Issue: March 2001

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Special Focus

Controlled-pressure drilling system proved offshore UK

A 5,000-psi system has been developed to address the trend toward using underbalanced drilling to develop virgin or higher-pressured reservoirs

Deepwater drilling with lightweight fluids

Field trials of new equipment for employing UBD techniques on a floating rig have been completed successfully offshore Brazil

How to control surface and bottomhole pressure during UBD

Several methods are available for the simultaneous control of surface and bottomhole pressures in gas-charged or foam systems

IADC-UBO panel adopts underbalanced well classification

To promote safe, efficient underbalanced operations worldwide, an IADC committee has spent two years developing a well classification system

Features

Is scientific visualization a gimmick or a useful tool?

Compared to previous thinking, many professionals now believe that visualization technologies bring great benefits to well construction

New visualization technologies speed seismic interpretation

Companies are using hand-held and projection-type visualization tools to more effectively interrogate and interpret vast amounts of volumetric data

Regional Focus: Canada - Producers post record-shattering year

High prices and strong gas demand prompted Canadian operators to drill a record number of wells, a figure that they are likely to exceed in 2001

Well control during well intervention

Part 2 - Practical application of through-tubing well control is discussed for conditions requiring balanced well pressure at the surface

What's new in artificial lift

Part 1 – Fifteen new systems are featured in four categories of artificial lift: beam, progressing cavity, hydraulic pumping and gas lift

Special Report

About the Petroleum Technology Digest

Case studies for Independent Producers

Cementing products and additives

Fifteen pages of tables list available cement additives from seven service companies, their functions and trade names. Products are grouped into 15 functional categories, including basic cements and additives

Gel polymer treatments provide lasting production, economic benefits

Castle Resources Inc. performed gel polymer treatments on four Arbuckle Sand producers in its Vine A lease in the Solomon field in Ellis County, Kansas, during 1995.

Horizontal wells extend the Tulare Sands play in Belridge field, California

The Hopkins Fee in Belridge field had no production when Nuevo Energy Company purchased its interests in this field in Kern County, California, in 1996.

Petroleum Technology Digest

Special eight-page feature, prepared by World Oil and PTTC, presents four case history reports on recent drilling and production techniques that have been field-tested successfully

Pressure-activated sealant repairs casing leaks

Sustained casing pressure and fluid loss due to casing leaks are ongoing and expensive problems in older oil and gas fields.

Walking beam-operated compressor offers solution for wellhead compression

Using a walking beam-operated gas compressor, operators can increase production and reduce operating costs on rod-pumped wells by drawing gas and gas pressure from the casing to allow additional hydrocarbon flow.

Departments

New equipment

New literature

Columns

Editorial Comment

A dubious idea to “pay" for ANWR; Energy receives fewer U.S. benefits

International

Canadian firms are giddy with excitement about this year's upstream market

International Politics

Hugo Chávez centers Venezuelan policy on high prices without apology

What's happening in drilling

Offshore economics soar; U.S. needs OCS Sale 181; Lasers counter oil blowouts

What's happening in exploration

Worms can point to seafloor gas deposits; Largest GOM oil find confirmed

What's happening in production

Firms thrive on deep Californian gas; Anadarko's subsalt fields are onstream

What's happening offshore

Saudi, deepwater GOM shape investment future; White Rose development filed

News & Resources

Companies in the news

March 2001 Vol. 222 No. 3 Company News Apache closed its acquisition of Canadian properties from Phillips Petroleums Canadian affiliate. Proved res

Looking ahead

March 2001 Vol. 222 No. 3 Looking Ahead Oil firms projected 2001 budgets show increased E&P spending. Oil companies huge profits last year, especial

Oil country hot line

March 2001 Vol. 222 No. 3 Hot Line Texacos chief makes sudden exit Peter Bijur resigned Feb. 4, 2001, as chairman and CEO of Texaco Inc. His surpr

People in industry

March 2001 Vol. 222 No. 3 People Texaco President and CEO, Peter Bijur elected to retire and named Senior VP Glen Tilton as his successor. Dale I. T