Permitting, shuttle tankers and natural gas handling are secondary to having the "right" project for a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, but they still count. The right project. The... more

New downhole straddle tools require no pipe manipulation. In many wells it is advantageous, economically and operationally, to perform stimulation techniques using coiled tubing. Often this process will require that the... more

Lubricator system uses liquid seal for frictionless intervention. A new technology is meeting the challenges of high-profile and difficult well interventions performed by slickline. The Schlumberger Liquid-Seal Slickline Lubricator system is designed... more

An independent IT analyst predicts the emergence of a new kind of service company: the AKD. The oil and gas industry is evolving. Every 20 years or so, usually following periods... more

Information frequently is locked away in company archives and databases. Using artificial intelligence can automatically unlock hidden value in producing fields. No matter how well a company's data is retained,... more

A survey of engineers revealed problems with production software and future needs for integrated, Web-based programs. Engineers are covering more ground these days. Individual engineers are responsible for more fields and... more

Technologies required to produce a revolution in the exploration and production business are available, but courageous vision and leadership are needed for action. The need for an E&P decision-maker to know... more

Offshore Canada's harsh-environment operators are ready for anything. As Brazilian activity reaches record levels, Enterprise Oil plc is set to spud the first of 15 wells in the Bijupirá and Salema... more

A new study helps assess risk in oil and gas operations in South America. Fiscal and economic uncertainty softens the enthusiasm of E&P company executives searching for South American opportunities. Often... more

There's too much at stake to let a poor public image limit our industry's future opportunities. Let me just hop up on this soapbox here, because I have something important to... more

An engineering group is doing something about the need to capture learning on projects worldwide and disseminate it to a wider audience. And it wants more organizations to collaborate. The new... more

Grant Geophysical Inc. appointed Jim Devine chairman of its board of directors. iVita Corp. named John Gibson, president and chief executive officer of Landmark Graphics Corp., to the company's board of... more

1. Production Specialties Co. tested its US $1.8 million Pale Rider No. 3-26 wildcat at 5.3 MMcf/d of gas and 70 b/d of condensate with flowing tubing pressure of 5,400... more

1. Noble Affiliates Inc. subsidiary Samedan Oil Co. will begin drilling its Alpine prospect on East Breaks Block 588 using the Noble Drilling Co. Homer Ferrington semisubmersible. Alpine is in... more

1. Conoco has started drilling on its west of Shetland deepwater well with Smedvig's West Navion drillship following Enterprise Oil's operation with the unit. Conoco's new well, 132/6-1a, is operating... more

1. The second appraisal well on the 1.5 billion-bbl deepwater Akpo field off Nigeria has encouraged the South Atlantic Petroleum partnership with TotalFinaElf to begin plans for early production. Plans... more

1. Trinidad and Tobago have opened a licensing round for offshore acreage, including deepwater blocks. Operators have until Sept. 4 to submit their bids. North and east of Tobago, blocks... more

1. US-based Pinnacle Resources Inc. has taken an option on the purchase of Eastern Petroleum (Cyprus) Ltd. Eastern owns 49% of the Caspian field in Kalmykia, an independent state on... more

1. Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) has made a gas discovery even larger than the Kauther find in March, which is considered the largest gas field discovered in Oman in the... more

1. ExxonMobil and Pertamina will develop the D-Alpha block off Natuna Island, Indonesia, to support potential gas sales to Malaysia. ExxonMobil holds 74% of the development. 2. The Petronas Carigali Sdn... more

Petrophysicists and geophysicists meet to discuss integration, and the lack thereof, between their disciplines. Here's a little teaser for our August issue. In that issue will be the results of a... more

Several states want to ban natural gas drilling beneath the Great Lakes. With gas prices rising dramatically in the past year, the resources available under the Great Lakes have become an... more

Despite nuclear secrets troubles, the US Department of Energy(DOE) is right on when it comes to helping fund new production technologies. DOE told us recently about a joint government-industry experiment in... more

For years, historians spoke of World War I as the first modern war and as the war to end all wars. They were wrong on both counts. The idea of... more

Accounting and administration don't have to be time thieves for oil and gas company managers. Every family should have a trusted financial butler to gather income and take care of bills.... more

Several operators are aiming to start new wildcats in the Norwegian part of Barents Sea this year and in 2002 following the successful wells drilled by Agip in 2000. However,... more

The problem with energy policy at the national level is that no one is in command of all the resources or the players who make and implement policy. For the... more