Archive | News
IADC elects VP of drilling & well servicing division, secretary-treasurer
Posted on 05 March 2009 in News
David Reid, VP – E&P technology & business of National Oilwell Varco, was elected IADC vice president of the drilling & well servicing division at the association’s Directors Meeting on 4 March. Additionally, Beth Gordon, controller for Diamond Offshore, was elected secretary-treasurer.
As NOV’s VP – E&P technology & business, Mr Reid is responsible for developing corporate business interaction with strategic E&P companies. Since he joined Varco International 17 years ago, he has been widely recognized for his contributions to the drilling industry. He is the chairman of the IADC Advanced Rig Technology Committee and is an active member of the SPE Drilling Systems Automation Technical Interest Group.
14 winners in OTC Spotlight on New Technology awards
Posted on 05 March 2009 in News
The Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) announced this week that 14 technologies will receive the 2009 Spotlight on New Technology Awards, recognizing innovative technologies significantly impacting offshore exploration and production.
Spotlight recipients and products for 2009:
'09 Middle East Drilling Technology Conference set for October in Manama, Bahrain
Posted on 05 March 2009 in News
“Managing Limited Resources to Overcome Today’s Challenges” is the theme of the SPE/IADC Middle East Drilling Technology Conference (MEDT), taking place 26-28 October 2009 at the Gulf Hotel, Manama, Bahrain. The event will cover equipment, technology and industry challenges.
MEDT is still calling for papers. Proposals on any of the 11 main topics below can be submitted by 21 March 2009.
Alliance to fund, transfer technologies to minimize drilling's environmental impact
Posted on 05 March 2009 in News
The Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) and Texas A&M University recently announced the creation of a collaborative research program to promote advanced technology for low-impact oil and gas drilling.
The University/National Laboratories Alliance, established as part of the Environmentally Friendly Drilling (EFD) Program, will fund and transfer critical new technologies that can accelerate development of domestic reserves in a safe and environmentally friendly manner. The research is aimed specifically at technologies that can be used in environmentally sensitive areas that are currently off limits to drilling and production.
SCA Chapter forms group to counter Indian DGS rules
Posted on 05 March 2009 in News
Members of the IADC South Central Asia (SCA) Chapter have formed a SPL/DGS Work Group that will coordinate a response plan to challenge requirements issued last year by India’s Directorate General of Shipping (DGS).
Under those regulations, jackups older than 25 years and not classed with the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) must undergo extensive inspections and take any required corrective actions before beginning operations in Indian waters. Additionally, the DGS would require payment of an “appropriate fee” for obtaining the inspection.
IADC names director of European operations, committee coordinator
Posted on 05 March 2009 in News
Hans N.J. Versteeg has joined IADC as director of European operations, responsible for the European Operations Forum and Offshore Competency Training Programme. Most recently he was chairman of NOGEPA, the Netherland Oil and Gas Exploration & Production Association. Prior to that he had a long career with operators in the Netherlands, UK and US.
Mr Versteeg can be reached at +31-6-2283-1347 (hans.versteeg@iadc.org).
Conference panel session engages audience to consider MPD, future applications
Posted on 17 February 2009 in News
Urging the audience to let their imaginations run free and to dream big, Rick Stone, chairman/CEO of Signa Engineering, began the first session of the 2009 IADC/SPE MPD & UBO Conference with this quote from author and playwright George Bernard Shaw: “You see things; and you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say, ‘Why not?’ ”
The future of MPD relies on the industry’s ability to dream up new concepts, he continued, and progress will be made with small accomplishments.
The Managed Pressure Drilling & Underbalanced Operations Conference kicked off on 12 February in San Antonio, Texas, with a panel discussion on the future direction of MPD. Panelists were: Todd Durkee, general manager of drilling for Anadarko; Ken Smith, manager of dual gradient, drilling project implementation for Chevron; and John Kozicz, technology manager for Transocean.
Concentric nitrogen injection technique proved in Southern Mexico
Posted on 17 February 2009 in News
In the mature and severely depleted Samaria field in southern Mexico, a concentric nitrogen injection technique was successfully applied in an MPD well, according to a case history presentation by Corrado Lupo, Schlumberger drilling engineer, during the 2009 IADC/SPE MPD & UBO Conference, on 12 February in San Antonio, Texas.
The formation pressure in the Samaria Field was around 2,200 psi, only about 30% of the original pressure. To achieve the low densities required to drill there, nitrified drilling fluids were used. Wells in the area are historically drilled with high N2 injection through the drill pipe at rates of 150 cu m/min or more. However, the two-phase fluids inside the drill pipe were causing signal loss to MWD pulse telemetry tools. Neither tool face nor formation evaluation data could be obtained while drilling.
Coiled tubing MPD provides cost-effective access to tight gas reservoir
Posted on 17 February 2009 in News
In areas like Alaska and Sharjah, BP had found cost-effective access for infill drilling using managed pressure drilling (MPD) techniques and coiled-tubing drilling (CTD) re-entries. In 2005, they expanded this capability to open up a tight gas reservoir in northeastern Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma. Results proved promising, said Earl Dietrich, drilling engineer with Blade Energy Partners, during a presentation at the 2009 IADC/SPE MPD & UBO Conference.
Development of the Cleveland formation had historically been difficult: There was very tight gas; 950-1,800 psi reservoir pressure; 4%-15% porosity; and 0.003-0.015 mD permeability. It was estimated that only 25% of the original gas in place had been recovered, and a change in development was needed.
MPD reduces NPT in Tizon Field's fractured carbonates
Posted on 17 February 2009 in News
Drilling conventionally through the limestone in the Tizon Field in Southern Mexico’s Chiapas Mesozoic Basin has traditionally been difficult, with problems of differential sticking, simultaneous gas influxes and drilling fluid losses. MPD was then implemented and used to drill through the pay zone. This allowed the team to reduce problems associated with the narrow mud weight window and to increase safety while drilling H2S-bearing formations, according to Leiro Medina, tech services engineer with Optimal Pressure Drilling Services, during a presentation at the 2009 IADC/SPE MPD & UBO Conference.
The objective was to extract hydrocarbon from the Kimmeridgian Superior Jurassic (JSK) rocks, and the section was drilled in a 6 ½-in. hole from 6,197 m to 6,520 m MD.
Recent Drilling News
21 May 2013
Chesapeake taps Anadarko senior VP as new CEO
Robert Douglas (“Doug”) Lawler, will join Chesapeake Energy as its CEO and a member of the Board of Directors, effective 17 June, the company announced...
15 May 2013
BP commits to renewed focus on upstream oil and gas over next decade
Over the next decade, as much as 75% to 80% of BP's majority group capital expenditure will be spent in upstream...
15 May 2013
Statoil sanctions Julia development in GOM with ExxonMobil, pushes ahead with Logan
Pursuing further growth in its US offshore portfolio, Statoil has sanctioned its fourth field development in the Gulf of Mexico...
15 May 2013
Exclusive video: New composite wireline cable contains seven-conductor electrical core
Serko Sarian, telemetry and conveyance portfolio manager for Schlumberger, talks with Drilling Contractor...
15 May 2013
PETRONAS: NOCs expand globally with increasing autonomy, financial strength
National oil companies (NOCs) continue to assume an increasingly meaningful role in the oil and gas industry...