CLB 2018 Annual Report

3 Core Lab holds various patents, trade secrets, and proprietary designs for laboratory equipment required to analyze reservoir rocks as well as the properties and phase behavior of reservoir fluids. We manufacture a wide range of ambient and reservoir condition rock and fluid analysis laboratory equipment for our own use throughout our international laboratory network. Among these devices are complex, high-pressure, high temperature, reservoir condition, multi-phase flow systems and full visualization PVT cells, along with the ancillary equipment required to support these laboratory programs. We also sell equipment of this type to universities, government institutes, and client company research labs. While recognizing the need to optimize the logistical chain of our clients, from producing well to retail sales of petroleum products, a state-of-the-art IT platform CONNECT: was launched to efficiently acquire our field data, laboratory analysis and any other observations relevant to our client base. The system is designed for single data entry, and that data can be used for further analysis and, more importantly, be shared with our clients by process flow dashboards with key performance indicators. The system can also share real-time data on mobile devices, enabling our clients to make quick decisions. This methodology of sharing data has been embraced by an increasing number of clients, as it has not only saved them costs, but, more importantly, the data can be used for trend analysis in many ways, such as the ability to forecast bottlenecks, thus eliminating waste and increasing efficiency. Two experience centers have been set up, both in the U.S. and Europe, where our clients can get acquainted with optimizing the flow of business as well as our advanced systems for data analysis. All initiatives are meant to increase efficiency and add value to our client base. New modules continue to be added to our suite of IT platforms that enhance the distribution chain of our customers, with further development continuing during 2019. We are involved in numerous large-scale reservoir management projects, applying proprietary and state-of-the-art techniques from the earliest phases of a field development program until the last economic barrel of oil is recovered. These projects are of increasing importance to oil companies as the incremental barrel is often the lowest cost and most profitable barrel in the reservoir. Producing incremental barrels increases our clients' cash flows which we believe will result in additional capital expenditures by our clients, and ultimately further opportunities for us. Some of these are industry consortium projects that provide critical reservoir information to a broad spectrum of clients in a cost effective manner. Many of them examine unconventional reservoirs, particularly in the US and Canada. For example, our Permian Basin study evaluates the petrophysical, geochemical, completion and production characteristics of this very active play in West Texas. Our clients use this information, not only to improve their drilling and production activities, but also to evaluate potential acquisition and divestiture opportunities. Outside of North America, we have an ongoing global shale study that examines the unconventional reservoir potential in Central and Southern Europe, North Africa, India, China and Australia, among other regions. We also have studies focused on tight sandstone reservoirs around the world and unconventional plays in the Middle East. During 2018, we launched a joint industry project ("JIP") focused on evaluation of unconventional Mississippian reservoirs in the SCOOP and STACK areas of the Anadarko Basin of Oklahoma. This JIP will evaluate geological, geochemical and petrophysical characteristics of conventional cores to develop a stratigraphic model for the study area, calibrate wireline logs to reflect physical measurements of the core samples, determine optimum landing zone targets and distances related to down- spacing, predict production potential and estimate ultimate crude oil recoveries. The data and interpretations will also be used to determine optimum completion techniques. In addition, a SCOOP-STACK Rock Catalog will be developed using our proprietary methodology and data analytics techniques. This catalog will allow clients to better evaluate the potential of wells from drill cuttings when conventional core is unavailable. During 2018, we also launched analytical JIP programs associated with unconventional Enhanced Oil Recovery ("EOR") for two basins in the United States: the "Unconventional Enhanced Oil Recovery Permian Basin" ("Permian Basin EOR JIP") and the "Unconventional EOR in the Eagle Ford Formation" (the "Eagle Ford EOR JIP"). These studies are focused on incremental oil recovery from cyclic engineered-gas injection in the formation. The Permian Basin EOR JIP, focused on the Wolfcamp Formation in both the Midland and Delaware Basins, follows two successful Core Lab JIPs in the Midland and Delaware Basins, which were conducted for over 75 operators. Those earlier studies focused on the geological and petrophysical properties of target reservoir horizons, and therefore provide a critical foundation for the recently initiated unconventional EOR JIP in the Wolfcamp Formation. In the Eagle Ford EOR JIP, participants will furnish a large variety of reservoir cores and reservoir fluids from the Eagle Ford formation to be studied to determine the most effective techniques to boost ultimate recovery rates. Due to steep decline curves and low recovery factors, there is a need to assess the effectiveness of enhanced oil recovery techniques in these nano-darcy rocks. The technological and analytical methodologies used in these new Unconventional EOR JIPs are the summation of years of proprietary experience in unconventional EOR testing and in