June 2009

• MF increases accuracy, resolution

  New methodology improves prestack time migration.

• Using seismic data to guide geologic interpretation

  Next-generation software will allow geologists to integrate seismic and petrophysical data into their computer-aided interpretation workflow.

• A cure for noisy data

  Noise reduction techniques provide cleaner datasets.

• Cementing solutions help protect the environment

  As the global concern over the effects of CO2 on the environment grows so do energy industry initiatives to economically address the issue, such as CCS.

• Unique roller tools ease around the bend

  Engineered solutions for torque-and-drag gain new recognition with extended-reach wells.

• Ultra-deepwater well construction relies on 21st century cementing technology

  For the world’s most extreme well construction operations, automated, reliable equipment and engineered fit-for-purpose cement designs are essential.

• Can consultants help maintain competitive edge during a down market?

  Operating companies routinely use consultants in a temporary capacity to augment their staff or to complete projects that require additional effort or increased focus. Many times, the consulting process is handled improperly, leading to unsatisfactory results.

• Employment matchmaking

  ‘The right man for the job’ may be a cliché, but hiring the wrong person can spell disaster for a company.

• Study will identify maximum upside potential in the deepwater GoM

  The goal is to identify technologies needed to effect improved oil recovery.

• Non-metallic unbonded flexible pipe extends deepwater access

  A new generation of lightweight, noncorrosive flexible pipes has the potential to enable new field development scenarios in deep and ultra-deepwater fields around the world.

• Ram tensioners take production systems

  As water depths and reservoir pressures increase, so do riser tensioner requirements.

• Riser technology pushes limits

  Deepwater and harsh-environment developments are driving riser technology in new directions, and companies that are investing in R&D are leading the charge.

• Digital well integrity provides artificial lift optimization

  Removing guesswork and uncertainty from production operations can save millions of dollars by reducing or eliminating interventions, indentifying potentially hazardous leaks, and maximizing production.

• Economic chemical flooding technologies

  Major US oil deposits can be tapped at current prices.

• Noble finds more gas offshore Israel

  A new deepwater discovery in the Levantine basin has the potential to add significant volume to Noble’s production offshore Israel.

• You know you are old

  Having been raised in the industry and having worked in it for more than 40 years allows me to give a first hand view of a bit less than half of the history of the industry.

• Improved collaboration drives business process change

  Decision-making processes can be systematically changed to yield better results when supported by an improved operations management infrastructure.

• Dirty talk should not be allowed

  So much rhetoric, so little verification.

• Energy Policy: US vs. China

  For countries like the US and China, which consume large amounts of energy, establishing energy security is a critical concern. Both countries are actively pursuing energy policies, but a close look at their actions indicates their approaches couldn’t be more different.

• Florida’s first discovery

  Drilling for oil in Florida got off to a very slow start. But the hope of production kept the vision alive.

• On the move

  Who's going where in the upstream sector.

• The most controversial opinions you’ll ever hear

  Oil at $700/bbl? A noted industry analyst predicts continued tough times.

• Technology takes on risers

  The task of designing an optimal riser system for a given application is complicated because no two developments present identical logistical parameters. Some of the best minds in the industry are looking for solutions.

• Tech Watch: From seabed to desktop via digital video

  How an innovative use of technology has brought the seabed to the Shell engineers’ desktops, enabling them to upload video clips from offshore within hours of identifying critical subsea defects.

• New logging printer released

• NOC/IOC partnerships adapt to changing times

  NOCs and IOCs have always shared a delicate co-existence due to mutual dependency. As the global dynamic fluctuates, a new form of cooperation might provide the way forward.