June 2011

• New Technology Enhances Downhole Performance

  Downhole innovation brings new twists to standard technology.

• Operators, Analysts Weigh In On Unconventional Resources

  Industry players get one-on-one insights from the experts.

• PSDM Yields Accurate Pore Pressure Prediction

  In a case study from the Caspian Sea, accurate and detailed velocity analysis from a prestack depth migration was adapted to calculate accurate pressure prediction in an undrilled area.

• ‘True Volume’ Interpretation Improves Subsurface Understanding

  New technology allows interpretation in three dimensions.

• Supply Disruptions Push US Toward A Greener Future

  Natural gas is a natural bridge from hydrocarbons to alternative energy.

• International Highlights

  Bowleven Energy’s Sapele-1ST well in the Douala basin offshore Cameroon in West Africa has encountered 75 ft (23 m) of net hydrocarbon pay in the Omicron objectives.

• Monterey Shale - California's Sleeping Giant?

  It’s young, thick, and structurally and lithologically complex. But the Monterey shale is quickly moving past the science project stage.

• Fast-Track Frontiers

  East Africa emerges as a world-class play

• New Software Brings GoM Infrastructure To Light

  A tool developed to access well, pipeline, and platform data in the GoM could facilitate and improve the BOEMRE risk assessment and MODU mooring approval process.

• Hybrid Systems To Change The Shape Of Deepwater Mooring Lines

  Riser friendly HMPE mooring lines – lighter, smaller and with a higher MBL than traditional polyester rope – are ready to move into deep water.

• Brazil To Headline BRICs Act In Offshore Production

  Brazil turned the corner with its flagging oil and gas sector in the late 1990s with a shake-up of Petrobras and the development of deepwater fields. One decade later, Brazil’s prolific presalt reserves put the country on the cusp of even faster production growth.

• Brasoil Seeks Growth In Brazil

  The fledgling company has found success through farm-ins, farm-outs, and technical savvy.

• Poland Poised For Productive Shale Development

  International shale development moves from abstract to concrete.

• Unconventional Gas 2.0: Unlocking A Global Potential

  Unconventional gas has changed the landscape in North America and could do the same internationally. However, this new phase brings challenges that require a different mindset and operating model focused around efficiency, environmental sustainability, and integrated business planning.

• New Monitoring Tool Provides Subsea Reassurance

  A downhole sensor system that monitors temperature and pressure in the B annulus will help detect gas leaks.

• Expro's Well Technology Tests New Waters

  The industry’s focus on well performance is increasing every year, driven by the need to maximize hydrocarbon recovery rates while striving to minimize the number of wells drilled on each field.

• Real-Time Azimuthal Gamma Ray LWD Logs Optimize Sweet Spot Detection

  LWD improves recovery and economics at each phase of shale development.

• LWD Tool Provides Reliable Shear Slowness Measurements

  A robust inversion methodology applied to high-quality wideband quadrupole LWD waveforms from a GoM well provided useful information for reservoir evaluation.

• Questions Arise Over Saudi Arabia’s Oil Authority

  Saudi crude supply has not replaced the loss of Libya’s output.

• There’s An App For That

  There are many in the oil and gas industry who do not have an iPhone or an iPad, but that number is dwindling rapidly.

• Tear Down The Silos

  True data integration has everyone talking the same language.

• I’ll Take ‘Oilfield Analytics’ For $100, Alex

  After taking on Jeopardy’s top winners, Watson sets its sights on the digital oilfield.

• New EM Tool Ready For Commercialization

  The EM Locator holds great promise for oil and gas exploration. It just needs a good home.

• Automation: A Driller’s Best Friend?

  A recent symposium says, “yes.”

• The War For Engineering Talent rages On

  A new approach to addressing the problem of the engineer shortage applies supply chain management principles.

• A New Solution For Old Wells

  A rigless intervention unit takes the guesswork out of P&A.

• Brazil Primed For Offshore Investment

  With Petrobras leading the way, several companies plan significant projects in the coming years.

• Tech Trends

  Conventional electric submersible pumps (ESPs) up to 562 series can be retrieved and redeployed without a rig using the Zeitecs Shuttle through tubing by means of standard oilfield wireline, rod, or coiled tubing technology.

• Last Word

  Are companies overburdening themselves with in-house specs?