April 2011

• Marine Seismic Surges Ahead

  Despite two years of setbacks, the marine geophysical sector is poised for busy times.

• John Hofmeister Weighs In On North America’s Energy Supply

  Restricted production in the Gulf of Mexico will push America to increase oil imports.

• Canada Invests In Technologies To Improve Oil Sands Development

  Canadian government agencies are assisting companies in developing technologies that will increase production, decrease water use, and lead to faster reclamation in Alberta’s oil sands.

• New Dynamics Ahead For Energy, Oil

  'It is difficult to make predictions, particularly about the future' - Niehls Bohr, 20th century Danish physicist.

• New Integrated Seismic Technology Improves Well Placement

  The full potential of seismic data for drilling applications is increasingly being realized by advanced earth model building and new rapid imaging technologies.

• GGI Helps Level The Playing Field For Independents

  Independent oil and gas companies today are a major driving force behind exploration activities.

• Geophysical Data Home In On Sweet Spot Drilling

  Seismic data can be harnessed to optimize shale field production and development.

• Piceance Creek Pushes The Land Seismic Envelope

  A massive survey has resulted in a dataset with many surprises.

• Land 3-D Seismic Survey Designed To Meet New Objectives

  When the need for higher channel count and better imaging bumps up against a requirement for greater environmental stewardship, planning land seismic surveys can be a balancing act.

• Geosteering In Unconventional Shale Reservoirs Has Potential

  As North American shale development continually evolves, operators must determine if there is an agreement between final production results and gamma ray stratigraphy.

• Deepwater Production Technology Gets A Boost

  Facing technical challenges akin to the first moon landing, Shell attacked a low-pressure reservoir in 8,000 ft water depth.

• Dynamic Design Tools Increase Safety

  Advanced finite element analysis tools facilitate offshore risers and flowlines design, help operators anticipate the effects of any dynamic scenario, and prepare for it in the design phase.

• New Tool Makes Riser Handling Faster And Safer

  An innovative hydraulic riser-handling tool provides a means of fully supporting a drilling riser system during installation and recovery.

• Bakken Activity On The Rise

  New technologies are increasing recovery, and operators are moving to delineate areas outside the core Bakken region.

• Riser Bend Stiffener Connections Prepare To Go ROV-less

  New approach eliminates divers and ROVs for safer and faster installation.

• Bed Boundary Mapping Technology Improves Success

  Rotary steerable systems combined with deep azimuthal measurements are keeping horizontal wells within the pay zone of thin, low-resistivity contrast reservoirs of the Bone Spring formation.

• Managing The Threat Of Riser Gas

  MPD advances are taming an old adversary by measuring and managing downhole gas influxes.

• West Coast Gas Bonanza Lights Up Australia’s Offshore Future

  The west coast of Australia has emerged from the shadows to become a major E&P hotspot for the offshore oil and gas industry, dominating the Australasian region as both domestic and international majors sink billions of dollars of investment into several massive LNG schemes.

• All Projects Are Integration

  Geo-spatial, search and analytics in a single interface: upstream benefits from portal-based integration efforts.

• Lucas Ups Production By 15% In Eagle Ford

• Change Before You Have To

• New Standard Streamlines Software Integration

  ISDS provides guidelines for tackling costly software integration challenges that slow down commissioning.

• The Industry Needs Next-Generation Content Management

  In a world that has been rocked by new computing techniques, the oil and gas industry cannot afford to be left behind.

• Geophysicists Take On The Next ‘Grand Challenge’

  SEAM’s next phase will tackle land seismic issues.

• Managing Sand From The Outset

  SMP technology is entering the world of well construction.

• Make On-The-Job Training Work

  Imparting tacit understanding is a big part of a mentor’s job.

• New Recruitment Strategy Removes Guesswork In ‘Big Crew Change’ Era

  Balancing the loss of older skilled talent with the influx of new technical talent has become an unprecedented recruitment challenge in the oil and gas industry.

• New Model Exists For Engineering Consulting

   iEngineering has the potential to accelerate subsurface studies.

• On The Move

• The Adventure Continues

  In my final column, I want to challenge each and every one of you to pay a little back to the industry that put food on your table, a roof over your head, and a sense of accomplishment in your heart.

• Fastener Enhances Reliability In Extreme Temperatures

• Drill-Through Reaming System Enhances Wellbore Integrity

• Wellbore Cleanout Product Line Expands

• System Helps Mitigate Lost-Circulation Risks

• Project Tracker Provides Suitable Data Management Processes

• New Ropes Help During Subsea Mooring Failures

• New PDC Bit Engineered For Shale

• Tech Watch: Fractures Detected Without Shear Waves

  A new technique provides fracture information at a much lower cost.

• R&D Needs Government Boost

  New technology is the way forward in producing the remaining reserves in maturing oil and gas fields on the UKCS, but a more united approach is needed.