On the Cover

Exploration continues in Saudi Arabia's Rube al-Khali desert, where Saudi Aramco produces 500,000 BOPD of extra-light crude from the Shaybah field. Onstream since 1998, Shaybah was developed using advanced seismic and horizontal drilling technologies.

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Special Features

Q&A with Rick Fontova, Senior Vice President, Enventure Global Technology

Enventure's solid expandable tubular technology is one of the true success stories of the past decade.  In a wide-ranging interview, Rick Fontova, Senior Vice President of Enventure, comments on how his company's technology was able to win acceptance with key operators, the unique relationship between Shell and Halliburton that led to Enventure's creation, and what is in store for the expandables market.

Technology Tomorrow • Extracting Nanotechnology Benefits for the Oil Industry

Nanotechnology has received a lot of hype in the popular press, but what potential does it really hold for hydrocarbons?  In the latest installment of this yearlong series, Ramanan Krishnamoorti, a chemistry professor at the U. of Houston who specializes in nanotechnology research and applications, examines whether nanotechnology really will be a "game changer" for the enhanced exploitation of fossil fuels over the next 30 years.

Guest Editorial • Upstream Business of the Future: Funneling Changes Everything

Dutch Holland, the Chairman and founder of the consulting firm Holland & Davis LLC, says the "upstream business of the future" will require examining new and conventional technologies through a single funnel, providing balanced funding for only the most promising innovations.

SPE Salary Survey

Results of the Gallup Organization's exclusive global salary survey for SPE, with confidential salary information from SPE members in 51 countries.

Distinguished Author Series • Practical Geostatistics—An Armchair Overview for Petroleum Reservoir Engineers

This overview provides a basic understanding of and a new level of comfort with geostatistical analysis that may be useful to engineers.

Technical Editor Awards

SPE honors those who have made outstanding contributions to the Society's technical journals.

2007 SPE Forum Series

SPE's Forum Series, which brings technology leaders from across the globe together for no-holds-barred discussion, will examine nine areas in 2007 in which technology development can make a significant impact in E&P, including stranded and unconventional gas, heavy oil and real-time optimization.

Horizontal and Complex-Trajectory Wells

Overview

Charles R. Stone, SPE, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Signa Engineering Corp.

Torque and Drag Modeling for Horizontal Openhole Completions

Predicting Success of Horizontal Openhole Completions on the North Slope

Cuttings Transport With Foam Under Simulated Downhole Horizontal Conditions

Designing High-Angle, Casing-Directionally-Drilled Wells

Drilling and Completion Fluids

Overview

Paul D. Scott, SPE, Principal Engineer–Fluids, ConocoPhillips

Formate-Based Reservoir-Drilling Fluid Meets High-Temperature Challenges

Drilling-Fluids Displacement and Cased-Hole Cleaning

Fate of Nonaqueous-Drilling-Fluid Cuttings Discharged From a Deepwater Well

Gas Production Technology

Overview

Edward Weichert, SPE, Independent Consultant

Feed-Gas Treatment Design for the Pearl GTL Project

Leakoff Control and Fracturing-Fluid Cleanup in Appalachian Gas Reservoirs

Combining Plunger Lift and Gas Injection in Low-Rate Gas Wells

Departments

Performance Indices

Regional Update

Company News

Petroleum Industry 2020

Abdul-Jaleel Al-Khalifa

Comments

John Donnelly

Technology Applications

Technology Update

SPE News

People

Meetings