E&P Magazine - April 2004
As I See It
Texas' fourth largest producer - a pipeline?
Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. (KMP) has created an impressive downstream business in an unusual area for a pipeline company.
Training can solve people shortage
The right people, doing the right jobs the right way breeds success.
Cover Story
UKCS M&A action rises
Tackling issues such as decommissioning, overcoming the inappropriate tax regime and funding exploration will force everyone to work harder at making the UK North Sea a sustainable environment in the future.
Drilling Technologies
Step-change for deepwater drilling
Prevalent worldwide, massive salt sections add to well construction challenges.
Features
Discoveries wait for infrastructure
Operators have found deepwater hydrocarbons. Now they have to get them to market.
Technology boosts deepwater drilling performance
Third-generation rotary steerable drilling system and real-time downhole data monitoring improve efficiency.
Tech Watch
Cell spar sailaway scheduled
Elegant and sleek, Kerr-McGee's newest spar design has chalked up several "firsts" and promises to be a highly-efficient, economical deepwater production solution.
Activity Highlights
Baby oh baby
This just in by way of Executive Editor Don Lyle. Dateline February 12, 2004, the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Anthropologist Virginia Abernathy, professor emeritas of psychiatry at Vanderbilt University, who spoke at the conference, proposed a link between oil and gas supply and fertility. Abernathy's proposal was made in two parts. First she argued a link between the availability of petroleum and the economy. I don't know anybody who would argue with that. Second, she argued a link between changes in economic conditions and fertility rates. My two kids aside, I know very little about fertility and am not in hot pursuit of additional knowledge. I know a bit more about economic conditions but I can't honestly comment on this link although, as you will note in a minute, that won't stop me.
Another Perspective
A big-picture view
Basin data holds the key to developing new value in geological provinces by challenging or supporting assumptions, qualifying potential, and reducing risk.
CNG answers offshore gas questions
For stranded natural gas, CNG may offer an alternative to LNG's high front-end costs.
Composites cure caisson corrosion
As facilities and structures mature, engineers are looking for ways to safely sustain the assets' lives and usefulness as cost-effectively as possible. Composites may be the answer.
Egypt's first deep gas challenge
BG Group's Mediterranean Scarab Saffron project was a class example of deepwater completions at the limit.
Energy balancing benefits roller cone bits
When tricone bits are balanced - both in force and in volume - stresses are reduced, leading to longer wear and increased performance.
Existing plays dominate deep drilling
Operators will focus on proven areas as the deepwater push continues.
Global appetite for deep drilling
Worldwide, the deepwater drilling market has been valued at more than US $40 billion between 2003 and 2007 including exploration, appraisal and development activity.
Message from Motown (via Tokyo)
Lean Management: What can the automotive industry teach the oil and gas producers who fuel it?
Moving down the line
A few years ago history was made at the Troll C field offshore Norway when the world's first subsea water injection pump was installed.
Reflection alternative reduces costs
Scatter seismology presents itself as the next logical domain because it extends to integrate all scatters as part of the seismic image.
Searching for deep subsea solutions
While researching and developing technology for deepwater, one offshore contractor has been narrowing in on subsea technology.
Temperatures aid exploration
Temperature anomaly mapping provides a rapid and inexpensive method of finding and evaluating hydrocarbon deposits.
Twister to be taken below the waves
Supersonic gas separation technology, which was first used offshore Malaysia, is being developed for a subsea field application.
World Map
Landmark, Spotfire combine decision solutions
As wrong decisions become more and more costly, software providers are developing tools to make the right decisions easier to come by.