April 2011
Volume 63 Number 4
Features
Guest Editorial • The Hierarchy of Oily Conductivity • David G. Gallagher, Vice President, Carbo Ceramics
In 2010, the US petroleum industry accomplished a feat that not many thought was possible only a few years ago—annual production of crude oil on American soil rose two consecutive years for the first time in almost 25 years.
SPE Board Nominations
Nominations for the SPE Board of Directors and 2013 SPE President.
Proppants: Where in the World
With the rise in hydraulic fracturing over the past decade has come a great climb in proppant demand.
Macondo Spawns a Pair of Containment Firms
A year after the blowout that destroyed the Deepwater Horizon platform and triggered an oil spill that lasted for months, two companies with strong ties to the effort that shut off that well are competing to be the containment firm of choice for deepwater operators in the US Gulf of Mexico.
New Conference Explores Arctic Potential
At the first Arctic Technology Conference, the talk was about the Arctic’s potential, its challenges, and the technology needed to solve them.
Shaped Charge Patents 1942–1952: From Optimism to Solutions
In the 1940s, the majority of research in America into shaped charge technology was performed by the US military and government laboratories. Information was largely classified. Shortly after the US Army declassified some details of this technology, extensive research and testing began in many American companies.
Brasil Offshore Conference to Focus on Heavy Oil, Sub-Salt
A preview of the Brasil Offshore Conference and Exhibition to be held in June in Macae, Brazil.
Talent & Technology • The Great Crew Change: A Challenge for Oil Company Profitability • Simon Coton, Managing Director of NES Global
The great crew change will create simultaneous gaps of unprecedented proportions in the staffs of many international and national oil companies.
Technology Focus
Helio
Santos
SPE, President, Safekick
Offshore Drilling and Completion
Drilling From an FDPSO: A Two-Stack Approach
This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper OTC 20491, “Drilling From an FDPSO: A Two-Stack Approach,” by Kenneth C. Hampshire, SPE, and J. Greg Noles, Murphy West Ltd., and Albert Kachich, Doris Inc., originally prepared for the 2010 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 3–6 May. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Well-Integrity Issues in Malacca Strait Contract Area
This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 129083, “Well Integrity Issues in Malacca Strait Contract Area,” by Weka Janitra Calosa, SPE, and Bambang Sadarta, SPE, EMP Malacca Strait, and Ronaldi, WCS Indonesia, originally prepared for the 2010 SPE Oil and Gas India Conference and Exhibition, Mumbai, 20–22 January. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
GOM Deepwater Field-Development Challenges at Green Canyon 468
This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 137220, “GOM Deepwater Field Development Challenges at Green Canyon 468 Pony,” by M.H. Weatherl, Hess Corporation, originally prepared for the 2010 SPE Deepwater Drilling and Completions Conference, Galveston, Texas, 5–6 October. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
George
Hobbs
SPE, Director, Strategic Chemistry
Natural Gas Processing and Handling
Investigation of a Floating-Liquefied-Natural-Gas Unit for Brazilian Waters
This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper OTC 20677, “Evaluation of a Floating Liquefied Natural Gas for Brazilian Scenarios,” by A.P.F. Teles, A.S. de Abreu, A.C. Saad, D.C. deMello, F.B. Campos, J.P. Silva, L.F.N. Quintanilha, and M.D.A.S. Ferreira, Petrobras R&D Center, originally prepared for the 2010 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 3–6 May. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
CO2 Storage as Hydrate in Depleted Gas Reservoirs
This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 137313, “CO2 Storage as Hydrates in Depleted Gas Reservoirs,” by O.Y. Satsepina, University of Calgary, and M. Pooladi-Darvish, SPE, Fekete Associates, originally prepared for the 2010 Canadian Unconventional Resources and International Petroleum Conference, Calgary, 19–21 October. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Operational Risk Analysis of LNG Loading
This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper OTC 20982, “Operational Risk Analysis of LNG Loading,” by B.H.K. Chin, P. Friis-Hansen, and T.G. Saetren, Det Norske Veritas, originally prepared for the 2010 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 3–6 May. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Mike
Payne
SPE, Senior Advisor, BP
HP/HT Challenges
Understanding and Managing Bottomhole- Circulating-Temperature Behavior in Horizontal High-Temperature Wells
This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 140332, “Understanding and Managing Bottomhole Circulating Temperature Behavior in Horizontal High-Temperature Wells—A Case Study Based on Haynesville Horizontal Wells,” by Keith Trichel, SPE, and John Fabian, SPE, Baker Hughes, prepared for the 2011 SPE/IADC Drilling Conference and Exhibition, Amsterdam, 1–3 March. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Managed-Pressure Drilling To Counteract Lost-Circulation and High-Pressure-Gas Zones: South Wapiti Red Rock Field
This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 137428, “Successful Use of Managed-Pressure Drilling To Counteract Lost-Circulation and High-Pressure-Gas Zones: A Case Study From the Red Rock South Wapiti Field in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada,” by Hassan K. Malik, SPE, Raymond J. Litwin, SPE, and Bernard C. Jones, ConocoPhillips Canada, prepared for the 2010 Canadian Unconventional Resources & International Petroleum Conference, Calgary, 19–21 October. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Material and Completion-Equipment Selection for an HP/HT Sour-Gas-Field Development in Indonesia
This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 136163, “Material and Completion-Equipment Selection for HP/HT Sour-Gas-Field Development in Indonesia: Case Study,” by Gustioro Purwagautama, SPE, and Rizky Andika, SPE, MedcoEnergi, and David McCalvin, SPE, and Dmitry Pleshkov, SPE, Schlumberger, prepared for the 2010 IADC/SPE Asia Pacific Drilling Technology Conference and Exhibition, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 1–3 November. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Marco
A. Cardoso
SPE, Petroleum Engineer, Petrobras Research Center
(Cenpes)
History Matching and Forecasting
Data-Partitioning Technique for Gradient-Based-Optimization Methods in History Matching
This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 130473, “Development of a Data-Partition Technique for Gradient-Based-Optimization Methods in History Matching,” by D.Y. Ding, SPE, IFP, prepared for the 2010 SPE EUROPEC/EAGE Annual Conference and Exhibition, Barcelona, Spain, 14–17 June. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Population-Based Optimization Algorithms for History Matching and Uncertainty Quantification: PUNQ-S3
This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 136861, “Comparative Study of Novel Population-Based Optimization Algorithms for History Matching and Uncertainty Quantification: PUNQ-S3 Revisited,” by Yasin Hajizadeh, SPE, Mike Christie, SPE, and Vasily Demyanov, Institute of Petroleum En gineering, Heriot-Watt University, prepared for the 2010 Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 1–4 November. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
History Matching With Learned Sparse Dictionaries
This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 133654, “History Matching With Learned Sparse Dictionaries,” by Mohammad-Reza M. Khaninezhad, Behnam Jafarpour, SPE, and Lianlin Li, Texas A&M University, prepared for the 2010 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Florence, Italy, 19–22 September. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
