January 2010

• Petrobras, Statoil, BP still sinking billions into deep water

  Production from deep water will remain steady though 2020, but new projects will need to be developed in the longer term.

• Common sense for uncommon plays

  Since starting Common Resources LLC two years ago, Roger Jarvis has made a splash in North America’s unconventional plays.

• Robert L. (Bobby) Parker Jr.

  Founded in 1934 by Gifford C. Parker, Houston-based Parker Drilling has made notable strides in Arctic drilling under astute third-generation leadership.

• PPE supply, product consolidation now more important than ever

  Using a “one-stop” PPE company yields more efficiency and facilitates procurement of specialized products and services globally.

• Cooperative efforts lead to safer operations

  Industry and environmental organizations are joining forces to integrate advanced technologies into drilling operations to significantly reduce the impact of drilling and production activities in environmentally sensitive areas.

• Offshore project delays impact

  For an industry with little tolerance for missed deadlines, a recent spike in delayed offshore newbuild projects has frustrated yards, suppliers, owners, and customers alike.

• ‘True volume’ interpretation gives better results in less time

  A new approach enables the interpretation of all geologic features represented in a 3-D volume as complete three-dimensional surfaces.

• Workflows, not just technology, make better models

  The key to deriving reliable images from seismic data is high-quality anisotropic imaging and model building using all relevant data in efficient workflows that recognize there may not be one right answer.

• Materials reliability analysis for subsea power systems

  Developing a proprietary database is an important step toward improving lifecycle reliability of future subsea power products while simultaneously reducing their development cycle time and expense.

• ESPs excel in dewatering mode

  Technical innovations improve pump life and operating efficiency in the Powder River and Illinios basins.

• LRPs—worth looking into

  Svelte and sexy, yet efficient and reliable, linear rod pumps offer advantages for rod-pumped wells.

• LNG facilities move offshore

  The increased focus on natural gas has been a catalyst for interest in FLNG, a business sector that is expected to see US $23 billion invested between 2010 and 2016.

• ETLP takes on Big Foot

  Design innovations move TLP technology into the deepest application yet.

• Gas shales: Energy market solution or problem?

  The latest resource estimate suggests the US has nearly 100 years’ of gas production, meaning this cleaner-burning fuel could bridge the economy from a dirty-fuel- powered one to an economy with fewer greenhouse gas emissions. But the successful exploitation of these gas shales so far has contributed to a drop in natural gas prices during the past two years and raises questions about a sustained near-term price rebound.

• Oil shale may put Jordan on map

  The country is opening its arms to companies that can help it extract this expensive but abundant resource.

• Good times are coming!

  The Q3 findings published in the EIC (Energy Industry Council) Monitor — a quarterly index used as a barometer of the global energy industry — indicate that the power sector is leading the way toward continued economic recovery, followed by the renewable energy and downstream sectors.  

• Manage your business from anywhere

  A new PC/Network-based platform designed specifically for petroleum engineers lets them completely manage every aspect of their businesses from their laptops.

• How to hire women — and make them want to stay

  Women are starting to crack the glass ceiling — but only those who stick around.

• NETL highlights

  New database with solutions to energy challenges.

• Tackling a challenging new play

  InterOil Corp.’s giant Papua New Guinea wells are building a new production base for LNG.

• On the move

  Who's going where in the upstream sector.

• Production optimization is more than a buzz-word

  Times were, when it was easier, and perhaps cheaper, to drill a new well than to try to improve existing ones — not anymore.

• Rice showcases innovation

  Twisted glass fibers used in sensors and gyroscopes with quartz resonators for downhole heading determination are among the new applications for technologies developed for other industries.

• Tech Trends

  January tech trends

• Something must be done

  The oil and gas industry has a serious problem that needs to be addressed. Words come cheap. What is needed isa solution.