July 2012

• Argentina and Colombia are hot on the shale trail.

• Shale's ripple effect goes global

  Shale has been making the biggest noise heard in the oil and gas industry for some time, with North America's pioneering role to the fore. But a global picture is starting to emerge.

• Mediterranean hot with Eastern promise

  The Mediterranean Sea has been dramatically transformed from a region containing mostly incremental oil and gas reserves to one that is now recognized as a world-class gas basin.

• Curbing perception by telling the truth

  It is time to have an honest conversation with the environmentalists.

• Pore pressure monitoring optimizes deepwater wells

  Real-time monitoring calibrated the predrill model and enabled the drilling of a difficult well.

• M&A transaction risks can hamper growth

  Inorganic growth is an important goal for many companies. But like growth through the drill bit, transaction risks need to be managed.

• Launching the next decade of smart solutions

  As digital oilfield programs continue to gain momentum, the question now is what is next for one of the most innovative areas of the energy industry?

• It ain't over yet…

  The rig-building boom has seen a flood of new units arrive on the market. But the evidence is that this is the very minimum required to meet the world's unending thirst for fuel.

• Mitigating risk a competitive advantage, potential life-saver

  Security is often seen as a necessary but unwanted cost center and an obstruction to business overseas. But risk mitigation, a broader term, can save organizations a considerable amount of money, not to mention lives.

• Land technology surpasses expectations

  New acquisition system handles harsh environments.

• New sonic tool matches wireline data quality

  A LWD program using sonic tools provides a South American operator with high-quality data with real-time access.

• Speed, strength, and flexibility are key for offshore construction players

  The constant demand by operators for increased heavy lifting capacity along with the requirement for operations in greater water depths and remote locations is seeing the offshore construction vessel sector innovate like never before.

• Heavy-lift vessels tip the scales

  Newbuild offshore structures are increasing in number and size, creating a virgin market for giant heavy-lift vessels that can transport facilities or carry out offshore dry-docking on location.

• Logging the Martian oil well

  If a system can be automated to work in outer space, it can certainly save time and money on this planet.

• School is out, but Niobrara operators are still learning

  Although it is early days for the Niobrara, this liquids-rich Rocky Mountain play has operators and analysts abuzz.

• HP/HT logging challenges equipment

  E&P activity increasingly involves operations in HP/HT downhole conditions. Engineers are developing advanced designs and are using new materials to address these challenges.

• Meritorius Awards for Engeneering Innovation

• Low-impact seismic acquisition illuminates oil shale

  A man-portable weight-drop system proved useful in daunting topography.

• Technology aids fracturing success

  The growing emphasis on completion technology in North American E&P could be a double-edged sword.

• Value-driven strategy starts to deliver results

  Faced with declining reserves, Mexico's national oil company gets serious about exploration.

• We've got our work cut out for us

• Big data elevates the game

  New plays and more data multiply data management headaches. Integrated management systems provide some pain relief.

• Realizing the returns of an integrated control and monitoring architecture

  Advanced computing platforms enable service companies to run frac jobs at optimal efficiency.

• Simultaneous sources move offshore

  Long restricted to land acquisition, simultaneous source methodology has now been proven in a marine environment.

• What goes around comes around

  Finding new hydrocarbons in old fields is not a thing of the past.

• ESP startup takes new approach to US artificial lift market

  A new service provider chose a more engineered and operational strategy to set the foundation for its future growth.

• International Highlights

• On the move

• Light well intervention systems perk up maintenance market

  With older fields in areas like the North Sea requiring more field maintenance, purpose-built light well intervention vessels are designed to provide an alternative to using drilling rigs for workovers.

• Marine seismic technology surges ahead; new fixed cutter bits set record penetration rates

• Gas hydrates mapped using marine CSEM methods

  Marine CSEM surveys could offer a solution to the problem of quantitatively mapping gas hydrate.