, Ingrain Rock Physics Science Advisor, are scheduled to present their paper "Scale Independence of Rock Physics Transforms" at the Society of Exploration Geophysicist's International Exposition and 79th Annual Meeting in Houston, TX, taking place October 25-30, 2009.

The paper, also authored by Cinzia Scotellaro (Stanford University) and Qian Fang and Naum Derzhi (Ingrain) will be presented during the oral session Pore to Seismic Scale Heterogeneity Models and Measurements on Monday, October 26 at 1:30 pm. Dr. Nur will also be a chairman for this session, the first of the rock properties topics.

The Annual Meeting of the SEG gives companies the opportunity to display their products and services to a highly focused audience from around the world. Geophysicists, geologists, earth scientists, energy industry executives, researchers, and software developers attend the conference to learn about the latest technology and advances in exploration. The extensive technical program of more than 600 oral and poster presentations by the leaders of the industry, in conjunction with a state-of-the-art exposition, draws attendees from more than 85 countries. For additional information, please visit www.seg.org.

To download the paper being presented, please click here.

Carl Zeiss SMT Announces Ingrain's Adoption of the AURIGA CrossBeam Workstation

noemail@ingrainrocks.com — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:00:00 GMT

PEABODY, Mass. & OBERKOCHEN, Germany, Sept. 29, 2009—The AURIGA^® CrossBeam^® workstation, recently introduced by Carl Zeiss SMT, now has demonstrated the ability to improve the analysis of shale rock’s porosity and permeability in order to more accurately predict the shale’s suitability for the commercial extraction of oil or gas.

Houston-based Ingrain, a provider of digital rock physics services to oil and gas companies around the world, is now using an AURIGA FIB/SEM workstation to generate high resolution 3D images that are used to create the company’s vRock digital reservoir rocks from shale rock samples. Ingrain then uses proprietary simulation technologies to analyze the samples for fluid flow. According to Henrique Tono, Ingrain CEO, “We have significantly advanced our capabilities—especially for the analysis of shale rock—by integrating the unique Carl Zeiss AURIGA instrument into our analytical processes. As a result, our customers, who are world leaders in oil and gas exploration, can now get more detailed, more accurate rock properties analyses. In essence, we are now able to provide more accurate, more complete information to support their decision making needs.”

To read the full release, please click here.

Ingrain Closes Third Round of Funding

noemail@ingrainrocks.com — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Houston (September 23, 2009) – Houston-based digital rock physics company Ingrain has secured a third round of funding totaling $15 million to advance the deployment of its digital rock physics labs. The collaborative raise was completed by continuing investors including Energy Ventures and KLP, along with new investor TPH Partners. Ingrain utilizes proprietary technologies to analyze reservoir rock samples from cores or drill cuttings and deliver critical data to its oil and gas producer client base.

Joe B. Foster, Chairman of TPH Partners will join Ingrain’s board of directors. Foster founded Newfield Exploration Company in 1989 and served as chairman of the board until 2005. He was chairman of Tenneco Oil Company and executive vice president and director of its parent, Tenneco Inc. He began with Tenneco as a Junior Petroleum Engineer in Oklahoma City in 1957.

“This funding will allow Ingrain to continue our expansion into the Middle East, North Africa and Latin America,” said Henrique Tono, Ingrain’s CEO. “We are delighted and honored to have Joe Foster joining Ingrain’s board of directors. His depth of industry experience makes him an invaluable advisor to Ingrain as we expand into major oil-producing regions worldwide. ”

Since starting up in 2007, Ingrain has introduced technical breakthroughs for quickly and accurately determining physical properties and simulating fluid flows in oil and gas reservoir rocks. The company uses high-resolution 3D imaging to “reveal reservoir rocks from the inside” and compute critical rock properties including permeability, porosity, elastic properties, electrical properties and relative permeability. This information allows oil and gas companies to more accurately estimate the potential of their reserves and make faster, better-informed field development decisions.

TPH Partners invests in the upstream, oilfield service and midstream subsectors of the energy industry. The fund is an affiliate of Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. Additional information on TPH Partners can be found at www.tphpartners.com.

TPH Partners Announces Investment in Ingrain

noemail@ingrainrocks.com — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:00:00 GMT

HOUSTON -- Monday, September 21, 2009 -- TPH Partners, L.P., a middle market energy private equity fund, announced the closing of an equity investment in a growth round of funding for Ingrain, Inc. TPH Partners joins a strong group of existing investors in this leading-edge oilfield technology firm that is setting the standard in the industry for digital rock physics analysis. Ingrain utilizes proprietary technologies to analyze reservoir rock samples from cores or drill cuttings and deliver critical data to its oil and gas producer client base. Normal.dotm 0 0 1 172 986 Ingrain 8 1 1210 12.0 “We are very excited about the potential provided to the exploration and production industry by the evolving science of digital rock physics, and Ingrain is the clear leader in this field,” said Joe B. Foster, Chairman of TPH Partners. “Ingrain’s techniques are especially relevant to producers that work with low permeability reservoirs, such as tight-gas sands and...

Ingrain Rock Physics Science Advisor Dr. Jack Dvorkin discusses Ingrain's new sampling techniques in latest issue of Hart's E&P magazine.

noemail@ingrainrocks.com — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Houston (September 10, 2009) -- In the latest issue of Hart's E&P magazine, Rock Physics Science Advisor Jack Dvorkin discusses how Ingrain's new sampling techniques are bringing field-sized tests into the laboratory in a featured article entitled Digital Rock Physics Bridges Scales of Measurement.

The article, available in the September 2009 issue, explains how Ingrain is using digital imaging and computation, as well as a new imaging technique called FIB-SEM (focused ion beam combined with scanning electron microscope), to face the growing challenges of experimenting and measuring in physical laboratories or in wells.

E&P magazine is the world's leading publication dedicated to informing exploration, drilling and production operations managers, onshore and offshore and in all parts of the world, about the trends and technology they need to do their jobs more efficiently. Experienced magazine editors and industry experts offer the most accurate, most up-to-date information available to guide operations managers through exploration technology that helps them find more resources; drilling technology that gives them better, less-expensive wells, and production technology that keeps fields producing more oil and gas for longer periods of time. The quality and breadth of coverage has earned awards for editorial excellence and quality content.

To read the full article, please click here

Ingrain presenting papers at the 2009 SCA Symposium in the Netherlands and the 2009 Unconventional Gas International Conference in Ft Worth, TX, both later this month.

noemail@ingrainrocks.com — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Houston (September 09, 2009) -- Ingrain Chief Scientist, Dr. Avrami Grader, is set to present a paper at the 2009 International Symposium of the Society of Core Analysts. The paper, Computations of Porosity and Permeability of Sparic Carbonate Using Multi-Scale CT Images, was co-authored with Andrew B.S. Clark, ADCO, Taha Al-Dayyani, ADCO, and Amos Nur, Ingrain. The SCA Symposium will be held in Noordwijk, The Netherlands on Sunday, September 27 - Thursday, October 01, 2009. For more information, please visit: http://www.scaweb.org/

Ingrain Chief Geoscientist Elizabeth Diaz will be presenting the paper Rock Physics of Shale Using Digital Rocks at the Unconventional Gas International Conference and Exhibition in Ft. Worth, TX from Tuesday, September 29 through Thursday, October 1, 2009. For more information, please visit: http://www.unconventionalgas.com/index.html

Dr. Amos Nur, Ingrain CTO, scheduled to give a short course at the 11th International Congress of the Brazilian Geophysical Society & EXPOGEF taking place later this month.

noemail@ingrainrocks.com — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Houston (August 06, 2009) -- Dr. Amos Nur, Chief Technology Officer of Ingrain, will be a featured lecturer at the 11th International Congress of the Brazilian Geophysical Society & EXPOGEF in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil on August 23, 2009. The one-day courses are scheduled to take place on Sunday, August 23 and Monday August 24, with the EXPOGEF continuing on through August 28. Dr. Nur will be giving a lecture entitled The Emergence of Digital Rock Physics as the Future Technology for Massive rock Property Information. The Technical Program Committee of Salvador 2009 is preparing an exciting technical program covering a wide range of geophysical topics pertaining to the oil industry, but also focusing on mining, environmental, solid earth and space geophysics.

Ingrain featured in new Brazilian industry news site, Geofisica Brasil

noemail@ingrainrocks.com — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Houston (July/August, 2009) -- Ingrain is currently being featured on the homepage of a new Brazilian geophysics news site, Geofisica Brasil. Featuring a mixture of articles including the latest news, views, industry updates and job trends, the site, which is currently only in Portuguese, aims to unite Brazilian students, teachers, researchers and industry professionals related to all of the different areas of expertise in geophysics.

For more information, please click here.

Chief Marketing Officer John Elmer discusses Ingrain's technology in latest issue of Scandinavian Oil-Gas Magazine

noemail@ingrainrocks.com — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Houston (July 02, 2009) -- In the latest issue of Scandinavian Oil-Gas Magazine, Chief Marketing Officer John Elmer discusses Ingrain's imaging technology in a featured article entitled Special Core Analysis Reinvented - 3D Nano-scale Imaging and Computing of Reservoir Rock Properties and Fluid Flow.

The article, available in Issue No. 5/6 2009, explains how Ingrain is using digital imaging and computation to reinvent special core analysis and with a series in technical breakthroughs, as well as the advantages Ingrain's digital rock physics lab has over conventional physical core labs.

Scandinavian Oil-Gas Magazine is one of the leading sources for in-depth information on developments within the oil & gas industry around the world and specially in the Northern Seas. The magazine and website covers all areas of the offshore industry, from policy to platforms, research to rig retirement. The magazine features insightful interviews with oil and gas professionals and executives, as well as politicians. A broad range of researchers gives readers informative reports on developments within the industry and up-to-date information on new technology and equipment.

To view the article, click here

Ingrain geologist Jacob Proctor has research paper published in SCANNING, the Journal of Scanning Microscopies

noemail@ingrainrocks.com — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Houston (July 02, 2009) -- Ingrain geologist Jacob Proctor had his research paper Correcting for 3D Distortion When Using Backscattered Electron Detectors in a Scanning Electron Microscope published in the March/April 2009 issue of SCANNING, the Journal of Scanning Microscopies. His paper focuses on verifying if Hitachi’s TM1000 scanning electron microscope is calibrated correctly for imaging surfaces (of a rock, ball bearing, etc).

SCANNING provides an international and interdisciplinary medium for the rapid exchange of information among all scientists interested in scanning electron, scanning probe, and scanning optical microscopies. Areas of specific interest include all aspects of the instrumentation associated with scanning microscopies; correlative microscopy techniques; stereometry; stereology; analytic techniques and novel applications of the microscopies.

Jacob graduated from UT Austin with a double major in Geological Sciences and Physical Anthropology.

Sonatrach to Use Ingrain's Digital Rock Physics Technology

noemail@ingrainrocks.com — Tue, 05 May 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Houston (May 5, 2009) – Houston-based Ingrain announced today that Sonatrach has signed a commercial agreement to use the company’s digital rock physics services.

Since starting up in 2007, Ingrain has introduced technical breakthroughs in 3D imaging and computation that allow the company to quickly and accurately compute physical properties and fluid flows in oil and gas reservoir rocks. This information allows oil and gas companies to more accurately estimate the potential of their reserves and make smarter, better-informed field development decisions.

“Ingrain is extremely pleased that Sonatrach, one of the world’s top energy players, will use our breakthrough technology,” said Henrique Tono, Ingrain’s CEO. “This puts Ingrain’s expansion into Africa ahead of schedule, and further demonstrates that 3D imaging and computation is the future of reservoir rock properties analysis.”

Ingrain is has regional offices in Abu Dhabi, Calgary, and Rio de Janeiro and plans to expand its operations in the Middle East during 2009.

To view the official press release from Sontrach, click here.

Ingrain's new laser ablation system will produce better imaging quality and reduce scanning time on digital rock samples

noemail@ingrainrocks.com — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Houston, TX (April 3, 2009) -- Ingrain, the digital rock physics lab, has acquired a new system that will further enhance an already revolutionary method of obtaining physical properties of reservoir rocks. The new laser ablation system provides Ingrain geologists the ability to cut near-perfect cylinders of the rock for CT scanning. The system can cut sizes of 60 microns up to 1 millimeter in diameter, making the smallest, most precise samples available for scanning. "This system produces the most accurate samples for scanning currently available," explained Boaz Nur, Ingrain operations manager. "Samples this precise will not only produce better image quality, but will decrease scanning time and produce better throughput on high resolution micro and nano CT scans."

Ingrain expects to install similar laser ablation systems in digital rock physics labs now under development in Rio de Janeiro, Abu Dhabi and Calgary.

Ingrain Expands Canadian Operations

noemail@ingrainrocks.com — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Houston (January 26, 2009) – Ingrain, the digital rock physics lab, today announced the hiring of Guoping Li as country manager in Canada. Li is responsible for opening Ingrain’s third facility, to be located in Calgary, Canada.

From its inception in 2007, Ingrain has introduced a series of technical breakthroughs that allow the company to rapidly compute physical properties and fluid flows in oil and gas reservoir rocks. Ingrain’s approach of using 3D imaging and computation is especially well-suited for measuring porosity, permeability and TOC (total organic content) in oil sands.

This information allows oil and gas companies to more accurately estimate the potential of their reserves and make smarter, better-informed field development decisions.

“Regardless of price of oil, E&P companies are still working to better understand and manage their reservoirs. Ingrain’s rock properties data has tremendous value at all points in the lifecycle of an oil and gas asset,” said Henrique Tono, Ingrain’s CEO. “Ingrain is responding to this demand by opening a digital rock physics lab in Calgary.”

Ingrain plans to continue its rapid expansion into fast-growing areas of oil and gas exploration and production, and expects to open its fourth digital rock physics lab in the Middle East during 2009.