E&P Magazine - August 2011

As I See It

Safety Takes A Step Forward

Safety has long been a priority for the global oil and gas industry, but it moved onto center stage nationally in the US following the Macondo incident in the Gulf of Mexico.

Cover Story

Friends Or Foes ?

The changing role of NOCs means IOCs must leverage their expertise to access new reserves.

Exploration Technologies

RTM Aids In Earthquake Study

Repsol’s Kaleidoscope project is being tapped to increase understanding of tectonic movement.

Drilling Technologies

Is The ‘Old School’ Still The Only School?

With the rapid pace at which shale plays are being brought online in North America, can conventional tools keep up with the pace?

Completions and Production

Technology Tidies Up EOR’s Act

Commercialization of next-generation solutions shows a cleaner way ahead.

Digital Solutions

G&G Software Accelerates User Productivity

A new knowledge environment focuses on the human interface to improve user efficiency and advance corporate knowledge capture.

SAP Application Executes More Data Loads In Less Time

New user-friendly tool eases data transfer.

Features

AUVs Take On Pipeline Inspection

Advanced technology enables the world’s longest multisensor AUV pipeline inspection.

Chrome-Free WBM A Viable Option For Ultra-HP/HT Applications

Engineering drilling fluids for ultra HP/HT applications, particularly in sensitive ecosystems, can be a daunting proposition.

Digital Rock Physics Provides New Insight Into Shale Reservoir Quality

Advanced imaging, rigorous physics, and high-speed computation combine to reveal reservoir properties of organic-rich shales.

Enterprise Risk Management Evolves To Take On Global Business

Companies that want to gain a competitive advantage must move beyond mere compliance-related activities to improve their ability to manage risk.

Feeding Time For The Asian Tiger

SE Asia’s hunger for gas spurs upsurge in E&P activity and spending.

From Seismic Data To Prospect Identification And Drilling Models

Often, operating companies ask for seismic data, but one company can deliver more.

International Highlights

Repsol Sinopec and partners Statoil and Petrobras have made an ultra-deepwater oil discovery in the presalt Campos basin.

Investment Resurgence Buoys ROV Market

Demand growth will be strongest in North America, Africa, and Latin America.

Midcontinent’s Granite Wash Has True Grit

A revival in the Anadarko basin has awakened a geologically challenging, liquids-prolific tight sands resource play.

New Approach Takes Health, Safety Intervention To A New Level Offshore

Understanding the factors that influence human behavior create a safer work environment.

Pump Up The Volume

Nothing is artificial about ESP technology’s ability to enhance production.

Real-Time Whirl Detector Improves RSS Reliability, Drilling Efficiency

New tool addresses need to detect and control backward whirl to mitigate downhole drilling risks.

The Business Case For A New Leadership Paradigm

Industry executives must lead the push to regain the public’s trust.

Unconventional Energy Matters

Informed by more than 40 years in the energy industry, investment banker Thomas A. Petrie looks forward to what the future holds for the oil and gas industry.

Unconventional Resources Benefit From Custom Chemical Regimes

Frac fluid designed in play-specific programs can increase operations throughout the life-of-well cycle.

Understanding Shale Fractures Leads To Better Production, Lower Cost

DFN simulation is shedding new light on natural and hydraulic fracture systems.

Tech Watch

New Production Profile Predictor Method Determines Well Performance

Current technologies that measure downhole fluid rates all suffer from a fluids fall-back problem in addition to inherent inaccuracies. A new approach eliminates these problems and the measurement costs.

Tech Trends

Tech Trends

Built on the Schlumberger REDA Hotline550 electrical submersible pump (ESP) system, the REDA HotlineSA3 high-temperature ESP system incorporates a newly integrated design that effectively extends the ESP operating envelope and run life.

Last Word

Getting To ‘Yes’ On Shale Gas

US shale gas reserves are enormous, but development hinges on resolving environmental concerns.

Activity Spotlight

Queensland Coal-Seam Gas Heats Up LNG Competition

Queensland would become the third Australian state after Western Australia and Northern Territory to be a major LNG supplier.

Management Report

Maximize business efficiency through all-encompassing Processes

Traditional management systems struggle to deal effectively with the complexities of global oil and gas operations. A new approach gives companies an edge.