Borehole imaging and its impact on unconventional reservoir characterisation in the United Kingdom

New exploration of unconventional reservoirs in the United Kingdom is seeking to establish the scale of potential hydrocarbon reserves. This presents both new opportunities for development of economic resources but also new challenges over whether such such resources can be developed in densely populated regions with societal license. The British Geological Survey is undertaking a review of the national in-situ stress regime to identify its potential implications on both the safety and efficacy of any future hydraulic fracturing operations. This is a unique application of imaging technology to undertake national scale investigation with potentially highly controversial impacts.