Figure 1. Coiled tubing drilling was done with the fully automated Phoenix I. The 200-ton capacity rig has hydraulic controls for the injectors and the coil drum, coil life-monitoring systems... more

Figure 1. The lower part (1) is made up in the direction of the bit. The unit will only be able to transfer torsion equal to the spring force before... more

Figure 1. MTEM’s R-Land acquisition system has been used successfully in several projects. (All figures courtesy of MTEM) Non-invasive electromagnetic (EM) survey methodology has rather quickly segued from being perceived as... more

Figure 1. The feasibility of using electromagnetic transmission with a logging-while-drilling triple combo tool was recently tested successfully. (Images courtesy of Weatherford) Logging-while-drilling (LWD) tools are past the gee-whiz stage in... more

Staged plunger lift will pull liquids from wells that standard plunger lift systems can’t handle. (Graphic courtesy of International Lift Systems LLC) With plunger lift being a highly recognized method... more

After several years of market fluctuations and design iterations, Centrilift, a division of Baker Hughes, has developed Thermo-Coil, an entirely new technology to de-liquify natural gas wells and substantially boost... more

Figure 1. Schematic of the ProMotor unit illustrates how integrated, factory-filled motor, protector and gauge are combined with plug-and-play power connector to eliminate weather and skill-dependent field assembly procedures. (All... more

Gas shale deposits appear in basins from the east to the west coast across the United States. Although recovery percentages are low, total volumes are high. (Map courtesy of Schlumberger) Oil... more

Figure 1. A decline curve shows current production rates and projected production and cash flow information. (Images courtesy of Compressco) It’s no secret that the hottest natural gas play in the... more

Figure 1. Pressure distribution for a hydraulic fractured — 0.1md reservoir. (Graphics courtesy of Fekete) The depletion of conventional gas reservoirs has shifted the focus of the petroleum industry to unconventional... more

Figure 1. Microseismic fracture mapping reveals the complex network of fractures created in shale reservoirs by fracture stimulation. (Images courtesy of Halliburton) Operators producing gas from shale reservoirs can help ensure... more

The single most difficult and frustrating challenge upstream companies face is getting the right people access to the right data at the right time so they can make well-informed business... more

Scarcely an interview with a service company goes by without the age-old complaint about how slow oil and gas companies are to try new technology. And it’s true — some... more

Figure 1. EMGS has improved EM receiver technology using experience from more than 230 commercial surveys and 8,000 receiver deployments. Advances like extended dynamic range detection, ultra-low noise electronics and... more

Some time ago an unusual paper popped up at a Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts conference. “Technical and Commercial LWD Challenges for Service Companies in Crossing Multidisciplinary Boundaries”... more

A couple of recent events highlighted the ability of oil and gas operations to multiply the good in good projects and the potential for those operations to trigger disastrous consequences. The... more

Mercury Computer Systems’ VistaNav-SSR provides a wide range of scientific and surveillance missions. (Image courtesy of Mercury Computer Systems) Mercury Computer Systems has introduced VistaNav-SSR, the fully integrated Unmanned Aircraft System... more

Ultera’s Mirage Data Recorder is designed for real-time data acquisition in mission-critical operations. (Photo courtesy of Ultera Systems) Ultera Systems has introduced the Mirage Data Recorder (MDR), designed for real-time data... more

A rig crew runs the recess shoe for the linEXX expandable liner system (Photo courtesy of Baker Oil Tools). A commercial well in southeastern Oklahoma in the United States received the... more

Figure 1. Because carbonate rocks have high mechanical integrity and high acid solubility, acid jetting can effectively create holes without drilling. A new coiled tubing (CT) technique creates lateral holes (tunnels)... more

Consumers have a fetish for ranking products. This seems to be all the more so if the products competing for first place are electronic, mechanical, sporting or entertaining (or some... more

The days when moving a drilling rig was a straightforward, low-key effort have disappeared for a number of reasons, with cost the primary one. The current cost of moving a... more

With performance monitoring all the data available on this control panel is available through an Internet Web site. (Photo courtesy of Compression Consulting LLC) The economic benefits for efficient compressor operations... more

Barrels of crude await loading on a train bound for consumer markets. (Graphic courtesy of American Oil & Gas Historical Society) An early roughneck loads barrels with oil... more

Years ago the petroleum industry looked at academic research as producing two products — high-quality graduates and technology — and invested accordingly. During the long years of repetitive downsizing, investing... more

I am headed off to the SPE/IADC Drilling Conference tomorrow. I can’t remember missing many in the last 2 decades. It is a compact and focused conference and, as an... more