JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY V. 63, N. 12, DEC 2011

JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY

V. 63, N. 12, DEC 2011

DEPARTMENTS

6 Performance Indices

8 Regional Update

10 Company News

12 Spectrum

16 Comments

John Donnelly

22 Technology Applications

28 Technology Update

98 Conference Preview

100 People

101 SPE News

1 03 Professional Services

107 Advertisers Index

108 Meetings

18 Guest Editorial • Imagination, Purpose, and Vision Behrooz Fcitiahi, Aera Energy

The oil and gas industry should not to be afraid of today’s daunting challenges, but embrace them. With participation, and with the shared purpose of dedicating time and talent to the cause of advancing technology for the common good of our industry, how can we possibly do less than succeed?

30 R&D Grand Challenges — Can Geoscientists Resolve the Carbon Capture and Storage Paradox? • Tore A. Torp, Statoil

International energy and climate organizations have found carbon capture and storage to be a promising technology to resolve the squeeze between fast-growing global energy needs and global warming. The next step is to build more CO2 storage injection pilots.

32 Brazil Using Offshore Oil Boom to Build International R&D Center

In Rio de Janeiro, they are building an island of energy technology. The island is on the leading edge of Brazil’s drive to become an international center for the development of oil industry technology. Fueling the transformation are the billions of barrels of oil found beneath a thick layer of salt in the deep waters off the Brazilian coast.

40 OTC Brasil 2011 Offers Fresh Perspectives Offshore

During a three-day conference in early October, speakers at the first OTC Brasil pointed out the many factors that make the region one of the most difficult offshore environments in the world in which to operate.

44 West of Shetland Development Gathers Momentum

BP is ramping up its West of Shetland operations with government approval to push ahead with the second phase of its giant Clair field development, Clair Ridge.

48 Mitigating Disaster—A Look at the Ohmsett Oil Spill Test and Research Facility

The Ohmsett facility may be little known, but is role is critical to the development of oil spill prevention and mitigation technology.

88 Distinguished Author Series • The Petrophysics of Problematic Reservoirs

Departing from classical methods is required to meet petrophysical challenges of problematic reservoirs. Rigid adherence to traditional practices must be avoided.

TECHNOLOGY FOCUS

52 Reserves/Asset Management

Delores Hinkle, SPE, Director, Corporate Reserves, Marathon Oil Company

53 Practical Aspects of Reserves Determinations for Shale-Gas Reservoirs

57 Production Acceleration or Additional Recovery? A Look Back at Three Published Field Trials—Long-Term Benefits of Improved Fracture Treatments

60 High-Value Engineering Center: Implementing a Major Capital Project — Gorgon

63 Ranking Production Potential From Key Geological Drivers— Bakken Case Study

66 Production Facilities Hisham Saadawi, SPE, Vice President (Engineering), Abu Dhabi Company, Onshore Oil Operations (ADCO)

67 Twelve Steps To Engineering Safe Oil and Gas Facilities

70 Independent Verification of Safety-Critical Elements

74 Performance Standards for Safely-Critical Elements—Are We Doing Enough?

78 Bit Technology and Bottomhole Assemblies

Martyn Fear, SPE, General Manager, Drilling & Completions, Husky Energy’s Atlantic Region, Canada

79 Mitigating Torsional Stick/Slip Vibrations in Oilwell Drilling Through PDC-Bit Design: Putting Theories to the Test

82 Operator Recommendation for a Uniform Dull-Groding System for Fixed-Cutler Hole-Enlargement Tools

84 Drilling Automation: An Automatic Trajectory-Control System