May 2011

• Deepwater Raises The Bar For Technology

  As the industry looks at the challenges presented by deepwater operations, it is apparent that in many cases today’s challenges are very much like those of the past few decades.

• Deep Water Ahead

  Following a year of slow economic recovery, unstable price fluctuations, and damaging incidents in the GoM and China, the oil and gas industry is predicting healthy investment in new exploration and market opportunities over the next 12 months. 

• New Operator Takes The Stage In Brazil

  After only a year and a half of operations, OGX is expecting the arrival of its first FPSO in July 2011 and plans to begin production by August, with a year-end production goal of 20,000 b/d.

• Failed Waterflood Effort Provides Lessons Learned

  Beware of analogous fields – testing in a New Mexico field indicated that one field would not perform as well as its neighbors.

• Reservoir Simulation, History Matching Extend Reservoir Life

  The right combination of technologies can shorten development cycles, increase production, and extend reservoir life.

• The Potential Of Potential Fields

  A high-resolution airborne magnetic survey will serve as a reconnaissance tool to high-grade prospects offshore Uruguay.

• Multiple Measurements Lead To Singular Insight

  Combining a variety of geophysical measurements gets operators closer to the final answer.

• Close Observation Improves Drilling Performance

  Drilling performance is paramount when operating in challenging deepwater environments. Data gathering and up-close observation of the processes involved in drilling a well can raise benchmarks on a fleet-wide basis.

• New Ultra-Deepwater Design Boasts Capacity, Advanced Automation

  As offshore exploration goes deeper, newer designs focus on increased storage for fuel and equipment and increased automation.

• New Water Treatment Technology Minimizes Offshore Footprint, Costs

  The ability to reliably and cost-efficiently manage water associated with offshore production could be the difference between successful and marginal operations.

• New Technologies Enhance Water, Sand Management

  Swellable packers and ICDs currently are providing significant benefits and greater diversity than ever before in sand and water control.

• Horn River Is A Play For The Ages

  Activity in the Horn River Basin is slow due to low gas prices. But a change in market economics could turn this play into a barnburner.

• Judges Choose Top 11 Industry Projects

  E&P announces this year's winners.

• New Discoveries Bring New Challenges Offshore Brazil

  As exploration efforts continue to find additional presalt reserves, R&D dollars are pouring into technology development that will allow safe and efficient production.

• Focusing On Brazil’s E&P Potential

  While opportunities in Brazil are compelling, there are project development and execution risks.

• Predicting Brazil's Presalt Wealth

  The country’s presalt regulatory framework might be the key to success.

• Looking Long Term: One Year On For The Gulf Of Mexico

  The Gulf of Mexico’s oil and gas industry has been the most written about, talked about, and misunderstood business on the planet for the past year. But as the cliché goes – a year is a long time in politics, business, and, in this case, the world of upstream oil and gas.

• International Highlights

• Together, We Can Speak Volumes

  Trade associations can accomplish what individual member companies cannot – a substantive, united voice.

• Mexico Calls For E&P Service Contracts

  For the first time in more than 70 years, private companies will have the opportunity to operate in Mexico.

• Halliburton’s Probert: “Green” Fracturing Technology Will Help Energy Industry Meet Demand

  To do its part to satisfy the global hunger for energy, the oil and gas industry must gain public confidence through the use of new and improved technologies.

• Getting back to business in the GoM

  OTC 2010 was somber – the industry stunned by an accident nobody thought could happen.

• Collaboration Is Key Enabler In Russia’s Oil, Gas Field Efficiency

  Working with IBM and a Russian university, Gazprom Neft-NTTS hopes to advance the digital oilfield concept.

• GPUs Prove Their Worth In Seismic Interpretation

  Seismic interpreters are encountering record-breaking performance by using GPUs for interactive computation and rendering.

• It Is Time To Disrupt The Status Quo

  TerraSpark has grown from a small R&D outfit to a software solutions provider ready to show the industry what it can do.

• Unconventional Well Construction Moves To Poland

  Activity is heating up in Poland’s Baltic Basin.

• Benchmark Survey Reveals Looming Talent Shortage

  A survey of the oil and gas industry uncovers the strategic importance of technical talent and forecasts a large mid-decade loss of experienced petrotechnical professionals.

• Bugs, bacteria join the battle

  There are several potential solutions worth investigating to stop the freezing process without the use of chemicals.

• CSEM Identifies New Prospectivity In An Explored Basin

  Electromagnetic data bring a fresh look to an old field.