A new way of performing on-demand seismic monitoring of an oilfield is now being implemented, using a permanent array of seismic receivers installed in Norwegian waters. For several years, the... more

The key is simple - come up with an intelligent daily operations system and then work it every day. Production optimization ensures that wells and facilities are operating at their peak... more

Effective elimination of unwanted solids from the production stream is a key element of production optimization, and one that requires an engineered approach. PetSec Energy Inc., a large, growing independent in... more

Using powerful new measurements technology and systematic analysis to solve old problems can have long term benefits. Of the approximately 885,000 wells flowing liquids worldwide, only about 55,000, or 6%, flow... more

Projects in Venezuela and Saudi Arabia set the pace for the digital oilfield of the future. Working closely with Shell and other producers, vMonitor has implemented its integrated Web-based SCADA (Supervisory... more

As onshore activity heats up, US operators are facing a critical safety issue with a service rig fleet averaging over 20 years old and a serious shortage of trained personnel.... more

GOM operators and contractors must tailor programs to comply with Subpart 0 - Well control and production safety training - regulations. A major revision to the US Minerals Management Service (MMS)... more

GlobalSantaFe has taken delivery of one of the world's latest heavy duty jackup rigs which is designed to be one of the most versatile on the market. The GSF Constellation... more

When Transocean's Express-class semisubmersibles were launched in 2001, the three ultradeepwater rigs were expected to deliver drilling efficiencies through their innovative Tri-Act derrick and other newly designed systems. With over 30... more

Heavy weight jackups have been added to the international drilling fleet this year and some have made use of Keppel FELS designs. Now newer units are vying for the crown... more

Innovative techniques backed by solid technology are changing coalbed methane drilling and production from an art to a science. North America is sitting on trillions of cubic feet of technically recoverable... more

With advances in both floating production and gas-to-liquids (GTL) technology, a floating GTL solution could soon address stranded gas problems around the world. Options for handling either produced gas or developing... more

High prices, lean supplies fuel Washington summit. Weeks before summer's real heat arrived in Washington, natural gas policymakers and organizations brought their concerns into the open about natural gas price impacts... more

A new high tech sensor is being developed to try and take some of the uncertainty out of the hazards posed to offshore structures by methane gas hydrate seeps. The development... more

One of the most fascinating demonstrations at the 2003 Offshore Technology Conference was the human safety zone system called Safety Brick presented by National Oilwell. Improving the already innovative anti-collision... more

Pilot Drilling Control, Ltd., of Lowestoft, UK has developed an innovative device for reducing destructive drill string vibrations. Called the Harmonic Isolation (HI) tool, the device can be placed immediately... more

As a US $10 billion energy project develops in Russia's arctic Far East, parallels emerge with operating conditions in Alaska where ice and seismic activity also had to be overcome. By... more

NORTH AMERICA The Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) board of directors elected Rod Allan, manager of core expertise for Transocean Offshore Deepwater Drilling, Inc., as chairman and Bill Luyties, Na Kika... more

Russian oil and gas companies have led the way in the impressive economic rebound the country has experienced over the past four years. At the same time, President Vladimir Putin... more

1. Key Production Co. Inc., Denver, Colo., drilled a gas discovery with its 1-4 Lady Monarchs in Section 4-16n-1w in Colusa County, northern California. The wildcat tested at 1 MMcf/d... more

1. The Houston Exploration Co. chalked up participation in three gas discoveries in its aggressive exploration program on the shelf of the Gulf of Mexico. The High Island 47 #1... more

1. Eurogas and Gaiter Petroleum have won approval from the Tunisian Department of Energy (DGE) to further explore and develop the Sfax Offshore Prospecting Permit. A Profit Sharing Agreement with... more

1. John Wood Group PLC subsidiary Alliance Engineering earned a contract from BP Exploration Co. (Colombia) Ltd. to perform front-end engineering and design duties on the sales gas plant at... more

1. Amity Oil has started drilling its Yesiltepe-1 well in Turkey's Thrace Basin near the Mediterranean coast. The target for the well is an anticline with most-likely (50% probability) reserves... more

1. The US Army has launched the bidding process for two Iraqi oil contracts worth up to US $1 billion, which will replace a deal awarded to Halliburton in March,... more

1. Matrix Oil accepted an offer to buy the Asahan production sharing contract (PSC) and the Glagah Kambuna technical assistance contract (TAC) in northeast Sumatra, Indonesia, as it sells of... more

A map-based Web site that links customers with vendors may be the E&P e-commerce solution that actually works. I remember covering the dot.com boom a couple of years ago as it... more

The turnkey drilling business offers world class expertise to its customers. For many operators, it fills an important niche - for the turnkey providers, it's definitely not for the faint... more

The intrepid miners who invaded the Rocky Mountains southwest of Denver in the 1800s would have loved the hills and valleys of the Sigsbee Escarpment. Deepwater heavyweight Kerr-McGee has appropriately named... more

Today's wireline technologies have surpassed previous boundaries to help operators focus and refine their production optimization efforts. Improved measurements and reduced costs are just part of the story. Asset optimization is... more

If someone told you that, earlier in the day, they had been turning the telegraph wheel when they bumped their head on the headache post and had to sit for... more

Mexico, Brazil and Venezuela offer opportunities for savvy investors. Experts place Latin America petroleum financing needs at more than US $225 billion in the next decade. But with political and economic... more

Hardness prediction models can simplify design and welding needs for deepwater pipelines. The definition of "deep water" has changed dramatically over the past 7 years. Pipeline technologies have made substantial improvements,... more

In the current environment of corporate misdeeds and nondisclosure, the public yearns for honesty, truthfulness, integrity and open communications. In absence of these attributes, assumptions are drawn and beliefs are... more