The award, given by R&D Magazine for technology innovation for a jointly developed product, was for a treatment well tiltmeter instrument, marketed by HES as FracTracSM TW service, which measures minute deformations of the earth. The award will be presented at a ceremony in the US later this year.

These instruments measure the dimensions of an oil or gas well fracture directly from the treatment wellbore, eliminating the need for an offset monitoring wellbore. When combined with HES' HalLinkSM system, this technology enables operators, HES and Pinnacle fracturing experts to simultaneously monitor treatments in real time anywhere in the world.

Lyle Lehman, stimulation product manager and co-developer of the product, said: "This process makes mapping of hydraulically induced fractures much easier for our customers. Since 1947, we have understood fracturing processes from the surface. Only recently have we been able to determine the actual geometry and location of fractures in the formation. This technology can really help optimise fracturing results by enabling us to design treatments based on reservoir properties."

David King, HES vice president of Production Enhancement, added, "FracTracSM TW service can make fracturing even more effective in helping operators improve reservoir performance and reduce their cost of production. This technology is the result of our continuing commitment to developing real-time reservoir solutions."

Kevin Fisher, Pinnacle's VP of Business Development says, "The treatment well tiltmeter allows fracture dimensions to now be directly measured in many environments previously thought impossible due to lack of suitable offset monitor wells. Fracturing is the single most impacting event on a well's productivity, other than perhaps the choice of where the well is drilled, and the ability to optimise a fracture treatment is key to improving exploitation economics."