Table of ContentsDepartmentsCommentAustralian E&P investments expected to show increaseTotal infrastructure capex offshore Australia is expected to rise steeply over the next five years to a peak in 2010, then settle into an average of around $4 billion per year, according to forecasts by energy analystsInfield Systems.
Global dataGLOBAL DATAGLOBAL DATA
Global E&P BriefsGLOBAL E&PWell SL10320 No. 4 (well No. 3) on the Pompano field in the Gulf of Mexico has been spudded, according to Elixir Petroleum.
Offshore EuropeOFFSHORE EUROPEExploration spending on the Norwegian shelf could surge to NOK 31.4 billion ($4.76 billion) in 2009, according to Statistics Norway.
Gulf of MexicoGULF OF MEXICOThere is plenty of existing infrastructure and spare capacity in many areas of Gulf of Mexico deepwater to accommodate new subsea tiebacks, according to Wood Mackenzie’s Upstream Insight, North America edition, published earlier this year.
Subsea/Surface SystemsSUBSEA SYSTEMSShell Global Solution International recently held its first Nanotechnology Forum in Houston.
Vessels, Rigs,UpgradeVESSELS, RIGS, & SURFACE SYSTEMSYantai Raffles Shipyard has loaded out successfully the first of Awilco Offshore’s three semisubmersible drilling rigs under construction at YRS in Yantai, Shandong Province.
Drilling/ProductionDRILLING & PRODUCTIONAs BP prepares to inaugurate its Liberty ultra extended reach drilling (ERD) program in the Beaufort Sea, expected to shatter all global ERD records, Dr. Jerome J. Schubert, for one, suggests it may not be a long-standing milestone.
GeosciencesGEOSCIENCESConocoPhillips has contracted Wavefield Inseis subsidiary Optoplan to supply an ocean bottom seismic sensor system to monitor the reservoir at Ekofisk in the North Sea. Installation is scheduled for 2010 and is not contracted.
Business BriefsBUSINESS BRIEFSQserv has appointed David Bowman to the new role of international operations director.
Beyond the HorizonThe Anatomy of ‘Integrated Thinking’If you look at the great engineering achievements in history, their success is invariably based on a group of people with different skills coming together and delivering something that is greater than anything any individual could achieve on their own.
Asia-PacificStrengthening Asia-Pacific demand increases Australian E&P investmentsLooking at the profile of investment in Australia over the next five years, Infield Systems forecasts total offshore infrastructure capex to rise steeply to a peak in 2010, then settle with annual average offshore capex solidifying in the region of $4 billion per annum.
Rigless well intervention proves value on Vincent subsea installationsIn 2007, Woodside Energy contracted TSMarine to perform the first fully integrated rigless subsea well intervention project in the Asia-Pacific region, on the Vincent field development off Western Australia.
Three more FPSOs to be deployed in Northern TerritoryThree FPSOs are being added to the four already operating off Northern Territory, says Moshtak Othman, petroleum resource manager at the Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines (DPIFM), Northern Territory, Australia.
High returns of light sweet Tui crudeNew Zealand’s Tui field is one of the best bets ever found by exploration groups in the Asia-Pacific.
Promising Galoc to support next wave of Philippine explorationAustralia’s Nido Petroleum Ltd. is staying focused on the Palawan Sea, where its first field, Galoc, commenced production on Oct. 9 after a challenging development phase.
E-TechnologyExtended HPC can optimize E&PHigh-performance computing (HPC) is becoming more affordable and easier to use. Combined with today’s volume interpretation, modeling, and simulation software, cluster-based HPC is entering the oil and gas mainstream.
Geology & Geophysics3D multiple attenuation compensates for irregular Black Sea bedComplex seabed topography is common in many deepwater fields around the world and gives rise to complex multiple regimes that are poorly attenuated by 2D multiple attenuation algorithms.
New technology integrates prestack seismic insight into mainstream interpretation workflowsPrestack seismic data can provide unmatched insight into a reservoir’s potential.
Drilling & CompletionTwo-million lb slip-based landing string extends drilling limitsThe 6 5/8-in., heavy wall, 150-ksi yield strength pipe incorporates an innovative thick-walled section in the slip contact area to resist slip crushing loads, and a uniquely designed dual-diameter tool joint to increase elevator capacity.
Field DevelopmentSynchronizing the offshore supply chain creates new valueOffshore oil and gas companies wrote the book on how to handle massive risk and how to manage both the human and financial sides of big projects.
Through-life integrity management of deepwater subsea systemsDeepwater subsea systems operate in relatively inaccessible locations. This makes them difficult to inspect, repair, and maintain.
Production OperationsCost-effective removal of subsea exploration wellheadsOne alternative to exploration wellhead recovery operations normally carried out by a drill rig is Norse Cutting & Abandonment’s Subsea Wellhead Picker.
SubseaCarbon fiber rods increase umbilical strength without adding weightWith an increasing percentage of subsea production expected to occur in ultra deepwater, suppliers continue to push the development of technology to make ultra deepwater production more economically viable with less risk. One solution is carbon fiber rod enhanced deepwater umbilicals.
Transportation and PipelineMulti-purpose barges provide critical support for remote deepwater projectsSubsea installations should start in February on BHP’s Pyrenees project off Western Australia.
SwedenSweden technologyBassoe Technology, a specialist in the design of mobile offshore units, provides design, engineering support, and site supervision to the industry.
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