Issue: January 2012
An Egyptian oil well was shut in after only three days, when solids production destroyed the production pump. Treated with a new aqueous-based consolidation and proppant flowback control (CPFC) system, the well resumed solids-free production until it was depleted.
In the UK North Sea Forties field, Apache has drilled 100 infield targets with an overall success rate of 74%. As a result, field production has been held at a plateau of 60,000 bopd, increasing from an average 41,000 bopd in 2003.
Ever since recovery of the blowout preventer, discussion on the Macondo accident’s root causes has continued. The equipment essentially operated as designed, so was the incident a procedural problem, or a series of unimaginable failures? Was it predictable?
Drilling with casing in Australia’s Carnarvon basin saved 24 hours of rig time by drilling, casing and cementing the top-hole section to total depth in a single trip.
New techniques for acquiring and interpreting the LWD imaging data revealed a complex sedimentological architecture.
A drilling project in remote Papua New Guinea utilized a mobile, ruggedized workflow solution for advanced mudlogging to provide near real-time data from drill cuttings, allowing on-site interpretation.
For North American shale operators, the latest cash crops are oil, natural gas liquids (NGL) and condensates, due to the high price disparity between dry natural gas and liquids.
Double whammy tightens Australian oilfield labor woes
Build a better mousetrap, but don’t forget the cheese
Value of brick and mortar (and steel)
NASA’s Johnson Space Center:
Underwater think tank
Russia ponders its East Asian dream
IAGC study: Marine EM surveys have minimal environmental impact
New deep sea safety tools—solving a failure to communicate
Companies in the news
Industry at a glance
Meetings and Events
New products and services
People in industry
Statoil granted exploration licenses offshore Canada and Indonesia