Theodore Levitt once said people may buy hand drills, but it is the holes they want. Provide a better, more cost-effective way of making holes, and people will buy it.... more

The pace at which contractors order new rigs remains one of the most crucial aspects affecting the long-term health of the offshore contract drilling industry. A recent Lehman Brothers survey asked... more

Most North African countries have yet to enjoy the oilfield boom their western neighbors, particularly Angola and Nigeria, have seen. Yet the continent's most developed oil region and the largest... more

The secret to managing change is to engage all the employees from the start. The most rapid changes in the oil patch are taking place in the area of information technology.... more

Looking at the west of Shetlands region, one might be forgiven for thinking there isn't all that much prospectivity out there. But what about the big picture? Yes, a trio of... more

The long-term deepwater issue of flow assurance could be a step closer to being resolved on projects in the US Gulf of Mexico with the application of a new type... more

Brad Thibodeaux, left, has been named director of marketing services of Foster Marketing Communications. He replaces Daniel Foster, right, who has been named account assistant. Victor Obadiah has been appointed president... more

The world's two largest seismic contractors are officially one. How does it look to the company's new president? On Nov. 30, Geco-Prakla and Western Geophysical combined to become WesternGeco, a... more

Larry Nichols doesn't really come across as a corporate raider. He's extremely affable and good-natured, and he has a wonderful sense of humor. Those studying the growth of Nichols' company,... more

Oilpatch paychecks and bonuses grew in 2000 as competition increased for corporate stars. Oil and gas producers and service companies rewarded employees with higher base salaries and bonuses in 2000 as... more

Operators react to spiking gas prices with operational changes. Operators with natural gas production or opportunities have put development on the fast track as they take advantage of prices that spiked... more

Invitations to apply for acreage in the UK's 19th Offshore Licensing Round recently were unveiled by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), with applications to be submitted by the... more

Taking out redundant platforms in the UK sector of the North Sea is going to be a US $13.7 billion (£8.7 billion) business, with the market expected to take off... more

Petrobras threw a big net to make its Peixie Grande program work on world markets. Petrobras had a problem. It wanted to build the deepwater Marlim, Cabiunas, EVM and Barracuda projects,... more

West Africa is forecast to be the target of a huge surge in offshore oil and gas field investment. If plans are realized, annual expenditures of about US $2 billion... more

Enterprise Oil has won its first contract in Iran, taking a 20% stake in Phases VI, VII and VIII of the giant South Pars offshore gas field. Subject to approval... more

Operators working the Caspian Sea area plan more spending in coming months. The Caspian Sea contains significant new undiscovered reserves, and higher oil prices will encourage operators to find them in... more

China continues to open its doors to foreign oil and gas companies for new upstream ventures at a rate surprising even its already established oil company partners. One of the world's... more

Kerr-McGee is carving a niche in one of the Southern Hemisphere's most prospective exploration zones, recently announcing a double whammy of finds offshore Australia that have reinforced its growing presence... more

1. Berkley Petroleum Corp., Calgary, Alberta, has reached a total depth of 18,011ft (5,493m) at the Berkley et al. No. 2 Berkley East Lost Hills, an indicated discovery in Section 36-25s-20e... more

1. Walter Oil & Gas Co. is using Diamond Offshore Drilling's Ocean Saratoga semisubmersible to drill its East Breaks 201 wildcat in 1,374ft (419m) of water in the Gulf of Mexico.... more

1. Following a short coring program on its Rhum appraisal well using R&B Falcon's Paul B Lloyd Jr. semisubmersible, BP has decided not to test this high-temperature, high-pressure probe in the... more

1. Swedish oil company Lundin Oil AB subsidiary International Petroleum Libya Ltd. is getting set to drill a new exploratory well on Area NC177, some 21 miles (34.2km) south of En... more

1. TotalFinaElf was forced to stop drilling at its first exploratory well in Talysh-Deniz field in Azerbaijan due to problems with drilling equipment. The company stopped drilling at 3,376ft (1,029m). 2. Western Geophysical... more

1. Kerr-McGee Corp. has completed its Rubicon No. 1 well on Block WA 278-P in the Timor Sea and found about 100ft (31m), gross, of hydrocarbons. The company continues to evaluate... more

With oil and gas prices soaring, it might almost be time for seismic contractors to get invited to share some of the fun. Every few months I revisit a familiar plot... more

Understanding the logging environment is crucial to log analysis when drilling horizontally. Rotary steerable systems are revolutionizing the drilling of horizontal and extended-reach wellbores. Typically, advanced directional drilling has been performed... more

Dual-gradient drilling (DGD) technology could significantly enhance deepwater well economics by reducing the number of casing points and increasing production rates. BP, the world's second largest oil company, believes the application... more

Cementing is an integral part of the drilling process. Operators appreciate the importance of good cementing designs and its repercussions on overall well costs and drilling schedules. BP's cementing guru,... more

To optimize production, engineers must have deep understanding of complex technologies and even more complex "soft issues." Where does such wisdom come from? Operators continue to push the limits of production... more

Economists from Malthus to Keynes to Greenspan would have us believe certain economic laws are immutable. But driving round pegs into square holes is hard work, and not always rewarding,... more

Appalachia's Trenton Black River interest grows. The Trenton Black River play in New York and West Virginia in the northeastern United States might unlock the tremendous natural gas potential of the... more

This issue marks the end of an era. Mark Thomas is bidding us adieu as editor in chief. His able replacement is already in harness, and we are looking forward... more