Issue: October 1998

Free Trial

Special Focus

46th annual Reed rig census

Seven-page report with tables and figures summarizes major annual survey of U.S. drilling contractor fleet status and key indicators

Back to the future in silicate drilling fluids

Drilling fluids originally conceived in the 1930s are being reformulated under an industry collaboration to control heaving shale problems

Glycol-enhanced mud is used to drill an extended reach well off California

Environmentally safe, low-cost fluid provided stability/ lubricity and countered differential sticking in a long, high-angle section

How to reduce drillstring fatigue failures in a corrosive environment

Use of an appropriate bottomhole assembly and properly treated drilling fluid can help reduce stress corrosion fatigue cracking

New drilling technologies optimize North Slope wells

How ARCO/BP's Shared Services Drilling team joined forces with North Slope contractors to improve drilling of record horizontal sections

Features

Design, operation of acid gas injection/ disposal wells

Technical considerations/ recommendations for design and completion of injection wells to dispose of waste gas from sweetening plants

Harding field: A North Sea success story Correction:

Revised figure and acknowledgment for Harding field: A North Sea success story, Pt. 6, September 1998

Predicting the value of 3-D seismic before it is shot

Methods are given for estimating impact on probability of scientific success and net present value in advance of a proposed seismic program

Real time automation optimizes production economics in Oman

Petroleum Development Oman's on-line automation system monitors well data and controls gas lift and beam/ electric submersible pump operations

Water-soluble perforation ball sealers cut completion time and cost

A new water-soluble ball sealer has been developed as a substitute for conventional ball sealers in certain types of stimulation jobs

Special Report

Mobile offshore production units '98

World Oil's annual listing of the 125-unit world MOPU fleet shows ownership, typical photographs and performance data for FPSOs, semi- submersibles, jackups and barges, excluding storage/ offloading vessels

Departments

New equipment

New literature

Columns

Comment

Some thoughts, quotes and comments re Billy Jeff, Ozone, etc.

Editorial Comment

Industry sponsors one-sided environmental platform at Norway's ONS '98

International

UK tax hike review tabled; Not-so-good predictions for oil prices

Oil and gas in Washington

Industry supports OCS revenue sharing; Oil Pollution Act becomes effective

What's happening in drilling

Training helps solve drilling challenges; New Amoco drill-test facility

What's happening in exploration

Seismic crew counts, vessel building are up, despite falling crude prices

What's happening in production

New subsea completion systems; Barrett's problem/ bonanza at Cave Gulch

What's happening offshore

Technology turns green at ONS; GOM deep water and sub-salt shine

News & Resources

Companies in the news

Industry at a glance

October 1998 Vol. 219 No. 10 Industry Stats International Geophysical Activity T

Looking ahead