E&P Magazine - April 2007
As I See It
Connect pores, processes, profits
The industry needs a seamless information highway from reservoir pore space to the production pipeline.
High potential tames bear's risk
Huge fields, great prospects move operators to Russian opportunity.
Recognize oil operations threats
Counter threats for employees by increasing awareness of surroundings.
Cover Story
Whither now
I write this on the eve of another OTC. It hardly seems possible that it is that time of year again, and that I went to my first OTC in 1978. A lot has changed since then.
Drilling Technologies
When a hurricane comes
The effects of Katrina continue to ripple through the industry long after the storm's passing.
Completions and Production
Low-frequency passive data find hydrocarbons
Once ignored, seismic data below 10 Hz is proving to be a useful tool for oil and gas finders.
Tech Watch
Easy finds mean hard profits
The other side of that coin means hard oil and gas may generate easier profits.
Tech Trends
Control document flow in complex projects
Software simplifies classification, storage and management of documents and drawings.
Activity Highlights
Researching research
Research and development. In many companies, these are the crown jewels, the product differentiator, the way forward (ideally with patents pending) to corporate prosperity.
Last Word
Making a splash
OTC has put the "oh!" in "offshore" since 1969.
Activity Spotlight
Bolivia okays 44 new contracts
Bolivia
ConocoPhillips Supports Mandatory National Framework to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Company joins business-environmental USCAP group
ExxonMobil announces drilling of world-record well
Sakhalin-1 Project Drills Well Exceeding 7 Miles in Length
Russia plans tunnel to US
Russia tunnel
Another Perspective
Accurately model deepwater risers
New methods may reduce the cost of risers and enable deployment in water depths that are currently impractical.
Adapting to a changing industry
Only a few years ago a seismic start-up would have seemed a crazy idea. Now these new companies are taking advantage of unexpected opportunities.
Combat production costs
Subsea solutions aim at less costly, more efficient offshore operations.
Drilling riser integrity monitoring advances
Drilling riser integrity monitoring technology has evolved from research and development (R&D) tools to systems that provide critical data during operations.
ESPs make waves in shelf fields
Increased reliability makes electric submersible pumps worth a look on offshore wells.
Exploration comes full-circle
Wide-azimuth towed streamer acquisition offers a bright future for finding new reserves in complex geologic settings.
Monitoring offers oil-in-water control
Measurement warns of environmental threat in produced water flows.
New tool controls stand dropped offline
Rotary protective sock for offline stand building controls inadvertent release of tubulars from a drilling vessel.
New vessel can drill and produce simultaneously
Multi-Purpose Floater is a heavy-duty, deepwater drill ship that can also perform extended well testing or production operations while simultaneously drilling an additional well.
Operators stretch the limits
Records fall as oil and gas companies reach into deeper water with new technology.
SCR installation sets deepwater record
Independence Hub offers a number of deepwater challenges met with record-setting accomplishments.
Supercharged methanol cuts hydrates
Offshore and onshore, hydrates inhibit hydrocarbon flow, but a better solution can tame the problem.
Swellable solutions monitor wells
Silent sentinels react to optimize production in the well bore.
Test tree paves way for production
Hybrid trees allow temporary production testing, quick disconnect.
Use gravity to enable deep-well frac pack
Properly weighted fracturing fluids pay big dividends in deepwater wells.
Visualize large surveys for better results
New graphics processing power unlocks the full potential of seismic datasets.
Where in the world is your seismic survey?
Seismic surveys are useless if the navigation data are incorrect.
International Spotlight
Harness global talent
A recent Economist special report titled "The Search for Talent: Why It's Getting Harder to Find" argues that "the talent war has gone global - and so have talent shortages."
World Map
Invasion of the body-snatchers
The pressure to recruit is intense, and nobody's kids are safe!