June 2005
Volume 57 Number 6
Features
Guest Editorial • Technology’s Value in the Upstream Oil and Gas Industry
E&P technology funding is declining at a time when the incentive for developing new technology has never been greater, write Ali Daneshy, Director of the Petroleum Engineering Program at the U. of Houston, and Tom Bates, Managing Director of Lime Rock Partners. If this pattern continues, it will leave the strongest financial segment of our industry out of the technology loop and could result in technical starvation, higher costs, lower reserves, and declining production when global demand is increasing and production capacity is stagnating.
Q&A
An interview with Subir Raha, Chairman and Managing Director of the Oil and Natural Gas Corp. Ltd. of India.
Case Study • Cost-Effective Methane Emissions Reductions for Small and Medium-Size Natural Gas Producers
Roger Fernandez of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Natural Gas STAR Program, Robin Petrusak and Donald Robinson of ICF Consulting, and Duane Zavadil of Bill Barrett Corp. examine economical methane emission reduction options that were developed by operators. Many of these technologies and practices reduce operating costs, increase overall production, and provide high rates of return.
OE Preview
A preview of this year’s OE conference to be held 6–9 September in Aberdeen.
Management • High-Stakes National and International Litigation: Management Issues
Attorneys Ron Welsh and Kevin O’Gorman take a look at the most common types of lawsuits facing the oil and gas industry and offer advice on how to handle litigation.
Legion of Honor
This year’s inductees into the SPE Legion of Honor.
Deepwater Exploration and Production
John E. Barnes, SPE, Project Director, AMEC Paragon Inc.
Barracuda and Caratinga Development Project
This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper OTC 17052, “Barracuda and Caratinga Development Project,” by L.G.S. Messias dos Santos, Petrobras, originally prepared for the 2005 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 2–5 May.
Hydrate Inhibition in Headers With No Production Flow
This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 90127, “Hydrate Inhibition in Headers With No Production Flow,” by B. Herrmann, SPE, Independent Consultant; C. Bargas, BP; and S.J. Svedeman and J.C. Buckingham, SPE, Southwest Research Inst., prepared for the 2004 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Houston, 26–29 September.
Deepwater DST Planning and Operations From a DP Vessel
This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 90557, “Deepwater DST Planning and Operations From a DP Vessel,” by Robert J. Stomp, SPE, ConocoPhillips Co.; Graham J. Fraser, The Expro Group; and Stephen C. Actis, SPE, Luke F. Eaton, SPE, and Kerry C. Freedman, ConocoPhillips Co., prepared for the 2004 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Houston, 26–29 September.
The Prestige Wreck Fuel-Recovery Project
This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper OTC 17534, “The Prestige Wreck Fuel-Recovery Project,” by R. Hernán, A. del Corral, C. Berenguer, SPE, R. Páez, J. Sparrowe, and J. Moro, Repsol YPF, originally prepared for the 2005 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 2–5 May.
Heavy Oil
Tony Kovscek, SPE, Associate Professor, Stanford U.
Petrozuata—An Application of Multiphase-Metering Technology
This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 89870, “Petrozuata—An Application of Multiphase-Metering Technology,” by Luigi Bortolin, Petrozuata C.A.; Parviz Mehdizadeh, SPE, Production Technology Inc; and Gordon Stobie, SPE, ConocoPhillips, prepared for the 2004 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Houston, 26–29 September.
Optimizing Cyclic-Steam Oil Production With Genetic Algorithms
This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 93906, “Optimizing Cyclic-Steam Oil Production With Genetic Algorithms,” by A. Patel, SPE, ChevronTexaco Energy Technology Co; D. Davis, Nutech Solutions Inc.; C. Guthrie, SPE, and D. Tuk, ChevronTexaco Energy Technology Co.; and Tai Nguyen, SPE, and J. Williams, ChevronTexaco North America Upstream, prepared for the 2005 SPE Western Regional Meeting, Irvine, California, 30 March–1 April.
Methane Pressure-Cycling Process for Thin Heavy-Oil Reservoirs
This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 88500, “Methane Pressure-Cycling Process With Horizontal Wells for Thin Heavy-Oil Reservoirs,” by Mingzhe Dong, SPE, PTRC, and Sam Huang, SPE, and Keith Hutchence, SRC, prepared for the 2004 SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, Perth, Australia, 18–20 October.
Coiled Tubing Applications
Curtis G. Blount, SPE, Well Supervisor/Adviser, ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc.
Inexpensive Directional Wells Drilled Underbalanced With Coiled Tubing
This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 90783, “Cheap, Directional Wells Drilled Underbalanced With Coiled Tubing: An Experience in the Australian Outback,” by Lance Portman, SPE, BJ Services; Lan Nguyen, SPE, Mosaic Oil; and Jim MacArthur, SPE, BJ Services, prepared for the 2004 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Houston, 26–29 September.
Development of a Hydraulically Expanded Metal Internal Casing Patch
This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 94056, “Development of a Hydraulically Expanded Metal Internal Casing Patch,” by F. Louden, SPE, Read Well Services Ltd.; E. Mathiassen, SPE, Statoil ASA; P. Hazel, Read Well Services Ltd.; F. Skjerping, Statoil ASA; A. Gorrara, SPE, Read Well Services Ltd.; and K. Bøe, SPE, Statoil ASA, prepared for the 2005 SPE/ICoTA Coiled Tubing Conference and Exhibition, The Woodlands, Texas, 12–13 April.
Sulfide-Stress-Crack Resistance of QT-900 Coiled Tubing
This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 93786, “SSC Resistance of QT-900 Coiled Tubing,” by T. McCoy, Halliburton, prepared for the 2005 SPE/ICoTA Coiled Tubing Conference and Exhibition, The Woodlands, Texas, 12–13 April.
