Issue: July 2014
An operator, drilling contractor and service company collaborated on the conversion of an “open-to-atmosphere” deepwater rig, to provide full managed pressure and closed loop drilling capabilities.
The deepwater, lightweight riser system, incorporating improvements derived from nearly a decade of operation, can extend the water depth range of rigs to 8,000 ft.
New offshore rig designs feature a drillship capable of drilling 40,000-ft wells in a 12,500-ft water depth, with 20,000-psi well control; a platform rig with hydraulic hoist; a jackup with P&A capabilities; and integrated software for quality management.
The thickness and reliability of cement in a cased well is a matter of concern for both service companies and operators.
Exploration offshore Congo is moving into deeper water, with discoveries, such as Moho Bilondo, helping to de-risk the petroleum system.
Part 2: In this final installment of a two-part series, the author highlights developments in wireline cased-hole logging, reservoir monitoring, coring, wellsite evaluation and laboratory techniques.
Recent tax breaks are showing signs of revival on the UKCS; however, technical and commercial challenges remain
As operators push Norwegian E&P activity close to record highs, the government and industry are working together to plan future upstream growth prudently while keeping costs under control.
In the same way that operators, service companies and manufacturers have switched gears to respond to the changing oil and gas landscape offshore Norway, the UK and mainland Europe, the organizers of this year’s Offshore Northern Seas (ONS) event have also updated their focus.
Race to production steadily ramping up
Getting into (and out of) the Gulf of Mexico
Same game, different questions
Demand for better exploration technology continues to grow
The errors in ‘human error’
I’ll take “Sand” for $50, Alex
Offshore forecasts see more growth, increased spending
Presidential characterization: D. Nathan Meehan
Pipe dumping trade case proceeds in U.S.
It was only 1981, when George Mitchell began experimenting with horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing in the Barnett shale.
In a push to reduce costs in unconventional shale play reservoirs, some in the industry are racing to systematize development processes, even before understanding many of the aspects that play a role in shale production.
Recent advances in a number of G&G techniques, such as full-azimuth imaging, deep shear wave imaging, integrated wireline evaluation and microseismic monitoring are improving results in unconventional plays
New technologies enabling increased drilling efficiency, with reduced HSE footprint, include real-time, remote monitoring centers, walking rigs, fluids cycle automation and remote pipe racking.
The E&P industry is known for building on past successes, and hydraulic fracturing technology is no exception.
To use water resources more efficiently during hydraulic fracturing associated with shale development, the E&P industry continues to add new devices and innovative techniques, including this collection of eight recent items.
What's new in shale technology
