A seabed system is working to take both measurements at the same time.

A dual pressure/temperature trigger APB solution tackles extreme conditions in wells drilled in water depths greater than 1,600 ft.

New directional drilling control software alleviates problems commonly associated with slide drilling.

Hydraulically expandable tubular systems are delivering real improvements in well design and integrity, providing more flexibility for North Sea operators. The range of possibilities for new expandable solutions applies to deep, slimhole wells and extended reach horizontal wells in workover or repair stages.

Subsea gas-liquid separation coupled with liquid boosting can be an effective means of oil reservoir exploitation. Examples from several recent projects — including Pazflor, BC-10, and Perdido — demonstrate that recovery can be improved considerably more than with just boosting alone, while adding only limited incremental costs.

Helping the needy is not a fair-weather activity. One small independent is attempting to aid the communities in which it operates despite current hard times.

Successful production begins with the perfect perforation. A new 7-in. gun — the first perf gun rated to 30,000 psi — promises to lower the risks associated with perforating the world’s deepest wells in the burgeoning ultra-deepwater arena.

As operators limit drilling due to budget constraints they are seeking ways to increase production from existing wells. One good question, then, might be what new methods for increasing production have come online since the last petroleum industry downturn?

Investment in technology during the downturn is laying the foundation that will be necessary for the industry to move into challenging frontiers when the investment climate improves.

Changes in asphaltene concentration over time can lead to increased fouling of machinery and pipelines and decreased production. A new sensor technology called Micro-ESR can rapidly and unambiguously detect the presence and concentration of asphaltenes in crude oil, online and onsite, where it counts.

Tech trends for April. 

There simply is no realistic plan afoot in the political community to address the faltering global economy.

While encouraged to develop alternate sources of petroleum outside of the Middle East, US companies and even individuals are judged by the first-world standards of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 and may become subject to its civil and criminal penalties.

Think transfers are tough now? Here’s one woman’s account of following her husband around the oilpatch in the mid-20th century.

This article is the second in a two-part series that examines the status of engineering companies in the oil and gas industry, where they have been, and where they are going in a time of tremendous change. The first article was published as “Another Perspective” in the March issue of E&P.

The Somali autonomous area of Somaliland launched its first licensing round in February 2009, offering nearly 36,000 sq miles (90,000 sq km) of onshore and offshore blocks.

Who's going where in the upstream sector. 

A close look at past economic and commodity pricing cycles reveals light at the end of the tunnel. We may be more than halfway through the current downturn.