bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intelligent Inflow Tracers Obtain Information With Less Risk, Cost
Authors: Williams Brock , Carvalho Vinicius
Published: February 2015

Young Technology Showcase

Today’s field developments are increasingly characterized by complex wells in demanding and costly operating environments. Not only are individual wells challenging, but most are part of a complex reservoir network that must be managed over an extended period.

The high cost and risk of acquiring reservoir surveillance information using conventional technology, such as production logging tools, is forcing operators to manage these fields without knowledge of the inflow distribution across the reservoir interval. In addition, permanent reservoir surveillance solutions based on optical or electronic sensors require major modifications of the completion design and installation procedure. Consequently, a significant amount of complexity and risk are added to the project, making the use of such technologies prohibitive.

Intelligent chemically based inflow tracer systems are an emerging technology that consist of engineered polymers and chemical compounds combined into a product that resembles strips of plastic. The tracer system is designed to react to either oil or water. For example, when a water-sensitive tracer system is contacted by water, the tracer system releases its unique chemical identification (inflow tracer) at a prescribed release rate, irrespective of the flowing conditions. The water-sensitive tracer system is dormant when contacted by oil, gas, or air. The oil-sensitive tracer system behaves similarly as the tracer is released only when it comes in contact with oil.

Strips of the tracer system are readily integrated into almost any completion configuration including conventional sand screens, inflow control device (ICD) sand screens, multistage fracturing systems, pup joints, and intelligent completions. Additionally, the tracer system can be cemented behind casing and perforated through, providing contact between reservoir fluids and the intelligent tracer strips. In summary, the intelligent tracer strips can be deployed in almost any well type without affecting the installation process.

Samples of produced fluid are analyzed for the concentration of each intelligent tracer. Tracer concentration data, combined with model-based interpretation techniques, enables the operator to understand where oil is entering the well, where water influx is occurring, and relative oil contributions of monitored zones.
Intelligent-Well Completion in the Troll Field Enables Feed-Through Zonal Isolation
Authors: Carpenter Chris
Published: February 2015

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 160060, ’First Intelligent-Well Completion in the Troll Field Enables Feed- Through Zonal Isolation: A Case History,’ by Bjorn Olav Dahle, Statoil, and Peter E. Smith, Geir Gjelstad, and Kristian Solhaug, Halliburton, prepared for the 2012 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, San Antonio, Texas, USA, 8-10 October. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Statoil, operating the Troll field in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, wished to run a deep sidetrack from the main bore in a multilateral well that would exit through the liner in the reservoir. Several zonal-isolation methods had been evaluated, but on the basis of previous experience Statoil decided to use swellable-packer technology. Testing revealed that this type of completion would exceed the necessary requirements. The installation was performed from a semisubmersible rig ahead of plan.

Introduction

The Troll field lies approximately 65 km west of Kollsnes, near Bergen, Norway. Although the field historically has produced large amounts of oil, it is now primarily a gas producer and contains approximately 40% of the total gas reserves on the Norwegian continental shelf. The gas reservoirs, which are 1400 m below sea level, are expected to produce for at least another 70 years.

The massive Troll A platform produces gas, while Troll B, a floating process and accommodation platform with a concrete hull, and Troll C, a floating process and accommodation platform with a steel hull, produce from thin oil-bearing layers in the Troll West reservoir. The thin oil layer is between 22 and 26 m thick in the Troll West oil province and is between 11 and 13 m thick in the Troll West gas province. In order to recover oil from the thin layer, it has been necessary to develop advanced drilling and production technology. All of the more than 110 production wells to be drilled are horizontal wells. This process requires two-phase drilling.

The first phase drills down to the reservoir, 1600 m beneath the sea bottom, and then the second phase drills to 3200 m in a horizontal direction through the reservoir. Twenty-eight of the wells are multilaterals that have two or three horizontal laterals.  

The well in question faced several challenges normally not seen in Troll multilateral completions, including standalone-screen completion with zonal isolation, well paths with doglegs and a completion total depth (TD) of more than 6000 m, top completion with zonal isolation and zonal control for four zones, and the need for dual pressure and temperature monitoring for all oil zones.
Technology Focus: Drilling Management and Automation (September 2013)
Authors: Cunha J.C.
Published: February 2015

Technology Focus

Recently, while preparing to present a seminar on deepwater-well-construction optimization, I tried hard to find a word or a phrase that could be seen as “the secret” for a safe and optimized drilling performance—something very simple that would summarize what must be done to achieve success in an activity that, besides being the most visible face of the oil industry, is also simultaneously the most vulnerable and criticized.

What I was trying to do was encapsulate what is a very complex task, the successful management of drilling operations, in just a few words. This proved to be a futile exercise. After many hours of trying, I ended up not succeeding in obtaining my catch-phrase. On the other hand, that helped me a lot in obtaining the main message for the seminar. There are no quick fixes. The management of a large group of people operating very sophisticated equipment, under restricted conditions, and within a limited space is a mission filled with complexity. But it is our mission, and we should strive not only to succeed but also to improve our performance constantly. As I mentioned in my last article, a flawless operation is a result not only of good management but also of careful planning.

In the seminar, I ended up concentrating on a few points—before, during, and after the operation—that should be viewed as fundamental for the success of the job. In the planning phase, make sure that you are aware of all details involved in the operation and what the risks and possible contingencies are. Then, while executing the operation, be aware of all developments. Use your real-time data as an efficient tool to verify what is going well and what needs to be corrected and to predict what is coming. Finally, after concluding the operation, make sure to capture the lessons learned. This is at least as important as the planning process.

To emphasize the importance of using lessons learned, I would like to conclude with one of my favorite quotes, attributed to Peter Drucker, widely viewed as the inventor of modern management: “A manager is responsible for the application and performance of knowledge.”

Recommended additional reading at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org.

SPE 163302 Intelligent Real-Time Drilling-Operations Classification Using Trend Analysis of Drilling-Rig Sensors by A. Arnaout, TDE Thonhauser Data Engineering, et al.

SPE/IADC 163510 Advanced Dynamic Training Simulator for Drilling and Related Experience From Training of Drilling Teams With Focus on Realistic Downhole Feedback by Sven Inge ødegård, eDrilling Solutions, et al.

SPE 163489 Operational Control and Managing Change: The Integration of Nontechnical Skills With Workplace Procedures by J.L. Thorogood, Drilling Global Consultant LLP, et al.

SPE/IADC 163515 Advances in Real-Time Event Detection While Drilling by R. Wong, Schlumberger, et al.
Overview: Completions Today (October 2004)
Authors: Gomersall Sam
Published: February 2015

Overview - No abstract available.
Expandable Reservoir Completions: The Case for Openhole Completions
Authors: Bybee Karen
Published: February 2015

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper OTC 16714, "Towards the Expandable Reservoir Completion: The Case for Openhole Completions," by Nicholas Gee, SPE, Colin Jones, SPE, and Stuart Ferguson, SPE, Weatherford Intl. Ltd., prepared for the 2004 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 3-6 May.
Overview: Reservoir Performance and Monitoring (October 2004)
Authors: Potsch Klaus
Published: February 2015

Overview - No abstract available.
Overview: Wellbore Stability and Sand Control (October 2004)
Authors: Goodman Harvey E.
Published: February 2015

Overview - No abstract available.
Wellbore Stability in the Compacting and Subsiding Valhall Field
Authors: Bybee Karen
Published: February 2015

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 87221, "Drilling Wellbore Stability in the Compacting and Subsiding Valhall Field," by T.G. Kristiansen, SPE, BP plc, prepared for the 2004 IADC/SPE Drilling Conference, Dallas, 2-4 March.
Q&A with Andy Lane
Authors: Lane Andy , Donnelly John
Published: February 2015

Andy Lane, SPE, is Halliburton’s Chief Operating Officer, with responsibility for directing the leadership teams at both the Energy Services Group (ESG) and Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR). Previously, Lane was President and Chief Executive Officer of KBR. He also has served in a number of management, director, and vice presidential positions within ESG. In 2003, he was named Vice President of ESG’s regional organization. In 2002, he became President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Landmark Graphics. Before that, he served as Global Vice President for Production Enhancement, ESG’s largest product/service line. Lane started at Halliburton in 1984 as a design engineer, specializing in well-completion products. His career in the oil and gas industry began as a field engineer for Gulf Oil, and he also worked as a production engineer in Gulf Oil’s Pipeline Design and Permits Group. Lane earned a BS degree in mechanical engineering from Southern Methodist U. He is a registered professional mechanical engineer in the state of Texas and is also a member of the Soc. of Exploration Geophysicists. He serves on the executive board of Southern Methodist U.’s School of Engineering.

Halliburton restructured operations last December, ending the practice of having separate business unit CEOs and putting both the ESG and KBR divisions under you. What effect has the restructuring had on the company?

The six divisions (four in Halliburton Energy Services Inc. and two in Kellogg Brown & Root Inc.) that make up Halliburton’s business segments have never been stronger. Halliburton is a dynamic organization, encompassing a world-leading position in the energy services industry as well as superb strength in the energy and chemicals and the government and infrastructure markets. The company continues to meet and exceed customer expectations, excel in challenging markets and opportunities, and deliver outstanding results for our shareholders.

Has there been any change in ESG’s strategy or direction since you began overseeing the group?

ESG delivers products and services through four operating divisions: Fluid Systems, Production Optimization, Drilling and Formation Evaluation, and Halliburton Digital and Consulting Solutions. ESG continues to deliver record quarterly performance in terms of revenue and operating income. We are very focused on delivering financial performance. We attribute this strong performance to our customers’ recognition that Halliburton offers superior-quality services. We also remain committed to having a strong customer focus as well as the team’s commitment to health, safety, and the environment while ensuring each and every job is completed according to our motto, “Done Right.” While ESG comprises distinct divisions, we are one company. Our shareholders invest in the strength of Halliburton, and our customers buy our products and services on the basis of the broad range of superior solutions that we offer. With an added emphasis on this “One Halliburton” initiative, we foster a culture of internal alignment and an overall teamwork approach.
Integrated Project Models To Evaluate Field-Development Options
Authors: Denney Dennis
Published: February 2015

This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 93554, "Using Integrated Project Models To Evaluate Field-Development Options," by M.G. Bilderbeck, SPE, and I.V. Beck, SPE, Gaffney, Cline & Assocs., prepared for the 2005 SPE Middle East Oil and Gas Show and Conference, Bahrain, 12-15 March.

A practical and effective development-concept evaluation and screening methodology was developed that recognizes the fundamental relationship between reservoir potential and field-development strategy. The spreadsheet-based project-modeling environment integrates reservoir models and a field-development-planning model. The reservoir models are used to account for uncertainty in reservoir performance. The field-development-planning model handles the scheduling and cost estimation of wells and processing facilities.

Introduction

Decisions to invest in oilfield development are always made under conditions of uncertainty. The future performance of reservoirs is uncertain, as is the economic climate in which investment decisions are made and the resulting projects operated. Technical and commercial analyses used to evaluate the benefits of oilfield developments, and thereby support accompanying investment decision-making processes, must account for these uncertainties.

Many types of uncertainty must be considered. Reservoir performance is affected primarily by the reservoir properties, which can never be defined fully at the point in time at which an investment decision is made. The cost of constructing and operating wells and production facilities also is uncertain, primarily because the design and use of these elements is a direct function of the performance of the reservoir.

While the future performance of an oil field is uncertain, the reactions of managers to its performance are, by definition, deterministic. Managers comprehend the reality of a reservoir as it is revealed through its performance. Therefore, development plans must have sufficient flexibility to enable managers to react to, and accommodate, the performance of a reservoir with time.

Integrated Evaluation Process

The subsurface and surface elements of an oil field are linked and must be recognized and incorporated in any evaluation process used to support investment decisions. This process requires an appropriately staffed evaluation team and use of appropriate evaluation tools.

A team with at least the following three broad technical disciplines should work together to perform an evaluation.
Fracture Characterization and Modeling of a Tight-Carbonate Reservoir
Authors: Denney Dennis
Published: February 2015

This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 93557, "The Fracture Characterization and Fracture Modeling of a Tight-Carbonate Reservoir: the Najmah/Sargelu of West Kuwait," by O. Fonta, Beicip-Franlab; H. Al-Ajmi, N.K. Verma, and S. Matar, Kuwait Oil Co.; V. Divry, Beicip-Franlab; and H. Al-Qallaf, Kuwait Oil Co., prepared for the 2005 SPE Middle East Oil and Gas Show and Conference, Bahrain, 12-15 March.

The Najmah/Sargelu reservoir of west Kuwait is a tight-carbonate oil reservoir in which porosity and permeability result from the fracture network. A multidisciplinary integrated approach combined geology [borehole-imaging (BHI) logs, cores, and wireline logs), geophysics [seismic facies analysis (SFA)], and reservoir-engineering data [production, production-logging-test (PLT), and well-test] to identify the main types of fractures, to predict their occurrence in the reservoir, and to determine the hydraulic properties of the different fracture types.

Introduction

The objective of a detailed geological and hydraulic characterization of the fracture network within the Upper Jurassic Najmah/Sargelu reservoir was to identify the main geological drivers of natural-fracture occurrence, measure fracture hydraulic properties, and, eventually, use discrete fracture modeling to compute the equivalent fracture properties (porosity, permeability, and block sizes) required for reservoir simulation. This objective was achieved through integration of geological, geophysical, petrophysical, and dynamic data by use of workflows and methods implemented in fracture analysis and modeling software. The main tasks during the project were the following.

- Fracture analysis from cores.

- Fracture analysis from BHI logs.

- Integration of the 3D-seismic data set.

- 3D fracture modeling.

- Hydraulic characterization of the fracture network.

- Computation of the fracture properties in the reservoir grids.

Background

The study area was approximately 2000 km2 and covered four fields. The reservoir structures are gentle, elongated anticlines. The top-of-reservoir depth ranges from 3350 to 3650 m. The Najmah/Sargelu reservoir has a generally high degree of lateral continuity and gradual thickness changes. The formation has alternating layers defined by volume of shale, Vsh, from well logs of clean limestone (Vsh <30%), shaly limestone (30%< Vsh <60%), and calcareous shale (Vsh >60%).

Fifty wells were logged in the reservoir. Cores were available from 21 vertical wells, and BHI acoustic images were available on 18 wells; 10 wells had both cores and BHI logs available for the study. Matrix quality is generally very poor, dominated by micro-porosity (<8%) with low permeabilities (<0.01 md). Locally, higher matrix porosities and permeabilities may be found in Units 5 and 6 of the Sargelu limestones. Production is mostly from the fracture net-work in reservoir Units 2, 3B, 5, and 6.
Unlocking Innovation in the Upstream
Authors: Denney Dennis
Published: February 2015

This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper OTC 17729, "The Key to Unlocking Innovation in the Upstream? Data Standards," by S.C. Comstock, ExxonMobil, prepared for the 2005 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 2-5 May. Copyright 2005 Offshore Technology Conference. Reproduced by permission.

The key to unlocking innovation in the upstream is standards. What? Does this sound backward and nonintuitive? Usually, do we not associate innovation with freewheeling, no-boundaries kinds of approaches? How can people feel free to innovate if you tell them to “do it this way?” It all depends on where you think the value comes from.

Background

Technical computing in the upstream oil and gas industry has evolved into extremely powerful, yet extremely complex, systems. Varied and coagulated connectivity networks underlie a myriad of platforms, from Unix to PC to mainframes to supercomputers…to server farms, to thin clients and Blackberries, and the list goes on. At the other end of these systems, a multitude of user interfaces becomes the most visible aspect of these complexities to the user community. At the center of such complex technical computing systems is a variety of software applications including geoscience, engineering, operations, business, personal productivity, and information technology (IT), usually supplemented out of necessity by a veritable foundry of line-coded tools, agents, or macros. These line codes are written by one, or all, of several million developers, and sometimes even by end users themselves, and in many different languages. The fuel and lifeblood for this technical computing system are data. These data come in many formats, sizes, and shapes. They come in logarithmically increasing volumes—in numbers making “a million” seem like a quaint and archaic term.

Overload

With the complications of these various elements and their interrelationships in the systems, complexity has become the enemy of innovation. Too many engineers, geoscientists, field operators, accountants, and managers (not to mention IT specialists) spend too much time dealing with the complexity and moving parts of the system, and, so far, too little time evaluating, analyzing, solving, and innovating in the environment.

While there are many targets for simplification in these technical computing systems, data are the most critical element. In the upstream environment, data are at the core of the systems—resting on the networked infrastructure and feeding the applications and user interfaces. Data are what the systems were built for and around. After all, scientific software applications without data are, in essence, just theory. And, computer infrastructure is not needed if data, or even software without data, do not exist. Data are probably in the worst shape of all the elements of the system in terms of its wild and complex nature.
Petroleum Industry 2020: People First
Authors: Al-Khalifa Abdul-Jaleel
Published: February 2015

There is a mounting global perception that the petroleum industry is nearing a peak and that its sunset is inevitable within the foreseeable future. New discoveries fell short of total global production in the past two decades, while demand continues to climb. The lack of full transparency in reporting reserves and field-by-field performance has added to the perception of our industry's decline. Anti-industry sentiments have recently proliferated in the media and political arenas, further impairing the industry's image and leading to a new round of restrictive legislations. Policy makers seriously debate the sustainability of petroleum resources and the urgent need for alternative energy sources. This situation calls for immediate action at both the personal and corporate levels. A collaborative industry-wide effort is urgently needed to develop a Year 2020 vision that truly reflects the growth, reliability, and sustainability of the petroleum industry. SPE plans to facilitate a workshop in early 2007 for senior industry leaders to articulate this vision, with strong emphasis on people and technology. The SPE Board has recently approved a new magazine, titled Talent & Technology, to be published quarterly commencing March 2007. All SPE members will receive this publication with their JPT.

Clearly, the challenge is to extend the life of the industry through improving the success of finding new discoveries in frontier and remote basins as well as increasing the ultimate recovery from existing fields. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg. This tip is underlain by the unseen parts—technology in the middle and people as the foundation. People strive hard to fire innovation and develop new technologies, which in turn help to discover new reserves and improve ultimate recoveries. Therefore, people are the first and the most important element of the Petroleum Industry 2020 vision, where 10- to 15-year staffing plans have to be considered. Short-term human-resources plans that span 1 to 2 years can be very detrimental to the long-term objectives of the petroleum industry. Long-term plans would ensure that the industry retains a critical mass of talent, irrespective of cyclic market conditions. This will maintain expertise, reaffirm the positive image of the industry, and honor the loyalty of the people. This will also ensure a balance between the short-term financial and operational pressures and the long-term strategic objective of extending the life of the industry.
Overview: Tight Reservoirs (October 2006)
Authors: Mayerhofer Michael J.
Published: February 2015

High oil and gas prices provide a major boost to the development of tight and unconventional reservoirs. While most of this activity is in North America, tight and unconventional reservoirs are becoming more popular throughout the world. During the last year, I probably have seen more than a dozen conferences in North America on shale plays and unconventional reservoirs with increasing interest and participation from major operators. Success in unconventional reservoirs sometimes can be achieved only with "unconventional" thinking and approaches. The mix of "empirical" and "high-tech" engineering continues to provide an interesting and challenging work environment for engineers.

A significant challenge in tight reservoirs is the proper completion of layered reservoirs. In some areas, operators are completing very thick, highly layered formations. The challenges begin with formation evaluation—What is actual pay? How do we optimize hydraulic-fracture staging and completion strategies to ensure coverage of all pay zones while minimizing cost? How do we evaluate which zones are contributing to production, and are we recovering all the reserves efficiently? In some areas, water-producing formations are interspersed with pay zones. How can these formations be avoided without sacrificing hydrocarbon production?

There is one persistent question in tight reservoirs that continues to haunt engineers. How do we distinguish between completion effectiveness and reservoir performance? If a well underperforms, is it the result of a poorly performing hydraulic fracture, or is it just poorer-than-anticipated reservoir quality? This question is of high importance because it has major implications for well-completion optimization and infill-drilling strategies. More focus on the importance of gathering appropriate rock, reservoir, and hydraulic-fracturing data and application of advanced technologies hopefully will give us better answers to those questions.

Tight Reservoirs additional reading available at the SPE eLibrary: www.spe.org

SPE 100572 "A Study of Fracture-Initiation Pressures in Cemented Cased-Hole Wells Without Perforations" by G. Rytlewski, Schlumberger, et al.

SPE 96104 "Optimal Stimulation Treatments in Tight Gas Sands" by S.A. Holditch, Texas A&M U., et al.

SPE 100434 "Field Study of Completion Fluids To Enhance Gas Production in the Barnett Shale" by G.S. Penny, CESI Chemical, et al.
Membership Rolls Have Contained Many Notable Pioneers
Authors: Donnelly John
Published: February 2015

Through its history, SPE has counted among its members many oil and gas pioneers, high-profile executives, noted educators, some politicians, and others who have made important contributions to the industry and to society. Many of these individuals belonged to both SPE and one of its predecessors and were honored with some of the society's top awards during their distinguished careers.

The work of many members helped shape petroleum engineering technology as we now know it, and much of it has been in the realm of reservoir engineering. Ralph J. Schilthuis, Jan Arps, and William Hurst were all pioneers in reservoir science; M.R.J. Wyllie made major advances in the interpretation of reservoir analytics; Sylvain Pirson wrote one of the first reservoir engineering textbooks; and A.F. van Everdingen did significant work in the mathematics of reservoir performance.

Other important contributions to oil and gas technology came from individuals such as noted educator and author Donald L. Katz; Stuart E. Buckley in petroleum conservation; Keith Coats, who helped create and introduce the first reservoir simulation software; Preston Moore and William C. Goins, who broke new ground in drilling engineering technology; Forest Dorn, credited with being the first to use waterflooding to boost recovery; and Joseph Clark, R. Floyd Farris, George C. Howard, and C. Robert Fast, who developed much of the fundamental work in hydraulic fracturing.

Many prominent industry executives have belonged to SPE over the years, including Robert O. Anderson, who merged Atlantic Refining with Richfield Oil to create Arco in the 1960s; Herbert C. Otis, the founder and chairman of Otis Engineering; Fritz Huntsinger, the founder of Vetco; J.L. Huitt, president of Gulf Oil Exploration and Production; Wayne Glenn, one-time president of Conoco; and John Browne, who recently stepped down as BP's chief executive officer (CEO), to name but a few.

The following list of notables is by no means a comprehensive one of all the members responsible for important advancements or who are deserving of recognition, but one that highlights some of those who have received special attention over the years for their contributions, in the industry and beyond.

Michel T. Halbouty's name was synonymous with the petroleum industry for decades. He was active in SPE, AIME, and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) throughout his long and distinguished career, and he was recognized as one of the world's foremost geologists and petroleum engineers and an expert on exploration and production. The legendary wildcatter—he struck oil 6 weeks out of graduate school and was the first independent to explore in Alaska—received the society's Anthony F. Lucas Gold Medal and the DeGolyer Distinguished Service Medal, and he was an SPE Distinguished Member. He was among the first of SPE's Distinguished Lecturers. He died in 2004 at the age of 95.
Bold Decision To Launch OTC Brought Far-Reaching Results
Authors: Parshall Joel
Published: February 2015

At the very beginning, its planners called it "a bold and significant step." Those were the words used by Joe Alford, executive secretary, SPE, in a May 1968 JPT article to describe "a new interdisciplinary meeting to be known as the Offshore Technology Conference" that would be held 1 year later, 19–21 May 1969, in the new Convention and Exhibit Center in downtown Houston. Nine major US engineering and scientific societies with a combined 370,000 members had agreed to sponsor the event. What the sponsors hoped to accomplish essentially is summarized in the following excerpt from the article:

"The new conference will provide a major forum of national importance and scope for the dissemination of technology related to offshore resources and environment. The total benefits and influence of the conference are now beyond prediction, but many knowledgeable persons feel that it will be of considerable value to the nation in our development of oceanography and resources from the oceans."

These were no small plans, but it is hard to believe that anyone among those original conference architects, no matter how visionary, foresaw how big, globally important, and even phenomenal that OTC would become. Yes, OTC is the way that most people would soon refer to it, but notably, the initials were not used in that first JPT article. They were used, however, by the time the conference preview article appeared the following April. From the beginning, OTC has been guided by a board of directors drawn from the sponsoring organizations (and later also from endorsing organizations). SPE has provided the principal management and staff resources to manage OTC yearly on behalf of the board.

The first conference drew 4,200 people, with 26 technical sessions and 125 technical papers presented, and 200 exhibitors occupying 38,500 square ft of exhibit space.

The very first presentation of the opening session, catalogued as OTC 1000, was "The Economics of Oil and Gas Operations Offshore U.S.A.," by Richard C. McCurdy, president of Shell Oil Company. Following this were the presentations "Our Nation and the Sea," by Julius Stratton, chairman of the Ford Foundation; "The Law Governing the Development of Undersea Mineral Resources," by Northcutt Ely of Ely and Duncan; and "Some Results of Deep Ocean Drilling," by Maurice Ewing, director of the Lamont Geological Observatory.

A partial list of the technical sessions includesSubsea Operations—How Legal, How Safe?Marine Mineral ExplorationPositioning and Vessel MotionCompletion and DrillingGeophysicsMooringMetallurgical Marine Structural and Operational Problems
SPE Foundation Supports, Augments Society Programs
Authors: Parshall Joel
Published: February 2015

The SPE Foundation has a single purpose: to support and augment society programs through supplementing the normal funding capabilities of SPE. In carrying out its mission, the foundation helps to ensure excellence in SPE programs through a partnership among individuals, industry, and the society. The foundation is composed of all living past presidents of SPE and is directed by an executive committee comprising a president, past president, secretary, treasurer, and two vice presidents, as well as the sitting president and immediate past president of SPE.

Established in 1977 and legally incorporated as a nonprofit entity separate from SPE, the foundation raised the funds to build a permanent home for the society in Richardson, Texas. The Richardson office building was completed in 1984 and is owned by the SPE Foundation, which leases it to the society. Approximately 85% of the lease revenue is given back to SPE to support its programs. A major beneficiary is the Distinguished Lecturer program, which receives 50% of its yearly budget from the foundation. Voluntary contributions from SPE members help to support the foundation. While the foundation receives no funds from SPE members' annual dues, a dues-statement-checkoff option has facilitated contributions by enabling members to elect to contribute concurrently with their dues payments.

The foundation funds and administers the Gus Archie Memorial Scholarships, awarded to outstanding incoming college freshmen undertaking petroleum engineering curricula, and the Nico van Wingen Memorial Graduate Fellowships in Petroleum Engineering, awarded to SPE student chapter members at the PhD level who intend to pursue careers in academia.

When special SPE projects arise, the society can call upon the foundation to help fund them. During the 1990s, funds from the foundation helped to finance a society initiative to place all SPE technical papers on CD-ROMs. Then came the biggest project undertaken by the SPE Foundation since construction of the Richardson office—the highly successful effort to raise the funds needed to upgrade the spe.org website into a comprehensive knowledge portal connecting users online with the full spectrum of society, career, technical, educational, and industry resources available through SPE. Having committed USD 5 million of SPE funds to the project, the society turned to the foundation in 2000 to raise an equal amount to finance the balance of the initiative.

"We were delighted to see this come along; this was just the kind of thing we had wanted to do," said Dennis Gregg, then immediate past president of the SPE Foundation and cochairperson of the fund-raising campaign along with Don Stacy, foundation president at the time.

In keeping with a foundation decision made at the outset, all funds solicitation was done by members of the SPE Foundation or the society. The foundation selected a campaign cabinet to carry out the funding drive and worked with a fund-raising consultant, who provided strategic advice.
Technology To Meet the Challenge of Future Energy Supplies
Authors: Paul Donald L.
Published: February 2015

The past 50 years of our industry has spanned an incredible period of change in the global economy, technology, and the role of energy. The energy supply system requires large, sustained, long-term investments in technology, resource development, and infrastructure to deliver reliable and affordable supplies of energy on an immense global scale. Our industry has continuously delivered on this critical mission.

In the decades ahead, however, there will be increasing challenges to the capacity of the traditional oil and gas supply system to meet the level of expected growth in global energy demand arising from increasing populations and expanding economic prosperity. The scale and time frame of the energy system will require a multidimensional approach to meeting the future supply challenge. There is simply no "silver bullet" as some might wish, and all elements of the solution involve a combination of increasingly complex technical, economic, political, and environmental factors. Fortunately, there is a very large energy resource base and many corresponding opportunities for increasing supply, includingIncreasing the performance of current producing assetsImproving the capital investment performance for new developmentsFinding and developing major new producing frontiersExpanding and diversifying the energy resource base.

In parallel, the industry will also need to meet two new challenges that will broadly impact many aspects of energy:Delivering solutions for carbon managementDeveloping the next generation of energy professionals.

Technology in the Critical Path

At the core of capturing these opportunities and meeting the challenges is the expanded application and integration of technology at scale. Many in-place technologies will continue to undergo steady advances to have important cumulative impacts on performance. In addition, significant shifts in the technology base are poised to arise from major advances in fundamental technologies.

Next-Generation Seismic Imaging and Reservoir Simulation. The industry has been notably successful in riding the exponential growth curve of information technology. E&P technologies are among the most computationally demanding and data intensive of all industrial technical applications, led by seismic imaging and reservoir simulation. The combination of new seismic measurements, such as wide-azimuth multicomponent recording and cost-effective cluster computing, is already providing unprecedented subsalt images. As the newest generation of advanced scientific computers is installed for government and university research, the stage is set for commercially viable deployments in a decade or less. Combined with the commensurate 100-fold leap in transfer rates and data volumes, broad new classes of imaging and modeling applications will become commercially practical. Increasing recoveries from developed reservoirs, reducing capital risk, and finding the next major producing trends will all depend on continued advancement in these major industry technologies.
Technology Focus: Field Development Projects (November 2008)
Authors: Cunha J.C.
Published: February 2015

Technology Focus

We all are aware of, and have been affected by, the large swing in oil prices over the past 4 years. I have asserted the importance of evaluation and management of uncertainties when planning the development of a new field or even when revisiting options for mature fields. Higher oil prices may reduce financial risks temporarily for a certain project; however, the complex decisions involved in field development, as well as the many variables to be dealt with, will make almost every project extremely risky. Ultimately, decisions taken in earlier stages, when uncertainties abound, are among the main factors that will determine the level of success of a project.

Higher prices may improve the results, eventually, of a project that otherwise would be considered a failure, but the fact is, among the various uncertainties in our business, oil price is paramount. With that in mind, we should give utmost attention in management of uncertainties existing in other factors related to field development, ranging from well drilling to reservoir characteristics. Many in our industry agree, which can be seen by new approaches and recent development of various creative and exciting risk-management tools. Our featured papers this month have some wonderful examples.

On a personal note, I would like to mention that after 5 years of writing this column, initially for Subsea Completion and later for Field Development, in October 2008, I will replace Ed May as Chairperson of the JPT Editorial Committee. Ed did a fantastic job of chairing over the last 4 years, and I will do my best to follow his steps, maintaining JPT's status as the primary publication in our industry. I must thank all of you for your constant encouragement and so many thought-provoking emails. Please feel free to continuing writing to me. Thank you.

Field Development Projects additional reading available at the SPE eLibrary: www.spe.org

SPE 108891 • "Using Geomechanics To Optimize Field-Development Strategy of Deep Gas Reservoir in Saudi Arabia" by Mahbub S. Ahmed, SPE, Saudi Aramco, et al. See JPT April 2008, page 78.

SPE 113831 • "The Benefits of Integrated Asset Modeling: Lesson Learned From Field Cases" by M. Rotondi, Eni, et al.

SPE 113554 • "Selecting an Optimal Field-Development Strategy for the Vankor Oil Field Using an Integrated-Asset-Modeling Approach" by D.A. Antonenko, OJSC Rosneft Oil Company, et al.

Additional reading available at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org

OTC 19254 • "An Overview of the Roncador Field Development, a Case in Petrobras Deepwater Production" by E. Bordieri, Petrobras, et al.
Probabilistic Field Development in the Presence of Uncertainty
Authors: Denney Dennis
Published: February 2015

This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper IPTC 11294, "Probabilistic Field Development in Presence of Uncertainty," by Sara Passone, SPE, BP plc, and Gregory J. McRae, SPE, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, prepared for the 2007 International Petroleum Technology Conference, Dubai, 4-6 December. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Field developments are characterized by high levels of uncertainty and dynamic interconnected decisions having complex value descriptions. A unified fully Bayesian design-optimization methodology helps with the complexity of decision making in field development. The proposed scheme can be customized with respect to the decision components: the metrics chosen, objective function, and associated uncertainties.

Introduction

Various methods are used in decision making in the oil industry. Methods include worst-case/best-case scenarios, tornado graphs, Boston grid, expected net present value, decision trees, Monte Carlo simulation, and real options. These methods have different degrees of complexity and specific theoretical assumptions. For example, the decision-tree technique is a standard tool, but it is affected by important limitations. The number of decisions considered complicates the tree very quickly, especially when the decision tree is used to represent the whole-project design over time. Also, because decision trees provide only the maximum expected net present value of a project, they do not offer a way to quantify the volatility of the estimate.

Some decision-making methods model the decision process only partially. Monte Carlo simulation, for example, is a formal probabilistic technique in which different types of knowledge can be combined and uncertainty can be propagated. Various problems characterize the application. For example, correlation between uncertain variables can be modeled with Monte Carlo simulation, but it requires complicated mathematical algorithms. Monte Carlo simulation is not suitable for incorporating management flexibility or analyzing the value added by new available information.

Overall, current decision-making methods do not integrate the ability to represent uncertain factors efficiently, their contribution to uncertainty propagation and their correlation effect, or the possibility of managing flexibility in the presence of project irreversibility and proactive information gathering. The decision-making approach presented in this paper aims to overcome such limitations by providing a way of framing and designing decisions and objectives that can be used in a variety of contexts, from the design of experiments to exploratory wells to a company's portfolio.
Rock Typing - Understanding Productivity in Tight Gas Sands
Authors: Denney Dennis
Published: February 2015

This article, written by Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper SPE 114164, "Rock Typing - Keys to Understanding Productivity in Tight Gas Sands," by J.A. Rushing, SPE, Anadarko Petroleum, K.E. Newsham, SPE, Apache, and T.A. Blasingame, SPE, Texas A&M University, prepared for the 2008 SPE Unconventional Reservoirs Conference, Keystone, Colorado, 10-12 February. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

A workflow process is presented to describe and characterize tight gas sands. The ultimate objective is to provide a consistent methodology to integrate both large-scale geologic elements and small-scale rock petrology systematically with the rock physical properties for low-permeability sandstone reservoirs. To that end, the workflow integrates multiple data-evaluation techniques and multiple data scales by use of a core-based rock-typing approach designed to capture rock properties that are characteristic of tight gas sands.

Introduction

Unconventional natural-gas resources—tight gas sands, naturally fractured gas shales, and coalbed-methane reservoirs—comprise a significant percentage of the North American natural-gas resource base. Unlike conventional reservoirs, unconventional gas reservoirs typically exhibit gas-storage and -flow characteristics that are tied to geology (i.e., deposition and diagenetic processes). Effective resource exploitation requires a comprehensive reservoir-description and -characterization program to quantify gas in place and to identify the reservoir properties that control production. Although many unconventional natural-gas resources are characterized by low permeability, this paper addresses only low-permeability sandstone reservoirs (i.e., tight gas sands).

Understanding the pore structure and properties is critical in tight gas sands because diagenesis often modifies the original pore structure and reduces the average pore-throat diameter, typically causing an increase in both tortuosity and the number of isolated and/or disconnected pores. Some forms of diagenesis may increase porosity by creating secondary porosity, or microporosity. Regardless of the type of diagenesis, all tight gas sands retain some underlying traits of the depositional system, even though the original rock properties may have been altered (significantly). However, well productivity cannot be predicted accurately solely on the basis of the rock properties expected for those specific depositional environments and conditions. Therefore, a rock-typing work-flow process was developed specifically for tight gas sands.

Many basin-centered gas-reservoir systems can be classified as tight gas sands. However, the characterization of basin-centered gas systems typically requires knowledge of the rock and multiphase-fluid properties and of the role of shale. Although basin-centered gas-reservoir systems are not specifically addressed in this paper, the proposed rock-typing approach is applicable to basin-centered gas systems.