Mud and water, that’s two words that come to mind when thinking about this second issue of 2025. Why? Our cover story delves into one of these unexpected things explorers find themselves dealing with when drilling frontier wells; observing something that does not meet their expectations. In this case, it is fresh water in deep-marine sands. When we published about this initially, quite a few people got back to us saying that they had seen this before as well. So we decided to collate all the input we received and dedicate the cover story to it. And here is where mud comes into play, as it is mudstones or clay minerals that form the source of fresh water. One of our feature articles looks at mud too, and how it shapes into diapirs. A great example of the drilling risks that are associated with it, and how they can be overcome.
But there is more than mud and water in this issue. We are pleased to welcome a new column from the team at Rock Flow Dynamics who will share with us the latest developments in reservoir modelling technology. Insights from the ones who are solving the challenges posed by operators that want bigger models, more data, and more speed.
Javier Hernández-Molina grew up at the sea-side, in the south of Spain. He dedicated his career to what happens in the big blue space when it comes to sediment distribution, experiencing increasing interest from the industry that is exploring deeper and deeper realms. He shares some great insights with us.
And there is more, way more. Take a look and enjoy the read.
