E&P Magazine - May 2011
As I See It
Getting back to business in the GoM
OTC 2010 was somber – the industry stunned by an accident nobody thought could happen.
Cover Story
Deepwater Raises The Bar For Technology
As the industry looks at the challenges presented by deepwater operations, it is apparent that in many cases today’s challenges are very much like those of the past few decades.
Exploration Technologies
It Is Time To Disrupt The Status Quo
TerraSpark has grown from a small R&D outfit to a software solutions provider ready to show the industry what it can do.
Drilling Technologies
Unconventional Well Construction Moves To Poland
Activity is heating up in Poland’s Baltic Basin.
Completions and Production
Bugs, bacteria join the battle
There are several potential solutions worth investigating to stop the freezing process without the use of chemicals.
Digital Solutions
Collaboration Is Key Enabler In Russia’s Oil, Gas Field Efficiency
Working with IBM and a Russian university, Gazprom Neft-NTTS hopes to advance the digital oilfield concept.
GPUs Prove Their Worth In Seismic Interpretation
Seismic interpreters are encountering record-breaking performance by using GPUs for interactive computation and rendering.
Features
Close Observation Improves Drilling Performance
Drilling performance is paramount when operating in challenging deepwater environments. Data gathering and up-close observation of the processes involved in drilling a well can raise benchmarks on a fleet-wide basis.
Deep Water Ahead
Following a year of slow economic recovery, unstable price fluctuations, and damaging incidents in the GoM and China, the oil and gas industry is predicting healthy investment in new exploration and market opportunities over the next 12 months.
Failed Waterflood Effort Provides Lessons Learned
Beware of analogous fields – testing in a New Mexico field indicated that one field would not perform as well as its neighbors.
Focusing On Brazil’s E&P Potential
While opportunities in Brazil are compelling, there are project development and execution risks.
Horn River Is A Play For The Ages
Activity in the Horn River Basin is slow due to low gas prices. But a change in market economics could turn this play into a barnburner.
Judges Choose Top 11 Industry Projects
E&P announces this year's winners.
Looking Long Term: One Year On For The Gulf Of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico’s oil and gas industry has been the most written about, talked about, and misunderstood business on the planet for the past year. But as the cliché goes – a year is a long time in politics, business, and, in this case, the world of upstream oil and gas.
Multiple Measurements Lead To Singular Insight
Combining a variety of geophysical measurements gets operators closer to the final answer.
New Discoveries Bring New Challenges Offshore Brazil
As exploration efforts continue to find additional presalt reserves, R&D dollars are pouring into technology development that will allow safe and efficient production.
New Operator Takes The Stage In Brazil
After only a year and a half of operations, OGX is expecting the arrival of its first FPSO in July 2011 and plans to begin production by August, with a year-end production goal of 20,000 b/d.
New Technologies Enhance Water, Sand Management
Swellable packers and ICDs currently are providing significant benefits and greater diversity than ever before in sand and water control.
New Ultra-Deepwater Design Boasts Capacity, Advanced Automation
As offshore exploration goes deeper, newer designs focus on increased storage for fuel and equipment and increased automation.
New Water Treatment Technology Minimizes Offshore Footprint, Costs
The ability to reliably and cost-efficiently manage water associated with offshore production could be the difference between successful and marginal operations.
Predicting Brazil's Presalt Wealth
The country’s presalt regulatory framework might be the key to success.
Reservoir Simulation, History Matching Extend Reservoir Life
The right combination of technologies can shorten development cycles, increase production, and extend reservoir life.
The Potential Of Potential Fields
A high-resolution airborne magnetic survey will serve as a reconnaissance tool to high-grade prospects offshore Uruguay.
Together, We Can Speak Volumes
Trade associations can accomplish what individual member companies cannot – a substantive, united voice.
Tech Trends
CSEM Identifies New Prospectivity In An Explored Basin
Electromagnetic data bring a fresh look to an old field.
Activity Spotlight
Halliburton’s Probert: “Green” Fracturing Technology Will Help Energy Industry Meet Demand
To do its part to satisfy the global hunger for energy, the oil and gas industry must gain public confidence through the use of new and improved technologies.
Mexico Calls For E&P Service Contracts
For the first time in more than 70 years, private companies will have the opportunity to operate in Mexico.
Management Report
Benchmark Survey Reveals Looming Talent Shortage
A survey of the oil and gas industry uncovers the strategic importance of technical talent and forecasts a large mid-decade loss of experienced petrotechnical professionals.