On the Cover

When Shell’s Perdido spar is finished, it will be the deepest drilling and production platform in the world in 8,000 ft of water, 200 miles from Houston in the Gulf of Mexico. Photo courtesy of Shell; (c) Jan Berghuis Terschelling, captain of Heerema’s Retriever.

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Cover and Table of Contents

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SPECIAL FEATURES

Guest Editorial • Is Desperation the Mother of Innovation? Why Technology Flourishes Best in Bad Times • Jim Pritchett, President and Chief Executive Officer, Petris Technology, and Bill Barna, Wipro Consulting Services

It might seem that technology advances the fastest during boom times, especially in capital-intensive industries such as upstream oil and gas, but actually, just the opposite is the case. Historically, widespread economic and social dislocations and uncertainty for the future drive collective determination to overcome adversity and bring about lasting change.

Technology Update • How High-Speed Telemetry Affects the Drilling Process

Ingolf Wassermann and Aravindh Kaniappan of Baker Hughes discuss how high-speed telemetry has changed the drilling process and what further changes will be coming in the future.

Management • Global Possibilities of Future Methane and Hydrogen Economies • Roberto F. Aguilera, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis and the University of Vienna, and Roberto Aguilera, University of Calgary

Although the past is not always an indication of the future, an analysis of the production/consumption mix for solids, liquids, and gases from the year 1850 to 2005 leads to a model that permits a reasonable forecast of the global possibilities for future methane and hydrogen economies. If there is a supply problem in the future, it will not be the result of depletion, but rather the failure of society and the industry to invest in the R&D of technology needed to provide conventional and unconventional hydrocarbons, as well as alternatives such as hydrogen, on a timely basis.

Distinguished Lecturer Program

SPE’s 2009–10 Distinguished Lecturer Program features 40 oil and gas experts, nominated by their peers. These lecturers will travel around the world speaking on current industry trends, challenges, and technology.

Deepwater Exploration and Production

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Overview

IKaren Olson, SPE, Completion Engineering Team Leader, BP plc

Testing Titanium-Alloy Tubing for HP/HT Applications

This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 115708, “Titanium-Alloy Tubing for HP/HT Applications,” by Manuel Gonzalez, SPE, Krystian Maskos, and Robert Hargrave, SPE, Chevron Energy Technology Company; John Kuberry, SPE, and Doyle Reeves, Hunting International; Jim Grauman, Titanium Metals Corporation; Jim Skogsberg, Consultant; and Syed Ali, SPE, Schlumberger, prepared for the 2008 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Denver, 21–24 September. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Pull Your BOP Stack—Or Not? Systematic Method To Making This Multimillion Dollar Decision

This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 119762, “Pull Your BOP Stack—Or Not? A Systematic Method to Making This Multimillion-Dollar Decision,” by Jeff Sattler, SPE, WEST Engineering Services, prepared for the 2009 SPE/IADC Drilling Conference and Exhibition, Amsterdam, 17–19 March. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Design Challenges for Wax in a Fast-Track Deepwater Project

This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper OTC 19160, “Design Challenges Due to Wax on a Fast-Track Deepwater Project,” by Amir Alwazzan, SPE, and Mark Utgard, SPE, AMEC Paragon, and Dalmo Barros, Petrobras America, prepared for the 2008 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 5–8 May. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Well Stimulation

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Overview

Charles Hager, SPE, Senior Consultant, NSI Technologies

Performance Improvement of Viscoelastic Stimulation Fluids With Nanoparticles

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains high lights of paper SPE 113533, “Performance Enhancements of Viscoelastic-Surfactant Stimulation Fluids With Nanoparticles,” by James B. Crews, SPE, and Tianping Huang, SPE, Baker Hughes, originally prepared for the 2008 SPE Europec/EAGE Conference and Exhibition, Rome, 9–12 June. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Formation Mineralogy Affects Scale-Inhibitor Squeeze Designs

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 113261, “Formation Mineralogy Impacts Scale-Inhibitor Squeeze Designs,” by Rick Gdanski, SPE, Halliburton, originally prepared for the 2008 SPE Europec/EAGE Conference and Exhibition, Rome, 9–12 June. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Successful Stimulation of Dual-Lateral Producer in Ghawar Field

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 119675, “Case History: Successful Application of Combined Rotary-Jetting and MLT To Stimulate Dual-Lateral Producer in Ghawar Field,” by Muhammad H. Al-Buali, SPE, Ibrahim H. Al-Arnaout, SPE, Ayed M. Al-Shehri, SPE, Surajit Haldar, SPE, and Saad M. Al-Driweesh, SPE, Saudi Aramco, originally
prepared for the 2009 SPE Middle East Oil and Gas Show and Conference, Bahrain, 15–18 March. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Coiled Tubing Applications

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Overview

John Misselbrook, SPE, Director Global Coiled Tubing, BJ Services

Maximizing Energy at Coalface for Coalbed-Methane Fracturing

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 114974, “Maximizing Energy at Coalface for Coalbed-Methane-Fracturing Operations,” by Abbas Mahdi, SPE, Schlumberger; Mike Yu, SPE, EnCana; Doug Pipchuk, SPE, Craig Wasson, SPE, Jim Nguy, SPE, and Nathan Kathol, Schlumberger, originally prepared for the 2008 CIPC/SPE Gas Technology Symposium Joint Conference, Calgary, 16–19 June. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Solving Excessive Water Production in a Long Horizontal Open Hole

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 113700, “Solving Excessive Water Production in a Prolific Long Horizontal Open Hole Drilled in a Naturally Fractured Carbonate Reservoir,” by Stephen Lightford, SPE, Halliburton, and Enzo Pitoni, Giovanni Burrafato, and Claudia Porretta Serapiglia, Eni E&P, originally prepared for the 2008 SPE/ICoTA Coiled Tubing and Well Intervention Conference and Exhibition, The Woodlands, Texas, 1–2 April. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

A Tool for Liner Running and Cementing Using Electric-Line Coiled Tubing

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 120992, “The Side Exhaust Liner-Running Tool: A Tool for Liner Running and Cementing Using E-Line Coiled Tubing,” by Greg Sarber, SPE, and Mark Johnson, SPE,
BPXA; Bob Harris, SPE, and Carl Diller, Northern Solutions; and John Milne and Alan Holloway, Baker Hughes, 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.

EOR Operations

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Overview

Luciane Bonet-Cunha, SPE, Senior Reservoir Engineer, Petrobras America

Enhanced-Oil-Recovery Pilot-Testing Best Practices

This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 118055, “Enhanced-Oil-Recovery Pilot-Testing Best Practices,” by G.F. Teletzke, SPE, R.C. Wattenbarger, SPE, and J.R. Wilkinson, SPE, ExxonMobil, prepared for the 2008 Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 3–6 November. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Characterize Scaling Damage From Pressure Measurements

This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 112500, “A New Method To Characterize Scaling Damage From Pressure Measurements,” by T. Carageorgos, M. Marotti, and P. Bredrikovetsky, SPE, North Fluminense State University, prepared for the 2008 SPE International Symposium and Exhibition on Formation Damage Control, Lafayette, Louisiana, 13–15 February. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

SAGD Gas Lift Completions and Optimization: Surmont Field Study

This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 117489, “SAGD Gas Lift Completions and Optimization: A Field Case Study at Surmont,” by T.C. Handfield, T. Nations, SPE, and S.G. Noonan, SPE, ConocoPhillips, prepared for the 2008 SPE International Thermal Operations and Heavy Oil Symposium, Calgary, 20–23 October. The paper has not been peer reviewed.