Schedule

As the industry wrestles with another price cycle, making sense of the world in which the oil and gas industry will operate is important to understanding the actions (by engineers, corporations, and governments) which must be taken today so that the oil and gas industry may prosper in the future. Hydraulic fracturing has been touted as a ‘new technology’ (though a misnomer) which is opening access to un-tapped value (in the USA) and lowering the cost of energy across the globe by shifting the balance between supply and demand. Wide approval in the USA has not always translated to acceptance elsewhere. Is fracturing the answer to all ills and can it be exported from the continental USA to other nations, further reducing the cost of supply? What are the economic and political barriers to success?

The conference will be committed to describing and debating engineering challenges faced by the fracturing community including the successes (and failures) to date. This plenary is aimed at discussing the context against which that community operates, to better understand investment choices going forward. 

Digitisation of the oilfield, a trend that is impacting all of us already is happening now! Like other industries, this effort must deliver solutions for our business. We do not need new technology that doesn’t solve our business problems. For years, as an industry, we have been data-rich, however insight poor, all that could be changing.

Big data analytics, driven by increased computing power and new algorithms, accelerate the process of turning this large data collection to insights. It has been shown that big data analytics have created significant value for many industries, yet the energy industry is still in its infancy in creating value from the big data arena. In an era of falling oil prices, big data analytics presenst opportunities to establish more efficient hydrocarbon production, reduce costs and risks, improve safety, enhance regulatory compliance, and generally help make better decisions on the assets. 

Technology development coming from artificial intelligence and big data is reshaping how we interact with machines. Automation capabilities and machine learning are opening the door for more possibilities for ​optimising performance and reliability. Will this change the way we think and deliver hydraulic fracturing in the future? Many argue that our industry is slower than other industries in adapting new technological concepts. Will this impact the pace by which we will evolve hydraulic fracturing? This panel session will answer these important questions. 

With over 70 years of industry application, fracturing technologies have proven to be a game changer in the development of both conventional and unconventional resources. However, the North American boom in fracturing services has yet to touch the international arena leaving undeveloped production potential. New ways of doing business and attractive investment propositions may well be required to foster the allocation of resources and capital to support such a global expansion.

This panel will discuss what the industry has done to date, and can do in the future, to provide the necessary service offerings that will allow significant international growth in the application of hydraulic fracturing.

Innovative technologies and enhanced applications of existing techniques are making it possible for the oil and gas industry to extract ‘unconventional’ gas resources safely, responsibly, and economically. The combination of horizontal wells and hydraulic fracturing has been key to unlocking unconventional gas reserves, mainly in the USA. Many countries are now exploring what it will take to exploit their unconventional resources. On the surface, this sounds like a simple proposition - export technology and techniques from the USA and implement them elsewhere - what could be easier! However, public opinion is influencing the debate and while hydraulic fracturing is perceived as a safe and effective technique within the industry, outside the industry concerns are being expressed on a variety of issues from greenhouse gas emissions to water management and increased seismic activity. This is limiting the ability to export technology and techniques globally. Understanding the present and future impact associated with these developments, not only in our environment but communities, is vital to unlocking these resources, as much as applying the science of hydraulic fracturing.

In this session, we will discuss how and why countries, operators, and service companies can manage the environmental challenges while maintaining the momentum on continuous improvement under a common shared umbrella of environmental responsibility.