Exploration is expanding from West Africa’s Sierra Leone to Namibia, explains Bruce Nichols, led by sustained high oil prices, improving technology, relative political stability and a more supportive operating environment. Cobalt’s potentially…
Smith Bits, a Schlumberger company, introduced the Stinger conical diamond technology last month. The bit features an ultrathick polycrystalline diamond layer that is thicker than conventional PDC cutters. The Stinger element enables high-point loading to fracture rock more efficiently…
The last few months have been busy ones for Varel International. The Texas-based drill bit manufacturer celebrated the opening of its Houston technology center and also launched two drill bit lines, the Raider and the Voyager series…
To meet drilling challenges, such as hole sections with long steep inclinations and severe doglegs, the keystone of a new drilling campaign offshore Thailand includes use of rotary steerable systems instead of the downhole motors traditionally used there…
Customized bits enabled Petrobras to successfully drill hard carbonates of pre-salt reservoirs and hard and interbedded post-salt formations of two different offshore wells, while at the same time lowering vibrations, increasing rates of penetration…
Ulterra opened a stock point for its matrix and steel body PDC bits in Hammond, Louisiana, last month. Overseen by Rob Smith, and strategically located just 46 miles east of Baton Rouge and 58 miles northwest of New Orleans, the new facility will support Gulf Coast drilling operations.
Nearly 11 years after Weatherford first commercially deployed drilling-with-casing, the service company is still testing the limits of where and how the technology can be helpful when it comes to overcoming wellbore instability. Jennifer Pallanich catches…
TORXS saves a well Baker Hughes has introduced an expandable liner hanger system that the company says is the only system of its type that is installed and released prior to a cement job, eliminating the risk of running tools becoming fixed in place during cementing…
Securing safe, smart, sustainable supply' provided the theme for SPE Offshore Europe, the biennial Aberdeen conference and exhibition that continues to bring in the crowds. A record-setting 32,025 unique visitors attended September's show. OE's Jennifer Pallanich…
Rowan Companies is selling all its shares in manufacturing subsidiary LeTourneau Technologies to Joy Global in a $1.1 billion cash deal. Rowan acquired LeTourneau, which built the majority of Rowan's jackup rig fleet, in 1994. Rowan president…
Greene's Energy Group has opened an operational base in Singapore to serve the company's Asia Pacific region. The 140,000ft2 location includes offices, a warehouse and heavy equipment yard space, and will provide a regional base for all of Greene's business divisions…
Integrated approachIn the works for some time, Halliburton's Optimized Drilling Performance (ODP) approach is aimed at improving drilling efficiency and saving drilling time. ‘We've evolved this workflow over a few years,' said Jeremy ‘Jez' Greenwood…
Coring practices and equipment used in the Gulf of Mexico's Lower Tertiary needed to adapt to formation conditions to improve on past recovery success. Petrobras' James Meyer opens OE's drilling & completion technology two-parter with a review…
Drilling system vibration was recognized as a potential cause of elevated drilling costs half a century ago. It has been thoroughly studied in the years since, and sound mitigation practices have been published. Shell's Mark Dykstra discusses the state of the art…
Non-productive time (NPT) associated with control systems software and hardware integration remains a significant drain on high-spec offshore asset costs, according to a study released last month.The study, by the Athens Group and ModuSpec,…