April 2010
Volume 62 Number 4
Features
Guest Editorial • Embracing the Low-Carbon Economy of Sustainable Energy Development • Zhou Jiping, Vice President of CNPC and President of PetroChina Company
A consensus has already been established regarding the development of a low-carbon economy. Only by expanding the interchange and cooperation with international enterprises and research institutions in E&P, gas technology development, and energy-conservation and emission-reduction technology can sustainable, low-carbon energy development in China and in the rest of the world be reached.
Management • Fusion of Engineering and IT Transforms the E&P Business • Mike Brulé, Technomation
The case for IT’s direct value in E&P has been made for technical computing, real-time monitoring, data integration and quality, collaboration, and in other areas. However, few reservoir and production engineers acknowledge the fundamental need for IT in their everyday activities.
The First FPSO in US Gulf of Mexico: The 14-Year Journey
The first FPSO is due to enter service in the US Gulf of Mexico in mid-2010, writes consultant Peter Lovie, the result of a 14-year journey. Key industry figures comment on the journey that made it happen and the technology’s significance to the US Gulf.
Presalt Propels Brazil into Oil’s Front Ranks
The recent discoveries in Brazil’s deepwater presalt could rank as some of the world’s largest in decades but development will not be easy. The article examines the technological and other challenges that must be overcome to develop this extremely valuable region.
SPE Board, President Nominated
The new slate of nominations to the SPE Board of Directors and the SPE Presidency.
Industry’s Optimism Evident at 2010 Drilling Conference
The IADC/SPE Drilling Conference and Exhibition, held in New Orleans, provided focused discussion on the true value of automation in drilling, the perceived technology/competency gap, and ensuring success with the next generation of drilling engineers.
Companies Take Spotlight Awards
Winners of this year’s OTC Spotlight on New Technology Awards.
OTC Preview
A preview of this year’s Offshore Technology Conference.
China Conference to Address Key Trends, Technology Issues
A preview of this year’s SPE International Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition in China, which will take place 8–10 June in Beijing.
Technology Focus
Offshore Drilling and Completion
Jean-Louis Jousseaume, SPE, Head of Well, Drilling, and Logistics, Total
Nonretrievable Rotating-Liner Drilling System Deployed Successfully
This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 124854, “Non-Retrievable Rotating Liner Drilling System Successfully Deployed To Overcome Challenging Highly Stressed Rubble Zone in a GOM Ultra-Deepwater Sub-Salt Application,” by Jim Kunning and Yafei Wu, Anadarko Petroleum, and Ian J. Thomson, Larry Marshall, Derrick Daigle, SPE, Henry J. Mata, SPE, Robert Pena, Matt Hensgens, and Billy Eppley, Baker Hughes, originally prepared for the 2009 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, 4–7 October. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Magnus: Use of Conductor-Sharing Wellhead Technology To Access Additional Hydrocarbons
This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 124233, “Magnus: Utilisation of Conductor Sharing Wellhead Technology To Access Additional Hydrocarbons via a Slot Constrained Platform,” by S.E. Hicks, A. Moore, SPE, and M. Honey, SPE, BP plc; I.R. Farmer, Schlumberger; B. Smart, SPE, and R. Ekseth, SPE, Gyrodata; and D. Brown, SPE, Cameron, originally prepared for the 2009 SPE Offshore Europe Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, Aberdeen, 8–11 September. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Wireline-Tractor Milling Operations From a Riserless Light Well-Intervention Vessel
This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 121481, “Wireline Tractor Milling Operations From a Riserless Light-Well Intervention Vessel at the High-Temperature Åsgard Field,” by Henning Juel, SPE, Håvard Ranum, and Svein Mjaaland, SPE, StatoilHydro, and Terje Varne, Dag Birger Solberg, and Rune Bjørndal, Aker Solutions, originally prepared for the 2009 SPE/ICoTA Coiled Tubing and Well Intervention Conference and Exhibition, The Woodlands, Texas, 31 March–1 April. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Natural Gas Processing and Handling
John Vitucci, SPE, Senior Project Manager, Doris Inc.
Evaluation of LNG, CNG, GTL, and NGHs for Monetization of Stranded Gas
This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper IPTC 14083, “Evaluation of LNG, CNG, GTL and NGH for Monetization of Stranded Associated Gas With the Incentive of Carbon Credit,” by R. Khalilpour, SPE, and I.A. Karimi, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, originally prepared for the 2009 International Petroleum Technology Conference, Doha, Qatar, 7–9 December. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Choices for LNG FPSOs
This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper OTC 19884, “Choices for LNG FPSOs,” by L.J.F.M. Festen and J.B.P.M. Leo, CB&I Lummus B.V., originally prepared for the 2009 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 4–7 May. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Cryogenic Piping Reduces the Effect of LNG Transfer Terminals on Local Communities
This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper OTC 20223, “How the Use of Cryogenic Piping Can Reduce the Impact of LNG Transfer Terminals on Environment and Local Communities, While Increasing Site Safety and Security,” by Phillip Cox and Raul Risi, Technip, originally prepared for the 2009 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 4–7 May. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
HP/HT Challenges
Mike Payne, SPE, Senior Advisor, BP
Drilling and Evaluation Technologies Extend Operating Limits in Challenging High-Pressure Deepwater Environments
This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 124324, “Drilling and Evaluation Technologies Extend Operating Limits in Challenging High-Pressure Deepwater Environments,” by Waitus Denham, SPE, Shell, and Brian Donadieu, SPE, Ernest Lee, SPE, Rohit Mathur, SPE, and Ananth Srinivasan, Baker Hughes, prepared for the 2009 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, 4–7 October. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Combining Wireline and LWD Borehole-Seismic Data for Drilling an HP/HT Well
This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper IPTC 13083, “Combining Wireline and LWD Borehole Seismic Data for Drilling an HP/HT Well: A Novel Approach,” by T.K. Lim, SPE, and Aqil Ahmed, SPE, Schlumberger, and Gunawan Taslim and Muhammad Antonia Gibrata, SPE, Petronas, prepared for the 2009 International Petroleum Technology Conference, Doha, Qatar, 7–9 December. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Accurate Gas-Viscosity Correlation for Use at HP/HT Conditions Ensures Better Reserves Estimation
This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 124734, “More-Accurate Gas-Viscosity Correlation for Use at HP/HT Conditions Ensures Better Reserves Estimation,” by Ehsan Davani, SPE, Kegang Ling, Catalin Teodoriu, SPE, William D. McCain Jr., SPE, and Gioia Falcone, SPE, Texas A&M University, prepared for the 2009 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, 4–7 October. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
History Matching and Forecasting
Régis Kruel Romeu, SPE, Senior Consultant, Petrobras Research Center (CENPES)
Advanced Reservoir-Management Workflow—EnKF-Based Assisted-History-Matching Method
This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 118906, “Advanced Reservoir-Management Workflow Using an EnKF-Based Assisted-History-Matching Method,” by A. Seiler, G. Evensen, J.-A. Skjervheim, J. Hove, and J.G. Vabø, StatoilHydro, prepared for the 2009 SPE Reservoir Simulation Symposium, The Woodlands, Texas, 2–4 February. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Hybrid Ensemble Kalman Filter With Coarse-Scale Constraint for Nonlinear Dynamics
This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 124826, “A Hybrid Ensemble Kalman Filter With Coarse-Scale Constraint for Nonlinear Dynamics,” by Shingo Watanabe, SPE, Akhil Datta-Gupta, SPE, and Yalchin Efendiev, SPE, Texas A&M University, and Deepak Devegowda, SPE, University of Oklahoma, prepared for the 2009 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, 4–7 October. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
History Matching With Parameterization Based on Singular-Value Decomposition of a Dimensionless Sensitivity Matrix
This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 118952, “History Matching With Parameterization Based on the SVD of a Dimensionless Sensitivity Matrix,” by Reza Tavakoli and Albert C. Reynolds, SPE, University of Tulsa, prepared for the 2009 SPE Reservoir Simulation Symposium, The Woodlands, Texas, 2–4 February.
