Much of what the industry knows about operating in the North American unconventional oil and gas plays has come through trial and error — not a bad way to
Ziebel , a Norway - based oil and gas diagnostics company , has developed a carbon rod that uses multiple optical sensors to gather data on the completion design of a well . The rod combines temperature and acoustic sensing to provide real - time monitoring to help monitor the effects of earthquakes and determine which zones have been effectively stimulated . It also helps identify how close neighbouring wells should be spaced through interference testing . Ziebel aims to develop an extended reach rod , but must first improve energy conversion to its well diameter . Currently , Ziebel 's Z - System rod can travel 5,000 ft horizontally .