Forget Peak Oil
The question is not when we run out of oil, but when we are no longer able to increase our total energy output. In the meantime, like it or not,…
Worldwide
Remote and Dangerous Locations No Obstacle
As the search for hydrocarbons moves into increasingly unwelcoming and difficult terrain, a niche market in leading oil and service companies safely through the dangers of a hostile environment has…
The Heavy Oil Conundrum
Heavy oil offers a possible solution to our need for a constant supply of new and secure energy supplies, but its production is characterized by low recovery, so the industry…
Salt’s Effects on Petroleum Systems
Understanding the deposition of evaporites and how the subsequent deformation history can influence salt basin petroleum systems is crucial for successful resource exploration. Many of the most prolific and prospective…
The Oil Detectives
By assembling an experienced staff and coordinating affiliates, in just four years, Marcio Mello has built a service company that has no boundaries. Along with his Vice-President, Nilo Azambuja, they…
Geohazard Surveying Comes of Age
Risks to hydrocarbon exploration and production as a result of geohazards on and below the seafloor can be reduced through the application of modern methods of high resolution surveying. Geohazard…
Seismic Imaging Technology Part I: Acquisition
Seismic imaging is considered key to reduce risk and cost in exploratory as well as development drilling. Although we have recently seen important advances, the authors claim that a step…
Addressing Shortages-Building Careers
To address the current shortage of educated and trained geologists, geophysicists and engineers, AAPG President and independent geologist, Willard Green sees the need to get students interested in the sciences…
Seismic attribute and spectral decomposition analysis of the Sooner Field
An overview of the Sooner Field The Sooner Unit is a Cretaceous D Sand stratigraphic play, located in Weld County, Colorado. The reservoir is interpreted to be funnel-mouth estuary and…
Seismic Imaging Technology Part IV
Over the last decade we have experienced several step-changes in marine seismic acquisition technologies. Because acquisition and seismic imaging are inextricably linked, these changes have impacted positively on the seismic…
Improving Wellbore Stability
Natural fractures in rocks cause drilling mud losses and wellbore stability problems. A recently developed “double porosity model” can make drilling safer and less expensive. Fractures occur naturally in the…
Seismic Imaging Technology Part III
Ocean bottom seismic (OBS) produces superior seismic images compared to those from conventional 3D streamer seismic. OBS acquisition offers the prospect of full illumination and high multiplicity of signals from…