qWave has drawn inspiration from medical technology, particularly Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL), which is used to break kidney stones using acoustic shockwaves without surgical intervention. By transferring the principles from ESWL to well technology, qWave has developed a method using focused shockwaves to create a weak point in the rock formation, enabling more precise measurement of horizontal stresses necessary to assess caprocks in CO₂ storage location and oil & gas reservoirs. The shockwave technology was developed in collaboration with Harald Eizenhöfer, former Research Director at Dornier MedTech Systems GmbH, and Hartlauer Präzisions Elektronik GmbH. The technology includes a shockwave generator with a capacity of up to 30,000 volts. By focusing the shockwaves, qWave is able to create a perforation several centimetres deep in the borehole wall. A custom pump and equipment are used to fracture the formation where the perforation is made, and then gradually close it again until the minimum horizontal stress is measured. This allows qWave to perform better measurements in less time.
Comparison to current technologies
Current methods for measuring horizontal stresses, such as the Leak-Off Test (LOT) and the use of straddle packers, have several limitations. These methods can produce unreliable results, requiring repeated measurements to ensure accurate data. This becomes especially challenging in deepwater environments, where costs escalate rapidly. The existing solutions are also limited to certain depths and may be inadequate as stress levels in the rock formation can vary with depth. Thus, it is challenging to provide an accurate assessment of storage properties, making projects both costly and complex.
Prototype testing and demonstration
The technology has already shown promising results. The prototype has been successfully tested. The first demonstration of the prototype took place in September 2023 at NORCE/Ullrigg in Stavanger, where the tool proved to be both robust and functional under realistic well conditions. A second demonstration in November 2023 confirmed this impression
