Technology
Utah FORGE Starts Drilling a Geothermal First—A Deviated Well in Hot, Crystalline Granite
Highly deviated wells are frequently drilled for oil and gas production, but the Utah FORGE team is set to tackle this challenge while drilling a geothermal well in hot, hard crystalline granite.
Integration of Data-Driven and Physics-Based Models To Better Understand Subsurface Formations
This article briefly reviews two examples of how the integration of data-driven and physics-based models can optimize the history-matching process in reservoir simulation and rate of penetration in drilling operations, leading to more robust and efficient outcomes.
Blowout and Kill Contingency Planning: Why It Should be Part of Well Construction Process
It is a myth that blowouts only occur in high-pressure wells. Being able to investigate the blowout and kill potential on every well as part of the well construction process is an opportunity to increase safety awareness among drilling engineers.
Reservoir Fluid Geodynamics: A New Discipline That Greatly Improves Reservoir Evaluation
The oil industry has not treated reservoir crude oil with the same degree of rigor as it does reservoir rock formations. Reservoir fluid geodynamics is a new technical discipline that accounts for hydrocarbon compositional redistribution and phase change in reservoirs in geologic time.
What "is" an Equation of State?
Most petroleum engineers understand that engineering calculations involve the properties of fluids. “Fluid” is a term used to describe gases and liquids. An equation of state is nothing more than a fluid model.
End-to-End Digital Transformation of Petroleum Engineering: The Evolution of a Revolution
The industry worldwide has been swayed by the digitization wave. This column previews the multifaceted digital transformation of petroleum engineering from an intradisciplinary perspective, using specific examples from SPE’s seven technical disciplines.
Ensemble Machine Learning Explained in Simple Terms
If you have used the random forest algorithm, then you already have used the Ensemble Machine Learning (EML) method, probably without realizing it. This article will explain, in very simple terms, the principle behind this relatively new ML paradigm.
Application of the Capacitance Model in Oil and Gas Reservoirs
An overview of two novel applications of the capacitance model, including its implementation during the primary production period and in gas reservoirs.
Can Data Science Help Solve One of the Oil Industry’s Thorniest Problems?
Water-in-oil emulsions cost millions in maintenance, reduce oil recovery, and create excess carbon. These economic and environmental burdens may finally be resolved.
The Role of Surveillance Plots in Diagnosing Waterfloods
The evaluation of waterfloods often is focused on issues at the well level. But each well is only one part of a bigger system. For this reason, it is important to diagnose a waterflood from multiple viewpoints: the field, pattern, and well levels.
Baker Hughes Retasks 3D Printers To Make Anti-Coronavirus Gear
Baker Hughes is joining the ranks of other manufacturers using spare 3D printers to make plastic face shields and other gear to protect healthcare workers from the deadly coronavirus.
Video: Coiled Tubing Drilling Wellsite Walk-Through
Learn the components of a coiled tubing drilling operation and how they all fit together.
Watching Polymers Self-Assemble at Oil-Water Interface
Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee achieved a rare look at the inner workings of polymer self-assembly at an oil-water interface.
Key Design Considerations for Maximizing the Recovery Rate of Unconventional Reservoirs
A discussion on the different types interference effects during hydraulic fracturing, focusing on cluster design and well spacing.
Cement: Barrier for HPHT Wells and CO2 EOR Techniques
Extreme downhole conditions may lead to rapid degradation of pumped cement. The understanding of degradation of cement under such conditions is imperative to bring about improvements in the cement formulation.
Video: Building the Amazing Appomattox
The video shows some of the issues encountered while building the Appomattox and how the team drew on the knowledge of those outside of the oil and gas industry to overcome them.
Circular Economy: Getting Crude Oil Back Out of Plastic
OMV’s ReOil technology uses thermal cracking to transform plastic waste into gas and synthetic crude oil. The technology is expected to reach industrial scale by 2025.
Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage: Do We Have a Choice?
A look at the CCUS technology and its advantages, and an argument in favor of more CCUS projects.
Ulterra Video: Life of a Drill Bit
From the field, to the customer, through engineering, CAM, and manufacturing then back to the field, each drilling bit's life is unique.
Reuters: Low-Cost Fracking Offers Boon to Oil Producers, Headaches for Suppliers
A new technology called electric fracking, which is powered by natural gas instead of costly diesel fuel, promises to bring down fracturing costs, but building this system is much more expensive than conventional fleets.
Production Logging for Identifying and Remedying Poor Well Performance
The main goal of production logging is to evaluate the well or reservoir performance. A look at several scenarios of poor well performance and recommendations for production logging tools for diagnosis.
Cenovus Produces One Billionth Barrel From Northern Alberta Oil Sands
Cenovus Energy announced that it reached 1 billion bbl of cumulative production from its oil sands facilities in northern Alberta, becoming the first company to reach this milestone using SAGD technology.
Anadarko Delaware Basin Tankless Flowback Strategy
The Delaware Basin presented a challenging scenario for Anadarko due to the company’s tankless development approach. Sand filtration was identified as a perfect fit for this application.
Why Porosity From Density Log is Preferred Over Neutron Log
Porosity from porosity log is never a measurement, it is a calculation, from what we think might represent the porosity of the rock. That being the case, these are the reasons why I prefer the neutron log.
Completion Design Strategy for Production Testing of Gas Hydrate
Natural gas hydrates are considered to store vast amount of natural gas trapped in the subsurface worldwide. However, gas hydrates are yet to be commercialized due to technical challenges in the production technology.
Download: Contest Winning Poster on Data Wrangling Workflow To Standardize Drilling Data Cleaning Process
This poster describes a workflow executed and aims to achieve future standardization of the drilling data cleaning process to allow reproducibility.
Have an Idea for Oil and Gas? Here’s How to File a Patent
Strong intellectual property protection for innovative technology is one way to remain competitive. The surest way to safeguard emerging technologies is by securing patent protection.
Video Explaining the Differential Pressure Flow Measuring Principle
This video explains the principle behind measuring the differential pressure.
RMIT University: Scientists Turn Carbon Dioxide Back Into Coal
RMIT University researchers have used liquid metals to turn carbon dioxide back into solid coal, a breakthrough that could transform carbon capture and storage.
Saltwater Disposal: A Key to Permian Productivity
As the Permian Basin has boomed again, recent conversations focused on how pipeline takeaway capacity limits the ability of operators to develop the basin to its full potential. In addition to solving the takeaway problem, water management is another bugbear waiting to be addressed.
Lloyds Register Video: Importance of Flow Assurance
Lloyds Register Senior Flow Assurance Engineer Oche Ameh explains what flow assurance is and the importance of this field in oil and gas extraction.
What’s Next for Surfactant Research in the Oil and Gas Industry?
When people hear of surfactant research in the oil and gas industry, they most likely think of surfactant flooding. An emerging area of surfactant application in the industry is as a conformance improvement agent.
ORNL Research: Good Vibrations—Neutrons Lend Insight into Acoustic Fracking
A team of researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory is using a combination of neutron and x-ray scattering to make the hydraulic fracturing safer and more efficient.
Drilling Optimization: Using Downhole Data Analysis, Drilling Software To Augment Bit Performance
Downhole drilling dynamics tools and software can assist in understanding the downhole environment, providing a meaningful avenue for drilling optimization.
Drilling Optimization: The Essential Role of Drill Bit Selection
With rig rates running upwards of a million dollars a day for some operations, shaving even a few minutes off the drilling time can result in tens of thousands of dollars in savings. One of the fundamental ways a drilling engineer can achieve this is through selection of a proper drill bit.
Three Stress-Shadowing Mitigation Techniques for Hydraulic Fracturing Operations: An Overview
Mitigation of stress shadowing could significantly enhance the impact of hydraulic fracturing treatments, increasing stimulated reservoir volume and leading to higher production of hydrocarbons.
Reaching a Turning Point—Underbalanced Coiled Tubing Drilling Seeing Wider Implementation in Changing Oil Field
Underbalanced coiled tubing drilling has continually advanced since the first trials in the 1990s but remains a relatively niche drilling technology. With UBCTD projects set to start in many countries next year, this technology may be seeing a turning point.
Cognitive Study of Human Factors for Safe Drilling Operations: Eye-Tracking Technology
Considering most of the rigs deal with human-machine interface systems, the role of human factors is at the heart of any successful operation. Eye-tracking technology can be useful in real-time operation centers where ocular movement data can improve the professionals’ performance.
Poster: Nothing Lasts Forever—Including “b>1” in Hyperbolic Decline Model
Due to its simplicity, the Arp's Hyperbolic Decline Model is used in unconventional resource plays. The poster mathematically proves and physically explains why "b>1" can't last forever.
The Current State of Canadian Unconventional Oil and Gas Plays
Unconventional oil and gas have come to dominate the exploration and development scene in Western Canada since 2005, much as they have in the US. As usually happens with new play ideas and trends, appraisal and development have generated a broad spectrum of results in Canadian Unconventional plays.
Microsoft Deploys Experimental Underwater Datacenter
Microsoft deployed a datacenter underwater near Scotland’s Orkney Islands, as part of a project to assess bringing datacenters closer to population centers.
University Research: Innovations in EOR
Matt Balhoff, associate professor at the University of Texas Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering Department, shares the latest advances in his research on enhanced oil recovery.
Technology 101: EOR Methods for Shale and Tight Formations
There is a big prize to be claimed in enhanced shale and tight oil recovery.
Video: National University of Singapore Engineering's Hybrid UAV
NUS Engineering is working on a hybrid UAV, which combines the features of a helicopter and an airplane.
Statoil’s Digital Roadmap: Q&A by Torbjørn F. Folgerø, Acting head of Digital Centre of Excellence
Statoil's Acting head of Digital Centre of Excellence shares the company's digital road map.
Gas Hydrates: Where And How To Look for Them
As a compact source of energy which is widely distributed, natural gas hydrates can play a big role in meeting future energy demands. But producing them is not such an easy task.
My App for Reservoir Engineering Calculations and Why I Created It
The author shares the story of how when he wanted a quick, handy tool to have in his pocket to QC the reservoir engineering numbers, he ended up creating an app that others could use too.
Mitigating Riser Gas Migration in Deep Water
A key concern in offshore well control is riser gas migration. At the DGD Laboratory at Texas A&M, investigations are being conducted both computationally using dynamic multiphase flow software, and experimentally using a scaled model of a marine riser to find ways to mitigate gas-in-riser events.
2017 Drillbotics Winners Announced
Texas A&M University wins this year's Drillbotics contest.
Data-Driven Reservoir Modeling: A Fact-Based Alternative to Numerical Simulation
Data-driven reservoir modeling is an alternative or a complement to numerical simulation and uses machine learning and data mining to develop full-field reservoir models.
Optimizing Cluster or Fracture Spacing: An Overview
More than a decade ago, perforation cluster spacing was designed up to 700 ft in Barnett and Bakken plays. Today, the spacing is as close as 15 ft apart in Eagle Ford and DJ Basin and operators are optimizing fracture spacing for achieving higher initial production rates.
Offshore Technology Conference Events Offer Networking Opportunities for Young Professionals
2017 Offshore Technology Conference offers many networking events and opportunities to learn about the latest offshore technologies.
Pemex's Recent Offshore Bid Round and Using Technology To Unlock Reserves
Pemex E&P's general director talks about the role of technology in the company's recent developments and shares his career advice to young professionals in the industry.
Energy East Pipeline: How New Technologies and Existing Infrastructure Will Help To Move Canadian Crude Safely
The Energy East Pipeline involves the conversion of an existing TransCanada gas pipeline to oil service, as well as the construction of 1500 km of new pipeline. With a capacity of 1.1 million B/D, it will eliminate the need to import foreign crude oil to refineries in Quebec and New Brunswick.
Internet of Things in the Oil and Gas Industry
IoT is the next step in the evolution of the oil and gas industry. Changes have already begun in the field installations, in the corner office, and across the oil and gas value chain.
Pipeline Innovations Improve Operating Efficiencies
From trenchless construction for environmentally sensitive areas to heated pipelines which reduce associated upstream and downstream facilities, innovation in pipeline technology is improving operating efficiencies.
Sand Control: Achieving Maximum Well Productivity Without Excessive Sand Production
Production of formation sand is one of the oldest problems in oil and gas industry. Achieving maximum well productivity without excessive sand production or plugging requires sand control that depends on the type of the reservoir and production technology.
Preparing for the Handover? Do Industry Young Professionals Risk Missing Out on the Opportunity To Understand Geomechanics and Its Value?
Early identification of geomechanics-related problems is required to optimally drill, complete, stimulate, and produce from reservoirs. Academic institutes, the oil industry, and contribution from professional societies play a key role in recognizing geomechanics as an important discipline.
Hydraulic Fracturing Trends (Infographic With Article Links)
Eight latest trends in hydraulic fracturing.
TWA Forum Series: New Ideas Applied to New Places. Part II: Deep Offshore Field Development
In Part II of this series, Antonio Pinto, senior advisor, and Celso Branco, reservoir engineer, of Petrobras discuss advances in deep offshore drilling related to the enormous Santos pre-salt basin fields of Brazil.
What’s the Next Big Thing?
SPE President Janeen Judah's column in November JPT discusses what's the next big thing for the industry.
TWA Forum Series: New Ideas Applied to New Places. Part I: Drilling Automation
TWA’s Forum section editors interview technical experts from two areas of technology: drilling automation and deep offshore development. In Part I of the series, Robello Samuel, chief technical advisor in the drilling division at Halliburton, speaks on automated and remote drilling.
Gas Hydrates: An Unconventional Resource Horizon for India
Gas hydrate resources in India are huge and potentially represent a global energy game changer if the technologies for production from hydrate reservoirs are techno-economically established. Several initiatives have been undertaken by NGHP in India for gas hydrate exploration in deepwater offshore.
Content Management To Support Application and Business Workflow for Efficiency Wins
There has been a realization within the oil industry since 2000 that applications and systems are related. Well, transaction, and product data, and best practice with success data should be integrated into a seamless and streamlined process for process improvement and greater return on investment.
Nanotechnology Solutions for the Oil and Gas Industry
An overview of the Advanced Energy Consortium’s nanotechnology innovations and target applications in the oil and gas industry.
Microfluidics and Their Macro Applications for the Oil and Gas Industry
David Sinton, University of Toronto, discusses how microfluidics is gaining traction in the oil and gas industry and how this field of study can be used for understanding pore-scale transport.
Creating a Technology-Focused Completions Organization
Andrew Buzinsky of Trican Well Services discusses the reasons behind Trican's acquisition of i-TEC Well Solutions, and how the agility of both the bigger and the smaller company led to a win-win integration.
Upping the Ante on Technology and Leadership in Challenging Market Conditions: Part 1
John Wishart, Lloyd's Register discusses the role of the Industry Technology Facilitator, current challenges facing industry, and how the work environment is changing.
Data Integration Key to Improved Oil and Gas Modeling
The amazing rate of improvement in computing technology provides numerous opportunities for improving our operations, but unless the data from various systems can be integrated, it won't deliver on its potential.
Artificial Lift: Focus on Hydraulic Submersible Pumps
The authors tell you how hydraulic submersible pumps work and how they're different froom other types of artificial lift.
The Way Ahead for US Unconventional Reservoirs
How to understand the complexities of unconventional reservoirs.
Describing Shale Well Performance Using Transient Well Analysis
Fabián Vera, Baker Hughes, and Christine Ehlig-Economides, Texas A&M, explain transient well analysis and how it contributes to shale development.
How Offshore Capping Stacks Work
Trendsetter Engineering's Mauricio Madrid and Antony Matson explain how offshore capping stacks can be used to stop spills when the blowout preventer fails.
Permanent Well Abandonment
Schlumberger's Kenny Campbell and Rod Smith talk about the process of permanently abandoning a well, managing the cost of abandonment, and ensuring that activities comply with applicable regulatory requirements.
How to Tackle the Challenge of Mature Field Development
Chevron's Thais McComb and the University of Wyoming's Brian Towler give their perspectives on tackling mature field development.
Using Soap to Revive Mature Oil Fields
A discussion of how surfactants (soap) can improve recovery and revive mature oil fields.
Deepwater Development: What Past Performance Says About the Future
Technology has allowed industry to develop in ever deeper water to successfully add to energy supplies, despite the high capital requirements.
Leveraging Technology to Win in the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico Wilcox Plays
Managing a portfolio of high-impact technologies as an integrated project is Chevron's recipe for success in the deepwater Wilcox in the Gulf of Mexico.
Deepwater Operations
Luke Eaton of ConocoPhillips, Darryl Herrington of LLOG Exploration, and John Thorogood, drilling global consultant provide their perspectives on deepwater technologies.
The Cutting Edge: Research and Development’s Role in Deep Water
An interview with Schlumberger's Amelia Irion on a career in research and development and the role of R&D in developing deepwater resources.
Deepwater Brazilian Presalt: The Way Ahead for Research and Development
Exploiting deepwater resources in a cost-effective manner presents a number of challenges for the industry, In the deepwater Brazilian presalt, research and development may provide solutions.
Well Test Analysis in Practice
Alain C. Gringarten, Imperial College London discusses well testing -- why, how, and most importantly, how results are interpreted.
Discover a Career: Flow Assurance
Alberto Di Lullo, Eni E&P, discusses flow assurance engineering and the challenges that those working in flow assurance address.
Meeting Tomorrow’s Energy Needs, Minimizing Environmental Impact
Kishore K. Mohanty of the University of Texas at Austin talks about technologies that can help industry meet energy demands without harming the environment.
Extracting Natural Gas Through Desorption in Shale Reservoirs
Shale acts both as source rock and reservoir rock. Gas production in commercial quantities requires the presence of fractures to provide permeability. It also requires getting the gas in the shale to release through desorption.
The Impact of Nanotechnology on Oil and Gas Economics
Materials smaller than the width of a human hair are contributing to improved hydraulic fracturing and other areas of oil and gas technology.
Future Technologies of the Oil Field
Surya Rajan, a director at IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA), discusses the drivers for innovation in oil and gas along with expected areas for technology development.
Technology Challenges, Opportunities of Next 25 years
Advances in technology will bring many opportunities for improving our industry in areas as diverse as water management, nanotechnology and automation.
The Technology Issue: Carpe Technology
In this issue, we take a look at those technologies that seem intangible, but will be part of the standard oilfield tool box in years to come. We are talking about nanotechnology, the expansion of the digital era, automation solutions, and the exploitation of “new” resources in harsh environments.
Current Research and Challenges Pertaining to CO2 Flooding and Sequestration
A review of the current status and research on CO2 flooding and CO2 sequestration.
Discover a Career in Underbalanced Drilling
Despite the drilling industry’s shift toward managed pressure drilling (MPD) over the past half-decade, underbalanced drilling (UBD) continues to be a desirable option for many operations today.
Antarctica: Recording and Experiencing Climate Change
Antarctica is the storehouse of the world’s oldest ice-borne climate records, preserved in the Antarctic deep freeze for millions of years. But Antarctica is also a living laboratory in which the decadal effects of climate change can be directly observed.
Using Technology for Carbon Emission Control and EOR
Neeraj Gupta of the Battelle Memorial Institute and Nigel Jenvey of Maersk Oil and Gas comment on technology applications for carbon emission control and enhanced oil recovery.
Emerging Oil Regions: Brazil, the Arctic, and West Africa—and the Role of Fluid Properties
A brief introduction to the subject regions, highlighting some key differences with respect to other known basins as well as the size of the prize, is followed by a focus on fluid properties’ role in terms of field development and uncertainty reduction.
Game Theory in the Oil and Gas Industry
We provide here a brief introduction to game theory, which might better be called the theory of conflict and cooperation. Classical decision analysis is more applicable when one party is making the decision; when multiple parties are involved, use of game theory is more appropriate.
Managed Pressure Drilling 101: Moving Beyond “It’s Always Been Done That Way”
A brief primer on managed pressure drilling (MPD) and how it compares with underbalanced drilling (UBD).
Hydraulic Fracturing To Improve Production
Consultant Ali Daneshy presents an overview of hydraulic fracturing technology.
Discover a Career in Pressure-Transient Testing
Christine A. Ehlig-Economides discusses what a career in pressure-transient testing is like.
Modeling Multiphase Flow in Pipes
The petroleum industry constantly faces challenging flow-assurance problems as it pursues assets in more difficult producing environments. This alone guarantees an exciting future for all engineers with an interest in multiphase flow in pipes.
SAGD: R&D for Unlocking Unconventional Heavy-Oil Resources
Steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) is a prime example of how structured research and development (R&D) has led to the commercial implementation of technology, helping unlock hydrocarbon resources to fulfill society’s energy demands.
Artificial Intelligence and Data Mining: Enabling Technology for Smart Fields
Industry has developed smart completions, smart wells, and smart fields. The next frontier is real-time reservoir management (RTRM) using all of the data from smart installations, as well as artificial intelligence.
The Development of Wireline-Tractor Technology
The development of wireline-tractor technology has greatly improved the way operators can intervene in high-angle and horizontal oil and gas wells
Numerical Simulation of Complex Reservoir Problems and the Need for a Different Line of Attack
Abbas Firoozabadi of the Reservoir Engineering Research Institute and Yale University and Hussein Hoteit of ConocoPhillips engage in an interesting review of traditional (“old school”) numerical-simulation approaches and explain the need to change (to “new school”) reservoir-simulation approaches.
Advances in Space-Drilling Technologies
Brian J. Glass and Carol Stoker of the NASA Ames Research Center describe the potential for drilling on other planets.
Peak Oil and Hot Technologies
TWA Editor Tony Thomas discusses peak oil and what technologies can delay it.
Reflections on Timing and Technology
Christine Ehlig-Economides reflects on her career and how being in the right place at the right time has made all the difference.
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