Acquiring VIPS

Schlumberger has acquired VIPS, a UK-based reservoir geomechanics software and consulting company.

The company's office in Bracknell, UK, now becomes the Schlumberger Reservoir Geomechanics Centre of Excellence under the direction of VIPS founder Nick Koutsabeloulis. The company's team of eight mathematicians, scientists and engineers will remain at the centre.

'This acquisition significantly strengthens our offering in 3D and 4D reservoir geomechanics, which is one of our key strategic initiatives,' said Chris Hopkins, president, Schlumberger Data & Consulting Services.

VIPS developed the world's first coupled geomechanics stress-dependent reservoir simulation capability, which integrates the disciplines of geomechanics and rock mechanics with those of reservoir engineering and simulation.

The VIPS Visage software solves complex stress equations and relates the rock stresses to reservoir properties. It is key to the development of 3D and 4D mechanical earth models that predict the geomechanical behaviour of the reservoir during production and injection.

The removal of hydrocarbons from a reservoir or the injection of fluids changes the rock stresses and geomechanics environment, potentially affecting compaction and subsidence, well and completion integrity, cap-rock and fault-seal integrity, fracture behaviour, thermal recovery, CO2 disposal and 4D seismic.