E&P Magazine - May 2013
As I See It
Golf, anyone?
Water will be cleaner and golf courses greener thanks to water management technology.
Cover Story
Majors drive search for solutions to deepwater challenge
Deepwater represents the future for the offshore sector – a fact that has been known for a decade or more. Every step taken further into the deep reveals new challenges and increased risks, but the majors leading the way appear to be singing from the same hymn sheet.
Thermal insulation advances are key to plumbing the depths
As exploration and drilling activities go deeper, the need for dependable and efficient thermal insulation is becoming paramount for deepwater and ultra-deepwater developments.
Understanding the challenge of manufacturing deepwater line pipe
Stringent deepwater requirements mean that line-pipe manufacturers must not only produce small-diameter, thick-walled pipe that can cope with demanding design requirements but do so in a commercially viable production environment.
Exploration Technologies
Planets align for local symposium
Honoree, speakers, and topic combine to give a kick to the 2013 GSH Spring Symposium.
Drilling Technologies
Operators see decades-long promise of unconventional plays
A panel of experts at the DUG Permian conference tackled the technology needed to advance drilling and completion efforts.
Completions and Production
Carnival comes to the presalt
A risk management group invites the industry to work on a standard for pipelines in extremely deep water.
Offshore Advances
Twilight years for a tired fleet
With offshore markets experiencing the biggest wave of newbuild rig orders in more than 20 years, it also increasingly means the end of the line for a growing number of ‘legacy’ rigs.
Digital Solutions
Bringing transportation management to the oil and gas industry
Demand for domestic drilling services drives need for smarter fleet management.
Unconventionals require nontraditional workflows
Subtle heterogeneities in unconventional plays require the use of rigorous processing, imaging, inversion, interpretation, and reservoir modeling.
Features
2013 Meritorious Awards for Engineering Innovation
An expert panel of judges has selected the top 10 industry projects that open new and better avenues to the complicated process of finding and producing hydrocarbons around the world.
A day in the life of a barrel of water
Energized solutions in hydraulic fracturing can help operators save water and see performance improvements.
Collaborative efforts turn technical challenges into successes
Tight formations and HP/HT are just two of the many challenges that ultra-deepwater producers will face in the future that will require collaboration to solve.
Deepwater revival on horizon for GoM
Major deepwater oil discoveries attract operators to the region once again, with a renewed focus placed on the increased use of technology as plays become deeper and more challenging.
Full speed ahead for Brazilian FPSO vessels
Oil production in 2013 will start to catch up to exploration successes in the ultra-deepwater presalt off the coast of Brazil.
Growing grounds for optimism in UK waters
With the UK offshore sector set for a period of record investment, one of the country’s leading oil industry figures says optimism remains strong for the industry going forward, both in its home waters and abroad.
Implications and applications for petroleum systems modeling
Proper analysis of petroleum systems aids in finding oil and gas and avoiding drilling hazards.
Legal implications of an independent Scotland
The country’s independence could result in a host of issues facing the offshore oil and gas industry.
LWD data allow evaluation of producible zones offshore Brazil
Advanced formation evaluation measurements lead to improved understanding of mineralogy and fluid composition in carbonate reservoirs.
LWD fluid analysis sampling, testing reduces development risk
Flow-assurance designs depend on high-quality PVT data. New sensor technologies improve the understanding of the hydrocarbon PVT properties.
LWD formation testing improves evaluation efficiency
A new LWD formation tester allowed an operator in Gabon to move its entire formation evaluation program to an LWD platform, reducing rig time and improving hole placement.
Majors’ deepwater push is a force for change
The technical and logistical challenges facing the marine construction business are mounting by the day, but they have the potential to drive significant change in the capabilities of the equipment available in the market.
Mobile separation technology delivers high-volume water recycling
Shale operators have a new onsite tool in their water management toolbox that uses vibration membrane technology to recycle wastewater.
New kids on the block shake up subsea construction market
An emerging fleet of new and capable players is challenging the status quo.
Saving water in the oil sands
Using less water in SAGD operations benefits the environment – and the bottom line.
Searching for the right mix of ‘shale’ and water
Operators are finding solutions to their water management challenges in US shale plays.
Setting course for a polar-class drillship
Risk- and scenario-based design concept projects will progress best through cooperative efforts.
Taking a geological approach to regional exploration
Acquiring seismic data with an eye toward geology and combining it with nonseismic measurements brings new understanding to frontier areas.
The Niobrara brings big numbers to Colorado
Operators in the Colorado Niobrara find success, with the state seeing the effect in higher oil production numbers for 2012.
Unique MWD system designed for drilling unconventional wells
The key to providing a solution for land-based unconventional drilling operations is a system that meets the needs of the customer from a measurement and reliability standpoint and also has a very low cost of ownership.
Tech Watch
Making rigs wireless
Wireless high-speed networks move with oilfield equipment to enable communication and connections regardless of the location or terrain.
Tech Trends
Activity Highlights
On The Move
Industry Impact
Active-set cement system can automatically seal leak paths
Technology’s self-healing properties react with hydrocarbon flow to reestablish well integrity.
Management Report
Knowledge layer is next ‘big innovation’
The upstream industry is losing knowledge every day. A new approach helps operators capture knowledge and build adaptive advisory systems.