Special Features
Guest Editorial • Building a “New Normal” on the Bedrock of Risk Management
Baker Hughes’ new CEO Martin Craighead writes about how the oilfield service industry of the future must be built on the bedrock of effective risk management.
The Tantalizing Promise of Oil Shale
As much as 6 trillion bbl of in-place resources of oil shale are estimated to exist worldwide. With world proved reserves of crude oil estimated at 1.3 trillion bbl, why does oil shale remain a scarcely touched resource?
Reducing the Hidden Costs of Subsea Well Completions
Subsea completions tied back to platforms have allowed marginal fields to be put into production, but maintaining that production long enough to reach the industry average for recoveries is an unsolved problem. A small group of companies are working to change that.
Management • Trends in Monitoring: How to Use Real-Time Data Effectively
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.
Unconventionals, Future Challenges Highlight Annual Conference
Coverage of the 2011 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition in Denver, which featured presentations on shale and other unconventional reservoirs, long-term global energy strategy, environmental considerations, remote operations, and other important regional and discipline-focused topics.
2011 Editorial Review Committee Awards
Every year, SPE recognizes those who have made an exceptional effort to ensure the technical excellence of its peer-reviewed journals.
Technology Focus
Baojun Bai, SPE, Associate Professor of Petroleum
Engineering,
Missouri University of Science and Technology
EOR Performance and Modeling
Storing CO2 With Next-Generation CO2-EOR Technology
This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 139717, “Storing CO2 With Next-Generation CO2-EOR Technology,” by R.C. Ferguson, SPE, V.A. Kuuskraa, SPE, and T.S. Van Leeuwen, SPE, Advanced Resources International, and D. Remson, US Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, prepared for the 2010 SPE International Conference on CO2 Capture, Storage, and Utilization, New Orleans, 10–12 November. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Steamflooding To Enhance Recovery of a Waterflooded Light-Oil Reservoir
This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 145005, “A Case Study: A Successful Steamflooding Project To Enhance Oil Recovery of a Low-Permeability Light-Oil Waterflood Reservoir,” by Wu Shuhong, SPE, PetroChina; Han Min, Greatwall Drilling Company; Ma Desheng and Wu Yongbin, PetroChina; Qian Yu and Yao Chunli, Daqing Oil Company; and Shen Dehuang, SPE, PetroChina, prepared for the 2011 SPE Enhanced Oil Recovery Conference, Kuala Lumpur, 19–21 July 2011. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Rheology of a New Sulfonic Associative Polymer in Porous Media
This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 141355, “Rheology of a New Sulfonic Associative Polymer in Porous Media,” by R.S. Seright, SPE, Tianguang Fan, SPE, Kathryn Wavrik, SPE, and Hao Wan, SPE, New Mexico Tech, and Nicolas Gaillard, SPE, and Cédrick Favéro, SPE, SNF Floerger, prepared for the 2011 SPE International Symposium on Oilfield Chemistry, The Woodlands, Texas, 11–13 April. The paper has been peer reviewed. See SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering December 2011.
EOR Potential in the Middle East: Current and Future Trends
This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 143287, “EOR Potential in the Middle East: Current and Future Trends,” by Saad M. Al-Mutairi, SPE, and Sunil L. Kokal, SPE, Saudi Aramco, prepared for the 2011 SPE Europec/EAGE Annual Conference and Exhibition, Vienna, Austria, 23–26 May. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Syed A. Ali, SPE, Research Advisor, Schlumberger
Mature Fields and Well Revitalization
Seria Field, Brunei: 80 Years On—Near-Field Exploration Going Strong
This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper IPTC 15199, “The Seria Field, Brunei: 80 Years on, Near-Field Exploration Going Strong,” by John Church, SPE, and Bong Poh Yuk, Brunei Shell Petroleum, prepared for the 2011 International Petroleum Technology Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, 15–17 November. The paper has not been peer reviewed. [Note: Conference rescheduled to 7–9 February 2012.] Copyright 2011 International Petroleum Technology Conference. Reproduced by permission.
Doubling Production From a Mature North Kuwait Reservoir
This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper IPTC 15334, “Doubling the Production From a Mature Reservoir in North Kuwait—Challenges, Achievements, and Lessons Learned,” by H.B. Chetri, SPE, M. Raju, SPE, Harry Alam, SPE, and Hussain Al-Ajmi, SPE, KOC, prepared for the 2011 International Petroleum Technology Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, 15–17 November. The paper has not been peer reviewed. [Note: Conference rescheduled to 7–9 February 2012.] Copyright 2011 International Petroleum Technology Conference. Reproduced by permission.
Marlim Field: Mature-Field Optimization
This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 139376, “Marlim Field: An Optimization Study on a Mature Field,” by Dirceu Bampi, Petrobras, and Odair José Costa, Halliburton, prepared for the 2010 SPE Latin American & Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference, Lima, Peru, 1–3 December. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Jerome Schubert, SPE, Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University
Well Control
Kick-Tolerance Misconceptions and Consequences for Well Design
This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 140113, “Kick-Tolerance Misconceptions and Consequences for Well Design,” by Helio Santos, SPE, Erdem Catak, SPE, and Sandeep Valluri, Safekick, prepared for the 2011 SPE/IADC Drilling Conference and Exhibition, Amsterdam, 1–3 March. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Kick Detection and Well Control in a Closed Wellbore
This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 143099, “Kick Detection and Well Control in a Closed Wellbore,” by Steve Nas, SPE, Weatherford, prepared for the 2011 IADC/SPE Managed Pressure Drilling and Underbalanced Operations Conference and Exhibition, Denver, 5–6 April. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Kick Mechanisms and Well-Control Practices in Deepwater Vugular Carbonate
This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper IPTC 14423, “Kick Mechanisms and Unique Well-Control Practices in Vugular Deepwater Carbonates,” by F.E. Dupriest, SPE, ExxonMobil, prepared for the 2011 International Petroleum Technology Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, 15–17 November. The paper has not been peer reviewed. [Note: Conference rescheduled to 7–9 February 2012.] Copyright 2011 International Petroleum Technology Conference. Reproduced by permission.
