E&P Magazine - November 2005
As I See It
Conduct a successful field trial
A good introduction gives new technology a helping hand on its way to the market place.
Cover Story
Plan effective gas strategy
The US gas market is in a state of dramatic change. US gas demand is expected to increase by 13% - up to 2010, from 26 Tcf today - to reach 31 Tcf by 2025 (EIA forecasts). This increase is driven by the demand from the gas-fired power generation.
Drilling Technologies
The soul of the machine
An organization's most valuable asset can easily deteriorate. Is there anything you can do to stop it?
Completions and Production
Texture analysis aids interpretation
Studying seismic data volume textures can lead to a more intuitive geological presentation.
Special Report
Features
East Timor opens leasing
A new nation invites international players to its oil and gas industry.
Tech Watch
The right people doing the right thing
We can all learn a lesson from independent Southwestern Energy Co. who has a formula for success and is busy working it for all it's worth.
Tech Trends
Make the digital oil field a reality
There's no time to wait. Companies that want to excel can and must embrace this technology today.
Activity Highlights
The one-two punch
It's the middle of October as I write this, and there is another hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico.
Activity Spotlight
News and Analysis
The Industry Research Funders Coalition and Heriot-Watt University have formed the PAMGUARD research initiative to address limitations of existing cetacean passive acoustic monitoring software capabilities. For more information, visit www.pamguard.org.
Another Perspective
A new 'node' of acquisition
Nodal seismic technology is becoming the tool of choice for shallowwater surveys.
A practical solution for gas migration
A methodology incorporating drilling, cementing and completion techniques helped to mitigate gas hazards in three Gulf of Mexico wells.
Benchmark testing improves ROP
Development and benchmark testing of advanced diamond product bits and HP/HT fluids optimize deep drilling performance and significantly improve ROP.
Deliquifying mature gas wells
As gas field production declines, liquid loading occurs. Operators who apply no more than solid engineering skills can tap easily available production increases from these fields.
External casing perforating cuts NPT
Conventional methods for stimulating a large number of treatment intervals in a horizontal well can involve considerable amounts of nonproductive time. There is a way to significantly reduce it.
In for the long haul
Despite his modesty, Decker Dawson has reason to be proud of his company's unparalleled success. E&P visited with Dawson recently to talk about Dawson Geophysical, Midland, Texas, in the 1950s, and the life and times of a geophysical contractor.
Less water, more oil pays dividends
Effective produced-water control revives returns.
Low-toxicity frac fluid cuts costs offshore
Novel frac-fluid chemistry meets strict environmental standards for offshore disposal while achieving performance and cost goals.
Microfibers hold everything in place
Among the operators in the US Rocky Mountains, BP America Production Co. (BP) continually searches for technologies that will help to improve production results from the complex tight gas plays that lace the region.
Modeling torque and drag
Accurately predicting tension, compression and torque limits for horizontal openhole completion systems can reduce the risk of serious well damage.
Oscillation stimulates exploratory well
An innovative coiled tubing-conveyed treatment combined acid and fluid pulsation to remove wellbore damage.
Record ROP in HP/HT field
Advances in diamond-impregnated bits and motor drive technology overcome HP/HT drilling challenges in the Tuscaloosa Trend.
The future of land seismic
Borrowing ideas from other industries, a seismic solution provider ponders acquisition in a world without cables.
When opportunity knocks
A new player is capturing market share in the sizzling seismic market.
Wireline-quality data at lower cost
Formation pressure and magnetic resonance logging-while-drilling technologies reduce deepwater drilling costs and enable novel formation-evaluation programs.
World Map
Changing the game
A research program aims to eliminate the need for velocity models.