Archive | March/April
New tool for blowout risk management allows cross communication among decision-makers
Posted on 30 October 2009 in 2008, March/April
By Øystein Arild, International Research Institute of Stavanger A blowout is among the most severe events that can happen during exploitation of petroleum resources. Particularly in environmentally sensitive areas, where uncertainties about consequences are high and contingency planning for major accidents requires extra attention, oil spill preparedness is critical. In well planning on the Norwegian [...]
Impact of thermal expansion on kick tolerance should be part of pre-drilling risk assessment
Posted on 30 October 2009 in 2008, March/April
By Inge Mosti, Bjørn-Tore Anfinsen, Anne Sofie Flatebø, SPT Group Expansion of drilling fluid due to geothermal heating is a well-known effect. However, it has been difficult to quantify with software simulations because it requires very accurate modeling of downhole temperature conditions during operational changes. In the case discussed in this article, a pit gain [...]
New generation of subsea BOP equipment, controls smaller, stronger, cleaner, smarter
Posted on 30 October 2009 in 2008, March/April
By Frank Springett and Dan Franklin, National Oilwell Varco With the high price of oil, it’s become more economical to go to deeper water depths and more challenging reservoirs. With those more challenging reservoirs, comes a whole new set of problems designing the next generation of drilling rigs and subsea BOP equipment. Those new challenges [...]
Managing Beyond Zero: How to Sustain an HSE Program nearing the Ultimate Goal of Zero Incidents
Posted on 30 October 2009 in 2008, March/April
By Kent Van Eaton and Curt Cranford, Corporate Health, Safety and Environmental Managers, Grant Prideco – Houston, Texas Managing Beyond Zero In the late 1970’s, we can recall safety meeting discussions centered on the lost time injury rate. At that time we had never heard of total recordable injury rate. However, it didn’t take very [...]
System uses downhole data to make operations smarter, reduce job time for well intervention
Posted on 30 October 2009 in 2008, March/April
By Marianne Stavland and Jim McNicol, Baker Oil Tools Traditional rig-floor instrumentation provides an indication of critical job parameters taken at surface. As wells become deeper and more tortuous, surface measurements no longer accurately reflect the forces being exerted on and around downhole tools. This uncertainty about what is happening at the business end of [...]
Innovative filtration process for well clean-up fluids reduces amount of water-based waste
Posted on 30 October 2009 in 2008, March/April
By Thomas Blyth, Anna Johnston, CETCO Oilfield Services Company As environmental legislation becomes more stringent around the world, oil companies need to continually re-evaluate how waste fluids produced offshore can be processed and disposed. Areas of focus include reducing onshore disposal of waste and discharge of harmful materials to sea. Drilling rigs, while completing well [...]
Bioremediation project achieves drilling, environmental objectives onshore Bangladesh
Posted on 30 October 2009 in 2008, March/April
By Chris West, Jim Hunt, Kevin Bowen, Chevron Bangladesh; Gary Cole, Greg McEwen, M-I SWACO A combination of demanding well objectives in a remote and environmentally sensitive area prompted Chevron Bangladesh to achieve their drilling objectives by using an all-encompassing, fully integrated drilling fluid and drilling waste treatment plan for the Moulavi Bazaar (MB) and [...]
Company initiatives show drilling industry is taking environmental commitment to heart
Posted on 30 October 2009 in 2008, March/April
By Jerry Greenberg, contributing editor Being environmentally friendly is a great catch phrase, but it doesn’t mean much if companies and people don’t take that commitment to heart. This means not only making a commitment to protect the environment by using the best resources and programs available to reduce environmental hazards but also winning the [...]
Bigger coil sizes, hybrid rigs and RSS advances pushing CT Drilling to next level
Posted on 30 October 2009 in 2008, March/April
Old ways may die hard, but in an era of declining, expensive and difficult-to-tap resources, new and unconventional methods of oil and gas exploration are challenging the status quo. Among innovations rising to the top of the wave is coiled tubing drilling, which, while not new, is evolving through recent advances in technology and design [...]
Abbot Group chairman looks ahead following $2 billion First Reserve deal
Posted on 30 October 2009 in 2008, March/April
By Jeremy Cresswell, contributing editor Early March saw the completion of a $2 billion deal that took the UK’s Abbot Group off the London Stock Market and into private equity ownership through First Reserve, but with chairman Alasdair Locke and his management team still firmly in command. Mr Locke is regarded as a most skilful [...]
Recent Drilling News
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