E&P Magazine - February 2013
As I See It
Get ready to innovate
Sometimes the best ideas come from the strangest places.
Cover Story
Hydraulic fracturing: new perspective leads to successes
By using alternatives to freshwater, operators find opportunities for success that can help change public perception during times of drought.
Optimized treatment design shows promise
The first horizontal wells drilled in the Chang-7 formation deliver significant production increases in Ordos basin tight oil reservoirs.
Proppant economics in the Eagle Ford formation
A new economic analysis determines the optimal proppant for its cost.
Exploration Technologies
Flying high to find reservoirs
Technology uses gravity perturbations to find potential trapped fluids.
Completions and Production
Chasing the rabbits of public opinion
President of ANGA encourages industry to continue educating the public on hydraulic fracturing.
Offshore Advances
Safeguarding the right to operate
With the UK industry implementing safety improvements post-Macondo, it is a reminder that no offshore operator should ever take its license to operate for granted.
Digital Solutions
GPU usage grows in digital oil field
E&P sector’s appetite for data drives IT solutions.
Remote automation and monitoring captures Caspian value
The reliable operation and monitoring of safety critical valves are vital to the oil and gas industry. Their failure to operate on demand could have catastrophic consequences.
Features
Advancing hard/harsh rock drill bits
A new bit design improves ROP and reduces tripping.
Appraising ultra-deepwater reserves
A new approach is intended to reduce uncertainty.
Automated sources, streamers improve seismic repeatability
Steering controller aids in 4-D surveys, allowing more accurate monitoring of reservoir fluid changes.
Drill bit designed to return microcore samples to surface
Depending on the formation strength and BHA architecture, microcore fragments and even intact microcores can be recovered at the shakers.
Economical solutions meet state and federal mandates for gas flaring
Vapor recovery unit offers economic and environmentally friendly solutions for enhanced production using recovered gas vapor.
Enhancing production with new gas lift valve
A modified design improves performance and reliability.
Evaluating reservoirs with a sharper focus
A new tool combines technology, application expertise, and geosciences consulting to reduce formation testing uncertainties.
First in class
Christopher J. Wiernicki, ABS president and CEO, talks about the changing role of class, the need for agility in a rapidly advancing industry, and the value of partnering to extend the reach of offshore oil and gas operations.
Four-for-one well pad design leaves a smaller footprint behind
Company sees growing opportunities for its well pad design concept, which is both environmentally and economically friendly.
Heading south
Brazil continues to dominate the landscape, but South America is seeing some newer faces join the oil and gas crowd.
Microbial EOR makes gains
New technology that introduces functional microbes along with nutrients into the reservoir shows promise as an MEOR solution.
PDC drill bit innovations drive performance in challenging zones
North American operators are increasing ROP and achieving fewer bit runs using advanced conical-shaped PCD element and rotating PDC cutter technology.
Planning for the future
Oil and gas operators implementing or considering seabed processing systems need subsea safety systems to achieve the highest levels of performance criteria if they are to deliver the goods.
Rhamnolipid biosurfactants: new technology for EOR, remediation
For chemical or synthetic surfactants, rhamnolipids can be used as ‘green’ replacements and can increase oil recovery after primary and secondary recovery operations.
Seabed production innovation boosts expectations
Recent advances in subsea processing systems have moved the concept firmly into the mainstream development tool box of operators around the world.
The future of natural gas
Gas prices suffer from a lack of demand coupled with negative public opinion.
Unlocking Indonesia’s CBM potential
With its estimated CBM reserves ranking it No. 6 in the world, this slumbering Southeast Asian conventional oil and gas giant is picking up the development pace of its unconventional resources.
Water depth, availability drive use of jackup in Chukchi Sea
ConocoPhillips plans to drill one or two exploration wells in 2014 using a jackup rig during the open-water season in the Chukchi Sea.
Tech Watch
Fracturing with field gas
Natural gas-powered turbine technology is the future of fracture stimulation, lowering operators’ costs and reducing air emissions.
Last Word
Responding to the challenge of induced seismicity
Monitoring and communication are key to reducing manmade earthquakes.
Management Report
Minimizing risk in A&D
An optimal combination of hedging tools needs to consider market view, curve structure volatility, and option skew so that producers can get the most price protection for the least cost.