PDS Expands Collaboration Agreement with the University of Leeds

SMAKS and DMAKS Databases Extend Source-to-Sink Analogue Modelling Capability Offered Exclusively Through PDS Ava Clastics Technology

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Petrotechnical Data Systems

Apr 04, 2017, 10:30 ET

HOUSTON, April 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Petrotechnical Data Systems (PDS) announced today the expansion of their collaboration agreement with the University of Leeds to support joint technology development. PDS have acquired exclusive rights to commercialize two sedimentary analogue databases, the Shallow-Marine Architecture Knowledge Store (SMAKS) and the Deep-Marine Knowledge Transfer System (DMAKS). Built by field-leading researchers at Leeds, the databases incorporate both quantitative and descriptive data from the scale of sedimentary facies to the depositional architecture of sequences in shallow-marine and deep marine environments (SMAKS and DMAKS, respectively). They complement the Fluvial Architecture Knowledge Transfer System (FAKTS) database, which is already commercially available through PDS's Ava® Clastics analogue database and clastic sedimentology software.

Professors and researchers from the University of Leeds provide a behind-the-scenes tour of FAKTS, SMAKS and DMAKS, along with insight into their collaboration with Petrotechnical Data Systems.

"What's exciting about having three databases is that they effectively line up in a source-to-sink configuration. By working with PDS we can deliver workflows across environments of deposition in ways that are immediately meaningful to geoscientists," commented Professor Dave Hodgson, Director, Shallow Marine Research Group, University of Leeds.

Ava Clastics applies the latest data and ideas from academia to clastics reservoir modelling, and optimizes the transformation of geological analogues into parameters for facies modelling algorithms. It is the first of a portfolio of geoscience software-as-a-service (SaaS) products developed by PDS. Each of FAKTS, SMAKS and DMAKS will support clastic geomodelling in its target sedimentary environment while the ability to utilize all three-databases in combination will provide an integrated modelling platform across environments.

"Users of Ava Clastics will have seamless access to a rich set of analogues, delivered via user-friendly, commercial software. This will enable them to interrogate the data intelligently, asking contingent "what if" questions to improve geomodelling accuracy," said Professor Bill McCaffrey, Director, Turbidites Research Group, University of Leeds.

In June of 2016, PDS and the University of Leeds entered into the initial collaboration agreement that supported the creation of jointly developed technology, GeoCypher™ logic, the proprietary transformation engine within Ava Clastics that supports parameterisation of the analogues contained in the FAKTS database. The Ava Clastics commercial release was also announced at this year's AAPG Exhibition and Conference, and represents the first output from the collaboration between PDS and the University.

"Collaboration between academia and industry partners is vital for the acceleration of technology application in upstream E&P workflows, and we are very excited to represent all three of Leeds' world-class, clastic databases. Augmenting and enhancing them with intuitive workflows will help E&P operators improve their ability to predict what lies between their wells, reducing uncertainty through geologically-grounded facies modelling algorithms," commented Steve Daum, Group Managing Director of Petrotechnical Data Systems.

For journalists visiting AAPG in Houston who would like to interview or ask questions about the collaboration or the new Ava Clastics software, we will be hosting a Meet and Greet for friends of the media at 4:30 p.m. (CDT) on the PDS booth #1300.

To learn more about the collaboration or Ava Clastics, visit www.pds.group/ava-clastics

About PDS

Petrotechnical Data Systems is a leading provider of petrotechnical software solutions to the petroleum industry. For twenty-five years, PDS has delivered innovative software technologies, R&D and consulting services to the petroleum industry from technology centers in The Hague, Houston, London, and Sofia.

SOURCE Petrotechnical Data Systems