Reservoir Raman Spectroscopy

WellDog is pioneering the adaptation of Raman spectroscopy to analyze materials in reservoirs. That work to date has involved design and manufacture of leading-edge, high performance, rugged Raman systems suitable for the narrow, hot and high pressure environments typical of subsurface conditions.

The Raman effect occurs when light scattering from a material excites the natural vibrational motion of the interatomic bonds in that material. During that excitation, the photons comprising the light lose a certain amount of energy and therefore change in color.

By measuring the color of the resulting photons, Raman spectroscopy identifies the materials. By examining the number of photons at each color, Raman spectroscopy also measures the concentration of the materials.

Accurate, reproducible analysis of materials in harsh environments such as the deep ocean or in a natural gas well is a demanding task that requires reliable equipment, careful operation, and intelligent interpretation. WellDog is the world’s leader in making such measurements.

WellDog has measured trace methane, nitrogen and carbon dioxide in hundreds of high pressure, high temperature natural gas wells. Using its internal engineering and manufacturing infrastructure, the company builds and tests Raman systems capable of measuring a variety of materials in harsh environments ranging from the deep ocean seafloor to high altitude aircraft wings.