Q and A: Still Much to Discover
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD), responsible for resource management on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, has a new boss who is also a geologist by profession. We talked to Director General…
Europe
The Industry Needs R&D
Sverre Strandenes of PGS recently gave his view of the geophysical industry at an AAPG international conference in Oslo, Norway. We used this opportunity to ask him about the past,…
Bjørnøya – a Window into the Barents Shelf
By combining this information with our present geophysical understanding of the area, it may be possible to give more refined prognoses of the subsurface development and economic potential of analogous…
Exploring Mature Basins
Both the UK and the Norwegian sector of the North Sea have reached maturity, meaning that most future discoveries will probably be in the small to medium range (i.e. <100…
European Geoparks – Your Geological Heritage
The main objective of the european Geoparks is the promotion of sustainable development of their territories in europe. In addition they serve the purpose of protecting geological heritage for the…
A North Sea Giant
Tim Dodson is exploration manager for Statoil in on the Norwegian Contintental shelf. We talk to him about the company’s assets offshore Norway and the rest of the world. Q…
A New Era for Innovative Explorationists
Most of the sub-basins of the North Sea geological province are now considered to be in a mature exploration phase. The supermajors are consequently on their way out. Thanks to…
The Giants Causeway
In northern Ireland, at the heart of one of Europe’s most magnificent coastlines, the Giants Causeway with its rugged symmetry is visited by half a million tourists each year. The…
The Luva Gas Field: Detailed Analyses Reveal Subtle Anomaly
This case study from the Luva gas field in the Norwegian Sea clearly demonstrates the potential of controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) technology for hydrocarbon exploration purposes. The example also illustrates the…
UKCS Activity and the Acreage Supply Gap
The past two years’ drilling in the UKCS has provided an average of over 800 MMboe (127 MMm3) in new or fallow appraised discoveries. There is good reasonto believe that…
Ireland: 90% Undiscovered, Undeveloped – and Underwater
Despite the much-vaunted emergence of the ‘Celtic Tiger economy’, the Irish offshore has traditionally been perceived as a high-risk, high cost environment. Can the Irish authorities change this perception in…
Cinderella comes of Age
As the oil price rises and technology develops, interest in alternative forms of hydrocarbons such as ‘heavy’ oil has increased. Cinderella Comes of Age