E&P Magazine - September 2003
As I See It
Latin America seeks investment funds
Mexico, Brazil and Venezuela offer opportunities for savvy investors.
Cover Story
Perception has the last word
In the current environment of corporate misdeeds and nondisclosure, the public yearns for honesty, truthfulness, integrity and open communications.
Drilling Technologies
Risky business?
The turnkey drilling business offers world class expertise to its customers.
Completions and Production
Logging aids aging fields
Today's wireline technologies have surpassed previous boundaries to help operators focus and refine their production optimization efforts.
Features
Deep water requires tough pipelines
Hardness prediction models can simplify design and welding needs for deepwater pipelines.
Tech Watch
Gold rush takes 500 fathom plunge
The intrepid miners who invaded the Rocky Mountains southwest of Denver in the 1800s would have loved the hills and valleys of the Sigsbee Escarpment.
Activity Highlights
Grief stems & yellow dogs
If someone told you that, earlier in the day, they had been turning the telegraph wheel when they bumped their head on the headache post and had to sit for a while on the lazy bench, you might be forgiven for assuming they were either speaking a near-dead language or a candidate for the loony bin.
Another Perspective
Artificial lift performance optimized
Using powerful new measurements technology and systematic analysis to solve old problems can have long term benefits.
Crisis prompts refurbs, training
As onshore activity heats up, US operators are facing a critical safety issue with a service rig fleet averaging over 20 years old and a serious shortage of trained personnel. One contractor has come up with two solutions.
Enabling the virtual oilfield
Projects in Venezuela and Saudi Arabia set the pace for the digital oilfield of the future.
Express-class rigs work triple time
When Transocean's Express-class semisubmersibles were launched in 2001, the three ultradeepwater rigs were expected to deliver drilling efficiencies through their innovative Tri-Act derrick and other newly designed systems.
Gas prices create heat
High prices, lean supplies fuel Washington summit.
Heavy jitters join the fleet
Heavy weight jackups have been added to the international drilling fleet this year and some have made use of Keppel FELS designs.
Life-of-field seismic monitoring arrives
A new way of performing on-demand seismic monitoring of an oilfield is now being implemented, using a permanent array of seismic receivers installed in Norwegian waters.
MMS augments training rules
GOM operators and contractors must tailor programs to comply with Subpart 0 - Well control and production safety training - regulations.
Network enables remote collaboration
Sharing and manipulating data in an interactive, immersive environment is driving the upstream industry.
New sand control techniques pay off
Effective elimination of unwanted solids from the production stream is a key element of production optimization, and one that requires an engineered approach.
Star quality from Constellation 1
GlobalSantaFe has taken delivery of one of the world's latest heavy duty jackup rigs which is designed to be one of the most versatile on the market.
Sustainable production optimization
The key is simple - come up with an intelligent daily operations system and then work it every day.
Taking GTL offshore is challenging
With advances in both floating production and gas-to-liquids (GTL) technology, a floating GTL solution could soon address stranded gas problems around the world.
Unconventional vision frees gas reserves
Innovative techniques backed by solid technology are changing coalbed methane drilling and production from an art to a science.
World Map
Buyer-friendly e-commerce?
A map-based Web site that links customers with vendors may be the E&P e-commerce solution that actually works.