E&P Magazine - April 2011
As I See It
Getting back to business in the GoM
OTC 2010 was somber – the industry stunned by an accident nobody thought could happen.
Cover Story
Marine Seismic Surges Ahead
Despite two years of setbacks, the marine geophysical sector is poised for busy times.
Exploration Technologies
Geophysicists Take On The Next ‘Grand Challenge’
SEAM’s next phase will tackle land seismic issues.
It Is Time To Disrupt The Status Quo
TerraSpark has grown from a small R&D outfit to a software solutions provider ready to show the industry what it can do.
Drilling Technologies
Managing Sand From The Outset
SMP technology is entering the world of well construction.
Unconventional Well Construction Moves To Poland
Activity is heating up in Poland’s Baltic Basin.
Completions and Production
Bugs, bacteria join the battle
There are several potential solutions worth investigating to stop the freezing process without the use of chemicals.
The Adventure Continues
In my final column, I want to challenge each and every one of you to pay a little back to the industry that put food on your table, a roof over your head, and a sense of accomplishment in your heart.
Digital Solutions
Collaboration Is Key Enabler In Russia’s Oil, Gas Field Efficiency
Working with IBM and a Russian university, Gazprom Neft-NTTS hopes to advance the digital oilfield concept.
GPUs Prove Their Worth In Seismic Interpretation
Seismic interpreters are encountering record-breaking performance by using GPUs for interactive computation and rendering.
New Standard Streamlines Software Integration
ISDS provides guidelines for tackling costly software integration challenges that slow down commissioning.
The Industry Needs Next-Generation Content Management
In a world that has been rocked by new computing techniques, the oil and gas industry cannot afford to be left behind.
Features
Bakken Activity On The Rise
New technologies are increasing recovery, and operators are moving to delineate areas outside the core Bakken region.
Bed Boundary Mapping Technology Improves Success
Rotary steerable systems combined with deep azimuthal measurements are keeping horizontal wells within the pay zone of thin, low-resistivity contrast reservoirs of the Bone Spring formation.
Canada Invests In Technologies To Improve Oil Sands Development
Canadian government agencies are assisting companies in developing technologies that will increase production, decrease water use, and lead to faster reclamation in Alberta’s oil sands.
Close Observation Improves Drilling Performance
Drilling performance is paramount when operating in challenging deepwater environments. Data gathering and up-close observation of the processes involved in drilling a well can raise benchmarks on a fleet-wide basis.
Deep Water Ahead
Following a year of slow economic recovery, unstable price fluctuations, and damaging incidents in the GoM and China, the oil and gas industry is predicting healthy investment in new exploration and market opportunities over the next 12 months.
Deepwater Production Technology Gets A Boost
Facing technical challenges akin to the first moon landing, Shell attacked a low-pressure reservoir in 8,000 ft water depth.
Dynamic Design Tools Increase Safety
Advanced finite element analysis tools facilitate offshore risers and flowlines design, help operators anticipate the effects of any dynamic scenario, and prepare for it in the design phase.
Failed Waterflood Effort Provides Lessons Learned
Beware of analogous fields – testing in a New Mexico field indicated that one field would not perform as well as its neighbors.
Focusing On Brazil’s E&P Potential
While opportunities in Brazil are compelling, there are project development and execution risks.
Geophysical Data Home In On Sweet Spot Drilling
Seismic data can be harnessed to optimize shale field production and development.
Geosteering In Unconventional Shale Reservoirs Has Potential
As North American shale development continually evolves, operators must determine if there is an agreement between final production results and gamma ray stratigraphy.
GGI Helps Level The Playing Field For Independents
Independent oil and gas companies today are a major driving force behind exploration activities.
Horn River Is A Play For The Ages
Activity in the Horn River Basin is slow due to low gas prices. But a change in market economics could turn this play into a barnburner.
John Hofmeister Weighs In On North America’s Energy Supply
Restricted production in the Gulf of Mexico will push America to increase oil imports.
Judges Choose Top 11 Industry Projects
E&P announces this year's winners.
Land 3-D Seismic Survey Designed To Meet New Objectives
When the need for higher channel count and better imaging bumps up against a requirement for greater environmental stewardship, planning land seismic surveys can be a balancing act.
Looking Long Term: One Year On For The Gulf Of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico’s oil and gas industry has been the most written about, talked about, and misunderstood business on the planet for the past year. But as the cliché goes – a year is a long time in politics, business, and, in this case, the world of upstream oil and gas.
Managing The Threat Of Riser Gas
MPD advances are taming an old adversary by measuring and managing downhole gas influxes.
Multiple Measurements Lead To Singular Insight
Combining a variety of geophysical measurements gets operators closer to the final answer.
New Discoveries Bring New Challenges Offshore Brazil
As exploration efforts continue to find additional presalt reserves, R&D dollars are pouring into technology development that will allow safe and efficient production.
New Dynamics Ahead For Energy, Oil
'It is difficult to make predictions, particularly about the future' - Niehls Bohr, 20th century Danish physicist.
New Integrated Seismic Technology Improves Well Placement
The full potential of seismic data for drilling applications is increasingly being realized by advanced earth model building and new rapid imaging technologies.
New Operator Takes The Stage In Brazil
After only a year and a half of operations, OGX is expecting the arrival of its first FPSO in July 2011 and plans to begin production by August, with a year-end production goal of 20,000 b/d.
New Technologies Enhance Water, Sand Management
Swellable packers and ICDs currently are providing significant benefits and greater diversity than ever before in sand and water control.
New Tool Makes Riser Handling Faster And Safer
An innovative hydraulic riser-handling tool provides a means of fully supporting a drilling riser system during installation and recovery.
New Ultra-Deepwater Design Boasts Capacity, Advanced Automation
As offshore exploration goes deeper, newer designs focus on increased storage for fuel and equipment and increased automation.
New Water Treatment Technology Minimizes Offshore Footprint, Costs
The ability to reliably and cost-efficiently manage water associated with offshore production could be the difference between successful and marginal operations.
Piceance Creek Pushes The Land Seismic Envelope
A massive survey has resulted in a dataset with many surprises.
Predicting Brazil's Presalt Wealth
The country’s presalt regulatory framework might be the key to success.
Reservoir Simulation, History Matching Extend Reservoir Life
The right combination of technologies can shorten development cycles, increase production, and extend reservoir life.
Riser Bend Stiffener Connections Prepare To Go ROV-less
New approach eliminates divers and ROVs for safer and faster installation.
The Potential Of Potential Fields
A high-resolution airborne magnetic survey will serve as a reconnaissance tool to high-grade prospects offshore Uruguay.
Together, We Can Speak Volumes
Trade associations can accomplish what individual member companies cannot – a substantive, united voice.
Tech Trends
CSEM Identifies New Prospectivity In An Explored Basin
Electromagnetic data bring a fresh look to an old field.
Tech Watch: Fractures Detected Without Shear Waves
A new technique provides fracture information at a much lower cost.
On The Move
Last Word
R&D Needs Government Boost
New technology is the way forward in producing the remaining reserves in maturing oil and gas fields on the UKCS, but a more united approach is needed.
Activity Spotlight
All Projects Are Integration
Geo-spatial, search and analytics in a single interface: upstream benefits from portal-based integration efforts.
Mexico Calls For E&P Service Contracts
For the first time in more than 70 years, private companies will have the opportunity to operate in Mexico.
West Coast Gas Bonanza Lights Up Australia’s Offshore Future
The west coast of Australia has emerged from the shadows to become a major E&P hotspot for the offshore oil and gas industry, dominating the Australasian region as both domestic and international majors sink billions of dollars of investment into several massive LNG schemes.
Management Report
Benchmark Survey Reveals Looming Talent Shortage
A survey of the oil and gas industry uncovers the strategic importance of technical talent and forecasts a large mid-decade loss of experienced petrotechnical professionals.
Make On-The-Job Training Work
Imparting tacit understanding is a big part of a mentor’s job.
New Model Exists For Engineering Consulting
iEngineering has the potential to accelerate subsurface studies.
New Recruitment Strategy Removes Guesswork In ‘Big Crew Change’ Era
Balancing the loss of older skilled talent with the influx of new technical talent has become an unprecedented recruitment challenge in the oil and gas industry.