E&P Magazine - April 2005
As I See It
International partners lift technology
Alliance of nations' targets needed oilfield technology for development and application.
International partners lift technology
Alliance of nations' targets needed oilfield technology for development and application.
Safeguard offshore platforms
Simple techniques can provide better security for offshore drilling and production platforms.
Cover Story
Fight the right battles
In the good old days life in the upstream oilpatch must have been a lot simpler.
Drilling Technologies
Match up the oilpatch odd couple
The second article in a six-part article on drilling practices based on a study by James Miller & Co. looks at relationships.
Completions and Production
New jet perforator dominates
When you want performance from your perforating charges, go to the people who wrote the book on making holes in tough targets.
Scale removal in Polish Permian Basin
A Polish operator has completed a safe and successful CT underreaming campaign, removing tough iron sulfide scale in BMB field wells under HT/HP conditions.
Special Report
Digital seismic streamer launched
San Jose, Calif.-based Geometrics Inc. has introduced the GeoEel, a 24-bit digital seismic streamer.
NMR LWD tool is user-friendly
To the operators who wish to quantify and characterize all the fluids in their reservoirs, Inteq offers MagTrak, a new service based on magnetic resonance excitation of hydrogen.
Service solves sand problem
A new through-tubing sand control service from Halliburton solves the problem of controlling poorly consolidated formations in brownfield developments.
System offers real-time data access
Closing the gap between users, their applications and the data they rely on is the objective of any data management system.
Features
Tunisia seeks oil and gas finders
A group of explorers hit the Dalia-1 well on their Adam Concession for approximately 3,600 b/d of oil and 65 MMcf/d of gas. It went onstream at an average flow rate of 2,000 b/d.
That's the recent example officials of Tunisian state oil company Etap like to point to when they're illustrating the potential of the country.
Tech Watch
Different perspectives
Your perspective depends on where you've been, where you are and where you're going.
Tech Trends
Systems support digital oil field
The right processes work with sensors and computers to make the digital oil field effective.
Activity Highlights
The Jury's still out
We have made some strides toward cleaning up the image of our industry of late - not nearly enough, but some.
Activity Spotlight
DNV saves old rigs
Individual contractors have their own rules that tell them when to give up on deteriorating rigs regardless of age, but until now, no consistent rules have been available for the industry.
Another Perspective
Advanced analysis improves platforms
Today's engineer uses highly sophisticated tools to make better, more informed decisions.
Avoiding lost circulation
Deepwater drilling has brought the problems and associated costs of lost circulation (LC) to new levels...
The problem of lost circulation (LC) became apparent in the early history of the drilling industry and was magnified considerably when operators began drilling deeper wells and through depleted formations. The industry spends millions of dollars a year to combat LC and the detrimental effects it propagates, such as loss of rig time, stuck pipe, side-tracks, blowouts and, occasionally, the abandonment of expensive wells. It is estimated that LC costs the industry about US $800 million per year, while the LC products could represent as much as $200 million.
Drill a bit deeper
The search for oil and gas reserves is going into deeper and deeper waters, due largely to improvements in knowledge, equipment and techniques.
Formation testing in HP/HT wells
Reliable pressure data and sampling are now easier to acquire in hostile conditions.
How long have you got?
Heat-transfer simulations estimate flow line cool down for SEPCo.
Lifting, seabed boosting pay off
Subsea well productivity is benefiting from a fully engineered approach using innovative artificial lift combinations, particularly in deepwater developments.
Living with long-distance tiebacks
If offshore hydrocarbon deposits are to be tapped without surface facilities, then operators need a subsea production system that sometimes includes a long-distance subsea tieback.
Logging system enhances efficiency
New triple- and quad-combo logging tools are providing more measurements faster.
New system attacks drilling risk
Heralding a "New age of drilling," a complete new series of LWD tools has been introduced that should take a major cut out of drilling risk, particularly in deep water.
Plinths cut platform costs
An offshore operator added pedestals to jackets to take them to deeper water.
Seaquest
When science crosses public/private sector boundaries, good things can happen.
World Map
The next Michel Halbouty?
A recent forum echoes a cry for exploration blood at the top of the food chain.