Ever the dilemma for those probing the frontiers of depth and temperature, a reliable downhole power supply may be in the offing. An increasing percentage of production, particularly natural gas production,... more

Openhole expandable liner systems prevent loss of hole size in sidetracking operations. The evolution of solid expandable tubular systems is reflected in technical enhancements and broadening use. The basic principle of... more

New drilling system combines a high-power motor with high-speed rotary closed-loop steering technology to expand the drilling envelope. Since their introduction in the late 1990s, rotary closed-loop steering (RCLS) systems have... more

Controlled-source electromagnetic imaging offers a new remote-sensing capability. Every once in a while, a new technology emerges that dramatically improves our ability to remotely sense the world around us. A familiar... more

Advances in deepwater data acquisition improve subsalt imaging. Today, some of the highest-profile targets in the Gulf of Mexico are in deepwater basins beneath complex salt masses. As such, exploration and... more

Allowing computers to do more of the legwork in exploration can increase subsurface understanding. Automation has dramatically redefined the economics and productivity levels across many industries, including manufacturing, automotive, airlines, pharmaceuticals... more

The recently concluded SEG Annual Meeting provided some insight into the cutting edge of geo-technology. A distinguished panel addressed new developments in the exploration of inner-space. A real "mover and shaker,"... more

A new onboard vessel/riser drift-off simulation for dynamically positioned drillships reduces risk and waiting-on-weather time. DP drilling operations have been conducted for about 30 years now, with significant advances in equipment... more

With spars taking their place as one of the most popular floating production systems in recent times, new designs are making their debuts. Although hydrodynamically similar to the truss spar,... more

Pre-spending asset-team models point to correct development decisions. In today's global business environment, exploration and production (E&P) asset teams are making increasingly challenging and costly decisions earlier in the life cycle... more

Everyone agrees that the best way to deal with sand is to keep it in the formation, but when sand eludes our best efforts to contain it, it must be... more

Technological leaders will be prepared for top investment return opportunities. One of the three pillars of economic growth in today's world, according to the World Economic Forum, is technological readiness. In... more

The wall thickness of coiled tubing (CT) is often diminished during its life because of corrosion due to acid and rust, erosion and abrasion with wellbore tubulars. The Argus CT... more

The StarStroker, developed by Star Oil Tools, Inc., has been designed to provide a large retrieving force on a pulling or fishing tool engaged with an object (fish) in the... more

EnCana Corporation has appointed Randall K. Eresman president and chief executive officer and director of EnCana Corporation. Edward T. Shonsey has been appointed chief executive officer, on an interim basis,... more

Optimize workflows to maximize new technologies. Few exploration and production (E&P) companies come close to high utilization of the state-of-the-art digital technologies, data and people in which they have invested so... more

The military is using technology intended for oil and gas exploration to find the bad guys. What goes around comes around - after World War I, folks who had used seismic... more

This is the final column in a six-part series on drilling practices and improvement based on an industry study by James Miller & Co. Why do upstream organizations have such a... more

In a normal world, prices generally reflect supply/demand drivers - scarce supplies plus high demand equals premium prices. But who said the world of the oil producer is normal? In fact,... more

I/O introduces FireFly FireFly is Input/Output's newest addition to its land acquisition line-up. FireFly combines proven wireless communication, data storage and power technologies in a seismic acquisition system architecture capable of... more

New pump concept based on a sphere has the highest displacement-to-size ratio of any positive displacement pump. It's a pretty safe bet that you have not seen anything like the Weatherbee... more

You will find a new feature in next month's edition - the first of a continuing series of articles covering some fascinating aspect of our industry's history. The first article... more

BGP enters marine market BGP, the world's largest land seismic contractor, is entering the deepwater marine seismic market. The company has purchased a factory stern trawler, which will be converted into... more

Operators and service companies move toward partnership arrangements for mutual benefits. With oilfield products and services costing the industry as much as US $200 billion annually, upstream companies continue to press... more

Papua New Guinea lowers its taxes to attract foreign investors. Papua New Guinea (PNG) needs new exploration badly enough that it opened its pockets to draw international money to its underexplored... more

A couple of decades ago upstream technical disciplines worked in silos. Many things were overlooked because people were narrowly focused. Sedimentologists looked at depositional characteristics and ignored fractures. Petroleum engineers... more

Russia has more oil and gas reserves than anyone, perhaps even more than mighty Saudi Arabia, but getting it out of the ground and into the export line has proved... more