On the Cover

A Schlumberger frac job operation at a rig near Parachute Colorado. (Photo courtesy of Schlumberger)

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Cover and Table of Contents

SPECIAL FEATURES

Guest Editorial - Proud To Be An “Oil Man”

C.O. (Doc) Stokley, recently retired Vice President of TAM International, reflects on some of the changes he has seen in his career and on the promise of today’s engineering students.

Management • Assessing the Past, Present, and Near Future of the Global Energy Market

Using a new model to assess the past and future of the global energy mix, Roberto F. Aguilera of the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile and Roberto Aguilera of the University of Calgary conclude that if there is a supply problem in the near future, it will not be the result of depletion, but rather the failure to invest in the research and development of technology needed to provide conventional oil and gas, as well as alternatives, on a timely basis.

Evolving Subsea Technology Tackles Huge New Risks of Today’s Projects

As oil and gas development projects move into waters of 7,000, 8,000, and 10,000 ft, tackling some of the world’s most remote locations and extreme environments, innovations in subsea technology will play a vitally important role in enabling the execution of these projects and forming the basis of future, even more-ambitious, plans.

SPE/IADC Drilling Conference and Exhibition

Current challenges facing the drilling industry—from rising costs to strains on equipment to shortages of personnel—dominated discussion during the 2008 SPE/IADC Drilling Conference and Exhibition, held in March in Orlando, Florida.

Intelligent Energy 2008

More than 1,600 delegates from 50 countries converged on Amsterdam to learn from the industry’s digital-technology innovators at SPE’s second Intelligent Energy Conference.

Intelligent Fields Technology

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Overview

Russell Borgman, SPE, Operations Specialist, Integrated Operations, ConocoPhillips

Human Factors in Control-Center Design

This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper IPTC 11762, “Improvement of Human Factors in Control-Center Design—Experiences Using ISO 11064 in The Norwegian Petroleum Industry and Suggestions for Improvements,” by Andreas Lumbe Aas, Norges Teknisk-Naturvitenskapelige Universitet, Dept. of Computer Science, and Stig Ole Johnsen, Sintef Technology and Society, prepared for the 2007 International Petroleum Technology Conference, Dubai, 4–6 December. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Autonomous Systems Improve Production

This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 112078, “Improving Production by Use of Autonomous Systems,” by Jørn Ølmheim, Einar Landre, SPE, and Eileen A. Quale, SPE, StatoilHydro, prepared for the 2008 SPE Intelligent Energy Conference and Exhibition, Amsterdam, 25–27 February. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Remotely Operated Smart-Well Completions

This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 112226, “Intelligent Wells to Intelligent Fields: Remotely Operated Smart-Well Completions in Haradh-III,” by Ibrahim H. Al-Arnaout, SPE, Saad M. Al-Driweesh, SPE, and Rashad M. Al-Zahrani, SPE, Saudi Aramco, and Zuhed Abdul Rahman, SPE, and Suresh Jacob, SPE, WellDynamics, prepared for the 2008 SPE Intelligent Energy Conference and Exhibition, Amsterdam, 25–27 February. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Multilateral/Extended Reach

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Overview

Colin Mason, SPE, Senior Drilling Engineering Specialist, BP’s E&P Technology Group

Connector/Conductor Wells: Multiple Wellbores With Downhole Connections

This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 111441, “Connector-/Conductor-Wells Technology in Brunei Shell Petroleum Achieve High Profitability Through Multiwellbores and Downhole Connections,” by Shaikhan Al-Khodhori, SPE, Petroleum Development Oman; Hamoud Al-Riyami and Philip Holweg, SPE, Brunei Shell Petroleum; and John Wright, SPE, John Wright Company, prepared for the 2008 IADC/SPE Drilling Conference, Orlando, Florida, 4–6 March. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Extended-Reach Drilling Offshore California

This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 112536, “Extended-Reach Drilling Offshore California: An Operator’s Experience With Drilling a Record Extended-Reach Well,” by Michael W. Walker, SPE, ExxonMobil Development Company, prepared for the 2008 IADC/SPE Drilling Conference, Orlando, Florida, 4–6 March. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Total-System Approach Through Wired-Drillpipe Technology

This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 112742, “A Step Change in Total-System Approach Through Wired-Drillpipe Technology,” by Vebjørn Nygaard, SPE, Mohammad Jahangir, SPE, Trond Gravem, SPE, and Eugene Nathan, SPE, Inteq; John Evans, SPE, Hughes Christensen; Mike Reeves, SPE, IntelliServ; and Henrik Wolter, SPE, and Sigve Hovda, SPE, StatoilHydro, prepared for the 2008 IADC/SPE Drilling Conference, Orlando, Florida, 4–6 March. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Wellbore Tubulars

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Overview

David A. Baker, SPE, Senior Research Engineer, ExxonMobil Upstream Research

Real-Time Fiber-Optic Casing Imager for Continuous High-Resolution Casing Monitoring

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 109941, “Real-Time Fiber-Optic Casing Imager,” by M. Appel, SPE, D. Dria, SPE, J. Freeman, F. Rambow, SPE, and M. Shuck, SPE, Shell Intl. E&P, and B. Childers, S. Poland, SPE, and T. Dominique, Baker Hughes, prepared for the 2007 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Anaheim, California, 11–14 November. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

A Novel Corrosion-Resistant Internal-Coating Method Provides Improved Hardness

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 114020, “A Novel Corrosion-Resistant Internal-Coating Method Using Hollow-Cathode PECVD Technology With Improved Hardness,” by Bill Boardman, Karthik Bonapolly, Deepak Upadhayaya, and Tom Casserly, Sub-One Technology, prepared for the 2008 Western Regional and Pacific Section of AAPG Joint Meeting, Bakersfield, California, 31 March–2 April. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Ultrasonic Techniques Accurately Examine Seal-Surface Contact Stress in Premium Connections

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 110675, “Using Ultrasonic Techniques To Accurately Examine Seal-Surface Contact Stress in Premium Connections,” by Kirk Hamilton, SPE, Brian Wagg, SPE, and Tim Roth, CFER Technologies, prepared for the 2007 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Anaheim, California, 11–14 November.The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Wellbore Construction

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Overview

Manuel Gonzalez, SPE, Senior Engineering Advisor, Chevron Energy Technology Company

Overcoming the Weak Link in Cemented Isolation

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 110523, “Overcoming the Weak Link in Cemented Hydraulic Isolation,” by N. Moroni and N. Panciera, Eni E&P; A. Zanchi, Stogit; and C.R. Johnson, SPE, S. LeRoy-Delage, SPE, H. Bulte-Loyer, SPE, S. Cantini, SPE, E. Belleggia, SPE, and R. Illuminati, SPE, Schlumberger, prepared for the 2007 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Anaheim, California, 11–14 November. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Swelling Elastomers Improve Well and Reservoir Management in Horizontal Wells

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 107882, “Improved Well and Reservoir Management in Horizontal Wells Using Swelling Elastomers,” by Majid Abdullah Mahrooqi, SPE, Ghaliba Hinai, and Franz Marketz, SPE, Petroleum Development Oman, prepared for the 2007 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Anaheim, California, 11–14 November. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Fluid-Movement Measurements Through Eccentric Annuli Produce Unique Results

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 109563, “Fluid-Movement Measurements Through Eccentric Annuli: Unique Results Uncovered,” by Larry Moran, SPE, ConocoPhillips Co., and Mark Savery, SPE, Halliburton, prepared for the 2007 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Anaheim, California, 11–14 November. The paper has not been peer reviewed.