E&P Magazine - May 2014
Digital
By working together today, a major GoM operator and its suppliers are leading the development efforts of technologies necessary to overcome the ultradeepwater challenges of tomorrow.
As I See It
Rising costs are the hottest topic in town
The thorny issue of rising costs refuses to go away.
Cover Story
Deeper waters demand different approach to design
By working together today, a major GoM operator and its suppliers are leading the development efforts of technologies necessary to overcome the ultradeepwater challenges of tomorrow.
More than 24,000 offshore wells need to be drilled through 2020
A recent market analysis finds that more wells will be needed to keep pace with increased global oil and gas consumption.
Exploration Technologies
Purpose-built for seismic
WesternGeco’s newest vessel class sent its designers back to the drawing board.
Drilling Technologies
Passing the reins at Helmerich & Payne
For the first time in its history, the Tulsa, Okla., drilling contractor is not being run by a member of the Helmerich family.
Completions and Production
Don’t mess with Texas
The epicenter of the U.S. oil boom, Texas needs to be preserved and well-tended by those who reap its rewards.
Offshore Advances
Team Lower Tertiary
An integrated project team tackles the Gulf of Mexico’s challenging ultradeep environment in search of solutions.
Digital Solutions
Integrated operations command centers bring remote teams closer
By leveraging knowledge and hands-on experience through automation and remote systems, companies can maintain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
Features
2014 Meritorious Awards for Engineering Innovation
An expert panel of judges has selected the top 18 industry projects that open new and better avenues to the complicated process of finding and producing hydrocarbons around the world.
3-D overview of platform drilling aids efficient collaboration
Collaboration Table merges gaming and 3-D technology to help the entire production platform team meet its business objectives.
Alternative high-tension wireline cable improves data acquisition
Cable lowers logging tensions while reducing operational, maintenance and safety risks.
Back to basics in southern Alberta
Shale is for the big boys. Hemisphere Energy is happy with conventional horizontal drilling.
Eastern Canada has plenty to offer
The region provides an offshore spectrum of frontier to mature oil and gas opportunities.
FPU verification facilitates regulatory compliance
Independent review provides safety assurance on FPU projects.
In for the long haul
Political risks have created uncertainty for the future of Venezuela; however, some energy companies see technically recoverable reserves as reason to push forward.
Independence fosters innovation in drilling pad construction
An operator in the Marcellus found that its use of new advanced composite mat system saved time and money.
Industry execs weigh in
A recent survey of energy CEOs indicates overall optimism but troubled thoughts as well.
Introducing an enhancement to HTVs
A new approach to industrial module transport will reduce inefficiencies in resource utilization.
Learning from experience
Vessel design and equipment layout take advantage of combined industry knowledge to deliver drilling and completion efficiencies.
Looking for liquids
Operators focus on liquids-rich plays until new markets for Canadian gas are developed.
New life for a dead sea?
The U.S. portion of the Atlantic Ocean has been off-limits to oil and gas development for decades. There are encouraging signs that the situation might be changing.
Operators share data to benchmark shale wells
Global resource offers operators an opportunity to compare their wells’ performances to those of their competitors.
Science proves old rule wrong
Company’s low-salinity EOR process proves successful in tests, gets first shot at Clair Ridge.
Seismic vessel design strategies
A review of seismic service companies reveals a wide range of approaches to managing 3-D seismic fleets.
Smart intervention services mitigate risks, reduce NPT
Applying smart intervention technology in a deepwater GoM sidetracking operation provided real-time information that reduced NPT and overall rig time.
Supply chain management: from backroom to backbone
The largest independent oil producer in the U.K. North Sea is on a mission to bring supply chain management out of the shadows of a back office function to the forefront of business operations.
Workover market enters newbuild cycle
Manufacturing capacity for 2014 is essentially sold out, with some manufacturers taking orders for 2015 delivery.
Tech Watch
Removing multiples without subsurface data
Are we seriously considering treating multiples as signal?(Part 2 of a two-part series)
Tech Trends
Activity Highlights
On The Move
Last Word
Smaller scale GTL is game-changer
A joint venture will develop smaller scale GTL plants at U.S. landfills.
Industry Impact
Acid blending system provides greater control, improved performance
Technology allows acid mixtures to be created when added to the carrier fluid as it is pumped downhole.
Management Report
Incremental improvements key to finding efficiencies
Despite a relatively stable oil price since 2008, escalating operating costs continue to threaten margins.