E&P Magazine - August 2020
Digital
In the August issue, the cover story focuses on production best practices. Shutting in an oil and gas well is routine, as is restarting it. What is anything but routine is leaving the well shut in for a prolonged period while grappling with a pandemic-fueled global economic recession that clobbers both market price and demand with no end in sight. But what is known right now are the best practices the industry can employ during this time to prepare wells for the upcoming recovery.
In addition:
- The World View highlights an interview with ConocoPhillips CTO Greg Leveille, who explains why now is the best time to ramp up new technology efforts.
- Our Executive Q&A dives into a conversation with Lem Smith, API's new VP of upstream policy, about the association's role in today’s challenging energy sector.
- The Regional Report focuses on Europe. Has the pandemic battered Europe’s upstream sector? As operators scale back production and spending, exploration and appraisal drilling activity in the region has taken a massive hit.
- This month's features cover geomechanics, MWD/LWD, diverters, artificial lift, and mooring and riser technologies.
With this August edition, you may notice a few changes in the “look and feel” of our design—different grids, more graphics and more “plus” signs. These are precursors to even BIGGER changes next month. Starting in September, the new E&P Plus will deliver the exploration- and operations-oriented content you expect, plus much more affecting the work of technical, engineering and operations professionals.
As I See It
From E&P Executive Editor: Embracing Change
New ideas bring growth and promise of a brighter future.
Cover Story
Are You Ready for the Recovery?
Maintenance of shut-in oil and gas wells will mean a lot when they restart.
Executive Q&A
E&P Executive Q&A: New API Upstream VP Talks Today’s Challenging Energy Sector
Lem Smith, who was named as vice president of upstream policy for API in May, discusses the oil and gas association’s role amid the current energy climate.
Waterborne Crude: Setting a New Benchmark
The Harold Hamm-led American Gulfcoast Select is the first new crude benchmark since 2010, designed to more accurately price U.S. liquids being exported by tanker. Will it provide the value uplift as hoped?
World View
PATH FORWARD: ConocoPhillips CTO on New Technologies Amid Industry Downturn
Greg Leveille, CTO at ConocoPhillips, explains why now is the best time for oil and gas companies to ramp up new technology efforts.
Industry Pulse
E&P Industry Pulse: Locating Relevant External Technologies to Help Save R&D Budgets
Many technologies developed for applications in other industries also have compelling uses in the oil and gas industry.
Digital Solutions
E&P Digital Solutions: Digital Twins are Empowering Operations in Oil and Gas
New advances and approaches are driving new benefits.
Features
E&P Completions: Expanding the Scope of Particulate Diversion
New materials and data tools are delivering solutions for new challenges across every segment of the oil and gas industry.
E&P Completions: Improving Diverter Effectiveness through Lateral Characterization and Near-Wellbore Modeling
Adapting diverter designs on a stage-by-stage basis to account for variations in rock properties can vastly improve diversion effectiveness.
E&P Drilling: 3D Inversion of Ultradeep Electromagnetic Data
A 3D inversion of ultradeep EM data provides a useful tool for identifying a change in resistivity all around the borehole.
E&P Drilling: Another Perspective on Stoneley-Derived Permeability in Clastic Reservoirs
Standoff enhanced Stoneley measurements are applied for continuous permeability using LWD azimuthal acoustic data.
E&P Exploration: Geomechanical Modeling Increases Well Delivery Success in India
A better understanding of earth stresses resulted in a dramatic reduction in wellbore instability-related drilling events and NPT for the operator.
E&P Exploration: Planning the Most Productive Well Path
A computational approach to well trajectory planning promises significant time savings for determining an optimal well that also satisfies drilling constraints.
E&P Offshore: Delivering Sustainable Execution Model for Reducing Emissions
Carbon footprint evaluation for offshore wind installation finds material selection and stakeholder alliances keys to success.
E&P Offshore: Improving Mooring Reliability Through Risk-based Monitoring and Inspection
Marine technology is advancing rapidly to improve simulations, monitoring, weather forecasting, inspections and digitalization needed for safer mooring systems.
E&P Production: Assessing Wellbore Tortuosity for Improved Production
High-density datalogs helped an operator determine the root cause of tubing buckling and improved production equipment placement.
E&P Production: New Jet Pump Design Delivers Increased Reliability and Lower Cost of Ownership
Powered by surface pumps, a new pump design harnesses the momentum of one fluid to move another fluid.
Regional Report
E&P Regional Report: Has the Pandemic Battered Europe’s Upstream Sector?
As oil and gas operators scale back production and spending, exploration and appraisal drilling activity in the region has taken a massive hit.
Tech Watch
E&P Tech Watch: The Promise of Smart Water for EOR in Carbonate Reservoirs
Researchers confirm the importance of the physicochemical properties of crude oil in determining the effectiveness of smart water to improve oil recovery.
Tech Trends
E&P Tech Trends: New Weatherford Wellhead System; High-speed, Multiwell, Zipper Frac Completions; More
Check out the latest products and services for the upstream oil and gas industry including th new Velox wellhead system by Weatherford for operators needing to lock in pressure integrity while enhancing safety and improving efficiency.
Activity Highlights
E&P: August 2020 International Drilling Activity Highlights
Check out the latest oil and gas drilling activity highlights from around the world featured in the August issue of E&P including Equinor’s discovery of a potentially large oil reservoir offshore Canada’s Flemish Pass plus an Alaska wildcat on the North Slope reported by 88 Energy.
On The Move
On the Move
Promotions, new hires and the latest company news
Last Word
E&P Last Word: Scaling Energy-centric Digital Solutions Will Reap Rewards
The energy industry must embrace the power of scaling digital solutions to meet its net zero ambitions.