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RPSEA Ultra-Deepwater Program - Subsea Water Quality Management Sensors Forum on 21-May-12 7:30 AM

Mon, 21 May 2012 12:30:00 GMT

RPSEA Ultra-Deepwater Program - Subsea Water Quality Management Sensors Forum
Start Date: 21-May-12 7:30 AM
End Time: 21-May-12 5:00 PM
Location: Cooper Technology Center, Houston, Texas 77086
Event Details:

Join RPSEA's Ultra-Deepwater Program as it hosts the Subsea Water Quality Management Sensors Forum on Monday, May 21, from 7:30 a.m to 5 p.m. at Cooper Technology Center. The objective is to answer questions regarding industry's unmet need and provide input for possible project technical areas of interest.

Questions to be addressed:

What are industry needs that are not being addressed in sensor areas, i.e., seawater discharge, produced water discharge, treated seawater injection, produced water injection/reinjection.
Who is addressing any of these sensor needs?
Will it be available to the public (either free or at a cost)?
When are technologies needed?
When will regulators address?
What technologies exist inside & outside of industry that are, or may be, appropriate?
What is the proper technique to meet needs in a timely and orderly fashion, including lab tests, field trials, commercialization?

Current assumptions:

Produced water injection is the immediate industry focus and appears to be being addressed already. Treated seawater monitors will focus on bio sensors and solids.
Produced water monitors will focus on oil and solids in water.
Need for subsea injection is in the 2-year time frame.
Regulatory agencies are not engaged in all R&D.
Federal regulations do not exist regarding subsea release or injection thresholds.
Many technologies of varying complexities exist, each with certain capabilities and accuracies that can be used to develop a subsea water quality monitor (including mass spec, fluorescence, visual imaging, etc.)
Agencies may also require intrusive sampling as verification.

Breakfast and lunch will be provided. There is no cost to attend, however, you must register to attend by May 17. There is limited space. Please see agenda below for more details.

Cooper Technology Center

3413 N. Sam Houston Parkway West ,Suite 212A

Houston, Texas 77086

RPSEA Ultra-Deepwater Flow Assurance Spring TAC Meeting on 22-May-12 9:00 AM

Tue, 22 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

RPSEA Ultra-Deepwater Flow Assurance Spring TAC Meeting
Start Date: 22-May-12 9:00 AM
End Time: 22-May-12 12:00 PM
Location: Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council (1st Floor of Fluor Building), Sugar Land, Texas 77478
Event Details:

RPSEA's Ultra-Deepwater Technical Advisory Committees (TAC) focus on a particular ultra-deepwater technology area. The role of the TACs, with representation from subject matter experts who study and apply ultra-deepwater technologies in real field situations, is to identify current technology gaps and define the specific R&D efforts needed to address these gaps. As such, the TACs provide a bottom-up, end-user-driven program. There are a total of six UDW TACs. The UDW TACs are open to the public.

The Flow Assurance TAC 's goal is to assure reliable and economic production in deepwater by the appropriate design and operation through prediction, management remediation of deposition and line plugs by focusing on organic, inorganic and solids management.

Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council (1st Floor of Fluor Building)

One Fluor Daniel Drive

Sugar Land, Texas 77478

RPSEA Ultra-Deepwater Subsea Systems Spring TAC Meeting on 22-May-12 12:00 PM

Tue, 22 May 2012 17:00:00 GMT

RPSEA Ultra-Deepwater Subsea Systems Spring TAC Meeting
Start Date: 22-May-12 12:00 PM
End Time: 22-May-12 5:00 PM
Location: Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council (1st Floor of Fluor Building), Sugar Land, Texas 77478
Event Details:

The Subsea Systems TAC's goal is to develop technology and qualify equipment to enable the deployment of “subsea facilities for 60 mile tie-backs from 10,000 foot water depth.” Focus is subsea production equipment, subsea processing technology, pipeline, flowline and umbilical technology, and subsea well intervention improvement.

Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council (1st Floor of Fluor Building)

One Fluor Daniel Drive

Sugar Land, Texas 77478

RPSEA Ultra-Deepwater Floating Facilities and Risers & Systems Engineering Spring TAC Meeting on 23-May-12 8:30 AM

Wed, 23 May 2012 13:30:00 GMT

RPSEA Ultra-Deepwater Floating Facilities and Risers & Systems Engineering Spring TAC Meeting
Start Date: 23-May-12 8:30 AM
End Time: 23-May-12 11:15 PM
Location: Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council (1st Floor Fluor Building), Sugar Land, Texas 77478
Event Details:

The FLF/SEN TAC’s goals are to further technology and fill gaps related to deepwater floating systems and their associated moorings and risers and to analyze existing and/or potential technology gaps in systems and other cross-functional designs and processes.

The focus is on improved design and analysis methods, mooring and riser integrity management, field development concepts optimization for improved economics, impact of proposed technologies on field development and grand challenge – cross-cutting projects.

Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council (1st Floor Fluor Building)

One Fluor Daniel Drive

Sugar Land, Texas 77478

RPSEA Ultra-Deepwater Geosciences & Reservoir Engineering Spring TAC Meeting on 23-May-12 1:00 PM

Wed, 23 May 2012 18:00:00 GMT

RPSEA Ultra-Deepwater Geosciences & Reservoir Engineering Spring TAC Meeting
Start Date: 23-May-12 1:00 PM
End Time: 23-May-12 4:00 PM
Location: Anadarko Petroleum Corporation/3rd Floor, The Woodlands, Texas
Event Details:

The GEO/RES TAC’s goals are to examine trends, develop and optimize techniques, technologies and tools that overcome geoscience and reservoir engineering challenges, while avoiding areas in which participants have competitive concerns.

The focus includes subsalt imaging, reservoir characterization and development, fluid characterization, economics, high pressure/high temperature, geo-mechanics, appraisal, reservoir surveillance and production.

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation/3rd Floor

1200 Timberloch Place

The Woodlands, Texas

RPSEA Ultra-Deepwater Drilling, Completions and Interventions Spring TAC Meeting on 24-May-12 9:00 AM

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

RPSEA Ultra-Deepwater Drilling, Completions and Interventions Spring TAC Meeting
Start Date: 24-May-12 9:00 AM
End Time: 24-May-12 12:00 PM
Location: Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council (1st Floor Flour Building), Sugar Land, Texas 77478
Event Details:

The DCI TAC's goal is to improve deepwater drilling operations.

Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council (1st Floor Flour Building)

One Fluor Daniel Drive

Sugar Land, Texas 77478

RPSEA Ultra-Deepwater Environmental, Safety and Regulatory & Metocean Spring TAC Meeting on 24-May-12 12:00 PM

Thu, 24 May 2012 17:00:00 GMT

RPSEA Ultra-Deepwater Environmental, Safety and Regulatory & Metocean Spring TAC Meeting
Start Date: 24-May-12 12:00 PM
End Time: 24-May-12 5:00 PM
Location: Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council (1st Floor Fluor Building), Sugar Land, Texas 77478
Event Details:

The ESR/MEO TAC’s focus is safety barrier testing and validation criteria, environmental and regulatory impact of emerging technologies, deepwater produced water management, the studying effects of changing weather patterns on hurricane severity, operational 3-D current forecast modeling capable of simulating the loop/eddies and modeling for strong near-bottom currents. This committee also works and communicates with leading industry organizations, such as the OOC, API, NOAA and others.

The goals include improving safety and environmental compliance in all E&P technical areas, securing regulatory compliance as needed for technical advances, and improving knowledge and modeling capabilities of the GOM circulation for more accurate facility design criteria and reduced downtime during deepwater drilling operations.

Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council (1st Floor Fluor Building)

One Fluor Daniel Drive

Sugar Land, Texas 77478

Memorial Day Holiday on 28-May-12 8:00 AM

Mon, 28 May 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Memorial Day Holiday
Start Date: 28-May-12 8:00 AM
End Time: 28-May-12 5:00 PM
Event Details:

RPSEA Office Closed

SPE Americas Unconventional Resources Conference on 5-Jun-12 6:30 AM

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 11:30:00 GMT

SPE Americas Unconventional Resources Conference
Start Date: 5-Jun-12 6:30 AM
End Time: 7-Jun-12 10:30 AM
Location: David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
Event Details:

This conference offers state-of-the-art practices in drilling, completions, and stimulation for hydrocarbon development and recovery from unconventional resources. It will better define the scope of enabling and emerging technologies related to hydrocarbon development and recovery from unconventional resource systems.

Topics Covered

· Emerging technologies to enhance performance in unconventional resource systems

· Formation evaluation/ characterization of ultra- tight and shale reservoir systems

· Reservoir engineering aspects of well performance and reservoir modeling

· Well completions and stimulation challenges

· Field studies/demonstration projects in unconventional resources

Visit RPSEA's booth #520!

David L. Lawrence Convention Center

1000 Fort Duquesne Boulevard

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222

Fourth of July Holiday - RPSEA Office Closed on 4-Jul-12 8:00 AM

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Fourth of July Holiday - RPSEA Office Closed
Start Date: 4-Jul-12 8:00 AM
End Time: 4-Jul-12 5:00 PM

Subsea Robotics: Making Science Fiction a Reality for Offshore Oil and Gas

Stephen Rassenfoss - noemail@rpsea.org — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The evolution of robots working offshore is an indication of the changing nature of offshore development. What is being talked about and displayed at the 2012 Offshore Technology Conference are workhorse machines required for an increasingly complex subsea world that are more flexible and able to operate with increasing autonomy.

Schilling Robotics is developing a pump for its remotely operated vehicles (ROV) that can quickly switch to handling different fluids, such as from glycol to seawater, without the need to change pumps, thereby saving time. Time is a precious commodity in a realm where operators are paying more than USD 1 million per day for equipment and labor.

In the future, ROVs will be joined by AUVs which stands for autonomous underwater vehicles, which are machines that navigate on their own while performing complex undersea inspection assignments. During a technical session, the Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America (RPSEA) reported on the work that combines this next-generation working robot with the latest sonar and laser scanning equipment.

The new ROV pumping system under development at Schilling was described as “fluid agnostic” by Tyler Schilling, the founder and president of the company that was recently acquired by FMC Technologies. In other words, the underwater work vehicle vessel will be able to pump a wide range of fluids.

ROVs are often used for pumping jobs, such as injecting glycol to break up hydrate blockages. But getting one pump to efficiently handle multiple fluids is a challenge. “A lot of pumping technology depends on lubricity of fluids for part of their operations,” Schilling said.

The company’s system uses software to adjust the pump functions to quickly adjust among fluids with different properties. The pump, which it hopes will be ready in 2013, is being developed in-house. It is atypical in this small industry in which most new technology has been proven elsewhere. “The practice in the industry is to shop and glue it on,” Schilling said.

RPSEA has been fostering matches between companies with proven technology that can be useful offshore. For example, Lockheed Martin is equipping its AUV with state-of-the-art imaging equipment. The work is well suited for a device that is smarter than, but not as strong as, the average ROV.

The 10-foot-long device looks like a “fat” submarine from the outside. It has also been described as a “battery with fins and propellers on it,” said John Jacobson, senior program manager at Lockheed Martin. Electricity is used to propel the device that communicates by using an acoustic communication system when needed. It directs itself based on a program called “adaptive path planning.” However, its batteries cannot provide the power to perform the heavy lifting done by ROVs, which are powered from the surface.

Lockheed’s AUV was mated with a sonar scanning system and used to create a detailed map of an old Chevron platform in the Gulf of Mexico. It created the 3D image while the craft spiraled around the platform, which shows signs of age. The test concluded that it spotted all the platform’s anomalies, such as bent beams. The scanning took 40 minutes, a fraction of the time it would have taken using older technology. The deepwater test program was able complete all the tasks it had planned to do in six days instead of the planned three weeks, said Jacobson.

Other RPSEA-supported projects that apply new ways of creating 3D images, with data from scans imported into software commonly used for digital model making, are pushing a new generation of sonar and laser methods offering better and quicker imaging.

To view the actual article on JPT Online, click here.

11-May-12 9:00 AM

Obama issues order to coordinate fracking oversight

Ben Wolfgang - noemail@rpsea.org — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

In a move that immediately drew praise from across the energy industry, President Obama on Friday issued an executive order to better coordinate federal oversight of “fracking,” the popular but controversial natural-gas extraction method.

The order establishes an “interagency working group” with members from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Interior Department, Energy Department, National Economic Council and other bodies. At least 10 federal departments or agencies currently are mulling new regulations of the gas industry or have commissioned studies of its environmental impact.

The sheer number of potential rule makers has caused many industry insiders to fear confusing or overlapping guidelines; some analysts say that could greatly hamper domestic oil and gas production. The new working group, Mr. Obama said, is designed to “ensure coordination among the appropriate federal entities.”

“By helping to power our transportation system, greater use of natural gas can also reduce our dependence on foreign oil. And with appropriate safeguards, natural gas can provide a cleaner source of energy than other fossil fuels,” the order reads in part. “It is vital that we take full advantage of our natural gas resources, while giving American families and communities confidence that natural gas and cultural resources, air and water quality, and public health and safety will not be compromised.”

Mr. Obama’s announcement comes just as the November presidential election kicks into high gear, with energy policy and the administration’s perceived antagonism toward fossil fuels shaping up to be a key issue in the race. It also comes as the fracking boom has produced stocks of natural gas so large that prices are now hitting record lows.

Presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney lately has made increased American energy production a focal point during campaign speeches, and he has accused the administration of seeking to limit U.S. research and production. Many Republicans in Congress have painted the administration’s EPA as the determined enemy of natural gas, with some members accusing Mr. Obama of waging a war on the industry.

Friday’s olive branch, which could help reduce tension between the administration and the oil and gas sector, was met with enthusiasm from industry leaders.

“We’re pleased the White House recognizes the need to coordinate the efforts of 10 federal agencies that are reviewing, studying or proposing new regulations on natural gas development and [fracking],” said Jack Gerard, president and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute. “We have called on the White House to rein in these uncoordinated activities to avoid unnecessary and overlapping federal regulatory efforts and are pleased to see forward progress.”

The Marcellus Shale Coalition, which represents drilling companies in Pennsylvania and other areas of the Marcellus, one of the richest known gas deposits in the world, is offering to work closely with the administration in the coming months.

“We remain eager to provide real-time, on-the-ground insight in an effort to ensure that common-sense regulations are in place, which is essential to leveraging the countless benefits of America’s natural gas resources,” coalition President Kathryn Klaber said.

It remains to be seen, however, whether the move lessens the potential impact of looming federal rules. Later this year, the EPA will release a long-awaited report on the environmental safety of fracking, the use of water, sand and chemicals to crack underground rock and release vast quantities of fuel. Many industry analysts expect the report to call for sharp new restraints on the drilling method.

To view the actual article on the Washington Times' website, click fracking.

16-Apr-12 9:00 AM

Alberta oil exports threatened by surging U.S. output

Gary Lamphier - noemail@rpsea.org — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 18:00:00 GMT

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." - Ferris Bueller, from the 1986 movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Our politicians could learn a thing or two from Ferris Bueller, that wisecracking teenage truant of yesteryear.

Life does move pretty fast these days - so fast that our politicians can't seem to keep up with reality. While Alberta's party leaders dream up new ways to spend future budget surpluses in a bid to win votes, the foundation on which those surpluses are based grows more questionable by the day.

In case you haven't noticed, the United States - which consumes virtually all of Alberta's oil and natural gas exports - has transformed itself into the fastest growing oil and natural gas producer in the world. Even as U.S. domestic demand continues to fall, U.S. energy output is soaring.

For Alberta's energy industry, which has almost no access to other markets, what's going on south of the border is a potential game-changer. Which may help to explain why so many leading energy stocks - from Suncor to Canadian Natural Resources - are plunging, even as talk of a new energy boom grows.

It's a disconcerting paradox, and one that politicians and voters seem almost oblivious to, halfway through this election campaign.

Thanks to an explosion of shale gas supplies, a rebound in U.S. oil production, and a decline in U.S. demand for gasoline and other refined products, the world's largest energy consumer became a net exporter of petroleum products last year.

That's the first time that has happened since 1949, and analysts say it's likely just the start of a new era in which U.S. energy output expands, slashing demand for imports of crude oil and natural gas.

"After more than three decades of falling oil production in the Lower 48 states, the U.S. is now poised to sharply increase domestic oil production and sharply decrease its dependence on imported oil," says a report from Raymond James.

"The consequences of this massive, structural U.S. energy supply shift echo well beyond oil and gas stocks. It means the U.S. is poised to become meaningfully less dependent upon the rest of the world."

Raymond James estimates U.S. oil imports, which peaked at 13.5 million barrels a day in 2005 and slid to 9.8 million barrels a day last year, will fall to 4.5 million barrels a day by 2015. By 2020, it expects net imports to hit zero. "That's right - oil independence," the report states.

The energy analysts at Citigroup have come to a similar conclusion. In a 92-page report released in March, Citi's team lays out in detail how new drilling techniques such as horizontal drilling and fracking (hydraulic fracturing) have opened up significant new supplies of tight oil, shale oil, and natural gas liquids (NGLs) across the U.S.

Combined with expected increases in deepwater production from beneath the floor of the Gulf of Mexico, Citi's analysts foresee total U.S. crude oil and NGL production hitting 14.1 million barrels a day by 2020, an astonishing 74-per-cent increase from last year's total of 8.1 million barrels a day.

If those targets are met, that means Alberta's growing bitumen supplies will be competing for a steadily shrinking slice of a declining U.S. oil market.

In proclaiming North America "the new Middle East" of global energy, the Citi report takes pains to include Canada and Mexico as part of the continental market. But with domestic U.S. supplies on a sharp upward trajectory, and the opportunities for future U.S. job growth and economic growth so great, it's clear where U.S. interests lie: right at home.

"We estimate that the cumulative impact of new production, reduced consumption, and associated activity may increase real GDP (Gross Domestic Product) by two to three per cent, creating from 2.7 million to as high as 3.6 million net new jobs by 2020," the Citi report states.

Of course, there are lots of potential hurdles, including a lack of pipeline infrastructure, and the green lobby's furious opposition to any expansion of the fossil fuel industry.

Moreover, skeptics say booming production growth from North Dakota's Bakken field is over-hyped, and won't make much of a difference in the end. But that misses the point.

The Bakken field is just one of many new sources of crude, shale gas and NGLs that are expected to be exploited in the U.S. over the coming decade. If that happens it won't be good news for Alberta's energy industry.

It's time our politicians noticed the storm on the horizon. It's approaching fast.

To view the actual article, click Edmonton Journal.

10-Apr-12 1:00 PM

Snapshot shows wells producing at high rates

Andrew Welsh-Huggins - noemail@rpsea.org — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Natural gas wells using the drilling method known as hydraulic fracturing are producing at a much higher rate than traditional wells, according to the first look at production figures from nine active wells in the Utica Shale formation in eastern Ohio.

Figures reported Monday by Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy Corp. show five wells in eastern Ohio producing 2.6 billion cubic feet of natural gas in 2011. The other four wells produced hundreds of barrels of oil but are not in natural gas production yet, according to Chesapeake.

The report, which Chesapeake provided to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, shows one well in Harrison County producing 1.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas, or 2 percent of the state's entire natural gas production.

Put another way, that well has 300 times more in daily production than the average well drilled vertically into the ground, said Rick Simmers, chief of ODNR's Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management.

"The preliminary production for all the wells on the gas side is very high," Simmers said.

Companies including Chesapeake have drilled 38 other wells that have yet to report production.

Ohio has issued about 150 permits for Utica Shale wells in Ohio. By contrast, the state has about 49,000 traditional gas wells reporting production of about 73 billion cubic feet in 2011.

The figures continue to fuel Chesapeake's optimism about the formation, spokesman Keith Fuller said in a statement.

"The data reported, while promising, is still very limited and only a small part of the information needed to gauge the potential of the entire formation," he said.

The data reported Monday involves wells drilled using a method dubbed fracking, in which thousands of gallons of chemically laced water are blasted into shale deposits, freeing natural gas trapped in the layers of shale.

The natural gas reported Monday includes both dry gas that can be distributed almost immediately to gas companies for home and business use and wet gas that includes other components, such as butane and propane, that must be stripped out, Simmers said.

Eastern Ohio is in the midst of a natural gas boom as developers seek to capture rights to Utica Shale deposits. In March, BP announced it had leased 84,000 acres of land in the Utica/Point Pleasant shale formation in northeast Ohio for oil and gas production.

The Utica Shale lies below the Marcellus Shale, where oil companies in Pennsylvania have drilled thousands of wells in search of natural gas and, more recently, oil.

Also in March, Chesapeake announced a $900 million project for gathering, compression and processing of natural gas and natural gas liquids. The project will roll out during five years, with parts of the complex scheduled to begin operations by June 2013.

Decisions by Chesapeake and BP to develop in Ohio come despite a proposal by Republican Gov. John Kasich to increase the taxes that oil and gas drillers pay for extracting the state's natural resources. Ohio's oil and gas association has criticized Kasich's plan as a potential turnoff to drilling activity. The governor wants to use the proceeds to fund a modest statewide income-tax reduction beginning in 2016.

To view the actual article, click Coshocton Tribune.

3-Apr-12 9:00 AM

New figures on shale gas optimistic

Timothy Puko - noemail@rpsea.org — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:00:00 GMT

The Marcellus shale's bounty of natural gas is likely close to some of the most optimistic early projections, according to the private sector and university researchers who have been butting heads with federal analysts over the size.

The mile-deep rock layer probably has about 500 trillion cubic feet of commercially recoverable gas, say new, separate reports from consultant groups ICF International and IHS Inc., reports that were the subject of a research conference on Monday at Penn State University. The amount of gas in the Marcellus has been in dispute for several years, and accurate data are crucial for long-term policy decisions being made in Harrisburg and Washington, experts said.

"When you see conflicting or at least apparently conflicting information out there, it has implications," said Patrick Henderson, Gov. Tom Corbett's top energy adviser. "It can send a signal for people who want to do business in Pennsylvania that maybe it's not as promising as what was thought."

Henderson said he is concerned about recent federal calculations that have been much lower. Analysts at the Department of Energy in January cut their reserve estimates by more than half -- down to 141 trillion cubic feet -- which could hurt Pennsylvania, said Henderson, one of four state officials who attended the conference.

Confusion has surrounded the numbers and other estimates from the federal government since the U.S. Geological Survey in August estimated only 84 trillion cubic feet of gas resources. Federal energy analysts did not accept an invitation to the conference, frustrating participants.

Industry critics have accused drilling companies and their allies in the research community of trumping up projections to inflate stock prices and for personal gain.

Federal geologists explained their methodology by phone, saying they were only assessing resources yet to be discovered and not anything currently being tapped. Scientist and project chief Christopher Schenk declined to explain other major differences between estimates from the survey and the private sector, saying his team's assessment stood on its own.

"When we put that out, it's not in any context of anything," Schenk said. "You have to know the methodology used, who funded it and why that assessment was put out. We do not say other assessments are wrong. We say they've been done for other purposes."

Several conference participants, including petroleum engineers, geologists and government officials, criticized federal agencies for not doing more to clear up confusion about the numbers. The conference organizer, Penn State geosciences professor Terry Engelder, conceived the summit, which had about 20 participants, as a way to resolve differences between estimates from federal researchers and academic and private researchers.

Engelder in 2009 projected the Marcellus could produce 489 trillion cubic feet of gas. His paper was not peer-reviewed, but other researchers, working with data from well production and test data from other shale plays, have reaffirmed his estimates, he said.

ICF, an industry consultant based in suburban Washington, estimated a range of 460 to 698 trillion cubic feet of gas, according to a presentation from company vice president Harry Vidas. ICF used maps from five major gas producers, analyzed historical data and modeled well potential.

IHS consultants from Houston and suburban Denver, participating by phone, said they completed their Marcellus update just this weekend. In 2009, they estimated 399 trillion cubic feet. Their new estimate ranges from 267 to 534 trillion cubic feet, depending on gas prices and the density of wells across the gas field. The gas sweet spot in the Pittsburgh area may produce up to three times the amount per well as other parts of the Marcellus, according to IHS.

To view the actual article by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, click here.

20-Mar-12 10:00 AM

U.S. oil gusher blows out projections

Simone Sebastian - noemail@rpsea.org — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:00:00 GMT

The United States’ rapidly declining crude oil supply has made a stunning about-face, shredding federal oil projections and putting energy independence in sight of some analyst forecasts.

After declining to levels not seen since the 1940s, U.S. crude production began rising again in 2009. Drilling rigs have rushed into the nation’s oil fields, suggesting a surge in domestic crude is on the horizon.

The number of rigs in U.S. oil fields has more than quadrupled in the past three years to 1,272, according to the Baker Hughes rig count. Including those in natural gas fields, the United States now has more rigs at work than the entire rest of the world.

“It’s staggering,” said Marshall Adkins, who directs energy research for the financial services firm Raymond James. “If we continue growing anywhere near that pace and keep squeezing demand out of the system, that puts you in a world where we are not importing oil in 10 years.”

There are doubts that energy independence is that close. But many say the booming shale oil fields in Texas and North Dakota and the growth of deep-water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico will allow the nation to cut its reliance on oil imports significantly over the next couple of decades.

Last month, the U.S. Energy Information Administration upgraded its forecast of crude production in 2025 to 6.4 million barrels per day – 1 million barrels more than were pumped in 2010.

Previously, the EIA had projected the U.S. would peak at 6 million barrels in 2022.

“The growth that we’ve seen in shale, that’s one of the biggest changes that’s contributing to our outlook,” said Dana Van-Wagener, a research analyst for the agency. “It’s evolving so quickly. We weren’t anticipating enough growth.”

Crude prices stable

By the EIA’s forecast, the United States will challenge Saudi Arabia as the world’s top oil producer when crude and other forms of liquid petroleum are included. But the U.S. is also the world’s top oil consumer, demanding nearly 20 million barrels a day. So even with an oil boom, the nation still falls far short of its energy demands.

The technology that fueled the national shale gas rush is moving into oil fields. The pairing of fossil fuel production techniques called horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing allowed companies to access previously hard-to-reach natural gas trapped in dense shale rock.

The rush has unleashed a flood of natural gas onto the U.S. market, causing price to dive and making some gas wells uneconomical. Companies have started to close natural gas wells and pull rigs out of gas fields.

Meanwhile, crude oil prices have remained high, with the domestic benchmark West Texas Intermediate price rising 93 cents to $103.24 on Friday.

Pumping crude out of shale rock is more expensive and difficult than getting at natural gas, said Eric Potter, program director for energy research at the University of Texas at Austin’s Bureau of Economic Geology.

Oil molecules are larger and harder to squeeze through the cracks created by hydraulic fracturing. But the high price of crude makes it worthwhile for many companies.

“With natural gas prices being as low as they are, your company could go out of business if you don’t manage this carefully,” Potter said. “People are moving quickly to get into these oil plays. It’s a matter of their existence.”

The Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas, the Permian Basin in West Texas, and the Bakken Shale in North Dakota have been hubs of the domestic crude boom. They now make up about 40 percent of the nation’s land-based oil production, noted Adkins, the Raymond James analyst. He projects that proportion will grow to two-thirds by 2015.

Fields underestimated

Adkins says the Energy Information Administration is vastly underestimating the rapid growth of those oil fields. He believes that crude oil production in the United States will reach 9.1 million barrels by 2015, some 45 percent more than the EIA’s forecast.

The reason for the varying projections about the nation’s crude potential is uncertainty about how much oil is underground and whether technological advances will make it reachable.

That also causes debate about future crude oil prices.

Adkins, for example, says the rising production will help reverse the surging price of oil, pushing it down to $90 per barrel next year.

Forecast: $4.09/gallon

Others, however, believe oil prices will continue to rise despite the growing supply coming out of U.S. oil fields. Domestic crude prices are closely tied to the world market.

That makes domestic prices susceptible to the global Brent crude benchmark price, which is on the rise due to foreign conflicts and rapidly growing energy demands in developing countries.

The EIA projects the average world oil price will reach about $145 per barrel in 2035, in current dollars, compared to the 2011 average of $93 per barrel. Meanwhile, the agency forecasts gasoline in America will rise to $4.09 per gallon.

“As far as drilling and production, it’s going to be really good and robust,” said Michelle Michot Foss, chief energy economist for the University of Texas Bureau of Economic Geology. “But consumers will be upset because gasoline prices will continue to be high.”

To view the actual article, click Fuel Fix.

20-Feb-12 10:00 AM

U.S. on brink of strong oil, gas growth, Senate panel told

Nick Snow - noemail@rpsea.org — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Higher crude oil prices, breakthroughs in technology, and more access to prospective acreage are creating a US oil production revival that is a major break from nearly 40 years of declining production, two experts told the US Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Jan. 31.

“We believe that by 2020, the United States will become the largest producer of hydrocarbons in the world, surpassing Russia,” said Roger Diwan, partner and head of financial advisory operations at PFC Energy. Now that producers have solved the problem of producing oil and gas from tight shale formations, the nation is on the verge of a golden energy era which is reshaping the industry worldwide, he maintained.

“When you look at global oil and gas investment, the US has been the key destination in the last 10 years,” Diwan said. “The global industry is making money all over the world, and investing it in the US.”

The scale of the opportunity to increase US oil production is greater than in most other countries over the next decade, noted James Burkhard, managing director of IHS CERA Inc.’s global oil group.

“Indeed, the oil and gas industry in this country has attracted tens of billions of dollars of investment capital,” he said in his written testimony. “In the United States, spending to develop oil and gas fields rose 37% from 2009 to 2010—from $50.6 billion to $69.4 billion. Spending increased further in 2011.”

Howard K. Gruenspecht, acting administrator at the US Energy Information Administration, said the US Department of Energy’s independent forecasting and analysis agency’s initial 2012 Annual Energy Outlook (AEO) reference case forecasts 20% growth in US crude production over the next decade. Net petroleum imports are expected to drop from 49% of total US consumption in 2010 to 38% in 2020 and 36% in 2035 as a result, he said.

Gas export prospects

EIA’s initial 2012 AEO also projects that the US will become a net exporter of LNG by 2016, a net exporter of gas by pipeline by 2025, and an overall net exporter of gas by 2021, he said in his written statement. “The outlook reflects increased use of LNG in markets outside of North America, strong domestic gas production, reduced pipeline imports and increased pipeline exports, and relatively low gas prices in the United States compared to other global markets,” Gruenspecht said.

“With increasing supplies, gas prices in the United States are down,” observed a fourth witness, Richard H. Jones, deputy executive director of the Paris-based International Energy Agency. “Oil prices also are lower, with [West Texas Intermediate] much lower than Brent crude. Prices here generally are lower than in other markets already.”

He noted that when IEA looks at global oil markets, it finds that prices have been relatively stable over the last year. “Prices peaked at $120[/bbl] in April of last year, and they’ve been oscillating between $100[/bbl] and $120[/bbl] ever since,” Jones told the committee. “We think the concern for disruption has put a floor under prices, and a ceiling is there resulting from a fear of economic activity putting pressure on demand. The interplay of these two factors has kept the price in this range, and we think it’s too high considering the availability of oil in this market.”

Diwan said PFC Energy expects liquids production growth outside the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to recover in 2012, led by the US, Canada, Colombia, Brazil, and Russia. More production from the Bakken and Eagle Ford shales will help the US lead this liquids growth, he said in his prepared statement.

“There are several other shale areas that are just starting to be drilled, and if those prove as prolific, then our forecast is likely to be raised,” he added. “We have also penciled in an end to output losses in the Gulf of Mexico after the Macondo spill.”

Burkhard said application of advanced technology will be critical to future US oil and gas production growth, with fracing and horizontal drilling at the heart of the US expansion and the debate about environmental impacts. “Questions about water availability and quality, air pollution, cumulative land use, and the impacts on local communities need to be addressed to ensure that oil and gas development meets environmental needs and enhances public trust,” he testified.

To view the actual article, click OGJ.

1-Feb-12 10:00 AM

Fossil fuel forecast: a huge role

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:30:00 GMT

Leaders of BP and ConocoPhillips called Wednesday for greater access to and development of oil and natural gas fields, as a BP report showed fossil fuels will continue to dominate the world’s energy needs for at least the next 20 years.

Renewable energy is growing faster than other sources, at about 8.2 percent annually, but will make up only 6 percent of energy use by 2030, according to the forecast released Wednesday by BP. Oil, natural gas and coal will still account for 80 percent of global energy use.

Separately, ConocoPhillips CEO James Mulva said in Houston that the need and availability of fossil fuels weigh against government policies he said tax oil and natural gas differently than other energy sources and require utilities to use certain levels of renewables.

“Past assumptions of oil and gas scarcity that went into business strategic plans, government policies and public attitudes are out of date,” Mulva said, speaking Wednesday at a summit hosted by Rice University’s Baker Institute.

BP’s report showed that among fossil fuels, natural gas consumption will grow the fastest, at 2.1 percent per year. Its growth is especially manifest in the U.S., where its share as a power plant fuel has risen while coal’s has steadily declined, from 50 percent in 2005 to 45 percent in 2010.

A glut

Technology improvements have allowed drillers to access natural gas in deep, dense shale rock economically for the first time. That has led to a rush on North America’s shale gas fields, leaving a glut of low-priced natural gas in the U.S. market.

“Our entire understanding of North American energy potential is changing,” Mulva said. “Everyone is having to cast aside some old assumptions, such as the one about domestic fossil fuels being in short supply. They are not.”

He said the technology that fueled shale gas production has begun driving a rapid increase in the development of domestic oil fields, too. With natural gas prices low, producers are moving more rigs into fields containing higher-priced crude and natural gas liquids, including the Eagle Ford shale in South Texas and the Bakken shale in North Dakota.

BP said that the increase in world energy demand will occur mostly in emerging nations such as China and India as they look to cheap fossil fuels to power their growth. Slower population growth in developed countries, as well as greater efficiency of appliances, vehicles and machinery, will keep energy consumption stable in the United States and Europe, BP forecast.

Developed countries will put more renewables on the electricity grid, BP said. Fuel efficiency in gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles will rise, and electric and hybrid vehicles become more common, BP said.

Still, the forecast noted that oil will account for 87 percent of transportation fuels by 2030.

Worldwide, BP projects energy use will grow about 1.6 percent per year, mostly in electricity.

“That’s like adding one more China and one more U.S. to the world’s energy demand by 2030,” CEO Bob Dudley said in prepared remarks in London.

Coal share still growing

Globally, coal’s share of the fuel market will continue growing for a few more years, but the trend will start to reverse by 2020, as a significant portion of power generation shifts from coal to cleaner-burning natural gas, BP said.

Absent any major policies for tackling emissions linked to climate change – such as an international emissions-trading scheme or carbon tax – the continuing dominance of fossil fuels will mean global greenhouse gas emissions will rise 28 percent from 2010 to 2030, according to BP.

BP downgraded its prior projections for growth in nuclear power, as the Fukushima disaster in Japan casts a cloud on the safety of the fuel source.

To read the actual article, click Fuel Fix.

19-Jan-12 9:30 AM

Drillers must employ best practices to keep 'fracking' boom alive

Steve Holditch - noemail@rpsea.org — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Former RPSEA Board Chair Dr. Steve Holditch of Texas A&M University writes an article in the Houston Chronicle on hydraulic fracturing technology and natural gas production.

As recently as 2001, the production of gas naturally occurring deep inside shale rock provided less than 2 percent of total U.S. natural gas production. Today, it is approaching 30 percent. As late as 2007, it was commonly assumed that the United States would be importing large amounts of liquefied natural gas from the Middle East and other areas.

Today, almost overnight in natural-resource years, we are not only self-sufficient in natural gas, we have enough natural gas for the rest of this century on the basis of current demand. This same horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technology is now being used in liquids-rich shales to increase oil production. These resource plays are in their infancy and can clearly improve the energy security of the United States.

Nonetheless, the hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, of shale rock to release gas trapped deep beneath the Earth's surface has inspired public fear-mongering, mostly around presumed threats to air quality and water quality. Most of that fear is unfounded.

Water quality

The issues involving water quality are less serious and less real. No matter what you may read, hydraulic fracturing does not involve pumping toxic chemicals under high pressure near public aquifers. There has been some use of diesel fuel as an additive to hydraulic fracturing fluid in the past, but the use of diesel is quickly being eliminated in the field.

Some 99.5 percent of what is commonly used in fracking is a composition of pure water and quartz sand. Other agents are included, making up about 0.5 percent of the fluid. Three typical additives are guar gum (which is also used to thicken food products), detergents (just like the soaps you use at home to wash dishes and clothes), and bactericide (like the chlorine used to kill bacteria as it does effectively in most local drinkable water supplies).

No one recommends drinking soap or chlorine, but we have safely managed and effectively used these chemicals in our homes and local water systems for generations.

Air quality

The impact of hydraulic fracturing on air quality can be more challenging. The full cycle of shale gas production - from initial exploration through the capture and transport of the natural gas and final site remediation - can result in the emission of ozone precursors such as nitrogen oxides, particulates from diesel exhaust, toxic air pollutants and greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane.

Methane is the pollutant that requires the most attention. Some persons would rather see the methane flared than simply released to the atmosphere. However, most operators would rather not flare methane, as they wish to sell the product instead.

Best practices

I served on a secretary of energy advisory board subcommittee, and we have recommended that industry accelerate cooperative efforts to establish best practices - and even encouraged the formation of a shale gas industry production organization dedicated to continuous improvement of best practices.

It will take time to determine if and what kind of organization should be formed. In the interim, there are already identified and accepted best practices that enlightened energy companies should engage in immediately - both to assuage public concerns about the impact of fracking on communities, wildlife and ecologies and to capture additional process efficiencies. In fact, most oil and gas operators already follow these best practices or they are developing plans to apply these ideas in the areas where they are operating with hydraulic fracking.

Below are just a few of the major practice recommendations in the report (the full subcommittee report can be found at www.shalegas.energy.gov ):

- Improve casing and cementing procedures to isolate the gas-producing zone from overlaying formations and potable aquifers. Loss of well integrity is simply the result of poor well completion - or poor production-pressure management.

- Control the entire life-cycle of the water used from acquisition to disposal. All water flows should be tracked and reported quantitatively throughout the process.

- Limit water use by controlling vertical fracture growth. Periodic direct measurement of earth stresses and the microseismic monitoring of water and additive needs will eliminate rogue methane migration - and save production money.

- Use multi-well drilling pads to monitor processes and minimize truck traffic and surplus road construction. The use of mats, catchments, groundwater monitors and surface water buffers - all standard in the oil industry - should be industry standard in shale gas production as well.

- Declare unique and/or sensitive areas off-limits to drilling. There is such an abundance of natural gas reserves that have come from the fracking revolution that there is no need to be provocatively drilling beneath protected urban or wilderness spaces. This recommendation is also one of the most difficult to apply as the owners of the minerals in such areas have the right to produce those minerals. Fortunately, with long-reach horizontal drilling, many urban areas can be developed from remote pad sites with appropriate controls.

1 Mitigate noise, air and visual pollution. Conversion from diesel to natural gas or electrical power for equipment fuel is an important first step … and can be substantially accelerated.

As the nation adjusts to the implications of this unexpected bonanza, industry would do well to quickly establish the kind of practices that encourage public confidence and insure that this marvelous resource is not wasted thorough inefficient, dangerous and provocative procedures.

Holditch is head of the Department of Petroleum Engineering at Texas A&M University and a past president of The Academy of Medicine, Engineering & Science of Texas, which will present a special review of the history and future of hydraulic fracking at its annual conference in Houston Jan. 12-13.

9-Jan-12 10:00 AM

RPSEA Selects First Round of Projects to Award $9.6 Million for the Ultra-Deepwater Program

Danette Mozisek - noemail@rpsea.org — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:00:00 GMT

The Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America (RPSEA) announces six proposals under the Ultra-Deepwater Program have been selected for negotiations leading to an award under its contract with the Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory and in support of the Ultra-Deepwater and Unconventional Natural Gas and Other Petroleum Resources Research and Development Program that was established pursuant to the Energy Policy Act of 2005. This is the first of two rounds announced for the 2010 Ultra-Deepwater Program selections.

Awards, open to any U.S.-based organization, are negotiated once project selections are made within each RPSEA program, Unconventional Resources, Small Producer and Ultra-Deepwater. These projects focus on improving safety, minimizing environmental impacts, increasing efficiencies and reducing costs of domestic hydrocarbon resources, maximizing their value. Collaboration of America’s leading universities, research institutions, independents, national laboratories, state associations, service and operating companies is encouraged to utilize each of their research and technology resources. Proposals must provide a minimum of 20% cost share with up to 50% for field demonstration projects.

"The 2010 Ultra-Deepwater Program selections add to the current 41 program projects to form the foundation of a strong, interconnected assembly of tools and processes that will ultimately close the technological gaps in this challenging, but needed environment," said RPSEA Vice President, Ultra-Deepwater Program James Pappas. “The program goal is to unlock the potential for domestic hydrocarbon resources in water depths of 1,500 meters or greater by creating safe and environmentally sound solutions to energy needs.”

2010 ULTRA-DEEPWATER Program Selected Projects

More Improvements to Deepwater Subsea Measurement
Project Leader: Letton-Hall Group
Additional Project Participants: Oceaneering International, Inc./Deepwater Technical Solutions; Joe Brown Company, Inc.; BP America, Inc.; Chevron Corporation; ConocoPhillips Company; Shell International Exploration & Production; Statoil; TOTAL E&P USA, Inc.

Coil Tubing Drilling and Intervention System Using Cost Effective Vessel
Project Leader: Nautilus International, LLC
Additional Project Participants: INTECSEA/WorleyParsons Group; General Marine Contractors, LLC; NOV CTES; Tidewater, Inc.; GE VetcoGray; Anadarko Petroleum Corporation; Chevron Corporation; Shell International Exploration & Production; ConocoPhillips Company; Hess Corporation; Halliburton; Baker Hughes Incorporated; Rolls-Royce plc

Effect of Climate Variability and Change in Hurricane Activity in the North Atlantic
Project Leader: University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Additional Project Participants: Willis Re; Chevron Corporation

Deepwater Reverse-Circulation Primary Cementing
Project Leader: CSI Technologies, LLC
Additional Project Participants: Weatherford International, Ltd., University of Houston

Autonomous Underwater Inspection Using a 3D Laser
Project Leader: Lockheed Martin Corporation
Additional Project Participants: 3D at Depth, LLC

All Electric Subsea Autonomous High Integrity Pressure Protection System (HIPPS) Architecture
Project Leader: Granherne, Inc.

About RPSEA

Funding for the projects is provided through the Department of Energy’s Ultra-Deepwater and Unconventional Natural Gas and Other Petroleum Resources Research and Development Program established pursuant to the Energy Policy Act of 2005. This program—funded from lease bonuses and royalties paid by industry to produce oil and gas on federal lands—is specifically designed to maximize the value of natural gas and other petroleum resources of the United States by increasing the supply of such resources, through reducing the cost and increasing the efficiency of exploration for and production of such resources, while improving safety and minimizing environmental impacts. The Secretary of Energy has ultimate responsibility for and oversight of all aspects of this program. RPSEA is under contract with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory to administer three elements of the program. RPSEA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit consortium with more than 170 members, including 22 of the nation's premier research universities, six national laboratories, other major research institutions, large and small energy producers and energy consumers. The mission of RPSEA, headquartered in Sugar Land, Texas, is to provide a stewardship role in ensuring the focused research, development and deployment of safe and environmentally responsible technology that can effectively deliver hydrocarbons from domestic resources to the citizens of the United States. Additional information can be found at www.rpsea.org.

29-Nov-11 9:00 AM

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Fri, 11 May 2012 14:43:46 GMT

Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America

Tue, 08 May 2012 19:14:47 GMT

RPSEA Ultra-Deepwater Program
Subsea Water Quality Management Sensors Forum

May 21

Houston, Texas

RPSEA Ultra-Deepwater Spring TAC Meetings

May 22-24

Must Register

Visit RPSEA's Booth at SPE Americas
Unconventional Resources Conference
June 5-7
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Booth #520

RPSEA Members

Thu, 03 May 2012 23:24:58 GMT

MAP OF RPSEA MEMBERS Advanced Resources International, Inc. Advantek International Corp AGR Subsea, Inc. Alcoa Oil and GasAltira Group LLC American Bureau of Shipping American Pioneer Ventures Ltd. AMOG Consulting, Inc. Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Apache Corporation APS Technology, Inc. At Balance Americas LLC Baker Hughes Incorporated Battelle Memorial Institute BG Group plc BHP Billiton Petroleum Blade Energy Partners, Ltd. BlueView Technologies Inc. BMT Scientific Marine Services Inc. BP America, Inc. Cameron Campbell Applied Physics CARBO Ceramics, Inc. CDL Inc C-FER Technologies Chesapeake Energy Corporation Chevron Corporation Colorado Oil & Gas Association Colorado School of Mines Colorado State University ConocoPhillips Company Conservation Committee of California Oil & Gas Producers Consortium for Ocean Leadership Consultate LLC Consumer Energy Alliance Conquest Drilling Fluids, Inc. (pending) Correlations Company CSI Technologies, Inc. DCP Midstream,...

Completed Unconventional Resources Research Reports EPAct 2005 Section 999

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:30:55 GMT

07122-07 Final Report - Novel Concepts for Unconventional Gas Development of Gas Resources in Gas Shales, Tight Sands and Coalbeds - Carter Technology (641 KB) 07122-12 Final Report - An Integrated Framework for the Treatment and Management of Produced Water - Colorado School of Mines (1.2 MB) 07122-16 Final Report - New Albany Shale Gas - Gas Technology Institute (20.6 MB) 07122-17 Final Report - Geological Foundation for Production of Natural Gas from Diverse Shale Formations - Geological Survey of Alabama (14.5 MB) 07122-23 Final Report - SeTES, a Self-Teaching Expert System for the Analysis, Design and Prediction of Gas Production from Unconventional Resources - Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (2.0 MB) 07122-27 Final Report - Enhancing Appalachian Coalbed Methane Extraction by Microwave-Induced Fractures - The Pennsylvania State University (2.0 MB) 07122-29 Final Report- Gas Condensate Productivity in Tight Gas Sands - Stanford University(424 KB) 07122-29 Appendix to Final...

An Integrated Framework for the Treatment and Management of Produced Water (07122-12)

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:28:48 GMT

Colorado School of Mines - Principal Investigator: Jorg E. Drewes

Objective: The project objective is to develop a web-based selection and screening tool that will allow selection of the best fit for purpose technology for treating water produced with coalbed methane. The tool will have broader application to other unconventional production as well. .

Period of Performance: September 19, 2008 to June 30, 2011

Abstract

Web Site

NETL Fact Sheet

Presentations

2009 RPSEA Uncoventional Gas Project Review Presentation, Golden, CO, April 15, 2009 (2.6 MB)

Reports

Final Report (1.2 MB)
Technical Assessment of Produced Water Technologies, First Edition, November 2009 (3.6 MB)
Technology Status Assessment, October 16, 2008 (166 KB)

Ultra-Deepwater Completed Research Reports EPAct 2005 Section 999

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:26:49 GMT

Completed Research Reports 07121-1201 Final Report - Wax Control in the Presence of Hydrates - The University of Utah (1.3 MB) 07121-1301 Final Report - Improvements to Deepwater Subsea Measurements - Letton-Hall Group (10.6 MB) 07121-1302 Final Report - Ultra-High Conductivity Umbilicals - NanoRidge Materials, Inc. (18 MB) 07121-1401 Final Report - Composite Riser for Ultra Deepwater High Pressure Wells - Lincoln Composites Inc. (3.8 MB) 07121-1402a Final Report - Ultra Deepwater Dry Tree System for Drilling and Production - FloaTEC, LLC (7 MB) 07121-1402b Stage 1 Final Report - Ultra Deepwater Dry Tree System for Drilling and Production - Houston Offshore Engineering (1.9 MB) 07121-1402b Stage 2 Final Report - Ultra-Deepwater Dry Tree System for Drilling and Production - Houston Offshore Engineering (3.3 MB) 07121-1403 Final Report - Fatigue Performance of High Strength Riser Materials in Sour Environments - Southwest Research Institute (2.8 MB) ...

High Resolution 3D Laser Imaging for Inspection, Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (09121-3300-06)

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:25:28 GMT

3D at Depth, LLC - Principal Investigator: Carl Embry

Objective: The objectives of the project include the development of a fully operational sensor to scan targets in a pool environment and then integrate with the power and communications from an industry leading ROV. The project will validate the capabilities of underwater laser imaging to collect accurate 3 dimensional data of objects which are representative of those found in deep water oil and gas production systems.

Period of Performance: January 19, 2011 to February 19, 2012

Abstract

Reports

Final Report (829 KB)

Unconventional Resources Past Events

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:12:42 GMT

RPSEA Unconventional Gas Conference 2012 April 17-18, 2012 Hilton Garden Inn Pittsburgh/Southpointe Canonsburg, Pennsylvania These presentations are in PDF Portfolio format and contain the individual presentations from the Unconventional Gas Conference 2012. To access and view these presentations, you need the most current version of Adobe Reader. If you do not have Adobe Reader or you need the current version, you can download it HERE. Agenda, Attendance List and Released Presentations Agenda and Attendance List (677 KB) Keynote and Overview Presentations - Day 1 (1.8 MB) Presentations A.M. - Day 1 (12.3 MB) Presentations P.M. - Day 1 (16.4 MB) Presentations A.M. - Day 2 (19.0 MB) Presentations P.M. - Day 2 (23.6 MB) 2011 Piceance Basin, Mamm Creek Field RPSEA Project Review April 21, 2011 Williams Exploration & Production/1st Floor Training Room Denver, Colorado Agenda Attendance List Released...

Coil Tubing Drilling & Intervention System Using Cost Effective Vessel (08121-1502-01)

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 05:27:19 GMT

Nautilus International, LLC - Principal Investigator: Charles Yemington Objective: The primary objective of this project is to provide the basis for detailed design of a cost‐effective deepwater Coil Tubing (CT) system for downhole work in deep water Gulf of Mexico (GOM) satellite wells without need for a Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU). This work will facilitate improved resource recovery from existing satellite wells and make it practical to develop reservoirs that would otherwise not meet economic hurdles. Tasks and deliverables include specification of equipment, identification and assessment of hazards and failure modes, and a comprehensive report including a plan and design basis for detailed design in Phase 2. Period of Performance: October 1, 2009 to April 1, 2011 Abstract NETL Fact Sheet Reports Final Report (1.2 MB)Final Report, Task 5 (496 KB) Final Report, Task 6, Volume 1 (673 KB)Final Report, Task 6, Volume 2 (1.6.MB) Final Report, Task 7 (1.1 MB)

Fiber Containing Sweep Fluids for Ultra-Deepwater Drilling Applications (08121-2902-07)

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 04:29:05 GMT

The University of Oklahoma - Principal Investigator: Dr. Ramadan Ahmed

Objective: The project objectives are to improve the understanding of (drilling fluid) fiber sweeps, develop fiber sweep systems that improve hole cleaning in UDW drilling operations, minimize hole cleaning related problems, develop models and correlations to predict fiber sweep performance and optimization, recommend fiber sweep best practices, reduce drilling costs and improve operational safety, and develop sweep technology that minimizes the impacts of drilling on the natural environment. The study will deliver formulations of stable fiber containing sweep fluids, an experimental database describing hole cleaning performance of fiber sweeps, correlations and mathematical models that are useful for designing and optimizing fiber sweep applications, and recommendations and guidelines for field operations.

Period of Performance: January 5, 2010 to January 4, 2012

Abstract

NETL Fact Sheet

Reports

Final Report (3.4 MB)

Lorem ipsum survey

noemail@rpsea.org — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 19:20:50 GMT

Objectives:

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Release Date: 8-Mar-07 1:20 PM
Expiration Date: 8-Jun-07 1:20 PM

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2007-03-08T19:20:50Z

Instructor: Instructor

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Subsea Robotics: Making Science Fiction a Reality for Offshore Oil and Gas

Obama issues order to coordinate fracking oversight

Alberta oil exports threatened by surging U.S. output

Snapshot shows wells producing at high rates

New figures on shale gas optimistic

U.S. oil gusher blows out projections

U.S. on brink of strong oil, gas growth, Senate panel told

Fossil fuel forecast: a huge role

Drillers must employ best practices to keep 'fracking' boom alive

RPSEA Selects First Round of Projects to Award $9.6 Million for the Ultra-Deepwater Program

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Completed Unconventional Resources Research Reports EPAct 2005 Section 999

An Integrated Framework for the Treatment and Management of Produced Water (07122-12)

Colorado School of Mines - Principal Investigator: Jorg E. Drewes

Abstract

Web Site

NETL Fact Sheet

Presentations

Reports

Ultra-Deepwater Completed Research Reports EPAct 2005 Section 999

High Resolution 3D Laser Imaging for Inspection, Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (09121-3300-06)

3D at Depth, LLC - Principal Investigator: Carl Embry

Reports

Unconventional Resources Past Events

Coil Tubing Drilling & Intervention System Using Cost Effective Vessel (08121-1502-01)

Fiber Containing Sweep Fluids for Ultra-Deepwater Drilling Applications (08121-2902-07)

The University of Oklahoma - Principal Investigator: Dr. Ramadan Ahmed

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