The March issue of Oilfield Technology sets the focus for its regional report on the rapidly growing region of Asia. The issue’s lead feature on the ‘Digital Oilfield’ looks at the latest technologies bringing the oil and gas industry well into the information age. The March issue also contains features on: Seismic Interpretation, LWD/MWD, Shale Gas, Artificial Lift, ROVs and Recruitment.
03 Editorial Comment
05 World News
10 Hungry for more
Oilfield Technology correspondent Ng Weng Hoong reveals that despite predictions of a glut, Asia is growing increasingly anxious about oil and gas supplies.
16 Closer to the digital oilfield
Fangda Qiu, Schlumberger, USA, Zaki Ali, Schlumberger, Kuwait, and A. Al-Jasmi, KOC, Kuwait, examine the concept of the ‘digital oilfield’ and look at the Kuwait Intelligent Digital Field (KwIDF) project as an example.
22 Dealing with digital data
Steinar Sande, Raima Inc., USA, explains the importance of working with oil companies to provide efficient data management so that critical decisions can be made in a timely manner.
27 Working with the magic of electromagnetics
Ali Rodriguez, Weatherford, USA, explains how long laterals and pad drilling benefit from increased EM telemetry depth.
31 Home on the range
Joe Burke, Halliburton, USA, shows us how downhole magnetic ranging technology is evolving with the growing demand for more precise wellbore positioning.
36 Have skill, will travel
Phoebe McMellon, Elsevier, USA, looks at how geoscientists’ unique skill sets and data can be best shared globally.
41 Making full use of filtering
Hélène Binet, Matthieu Bourges, Nicolas Jeannée and Renaud Meunier, Geovariances, France, explore the benefits of geostatistical filtering and examine the methods used.
45 The golden era
Paul de Groot, dGB Earth Sciences, the Netherlands, looks at the growing sophistication and application of global seismic interpretation techniques.
48 Overcoming the skills gap
Panny Skrivanos, Cripps Sears & Partners, UK, examines the biggest challenge facing exploration and production in the next 10 years: the skills gap.
51 In the public eye
Chris Faulkner, Breitling Energy Corp., USA, explains why the biggest challenge facing the shale industry is not technology, but negative PR caused by a failure to relate to the public.
55 Upping the pressure
Peter Ainge, Transvac, UK, takes a look at ejectors and the role that these pump/compression devices can play in boosting oilfield production.
59 Factoring in fluid levels
David Higdon, Reservoir Management Services, USA, reviews the development of a surface-mounted automated fluid level monitoring system.
61 ROVing further every year
Kieran O’Brien, Infield Systems, UK, examines the growing importance of ROVs within the offshore oil and gas industry.
64 Helping the hunt for hydrocarbons
Martin Watts, Harkand, Singapore, shows how ROV systems are becoming ever-more advanced as the offshore oil and gas industry moves into deeper, harsher conditions.
68 Engineering the future
Roy Aspden, CNR International, UK, and Mike Forbes, Aker Solutions, UK, review one of the first major platform decommissioning programmes in the North Sea.