E&P Magazine - November 2006
As I See It
Don't stand still for bribery requests
Producing companies, organizations find six ways to avoid paying bribes.
Cover Story
Fourth and three
A game at Louisiana State University's (LSU) Tiger Stadium is never a tame thing. It is a close stadium with the seats rising at a sharp angle.
Drilling Technologies
Deep-well skill is still too shallow
The industry has a long way to go before ultradeep onshore drilling becomes routine.
Completions and Production
Increase ROP with PID
Particle impact drilling promises to dramatically increase rate of penetration in hard formations and make more oil and gas bearing formations economically viable.
Special Report
New system boasts enhancements
Input/Output (I/O) has introduced Scorpion, the most recent addition to the portfolio of I/O recording systems.
Remote pressure management provides expert well analysis
Inteq and Knowledge Systems have introduced the BEACON Remote Pressure Management (RPM) service.
Subsurface imaging tool improves quality
An intensive research and development collaboration between Hydro and ffA has achieved a step change in the quality of subsurface images available to geoscientists, well planners and reservoir engineers.
Features
Explorers stalk New Zealand
Great South Basin offers promise for gas and oil recovery.
Options grow for cementless isolation
A versatile mechanical zone isolation packer offers a capable and cost-effective alternative to cementing and perforating.
Tech Watch
Innovation meets practicality
Small jumps in technology can cover great distances over time.
Tech Trends
The Intelligent Oil Field: People and Process
To realize the value of an Intelligent Oil Field program, there must be a balance of three pillars in a transformational approach: People, Process, and Technology. Part Two of this three-part series focuses on the People and Process components.
Activity Highlights
Addicted to reason
"Hi, my name is [your name goes here], and I'm an oil addict."
Last Word
Making hole was hard work
"A good cable tool man is just about the most highly skilled worker you'll find. Besides having a feel for the job, knowing what's going on thousands of feet under the ground just from the movement of the cable, he's got to be something of a carpenter, a steam-fitter, an electrician, and a damned good mechanic. A cable tool driller knows more knots and splices than any six sailors you can find." - From a 1939 interview in "Voices from the Oilfield" by Paul Lambert and Kenny Franks
From the Petroleum Age, Vol. 3, No. 3 (September 2006), quarterly newsletter American Oil & Gas Historical Society (AOGHS), Washington, D.C.
Activity Spotlight
Club of Madrid sees crisis
More than 30 former government heads and 100 policy makers and scholars in the organization looked at trends in energy demand.
Costs trim drilling work
Increasing service and supply costs forces cutbacks.
EM companies fight in court
emgs has launched proceedings in the High Court for infringement.
Engineers transformed
Program started to bring more engineers into the subsea oil and gas industry.
Enhancing Bioturbation and Multi-Phase Upscaling Functions
New features include calculating multi-phase upscaling for bioturbation model, superimposing bioturbation to existing bioturbation Model, net-to-gross calculation presented alongside geometry grid in 3-D view and more.
Mergers and Acquisitions
M&A news on Fugro, Sercel, Vibtech and Geokinetics.
New service company formed
Wellbore cleanout tool rental/services business launched.
Purchase breaks retirement
C. Jim Stewart III comes out of retirement to take over Supreme Electrical Service and Supply Co.
Regulator wants fields back
ANP asks Petrolbras to return mature and inactive oil fields so they can be auctioned.
SCAN Geophysical and Fairfield work together
Scan Geophysical ASA and PT Fairfield Indonesia signed a Consortium Agreement that will allow the two companies to conduct joint 2-D and 3-D marine seismic operations in Indonesia.
UK gets rig work
The United Kingdom is back in the offshore rig building business.
Another Perspective
Analysis helps completion choices
Fluid characterization helps operators determine equipment needs.
Deep sea power energizes Total
Following an intensive 2-year study, Total has committed to installing two DC production control systems in its K5F field, offshore The Netherlands.
Deepwater HP/HT challenge design
As separate operational environments, deepwater and HP/HT present difficult problems. The combination is the "greatest technological and regulatory challenge to the oil and gas industry today."
Forward model wellbore pore pressures
Forward modeling of wellbore pore pressures is becoming established as a cost-effective method to reduce the incidence of pressure-related drilling problems.
HP/HT drives new connection designs
Extreme subsea completion requirements put the evolution of radically new connection designs on the fast track to commercial field use.
HP/HT means high differential stress
High pressure/high temperature wells encounter high temperature and pressure differentials. A total well approach to cement design can overcome these problems.
Partial monolayers emerge from mythology
Fracture stimulation treatments using ultra-lightweight proppants and slick brine
perform.
Pulsate to stimulate
Well stimulation causes production to bloom, if the well bore allows a clear treatment path.
Seeing with sound
Measurement of minute anisotropy in Mexico's Cuitlahuac field reveals that detailing anisotropy as small as 1% is a mega development in the areas of sonics and seismics.
The rock physics connection
An understanding of rock properties is critical when integrating CSEM data and seismic data.
Understanding leads to stability
Advanced geomechanical modeling helps mitigate borehole challenges in Shenzi field wells.
Win, place, flow works in Trinidad
Use of industry first ISO V0 certified gravel-pack/production packer wins "Trifecta," landing three high-rate, business-critical gas wells for BP.
International Spotlight
We live in interesting times
When business conditions are relatively stable, predicting the near future is easier.
World Map
The game of exploration
Buzz in if you know this one ... SEG's first 'Challenge Bowl' is a rousing success.