February 2010
Volume 62 Number 2
Features
Guest Editorial • Tap into the Talent Pipeline • Stephen Holditch, Texas A&M University
Several years ago, the oil and gas industry asked universities to increase the pool of petroleum engineering graduates, writes Stephen Holditch, head of the petroleum engineering department at Texas A&M University. The universities complied, and now the industry must do its part and hire these graduates.
Management • Managing Change in Difficult Times • Jan Erik Johansson, Vice President Energy, Celerant Consulting
The recent economic crisis provided a sense of urgency that helped organizations everywhere to successfully implement changes that would have been difficult otherwise. Many firms find this an inauspicious environment in which to attempt fundamental change in processes, behaviors, or structures, for fear of subjecting the organization to even greater strain. Others, however, see the crisis as a unique opportunity to achieve just that.
India’s First Deepwater Offshore Field Showcases Ingenuity
India’s first deepwater oil and gas field, in the KG-D6 block 60 km off the east coast of India in the Bay of Bengal, is a success story of government initiative, private enterprise, and global engineering ingenuity.
Spotlight Falls on East Africa as Activity Levels Rise
West and north Africa have traditionally been the continent’s hotbeds of oil and gas E&P, but recent successes in east Africa may change that. Significant discoveries in the region, combined with a range of new opportunities through licensing rounds, are attracting new players to relatively underexplored countries such as Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique.
IPTC Review
Discussions surrounding the future role of natural gas and unconventionals in the global energy mix and how the industry must adapt to a low-carbon economy were two of the highlights during the 2009 International Petroleum Technology Conference held in December in Doha.
Technology Focus
Drilling Technology
Stéphane Menand, SPE, Research Engineer, Mines ParisTech
Using MPD To Drill Wells With Narrow Operating Windows: Pressure and Temperature Effects
This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 119882, “Drilling Wells With Narrow Operating Windows Applying the MPD Constant Bottom Hole Pressure Technology—How Much the Temperature and Pressure Affects the Operation’s Design,” by M. Arnone and P. Vieira, SPE, Weatherford International, originally prepared for the 2009 SPE/IADC Drilling Conference and Exhibition, Amsterdam, 17–19 March. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Distributed Downhole Measurements Describe Salt Drilling While Underreaming
This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 124121, “Salt Drilling While Underreaming Behaviors Illuminated by Distributed Downhole Measurements,” by B.J. Kull, SPE, and R.G. Duff, SPE, Chevron, and A.J. Clarke, SPE, D.G. Perez, and S.M. Stuart, SPE, NOV, originally prepared for the 2009 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, 4–7 October. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Drilling a Hole in Granite Submerged in Water By Use of CO2 Laser
This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains high lights of paper SPE 119914, “Drilling a 2-inch in Diameter Hole in Granites Submerged in Water by CO2 Lasers,” by Toshio Kobayashi, SPE, and Masahiro Nakamura, Japan Drilling Company, and Satoshi Kubo and Makoto Ichikawa, SPE, Japan Oil, Gas, and Metals National Corporation, originally prepared for the 2009 SPE/IADC Drilling Conference and Exhibition, Amsterdam, 17–19 March. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Multistation Analysis of MWD Magnetic Directional Surveys
This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 125677, “Minimum Requirements for Multi-Station Analysis of MWD Magnetic Directional Surveys,” by Erik Nyrnes, SPE, StatoilHydro ASA; Torgeir Torkildsen, SPE, SINTEF Petroleum Research; and Harry Wilson, Baker Hughes, originally prepared for the 2009 SPE/IADC Middle East Drilling Technology Conference and Exhibition, Manama, Bahrain, 26–28 October. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Offshore Facilities
Ian G. Ball, SPE, Subsea Domain
Offshore-Pipeline and -Riser Integrity—The Big Issues
This article, 1,000th written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 125060, “Offshore-Pipeline and -Riser Integrity—The Big Issues,” by Jonathan Marsh and Phil Duncan, J.P. Kenny and Ionik Consulting, and Ian MacLeod, MCS, prepared for the 2009 SPE Offshore Europe Oil & Gas Conference & Exhibition, Aberdeen, 8–11 September. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Post-Mortem Analysis of MODUs in Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper OTC 20144, “Post-Mortem Analysis of MODUs in Hurricanes Katrina and Rita,” by Malcolm Sharples, Offshore: Risk and Technology Consulting and John Stiff, ABSG Consulting, prepared for the 2009 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 4–7 May. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
MA D6: A Fast-Track Deepwater Project
This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper OTC 20174, “MA D6—Going Beyond the Limits of Deep Water Fast Track Projects,” by Georges Michel, Willy Gauttier, and Pierre Savy, Technip, originally prepared for the 2009 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 4–7 May. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Well Testing
Renzo Angeles, SPE, Senior Research Engineer, ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
Practical Solutions for Pressure-Transient Responses of Fractured Horizontal Wells in Unconventional Reservoirs
This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 125043, “Practical Solutions for Pressure-Transient Responses of Fractured Horizontal Wells in Unconventional Reservoirs,” by M. Brown, SPE, and E. Ozkan, SPE, Colorado School of Mines; R. Raghavan, SPE, Phillips Petroleum Company (Retired); and H. Kazemi, SPE, Colorado School of Mines, prepared for the 2009 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, 4–7 October. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Presalt Santos Basin—Extended Well Test and Production Pilot in the Tupi Area: The Planning Phase
This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper OTC 19886, “Presalt Santos Basin—Extended Well Test and Production Pilot in the Tupi Area: The Planning Phase,” by Celia M.F. Nakano, Antonio C.C. Pinto, SPE, Jose L. Marcusso, and Kazuioshi Minami, SPE, Petrobras, prepared for the 2009 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 4–7 May. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Well-Test Dynamics in Rich-Gas/Condensate Reservoirs Under Gas Injection
This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 121848, “Well-Test Dynamics in Rich-Gas/Condensate Reservoirs Under Gas Injection,” by O.A. Aluko, SPE, and A.C. Gringarten, SPE, Imperial College London, prepared for the 2009 SPE Europec/EAGE Annual Conference and Exhibition, Amsterdam, 8–11 June. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
