Management and Information

Jacques Braile Saliés, SPE, Drilling Manager, Queiroz Galvão E&P

No word defines deepwater projects better than "innovation," and on 25 February 2012, one of the most innovative field-development projects came on stream: Cas- cade and Chinook (C&C) in the US Gulf of Mexico (GOM). One well is producing from Cascade to the first floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel in the US GOM. The project brings several firsts and innovations that will be available to the entire oil industry in the near future. I would like to call attention to some of those innovations. First, the FPSO uses a detachable buoy that allows early installation of the buoy and all umbilicals before arrival of the FPSO. This feature will allow the FPSO to disconnect and sail away from hurricanes, avoiding damages to the facilities. C&C also presents the first freestanding riser in the US GOM. Subsea boosting will increase production and reduce workover costs. These examples are just a few that show inno- vation applied to a deepwater development. I believe strongly that C&C will lead the way for future development of Lower Tertiary plays in the GOM.

i-field™ Programs Enable Operational Excellence in a Challenging Environment--Pushing the Limits of Large Data Transfer for Real-Time Monitoring and Surveillance Operations in San Joaquin Valley.
Andrei Popa, SPE, and Steve Cassidy, SPE, Chevron Corporation

Proactive Indicators To Control Risks in Operations of Oil and Gas Fields
S.O. Johnsen, Norwegian University of Science and Technology and SINTEF, E. Okstad, SINTEF, Andreas L. Aas, JBV, and T. Skramstad, Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Intelligent Exploration and Appraisal Program for a Multiprospect Development
Pierre Delfiner, SPE, PetroDecisions

Regulated Self-Regulation or External Control? Effects of Different Legislative Approaches in the Petroleum Sector in Norway and Brazil
Celma Regina Hellebust, Hellebust International Consultant, and Geir Sverre Braut, SPE, Norwegian Board of Health Supervision and Stord/Haugesund University College

Using the SPE/WPC/AAPG/SPEE/SEG PRMS To Evaluate Unconventional Resources
Phillip Chan, SPE, Chance Petroleum Limited; John R. Etherington, SPE, PRA International; and Roberto Aguilera, SPE, Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary

For the latest content, visit http://www.spe.org/go/speem/

Using data as the main building block of models is the new paradigm in science and technology. A new Technical Section and Technical Interest Group (TIG) has been formed to foster the application of data-driven modeling, data mining and predictive analytics research, development and practices in upstream oil and gas.

View the January 2012 issue

153117-PA - Decision Criteria for Climate Projects
P. Osmundsen, University of Stavanger, and M. Emhjellen, Petoro A/S

139716-PA - Perspectives on CCS Cost and Economics
H.S. Kheshgi, SPE, and H. Thomann, ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company; N.A. Bhore, Exxon Mobil Corporation; R.B. Hirsch, ExxonMobil Gas and Power Marketing Company; M.E. Parker, ExxonMobil Production Company; and G.F. Teletzke, SPE, ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company

158241-PA - Geologic Heterogeneity and Economic Uncertainty of Subsurface Carbon Dioxide Storage
J.E. Heath, SPE, P.H. Kobos, J.D. Roach, T.A. Dewers, SPE, and S.A. McKenna, Sandia National Laboratories

139616-PA - Unique CO2-Injection Experience in the Bati Raman Field May Lead to a Proposal of EOR/Sequestration CO2 Network in the Middle East
S. Sahin, U. Kalfa, and D. Celebioglu, Turkish Petroleum Corporation

133246-PA - How Significant Is the P90 Value as a Measure of the Reserves' Downside?
S. Gupta, SPE, University of Western Australia; R. Gupta and J.F. van Elk, Curtin University of Technology; and K. Vijayan, University of Western Australia

143950-PA - Implementing i-field-Integrated Solutions for Reservoir Management: A San Joaquin Valley Case Study
A. Popa, SPE, K. Horner, SPE, S. Cassidy, SPE, and S. Opsal, SPE, Chevron Corporation

David Pritchard, Successful Energy Practices International, Jesse Roye, Digital Oilfield Solutions, and J.C. Cunha, Ecopetrol America

Real-time data is not about well control, it is about well control avoidance. Recent catastrophic blowouts have underscored the value of real-time data and have also underscored the value of having the right kind of experience to understand well data interpretation in real time.

Martin Craighead, SPE, Baker Hughes

Historically, our industry has been driven by a series of inflection points to re-examine best practices, technologies, or philosophies on how we conduct our business. The most notable of these have often been associated with tragedies such as the 1988 Piper Alpha disaster in the North Sea and, most recently, the Macondo disaster in the US Gulf of Mexico.

Tore A. Torp is adviser for CO2 storage at Statoil.

International energy and climate organizations have found carbon capture and storage (CCS) to be a promising technology to resolve the squeeze between fast-growing global energy needs and global warming. Even environmental organizations say that making our energy use more efficient and building enough new renewable energy capacity takes too long. We need to get the CCS working to curb the growing greenhouse gas emissions if too large a climate change is to be avoided.

133044-PA - Valuation of Swing Contracts by Least-Squares Monte Carlo Simulation
B.J.A. Willigers, SPE, Palantir Economic Solutions, S.H. Begg, SPE, University of Adelaide, and R.B. Bratvold, SPE, University of Stavanger

147910-PA - Optimization of Equity Redeterminations Through Fit-for-Purpose Evaluation Procedures
Paul F. Worthington, SPE, Gaffney, Cline & Associates

125178-PA - Improving Allocation and Hydrocarbon Accounting Accuracy Using New Techniques
R. Cramer and D. Schotanus, Shell Global Solutions; K. Ibrahim, Brune Shell Petroleum; and N. Colbeck, Hess Corporation

146530-PA - Demonstrating Reasonable Certainty Under Principles-Based Oil and Gas Reserves Regulations
R.E. Sidle, SPE, Texas A&M University, and W. John Lee, SPE, University of Houston

154056-PA - Unconventional-Natural-Gas Business: TSR Benchmark and Recommendations for Prudent Management of Shareholder Value
Ruud Weijermars, Delft University of Technology, and Steve Watson, Ashridge Business School

148542-PA - Discretization, Simulation, and Swanson's (Inaccurate) Mean
J. Eric Bickel, SPE, and Larry W. Lake, SPE, University of Texas at Austin; and John Lehman, Strategic Decisions Group

134811-PA - Stochastic Analysis of Resource Plays: Maximizing Portfolio Value and Mitigating Risks
Paul D. Allan, SPE, Portfolio Decisions International

130089-PA - Survey of Stranded Gas and Delivered Costs to Europe of Selected Gas Resources
E.D. Attanasi and P.A. Freeman, US Geological Survey

134237-PA - Qualifying Seismic as a "Reliable Technology" -- An Example of Downdip Water-Contact Location
R.E. Sidle, SPE, Consultant; and W.J. Lee, SPE, Texas A&M University

127761-PA - Probabilistic Modeling for Decision Support in Integrated Operations
Martin Giese, University of Oslo, and Reidar B. Bratvold, SPE, University of Stavanger

144490-PA - Moving the Energy Business From Smart to Genius by Building Corporate IQ
Ruud Weijermars, Delft University of Technology