E&P Magazine - September 2013
As I See It
Ideas and innovation
Sometimes we come to appreciate the tremendously innovative minds that drive this industry.
UK gets a taste of US craziness
With a new drilling campaign still in its infancy, Cuadrilla Resources is already feeling the anti-frac sting.
Cover Story
Delivering in the deep
Deep and ultra-deepwater activity is rising at a rate at which the offshore E&P industry can barely keep up. With planned capex on deepwater projects set to make up more than half of the global offshore figure by 2017, though, the industry’s fastest-growing sector shows little sign of slackening its pace.
Frontier Horizons
Industry seeks out new supply sources to keep up with growing global energy demand.
Project surge taking deepwater US GoM to new level
A conveyor belt of large discoveries, multibillion dollar developments due onstream in the short term, and a strong forecast growth in the long term means the GoM is fast leaving the dark days of Macondo behind.
Exploration Technologies
Core testing benefits from new approach
Testing unconventional cores in an unconventional way can enable better development decisions.
Making the case for seismic
Seismic surveys can be a hard sell in unconventional settings, but their value can be quantified.
Drilling Technologies
Money still can be made in gas drilling
Barclays Commodities Research said capital markets appear to be wide open to the E&P sector.
R&D made easy and effective
A mid-cap company takes a drill-and-research approach to determine the best technology for its wells.
Completions and Production
Fortune cookie wisdom
‘Study the past, if you would divine the future’
Three heads are better than one
A recently formed company is set to bring solutions to subsea production challenges.
Offshore Advances
A flexible approach is key to offshore growth
With 31% of the world’s hydrocarbons produced daily offshore, that percentage is expected to rise through 2020 and beyond. This means operators need to be increasingly flexible in their development options.
Industry pushing hard to realize subsea dreams
The offshore industry’s need to enhance its subsea production capabilities to better tackle remote and deepwater developments has seen it unveil some innovative plans to take seabed facilities to the next level.
Special Report
Next-generation surfactants improve chemical flooding
Lab results indicate 70% recovery.
Digital Solutions
Advanced seismic processing gets a boost
New facility set to go online this month will offer more computing power and more space for advanced seismic processing.
Big data gets big help
New platforms help manage the onslaught of data while enabling real-time decisions.
Real-time data delivery knows no bounds
Combining wireless sensing with cloud technology enables easier collection and display of critical data.
Understanding SIP trunking and evaluating SIP trunk providers
SIP trunking provides a communications solution to deliver high-quality voice communications and accommodate a highly mobile work force.
Features
A template for infrastructure investment in Iraq
The Basrah Gas Project has faced down challenges to serve as an example of public/private enterprise going forward.
Borehole time-lapse seismic tracks steam flood
Borehole seismic can deliver a higher resolution than surface methods to solve critical EOR issues.
China’s unconventional challenges
China’s unconventional oil and gas sector has major potential for domestic and international operators, but despite having the world’s largest estimated reserves of shale gas, the development of the country’s fledgling industry has been floundering.
Closed-loop automation of DWOB
The automated DWOB controller delivered significant improvements in downhole stability, increasing ROP drilling stability in test wells by an average of 93%.
Companies push toward Brazilian bounty
In the land of opportunity, potential exists for hydrocarbon finds, but work to overcome obstacles is a given.
Custom-designing fracturing fluids enhances water management strategy
The industry is becoming more creative in how it manages water to maximize efficiency in its operations while reducing environmental footprint.
DAS enables simultaneous multiwell VSP
New system offers a cost-effective method for real-time permanent reservoir monitoring, improving overall recovery.
Doors open for Arctic drilling
Interest remains high in the Arctic as climate changes create opportunity amid ongoing challenges, new territory becomes available, and partnerships form to jointly tackle a tough region with potentially large payouts.
Eagle Ford oil production tops 535,000 b/d in five years
As operators learn the nuances of Eagle Ford production, companies are ramping up the rig count and testing the Buda, Austin Chalk, and Pearsall formations to add to reserves.
Finding solutions to unconventional challenges
ITF members map out a plan to study characterization issues in unconventional reservoirs.
HD 3-D cameras prove value downhole
Full-color HD video technology is beginning to be deployed in the wellbore environment.
High-power ESP tubing connector systems for deepwater applications
A new system design currently in testing seeks to improve ESP connections in HP/HT environments.
How safe are oil and gas facilities?
The lowly gauge can spell the difference between safety and disaster if not regularly monitored.
Improving decision-making through model-driven interpretation
Putting the model and risk analysis at the center of the decision-making process enables operators to maximize their assets.
Increasing efficiency, safety through automation on land drilling rigs
Automated systems, centralized control, and a reduced number of people allow easier and more effective handling of the hydraulic rig with beneficial effects on overall performance and costs.
Managing cyber risk
Cyber attacks aren’t going away. Companies need a top-driven strategy to keep them in check.
Managing water can improve productivity
With more than 290 Bbbl produced in 2010, operators need a consistent integrated plan to reduce, control, and reuse water.
Mass spectrometry: challenging industry norms
With additional information come more precise drilling, reduced risk, less wasted time, and ultimately a stronger profit-and-loss statement.
Mexico’s ‘Brave New World’ looms
In response to long-held concerns within the international oil and gas industry over Mexico’s ability to turn around an alarming production decline and find new reserves elsewhere, its national oil company has come out fighting with a bold exploration and development strategy.
MPD advances path forward for deepwater drilling
New techniques and devices stretch water depth limits.
New downhole components meet needs for extreme high temperatures
Electronic components that can operate with greater life expectancy in 200°C environments were developed using ceramic electronics technology.
New life for Oklahoma’s North Burbank field
CO2 EOR opens new chapter for an historic field.
New optical gauge design excels in HP/HT frac test
A newly designed HP/HT monitoring system sees success in Australian shale well.
Open standard protocol can improve real-time drilling surveillance
One national oil company has been a pioneer in the use of WITSML as part of incremental improvements in drilling surveillance.
Our thanks to George Mitchell
He drilled 10,000 wells during his career, but those in the Barnett shale changed everything.
Proactive approach to well integrity with metal-to-metal sealing
Steel cladding can be ‘morphed’ to fit the circumference of the open hole or the inside surface of casing, liner, or tubing walls to create durable gas-tight metal-to-metal isolation solutions.
QA/QC of water blending enhances crosslinked gel completions
Managing wastewater and completion chemicals removes obstacles to wastewater reuse.
Real-time structural integrity monitoring boosts jackup operations
With high-specification jackups drilling development wells through steel jackets in deep water, structural integrity between the jackup and the jacket is critical.
Reducing risk, protecting infrastructure through software
The oil and gas industry has become increasingly dependent on information technology. A focus on secure software development practices can help protect critical operations and intellectual property, reduce costs, and simplify the software procurement process.
Rising tide of ultra-deep newbuilds swells market
The number of rigs being built for oil companies keen to use the highest specification units possible means this most active of markets is nearing a potential pause in the breakneck speed of its growth. But not for long…
Risk management can stave off catastrophe
Significant price swings in crude oil put profits and operations in jeopardy. There is an urgent need for technology solutions that manage and mitigate risk.
Spending in Eagle Ford in 2013 estimated at $28 billion
The Eagle Ford shale is predicted to be the world’s top producing tight oil formation in 2013.
The 'golden era' of geochemistry
From determining the origins of petroleum to maximizing its ultimate production, geochemistry plays an increasingly critical role.
View from the UK as the shale gale begins to blow
International interest in the potential of the emerging UK shale gas sector is mounting, along with public controversy, with early activity finally under way.
Tech Watch
Realizing the potential of Alberta’s oil sands resources
New cladding options reduce corrosion.
Study assesses mask use in underwater escape
Tests indicate that diving masks offer better visibility in escape simulations.
Tech Trends
Activity Highlights
On The Move
Industry Impact
Improving drilling performance using clay-free fluid systems
Diesel-based fluid system can lower overall well costs, improve drilling efficiency, and minimize environmental impact.
Reinjection system offers subsea installation solution
Technology can eliminate the need for high-cost, high-risk intervention to field architecture.
Management Report
Out of the silo and into the huddle room
How one company went horizontal with its collaborative style to enhance team interaction and product development.
Overcoming the onslaught
With the volume of land and lease data increasing, integration becomes a key factor.