The Magazine

Cover

March 2009

Features

  • Stepping up land seismic

    A new system extends the boundaries of land acquisition.

  • New tools extend drilling automation

    A new automated downlinking tool allows drillers to implement commands and controls through a single intelligent interface.

  • Applied fluid jetting improves production

    The theory behind applied fluid jetting is simple: to increase production rates and improve reservoir recovery rates by maximizing the reservoir area contacted by the well bore, both vertically and horizontally.

  • The benefits of recycle-produced water for fracs

    A robust, crosslinked frac fluid can help optimize well stimulation while conserving fresh water.

  • Lifeboats take on the Arctic

    Lifeboats that work in harsh environments need different capabilities from those that operate in benign climates, but functionality of the craft is not the only concern. The other major component of lifeboat operation is the human factor. The way the lifeboat is designed ultimately affects the people whose lives the craft is intended to save.

  • New capsule targets safer crew transfers

    A new crew transfer option is on the table as a result of a challenge put forward by the industry for a safe, efficient, low-cost device suitable for broad implementation.
Activity Spotlight

  • The next Tupi?

    Gabon prepares to launch its first deepwater license round in an area analogous to the Santos and Campos basins.
Another Perspective

  • Managing engineering in a time of change

    Global conditions compound the issues of generational change in engineering companies in the oil and gas industry. Those conditions are compounded by the “engineering company conundrum,” a situation that leads to cultures that, by their very nature, make it impossible to train, retain, and motivate the staff who must be in place to provide a quality product when the eventual upturn in demand occurs. This article is the first in a two-part series that examines the status of engineering companies in the oil and gas industry, where they have been, and where they are going in a time of tremendous change.
As I See It

  • Who turned up the volume on depression talk?

    These days, you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting someone babbling on about the recession (come on folks, it is a depression), its likely severity, and the chances of an early recovery in oil and gas prices.
Digital Oilfield

  • Recent advances in machinery analysis

    Machinery-analysis capabilities have improved in step with increased computing power, but have been focused inward, toward detection of machinery failures. Advanced analytical algorithms can today place equipment condition within the context of overall operations, expanding the equipment health field-of-view to include event detection.
Exploration Technology

  • Myth busters

    Sound bites need to give way to reasoned discussion.
Drilling & Completions
Management Report

  • Safeguarding corporate reputation through crises

    Since the North Sea Piper disaster in 1988, upstream companies have worked hard to improve the safety of their operations. Apart from the prime objective of minimizing risk to personnel and the environment, organizations know that having an accident is significantly more expensive than fostering safety.
Oilfield History

  • The Oil Queen of California

    “A woman with a genius for affairs — it may sound paradoxical, but the fact exists. If Mrs. Emma A. Summers were less than a genius she could not, as she does today, control the Los Angeles oil markets.” – The San Francisco Call, July 21, 1901
On the Move
Production Optimization
Tech Trends
The Last Word

  • Learn survival skills

    Welcome to the real world, new recruits! Jobs may be tougher to find and keep, but a few survival tips will help you succeed.