E&P Magazine - September 2012
As I See It
Cover Story
AUTOMATION CONNECTS THE DOTS
Dehumanizing the more mundane or repetitive tasks within the drilling industry leaves humans to fully focus on the safety of the rig crew and the well bore.
Drilling automation tackles complex wells
Tight holes, lost circulation, and well control problems are being solved by turning control over to automated managed-pressure drilling systems.
Exploration Technologies
Does downhole injection cause earthquakes?
A joint workshop will study evidence for and against injection-induced seismicity – and what can be done to mitigate the problem.
Completions and Production
Plugging well requires on-the-fly creative thinking
Three new tools were custom-engineered during a riserless plugging and abandoning job in the Gulf of Mexico.
Digital Solutions
The data center of the future
Hybrid computing systems, remote visualization, and Cloud computing are changing the landscape.
Features
A material world
The oil and gas industry has traditionally been found wanting when it comes to spending enough money on R&D resources, but the importance of accessing academic brainpower has never been greater.
Balancing performance, cost, and environmental stewardship
Applying a comprehensive, standardized environmental assessment process to products enables hydraulic fracturing and more.
Blueprint aids microseismic frac monitoring in the Marcellus shale
Current passive seismic monitoring of hydraulic fracture operations puts the spotlight on the Marcellus shale.
Brazil poised for growth
The country will need to ramp up smoothly and efficiently to meet its ambitious goals.
Broadband drillstring system integrated for offshore ERD wells
The first commercial deployment of a full set of annular pressure measurement assemblies provided learning for optimal placement within a tight stability-fracture window.
Creating success in Brazil’s presalt fields
Opportunities abound offshore Brazil, but foreign investors need to have a solid plan in place.
Deepwater oil potential puts offshore Nova Scotia on radar
As the Canadian province’s largest call for bids in terms of acreage nears its due date, offshore Nova Scotia stands as an attractive oil and gas region with significant untapped petroleum resources.
Effective document control is key to capital project success
Successful processes can allocate risk and control a project’s value chain.
Giddings comes full circle
The Austin Chalk served as the stage for the birth of modern horizontal drilling. It may be time for Act II.
Gingrich Bullish On Energy
Conservative thought leader Newt Gingrich explores how much the federal government would gain by partnering with the energy industry, and he taps an expert uniquely positioned to answer.
Managing a remote, complex, deepwater wildcat
Thorough planning and effective project management enabled the successful drilling of a deviated deepwater wildcat exploration well in challenging subsurface conditions hundreds of kilometers from the nearest analog well
MEOR improves oil and gas recovery
The use of microbes rather than chemicals brings many benefits.
Microseismic data illuminate fractures in the Montney
High-quality data reveal fracture orientation and intensity.
New casing bit debuts in GoM subsalt drilling
Reaming-with-liner gains new ground with high-drillability PDC casing bit.
New GIS Feature, Analytics Make Mapping More Actionable
Database brings all land analytics into strategy maps, including surface, mineral, and seismic depth dimensions.
Next-generation tool maximizes productivity in ERD wells
New geosteering approach allows model updates on the fly.
RFID evolves operations, creates ROI
Identification system replaces paper-based maintenance and compliance record-keeping with real-time visibility and automated processes.
Tomorrow’s challenges require an integrated approach
Solving complex problems will require collaboration between industry, academia, and government.
Utica oozes oil with production slowly ramping up
With three defined hydrocarbon windows in eastern Ohio and northwestern Pennsylvania, the Utica/Point Pleasant play is drawing rave comparisons to the South Texas Eagle Ford shale.
Water management removes obstacles, improves efficiency
A well-executed wellsite water plan increases production and profits.
Tech Watch
Five ways modeling can improve efficiencies in hot plays
Solutions drive improved enterprise performance in oil and gas.
Tech Trends
Activity Highlights
On The Move
Last Word
Constructive engagement on tax now delivering in UK
Billions of dollars of future investment could flow from latest government initiatives.
Activity Spotlight
Gulf of Mexico Hits Acquisition Trifecta
Nearly $7 billion in three Gulf of Mexico transactions signals growing demand for oil services in a major regional transformation.