Cross-plotting attributes in three dimensions makes it possible to look through more data quickly and conveniently. Cross-plotting has evolved to be a widely used technique in attribute vs. offset (AVO) analysis... more

Interpretation of modern 3-D seismic data, along with depth imaging and reservoir work, helped identify new well locations and derive a new model for better reservoir simulation and pressure maintenance. The... more

Wave Equation/Extrapolation Migration holds great promise in providing more accurate identification and reliable mapping of structures beneath complex salt geometries. Seismic data has long been an excellent tool in facilitating the... more

Weatherford pursues a dual approach in developing game-changing expandable technology. By now, most people in the oilfield have heard of expandable tubular technology (ETT) and its potential to enable drilling for... more

Difficult to build, but so versatile, flexible pipe stands on the threshold of exponential growth as applications multiply. Flexible pipe has been around for a long time, making its commercial debut... more

3% Chromium micro-alloyed steels provide a cost-effective solution to oilfield corrosion challenges. Effective corrosion mitigation of downhole production tubing has been traditionally achieved with the use of standard carbon steel grades... more

Middle East offshore fields profit from re-entry with coiled tubing multilateral technology. There are new opportunities in the Upper Zakum field offshore Abu Dhabi where selective matrix stimulation and nitrogen kickoff... more

Application of production analysis techniques makes the case for multilateral completions. Multilateral wells are the newest completion techniques. Designed to save construction investment and increase production, this technology can be applied... more

Steering wells precisely to intersect drilling targets requires real-time geological information and a steady hand on the controls. Instrumented drilling assemblies need the latest steering technology if they are going to... more

Regulators, investors and business realities demand executives who stay on top of their companies' activities. Managers from the field office to the corporate penthouse know life is tough in the fast... more

Operating companies strive to focus mountains of data into manageable streams for better decisions. As quiet revolutions go, the major shift in thinking on the role of integration in the management... more

Data and application hubs provide a painless and effective way of getting the right information to the right people. The exploration and production (E&P) industry has survived the "Age of Irrational... more

Scientists are gradually developing a gas monitoring station for the US Gulf which could help unlock secrets of new hydrocarbon potential. Last month I discussed an optical gas spectrometer being developed... more

Halliburton has introduced a high-rate telemetry system (ATS) that sends acoustic signals along the tubing wall. It is particularly suited to surface readout of drillstem or production testing operations in... more

Control Flow-Westech has developed a new direct connection riser tensioning package (SJT) that bridges the gap between traditional ram/cable style tensioners and the requirements now imposed by deepwater drilling operations.... more

North Sea installation contractors face a tougher market with less activity, intensifying competition. International tensions and uneasiness about future oil and gas prices have slowed North Sea offshore construction activity over... more

NORTH AMERICA El Paso Corporation has hired Douglas Forshee, former chief operating officer at Halliburton, as new chief executive. Tidewater Inc. elected Dean E. Taylor as chairman of its board of... more

President calls for energy reform but rejects full privatization of oil, power. On Sept. 1 President Vicente Fox called for energy reform during his third state of the nation address before... more

1. Rival Resources Inc., Bellingham, Wash., has permitted five new field wildcats in Whatcom County, Wash., near the border with British Columbia, Canada, all to a planned depth of 500... more

1. Spinnaker Petroleum LLC is involved in drilling, completion, evaluation, design and construction operations on 15 developments in the Gulf of Mexico. Among those operations, the company is operator and... more

1. Shell spudded on the Benn Nevis prospect with the Jack Bates semisubmersible in August with the Northern North Sea 219/21-A well in license P132. The rig is operating in... more

1. The CanArgo Norio subsidiary of CanArgo Energy sealed a production sharing contract with the Republic of Georgia for blocks XIG and XIH. The pact grants both exploration and production... more

1. PdVSA's Tomoporo oil discovery near Lake Maracaibo in western Venezuela could be capable of producing up to 250,000 b/d of oil by 2008. Now, the government oil company is... more

1. Pioneer Natural Resources hopes to have new fiscal terms from the Gabonese government within months that will signal the start of a new development offshore the country. Last year... more

1. Syria has made a new gas find with estimated reserves of 95 Bcf (2.7 Bcm) near the northeastern city of Deir al-Zour. The find, made by state-owned Syrian Petroleum... more

1. The Philippines Department of Energy said "at least 48 foreign and local firms" registered an interest in the country's imminent licensing round despite recent political instability. Exploration firms that... more

As larger datasets loom on the horizon, interpreters will need to find ways to squeeze out the most useful information in the least amount of time. The oil industry is, again,... more

Specially designed rigs go unnoticed. A Norwegian rig supplier won the OTC Innovative Engineering Award. It has designed and built rigs to meet needs varying from offshore well interventions to directional... more

Information, not data, is the key to success in our industry, but are we losing the space race? The evolution of the worldwide oil and gas industry has been compared to... more

Sophisticated systems allow operators to fine tune field performance. There has been a burst of activity in permanent reservoir monitoring with new multi-drop multi-sensor architectures, new sensors (flow, watercut, chemical, etc.)... more

I was in Aberdeen, Scotland, last month for Offshore Europe. I lived there for 5 years and it was cold and rainy almost every day of that time. Imagine my... more

The company that fails to plan for the unexpected faces a minefield of potential public relations and legal problems. In 2001, energy industry observers and others watched transfixed as what was... more

Operators working in Malaysia are reversing the nation's declining production. Just as Malaysia appeared to be headed for the off ramp in oil production, large and small operators have brought in... more

High pay potential offsets boundary disputes and regional sovereignty issues. Independents and majors alike make the Asia Pacific island nations a focal point for their operations with new avenues leading to... more

Operators launch programs to move more oil and gas to market. Indonesia's exploration activity more than doubled this year, and more big projects are on the way as drilling, pipelines and... more

Let's face it: The skills shortage is real. We're not attracting enough young recruits, and the average age of the industry employee is nearer to 50 than 30. In addition... more