E&P Magazine - October 2010
As I See It
Exploration Technologies
OHM, RSI seek a bit of distance
After three years, the two companies decide to realign their businesses.
Drilling Technologies
Machinery, automation, personnel
Roughnecks of the future will be highly skilled technicians with a much greater understanding of highly complex automated systems.
Completions and Production
Do you want pasta with that?
For the first time, the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) staged its Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE) at an international venue.
Features
Bob Peebler
The CEO of ION Geophysical has helped his company weather a tough decade.
Concho leaves an oily footprint
Tim Leach and Concho Resources will apply 20 years' experience in the Permian Basin to thousands of locations from the Marbob acquisition.
Evolving CTD technology aids underbalanced drilling operations
Companies are realizing the full potential for CTD in underbalanced conditions.
Exploration needs a synergistic approach
Making graphs to quantify the effect of synergy for the first time is an innovation that has created new ways to think about oil and gas exploration and synergy.
Global analogs can be used for prospecting
All plays are different, but their key parameters could be similar.
HPC is simplified for seismic analysis
Geophysicists no longer have to be skilled computer programmers to do their job.
Increasing emphasis on transportation safety, regulatory compliance improves profitability
Managing compliance processes, regulating workflow, and making data-based decisions offer competitive advantages to improve control of insurance and operating costs.
ION/BGP JV is off to a fast start
A year after its inception, INOVA Geophysical is making its presence felt.
LF seismic improves E&P success
New hardware and software developments in low-frequency seismic technology are helping operators improve efficiency.
New treatment creates infinite fracture conductivity
Technology decouples fracture performance from proppant pack permeability, increasing conductivity by orders of magnitude.
Platelet technology allows mature asset optimization
A new rigless through-wellhead workover system is redefining work practices in the global well integrity industry and breathing new life into existing production infrastructure.
Pressure, flow control bring new drilling efficiency to Haynesville
A new level of insight into the wellbore environment is providing more accurate control.
Rough seas are ahead
There is plenty of ocean left to explore, but the Gulf of Mexico may never be the same.
Sand plugs isolate frac stages in Barnett well
Faster and more cost-effective than other multistage technologies, a technique that places competent sand plugs in horizontal wells improves fracture control and reduces stage spacing.
Software safety enters spotlight
Today’s high-specification assets rely heavily on software to automate mission-critical drilling control, power management, vessel management, and subsea systems.
Technology breathes new life into mature assets
Thinking outside the box has resulted in the prolonged production life of two North Sea fields.
Technology set to revolutionize exploration
A new approach to oil and gas exploration heralds a major industry change.
Water is available in the desert
Water treatment schemes abound as hydraulic fracturing takes a front seat in unconventional play development, but high costs and low volumes have been a concern.
Tech Trends
Tech Watch: Satellites allow reservoir modeling from space
The rise of InSAR provides a new window to monitor and generate information.
Last Word
Luck, planning lead to exploration success
Oil exploration is a chance business; wildcat exploration drilling is an uncertain game, particularly in new plays. So what role does luck play in exploration success? Are successful oil companies luckier than others, or just better?
Activity Spotlight
Ghana sparks E&D interest
Building on the continued success of Jubilee, new fields are being developed in the region.