The April issue of Oilfield Technology will be making its way to OTC in Houston and will be focusing its Regional Report on the Gulf of Mexico. The issue’s lead feature focuses on Offshore Challenges. The rest of the issue is packed full of technical articles on Downhole Tools, Drilling Fluids, Completions, Subsea Systems, Mooring and Offshore Pipeline Services.
03 Comment
05 World news
12 Down Mexico way
Adrian Lara, GlobalData, USA, examines Mexico’s Energy reform, from the legal possibilities to an operating reality.
18 East meets West
Oilfield Technology correspondent Mark Robinson examines the opportunities in the Gulf of Mexico that are drawing the attention of Asia’s NOCs.
22 Co-operation is key
Anne-Mette Johansen, Ramboll Oil & Gas, Denmark, explains the importance of co-operation between companies working to keep the world’s largest jack-up drilling rig fully operational.
27 Shedding light on LEDs
Ben Myer, Dialight, USA and Eric Peterson, Friedman Electric Supply, USA, explain how LED lighting can improve drill site safety and efficiency.
33 On the rise
Stewart Maxwell, Aquaterra Energy, UK, discusses the fatigue implications of multi-well campaigns using drilling risers.
37 Rising integrity
Alex Rimmer, 2H Offshore, UK and Edward Elletson, Pulse Structural Monitoring, UK, describe a real time monitoring system for measuring the structural response of a high pressure drilling and completion riser in the North Sea.
44 A mean, clean, oil recovery machine
As more oil and gas production technology moves from the surface to the seabed, subsea water treatment is lagging behind. Eirik Dirdal, Seabox, Norway, discusses how the results from the world’s first full-scale pilot of a subsea treatment plant could be a game-changer.
49 Controlling flow at greater depths
Ben Wait, Trelleborg Offshore & Construction, UK, discusses why operators are focusing less on economics and putting increasing emphasis on project specific qualification and product reliability when it comes to subsea architecture and pipeline insulation coatings.
53 New technologies for a new environment
Svein Erik Gregersen, Emerson Process Management, Norway, explores the developments in subsea multiphase meter technologies that are helping these devices operate in ever-harsher conditions.
58 Stay awhile by the Nile
Mike Main, Viking SeaTech, UK, highlights the challenge of applying the latest subsea mooring technology offshore Egypt.
63 Putting deepwater ropes to the test
Taking testing a step further to investigate ‘what if’ scenarios, rope performance in arctic conditions and cut-resistant mooring rope technology holds the key to operators successfully developing new deepwater fields, as Neil Schulz, Lankhorst Ropes, the Netherlands, explains.
67 Seeing with sound
Angus Lugsdin, Tritech International Ltd, UK, reviews recent developments in mooring integrity monitoring systems for FPSOs.
71 Downhole tool developments
Brian Sidle, Welltec, Denmark, explores some of the latest developments in downhole tool technologies that are helping the oil and gas industry boost output rates and extend the lifespan of producing wells.
75 Keeping an eye open
Francis Neill, EV, UK, investigates the significant changes in downhole video technology.
81 Making way for the next generation
Scott Powell, Brad Ivie and Benoit Botton, National Oilwell Varco, USA, take a look at the next generation of performance drilling combining PDC bits and high frequency axial percussion.
89 Understanding inventories
Ron Laidman, Guardian, a ShawCor company, Canada, explains how advances in tubular inventory management can result in reduced costs and downhole failures.
94 The importance of isolation
As services that support multi-stage fracturing have increased in price, new wellbore pressure isolation technologies have been developed to eliminate the need for expensive rig-ups whenever possible. Sammy Clary, Magnum Oil Tools International, USA, explains.
97 Casing centralisers revisited
Christian F. Brown and Alfredo Sanchez, Top-Co Cementing Products Inc., USA, offer a practical guide for drilling engineers and field personnel on relevant testing, planning and selection for today’s wells.
103 Anti-ageing technology
Justin Bowersock, TAM International, USA, reviews various technologies that are helping operators overcome cement integrity challenges key to the revitalisation of ageing Gulf of Mexico assets.
108 Abandoned but not forgotten
With many oil and gas fields now including a mix of operating, suspended and abandoned wells, Dr Liane Smith, Wood Group Intetech, UK, examines how well integrity management not only reduces the risk associated with decommissioning, but can improve recovery rates, well design and construction.
113 Better than evolution
Brian Teutsch, Baker Hughes, USA, uses developments in drilling fluid
technology as an example to show how the mere evolution of technology is not always enough to meet the demands posed by industry.
117 Identifying inhibitors
Fiona Mackay, LUX Assure, UK, discusses a new testing kit for analysing the concentration of methanol and monoethylene glycol (MEG) in water, crude oil and condensate.
120 Choosing the right chemicals for unconventionals
Richard Lanthier, AES Drilling Fluids, USA, details some of the latest drilling fluid developments that are helping operators drill unconventional wells.
123 Upstream oil & gas brand review 2014
David Haigh and Richard Yoxon, Brand Finance Plc, UK, provide an overview of the biggest brands in the upstream oil and gas industry and look into what makes a brand stand out.