December 2010

• Mooring operations meet asset integrity challenges

  Protecting operator assets and ensuring those assets perform to their maximum potential is central to what mooring service providers do, but asset integrity is facing a growing number of challenges.

• Oil prices drive market volatility

  Increasingly volatile commodity prices call for a new forecast model.

• Wade Adams

  The director of the Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science & Technology at Rice University discusses tiny technology with huge potential.

• 'It's been an amazing ride.'

  John Hoffman, CEO of Black Elk Energy, talks about his company’s business model and charitable initiatives – and its incredible growth.

• Exploration: The year in review

  2010 has seen a cavalcade of new ideas and new technologies.

• Exploring Trends in exploration

  ION CEO Bob Peebler takes a glance into the seismic crystal ball.

• Seismic interpretation software maximizes geological data value

  Understanding seismic stratigraphy and fluid migration plays a key role in reservoir optimization.

• Drillers rise to the challenge

  In spite of a considerable setbacks the drilling industry has made advances throughout the year.

• Operators squeeze harder

  Getting the most out of every reservoir is the name of the game, and technology plays a vital role.

• Drilling technology forges ahead

  As the industry climbed out of the 2008-2009 recession, drilling technology experienced continuous growth.

• Technology drives deeper

  Technologies introduced in 2010 will push offshore drilling and production to new frontiers.

• We live in interesting times

  Like the ancient Chinese curse implies, our industry is challenged from many sides, but today production is in the spotlight.

• 2010 ends with an industry in flux

  Oil and gas companies face an unprecedented level of uncertainty as 2010 draws to a close.

• Changing world creates new perspective on offshore safety

  The events of April 20, 2010, changed offshore drilling forever. Eleven men lost their lives, and the US began its struggle with the nation’s largest pollution event and response effort ever.

• Capitalizing on resource potential

  Despite issues with infrastructure, regulations, and security, the country might offer the world’s largest untapped reserves.

• The race for the unconventional prize in Europe is on

  Unconventionals are the biggest game changer the industry will see. Everyone knows this is the future.

• India round offers E&P opportunities

  The NELP IX licensing round promises to attract more investors to India.

• Looking back, forging ahead

• PDSS help keep an eye on operations

  Production surveillance monitoring enables collaboration and speeds response time.

• Geospatial imagery improves asset knowledge

  Improvements in satellite technology are providing operators with a rapid, first-hand source of imagery of vital land assets.

• How about a data management scheme that actually manages data?

  The onslaught of new information is only going to get worse. The savvy company will adopt solutions to solve that problem.

• Consider water resources

  Unconventional plays bring water considerations into the fold of well construction.

• Mentor program prepares young engineers for the future

  Bringing on young engineers in a closely monitored mentoring environment improves performance early in their careers.

• On The Move

• Serendipity is alive and well at Eagle Ford

  When results fall short of expectations, it sometimes helps to take the extra effort to find out why, and every so often, a new technique is discovered.

• Telemetry system taps hard-to-reach natural gas resources

• Fluid system improves ROP in unconventional shale gas wells

• Flowmeter improves efficiency in gas lift applications

• Data management suite optimizes life cycle of assets

• Tech Watch: Deep oil requires deep insights

  Oil and gas companies are taking advantage of a more instrumented, interconnected, and intelligent world.

• High-temperature BOP is a match for extreme oil, gas applications

• Offshore access critical to oil, gas future

  Cross-sector industry leadership and collaboration on marine environmental challenges are critical to maintaining the social license to access offshore resources.