Surveys reinforce engineering design decisions for offshore structures. ConocoPhillips found no surprises when company engineers studied the offshore current survey for the Magnolia tension leg platform in 4,700 ft (1,434 m)... more

In the next 18 months, deepwater drilling in the Caspian Sea will take on new meaning when a new semisubmersible makes its debut. ExxonMobil and ChevronTexaco plan to cash in on... more

Conoco and Hitech collaborate on a cheaper offshore loading solution. Conoco's desire to simplify offshore loading in its worldwide operations has resulted in a partnership with Norway's Hitech Marine to develop... more

Surface pressures are used to accurately and independently image a complex reservoir. A wave mechanic's approach to pressure transient analysis, based on a radial element capillary wave model, has been employed... more

Single-phase testing and real-time estimates of reservoir fluid properties help speed development decisions. The need for a reliable alternative to expensive and lengthy traditional drill stem tests has been the driving... more

California's continued reserve replacement success comes from applying tried-and-true practices to an elite group of older fields. Although very old, California's highly productive oil fields, often characterized by shallow, thick, multi-zone... more

Utilizing both software applications and downhole pressure and temperature gauge technology, one company is providing customers with turnkey intelligent lift systems to enhance field production. In today's cost-conscious environment, optimizing production... more

A new drilling method uses fluid kerfing to minimize rock disintegration while increasing rate of penetration (ROP). Jet kerf drilling tools cut thin concentric circles or notches in rock, weakening... more

In a mature Texas field, a new repeat formation tester performed 53 pressure tests in less than 8.5 hours with no sticking problems. Logging service provider Reeves Oilfield Services recorded 53... more

The enlarge-while-drilling (EWD) tool has been used extensively to reduce drilling costs and problems encountered with slenderhole casing plans. Drilling deep wells involves one main challenge: cost. One approach to... more

Tracking natural gas storage in hollowed-out salt domes is a new application for downhole pressure and temperature measurement tools. In 2001, a natural gas company decided that measurement in a Texas... more

Two downhole pressure-monitoring campaigns in 2000 and 2001 proved that long-term memory gauges can function properly, withstanding high temperatures and pressures for more than 100 days. Neil Ferguson is technical coordinator... more

Motivated employees can have a significant impact on a company's bottom line. Here's how to attract and keep good people in the new E&P workforce. At a recent SPE forum, it... more

NORTH AMERICA Enventure Global Technology signed an agreement with Shell International, setting global pricing terms for projects using Enventure's Solid Expandable Tubular (SET) technology. The agreement includes provision of Enventure's... more

A new software program called EnABLE helps engineers validate reservoir models efficiently and measure uncertainties in field performance predictions. Many reservoir engineers have experienced the frustration of trying in vain to... more

Spar platform technology moves forward in the Gulf of Mexico with Kerr McGee's new gas development. Using a proprietary Technip-Coflexip design, development of Red Hawk will see the first use of... more

NORTH AMERICA Aquila Inc. sold a substantial package of pipeline assets for US $265 million to Energy Transfer Co. Ltd., a Dallas-based private company. Aquila will use the money to... more

Oil industry projects can be difficult to manage, but one company found success with a project management service. When called upon to develop and produce a new type of... more

NORTH AMERICA BJ Services selected Ian Fraser as business development manager for its Middle East and Asia Pacific regions, with strategic responsibility for all marketing functions for the company's process... more

1. Tri-Valley Oil & Gas Co., Bakersfield, reports it is commencing operations at the #1-24 Aurora, a wildcat in Section 24-26s-26e MD, Kern County, Calif. The company is building location... more

1. Remington Oil & Gas tested 9 MMcf/d of gas equivalent at its West Cameron 426 #1 discovery drilled by the Rowan Texas jackup. A second discovery in East Cameron... more

1. Premier Oil has farmed into a West of Shetland exploration license area to gain a share in the Faeroes Extension well currently being drilled by Amerada Hess. Smedvig's West Navion... more

1. Preussag Energie will spend US $15 million to start exploration and production in Oro Negro and H-7 oil fields near the town of Cabimas, Venezuela on Lake Maracaibo. The... more

1. Angola's state oil company Sonangol and partner BP made an oil discovery with the Plutão-1 well in the ultradeepwater Block 31 offshore Angola. The Plutão find was the second... more

1. Russia's Rosneft and Kazakhstan's KazMunaiGas plan to begin exploration next June at Kurmangazy field in the Caspian Sea on the border between the two countries. Early speculation estimates oil... more

1. Magnolia Global Energy provided Ras Laffan LNG Co. front-end engineering and design services for an offshore well in the Arabian Gulf of Qatar. The US firm said the NFR 7-1... more

1. Pertamina, with PT Bumi Siak Pusako, will invest US $33 million in their Coastal Plains Pekanbaru block in 2003 to raise production from the Riau district field that the... more

New exploration technologies are being offered through partnerships rather than the standard client-service company mode. Business models come, and business models go. And it's always fun to watch. Oil companies have... more

Numar's nuclear magnetic resonance tool can measure hydrogen density, T1 and T2 so engineers can calculate viscosity and gas-oil ratio. There are several disadvantages of using wireline for obtaining samples of... more

Anytime, anywhere engineering improves safety and efficiency. Most petroleum engineers are well accustomed to performing their jobs at odd hours, in less-than-comfortable places. Well tests invariably take place in the middle... more

By the time you read this, the 2002 hurricane season in the Gulf of Mexico officially will have ended. This year's season has not been without interest. In early October,... more

Workplace portals maximize team efficiency and effectiveness. Portal technology recently has attracted increased attention from the computer trade publications. In fact, one information technology publisher just launched a magazine devoted... more

Supply fills rising Asian demand. Operators in Australia's Carnarvon Basin offshore between Exmouth and the Burrup Peninsula plan to lay siege to Asia's hunger for clean energy with an arsenal of... more

Many people dream of having their own business. Often that means consulting, which has low start-up costs. However, what if your dream business requires more money? What if you need... more