Go on, admit it. We’re all weary of constantly dealing with the industry’s No. 1 topics at present—cutting costs and improving efficiency. I’m not saying it’s not worthy—it’s a prerequisite in today’s “lower-for-longer” oil price environment—but it can be a little deflating.

What better, therefore, to lift spirits than to hear about technological innovations that have the potential to dramatically improve the E&P sector’s performance and that also just make you sit up and go “Wow, that’s neat!”

One session at the Society of Petroleum Engineers’ Annual Technology Conference and Exhibition in Houston really caught my attention.

At an R&D topical luncheon, John Barratt, CEO of the Oil & Gas Innovation Center, highlighted several such technologies. One was the microimaging camera, so small (at 3 mm x 5 mm, within a harness measuring just 1 mm in width) and tough that it’s been used to inspect the inside of Formula One racing car engines in real time during pit stops. Needing no external lighting, it is expected to comfortably handle downhole well conditions.

Another example was ultralow power system-on-a-chip, the lowest power system of its kind, and 1/1,000th less than current state-of-the-art equivalents, according to Barratt. At 3.5 mm x 3.5 mm, the chip has “everything required on it,” adding that it had “a myriad of asset monitoring and tracking options.” Even such subtle things as minute changes in ambient temperature are enough for it to fully charge.

Rick Lucas, CTO at ExOne Co., outlined the applications for 3-D printing. The technology has advanced to the point where, for example, complex parts such as rotors and stators can now be printed.

The ability to get such parts locally printed and distributed rather than traditionally manufactured and delivered via the international supply chain has the potential to dramatically lower costs and delivery times.

I also heard one of Baker Hughes’ technology innovation chiefs outline how the company is investing between 3% to 5% of its revenue on R&D and that it is constantly looking to use knowledge and adapt techniques from other industries for oil and gas.

Another presentation I saw by Saudi Aramco highlighted half a dozen research centers it has created, including one opened late last year in Houston and “totally focused on upstream research.” It’s also increased its R&D funding fivefold.

Such “tech talk” and R&D revelations are great to hear. Technical innovation is alive, kicking and clearly deemed crucial to the future of the E&P business.

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