OS_20090301_Mar_2009

March 2009

Houston London Paris Stavanger Aberdeen Singapore Moscow Baku Perth Rio de Janeiro Lagos Luanda

World Trends and Technology for Offshore Oil and Gas Operations

Tamar discovery reveals potential gas-rich play offshore Israel

INSID

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Subsea b

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proce

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Port Fourchon thrives despite the economy

Seismic vessel survey: Acquisition technology drives changes in industry practice

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Alcoa Oil & Gas high-strength, ultra-lightweight alloys can take you places you’ve never been before.We bring advanced aerospace technology down to earth in the search for oil and gas.

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Mooring and foundations installation / Rig and floating production moves / Active heave compensation / Subsea

hardware installation / Flexible flowline and umbilical laying and retrieval / Deepwater piling and conductor

pre-installation / Subsea well abandonment



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BACK-DECK SERVICESActeon companies are at the forefront of the movement to reduce the industry’s

dependence on specialist marine assets. Driven by the need to reduce costs and

improve operational flexibility, we have developed a range of applications that can be

performed from the back deck of less-sophisticated monohull vessels. Talk to us when

you are looking for someone that is prepared to explore a different approach to your

offshore needs.

For more information about how back-deck services can improve your project

economics, visit

www.acteon.com



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Offshore (ISSN 0030-0608) is published monthly by PennWell, 1421 S. Sheridan Road, Tulsa, OK 74112. Periodicals class postage paid at Tulsa, OK, and additional offices. Copyright 2009 by PennWell. (Registered in U.S. Patent Trademark Office.) All rights reserved. Permission, however, is granted for libraries and others registered with the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, Phone (508) 750-8400, Fax (508) 750-4744 to photocopy articles for a base fee of $1 per copy of the article plus 35¢ per page. Payment should be sent directly to the CCC. Requests for bulk orders should be addressed to the Editor. Subscription prices: US $101.00 per year, Canada/Mexico $ 132.00 per year, All other countries $167.00 per year (Airmail delivery: $234.00). Worldwide digital subscriptions: $101 per year. Single copy sales: US $10.00 per issue, Canada/Mexico $12.00 per issue, All other countries $14.00 per is-sue (Airmail delivery: $22.00. Single copy digital sales: $8 worldwide. Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: P.O. Box 122, Niagara Falls, ON L2E 6S4. Back issues are available upon request. POSTMASTER send form 3579 to Offshore, P.O. Box 3200, Northbrook, IL 60065-3200. To receive this magazine in digital format, go to www.omeda.com/os. Ride-Along enclosed, version P3.

International Edition

Volume 69, Number 3

March 2009

C O N T E N T S

32

SUBSEA

Subsea boosting, processing sustain momentum .................................................... 46

Looking at the momentum from a number of recent/current subsea processing installations,

development programs and project applications continue to provide the industry with new tech-

nical advancements, more opportunities, and some challenges, too.

PORT FOURCHON

Port Fourchon thrives despite the economy .............................................................. 50

LA 1 coalition, levee district trying to get Washington’s attention ........................... 54

No job shortage in Lafourche Parish ......................................................................... 58

Two new offshore facilities proposed for Port Fourchon .......................................... 60

Halo goes high-tech to optimize safety ..................................................................... 62

GEOLOGY & GEOPHYSICS

New seismic company, vessel

plans highlight survey ........................ 32

The feature of the 2009 Seismic Vessel Survey

is the entrance of Polarcus onto the list of

companies. That also brings the list of new

vessels for 2009 and beyond to eight – Polar-

cus has three scheduled for delivery this year

and three for delivery in 2010 while West-

ernGeco has two scheduled for this year.

Worldwide seismic

vessel survey ...................................... 36

SPECIAL REPORT:

MEDITERRANEAN

Eastern Mediterranean Tamar

discovery reveals potential

gas-rich play in Levantine basin ........ 42

Test results from a gas discovery in the Levan-

tine basin point to an emerging subsalt play.

The deepwater well on the Tamar structure,

90 km (56 mi) offshore Haifa, Israel, encoun-

tered three productive reservoirs with thick

sands in the Lower Miocene and net pay of

more than 460 ft (140 m).

Celebrating Over 50 Years of Trends, Tools, and Technology

54



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Do more with your career. Do more with your life. Right here in Houston at largest deepwater operator in the world. Find your dream job at DoMoreHere.com.

here.© 2009 StatoilHydro. An equal opportunity employer.

exploring collaborating

project leading technology leading industry leading

subsurface subsea subanywhere smiling geosteering

globe-trekking horizontal drilling ecothinking biking

groundbreaking digital mapping remote sensing

carbon capturing challenging yourself discovering

rock sampling rock climbing relaxing on the weekends

playing creative thinking stress reducing family bonding

mud logging well logging caring for our environment

life balancing parenting softball playing soccer playing

initiative grabbing pushing the envelope

Do more



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6 Offshore March 2009 • www.offshore-mag.com

SWEDEN

Higher capacity, smoother discharge improve supply vessel cargo handling ........ 68

Syntactic foam wrap helps protect casings against HP/HT damage ....................... 70

Mooring group sees signs of recovery ...................................................................... 71

Stabilized antenna expected to improve satellite coverage on seismic vessel ....... 72

Supply vessel specialist building expertise in ice operations .................................. 73

Micro-seismics technique sheds light on fracturing operations ............................. 74

International Edition

Volume 69, Number 3

March 2009

COVER: Atwood Oceanics’ semi-

submersible drilling rig Atwood Hunter

hit gas on the Noble Energy-operated

deepwater Tamar fi eld offshore Israel.

Post-drill analysis and well test data

indicate a potential fl ow rate of over 150

MMcf/d from the 5-tcf structure. Noble

Energy and its partners have retained

the rig for two more wells offshore Israel,

include a step-out on Tamar. Other acre-

age in the vicinity is expected to hold

considerable resource potential as well.

Read the full story beginning on page 42.

Photo courtesy of Noble Energy.

D E P A R T M E N T S

Comment ............................................... 8

Data ..................................................... 10

Global E&P .......................................... 12

Offshore Europe .................................. 18

Gulf of Mexico ..................................... 20

Subsea Systems ................................. 22

Vessels, Rigs & Surface Systems ....... 26

Drilling & Production .......................... 28

Geosciences ........................................ 30

Business Briefs ................................... 76

Advertisers’ Index ............................... 79

Beyond the Horizon ............................ 80

72

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Do more with your career. Do more with your life. Right here in Houston at one energy company that believes we should be able to play as hard as we work. DoMoreHere.com

Do more

© 2009 StatoilHydro. An equal opportunity employer.

exploring collaborating

project leading technology leading industry leading

subsurface subsea subanywhere smiling geosteering

creative thinking stress reducing family bonding

globe-trekking horizontal drilling biking ecothinking

team building carbon capturing pushing the envelope

groundbreaking digital mapping remote sensing

rock sampling rock climbing relaxing on the weekends

mud logging well logging caring for our environment

life balancing parenting softball playing soccer playing

initiative grabbing challenging yourself



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New company, techniques highlight seismic survey

This year’s annual Seismic Vessel Survey includes the entrance of a new company -- Polarcus -- and brings the list of new vessels for 2009 and beyond to eight, according to the survey by Gene Kliewer, Technology Editor, Subsea & Seismic.

Polarcus has three new vessels scheduled for delivery this year and three for 2010, while WesternGeco has two scheduled for this year. Addi-tions and deletions of vessels to the list bring the total to 173, compared with 169 for 2008.

The nature of the surveys undertaken today is changing. New acquisi-tion geometries such as wide-azimuth, multi-azimuth, rich-azimuth, and Coil Shooting single-vessel full azimuth acquisition increase illumination of the subsurface from a wider range of angles and azimuths. These techniques enhance the ac-curacy of the inversion of seismic data for Earth properties. In addition, increasing the fre-quency bandwidth by lowering the minimum frequency of seismic sources has improved steep-dip imaging and overall resolution. Kliewer’s full report begins on page 32.

Subsea processing alive, well and growing

Operators continue to initiate and to fund studies into subsea boosting, separation, compression, and power delivery and distribution when developing new fi elds, as our report from Michael Padilla of INTECSEA in this month’s issue refl ects.

In an attempt to capture the full value of subsea processing’s technical and eco-nomic advantages, operators address these options early in fi eld development, Padilla reports. An increase in overall confi dence toward subsea processing packages is the result of ongoing development and the success of current systems. See Padilla’s in-depth report beginning on page 46. And don’t miss the bound-in wall-size poster on Subsea Processing.

Port Fourchon thrives despite the economy

Buoyed by deepwater activity that shows no sign of drying up anytime soon, Port Fourchon is sidestepping the economic malaise gripping most of the nation and is not just coping, but fl ourishing, as Contributing Editor Jim Redden reports this month.

While cash-strapped independents operating on the shelf have pulled back apprecia-bly, the bread and butter for Port Fourchon is the deepwater, where it functions as the primary support base for more than 90% of existing projects, Redden notes. “According to a recent Minerals Management Service (MMS) study, that bread and butter is in no danger of going off the shelves in the foreseeable future,” he reports. “In early 2009, the federal agency listed 59 “pending” deepwater projects in the Gulf of Mexico, which is in addition to the 33 wells currently being drilled in deep and ultra deepwater. Factoring in the 135 deepwater fi elds already developed, there are nearly 230 deepwater projects in need of products and services fl owing from the port.”

Read his full report on Port Fourchon beginning on page 50.

Gas fi nd off Israel spurs renewed interest

Test results from a gas discovery in the Levantine basin point to an emerging subsalt play offshore Israel. The deepwater well on the Tamar structure, 90 km (56 mi) offshore Haifa, encountered three productive reservoirs with thick sands in the Lower Miocene and net pay of more than 460 ft (140 m). Offshore’s Jeremy Beckman, Editor-Europe, gives a full report on activity there in this month’s issue.

Gas fl owed at a constrained rate of 30 MMcf/d over a limited section of the lowest reservoir, and operator Noble Energy believes a production rate of over 150 MMcf/d could be feasible. Noble and its partners are set to retain the rig, the Atwood Hunter, for two more wells. Beckman’s article begins on page 42.


To respond to articles in Offshore, or to offer articles for publication, contact the editor by email (eldonb@

pennwell.com) or fax (1-713-963-6296).

C O M M E N T Eldon Ball • Houston

PennWell1455 West Loop South, Suite 400, Houston, TX 77027 U.S.A.

Tel: (01) 713 621-9720 • Fax: (01) 713 963-6296

VICE PRESIDENT andGROUP PUBLISHER

John [email protected]

SALES

WORLDWIDE SALES MANAGERHOUSTON AREA SALES

David Davis [email protected] Tel: (713) 963-6206

Bailey Simpson [email protected]

CUSTOM PUBLISHINGRoy Markum [email protected]

Tel: (713) 963-6220

PRODUCTION MANAGERRae Lynn Cooper [email protected]

Tel: (918) 831-9143 • Fax: (918) 831-9415

AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGERTommie Grigg [email protected]

Tel: (918) 832-9207 • Fax: (918) 831-9482

SUBSCRIBER SERVICESContact subscriber services for address changes

Tel: (847) 559-7501 • Fax: (847) 291-4816

Email: [email protected]

PETROLEUM EVENTS

Eldon Ball (Houston) [email protected]

Niki Vrettos (London) [email protected]

Frances Webb (London) [email protected]

Gail Killough (Houston) [email protected]

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

Luke R. Corbett, Anadarko

David J. Greer, Shell International E&P

Jack B. Moore, Cameron Corp.

Hugh O’Donnell, Saipem

Bruce Crager, J. Ray McDermott

James K. Wicklund, Spinnerhawk Capital Management

CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS

PennWell; 1421 S. Sheridan Rd., Tulsa, OK 74112

Member

All Rights reserved

Offshore ISSN-0030-0608

Printed in the U.S.A. GST No. 126813153

CHAIRMAN:Frank T. Lauinger

PRESIDENT/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER:Robert F. Biolchini

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER:Mark C. Wilmoth

Publications Mail Agreement Number 40052420GST No. 126813153

CONTRIBUTING EDITORSNick Terdre (Norway)

David Shields (Mexico)

Peter Howard Wertheim (Brazil)

Gurdip Singh (Singapore)

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFEldon R. Ball

[email protected]

EDITOR-EUROPEJeremy Beckman

[email protected]

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTPriti Ubhayakar

[email protected]

PRESENTATION EDITORJosh Troutman

[email protected]

MANAGING EDITORDavid Paganie

[email protected]

TECHNOLOGY EDITOR,SUBSEA & SEISMIC

Gene [email protected]

TECHNOLOGY EDITOR,DRILLING & PRODUCTION

John [email protected]

Kliewer

Beckman



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Weatherford helped StatoilHydro upgrade subsea communications and increased the number of downhole gauges from the Visund platform. The operator can now monitor performance in wells with more complex reservoir structures and increase the overall speed and reliability of communications.

Build better subsea production.

Drilling Evaluation Completion Production Intervention Production

With an open system from

Weatherford, adding or

retrofitting equipment

becomes far simpler because

you are no longer tied to

a single manufacturer’s

communication protocol,

pricing or delivery schedule.

And you can use your existing

power lines for high-speed

communications.

Open up your subsea network. Weatherford’s production control and

communication systems work with trees from all major manufacturers,

enabling you to easily combine previously incompatible systems. Because

you can mix and match devices on the sea floor, you increase your options

for expanding subsea fields or for retrofitting new designs while delivering

state-of-the-art monitoring, control and data management. Who would

have thought you could simplify subsea operations while increasing

speed, flexibility and performance? Weatherford did. For more information

on opening your existing subsea system for state-of-the-art control,

communications and data management, visit weatherford.com.

© 2009 Weatherford International Ltd. All rights reserved. Incorporates proprietary and patented Weatherford technology.

The open database structure allows the dissemination of data from all subsea devices to real-time operational and historic databases.



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US GoM32 (0)

65 (-5)

Floaters

Jackups

North Sea 40 (0)

35 (+1)

East Atlantic

Mex GoM5 (0)

33 (+2) S. Asia10 (0)

34 (11)

SE Asia14 (+2)

50 (+2)

Far East 6 (-3)

22 (+1)

M. East 1 (0)

110 (+3) W. Africa32 (+1)

25 (+1)

L. America 49 (+2)

14 (0)

Source: Rigzone.com

2 (0)

0 (0)

Active rig fleet, February 2009

G L O B A L D ATA

GoM drilling permits issued

Dri

llin

g p

erm

its

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0Aug.

49

Oct.

57

Sept.

25

Nov.

43

Dec.

45

Jan.

39

July

70

Source: US Minerals Management Service

Feb.2008

Mar.2008

Apr.2008

May2008

Jun.2008

Month

July2008

Aug.2008

Sept.2008

Oct.2008

Nov.2008

Dec.2008

Jan.2009

Jackup

80Jan.2008

80

82

83

84

85

86

87

88

89

90

Pe

rce

nt

Middle East rig utilization

74Jan.2008

Feb.2008

Mar.2008

Apr.2008

May2008

Jun.2008

Month

July2008

Aug.2008

Sept.2008

Oct.2008

Nov.2008

Dec.2008

Jan.2009

Drillship

Semisub

Jackup76

78

80

82

84

86

88

90

92

Pe

rce

nt

Worldwide rig utilization


Worldwide day rates

Year/Month Minimum Average Maximum

Drillship

2008 Feb $43,000 $273,300 $520,000

2008 March $43,000 $273,248 $520,000

2008 April $43,000 $273,099 $520,000

2008 May $43,000 $277,800 $520,000

2008 June $43,000 $279,368 $520,000

2008 July $43,000 $292,031 $520,000

2008 Aug $43,000 $304,291 $525,000

2008 Sept $43,000 $316,768 $525,000

2008 Oct $43,000 $323,260 $556,000

2008 Nov $43,000 $327,818 $556,000

2008 Dec $43,000 $329,366 $556,000

2009 Jan $115,000 $345,318 $558,000

Jackup

2008 Feb $41,000 $134,929 $306,000

2008 March $41,440 $134,420 $306,000

2008 April $41,440 $134,686 $330,000

2008 May $41,440 $135,705 $330,000

2008 June $41,440 $137,225 $330,000

2008 July $41,440 $138,033 $330,000

2008 Aug $40,000 $140,897 $330,000

2008 Sept $40,000 $142,181 $330,000

2008 Oct $41,440 $144,165 $330,000

2008 Nov $35,000 $145,586 $330,000

2008 Dec $35,000 $144,876 $330,000

2009 Jan $35,000 $147,131 $330,000

Semi

2008 Feb $65,000 $280,308 $500,000

2008 March $65,000 $283,955 $525,000

2008 April $65,000 $292,031 $525,000

2008 May $80,000 $298,607 $525,000

2008 June $80,000 $301,791 $525,000

2008 July $80,000 $307,116 $525,000

2008 Aug $80,000 $299,544 $525,000

2008 Sept $80,000 $304,872 $525,000

2008 Oct $80,000 $305,023 $525,000

2008 Nov $80,000 $313,713 $580,000

2008 Dec $80,000 $323,835 $637,000

2009 Jan $80,000 $328,177 $637,000

Source: Rigzone.com

Source: Rigzone Source: Rigzone



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Americas

Petrobras has unveiled its latest fi ve-year business plan, covering the period 2009-13. The $174.4 billion program will include for the fi rst time development projects in the pre-salt area of the Santos and Espirito Santos basins. Most of the investments will be directed at Brazil, with the remainder ($16.8 billion) focussed on exploration and production mainly in the Gulf of Mexico, West Africa, and else-where in Latin America.

Four developments are planned for the pre-salt layer of the Santos basin: the Tupi Pilot, scheduled to start producing in 2010, followed by Tupi 1 and Guara 1 in 2012, and Iara 1 in 2013. Over the longer term, the company targets oil production from its interests in Brazil of 2.68 MMb/d in 2013, 3.34 MMb/d in 2015, and 3.92 MMb/d in 2020. Gas output should also grow, lifting overall domestic produc-tion from 3.31 MMboe/d in 2013 to 5.1 MMboe/d in 2020.

•••

Pemex has contracted J. Ray McDermott to transport and install two new drilling platforms to the Bay of Campeche. The Ixtal-B plat-form comprises a four-leg jacket with 2,205 tons (2,000 metric tons) of piles, supporting a 2,205-ton topsides load.

The larger Maloob-C platform will feature an eight-leg jacket fi xed by 3,307 tons (3,000 metric tons) of piles and 2,646 tons (2,400 metric tons) of conductors, and topsides weighing 2,535 tons (2,299 metric tons). J. Ray’s construction vessel DB50 will mobilize to the Mexican sector shortly to perform both sets of installations.

•••

Ecopetrol is set to increase its interests in the Fuerte Norte and Fuerte Sur blocks in the Caribbean sector offshore Colombia. Sub-ject to approval by Colombia’s licensing agency ANH, EcoPetrol will become a 50% license partner in both blocks, currently operated by BHP Billiton.

Australia/New Zealand

Nexus Energy has been offered production license AC/L9 in the Browse basin off Western Australia, encompassing an area includ-ing the Crux fi eld and the Auriga and Caelum structures. It is the fi nal stage of regulatory approval allowing the Crux liquids project to go forward.

Recently, Nexus entered negotiations with SBM concerning the supply and operation of an FPSO for the project. It also has fi nalized a settlement with Viking Oil and Gas International and Viking Ship-ping concerning termination of a previous agreement for an FPSO for Crux, signed in 2007.

•••

Australian Worldwide Exploration has secured the semisubmers-ible Kari Tan IV on behalf of a consortium of Australian companies. The rig has been lined up to drill four exploratory wells off New Zealand – likely targets include the large Hoki oil prospect in permit PEP 38401, and two other potentially oil-bearing structures close to the producing Tui fi eld.

Offshore Taranaki, New Zealand Oil & Gas has won a new explo-ration permit, PEP 51311, covering 3,000 sq km (1,158 sq mi) west and south of the Kupe development.

The company hopes to secure the seismic vessel Pacifi c Titan to acquire 500 km (311 mi) of 2D seismic as part of its work commit-ment. Regional analysis suggests prospects for oil or wet gas dis-coveries.

Europe

In the Norwegian North Sea, Talisman Energy Norge has brought onstream its gas-condensate accumulation Rev via two subsea wells connected to a 9-km (5.6-mi) multiphase pipeline to BG’s Armada platform in UK waters. Modifi cations to the platform included a new 450-ton (408-metric ton) separation module built by Burntisland Fabrications, and installation of new subsea control and hypochlo-rite injection systems. A third well should be added later this year.

•••

G L O B A L E & P Jeremy Beckman • London


Deepwater investment continues to rise, and should exceed $35 billion annually by 2013, according to a report from ana-lysts Douglas-Westwood. ‘The World Deepwater Market Report 2009-2013’ also forecasts total spending over the coming fi ve years of $162 billion.

Africa, Brazil, and the Gulf of Mexico will account for 75% of the global deepwater spend, with Asia also on the rise. One of the main drivers will be the opening up of reserves farther from the coast and the incorporation of satellite fi elds into deepwater hubs. These activities, and drilling and completion of subsea development wells, should together account for almost 70% of total expenditure, according to analyst Thom Payne.

Australia Worldwide Exploration’s working interests’ offshore New Zealand.



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Iceland’s National Energy Authority has unveiled the country’s fi rst offshore licensing round, on the Dreki area in the Atlantic Ocean. The region on offer cov-ers more than 42,700 sq km (16,487 sq mi) on the Jan Mayen Ridge, between northeast Iceland and the island of Jan Mayen. Water depths range from 3,280 to 6,562 ft (1,000 to 2,000 m).

License applications may cover one or more blocks or part-blocks, up to a maximum of 800 sq km (309 sq mi). Available data includes a speculative survey acquired in 2001, and an Icelan-dic-Norwegian governmental survey conducted during 1985-88.

Russia

Gazprom’s management committee has drawn up a six-point plan designed to progress development of major oil, gas, and condensate fi elds in the Rus-sian Arctic Sea. It aims to bring on-stream the Prirazlomonye fi eld in 2011, Shtokman in 2013, and Kirinskoye in 2014. The committee also proposed submitting an amended program for Gazprom’s activities aimed at pursuing hydrocarbon resources development on the Russian shelf through 2030.

West Africa

Petrosen has approved Australian company FAR to assume operatorship of the Rufi sque, Sangoma, and Sango-mar Deep blocks offshore Senegal. The two co-venturers already have acquired over 2,000 sq km (772 sq m) of 3D seismic, and identifi ed several exploration plays.

•••

Noble Energy has discovered oil in the Carmen prospect on block O off-shore Equatorial Guinea. The well, in 150 ft (46 m) of water, encountered 26 ft (7.9 m) of net oil pay and 13 ft (4 m) of net gas pay while testing a Lower Miocene reservoir. Noble claims the oil sourcing extends from block I to the south, where it has two sepa-rate discoveries. It is aiming for fi rst production in 2012 from a combined development which could also tie in Carmen.

Caspian Sea

The Kazakhstan Authority and its seven co-venturers in the Kashagan project have appointed a new joint

G L O B A L E & P

Noble Energy’s prospects offshore Equatorial Guinea.

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operating company for the North Caspian Sea Production Shar-ing Agreement. North Caspian Operating Co. (NCOC) assumes all responsibilities previously held by Agip KCO, including project planning and coordination, reservoir modeling, conceptual stud-ies, appraisal and early development planning, and interfaces with the Kazakh government.

Middle East

BP/RWE Dea have discovered gas with a deepwater well in the West Nile Delta off Egypt. The Ruby-3 well, in 920 m (3,018 ft) of water, penetrated gas-bearing sandstones in the Pliocene interval. Evaluation of the results is continuing, but the partners plan to ap-praise other gas fi nds in the area before resuming exploration of this structure.

Also in the Nile Delta region, Dana Gas has achieved its second gas discovery in quick succession this year in its West Manzala con-cession. The West Manzala-2 (Haggag prospect) encountered a pos-sible 20 bcf of dry gas within two zones in the Pliocene Kafr El Shikh formation. The location is a few hundred meters from the pipeline connected to the company’s South Manzala gas processing facility.

•••

Fabrication of four offshore platforms is under way at the new STAR yard in Dammam. This is Saudi Arabia’s fi rst in-kingdom off-shore construction facility. It was developed to service a long-term agreement contract awarded to a consortium of Snamprogetti Saudi Arabia, Saipem, and TAQA. The yard covers an area of 300,000 sq m (74 acres), and is capable of fabricating 14,000 metric tons (15,432 tons) per year of structural steel.

India

ONGC has approved the second phase of the Mumbai High North redevelopment project, designed to improve recovery from the fi eld. Under the program, the company will drill 73 new wells and side track 38 low-performance existing producers. It also will integrate development of the small L-I and L-II reservoirs with the main L-III reservoir to lift overall oil output.

Asia-Pacifi c

CNOOC has earmarked $6.76 billion for upstream capital expendi-ture this year, an increase of 19%, with $4.38 billion budgeted for devel-opment, $1.11 billion for exploration, and $1.12 billion for production.

The company expects to have over 20 development projects under construction in 2009, with 10 projects scheduled to come onstream, including eight offshore China. It also plans to drill more than 80 wells and acquire a total of 39,200 sq km (22,196 sq mi) of 2D and 3D seis-mic off China and elsewhere.

•••

American Technologies Inc. Petroleum (ATIP) is back to work on its Yen-Tu 1X well, reportedly North Vietnam’s fi rst oil discovery. The well was spudded in 2004, encountering hydrocarbon-bearing formations in Lower Miocene and carbonate basement intervals. It was then plugged and abandoned pending further appraisal.

ATIP recently re-opened the well for testing, following another success-ful program on last summer’s nearby Ham Rong discovery in the Song Hong basin. Ham Rong 1X was drilled to 3,700 m (12,139 ft) TD after again fi nding hydrocarbons in carbonate basement. According to ATIP, drillstem testing revealed open fl ow production at a commercial rate. �

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Sevan bid clinches Goliat

Eni Norge has chosen Sevan’s cylinder-shaped FPSO for its Goliat development in the Barents Sea. Sevan was one of two contractors vy-ing in a front-end engineering design (FEED) competition, the other being Aker Solutions with its concrete-hulled Condeep MonoFloater.

Sevan is now working on post-FEED engineering under a separate, NOK150 million ($21.76 million) contract. The proposed concept, the Sevan 1000, will be the largest of the buoy-type fl oaters designed by the company to date, capable of producing oil at 100,000 b/d, gas at 3.9 MMcm/d (138 MMcf/d), and with oil storage capacity of 1 MMbbl.

Goliat, now expected on stream in 2013, will be the fi rst oilfi eld project in the Barents Sea. Various measures will be adopted to quell environmental concerns, including supply of electrical power direct from the shore in an attempt to limit CO

2 emissions; and use of bal-

last tanks in the sides and bottom area of the steel hull to limit leaks from the oil containment system. The entire process plant will be enclosed to protect both equipment and crew during winter.

Aker Solutions remains in the running for the engineering, pro-curement and construction contract. All previous Sevan FPSOs have been built in the Far East, followed by outfi tting in Rotterdam.

Investor gloom dents UK activity

Exploration drilling on the UK shelf remained strong last year, according to the latest survey from Oil & Gas UK. The association identifi ed 109 exploratory and appraisal well spuds, including side-tracks, but activity started to dip in the fi nal quarter.

The picture looks gloomier going forward, with operator mem-bers revealing plans for only 34 fi rm E&A wells in UK waters this year, plus another 33 “non-fi rm” wells. In 2010, the survey identifi es only 10 fi rm E&A wells at present.

Investor confi dence is largely to blame, with capital increasingly hard to come by. Lower oil and gas prices are also impacting devel-opment, according to the survey with many planned projects barely economic at even $50/bbl. Cost infl ation is another issue: in recent years the UK industry has had to spend more to extract fewer bar-rels. If trends continue, investments in new and existing UK fi elds could slide from $7.17 billion in 2008 to $3.58 billion in 2010.

Hot spots emerge in Moray Firth

Despite the tail-off in exploration, wells in the UK North Sea con-tinue to deliver. In the Moray Firth, Maersk discovered gas and con-densate in the Culzean structure in block 22/25a, south of the Atlan-tic and Cromarty fi elds. The high-pressure/high-temperature well

encountered a substantial hydrocarbons column in Mid-Triassic to Triassic-age reservoirs.

In the same region, Houston-based Endeavour managed a suc-cessful up-dip appraisal of the undeveloped Rochelle fi nd in block 15/27, which the company acquired in 2006. The well intersected 77 ft (23.5 m) of net gas-condensate pay in Lower Cretaceous Kopervik sandstone: recoverable reserves could be over 30 MMboe, better than pre-drill estimates.

Endeavour’s partner, Nexen, made an oil discovery of its own with the Hobby well in central block 20/1N, 1.5 km (0.94 mi) west of its recent Golden Eagle fi nd. It plans to drill multiple sidetracks to delineate the extent of both structures.

High-performance development drilling last year also helped Nexen prove a further 29 MMboe of reserves at its central North Sea Buzzard complex. Later this year, Nexen expects to install the jacket for a fourth platform with production-sweetening facilities to treat high levels of hydrogen sulfi de.

Noreco in mood to merge

Stavanger-based Norwegian Energy Co. (Noreco) has proposed a merger with Det norske oljeselskap, which would create the largest E&P independent on the Oslo stock exchange. The combined group would have interests in various discoveries and 100 exploration li-censes in Norway, Denmark, and the UK, and production totaling 18,000 boe/d.

It would also have a market capitalization exceeding NOK4 bil-lion ($580 million), with no need for additional equity funding for its investment programs, according to Noreco. The proposed share exchange ratio would favor shareholders in Det norske, giving them a 52.5% ownership in the new entity.

Det norske, however, has its own views on the way forward, hav-ing appointed a new board and chairman, Diderik Schnittler, the lat-ter a former managing director of Saga Petroleum. It also has been talking with what it terms “a foreign actor” concerning a potential strategic and fi nancial cooperation.

Offshore Norway, the company operates 27 licenses, and this year plans to participate in 15 exploration wells. Its targets include the 10-80 MMboe Grevling prospect in production license 038 in the North Sea – here it recently increased its acreage position following a swap of license interests with Talisman Energy Norge. If a well here is successful, the company might opt for development through Talisman’s Varg fl oater, 20 km (12.5 mi) to the south. �

O F F S H O R E E U R O P E Jeremy Beckman • London


Map locates Maersk Oil’s Culzean discovery in the Moray Firth.

Sonsub recently completed its operations on Total’s Frigg sea lines

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munication lines, grout and sand bags, and concrete mattresses. The

program required the services of two vessels, the Normand Cutter and

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Minimizing uncertainty

key to Lower Tertiary

development

Minimizing uncertainty is one of six keys to commercially develop Lower Tertiary fi elds in the US Gulf of Mexico, suggested Richard D’Souza, Granherne Americas/KBR, in his presentation at the Deep Offshore Technol-ogy International Conference & Exhibition in New Orleans, Louisiana.

D’Souza talked about the technical and economic challenges in developing Lower Tertiary fi elds. Some of the characteristics of the trend are low rock permeabilty, high pressure and temperature, deep reservoirs in deepwater, high viscosity/low GOR fl u-ids, large salt canopies (7,000 ft [2,134 m] to >20,000 ft [6,096 m]), all remote from exist-ing infrastructure.

Drilling and completion dominate the devel-opment cost of a Lower Tertiary well, D’Souza said. This is about 50-60% of the overall fi eld development cost. A typical well could take 200-250 days to drill at $150-$250 million.

Lower Tertiary drilling has had a success rate of about 60% since the fi rst discovery on Great White in 2002, but there is a high level of uncertainty in reservoir performance with no production analogs to date. MMS estimates 3-15 Bboe are recoverable in the trend.

The combination of minimizing uncer-tainty in reservoir performance and well pro-ductivity is one of six keys to commercially develop Lower Tertiary reserves, D’Souza explained. He pointed to three strategies to reduce uncertainty: Drillstem test (up to 60 days), extended or long-term test (6-24 months), and early production or phase de-velopment (more than three years). Ideally, the operator needs to fl ow a well at least 12 months to increase confi dence in well rates and recovery, he said.

A drillstem test was carried out on Chev-ron’s Jack discovery, an extended well test has not yet been done in the GoM, and Petrobras is using a phase development ap-proach for its Cascade-Chinook project.

In the production phase, some form of ar-tifi cial lift is required to enhance recovery from Lower Tertiary wells, D’Souza said. Downhole (ESP) or mudline pumps are most effective to maintain reservoir pres-sure, but water injection and gas lift also are viable. Subsea boosting and processing are possibilities, but a step-change in the tech-nology is needed to meet the technical chal-lenges in the Lower Tertiary, he said.

Shell is using subsea processing for its Per-dido development, slated for fi rst production in late 2009/early 2010. The technologies devel-oped for Perdido and Petrobras’ Cascade-Chi-nook, scheduled for fi rst production in 2010, “will be enablers for the many Lower Tertiary discoveries in the queue,” D’Souza said.

Success rate continues

Drilling success in the Lower Tertiary con-tinues with the Buckskin and Shenandoah discoveries. The Chevron-operated Buckskin oil discovery is in Keathley Canyon block 872 about 44 mi (71 km) west of the company’s Jack discovery.

The Buckskin No. 1 well, drilled in 6,920 ft (2,109 m) of water to 29,404 ft (8,962 m) deep, encountered more than 300 ft (91 m) of net pay.

More tests are being conducted on data gathered from the discovery well, and addi-tional work on the fi eld is needed to deter-mine the extent and commercial viability of the discovery, Chevron says.

The Anadarko-operated Shenandoah dis-covery is in Walker Ridge block 52. The dis-covery well, drilled in 5,750 ft (1,753 m) of wa-ter to 30,000 ft (9,144 m) deep, encountered more than 300 ft (91 m) of net oil pay.

Anadarko and partners are evaluating the well results and the next steps toward future appraisal activity.

“Initial data indicate the Shenandoah dis-covery has reservoir properties that appear to be of much higher quality than industry has seen previously in the emerging Lower Tertiary play,” says Bob Daniels, Anadarko senior VP of worldwide exploration.

Anadarko also made a deepwater oil dis-covery at the Heidelberg prospect in Green Canyon block 859. The discovery well, drilled in 5,000 ft (1,524 m) of water to 28,500 ft (8,687 m) deep, encountered more than 200 ft (61 m) of net oil pay in several Miocene sands.

“The Heidelberg discovery further vali-dates our geologic understanding of the sub-salt Miocene trend,” Daniels says. “The well encountered the same age sands and reser-voir characteristics similar to the previously announced Caesar/Tonga discoveries.”

Heidelberg’s proximity to Anadarko’s 100%-owned Constitution spar enhances the company’s fl exibility to consider a variety of development options after further appraisal, which Anadarko says it intends to conduct in

the second half of this year. Mariner Energy has made a gas discovery at

the Bushwood prospect in Garden Banks block 463. The Bushwood No. 1 (formerly Geauxpher No. 3) discovery well, drilled in 2,700 ft (823 m) of water to 25,300 ft (7,711 m) deep, logged more than 260 ft (79 m) TVT of net gas pay in multiple sands, with more than 150 ft (46 m) TVT of net gas pay found in the deeper exploratory section.

Friesian offset draws

parallel to Tahiti

Plains Exploration & Production Co. says data from its Friesian No. 2 discovery well show a strong correlation, both geologic and pres-sure, to the initial Miocene pay sands at Tahiti.

The PXP-operated well, in Green Canyon block 643 approximately 3,300 ft (1,006 m) due south of the initial discovery well, was drilled to a TD of 28,989 ft (8,836 m). It en-countered approximately 389 ft (119 m) of net oil in Miocene-age sands.

These pay sands are the uppermost fi eld pays at the Tahiti fi eld approximately eight mi (13 km) to the west across the basin syn-cline, the company says.

PXP and its partner have opted to deepen the Friesian No.2 well by an additional 3,500 ft (1,067 m) to 32,500 ft (9,906 m) true vertical depth to test the main fi eld equivalent sands such as the M15, M18, M21A, and M21B at Tahiti. Several of these Tahiti pay sands have fl ow tested in excess of 25,000 b/d of oil, according to PXP.

Diamond Offshore’s semisubmersible drill-ing rig Ocean Monarch was scheduled to arrive on site in early March to begin deepening the well. First production is targeted in 2012.

In other deepwater news, Nexen says it expects fi rst production from its Sargent dis-covery to come in 2010. Development plans are for a single-well tieback from the discov-ery well in Garden Banks block 339 to exist-ing infrastructure in the area. The company also says a feasibility study is under way for development of the Shell-operated Vicksburg discovery in DeSoto Canyon block 353. �

G U L F O F M E X I C O David Paganie • Houston


Garden Banks 463Bushwood

Green Canyon 859Heidelberg

Walker Ridge 52Shenandoah

Keathley Canyon 872Buckskin

Green Canyon 643Friesian



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According to Galoc Production Co, operator of Galoc fi eld, repairs to mooring

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the Philippines. At the time of the report, all necessary equipment for repairs

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Subsea market

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Two market data research companies recently addressed the condition of the subsea market. Douglas-Westwood examined the world’s deepwater market and Infi eld Energy Analysts took a look at the global subsea market.

Deepwater: The World Deepwater Market Report 2009-2013 forecasts oil and gas spending over that time will total $162 billion.

“Overall, despite more moderate levels of expenditure during 2009 and 2010 relative to 2008, the deepwater sector is forecast to continue its growth trend, with annual expenditure reaching over $35 billion by 2013,” says Steve Robertson, Douglas-Westwood’s Oil & Gas manager.

“The ‘golden triangle’ of deepwater, namely Africa, the Gulf of Mexico and Brazil, will account for nearly 75% of global ex-penditure,” concludes analyst Thom Payne. “For Africa, a large number of world-class developments are under way or planned for the forecast period and valued at $60 billion. North America, which in deepwater terms means the US Gulf of Mexico, is set for substantial spend with $29.3 billion forecast for the 2009-2013 period. Latin American activity (also $29 billion) is domi-nated by Brazil and, given the potential of the country’s presalt reserves, this is likely to remain the case for some time. The emer-gence of Asia as a signifi cant region should not be overlooked, with ex-penditure over the 2009-2013 period increasing by 90% when compared to 2004-2008 and accounting for 9% of forecast global spend.”

Global subsea: From 2009 to 2013, total global subsea equipment, and drilling and completion spending will exceed $80 billion, estimates Infi eld Energy Analysts. Some 3,222 trees are expected for startup with-

in the next fi ve years. The biggest players are expected to be Petrobras (374), Shell (244), Total (237), Chevron (236), BP (229), ExxonMobil (215), and StatoilHydro (194).

Now with limited access to fi nancing and a lower price outlook there are questions regarding the viability of future projects. It is smaller single-well tiebacks that can have sanction rates up to $65/bbl whereas larger fl oating projects can be sanctioned at as little as

S U B S E A S Y S T E M S Gene Kliewer • Houston



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$23/bbl. The smaller projects in Europe and in Southeast Asia are most at risk and could see potential delays and cancellations, says the report.

Latin America: Petrobras is going all-electric at its Roncador Module III project. It has award-ed a $75-million contract to FMC Technologies to engineer and manufacture four subsea mani-folds and controls for the project incorporating FMC’s all-electric technology. FMC’s scope of supply consists of two, six-slot subsea manifolds to distribute gas lift injection to 12 wells. These manifolds also are to contain 12 subsea control modules to provide electro-hydraulic functions to operate the manifolds and subsea trees. The company also will supply two additional mani-folds for water injection using All-Electric actua-tors for the operation of the chokes. The equip-ment will be engineered and manufactured at FMC Technologies’ facility in Rio de Janeiro with deliveries expected to start in 2010.

Europe: StatoilHydro has contracted Trico Marine Services Inc.’s DeepOcean AS to con-duct inspections of production platforms in the North Sea using Edda Fonn. StatoilHydro will use the vessel for a scheduled four-months starting in April for survey work. The same ves-sel is scheduled to conduct surveys for Enagas off Gibraltar. DeepOcean will perform a survey of gas pipelines from Spain to Morroco.

Asia/Pacifi c: Trident Australia has award-ed CTC Marine a contract through August for diving support, installation, trenching, burial, and riser installation services at Long-tom. This covers installation and trenching of more than 20 km (12 mi) of umbilicals.

Africa: BP has signed an $80-million con-tract with FMC Technologies for manufacture and supply of subsea equipment for ongoing projects offshore Angola. Under the agree-ment, FMC would supply six subsea trees, control systems, wellheads, tubing hangars, well jumpers, and fl ow bases for delivery this year from its facilities in Kongsberg, Norway, and Dunfermline, Scotland.

Gulf of Mexico: Knowledge Reservoir has contracted to provide project direction and technical services for a project awarded un-der the Research Partnership to Secure En-ergy for America (RPSEA) Ultra-Deepwater

Program (UDW). The project will report on and establish a

characterization database of deepwater and ultra deepwater assets in the Gulf of Mexico focused on incentives, needs assessment analy-ses, and concepts identifi cation for the applica-tion of improved recovery techniques (IOR/EOR) in deepwater. The project will be directed by Knowledge Reservoir, with primary project participants Louisiana State University and An-adarko Petroleum.

The project aims to identify improved re-covery opportunities in the early stages of fi eld development planning so facility and well designs can be optimized to take imple-ment those opportunities.

The project will include characterization of deepwater and ultra deepwater reservoir assets, and will compile and categorize key causes of trapped and remaining hydrocar-bons in such reservoirs. The prioritization of technology gaps in improved recovery meth-ods will also be addressed as relates to deep-water and ultra deepwater reservoirs, with the aim to identify leading concepts for future re-search, investment, development, testing, and deployment/application. A thorough and com-prehensive review of IOR/EOR techniques, experience and best practices, both on- and offshore, will be conducted. �

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Keppel delivers

semi, jackup, FDPSO

Keppel FELS has delivered the semisub-mersible Development Driller III to Trans-ocean, the jackup Mærsk Resolve to Mærsk Drilling, and the world’s fi rst FDPSO Azur-

ite to Prosafe Production. The semisubmersible drilling rig is

built to Keppel’s proprietary DSS 51 de-sign, with Transocean’s dual-activity drill-ing technology. It can drill wells in up to 2,286 m (7,500 ft) of water, upgradable to 3,048 m (10,000 ft), to 11,430 (37,500 ft) deep, upgradable to 12,192 m (40,000 ft).

The jackup drilling rig is the third of four to be delivered to Mærsk. It can drill high-pressure/high-temperature wells in up to 350 ft (107 m) of water to 30,000 ft (9,144 m) deep.

The FDPSO will be deployed off the Republic of Congo at the Murphy-operat-ed Azurite development in the Mer Pro-fonde Sud block.

The vessel is equipped with a modular drilling package that can be removed and reused elsewhere when the production wells have been drilled. It has storage capacity of 1.4 MMbbl of oil and process capacity of 60,000 b/d of fl uid and 40,000 b/d of oil, and will be spread-moored in 1,400 m (4,593 ft) of water.

PETRORIG I set to sail

Sembcorp Marine’s Jurong Shipyard has completed turnkey con-struction of PETRORIG I, the fi rst of four semisubmersible drilling rigs for Larsen Oil & Gas. The rig was scheduled to be delivered in March for a fi ve-year charter with Petro-bras America in the US Gulf of Mexico.

The semi is a sixth-generation Friede & Goldman Ex-D Millennium Class de-sign equipped with capacity to drill in up to 10,000 ft (3,048 m) of water in DP mode to 37,500 ft (11,430 m) total depth.

Larsen’s PETRORIG II and PETRO-

RIG III have secured fi ve-year charters as well, with Petrobras for work offshore Brazil and with Pemex for deployment offshore Mexico, respectively.

Deepsea Atlantic

moves to Norway

The semisubmersible drilling rig Deep-

sea Atlantic has been handed over to Od-fjell Invest. The rig will undergo sea trials in Norway before it begins its four-year contract with StatoilHydro in May.

Construction of its sister rig Deepsea Sta-

vanger is under way, with delivery scheduled for 2Q 2010. In addition, Odfjell Drilling in cooperation with Metrostar has two drill-ships under construction in South Korea for delivery in 2011.

Sea Dragon, Vantage

enter rig management

agreement

Sea Dragon Offshore has issued Van-tage Drilling Co. a management agree-ment for one of its two deepwater semi-submersible drilling rigs, with an option to include the second unit. The rigs are designed to drill in up to 10,000 ft (3,048 m) of water to 30,000 ft (9,144 m) deep.

Pursuant to the management agree-ment, Vantage will receive fees during the construction phase of the project plus performance-based completion incentives. During the operations phase, Vantage will receive fi xed and variable daily fees. Analyt-ics fi rm Pritchard Capital Partners expects the arrangement could amount to about $5 million/rig/year to Vantage.

Mosvold Drilling and Hercules Off-shore have entered into a similar arrange-ment, according to a Raymond James re-search report. Mosvold has two newbuild jackups and will pay Hercules a marketing fee once it secures contracts, as well as management fees to run the rigs once they

have been delivered, the report says. James projects Hercules could gross at least $4 million in 2010 from

these fees.

Superior Energy

adds to fl eet

Superior Energy Services has taken delivery of derrick barge Superior Pride.

The vessel is 400 ft (122 m) long, 100 ft (30 m) wide, and 32 ft (9.8 m) deep, and features an 880-metric ton (970-ton) Huisman crane, full galley, and accom-modations for 360 people.

The barge was delivered to Superior in Xiamen, China, where it was loaded onto the Dockwise submersible ship Trustee

for a 30-day voyage to West Africa where it will be employed under a long-term contract.

Mitsubishi, Petrobras

to build drillship

Mitsubishi and Petrobras have formed a 50/50 joint venture company that will own a 10,000-ft (3,048-m) rated drillship. The $830-million vessel is scheduled for delivery in June 2010 to an affi liate of Schahin Engenharia for work in Brazil and overseas. �

V E S S E L S , R I G S , & S U R FA C E S Y S T E M S David Paganie • Houston


DSME shipyard in South Korea delivered

the semi Deepsea Atlantic to Odfjell follow-

ing a 20-month construction period. Photo

courtesy of Odfjell.

Transocean’s semi Development Driller III is scheduled to

work fi rst for BP in the US Gulf of Mexico. Photo courtesy

of Transocean and Ken Childress.



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Brazil’s OGX launches drilling debut

Brazil’s largest independent oil and gas company in terms of off-shore acreage has launched its initial exploratory campaign.

Startup operator OGX raised $4.1 billion in last year’s initial public offering despite the fact it has yet to produce any oil. The record-setting IPO set the stage for the fi rst serious local contender to com-pete with heavyweights such as national oil company Petrobras.

During Brazil’s ninth oil and gas licensing round, OGX acquired concession blocks cover-ing approximately 7,000 sq km (1.7 million acres). Hoping to pursue additional growth opportuni-ties, the company also has a farm-in agreement for a 50% participating interest in an exploration block in the Santos basin, totaling 6,800 square km (1.68 million acres).

The acreage includes 21 high-potential explor-atory blocks in the Campos, Santos, Espírito San-to, and Pará-Maranhão basins.

Based on an appraisal by DeGolyer & MacNaugh-ton, this acreage contains prospective resources of 20.180 Bboe and natural gas, and net risked pro-spective resources of 4.835 Bboe. The net risked prospective resources assume a 27% probability of exploratory success. However, the exploration team at OGX believes that the average success rate could be closer to 50%.

Enthusiasm over these prospects has been buoyed in part by the composition of the com-pany’s management team, whose infl uence and experience extend through the highest echelons of Brazil’s corporate and political spheres.

Founded by Brazilian mega-investor Eike Ba-tista, OGX has brought together top engineers se-lectively recruited from Petrobras, a management team with extensive experience in the energy in-dustry, and a board of directors that includes two former energy ministers, one former fi nance min-ister, and one former president of Petrobras.

“We plan to drill 51 wells in the next four years in order to prove our oil and gas reserves while developing our initial discoveries,” says CEO Ro-dolfo Landim.

The company expects to begin drilling in San-tos with partner Maersk Oil by the end of 2Q 2009. Drilling will begin on two wells in Campos

once the rigs are delivered in September.“Upon completion of the fi rst two wells operated by OGX, we ex-

pect to begin drilling two additional prospects in the Campos basin which will most likely begin towards the end of 2009 and continue into early 2010. Our sixth well scheduled for 2009 will be in the San-tos basin and should start in November after we receive our third rig,” says Landim. �

D R I L L I N G & P R O D U C T I O N John Waggoner • Houston


(Above) Campos basin. (Below) Santos basin.

Milestones at a glance

In the past six months OGX has completed a 3D seismic campaign, hired four semis, chartered six vessels and two helicopters for logistical support, contracted an onshore base, acquired all critical drilling materials and built a state-of-the-art 3D visualization center. While the drilling program was acceler-ated ahead of its initial schedule, Landim says costs have been contained.• Seismic: 3D seismic data shooting in the Campos and

Pará-Maranhão basins was completed in December 2008. Seismic acquisition in the Espírito Santo blocks is seven months ahead of the original timetable. Existing 3D seismic data for Santos basin was enhanced for interpretation, which is scheduled to be complete by mid-2009 for the Campos, Santos, and Pará- Maranhão basins, while Espírito Santo will be ready by December 2009.

• Drilling rigs: OGX hired four semisubmersible rigs, three of them from Diamond Offshore and one from Pride Interna-

tional. Two rigs are starting in September 2009, another will begin in October, and the last one is scheduled to start in the beginning of 2010, but could start earlier.

• Logistics: So far OGX has chartered six vessels, fi ve of which are being built in Brazil, and two helicopters to service rigs in Campos and Santos. Suppliers include Edison Chouest, Nor-skan Offshore, and Aeróleo. OGX also secured with Briclog its onshore supply base in the city of Rio de Janeiro.

• Drilling services and equipment: All materials, services and equipment have been secured, including wellheads from Vetco, casing from V&M do Brasil, and drilling fl uid from MI-SWACO. OGX has retained engineering services from Schlumberger and Halliburton, and casing running services from Frank’s International.

• 3D visualization: OGX built a state-of-the-art visualiza-tion center at their Rio de Janeiro headquarters to further enhance integration between teams of specialists, improve decision-making, and increase productivity.



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Asia/Pacifi c: New Zealand Oil & Gas Ltd. has contacted the Pacifi c Titan about running a 500-km (311-mi), 2D seismic survey over Petroleum Exploration Per-mit 51311 offshore Taranaki southwest of the Kupe development. The permit off-shore New Zealand recently was award-ed by Crown Minerals following NZOG’s November 2008 “Priority in Time” appli-cation. The vessel is in area waters. The permit is for an initial fi ve years with eval-uation to be done in the fi rst two years and a decision on drilling an exploration well is to come by the end of the second year.

“There are a number of separate clo-sures formed by upper Miocene sands, eroded by submarine channels, which were then in-fi lled by younger mudstones,” says CEO David Salisbury of NZOG. “These mudstones may have formed an effective lateral seal, trapping oil and/or gas. Similar oil bearing structures are known to exist in the Sacramento Valley in California and in the Gulf of Mexico.”

Africa: An ocean-bottom seismic pro-gram is planned for the Agbami fi eld offshore Nigeria. Star Deepwater Petro-leum Ltd., a Chevron Nigeria Ltd. affi li-ate and operator of Agbami, has agreed with SeaBird Exploration Ltd. and its local partner Sonar Ltd. for survey de-sign and acquisition of seismic data. The Hugin Explorer is scheduled to collect data with Kondor Explorer as the source vessel. A CASE Abyss 4C autonomous seismic recording system will be used on the seafl oor. Pre-survey geophysical modeling, fi nal contract terms, approv-als, and survey start are expected to be complete in 2Q 2009.

A 940-sq km (363-sq mi) seismic in-version program is under way on Jubi-lee fi eld offshore Ghana to integrate log and core data from Hyedua-1, Hyedua-2, Mahogany-2, Mahogany-2, and Mahog-any-3 wells.

“The original seismic inversion we con-ducted for Kosmos Energy and partners was limited to the West Cape Three Points block and covered 150 sq km (58 sq mi),” says Gareth Taylor, Rock Solid Images senior VP. “However, with only the Ma-hogany-1 well as a calibration point, we successfully predicted the presence of

pay in the Mahogany-2 and Mahogany-3 wells so we are confi dent we will be able to contribute substantively to a comprehensive appraisal and delineation of this world-class fi eld.”

Fugro Global Environmental & Ocean Sci-ences Ltd. has won two contracts for metocean work off the east coast of Africa. One contract covers current measurement in 5,577 ft (1,700 m) water depth off Tanzania for Ophir Ener-gy. The second is a joint-industry metocean off Tanzania and Mozambique for StatoilHydro, Dominion Tanzania Ltd., Petrobras, Petronas, and Anadarko Energy. That study is in water depths from 3,609 ft (1,100 m) to 9,843 ft (3,000 m) water depth.

Canamens is embarking on a round of explo-ration offshore Morocco following the award of contracts and agreements with Morocco’s Offi ce National Hydrocarbures et des Mines. Canamens says it will reprocess and acquire new 2D data in the Essaouira Shallow Offshore in water less than 500 m (1,640 ft) and based upon the results chose whether to convert the license into an exploration permit. In the Es-saouira Deep Offshore area with water depths greater than 500 m (1,640 ft), Canamens plans to reprocess and acquire new 2D data with an option to extend into a 3D and drilling commit-ment. The acreages totals more than 11,000 sq km (4,247 sq mi) and Canamens holds 75% with ONHYM holding the remainder.

Latin America: Reliance Industries con-tracted Wavefi eld Inseis and Discoverer 2 to conduct a seismic survey on Borojo Norte and

G E O S C I E N C E S Gene Kliewer • Houston


NZOG plans 500 km (311 mi) of 2D seismic

data collection offshore New Zealand.

Proposed lines are shown on this map.



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www.offshore-mag.com • March 2009 Offshore 31

Borojo Sur blocks offshore Colombia, which was scheduled to be completed by now. The blocks are west of the country and cover 4,000 sq km (1,544 sq mi) with water depths to 1,500 m (4,921 ft). When it took the lease, Reliance planned to spend as much as $50 million over 18 months including two wells on each block.

Borders & Southern has reviewed its 3D survey over 1,492 sq km (576 sq mi) offshore the Falkland Islands. The company says it plans additional interpretation of the data. Work to date highlights three fairways: a Lower Cre-taceous, Upper Cretaceous/Lower Tertiary, and Tertiary. The Lower Cretaceous play fair-way comprises sandstone reservoirs within tilted fault blocks and submarine fans. The Up-per Cretaceous/Lower Tertiary structural play fairway comprises sandstone reservoirs within major structural closures measuring up to 150 sq km (58 sq mi). The Tertiary seismic ampli-tude supported play fairway comprises Tertia-ry deepwater distributary sandstone reservoirs partly stratigraphically trapped within struc-tural closures. Borders & Southern says there is evidence of hydrocarbon generation and migration, including a “chain of fi ve anticlines with gas hydrates located above the crests or slightly displaced on the asymmetrical limb of the folds.” There also are multiple seismic am-plitude anomalies over the area.

Petrobras and Schlumberger have signed a technological cooperation agreement for pre-salt reservoir research and development. Included under the agreement are four re-search projects:

• Electromagnetic technologies to improve deep reservoir characterization

• Seismic data analyses technologies, also to improve reservoir characterization

• Nuclear magnetic resonance technolo-gies, aimed to characterize complex res-ervoirs

• H2S electrochemical sensors. Additionally, six other projects are still under

negotiation. The agreement will be in effect for three years, and can be renewed for an equal term. Petrobras foresees it will invest some $10 million in the projects. The agreement will also establish the Schlumberger research center on the Fundão Island in Brazil during 2010.

Gulf of Mexico: TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Co. says it has completed several multi-client projects to evaluate hydrocarbon potential in the central GoM prior to the scheduled March lease sale. The Stanley 3D survey is the fi rst multi-client reverse time migration project in the Gulf. TGS also completed an anisotropic Kirchhoff depth migration for Deep Resolve and Sophie’s Link 3D surveys. The anisotrophic work ties into more than 800 well logs, accord-ing to the company.

CGGVeritas has won a long-term contract for wide-azimuth and 4D reservoir surveys from BP in the GoM. The contract runs into 2010. �



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New seismic company, vessel

plans highlight surveyAcquisition technology drives changes in industry practice


G E O L O G Y & G E O P H Y S I C S

The feature of the 2009 Seismic Vessel Survey is the entrance of Polarcus onto the list of companies. That also brings the list of new vessels for 2009 and beyond to eight – Polarcus has

three scheduled for delivery this year and three for delivery in 2010 while WesternGeco has two scheduled for this year. Additions and deletions of vessels to the list bring the total number accounted for to 173, compared with 169 on the 2008 tally. This is an increase of four vessels, or slightly less than 2.5%.

Launched in 2008, Polarcus is investing in a seismic fl eet of high-end 3D and multipur-pose 3D/source vessels. The company says it expects to operate worldwide providing towed marine contract acquisition services and multi-client projects. The fi rst 12 stream-er 3D vessel is scheduled to be operational in 3Q 2009, with all six vessels fully operational within 2010. Headquarters is in Dubai.

“We have a pure play strategy focusing on the marine towed streamer seismic acquisition busi-ness, coupled with a strong commitment to mini-mize our environmental impact in the perfor-mance of our work, leaving the lowest possible environmental footprint,” the company says.

WesternGeco will bring its vessel total to 22 with the addition of the Columbus and Magel-

lan scheduled this year. That total puts West-ernGeco at the top of the vessel count by com-pany. Second is CGGVeritas with 20 followed by Global Geophysical and PGS Marine both with 16.

One merger currently being conducted in-volves CGGVeritas acquisition of Wavefi eld Inseis. At this writing, CGGVeritas was in the process of acquiring the last remaining shares of

Gene Kliewer

Technology Editor, Subsea & Seismic

(Top) Polarcus Nadia and Naila both are Ulstein

SX124 design 12-streamer, 3D vessels and will

resemble this rendering. (Middle) Western Spirit,

a Q-Marine vessel equipped with DSC (Dynamic

Spread Control), the automated vessel, source,

and streamer steering technology. (Below)

Global Geophysical Tiny Tune designed for shal-

low water surveys.



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G E O L O G Y & G E O P H Y S I C S

Wavefi eld which it did not purchase following a voluntary offer. Upon completion of the merger, the resulting company will have 28 vessels, the largest fl eet among seismic survey contractors.

Some changes in vessel construction plans hinge on timely completion of construction. It also is possible that some construction and ren-ovation could be canceled owing to the world fi nancial market conditions now as compared to the circumstances at this time last year.

As an illustration, Petroleum Geo-Services ASA (PGS) last year responded to speculation regarding vessel construction by discussing termination rights in contracts for newbuilds 532 and 533 at Factorias Vulcano, Spain, and the related contracts governing the charter parties between Arrow and WesternGeco.

After amendments made in 2008, the ship-building contracts with the yard set delivery of Nov. 30, 2008, and March 31, 2009. If either 532 or 533 were delayed more than 120 days, Ar-row would notify WesternGeco that Arrow has a right to terminate the shipbuilding contract with the yard. WesternGeco then could either choose to terminate the charter party with Ar-row or instruct Arrow not to terminate the ship-building contract. Further, if either or both of the construction contracts were canceled due to late delivery, Arrow would receive repay-ment from the yard of all investments made to that date.

The nature of the surveys undertaken to-day is changing. According to WesternGeco, recent advances in processing capabilities are allowing sophisticated seismic data migration methods to become standard practice.

Dave Nichols, Houston-based research di-rector, says improvements in imaging are tak-ing advantage of the increases in computer capacity that enable imaging techniques that are closer to the ideal wave equation. They also benefi t from new acquisition geometries that extend the frequency bandwidth and off-set and azimuth range of recorded data.

New acquisition geometries such as wide-azimuth, multi-azimuth, rich-azimuth, and Coil Shooting single-vessel full azimuth acqui-sition increase illumination of the subsurface from a wider range of angles and azimuths. These techniques enhance the accuracy of the inversion of seismic data for Earth prop-erties. In addition, increasing the frequency bandwidth by lowering the minimum fre-quency of seismic sources has improved steep-dip imaging and overall resolution.

Migration techniques that honor the actual physics of wave propagation are an important factor in improving image quality, Nichols continues. There are two main trends active here: reverse-time migration and anisotropy. Both have been studied for many years, but only now are adequate computer resources available to make use of these tools in an inte-grated approach of imaging and Earth prop-

erty determination.In the future, the industry will have to go

beyond correctly positioned images and de-liver estimates of absolute Earth properties. In a traditional compressional-wave, or P-wave, workfl ow, this process has been split into two parts: acoustic-imaging algorithms that yield accurate Earth refl ectivity and elas-

tic refl ectivity inversion that provides a model of the Earth properties.

“We will continue to ride the wave of com-puter power,” Nichols says. “When I joined the company almost 15 years ago, we were at 10s of megafl ops. We have seen a million-fold increase in computer power. I expect to see another thousand times increase before I retire.” �

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OUR BUSINESS SCAN Geophysical is geared to provide you with the industry’s best value in 2D,3D, and 4D marine seismic acquisition. SCAN has grown into a highly efficient, and flexible service provider that you can rely on for the right solution at the right time.

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BGP, P.O.Box 11, Zhuozhou Hebei, 072751 P.R.China

BGP Atlas 2007 64.7 1 x 1,200 Yes AF, MID E, FAR E 1 x 9000

BGP Pioneer 2006 83.7 19.5 6 x 648 Yes AF, MID E, FAR E 2 x 3,400 6 x 8,000

BGP Researcher 2007 68.5 13.8 1 x 1,200 Yes AF, MID E, FAR E 1 x 3,000 n/a

BGP Surveyor 2007 68.5 13.8 2 x 480 Yes AF, MID E, FAR E 2 x 3,400 2 x 6,000

Caspian Geophysical, T. Aliyarbekov St. 9, 370005, Baku, Azerbaijan

Caspian Kyra 1970 36 7 Caspian Sea

CGGVeritas, 1 Rue Leon, BP 32, 91301 Massy Cedex, France

Alize 1999 100 29 14 x 960 Yes Worldwide 2 x 4,840 14 x 6,000 x 75

Amadeus 1999 84 19 8 x 960 Yes Worldwide 2 x 4,960 8 x 6,000 x 100

Challenger 2006 90 24 12 x 960 Yes Worldwide 2 x 4,740 12 x 7,200 x 100

Duke 1998 67 13 1 x 960 Yes Worldwide 1 x 3,000 1x 7,200

Fohn 1997 87 18 8 x 960 Yes Worldwide 2 x 4,670 8 x 6,000 x 75

Harmattan 1997 97 18 6 x 960 Yes Worldwide 2 x 4,820 6 x 6,000 x 100

Laurentian (leased from PGS) 2005 84 17 6 x 960 Yes Worldwide 2 x 3,930 6 x 6,000 x 100

Orion 1997 81 18 8 x 960 Yes Worldwide 2 x 4,500 8 x 6,000 x 100

Pacific Sword 2000 58 12 2 x 960 Yes Worldwide 2 x 3,200 2 x 5,000 x 100

Pacific Titan 1998 65 19 4 x 480 Yes Worldwide 2 x 3,840 2 x 6,000 x 100

Princess 2001 76 14 3 x 320 Yes Worldwide 2 x 3,080 3 x 4,000 x 100

Search 2002 98 19 8 x 960 Yes Worldwide 2 x 4,940 8 x 6,000 x10

Symphony 2000 121 23 12 x 960 Yes Worldwide 2 x 4,740 12 x 6,000 x 100

Venturer 2007 90 15 4 x 960 Yes Worldwide 2 x 3,840 4 x 6,000 x 100

Viking 2006 93 22 10 x 960 Yes Worldwide 2 x 5,260 10 x 8,100 x 100

Viking II 1999 93 22 8 x 960 Yes Worldwide 2 x 5,260 8 x 8,100 x 100

Viking Vanquish 2007 93 22 12 x 960 Yes Worldwide 2 x 5,260 10 x 8,100 x 100

Viking Vantage 2002 93 22 8 x 960 Yes Worldwide 2 x 5,260 8 x 8,100 x 100

Viking Vision 2007 105 26 12 x 960 Yes Worldwide 2 x 5,260 10 x 8,100 x 100

Voyager 2006 68 16 4 x 480 Yes Worldwide 2 x 5,260 4 x 6,000 x 100

China Oilfield Services, Ltd., No.6 Dongzhimenwai Xiaojie Beijing 100027 P.R.C

Bin Hai 511 1979 81 13.4 3 x 360 Yes China, Asia, CIS 2 x 3,000

Bin Hai 512 1979 79 13.4 4 x 360 Yes China, Asia, CIS 2 x 3,000

Bin Hai 517 1997 60 15 2 x 480 Yes China, Asia, CIS 4,075

Bin Hai 518 1995 50 12.5 2 x 240 Yes China, Asia, CIS 2,040

COSL 718 2005 78 6 streamers Yes China, Asia, CIS

Nan Hai 502 1980 66 11 2 x 360 Yes China, Asia, CIS 3,660

Orient Pearl 1994 77 16 4 x 480 Yes China, Asia, CIS 2 x 3,660

Dalmorneftegeophysica (DMNG), 426, Mira Ave., Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, 693004, Russia

Akademik Fersman 2006-2007 81.5 14.8 1 x 7,680 PGS Worldwide 4 x 4,200 1x12000

Orient Explorer 1995 81.8 14.8 4 x 1,440 PGS Worldwide 6 x 2,920 4 x 6000 x 100

Zephyr-I 2002 81.8 14.8 1 x 960 4 x 2,940 1 x 7,950

Fairfield Industries, 14100 Southwest Freeway, Sugar Land, Texas 77478, USA

Fairfield Encounter 2001 55 11 Radio Tel. Yes GOM OBS

Fairfield Endeavor 2001 65 9.75 Radio Tel. Yes GOM 4,140

Fairfield New Venture 2004 76 16.5 Z-3000 Yes GOM 4,330 dual

Fairfield Challenger 2005 67 13.4 Radio Tel. Yes GOM 4,140

Fairfield Speculator 1996 20.75 5 Radio Tel. Yes GOM 1,680

Fugro GeoServices, 200 Dulles Blvd., Lafayette, Louisiana USA

Geodetic Surveyor 1981 37 9 1 x 48 Yes GOM 90-300 GI Guns

Seis Surveyor 1976/ 1985 45.7 11.6 1 x 48, 1 x 96, 2 x 48, 4 x 8, 6 x 6 Yes GOM 90-300 GI Guns

Universal Surveyor 1980 37 9 1 x 48, 1 x 96 Yes GOM 90-300 GI Guns

Albuquerque 1982 40 10 1 x 48 Yes GOM 90-300 GI Guns

Fugro Enterprise May 2007 52 12 1 x 48, 1 x 96 Yes GOM 90-300 GI Guns

Fugro-Geoteam AS, Hoffsveien 1 C, P.O. Box 490 Skøyen, N-0213, Oslo, Norway

Geo Arctic 1988/1997/2005 82 15 1 x 12,000 Yes Worldwide 5,860 single source

Geo Atlantic 2000/2006 121 26 10 x 8,000 Yes Worldwide 4,300 dual source 7.20 sq km

Geo Baltic 1998/2002/2006 75 16 6 x 4,000 Yes Worldwide 2,620 dual source 3.00 sq km

Geo Barents 2007 77 17 6 x 9,000 Long-term charter Worldwide 4,300 dual source 6.75 sq km

Geo Caribbean 2008 100 28 14 x 6,000 Yes Worldwide 4,500 dual source 10.4 sq km

Geo Celtic 2007 100 28 12 x 8,000 Yes Worldwide 4,500 dual source 8.80 sq km

Geo Natuna 2006/2008 70 17 6 x 4,000 Yes Worldwide 4,300 dual source 3.00 sq km

Geo Pacific 1998/2003/2006 82 20 8 x 6,000 Yes Worldwide 3,460 dual source 4.5 sq km

Hawk Explorer Yes Worldwide

Seisquest 1991/2001/2007 92 19 8 x 6,000 m Yes Worldwide 4,000 dual source 4.5 sq km

Fugro Survey Ltd., Denmore Rd, Bridge of Don, Aberdeen AB23 8JW, UK

Fugro Mercator 1979/1996 73 11.6 1 x 120 Yes NWECS 140

Fugro Meridian 1982/1997 72.5 13.8 1 x 240 Yes NWECS 140/1,000

Geo Prospector 1970/1997 72.6 11.8 1 x 120 Yes EAME 140

Fugro Discovery 1997/2007 70 12.6 1 x 120 Yes NWECS 140

Worldwide Seismic Vessel SurveyVessel

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Technical capability Onboard processing

Seismic

ACQUISITION An expanding fleet to match your expanding worldwide requirements.

w w w . s c a n g e o . c o m

x x

x x x

x x

x x

x x x x x x x x VSAT ≥ 256k



x x x x VSAT ≥ 128k


x x x x x x x VSAT ≥128k

x x x x x x x VSAT ≥ 128k


x x x x x x x VSAT ≥ 128k

x x x x x VSAT ≥ 128k

x x x x x x VSAT ≥ 128k



x x x x x x VSAT ≥ 128k






x x x x x x x x x VSAT ≥ 128k

x x >10 m x x x x x

x x >10 m x x x x x

x x >8 m x x x x

x x >6 m x x x x x

x x

x x >10 m x x x x x

x x >10 m x x x x x

x x x x x x Chartered to PGS

x x x x x x x x NorSat Chartered to PGS

x x x x x x NorSat

x x x x x x x x X Yes

x x x x x x x X Yes

x x x x X x x x x Yes

x x x x X x x x x Yes

x x x x X x x x Yes

x x x x x x M-Sat 4800

x x x x x x x M-Sat 4800




x x x x x Norsat

x x x x x x x Norsat

x x x x x x x x Norsat




x x x x x x x x Norsat


Chartered from Seabird. See Seabird Exploration below


x x x x x x 7

x x x x x x x 7

x x x x x x 7

x x x x x x 7

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http://www.qmags.com/clickthrough.asp?url=www.scangeo.com&id=14104&adid=P37A1





Fugro Searcher 2010 65.2 14 1 x 240 2010 tba 140/1,000

Fugro Survey Pte Ltd, 32 Tuas West Road, Singapore 638387

Geo Surveyor 1981 58 10.5 1 x 120 Yes Far East, Worldwide 1 x 40, 1 x 80, 1 x 160

Gardline, Endeavour House, Admiralty Rd., Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR30 3NG UK

Sea Explorer 1993/1994 58.8 11 1 x 120 Yes Worldwide 2 x 160

Sea Proflier 1992 65.7 11 1 x 120 Yes Worldwide 2 x 160

Sea Surveyor 1998/1999 64.4 11.4 1 x 480 Yes Worldwide 1 x 160 up to 1,950

Sea Trident 1984/1991/2006 57.9 10.2 1 x 120 Yes Worldwide 2 x 160

Ocean Seeker 1970/2000 80.7 13 1 x 120 Yes Worldwide 1 x 160

L’Espoir 1971/1996 67.5 10.6 1 x 120 Yes Worldwide 1 x 160

Tridens 1 1984/1991 57.9 10.2 1 x 120 Yes Worldwide 1 x 160

Global Geophysical Serevices, 3535 Briarpark Dr., Houston TX, USA

DIB 1 2007 12.5 4.25 Yes International OBC Cable

DIB 2 2007 12.5 4.25 Yes International OBC Cable

Global Longhorn 2007 28.5 8 3,000 channels Yes GOM, International OBC Cable

Global Quest 2007 20 5.5 Yes India, International OBC Cable

Global Vision 2007 20 6.4 Yes India, International OBC Cable

James H. Scott 2005 21 6.7 Yes GOM, International 4 x 750 OBC Cable

Lori B 2007 14.6 6 Yes GOM OBC Cable

Miss Ginger 2006 54.8 11.5 Yes GOM OBC Cable

Ms. Cordelia 2007 41.5 11.5 Yes GOM, International OBC Cable

Sea Diamond VIII 2007 55 12 Yes India, International 2 x 750 OBC Cable

Seapol One 2007 16.75 9 3,000 channels Yes India, International OBC Cable

Soha Folk 2007 55 12 Yes India, International OBC Cable

Super Transporter 2006 33.5 8.5 Yes GOM OBC Cable

Te Wera 2007 16.5 4.9 Yes India, International OBC Cable

Tiny Tune 2005 11.5 3.7 Yes USA 1 x 640 OBC Cable

Tuhawiki 2007 15 4.2 Yes India, International OBC Cable

GSI 400, 400 5th Ave. SW Calgary, Alberta, T2P 0L6, Canada

GSI Admiral 1998 89.6 19 4 x 480 Spec Americas 2 x 3,930 4 x 6,000 x 300

GSI Pacific 1979/2005 56.3 12 1 x 480 Spec Americas 1 x 4,410 1 x 7,200

Marine Arctic Geological Expedition (MAGE)

Geofizik 1983 55.7 9.3 Contract Arctic, Northern Seas

Geolog Dmitriy Nalivkin 1991 71.7 12.8 1 x 480 Contract Arctic, Northern Seas 1 x 3,410 1 x 6,000

Professor Kurentsov 1995 68.9 12.4 1 x 480 Contract Arctic, Northern Seas 1 x 6,000

Offshore Seismic Surveys, OSS, 13430 NW Freeway, Suite 800, Houston TX 77040

OSS Gulf Supplier 56.4 11.6 3 x 240 Yes South America 2 x 1,500 3 x 3,000 x 200

OGS Italy, Borgo Grotta Gigante 42c, P.O. Box 2011, 34016 Trieste, Italy

OGS Explora 1997 71.9 12.8 1 x 96 Worlwide inc. Antarctic 2 x 355

PGS Marine Geophysical, Strandveien 4, 1326 Lysaker Norway

Atlantic Explorer 1994 91.5 18 6 x 480 Yes Worldwide 2 x 3,090 3.6 sq km

Falcon Explorer 1997 81.2 16.3 1 x 640 Yes Worldwide 2 x 3,090 N/A

Geo Atlantic 2006 121 26 10 x 480 Yes Worldwide 2 x 4,500 5.4 sq km

Laurentian 2005 84 17 6 x 480 Yes Worldwide 2 x 3,090 3 sq km

Nordic Explorer 1993 82 16.5 6 x 480 Yes Worldwide 2 x 3,090 3.6 sq km

Ocean Explorer 1995 82 18 6 x 480 Yes Worldwide 2 x 3,090 3.6 sq km

Orient Explorer

Pacific Explorer 1994 91.5 22 6 x 528 Yes Worldwide 2 x 3,090 4.0 sq km

Polar Explorer 2008 92 17 1 x 640 Yes Worldwide 2 x 3,090 N/A

Ramform Challenger 1996 86.6 39.6 16 x 480 Yes Worldwide 2 x 3,090 6.6 sq km

Ramform Explorer 1995 82 39.6 12 x 480 Yes Worldwide 2 x 3,090 6.6 sq km

Ramform Valiant 1998 86.6 39.6 20 x 480 Yes Worldwide 2 x 3,090 6.6 sq km

Ramform Vanguard 1999 86.6 39.6 20 x 480 Yes Worldwide 2 x 3,090 6.6 sq km

Ramform Viking 1998 86.6 39.6 20 x 480 Yes Worldwide 2 x 3,090 6.6 sq km

Ramform Sovereign 2008 102 40 26 x 480 Yes Worldwide 2 x 3,090 10.4 sq m

Southern Explorer 2008 92 17 Yes Worldwide 2 x 3,090 N/A

Polarcus, PO Box 283373, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Nadia 2009 88.8 19 2009 Worldwide 2 x 4,240 12 x 8,000 x 75

Naila 2009 88.8 19 2009 Worldwide 2 x 4,240 12 x 8,000 x 75

Samur 2009 84.2 17 2010 Worldwide 2 x 4,240 6 x 8,000 x 160

Selma 2010 84.2 17 2010 Worldwide 2 x 4,240 6 x 8,000 x 160

Asima 2010 92 21 2010 Worldwide 2 x 4,240 12 x 8,000 x 100

Alima 2010 92 21 2010 Worldwide 2 x 4,240 12 x 8,000 x 100

RXT Reservoir Exploration Technologies, Lysaker Torg 5 A, PO Box 104, 1325 Lysaker, Norway

Beulah Chouest (RXT 1) 1982/1996 60 14 980 channels Yes Worldwide 3 x 1340 cu in. 6 x 6,000

Bourbon (RXT 1) 2004 210 54.4 Yes Worldwide 6 x 6,000

Caspian Marie (RXT 3) 1998 Yes Worldwide 8 6-km VSO cables


name

Year

rigged o

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Tota

l le

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(m

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(m

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Seismic

x x x x x x 7

x x x x x x x

x x >10m x x x x x VSAT (256)

x >10m x x x x x VSAT (256)

x x >10m x x x x x VSAT (256)




x >10m x x x x x Gardline 64k

x x x x x x x x

x x x x x x x x

x x x x x x x x Recording vessel

x x x x x x x x

x x x x x x x x

x x x x x x x x

x x x x x x x x

x x x x x x x x

x x x x x x x x

x x x x x x x x

x x x x x x x x Recording vessel

x x x x x x x x

x x x x x x x x

x x x x x x x x

x x x x x x x x

x x x x x x x x

x x x x x x V-SAT

x x x x V-SAT

x

x x x x x x NorSat

x x x

x x x x V-SAT

x x x x x x 64k

x x x x x x x 56k

x x x 56k

x x x x x x x 56k

x x x x x x x 56k

x x x x x x x 56k

x x x x x x x 56k

Chartered from DMNG.

See Dalmorneftegeophysica (DMNG) above.

x x x x x x x 56k

x x

x x x x x x x 56k

x x x x x x x 56k

x x x x x x x 56k

x x x x x x x 56k

x x x x x x x 56k

x x x x x x x 56k

x

x x x x x x x VSAT

x x x x x x x VSAT

x x x x x x x VSAT

x x x x x x x VSAT

x x x x x x x VSAT

x x x x x x x VSAT

x x x x

x x x x

x

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Geofizik-1 (RXT 3) 1989 Yes Worldwide 8 6-km VSO cables

Ocean Pearl (RXT 2) 2001 108.6 18 Yes Worldwide 12 x 6,000

Sanco Star (RXT 5) Q2 2008 (combined source/cable vessel) Yes Worldwide

Sara Maatje II (RXT 3) 1977 Yes Worldwide 8 6-im VSO cables

Sara Maatje IX (RXT 3) 1994 Yes Worldwide 8 6-km VSO cables

SCAN Geophysical ASA, Raadhusgaten 23, 0158 Oslo, Norway

Geo Searcher 2005 69.2 12.8 1 x 960 Yes Worldwide 1x 7,480 N/A - 2D

Scan Resolution 2006 72.7 17 4 x 1,920 Yes Worldwide 2x 4,000 4 x 6,000 x 100

Scan Stigandi 2008 66.3 14.2 4 x 2,560 Yes Worldwide 2x 4,000 4 x 6,000 x 100

Scan Empress 2009 80 19.4 10 x 6,400 3Q 2009 2 x 4,320 10 x 8,000 x 1

Sea Bird Exploration Nedre Vollgate 3, P.O. Box 1302, Vika 0112 Oslo, Norway

Aquila Explorer 2007 71 17.5 1 x 960 PGS Worldwide 2 x 5,000

Geo Mariner 2001/2004 38.2 12.8 2 x 320 Yes Worldwide 2 X 1,700; 3 X 1,995 2 x 3600 x 100

Harrier Explorer 2007 81 18.3 Source PGS Worldwide

Hawk Explorer 2006 66 14.5 1 x 960 Fugro Geoteam Worldwide 1 x 4400

Hugin Explorer 2007/2008 86 20 Yes Worldwide 2 x 4400

Kondor Explorer 1984/1997 63.5 13.6 Source Yes Worldwide 2 X 5000 (client selectable)

Munen Explorer 2007 60 14 1 x 960 Yes Worldwide 2 x 5000

Northern Explorer 1987/1998/2004 76 14 1 x 648 Yes Worldwide X 5,000 Bolt

Osprey Explorer 2006 81 16 Source Yes Worldwide 2 X 5000 (client selectable)

Sevmorneftegeofizika (SMNG), 17, Karl Marx St., 183025 Murmansk, Russia

Akademik Lazarev 1987/96 81.8 14.8 1 x 696 Yes Worldwide 4 x 4,258 1 x 8,000

Akademik Nemchinov 1988/97 84 14.8 4 x 408 Yes Worldwide 6 x 7,874 4 x 5,000 x 450

Akademik Shatskiy 1986/91 83.5 14.8 1 x 640 1-year charter Worldwide 6 x 6,444 2 x 4,000 x 100

Iskatel - 5 1989/97 49.2 18.2 1 x 324 Yes Worldwide 4 x 3,000 1 x 4,000

Professor Polshkov 1984/94 71.6 12.8 1 x 480 Yes Worldwide 4 x 3,800 1 x 6,000

Professor Rjabinkin 1989/95/2007 49.9 10.5 2 x 480 Yes Worldwide 2 x 2,280 2 x 6,000

Shanghai Offshore Petroleum Bureau CNSPC, 1225 Shangcheng Road Pu Dong, Shanghai

Discoverer 1980 72 16.4 120 ch

TL Geohydrographics (TL Offshore, operated by SapuraCrest Petroleum), Tingkat 15, Menara 2, Faber Towers, Jalan Desa Bahagia, Taman Desa, Off Jalan Klang Lama, 58100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Teknik Kembara 1993 56.4 12.2 1,500 m GX600 Yes Asia Pacific 2 x 160

Teknik Putra 1995 60 11 Yes Asia Pacific

Wavefield Inseis AS, Damsgardsveien 163 B, N-5162 Laksevag, Norway

Bergen Surveyor 1997/ 2006 67 14.6 2 x 480, 1 x 960 Yes Worldwide 4,400, 2 x 2 sub-arrays 2 x 6,000 x 100

Discovery 2 1993 65.15 17.98 960 Yes Worldwide 1 x 4,000 1 x 12,000

Geowave Champion 2007 106.3 22.4 12 x 720 Yes Worldwide dual 3,500, 2 x 3 sub-arrays 12 x 9,000 x 825, 10 x 9,000 x 900

Geowave Commander 2006 98 16.5 6 x 720, 8 x 480 Yes Worldwide dual 3,500, 2 x 3 sub-arrays 8 x 6,000 x 700

Geowave Endeavour 2008 106.6 26.6 16 x 720 Yes Worldwide dual 3,500, 2 x 3 sub-arrays 16 x 9,000 x 1,125m

Geowave Master 2007 113 22.5 12 x 720 Yes Worldwide dual 3,500, 2 x 3 sub-arrays 12 x 9,000 x 825, 10 x 9,000 x 900

Geowave Voyager 2008 92.7 22 12 x 720 Yes Worldwide dual 3,500 2 x 3 sub-arrays 12 x 9,000 x 825, 10 x 9,000 x 900

Malene Østervold 2007 70 15 2 x 480, 1 x 960 Yes Worldwide dual 3,500, 2 x 3 sub-arrays 2 x 6,000 x 100

WesternGeco, Schlumberger House, Buckingham Way, Gatwick Airport, West Sussex, RH6 0NZ UK

Conti 2005 65 17 2 x 3,200 Yes Worldwide

Geco Bluefin 1980 80 19 2 x 3,200 Yes Worldwide

Geco Diamond 1993 81 19 8 x 480 Yes Worldwide 6 x 1,695 8 x 6,000 x 700

Geco Eagle 1999 95 37 12 x 640 Yes Worldwide 8 x 1,695 12 x 8,000 x 1,100

Geco Emerald 1992 81 19 8 x 480 Yes Worldwide 6 x 1,695 8 x 6,000 x 700

Geco Searcher 1983 92 20 8 x 2,560 Yes Worldwide 8 x 1,695 8 x 8,000 x 700

Geco Snapper 1997 67 18 Yes Worldwide 6 x 1,695

Geco Tau 1992 77 19 Yes Worldwide 6 x 1,695

Geco Topaz 1992 81 19 8 x 1,920 Yes Worldwide 6 x 1,695 8 x 6,000 x 700

Geco Triton 1970 79 21 10 x 720 Yes Worldwide 8 x 1,695 10 x 9,000 x 900

Gilavar 1981 85 19 6 x 480 Yes Worldwide 6 x 1,695 6 x 6,000 x 500

Ocean Odyssey 2005 72 16 Yes Worldwide 8 x 1,695

Western Delta 2007 61 12 Yes Worldwide 8 x 750 sleeve

Western Monarch 1991 93 24 12 x 2,560 Yes Worldwide 8 x 1,695 12 x 8,000 x 1,100

Western Neptune 1999 93 24 12 x 2,560 Yes Worldwide 8 x 1,695 12 x 8,000 x 1,100

Western Patriot 1993 78 17 8 x 480 Yes Worldwide 6 x 1,695 sleeve 8 x 6,000 x 700

Western Pride 1991 73 20 20 x 1,920 Yes Worldwide 6 x 1,695 10 x 6,000 x 900

Western Regent 1992 94 24 12 x 2,650 Yes Worldwide 8 x 1,695 sleeve 12 x 8,000 x 1,100

Western Trident 1999 92.5 23 16 x 315 Yes Worldwide 8 x 750 sleeve 10 x 7,000 x 1,100

Western Spirit 1993 78 22 10 x 1,920 Yes Worldwide 8 x 1,695 sleeve 10 x 6,00 x 700

WG Columbus 2009 88 21 12 x 3,200 Yes Worldwide 6 x 1,695 12 x 10,000 x 1,100

WG Magellan 2009 88 21 12 x 3,200 Yes Worldwide 6 x 1,695 12 x 10,000 x 1,100

Q refers to Q-Technology


name

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x

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x x x x x Inmarsat C 2D/Source. Charter to PGS.

x x x x x x NorSat C

Inmarsat C Charter to PGS.

x x x x x Inmarsat C Time charter to Fugro-Geoteam.

x x x x x x x Inmarsat C SeaBed

x KU Band Source only.

x x x x x Inmarsat C 2D/Source.

x x x x x NorSat C

x Inmarsat C

x x x x x x 64k

x x x x x x x x 64k

x x x x x x x x 64k One-year charter to Wavefield Inseis.

x x x

x x x x x x 64k

x x x x x x 9.6k

x x x x x x

x x x x Inmarsat B

x x x x Inamrsat B

x x x x x x VSAT Telenor 256k

x x x x x x x VSAT Telenor 256k





x x x x x x VSAT Telenor 256k

x x x x x x VSAT 128K+

x x x x x x x x x VSAT 128K+

x x x x x x x VSAT 128K+



x x x Q x x x VSAT 128K+

x x x x VSAT 128K+

x x x x VSAT 128K+



x x x x x x x x VSAT 128K+

x x x x x VSAT 128K+

x x x x x VSAT 128K+










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Eastern Mediterranean Tamar discovery reveals

potential gas-rich play in Levantine basin

Regional analogies also offer prospects for deeper oil

Test results from a gas discovery in the Levantine basin point to an emerging subsalt play. The deepwater well on the Tamar structure, 90 km (56 mi) offshore Haifa, Israel, encountered

three productive reservoirs with thick sands in the Lower Miocene and net pay of more than 460 ft (140 m).

Gas fl owed at a constrained rate of 30 MMcf/d over a limited section of the lowest reservoir, and operator Noble Energy be-lieves a production rate of over 150 MMcf/d could be feasible. It claimed the fi nd could be the largest in its history, with a resource potential of around 5 tcf. The water depth of 5,500 ft (1,680 m) was also the deep-est by far for any well to date in Is-raeli waters.

Noble and its partners are set to retain the rig, the Atwood Hunter,for two more wells. The fi rst would be on Dalit, another Tertiary/Lower Miocene subsalt prospect in 4,500 ft (1,372 m) of water in the Michal per-mit, 28 mi (45 km) offshore, which is already covered by 3D seismic. The second well would be a step-out on Tamar, in the Matan license.

Further gas fi nds would help ease Israel’s energy concerns. The coun-try’s sole production comes from the Mari-B fi eld in shallow water off the southern coast. The Gaza Marine discovery has yet to be put into pro-duction. Otherwise, the only exter-nal source of gas is a pipeline from Egypt, but throughput has been sub-ject to interruptions.

In recent years, Houston-based No-ble and local company Delek Drilling have been the mainstays of Israeli E&P. Prior to Tamar, there had been no ex-ploration drilling for several years, but

more recently other companies have picked up offshore concessions. These include Israeli junior PetroMed, which last year converted two deepwater exploration permits in the Le-vantine basin to drilling licenses (Sara and Myra) both a short distance from the Matan license. The company also operates an adjoin-ing exploration permit (Benjamin).

PetroMed’s interpretive studies of exist-

ing geological and seismic data since 2005 indicated strong potential for thermogenic gas, and for condensate and oil at deeper levels. The company’s acreage is close to the Tamar discovery and on trend with the Dalit structure. PetroMed also has found strong indications of deeper lying, light Jurassic oil, based on wells closer to the Israeli coast and via geological analogies with recent ultradeep discoveries in the Nile Delta to the south.

Hibernia ‘look-a-like’

The company describes its mission as “to discover, drill, develop, and deliver oil and

gas to Israel,” with a focus on off-shore targets. It was formed in 1999, originally as a Nevada-based corpo-ration, by fi nancial and management consultant Hagai Amir. Four years later in Calgary, he and Russell Koch were introduced to the late Donald Axford, a Canadian geologist cred-ited with fi nding the Hibernia fi eld off Newfoundland.

Axford believed he had “seen” an-other Hibernia on seismic offshore Israel.

AJ Amir is chairman and CEO of PetroMed, supported by fi nance di-rector Koch, who is based in Seattle. Other board members include Arlon Tussing, a former chief energy advis-er to the US Senate and now energy consultant for the World Bank and Deutsche Bank.

The company’s exploration team of experienced geologists and geophysi-cists, all based in the UK, are headed by exploration manager David Peace. The team is complemented by exter-nal consultants RPS, providing as-sistance with 3D survey design and specialized data reprocessing, and Aberdeen-based contractors to help with early well planning.

For much of his exploration career Peace has worked in the greater Medi-terranean region. He worked in Milan for Agip and Penn Geophysical, and headed an interpretation team of eight


Jeremy Beckman

Editor, Europe

S P E C I A L R E P O R T: M E D I T E R R A N E A N

The Atwood Hunter will shortly drill the

Dalit structure, another gas prospect, in

shallow water closer to the Israeli coast.



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S P E C I A L R E P O R T: M E D I T E R R A N E A N

geologists and geophysicists for Agip review-ing much of the Italian offshore region and the Po Valley. In the 1990s, he was Texaco’s explo-ration manager, based in Rome, and a director of Texaco Italiana Spa.

After leaving Texaco in 1998, Peace was an independent exploration consultant and conducted a regional evaluation of the en-tire Eastern Mediterranean based on Spec-trum’s regional seismic grid of 25,000 line km (15,534 mi).

“Spectrum had a regional seismic grid around Cyprus and Lebanon,” he explains, “based on a reprocessed speculative survey originally acquired in 1975. This data was a wide-spaced regional survey from southern Turkey to the eastern Nile Delta, and cov-ered the thrust zone between Anatolia and North Africa – one of the major continental margins – and it revealed a very attractive new play.

“The old data had imaged the entire Le-vantine basin, which had not really been explored by any of the countries in the re-gion. Due to recording limitations, they had only recorded the fi rst fi ve to six seconds of data – hence also seeing only the top of the basin. However, when Spectrum acquired its 20,000 km (12,427 mi) of new seismic in 2001-2002, it recorded down to 12 seconds, which allowed us to see the deeper part of the basin.”

The only prior wells in the area were off southern Turkey and had led to some small discoveries in the Iskendrun basin. Spec-trum’s new seismic provided a more de-tailed 2D grid over offshore southern Tur-key, Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus, Israel, Gaza, and the outer fringes of Egypt, and was de-signed to promote licensing rounds in these countries.

In 2001, when the surveys were being acquired, the Lebanese government was in talks about a fi rst offshore round, but this never came about at the time. Cyprus also considered staging a round, although this did not take place until 2007-08.

“To date,” Peace adds, “there has been no offshore drilling either in Syria or Cy-prus, and only one well offshore Lebanon. Onshore Cyprus, which is the epicenter of the collision zone with Africa, is one of the toughest to interpret geologically in the world, but we see the sedimentary plays on the fringes of the Levantine basin as very interesting.”

In late 2002, Peace began evaluating Spectrum’s entire database for the eastern Mediterranean region, concluding the pro-gram in fall 2003. The results looked very promising: “In the Levantine basin, includ-ing the Latakia thrust zone in the north, we identifi ed some very interesting structural patterns which showed a lot of individual

seismic leads, from small closures to much larger simple structural traps.”

Southerly analogy

To the south in the Nile Delta, explora-tory drilling began in earnest in the late 1990s. “British Gas started fi nding gas in channel sands in the shallow Pliocene sec-tion above the deeper Messinian salt layer that covers much of the Mediterranean,” says Peace. “Later, they followed similar channel features up the eastern Mediter-ranean coast to make further biogenic gas fi nds off Gaza and southern Israel.

“At that time I was with Texaco and to us, the whole area looked rather gas-prone in the early days. Later on, however, the focus of Nile Delta exploration switched to drilling through the Messinian salt zone, and over the last few years companies have found not just biogenic gas of shallow origin, but also deeper thermogenic gas and, more recently, condensate and oil 4.5 km (2.8 mi) down in the high-pressure/high-temperature zone. So the message is clear: biogenic gas in the shallow section, but thermogenic gas, con-densate and free oil in the deeper pre-salt section, a situation we believe exists in the Levantine basin as well.

“From our evaluation of the Spectrum regional data, we can see that the Levantine basin has some characteristics and geologi-cal conditions similar to the Nile Delta (al-though not at all identical) and which extend into PetroMed’s licenses. Inshore from our blocks, two older wells have already tested 800 b/d of light ‘Jurassic’ oil from deeper ly-ing Jurassic strata underlying our permits. These excellent oil shows are almost cer-tainly the result of migration from the deep-er parts of the basin to the west, and provide further evidence for an active thermogenic hydrocarbon system in the deeper part of the Levantine basin, in part mirroring what we see off Egypt.”

Exploratory leads

Following initial contact and dialogue with the Geophysical Institute of Israel near Tel Aviv, PetroMed submitted its initial tech-nical presentations for its permit areas to the Ministry for National Infrastructure in Jeru-salem early in 2006, and these were granted later that year. Initial evaluations continued to confi rm the potential of the areas, and last year the company opted to convert the per-mits to three-year drilling licenses.

The Sara and Myra licenses both cover 400 sq km (154 sq mi). Peace and his team so far have identifi ed two large prospective lead areas, one in each license, in water depths of around 1,100 m (3,609 ft). One is a thick four-way dip closure from Tertiary to Jurassic, which is on trend with the Dalit

structure in the adjacent Noble-operated permit. The second prospect is a potential reef growth on top of an older high, which is in turn overlain by potential Cretaceous and Tertiary reservoirs, as confi rmed in Tamar.

The company has a letter of agreement for a 3D seismic vessel, and aims to start acquir-ing 3D over the two license areas by mid-year, followed by detailed processing and pre-stacked depth migration of the data.

“We will do the interpretation ourselves,” Peace says. “We’re happy that the structures are there from the 2D data, so the main pur-pose of the 3D seismic is to confi rm internal geological detail within each of the struc-tures to allow us to optimize future drilling locations.

“We need 3D data primarily to defi ne these structures in greater detail – we can see anomalies within them that cannot be resolved by 2D seismic. Thereafter, we plan to select our best drilling locations and be ready to spud our fi rst well within two and a half years from now. At the same time, it is also a case of getting partners on board to share the well costs.”

According to Hagai Amir, PetroMed has been in open dialogue with several major oil companies in this regard. “At this time,” he says, “we are open to offers from potential new fi nancial partners and strategic part-ners from the industry. Ideally, the partner we would prefer would be an established in-ternational oil and gas company with signifi -cant drilling and operational experience.

“PetroMed is currently operator of all three licenses and permits for all technical work up to the initial well spud, but we would welcome specialized geophysical technical assistance from suitably experienced new partners as well. As we are only a small com-pany, we would also prefer that a more expe-rienced oil company partner would operate as we enter the actual drilling phase.”

Water depths in the two drilling permits extend to 1,500 m (4,921 ft). Both carry ini-tial three-year terms, but in the event of a discovery, these can be renewed for a fur-ther four years for appraisal drilling, and 25 years for subsequent development and pro-duction. The work obligations for the adjoin-ing, 18-month exploration permit include geological studies and 2D seismic.

“Our long-term ambition,” says Amir, “is to build a stronger and stronger explora-tion position, work up opportunities that will attract further industry partners, and see them developed while retaining an inter-est therein. In time the company may also consider venturing outside Israel to explore other opportunities, but the recent discov-ery of Tamar has confi rmed our belief in the region, and we are very happy with our cur-rent acreage.” �



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Subsea boosting, processing sustain momentum

Advances, new applications create opportunities

This article addresses the progress made through the application of subsea processing, separation, and boosting technologies in the past year. Maintaining the momentum from a number of recent/current subsea processing installations, development programs and project applications continue to provide the industry with new

technical advancements and opportunities, and some challenges, too.Operators continue to initiate and to fund studies into boosting,

separation, compression, and power delivery and distribution when developing new fi elds. In an attempt to capture the full value of subsea processing’s technical and economic advantages, operators are tak-ing the lead in fi eld development. An increase in overall confi dence towards subsea processing packages is the result of ongoing devel-opment and the success of current systems. Operators appear more open to investigation and development of project-specifi c equipment, and now ask more questions about economics and application details rather than voicing previous concerns about risk and reliability.

INTECSEA has completed multiple proprietary Gulf of Mexico projects which carried subsea processing solutions through the conceptual and pre-FEED stages. Each project performed detailed studies into the current industry offerings; identifying current hard-ware while also planning the development of future complementary technologies required for the entire system. For example, identify-ing the optimal type and size of a subsea pump for an application is only half the battle. If the necessary wet-mate electrical connectors and penetrators are not available, the pumps have to wait.

As the primary subsea processing disciplines (separation, boost-ing, and gas compression) are applied to projects, evolution of the drivers for each of the disciplines continues. Stated advantages are being complemented with new drivers as necessity breeds develop-ment. This is evident in the BP King and StatoilHydro Tordis proj-ects, as both have dealt with unplanned interruptions during the fi rst few months of operation. Yet these interruptions are viewed as prog-ress towards more effi cient solutions; a necessary step in the evolu-tion of the technology. During the Subsea Boosting and Processing Joint Industry Project conducted by INTECSEA in 2007, operators voiced the realization that unforeseen problems were more likely in the fi rst two years than the following three to fi ve years. That is, problems are identifi ed and solved in the early part of application life so operations are much more trouble free after that. The same con-cept applies to technologies in general. As problems are identifi ed and solved, future applications should be much more reliable.

Subsea boosting continues to pave the way for the other subsea processing disciplines in its development and experience. While Fra-mo continues to develop its Hybrid and High Boost pump technol-ogy to combine the benefi ts of helicon-axial and centrifugal pumps for Pazfl or, the Camforce joint venture of Cameron, Curtiss-Wright, and Leistritz anticipates results from the pending Marlim twin-screw pump installation. Keeping pace, Aker Solutions continues to devel-op its new semi-axial pump technology to rival the Framo offerings, while Bornemann and Flowserve continue to advance the technol-ogy of twin screw designs, including Flowserve’s future target offer-ing of a 5-MW pump system.

Schlumberger and Baker Hughes Centrilift continue to develop elec-trical submersible pump (ESP) technology. Centrilift expects success-ful installations offshore Brazil will continue to push the advancement of ESPs. Pending installations and operations include BC-10, Golfi nho, and Albacore Leste. Similarly, the Shell Perdido project aims to set the stage in the Gulf of Mexico by using ESP technology in 8,000 ft (2,438 m) of water with fi ve boosting packages.

Looking further into the future, gas developments at Aasgard and Ormen Lange (both slated for 2012) still are on pace to establish new baselines in gas compression and power distribution technol-ogy. A project update for Ormen Lange is expected at the 2009 Sub-sea Tieback Forum in San Antonio, Texas.

Effects that the current economic downturn will have on the in-dustry cannot be quantifi ed, but it has not yet prevented operators from investigating, developing, or committing to continued develop-ment of subsea processing technology. �

To continue this conversation, contact INTECSEA by e-mailing [email protected].


Michael Padilla

INTECSEA

S U B S E A

Reasons for subsea compression, boosting, water injection, separation

COMPRESSION

Increase subsea tieback distance

Improve fl ow assurance issues

Eliminate offshore platform(s)

ENABLER: The fi eld could not be developed economically and/or

technically (i.e. - Gas tieback under ice in Artic regions)

BOOSTING

Reservoir advantages

Increase ultimate recovery by lowering abandonment

pressure

Enable oil recovery from low-pressure reservoirs

Enable oil recovery of low-quality fl uids

Production advantages

Increase production rate by reducing fl owing wellhead pressure

Reduce opex by reducing recovery time (shorten life of fi eld)

Offset high-friction pressure losses in fl owline due to fl uid viscosity

Offset elevation head pressure loss

Facilities advangages

Longer subsea tiebacks

WATER INJECTION

Eliminate topsides water injection equipment

Eliminate water injection fl owlines

SEPARATION

Minimize topsides water handling

Hydrate control by removing liquids from gas stream

Increase hydrocarbon production volume

Decrease total boost system power requirements

Accelerate and/or increase recovery

Improve fl ow management, fl ow assurance

Reduce capex on topsides processing equipment and pipelines

Improve economics of fi eld with low GOR, high viscosity, low

permeability

COURTESY OF INTECSEA AND BHP BILLITON

As the primary subsea processing disciplines (separation, boost-ng and gas compression) are applied to projects evolution of the

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See the 2009 Subsea Processing poster in this issue.



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March 2009



Port Fourchon thrivesdespite the economy

For continuous news & analysiswww.offshore-mag.com



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NT Port Fourchon thrives despite the economy

Deepwater activity stays the course amid pullback

Buoyed by deepwater activity that shows no sign of drying up anytime soon, Port Fourchon is sidestepping the economic malaise gripping most of the nation and is not just coping,

but fl ourishing. While cash-strapped independents

operating on the continental shelf have pulled back appreciably, the bread and butter for Port Fourchon is the deepwater, where it functions as the primary sup-port base for more than 90% of existing projects. According to a recent Minerals Management Service (MMS) study, that bread and butter is in no danger of going off the shelves in the foreseeable future. In early 2009, the federal agency listed 59 “pending” deepwater projects in the Gulf of Mexico, which is in addition to the 33 wells currently being drilled in deep and ultra deepwater. Factoring in the 135 deepwater fi elds already developed, there are nearly 230 deepwater projects in need of products and services fl owing from the port.

The port’s daily traffi c count appears to confi rm that the global recession has not yet made its way into Port Fourchon, the southernmost port in Louisiana, strategically nestled on 1,300 acres at the mouth of Bayou Lafourche in Louisiana’s southernmost par-ish of Lafourche.

“Interestingly enough, our daily traffi c count in January (2009) was 13% higher than it was in January 2008. So, as you can see, our activity level certainly hasn’t diminished here,” says Ted Falgout, executive director of the Greater Lafourche Port Commission (GLPC), who will retire at the end of the year after 30 years at the helm of Port Fourchon.

Today, more than 250 operators and service and supply companies, from inter-national conglomerates to home-grown, family-owned enterprises, operate out of Port Fourchon. The port’s director of Economic Development, Chett Chiasson, who will suc-ceed Falgout in January, says that number promises to rise considerably as companies stand in line to acquire space being made available through the entity’s aggressive northern expansion project.

“We’ve been averaging about one new lease a month and as fast as we can build these new facilities, they’re taken,” he says.

The latest MMS report follows on the heels of an eye-opening study released in 2008 that examines the regional and national impact of a three-week disruption in oil and gas deliveries from the port’s jurisdiction. Considering that the Gulf of Mexico provides

upwards of one-third of the nation’s domestic oil supply, with 80% expected to fl ow from the deepwater by 2010 when some new develop-ments come on line, the ramifi cations on US energy security of any supply interruption are momentous, the study concludes. What’s more, some 87% of the nation’s offshore gas production comes from the Louisiana outer continental shelf.

Along with its impact on domestic production, Port Fourchon also is home to the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP), the only deepwater facility in the US capable of offl oading supertank-ers carrying imported oil. An estimated 13-15% of the imported oil entering the US market is delivered through LOOP, which also is connected to 50% of the nation’s refi ning capacity. The latest fi gures show LOOP handling more than 1 MMb/d of

imported crude along with 300,000 b/d of domestically produced oil.

Taking all this into account, the study en-titled “Economic Impacts of Port Fourchon on the National and Regional Economies” concludes any long-time disruption from a hurricane or other event would remove some 18% of the nation’s energy supply. Dr. Loren Scott of Loren C. Scott and Associates of

Baton Rouge compiled the study, which was funded by the Loui-siana Department of Economic Development.

Based on an average 2006 oil price of $66/bbl, Scott concluded


Jim Redden

Contributing Editor

Rally Point to keep information fl owing

The next time a hurricane or similar catastrophe strikes South Louisiana, com-munications for employees and companies operating out of Port Fourchon will continue unabated.

By the start of the 2009 hurricane season, Port Fourchon will have its “Rally Point” network in place. It is designed to give employees and companies operat-ing out of the port an uninterrupted communications system. Port Fourchon IT Director April Danos says the Web-based system will provide continual updates.

“During storms, people evacuate and we have no contact information for them. What this will do is allow us to communicate with them, advise them of what is hap-pening at the port, and when they can return,” she explains.

The way it works is each facility and employee will receive access cards and a link where they can provide contact information in case they have to evacuate because of a storm.

Danos says to further facilitate uninterrupted communications, the port is looking at establishing an off-site e-mail service that will provide a “fail over” should elec-tronic communications at the port become inoperable.

“We also are looking at having a mobile communications trailer so the adminis-trative offices and harbor police can be up and running immediately after a storm,” she says.

Retiring Port Fourchon Executive Director Ted

Falgout, right, and his successor, Chett Chias-

son, at the port’s Galliano headquarters.

Tanks for the fi fth M-I Swaco drill-

ing fl uid plant in Port Fourchon

are staged for installation at the

new Gulf Offshore Logistics (GOL)

facility.



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a three-week loss of service for any reason would equate to a national economic impact of $9.9 billion in lost sales, a loss of $2.9 billion in household earnings, and a drop of more than 77,000 jobs across the nation.

Closer to home, the study estimated the economic impact of a supply disruption on the Houma Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Port Fourchon, to be $1.5 bil-lion in lost business sales and a $350 million drop in household earnings.

“We have long felt that the impact of this corridor to our region and nation was huge, and now we have well-documented evidence that even our own estimates were understat-ed. Port Fourchon’s signifi cance is growing every day,” Falgout said when the report was released.

The impact of even a comparatively short-er disruption was driven home in August and September of 2008 when hurricanes Gustav and Ike slammed into the southern Louisiana coast, temporarily shutting off production coming out of the port.

“It is estimated that as a result of Gustav and Ike, over $7 billion worth of oil and gas was made unavailable to the American public,” Falgout said at the time. “The Port is ramping up very quickly to play its role in recovery of the Gulf of Mexico energy industry.”

Port, tenants expanding

Ramping up, indeed. In light of the most recent MMS calculation on the present and future growth of the deepwater oil and gas operations and expectations for 19 newbuild deepwater drilling rigs entering the Gulf of Mexico between 2010-2112, the optimism of port executives and tenants alike is easily justifi ed, and both sides are responding accordingly.

The port, which the Louisiana legislature created in 1960, is moving closer to comple-tion of its 4,000-acre northern expansion project, which essentially would double the facility’s operational area. Port offi cials say they are close to completion of Phase 1 north of the E-Slip development that comprises a 700-acre (2.8-sq km) site that includes 180 acres of non-waterfront property and 21,000 linear ft (6,400 m) of water frontage.

Construction of 2,314 linear ft (705 m) of steel sheet pile bulkhead along Slip B is well under way, with an additional 1,800 linear ft (549 m) of bulkhead expected to be com-pleted by the end of this year. Chiasson says 84% of the property included in the Phase 1 project already has been leased.

“Slip B is nearing completion. Right now, 4,100 ft (1,250 m) of bulkhead is under construction and another 1,425 ft (434 m) is in the planning stages. We also are working on permits for Phase 2 that will include the 7,000 ft long x 700 ft (2,134 m x 213 m) wide Slip C. We expect those permits any day now,” Chiasson says.

Furthermore, Port offi cials say that when Lafourche Parish votes abolished the drilling rig ad valorem tax in 2004, it cleared the way for property within the northern expansion to become an attractive venue for the grow-ing rig repair and refurbishment business.

The South Lafourche Leonard Miller Jr. Airport, which came under the GLPC umbrella in 2001, likewise, is in the midst of a major expansion. The airfi eld, which the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) named Louisiana’s Airport of the Year in 2006, has completed the extension of its runway from 3,800 ft to 6,500 ft (1,158 m to 1,981 m), allowing it to accommodate mid-size business jets.

“Since the (runway) expansion, we’ve see a big increase in jet traffi c. Business jets used to make up about one-fourth of our total

traffi c, but now it’s more like 50-50,” says airport manager, Jason Duet, who adds that Edison Chouest Offshore is completing a hangar to house three of its jets.

Duet says the airport also is looking at developing an industrial park, which would double available crew quarters and other facilities for offshore workers and those engaged in other local projects like the LA 1 highway construction.

The companies operating out of Port Four-chon say the optimism of port executives is clearly justifi able.

“The bottom line is, Port Fourchon provides quick access to the deepwater; so as long as there is an oilfi eld in the Gulf of Mexico, this will continue to be the hub,” says Karl Boffanie, manager of John W. Stone Oil Distributors. �

VIH Cougar joins Port Fourchon helicopter fl eet

By April, Idaho-based VIH Cou-gar Helicopters will be fl ying out of a new hangar and passenger facility at South Lafourche Leon-ard Miller Jr. Airport.

The company has been operat-ing in the Gulf of Mexico since 2005 as part of an alliance with Pacifi c Helicopter Tours Inc. where it fl ew passengers for BP Americas. In October 2008, VIH Cougar completed its Part 135 Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) certifi cation, allowing it to fl y passengers directly, says Gen-eral Manager Bill McDonald.

“We will be conducting pas-senger fl ights for Heerema Marine beginning in the March/April timeframe and will also conduct fl ights for BP on an as-required basis. We also have hopes of securing more passenger contracts with Gulf operators,” McDonald says. “Additionally, VIH Cougar has a depth of experience in search and rescue and we plan to evolve into that role with the Sikorsky S92 by mid-summer.”

McDonald says the company plans to move into its new passenger facility by the end of March and into the new hangar by the end of April. Three 20-passenger Sikorsky S61 helicopters will be based at the airport with an additional S92 ex-pected to join the fl eet in June.

VIH Cougar Helicopters claims it is the only such operator in the Gulf with 100% satellite-based tracking and voice communications. Consequently, it says there is no interruption of service or safety even during inclement weather.

VIH Cougar Helicopters also operates from an office in Bellingham, WA.

An artist’s rendition of the new VHI Cougar Helicopter

hangar and passenger facility at South Lafourche

Leonard Miller Jr. Airport.

A jackup works off the coast of Port Fourchon in aftermath of Hurricane Gustav.



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NT LA 1 coalition, levee district trying

to get Washington’s attention

Emissaries of two prominent alliances in Lafourche Parish are trying to get the ear of Washington, but for entire-ly different reasons.

While the LA 1 Coalition lobbies for a share of the US economic stimulus package to complete construction of the elevated highway, the South Lafourche Levee District is merely trying to convince the federal government that it, indeed, exists. In what threatens to cause fi nancial hardships to local residents and business-es alike, the Federal Emergency Manage-ment Agency (FEMA) says it intends to decertify the nearly 50-mi (80-km) levee that in 40 years has never sustained a breach, despite being slammed by some of the most active and powerful hurricane seasons on record.

In the meantime, LA 1 Coalition Execu-tive Director Henri Boulet says his group had been seeking up to $360 million from the near trillion-dollar stimulus package President Barack Obama recently signed into law, but that request has since been pulled off the table. As the coalition looks elsewhere than the federal government, Boulet says the federal stimulus fi nanc-ing would have gone a long way to help ensure that the main stretch of the nearly $1.6-billion 47-mi (76-km) infrastructure improvement project now under way was completed by 2012 as planned. The federal funds would have been earmarked specifi -cally to complete the elevated eight-mile stretch north of Leeville to the Golden Meadow town limits.

A major sticking point was the compli-cated appropriation formula that has states receiving a percentage of the total monies allocated for national transportation improvements. Boulet’s coalition pushed the Louisiana congressional delegation to encourage the federal government to dedi-cate the full $80 billion proposed earlier

for nationwide highway projects. That way, he says, the four-phase LA1 project has a better chance of landing its full requested amount than if it was forced to try to get a large share of a smaller pie.

However, the fi nal stimulus package earmarks $27.5 billion nationally in high-ways funding to be disbursed through the US Department of Transportation (DOT)

Surface Transportation Formula. That translates into $308 million for Louisiana highways and complicating it even further, the package requires $109 million of high-way monies be spent on transportation projects in urban areas.

“Because under state law the Louisiana Department of Transportation must have the full $360 million identifi ed for the LA


(Above) Construction is well under way on

the new LA 1 elevated roadway.

(Below) The footing of the Leeville Overpass

is engineered specially to resist collisions

and strong tide fl ows.



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1 Project’s Phase II in order to put the project out to public bid, consequently, the LA 1 Project has been taken out of consid-eration for this smaller-than-anticipated pot of money. Even if we received the entire state allocation, it’s simply not enough to do the project,” Boulet says.

He points out, however, that the coali-tion has an alternative federal route for the necessary funding. The funding option, he says, is linked directly to the highway’s federal designation as a “High Priority Cor-ridor,” because of its strategic importance to the nation’s energy security. In addi-tion, the US Department of Homeland Security and the Minerals Management Service (MMS) has named LA 1 a “Critical Asset” and “Focal Point for OCS Activity,” respectively.

“Our hope is that in a much smaller stimulus transportation program, another $1.5 billion from the DOT Secretary is available for him to disburse at his discre-tion under a competitive grant program that provides no state can get more than $300 million and that must be intended for projects of national signifi cance, which he is supposed to distribute equitably be-tween rural and urban communities. We are in talks with the state Department of Transportation to allow the LA 1 Project to be Louisiana’s sole application to this program, because we do not think there is

a more signifi cant project to the country’s economy than the LA 1 Project is at this time,” he says.

As the only overland access to Port Fourchon, which is directly responsible for some 18% of the nation’s energy sup-ply, no one disputes the need to replace the time-worn and fl ood-prone roadway. Owing to the billions of federal funds generated in OCS royalty revenue, the US Congress in 2001 made Louisiana 1 a “High Priority Corridor” – one of only 44 highways in the nation to be so-designated. More recently, a Minerals Management Service (MMS)-authorized study revealed that only 2% of this “High Priority Corridor” was not in need of improvement. The federal agency also estimated that ever-increasing deepwater activity will spur a 60% increase in traffi c along the rapidly deteriorating highway, compared to a national traffi c growth rate that averages 5% a year.

“It’s been made pretty clear that if this highway gets washed out because of a storm, it will have a negative economic impact on the entire country,” Boulet says.

He added the project also has a leg-up in that the full Environmental Impact State-ment has been completed and acquisition of remaining right-of-ways is well under way.

In addition, not only is LA 1 widely rec-

ognized as “America’s Energy Corridor,” it provides the only hurricane evacuation route out of Port Fourchon. The existing sea-level highway repeatedly is closed to traffi c even during less severe weather. The ramifi cations are magnifi ed during a hurricane, which Gary Ellis, for one, will be the fi rst to affi rm.

The general manager of Gulf Offshore Logistics (GOL), the newest company to set up shop in Port Fourchon, says the service and supply facility had just begun operations in August 2008 when Category Two Hurricane Gustov pummeled south Louisiana. “Highway One was closed so we all had to stay here. We desperately need that new highway,” he says.

While the coalition awaits word on federal stimulus funding, construction is well under way, thanks to a combination of local and state funds. The coalition will celebrate a major milestone later this year with completion of the 4.4-mi (7.1-km) overpass toll way over Bayou Lafourche at Leeville. A major component of this phase of the project is replacing the 40-year-old and often inoperative Leeville lift bridge with a fi xed-level overpass that features a 72-ft (22-m) clearance. Closed often by high tidal fl ows and collisions, the existing Leeville bridge has long been cited as the weakest line in the LA 1 network.

“Based on the future traffi c estimates



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we’ve seen, we estimate the tolls will allow us to retire all our (highway construction) bonds within 30 years,” Boulet says.

He says the phased construction ap-proach allows portions of the project to be constructed as funding is made available. In addition, the roadway is designed to facilitate “end-on” construction methods to help protect sensitive wetlands and marshes wherever possible. Boulet added that concrete from the soon-to-be-disband-ed Leeville bridge also will be crushed and used for wetlands restoration.

FEMA decertifi cation ‘ironic’

Meanwhile, Windell Curole, general manager of the South Lafourche Levee District, says he is cautiously optimistic FEMA will rethink its decertifi cation of the levee, which would decree new residents and businesses build as high as 14 ft (4 m) above sea level. Currently, con-struction in the levee district is authorized at elevations of 2½ ft to 4 ft above sea level. The ring levee protects the towns of Golden Meadow, Larose, and Galliano, key support centers for South Louisiana’s offshore energy production.

The problem arose when FEMA adopted new standards that increased the strength of 100-year storms for national fl ood insur-ance purposes. “We’re trying to work with FEMA. We’re reviewing the fl ood elevation

models and probabilities, but there’s a lot of leeway in judgment and assumptions when you’re doing modeling. What they’ve done is take a few observations and default to models, but you need experts to inter-pret those,” Curole says.

Curole says the threatened decertifi ca-tion is ironic, considering the levee is the only one south of Intercoastal that has never breached even in the face of the massive storms that have hit the coast in

recent years. He added the importance of both the levee and the new LA 1 to the en-ergy security of the area and nation cannot be understated.

“This is a working coast. We don’t have any condos or beaches and we have some of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. The farmer in Iowa may never visit South Louisiana, but he’ll defi nitely feel the effects if fuel from here is cut off,” he says. �

New LA 1 construction timeline

Phase 1A: Construction of two-lane elevated highway south of Leeville to LA 3090 at Port Fourchon (6.8 mi).

Completion target: 2011

Phase 1B & 1C: Construction of a fi xed-span, high-level, two-lane over-pass over Bayou Lafourche at Leeville, and associated interchanges and toll booths (4.4 mi).


Phase 2: Highway widening and upgrades from Port Fourchon to Grand Isle (8 mi)

Construction of a two-lane elevated highway from Golden Meadow to Leeville (8.3 mi).


Phase 3: Construction of a four-lane, at-grade highway from Larose to US Highway 90 (19.5 mi).


Phase 4: Construction of an ad-ditional two lanes of elevated highway from Golden Meadow to Port

Fourchon, including the Leeville Overpass, and upgrades to LA 1 from Fourchon to Grand Isle. (17 mi)


www.offshore-mag.com • March 2009 Offshore 57



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In stark contrast to much of the US, in La-fourche Parish “help wanted” signs are as prevalent as the bayou and shrimp boats.

“While the national economy has slowed and people are losing their jobs,

we haven’t seen the slow down here,” says Danos & Curole Vice President of Domes-tic Operations Paul Danos. “Job seekers recognize the need here and consequently we’ve had a great deal of interest from as far as Detroit, Florida, Oklahoma, and New York.”

The demand for workers is so strong the 62-year-old family-owned company, which provides supplemental labor and related services, recently constructed a second bunkhouse at its Larose head-quarters to accommodate workers from outside the area.

Danos says the most pressing needs include specialized disciplines such as offshore and onshore crane operators, I&E technicians, mechanics, logistical person-nel, production operators, welders, project managers, and a wide range of maritime positions. He adds that the skill sets of any number of workers displaced from other industries as well as soon-to-be-discharged US military personnel can be transferred with specialized training and development to the offshore and the onshore support environments.

“Our core competency is in developing people. We can work with people with no experience in the oilfi eld and put them through a comprehensive, hands-on training

and development program. In addition, every person we send to a customer’s operation has completed an intensive four-day training program that educates them in our safety culture and provides hands on, practical training for their work. That is a real asset to our customers.”

“Some companies provide labor. We provide a service,” adds Manuel Merlos, divi-sion manager – Labor Services.

In addition to providing a supplemental labor force, Danos & Curole provides Construction and Fabrication services and recently established a Coatings Divi-sion to paint and blast offshore platforms and onshore industrial structures. The company also created a Professional Safety Services Division offering a suite of enhanced services designed to provide clients a “total safety and environmental management plan to reduce losses from employee injuries, property damage, and

environmental incidents.” To properly match available personnel

with a client’s requirements, Danos & Curole also developed a personnel tracking software system.

“What this involves is matching the specifi cations for the position the company is looking to fi ll with an individual who has the proper certifi cations or qualifi cations, says Paul Danos. “Every employee in our system has a link to all of their training, certifi ca-tions, and skill levels. That way, the customer is assured we have sent the right person for a specifi c job.”

Danos & Curole says the key differentia-tor with its services is the focus on training and safety. According to the company web-site, “Our commitment to training is a refl ec-tion of our core values. Danos and Curole provides quality training to our employees through a well managed and documented process. Our training is designed to meet or exceed compliance standards set by govern-ment agencies, expectations of customer contracts, company best practices, and job-specifi c skills.”

The company offers nearly 300 courses for employee development covering cur-riculums devoted to training in such areas as core compliance, DEVELOP Production Personnel, core initiatives, and DOT-OQ Leadership.

Danos & Curole was recently awarded the Houma District 2009 Minerals Management Service SAFE Award and is a 2009 nominee for the MMS’ National SAFE award. �


It is impossible to drive down a roadway in

Lafourche Parish without seeing “help wanted”

signs.

Jane Arnette makes no attempt to curb her enthusiasm when she discusses a program aimed at molding a new generation of workers for the southernmost parishes of Louisiana.

The executive director of the South Central Industrial As-sociation says the group’s Work It! The Louisiana initiative has been a hit with students, teachers, and business leaders. Described as “a creative marketing and recruitment plan” to address current employment needs, the long-term goal is to educate students on job opportunities and salary expecta-tions.

The pilot program encompasses seven parishes, includ-ing Lafourche, Terrebonne, St. Mary, Assumption, St. John, St. James, and St. Charles. Arnette says Work It! Louisiana is “motivated and executed by local businesses, with the total support of educational system.”

“Others have tried somewhat similar approaches, but none of those were ever structured as a team approach generated from the business aspect. In the past they were always gener-ated from the education side of it. We felt like we needed to look at long-term recruitment and the only way to do that is through the children of Louisiana,” Arnette says.

She explains the program is designed to encourage the student to “value and take pride” in any chosen career path. The strategy involves an aggressive media campaign includ-

ing classroom posters, media advertisement, a website, classroom career videos, career link events, speaker’s bureau, and is driven further by teacher Work It! champions from each participating school. Arnette says the initiative focuses on lo-cal students, who do not have the fi nancial means or inclina-tion to attend a college or university.

“We’re trying to expose them to multiple career paths and we’re doing that through several initiatives, including having champions in every school from grades 6-12. We’re not re-questing the presidents of companies speak to these kids, but the working class guy. Recently, we had a guy speak on how geometry is used in drilling. It was awesome and so motivat-ing. The kids were excited, the teacher was excited and the speaker was excited. We also brought in a boat captain and when he told the kids he was making $100,000 a year, that got their attention,” she says.

The work has not gone unnoticed at higher levels. In July 2008, Louisiana legislators approved $370,000 in state funding with the Louisiana Economic Development and the Louisiana Department of Education promising additional monies.

“Our objective is to bring nobility back to our work force and that’s critical because these kids have always been told that if they don’t go to college they’re somehow lacking. We want these kids to feel good about their career choices. We want them to take pride in their careers. That’s what we’re all about.”

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proposed for Port Fourchon

If Edison Chouest Offshore and local businessman Jim Moncus have their way, Port Fourchon soon could be home to two new offshore facilities.

Chouest Marketing Manager Dan-iel W. LaFont says the company is looking at constructing a modifi ed version of its C-Port 1 and 2 facilities, designed specifi -cally for the timely delivery of supplies and equipment to the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. Unlike its two counterparts, the latest version would comprise a straight-line uncovered dock with 1,800 ft (549 m) of bulkhead with cranes, he says.

In December 2008, Edison Chouest Senior Vice President Roger White told the Greater Lafourche Port Commission that construction of the so-called Chouest Shorebase Services facility would not be-gin until 2010 at the earliest. The company has been in negotiations to lease a 71-acre track within the port’s ongoing northern expansion project. If all goes well, Edison Chouest will be the fi rst client to commit

to the port’s 400-acre expansion around a third channel called Slip C.

With more than a mile of bulkhead, the proposed facility will be capable of accom-modating heavier crane capacity and offer more space to store greater quantities of water, chemicals, and drilling fl uids. The project is aimed primarily at servicing the 19 new deepwater rigs slated to enter the Gulf of Mexico over the next three years.

In a related development, Chouest is nearing completion of a covered three-slip drydock in Port Fourchon that is designed to handle large anchor-handling vessels. LaFont says the facility is expected to be in operation by early in the second quarter.

The new drydock is 420 ft x 400 ft (128 m x 122 m) and rises 150 ft (46 m) above the water level. Since it is under cover, repairs will not be impacted by weather, LaFont says, adding the facility can ac-commodate anchor handlers as large as the 348-ft (106-m) long Laney Chouest, the largest in the company’s fl eet.

“This facility is designed specifi cally for anchor handling vessels. Before when they had an issue that needed addressing they had to go to Houma or Biloxi. These are expensive pieces of equipment so you need to get them repaired and turned around as quickly as possible. It’s very costly for a rig to be sitting there waiting for them,” LaFont says.

“We just felt it would be more cost ef-fective to have a facility right here in Port Fourchon. The demand is so strong that the facility will pay for itself in a relatively short time.”

Meanwhile, Moncus says land is available and all he needs are client commitments to make his Deepwater Storage & Service facility a reality. The founder and former owner of Devin International supply and manufacturing company, describes his concept as the only industrial storage and service facility that allows companies to re-furbish and securely store deepwater tools and other equipment.



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OPERATIONS8114 West Highway 90

Broussard, Louisiana 70518Tel: 337.365.0180Fax: 337.365.0037

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Moncus says the facility is geared to-ward downhole specialty equipment, such as drill collars, that previously had to be taken to central storage facilities in Houma or Lafayette. In addition to the warehouse storage facility, the proposal also would have provisions for maintenance and wash

areas. “These are high-end components that they do not want to leave outside and unsecured,” he says.

Moncus notes while many companies build facilities to store their own equip-ment, a need defi nitely exists for a univer-sal location to be shared. “It makes sense

to have a central facility here. There’s a great deal of business in the deepwater so the opportunity is defi nitely there. It’s just a matter of lining up the fi rst couple of clients and then we’re up and running.”

Greene’s Energy Group LLC acquired Moncus’ former company in 2008. �

Edison Chouest Offshore’s new anchor-handling drydock rises above the wetlands of Lafourche Parish. The facility is slated to be in operation this

spring.



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Halo LLC is using advanced technol-ogy as an integral component of its “Life First” safety initiative.

One of the newest companies to locate in Port Fourchon, Louisiana,

the provider of wire rope, chains, slings, and related industrial equipment for the offshore has incorporated Radio Fre-quency Identifi cation (RFID) technology to ensure traceability of all its products. President and owner Ken Ragusa says that unlike the traditional stainless tagging systems popularized in the 1980s, RFID eliminates human error and instantly advises clients when slings and other in-dustrial products are scheduled for safety inspections.

“This is revolutionary technology and is keeping with what the industry wants and needs,” Ragusa says. “We listened to our end users and they want total traceability and we want to modernize the industry by using innovative and creative technology to ensure our goal of keeping ‘Life First’.”

While RFID tracking tags can be found in everything from passports to people, it was only a few years ago that they made their way into the oilfi eld. Today, closed-

loop RFID systems provide 100% comput-erized and transparent record keeping, which helps end users minimize mistakes and speed up the typically tedious tracking process.

“This technology can be added to any product we fabricate, test or inspect,” says Ragusa. “It eliminates paperwork, helps clients maintain compliance, and ensures total traceability of our products. More importantly, it strengthens our commitment to keeping ‘Life First’ as opposed to ‘Safety First.’ I am very passionate about safety and this is in keeping up with what the industry wants,” says Ragusa.

Founded in 2007, Halo opened its 11,000-sq ft (1,022-sq m) rigging ware-house and fabrication shop at the 25-acre InterMoor facility in December 2008. The facility is equipped with a 4,000-ton (3,629-metric ton) hydraulic swaging machine able to press up to 6-in. (15-cm) wire rope, and seven spooling units capable of handling up to 300,000 lb. In addition, the facility houses a 3-million lb (1,361-metric ton), 220-ft (67-m) load test bed with an 11-ft (3-m) stroke capable of testing all sizes and types of mooring

lines and heavy-lift slings. In addition to slings, wire rope, and relat-

ed products, the Halo Offshore Equipment Sales and Rental division also offers heave compensation units, ROV handling systems, and abandonment and recovery winches, among other items. Complementing its product offerings are onsite and in-house inspection and training services.

“As a company, we believe it is our responsibility to educate and train our customers to make sure they know how to handle our products in a safe manner,” says Ragusa. “We feel our responsibility for that product does not end when it is delivered to the customer.”

In late 2008, the company went global when it formed a strategic alliance with Gaylin International PTE Ltd. of Singa-pore. The agreement calls from Halo to market Gaylin’s heavy-lift cable-laid slings and grommets in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic basin while Gaylin, in turn, will do the same with Halo products in the Pacifi c Rim.

“Our goal is to become a full-service deepwater rigging and testing center,” Ragusa says. �

Halo goes high-tech to optimize safety


The Halo LLC facility in Port Fourchon is equipped with a 3-million lb (1,361-metric ton), 220-ft (67-m) load test bed to test all sizes and types of moor-

ing lines and heavy-lift slings.

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Higher capacity, smoother discharge

improve supply vessel cargo handling

Hopper and blow-pump bulk handling systems from MacGregor Selfun-loaders increase storage capacity for offshore supply vessels (OSVs). Cur-rently, systems are being installed on

10 newbuild vessels.The company – part of Cargotec Corp.’s

MacGregor Group – has derived the design for this equipment from its pneumatic con-veying system to load and unload cement carriers, fi rst introduced in 1947 and further refi ned over the years. In 2004, with the sud-den boom in offshore vessel construction, the company decided to transfer its bulk handling expertise into this market.

Bulk cargoes carried by OSVs typically include barite and ben-tonite, as well as cement. “The major disadvantage with conven-tional bulk handling systems in OSVs is that they rely on pressur-ized storage tanks,” says Pankaj Thakker, senior sales manager for MacGregor Selfunloaders in Sweden.

During discharge, it is the pres-sure differential between the tank and the discharge line which, with the aid of compressed air, conveys the bulk material out of the tank. “Because the tanks are pressur-ized,” he adds, “they have to be circular, which is not an optimal shape when it comes to using the storage space in a vessel’s hull.”

The MacGregor solution instead stores cargo in hoppers, which have fl oors covered with aeration panels. The fl oors are tilted at an angle of 12º in the direction of the outlet, below which is situated a blow-pump. Dis-charge is achieved by passing air through the aeration panels. This fl uidizes the cargo which, under the infl uence of gravity, fl ows to the outlet and drops into the blow-pump. When the chamber of the blow-pump is full, aeration stops, the outlet valve is closed, and compressed air conveys the bulk material from the pump through the discharge line.

Only the blow-pumps are pressurized. Since the hoppers are not pressurized, they are designed for optimal use of available space in the ship’s hull, meaning a rectangu-lar shape. Moreover, they normally can be formed using the existing structure of the

ship – the longitudinal and transverse bulk-heads for the walls and the underside of the main deck for the roof. Only the fl oor needs to be added. Thus, the hopper’s capacity is signifi cantly greater than that of pressurized circular tanks fi tted into the same space – 50-75% greater, according to Thakker.

He cites one current delivery to a VS491 CD anchor-handler under construction at the Batamec Shipyard in Indonesia, in which bulk capacity will be about 500 cu m (654 cu yd). “This is almost 67% higher than the originally planned conventional bulk tank type system

comprising four 75-cu m (98-cu yd) tanks with a total capacity of 300 cu m (392 cu yd).”

To speed discharge, each hopper has two outlets, one in each half. While one pump is fi lling with cargo, the other is discharging its load. The capacity of the blow-pump is 4 cu m (5.2 cu yd).

Less steel

There are other advantages. Less steel is needed to form the hopper, as it makes use of existing bulkheads and deck. In contrast, the pressurized tank has to be built. More-over, because it is pressurized, it needs thicker walls, sometimes up to 20 mm (0.8 in.), which further adds to the required vol-ume of steel.

In addition, the internal wall of the pres-surized tank has to have a special coating of epoxy primer to ensure none of the cargo sticks to it. No special treatment of the inter-nal wall is required for the hopper.

MacGregor also has developed a two-way valve to replace the butterfl y valve at the junction where the cargo transfer line splits into the loading line which enters the top of the hopper and the discharge line run-ning from the blow-pumps. When opened, the butterfl y valve has a blade in the cargo stream, and so tends to wear out.

The two-way valve overcomes any clog-ging in the line – it has a disc which fi ts on the line that needs to be blocked. Since it does not intrude into the cargo stream, it suffers almost no wear and tear, Thakker says. It is

fi tted with an inspection cover for easy maintenance.

The MacGregor system avoids clogging the discharge line due to high humidity in the air used for conveying the cargo (which often leads to the air being passed through refrigerant dryers). In the case of the hopper and blow-pump system, between each fi ll and discharge cycle of the blow-pump, the whole discharge line is blown clean.

“To fully realize the benefi ts of the self-unloading system, it should be taken on board at the project’s design stage,” Thakker says. “It should be emphasized that the hopper and blow-pump

system is integrated within the structural design of the vessel, and early discussions between ship designer and system designer are crucial for successful implementation.”

The fi rst hopper and blow-pump systems for offshore application are now being fi tted in four offshore vessels under construction at Batamec for Mosvold Supply. Last year the company also received orders for six newbuild vessels from Arabian Gulf’s Whi-tesea Shipping & Supply. �

For more information contact Pankaj Thakker,

Cargotec Sweden, MacGregor Selfunloaders. Tel +46

171 232 56, fax +46 171 232 99, pankaj.thakker@

macgregor-group.com, www.macgregor-group.com


S W E D E N

ON THE COVER: the Deepsea Atlantic semisubmersible. Picture courtesy GVA Consultants

MacGregor’s

hopper and blow-

pump bulk handling

system offers gains

in storage capacity

compared with

pressurized tanks.



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water and weather conditions. Every single unit GVA have supplied is still in operation today.

GVA is the leading marine and offshore design company for semi-submersibles and other floating units.

Based on the experience of more than 100 projects in more than 20 countries, we deliver trusted, cost-efficient

design solutions.

Our range of products and services includes conceptual designs, basic designs for offshore vessels, engineering

for conversions and upgrades, project management support and research & development services.

In short, we got to the top – and we aim to stay on the top.

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Syntactic foam wrap helps protect

casings against HP/HT damage


Trelleborg CRP has introduced CFW+, an upgraded version of its crushable foam wrap for use in high-pressure/high-temperature wells.

CFW mitigates casing failure caused by annular pressure-build-up, or trapped annular pressure, a phenomenon restrict-

ed to subsea wells. Fluids such as brine and drilling muds from the drilling phase, and solids such as rock chippings become trapped in the outer casing annuli, also known as the “B” and “C” annuli.

When the well is brought into production, and the hot wellstream fl ows to the surface, heat transfers to the outer annuli. This causes an increase in pressure in these annuli, which is not vented to air. The trapped fl uids are incompressible so they do not mitigate pres-sure build-up.

If the pressure reaches a certain level, something has to give – fl u-ids may leak or, in the worst case, there may be catastrophic failure of the casing, says Guy Downie, manager of the subsea group at Trelleborg CRP. The well then has to be shut down, and may be lost permanently, leading to a large investment going down the drain – these days a deepwater well into an HP/HT reservoir can cost $50-100 million. Recovery costs can be even more expensive.

There are well-documented cases, such as well A2 on BP’s Marlin deepwater development in the Gulf of Mexico. Much effort was put into investigating this incident. To quote from one resulting paper, “Pressur-ization of outer annuli due to the production of thermal effects was iden-tifi ed as one of two possible root causes of the failure” (SPE 77473).

Honeycomb structure

Trelleborg fi rst launched CFW in the early 1990s as a means to combat annular pressure build-up when subsea wells were becom-ing increasingly popular as a means of production. Over the years, technology enhancement has expanded the operating envelope more than 4,000 psi (25.6 MPa) and 80-100º C (176-212º F). To date this has been suffi cient to meet most requirements. Recent deliver-ies include a 21-well deepwater development off Nigeria.

But with downhole operating conditions becoming ever more ex-treme, the company decided a new grade of CFW with higher capa-bilities was needed. The result is CFW+, which can operate in tem-peratures of 175º C (347º F) or more and at much higher pressures.

CFW is a polymeric material with a honeycomb microstructure which collapses under pressure. It is made of syntactic foam – resin – with microscopic glass bubbles, or microspheres, embedded in it. Downie describes it as a mechanical fuse – at a pre-determined pres-sure and temperature, the glass bubbles, which are voided, collapse, causing the material to shrink in size and allowing expansion of the annulus fl uids and dissipation of potentially hazardous pressure.

For the CFW+ development, the resin system was modifi ed to ex-pand the operating envelope. Different grades of microspheres are used, with crush strengths ranging from 250 to beyond 18,000 psi (1.7 to beyond 124 MPa).

Each delivery is tailored to the requirements of the individual well

as specifi ed by the operator’s well design engineers. The amount of CFW is dictated by the collapse volume and crush percentage requirements, Downie says. The collapse volume is defi ned as the calculated volume increase of the annular fl uids brought about by thermal expansion between the installation (or ambient) tempera-ture and the operating temperature during production.

The crush percentage is defi ned as the amount of compression un-der isostatic load allowed by the foam before catastrophic collapse. This value is usually between 30% and 40% depending on the foam formulation. From the collapse value and the crush percentage, the total volume of foam required can be calculated. The crush mecha-nism is progressive over the pressure envelope, but complete failure is designed to occur well before the casing collapse pressure.

CFW typically is supplied in quadrant cylinders around 1 m (3.28 ft) long – these are rectangular sections bonded to the outside of the pro-duction casing using an acrylic adhesive. They can be located anywhere within the annulus while still allowing the free fl ow of the liquids.

CFW is quick and easy to install on the casings onshore prior to deployment, whether by Trelleborg CRP off-site teams or by those installing the well.

There are other methods of mitigating annular pressure build-up, Downie says. For example, the wall casing can be dimensioned to withstand whatever pressure is anticipated in the outer annuli, implying a thick casing. Other options include insulated casing, to limit heat transfer, burst disks, or pumping nitrogen, a compressible fl uid, into the outer annuli.

Currently, CFW is the only solution which operates on both pres-sure and temperature triggers, rather than pressure alone, accord-ing to Downie. “Additionally, the feedback we have received from our clients is that it is one of the few systems that works without affecting casing integrity.” �

For more information, contact Guy Downie, Trelleborg CRP, Tel +44 1695 712 018,

fax +44 1695 712 111. [email protected], www.trelleborg.com

Nick Terdre

Contributing Editor

S W E D E N

Crushable foam wrap from Trelleborg CRP being attached to casing. The

wrap is used to combat annular pressure build-up in subsea wells.



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S W E D E N

Mooring group sees signs of recovery

Anchor chain manufacturer Ramnäs has landed its biggest order ever. The order is to supply chain to Hyundai Heavy Industries for mooring Total’s Usan FPSO off Nigeria. The order is

valued at more than SEK 120 million ($14.38 million).

In a hectic period in January, the company booked two further orders, consolidating a strong start to the year. “We’ve got roughly one year’s production on our order book, says Magnus Westher, president of Ramnäs, “but it’s not all for 2009. We still have some capacity available for this year.”

The Usan FPSO contract calls for lengths of chain of both 142-mm (5.59-in.) R4 grade and 147-mm (5.79-in.) R3S grade for 17 moor-ing legs. The total weight of chain will be sig-nifi cantly greater than the 3,400 metric tons (3,748 tons) which was the maximum the company had previously delivered in a single order. Final shipment is due in May 2010.

The company also will supply six 1,100 m (3,609 ft) legs of 103 mm (4.06-in.) R4S chain to Saipem to moor OLT Offshore LNG

Toscana’s Livorno fl oating regasifi ca-tion plant off Italy. Delivery is due next October. A third recent order was for 7,500 m (24,606 ft) of 76-mm (2.99-in.) R4 chain to drilling contrac-tor Odfjell, to be delivered in June.

Last year was eventful for Ramnäs, which was acquired by a Norwegian consortium led by Carl Arnet, CEO of BW Offshore, leaving the previous Swed-ish owners with a 30% stake. Ramnäs also in-stalled a new machine to improve its capac-

ity for proof-loading services, for which there is increasing demand among mooring component suppli-ers and users.

Fall, however, was a nervous peri-od, says Westher, with customers putting their projects on hold. “Fortunately some of them have now decided to go ahead.” Despite that uncertain period, Ramnäs expects to post bet-ter results for 2008 than the previous year.

Meanwhile the company has expanded the range of chain strengths it can offer, having received certifi cation from both DNV and ABS for the R5 grade. With a yield strength of 760 MPa and an ultimate tensile strength of 1,000 MPa, R5 has a proof-load and a break-load both 16% higher than R4. �

For further information, contact Magnus Westher,

Ramnäs Bruk. Tel +46 220 220 01, fax +46 220 358

37, [email protected], www.ramnas.com

Under President Magnus Westher,

anchor chain manufacturer Ramnäs

has had a busy start to 2009.

Our drive is your performance.

Hägglunds Drives AB, SE-890 42 Mellansel, Sweden. Tel: +46 (0)660-870 00. E-mail Business Area Manager: [email protected], www.hagglunds.com

Demanding applications?We’ve seen them all.

With proven performance on waters around theworld, Hägglunds drive systems can make all thedifference. You are up and running smoothly with a simple, flexible design that's easy to install andsaves on valuable space. Along with excellent service, we will ensure you get outstanding powercapacity and durability with systems made for toughmarine environments. Let us know your demands. See us at OTC, stand #2605.

Ramnäs’ new proof-loading machine.



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Stabilized antenna expected to improve

satellite coverage on seismic vessel

Maritime communications specialist C2SAT has sold its fi rst VSAT antenna for use on a seismic ship, Wavefi eld Inseis’ Malene Ostervold. The antenna forms part of a TracSAT satellite communications system supplied by the Swedish company’s partner in Norway, ID Systems.

The VSAT – very small aperture terminal – antenna delivered to Wavefi eld is a 1.2-m (3.9-ft) Ku-band unit.

Wavefi eld purchased the TracSAT system after testing to verify satellite coverage and global function. The company’s IT manager, Jan Vidar Nordstrand, says the equipment “excelled in the tests we performed. The C2SAT antenna, combined with the complete solu-tion provided by Trac ID, is a signifi cant improvement for us.”

“This sale should be regarded as a reference installation for the oil and gas industry,” adds Mats Back, C2SAT’s director of business development. “A lot of companies are interested in seeing how the TracSAT solution works, especially in different parts of the world.”

The focus of the cooperation is the development of the Radio Link Point-to-Point system which allows the transfer of huge quantities of data – 155 megabytes per second – by radio. This service requires a vessel to carry four antennas, two at the bow and two at the stern, to ensure uninterrupted contact with the satellite.

Both partners are fi nalizing tests of a specially developed switch to control which antenna is transmitting at any time. An upgraded radio amplifi er supplied by Ericsson has made this task easier, as it automati-cally controls which of each pair of antennas is in transmission mode. The Radio Link Point-to-Point system now is available to the market. �

For more information contact Mats Back, C2SAT Communications. Tel +46 8748

0144, fax +46 8748 0143, [email protected], www.C2SAT.com

S W E D E N

Malene Ostervold is the fi rst seismic ship to be fi tted with a VSAT stabi-

lized antenna.



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S W E D E N

Transatlantic, the only Swedish shipown-er operating offshore supply vessels, is gearing up to be a player in the arctic offshore market, according to business manager for offshore/ice-breaking, Ste-

fan Eliasson.Until late last year the company was involved

in a joint venture with Norwegian group Viking Ship Supply, operating four anchor-handling tug/supply vessels, three of them also ice-break-ers. When the two parties began to diverge on policy issues, they agreed to discontinue the joint arrangement, each taking two of the vessels.

Transatlantic now operates Balder Viking and Tor Viking, both ice-breakers. Under a 15-year agreement with the Swedish Maritime Admin-istration, these are available for ice-breaking duties in the Baltic Sea during the fi rst quarter of the year. Otherwise, they work mainly in the North Sea spot market, where Transatlantic and Viking continue to cooperate.

In 2010 and 2011, two new anchor-handlers, both under construction at the Astilleros Za-makona yard in Spain, will join the Transatlan-tic fl eet. Both will comply with the Swedish-Finnish 1A ice-class.

“We see a big increase in activities in this market within three to fi ve years,” says Elias-son.

In supporting this ambition, the company has established three courses in ice manage-ment and associated topics at Kalmar Mari-time Academy in southern Sweden to help de-velop the required crew competency. And last month it was set to announce the formation of the Transatlantic Ice Council, comprising eight ice experts from Russia, Finland, Ger-many, Sweden, Canada, and the US. They will provide the company’s customers with best practice and advice about ice operations.

Under its joint venture with Viking, the company undertook various assignments in

arctic areas. In 2004 Vidar Viking, one of the ships now with Viking, was fi tted with a drill-ing rig and drilled for cores on the Lomonos-ov Ridge close to the North Pole on behalf of a Russian scientifi c expedition.

In 2007 Tor Viking worked for Shell for six months off Alaska, performing ice-breaking and anchor-handling duties. Last year Vidar

Viking worked as an ice-breaker off Greenland supporting seismic activities for a consortium led by StatoilHydro. �

For further information contact Stefan Eliasson, Red-

eri AB Transatlantic. Tel +46 304 67 47 00, fax +46

304 67 47 70, [email protected], www.rabt.se

Transatlantic’s anchor-handler Tor Viking on

station in the Arctic ice.

ransatlantic, the only Swedish shipown-er operating offshore supply vessels, is

i b l i h i

In 2010 and 2011, two new anchor-handlers,both under construction at the Astilleros Za-

k d i S i ill j i h T l

Supply vessel specialist building

expertise in ice operations



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Micro-seismics technique sheds

light on fracturing operations

Atechnique to visualize hydraulic fracturing operations has been developed by Guideline Oil Drilling Technology. The company hopes to have a commercial version available by the end of this year, according to CEO Peter Hjorth.

Guideline’s approach involves the use of micro-seismics, which it devised originally as a means to locate the drill bit in real time. During fi eld tests in North America, the company noted its potential for fracturing, and is now developing the two applications in parallel.

Drill bit localization uses seismic waves generated by the friction between the bit and the rock or sand being drilled. With fracturing, the waves are created by stress relief as the rock fractures under the pressure of the fl uid and solid material pumped into it under high pressure. In both cases the signals are registered by an array of receivers deployed at the surface above the well.

Guideline has formulated data algorithms to indicate the location of the source of the waves. For drill bit location, there is just one source of events, but in the case of fracturing, there are multiple events at multiple locations.

A feasibility test on a horizontal well in Canada was encouraging, according to chief technology offi cer Ivo Henriksson. The frac was performed in several zones along the horizontal section of the well at a depth of 5-6,000 ft (1,524-1,829 m), in a hydrocarbon-bearing lay-er about 30 ft (9 m) thick. Knowing the geology where the test was carried out and the locations where the fracing emanated from, the team concluded that the results were realistic, Henriksson says.

The fi eld’s operator is working “in the dark” for almost all fractur-ing, he adds, so its only way of judging the effectiveness of a frac operation is the resultant well performance. A means to map the operation will make it possible to assess both the extent and the direction of the fracture. This should allow the operator to improve control of the operation and to judge when it has achieved its aims, making the entire operation more cost-effective.

Henriksson says the technology’s accuracy is suffi cient in terms of the deviation on a horizontal plane, although some improvement is required in the vertical plane. A development program which will involve several tests is scheduled for this year in Canada or North America.

Tight reservoirs

The company is encouraged by market prospects. According to market analyst Spears & Associates, the downhole pressure pump-ing services sector, of which fracturing accounts for the largest part, exhibited compound annual growth of 21% in 1999-2007. In 2007 it was evaluated at about $20 billion.

This refl ects the well-known fact that the industry increasingly has to tackle tight reservoirs which restrict hydrocarbon fl ow. Frac-ing is widespread in North America, in both vertical and horizontal wells, Henriksson says.

The same development is taking place offshore. In the UK south-ern gas basin, for instance, several operators have implemented fracturing to improve production. In one recent case it was only after conducting successful frac operations on a fi eld that a leading opera-tor decided that development would be economic.

Taking the Guideline method offshore represents a signifi cant step which the company will consider once the onshore version is commercial. In principle it could be implemented offshore using an array of receivers on the seabed, although like other novel offshore technologies, a higher level of cost will be involved.

Meanwhile the drill bit development is progressing, though at a somewhat slower pace. A number of fi eld tests have been done and more are planned. However, drilling activities have declined in line with the oil price drop, as have the cost of associated services. So for the time being, the company’s business focus will remain on fractur-ing visualization.

More work also needs to be done on the sensor for the drill bit de-velopment, Henriksson adds. Drilling for oil and gas usually involves drilling through sedimentary formations consisting of multiple lay-ers in which seismic waves propagate with different velocities. The sensor, therefore, needs to be able to receive signals imparted with a range of different velocities.

“It’s both a sensor and a mathematical problem. When it comes to hydraulic fracturing, we have pretty much resolved this and arrived at solutions for the algorithms, but there is more to do regarding the drill bit application,” says Henriksson.

Guideline also has become active in a new technology through its acquisition last year of Malå Geoscience, a specialist in ground penetrating radar. This technology also is relevant to the oil and gas industry, Hjorth says. One tool developed and sold by this company is the omnidirectional borehole radar which is deployed downhole to map the surrounding formation. �

For more information contact Peter Hjorth, Guideline Oil Drilling Technology. Tel

+46 8 655 3641, fax +46 8 655 2610, [email protected], www.

guidelinetechnology.com


S W E D E N

Guideline has developed a method to visualize the effects of hydraulic

fracturing. Here a fracing operation is prepared at an onshore well.



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More Bytes, More Barrels:Business-Driven Innovation

7–8 April 2009Marriott Houston Westchase

Houston, Texas, USAwww.digitalenergy2009.com

Gulf Coast Section

The 2009 Digital Energy Conference and

Exhibition will emphasize case studies related

to people, processes, and technology issues.

The conference will address the challenges of

��

deployment

��

sustainable strategies

Register now at www.digitalenergy2009.com.



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People

Prospectiuni has appointed

Timothy Branch as VP of

business development. Branch

previously served as country

manager for Petroleum GeoSer-

vices in Morocco.

MODEC has appointed

Nobuhiro Yaji as president

and co-CEO. The company

has also appointed Shashank

Karve as MD and COO as

well as chairman and CEO of

MODEC International Inc.

Kenji Yamada has been named

chairman and continues as CEO

of MODEC Inc.

Wave Imaging Technology

has appointed Tom Wood as VP

of sales and marketing.

CSIP has appointed David

Scott-Frame and Julian

Moore as embedded software

engineers focusing on the com-

pany’s underwater manipulator

arms.

ClerkMaxwell has appointed

Guy Cook as subsea and pipe-

lines director. Cook will focus

on bringing operations, con-

struction, and detailed design

knowledge into the front-end of

projects.

BP has appointed Robert

Dudley as a director, effective

April 6, 2009. As a MD of the BP

Group, he will assume respon-

sibility for broad oversight of

the company’s activities in the

Americas and Asia.

Thales has appointed Michel-

angelo Neri as division country

director in the United Arab

Emirates (UAE). In his new

position, Neri will coordinate

all marketing and sales activities for Thales’s

Security Solutions and Services business in

the region.

Apache Corp. has named Roger B. Plank

as president. The company has also appointed

John A. Crum as co-COO and president–

North America, and Rodney J. Eichler as

co-COO and president–International.

Transocean has appointed Ramon Yi as VP

and treasurer.

MicroSeismic has appointed Malcolm

Macaulay as VP of international sales.

Macaulay previously served as the company’s

international sales manager.

ABS has appointed Sean T. Connaughton

as corporate VP for government affairs. Con-

naughton previously served as US maritime

administrator.

International Association of Drilling

Contractors (IADC) has nominated Naresh

Kumar as a member of the organization’s ex-

ecutive committee. Kumar, who serves as MD

for Jindal Drilling & Industries and president

of Petrotech Society, will serve a three-year

term.

The Greater Lafourche Port Commission

has named Chett Chiasson as successor to

executive director Ted Falgout. Chiasson is

the current director of economic development

and will be the second director in the port’s

history. Falgout is scheduled to retire on Dec.

31, 2009.

Xodus Group has appointed Nick Lodge

and Francis Barrett to the company’s subsea

division as senior consultants.

NCS Survey has appointed Andrew Mc-

Murtrie as business development manager.

McMurtrie has responsibility for further de-

veloping business with NCS Survey’s existing

customer base both in the UK and overseas,

as well as developing relationships with new

customers.

TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Co. (TGS) has

appointed Rod Starr as GM, Asia Pacifi c.

Tanya Johnstone has been promoted to

regional manager – Indonesia and Australasia.

The company also has appointed Iain Buchan

as regional manager – South and Southeast

Asia and Peter Baillie as chief geologist for an

expanded region that now includes Africa and

the Middle East in addition to Asia-Pacifi c.

Newfi eld Exploration has appointed Lee K.

Boothby as president, effective immediately.

The company expects to name Boothby to the

additional role of CEO in May, where he also

will stand for election to the board of directors.

Boothby will succeed David A. Trice, who

plans to retire.

Knight has appointed Doug-

las (Doug) W. Smith to the

company’s corporate sales team

in Houston.

BJ Services has appointed

Ryan Elder as business devel-

opment manager – Middle East

and Russia for the company’s tu-

bular and completion assembly

service line.

The Industry’s Technology

Facilitator (ITF) has promoted

technology manager David

Liddle, to operations direc-

tor. Liddle will be responsible

for the development of the organization’s

strategy. The organization has also appointed

Tony Zaccarini as business development

manager.

InterMoor do Brasil has named Osvaldo

Lorca as project director for its Rio de Janeiro

offi ce. He will be responsible for project

management.

The Minerals Management Service (MMS)

has appointed Ron Brinkman as senior staff

geophysicist for its resource evaluation offi ce.

Brinkman will oversee seismic compliance and

policy issues for the Alaska, Gulf of Mexico, and

Pacifi c MMS regional offi ces.

Knight Manufacturing has

appointed Phillip Thomas

Mitchell as GM. Mitchell will

manage Knight’s manufacturing

division and focus on developing

its workforce.

OPITO – The Oil & Gas

Academy has appointed Mike

Duncan as skills director. The

organization has also appointed

Peter Crowther as technical

specialist and Sam Howard

as corporate communications

manager.

ONGC has appointed Sudhir Vasudeva as

director. He succeeds N K Mitra.

Severneftegazprom has appointed Alexan-

der Popov as director general.

Geomodeling Technology has appointed

Kevin Donihoo as VP of sales and services.

Pegasus International has appointed Bill

Washington as director of business develop-

ment. He will be responsible for leading the

strategic business development activities for

the company’s offshore division. The company

also has appointed Randy Monson to its busi-

ness development team.

Rowan has appointed John J. Quicke, a

managing director and operating partner at

Steel Partners, to the company’s board of

directors.

Pöyry has added Conor Crowley, Neil

Smith, and Peter Henderson to the com-

pany’s board of directors.

Baker Hughes has appointed Russell J.

Cancilla as VP of HS&E, and security.

The Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petro-

leum Board has appointed Stuart Pinks as

CEO.

Aker Solutions has appointed Gary Mandel

as executive VP of the company’s process

and construction business area. He replaces

executive VP Jarle Tautra who moves to a

similar position in the energy development

and services business area.

PIPC has appointed Ben Tye as the fi rm’s

global practice lead. He is joined by Helen

Ratcliffe.

Total has appointed Marc Blaizot to the

company’s corporate management committee.

Eni Norge has appointed Leonardo Stefani

as MD. Former MD, Agostino Maccagni, will

return to Eni’s E&P headquarters in Milan.

The Kuwaiti government has appointed

Sheikh Mohammad Al-Salem Al-Sabah

as oil minister; he replaces Mohammad Al-

Olaim.

B U S I N E S S B R I E F S


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PENNWELL PETROLEUM GROUP

1455 West Loop South, Suite 400, Houston, TX 77027 PHONE +1 713 621 9720 • FAX +1 713 963 6228

David Davis (Worldwide Sales Manager)

[email protected] Simpson (Regional Sales Manager)

[email protected] El-Khelaly (Advertising Services)

[email protected] Glenda Harp (Classifi ed Sales) [email protected]

GREATER HOUSTON AREA, TX

David Davis [email protected]

USA • CANADA

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SCANDINAVIA •THE NETHERLANDS •

MIDDLE EAST

11 Avenue du Marechal Leclerc61320 Carrouges, France

PHONE +33 2332 82584 • FAX +33 2332 74491 David Betham-Rogers [email protected]

UNITED KINGDOM

PennWell CorporationWarlies Park House, Horseshoe Hill, Upshire

Essex, United Kingdom EN9 3SRPHONE +44 (0) 1992 656 665 • FAX +44 (0) 1992 656 700

Linda Fransson [email protected]

FRANCE • BELGIUM • PORTUGAL •

SPAIN • SOUTH SWITZERLAND • MONACO

• NORTH AFRICA

Prominter8 allée des Hérons, 78400 Chatou, France

PHONE +33 (0) 1 3071 1224 • FAX +33 (0) 1 3071 1119 Daniel Bernard [email protected]

GERMANY • NORTH SWITZERLAND •

AUSTRIA • EASTERN EUROPE

RUSSIA • FORMER SOVIET UNION • BALTIC

• EURASIA

Sicking Industrial Marketing, Kurt-Schumacher-Str. 16 59872 Freienohl, Germany

PHONE +49 (0) 2903 3385 70 • FAX +49 (0) 2903 3385 82 Andreas Sicking [email protected]

ITALY

UNIWORLD MARKETINGVia Sorio 47 - 35141 Padova, Italy

PHONE +39 (04) 972 3548 • FAX +39 (04) 985 60792 Vittorio Rossi Prudente [email protected]

BRAZIL / SOUTH AMERICA

Grupo Expetro/SMARTPETRO, Ave. ErasmoBraga 227, 11th fl oor

Rio de Janeiro RJ 20024-900, BRAZILPHONE +55 (21) 2533 5703 or +55 (21) 3084 5384

FAX +55 (21) 2533 4593 [email protected], Url [email protected]

Marcia Fialho marcia.fi [email protected]

JAPAN

e. x. press Co., Ltd. Hirakawacho TEC Bldg., 2-11-11,Hirakawa-cho

Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo 102-0093, Japan PHONE +81 3 3556 1575 • FAX +81 3 3556 1576

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SINGAPORE

19 Tanglin Road #09-07 Tanglin Shopping Center Singapore 247909

PHONE +65 6 737 2356 • FAX +65 6 734 0655 Michael Yee [email protected]

INDIA

Interads Ltd., A-113, Shivalik, New Delhi 110 017 PHONE +91 11 628 3018 • FAX +91 11 622 8928

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NIGERIA/WEST AFRICA

Flat 8, 3rd fl oor (Oluwatobi House) 71 Allen Ave, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria

PHONE +234 805 687 2630 or +234 802 223 2864 Dele Olaoye [email protected]

SALES OFFICESA

Acteon.. ................................................ 2-3www.acteon.com

Alcoa Oil & Gas.. .....................................1www.alcoaoilandgas.com

BBaker Hughes Incorporated ............... 29

www.bakerhughes.comBayou Companies ............................... C3

www.bayoucompanies.comBisso Marine. ........................................11

www.bissomarine.comBupa International. ...............................14

www.bupa-intl.com

CCameron ............................................... C4

www.c-a-m.com/camerondc

DDanos & Curole Marine Contractors.... 55

www.danos.comDelmar Systems, Inc........ .....................61

www.delmarus.com

EESAB Welding & Cutting Products...... 47

esabna.com/seismicEXPRESS WELD, LLC........ ...................60

FFluor Corporation...... ...........................19

www.fl our.com/offshoreFugro...... ................................................35

www.fugro-gravmag.com/solutionsFugro-Geoteam AS................................33

www.fugro-geoteam.com

GGreater LaFourche Port Commission .51

www.portfourchon.comGVA Consultants AB ............................69

www.gvaconsultants.com

HHagglunds Drives AB ...........................71

www.hagglunds.com

IINTECSEA .............................................15

intecsea.comINTERMOOR ..........................................57

www.intermoor.comION .........................................................43

iongeo.com/IAdata

JJet-Lube Inc.......................................... C2

www.jetlube.com

KKOHLSWA GJUTERI AB.. .....................73

www.kohlswagjuteri.se

LL&M Radiator, Inc..................................16

mesabi.com

MM-I SWACO ............................................53

www.miswaco.comMagnetrol International ........................77

magnetrol.comMulti-Chem ............................................17

www.multichem.com/safespend

NNational Oilwell Varco ..........................27

www.nov.com/xlsystems

OOrion Instruments ................................64

orioninstruments.comORR Safety Corporation ......................13

www.orrsafety.com/kong

PPolarcus .................................................31

www.polarcus.comPennEnergy ...........................................65

www.PennEnergy.comPennWell Deep Offshore Technology International Conference & Exhibition 2010 .................... 6

www.dotinternational.net

MAPSearch ................................................. 24

www.MAPSearch.comOffshore Asia 2009 .................................. ..25

www.offshoreasiaevent.com

Offshore Middle East ................................. 66

www.offshoremiddleeast.com

Offshore Reprints ...................................... 14

www.offshore-mag.com

PennWell Books ......................................... 22

www.PennWellBooks.com

PROLINE SYSTEMS, INC. .....................56www.prolinesystemsinc.com

QQatar Airways ........................................45

qatarairways.com

SSCAN Geophysical ASA ................. 36-41

www.scangeo.comSchilling Robotics, LLC .......................23

www.schilling.com/schillingstrongSercel..... ................................................34

www.sercel.comSPE - 2009 Digital Energy Conference and Exhibition .......................................75

www.digitalenergy2009.comSPE - 2009 Offshore Technology Conference.... ........................................48

www.otcnet.org/2009Statoil Hydro .......................................5, 7

DoMoreHere.com

UUS Liquids Of Louisiana.. ....................63

www.uslla.com

VVIH Cougar Helicopters .......................59

www.vihcougar.comVOLVO PENTA . .....................................72

www.volvopenta.com

WWeatherford International ......................9

www.weatherford.comWood Group ..........................................21

www.woodgroup-esp.comWPT Power Transmission Corporation..... ......................................30

www.WPTpower.com

The index of page numbers is provided as a service. The publisher does not as-sume any liability for error or omission.

ADVERTISERS INDEX



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It is controversial and urgent. Debate and discussion carry from classrooms to boardrooms, from TVs to radios, and even to ships at sea. This emotional topic, of course, consists of the joint challenges of climate change and sustainable development with the primary question being: How are we going to address this? We believe the answer is that the world needs global solutions. This means nations, NGOs, individuals, and the business world working together as a team.

The seismic industry should not be exempt, even though it is a part of the oil and gas business which is perceived so often as being on the dark side of the environmental debate. In reality, fossil fuels will have a place alongside other energy sources for many decades, so our industry has a key stewardship role to play in making every effort to operate in an environmentally responsible manner.

There have been some in our industry who maintained a business strategy that allowed them to operate with little concern for environ-mental responsibility and sustainable development. After all, it was fossil fuels, the dark side, plus they did not sell to the public and did not see a profi t in operating green.

Polarcus, a marine seismic company launched in 2008, approach-es this from the perspective of individual citizens seeking global so-lutions and recognizes we must be willing to accept economic costs now in order to avoid negative future consequences. We are well aware that we have a signifi cant opportunity within the maritime sphere of our industry to perform our work cleaner and greener. Our goal is to rise up and meet this challenge head on.

In launching Polarcus, we are building an environmentally re-sponsible company that we envision as a model for others. Our be-liefs are embedded in our corporate values of respect, innovation, and excellence, and are apparent throughout the corporate lifecycle, from the design of our seismic fl eet through each vessel’s operation to their eventual recycling.

Our corporate values are the foundation for what we call “our pioneering environmental agenda.” To be a pioneer, we lead by ex-ample. Leading by example means, we know where we start from and how we compare alongside our peers.

We are pursuing an Emission Index for COx, NOx, and SOx in our vessel build program. The principal uses an Emission Indexing algorithm to measure our environmental footprint. The goal is to minimize that footprint while simultaneously maximizing vessel ef-

fi ciencies. The Emission Indexing is being conducted on the global marine seismic fl eet by Ulstein International and Det Norske Veritas AS. This will establish benchmarks for existing vessels as well as newbuilds. It is our intention to share this data with the industry as it is only together that a timely, effective, and pragmatic global solu-tion can be found for the pollution and greenhouse gas challenges. The resultant data will provide clients with the ability to objectively evaluate the sector and select an environmentally responsible con-tractor, further challenging us all to innovate and move towards a cycle of continuous improvement.

While building the company, nearly every aspect of our vessel design and technology selection has come under the green focus. In designing the fl eet, we recognized the importance of reducing atmospheric emissions from our vessels. We investigated Selective Catalytic Reduction and through installation of these units realized an investment in our future.

Similarly, by using the latest bilge and ballast water treatment sys-tems we reduce, if not eliminate, the number of contaminants and non-native species released into our oceans, a lesser debated but equally important area of concern.

In parallel to the engineering initiatives, we continuously seek other ways to address the green agenda. For instance, we measure the carbon footprint of our offi ce, including business seminars held elsewhere. Employees calculate the carbon footprint of primary cars and residences, with the carbon offsets paid for personally by the se-nior managers and by the company for all other employees. Another idea under consideration is a carbon offset matching plan with our clients and suppliers, to offset the carbon footprint generated during our operations. The offsets would be used to support sustainable de-velopment in areas of extreme need, allowing us to give something back to the global community.

These may be small initial steps, perhaps. But by increasing par-ticipation, promoting awareness, investing in green technologies, and leading by example, we hope to inspire others in our sector to become part of the global solution.

Peter Zickerman

Executive Vice PresidentPolarcus

It is controversial and urgent. Debate and discussion carry fromb d f TV di d hi

fi ciencies. The Emission Indexing is being conducted on the globali i i fl b Ul i I i l d D N k V i

Going green demands global solutions Seismic industry is not exempt

This page refl ects viewpoints on the political, economic, cultural, technological, and environmental issues that shape the future of the petroleum industry. Offshore

Magazine invites you to share your thoughts. Email your Beyond the Horizon manuscript to Eldon Ball at [email protected].

B E Y O N D T H E H O R I Z O N




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With all our companies at one dock, you can tie up some real savings.

Because The Bayou facilities are together at

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The Bayou Companies5200 Curtis Lane, New Iberia, La 70560

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www.bayoucompanies.com © 2008



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Advanced Coiled Tubing

Solutions

Supported by Supplement to



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CustomCustomPublishingPublishing

“When you know exactly what’s happening downhole, you can adjust job parameters

in real time based on downhole measurements. The Schlumberger lineup of ACTive

coiled tubing services that is now available applies to a

variety of services—from perforating using accurate and

defi ned BHP, to running infl atable packers, monitoring

downhole temperature and pressure, and increasing zonal

coverage for matrix stimulation, and even for formation

evaluation. For the fi rst time, operators can manage

downhole treatments with positive feedback and make a

difference to the results with complete confi dence when it

matters the most—while the operation is still in progress.”

Sherif Foda

vice president,

coiled tubing services

VP, PennWell Custom Publishing,

Roy Markum

[email protected]

Managing Editor,

Richard Cunningham

[email protected]

Profi le Editor,

Jerry Greenberg

[email protected]

Presentation Editor/Designer,

Chad Wimmer

[email protected]

Production Manager,

Dorothy Davis

[email protected]

918.831-9537

fax: 918.831.9415

Circulation Manager, Tommie Grigg

[email protected]

918.832.9207

fax: 918.831.9722

PennWell Petroleum Group

1455 West Loop South, Suite 400

Houston, TX 77027 U.S.A.

713.621.9720 • fax: 713.963.6285

PennWell Corporate Headquarters

1421 S. Sheridan Rd., Tulsa, OK 74112

P.C. Lauinger, 1900–1988

Chairman, Frank T. Lauinger

President/CEO, Robert F. Biolchini

supplement to:

sponsored by:

ContentsA secret beginning 1

The basic coi led tubing r ig 3

Appl icat ions 4

Fi t- for-purpose solut ions 6

ACT ive* serv ices 8

The ACT ive port fo l io 10

ACT ive case h istor ies 11

Sponsor prof i les 14

An asterisk (*) is used throughout this document to denote a mark of Schlumberger.



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The fi rst application of coiled tubing (CT) tech-

nology was not for oil wells, but for a plan to lay

emergency pipelines across the English Chan-

nel during World War II. Allied engineers made

coiled tubing from 40-foot lengths of 3-inch pipe

and spooled it around huge fl oating drums that

could be towed behind ships. In 1944, some of

the 23 secret pipelines they laid delivered Allied

fuel for the Normandy invasion.

The Allies made their coiled tubing by weld-

ing joints of pipe end to end. The idea is simple

enough, but making coiled tubing that is safe and

dependable is much more complicated. The low-

grade steel used in the early days couldn’t take

the tensile stress of heavy loads, and the many

welds required to produce continuous spools of

pipe frequently leaked or broke.

Steady improvements in manufacturing and

metallurgy through the 1970s and 80s greatly

improved the reliability of coiled tubing. In 1990,

the fi rst string of 2-inch coiled tubing was milled

for a permanent well completion, and suppliers

soon began offering coiled tubing up to 4-½

inches outside diameter.

Service companies quickly developed new CT

applications. In well workovers, coiled tubing be-

came the tool of choice for removing cement plugs

and scale. When customers said they wanted to

drill more slimhole wells for exploration and pro-

duction, coiled tubing was a natural choice.

A secret beginning

Schlumberger co i led tub ing 1



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The big advantage of coiled tubing, of course,

is that tripping in and out of a well is continuous.

That is not only faster than making up joints of

tubing, it requires fewer people on the rig fl oor

and makes the whole operation safer.

Coiled tubing units can also deploy downhole

tools that cannot be run on conventional wire-

lines. The two main benefi ts, however, are that

with coiled tubing, operators can pump fl uids

through the coil, and they can push tools into

the well rather than lowering them down on a

wireline. Depending on the size of the spool and

diameter of the pipe (1 inch to 4.5 inches), coiled

tubing is available in lengths in excess of 30,000

feet. Once reserved for niche services only, coiled

tubing is now an essential well intervention tool.

For drilling and workovers, CT rigs are much

smaller and lighter than the rigs that use conven-

tional tubing, and they need less room at the drill

site. Some oil and gas operators now use CT

routinely to drill shallow wells. In unconsolidated

sands, coiled tubing rigs can drill at rates up to

1,300 fph, compared 400 fph for conventional

rigs. Current technology allows CT drilling be-

yond 7,000 feet, and some heavy-duty units are

targeting depths of 10,000 feet.

Coiled tubing moved offshore in the mid-

1980s, where CT engineers had to overcome

much greater challenges than they faced on

land. Even though CT is lighter than rigid-tubing

rigs, the equipment was still too bulky for most

offshore platforms, and if the tubing was de-

ployed from a nearby vessel, operators had

to deal with the vertical and lateral movement

caused by the sea. Today, thanks to CT SEAS*

Safer, Effi cient, Automated Solutions other ad-

vanced Schlumberger technology, coiled tubing

offshore is an increasingly valuable option.

2 Schlumberger co i led tub ing



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The main components, other than the spool of

coiled tubing itself, are the injector head, the

stripper and the blowout preventers. Of these,

the injector head is the driver, because it is the

machine that pushes and pulls coiled tubing in

and out of the well. The device includes a curved

gooseneck beam that guides the coiled tubing

from its spool into the top of the injector head.

Pipe passing through the injector head

straightens before it enters the wellbore.

A stripper, set below the injector head,

contains the packing that seals the out-

side diameter of the tubing and isolates

pressure from the well.

Blowout preventers, located below

the stripper, are emergency devices that

can either cut the coiled tubing and seal

the wellbore, or if necessary, seal the

casing or riser.

The tool string at the bottom of the coil

is called the bottomhole assembly. One

advantage of coiled tubing is that it can

run a much wider range of tools and per-

form many more downhole jobs than can

be done with conventional wirelines.

The basic CT rig




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Coiled tubing can perform almost any downhole

job. In depleted gas wells, CT has even been

installed as production tubing and can be run

inside a well’s conventional tubing string. While

many production engineers think of CT as an

alternative to wireline service—and it is—the

technology is much broader than that.

Well cleanouts: Nearly half of all coiled tubing

jobs are done to get a well back in production

by circulating fl uids and debris from the wellbore.

Through an innovative mix of hardware, software,

fl uid cleanout systems and monitoring, produc-

tion engineers worldwide are using Schlumberger

coiled tubing applications to reduce the cost and

risk of cleanout operations and quickly return

their wells to production.

The diffi culty of any cleanout job depends

largely on the geometry of the well, properties of

the cleanout fl uid, fl ow rate, downhole pressures,

the nature of the solids that must be removed,

and how deep they are in the well.

Cleanouts are relatively easy for shallow wells

with simple geometries. When deviation angles

reach above 40 degrees, however, almost any

wellbore can be hard to clean. Often, sev-

eral techniques are combined to clean one well.

Schlumberger began integrating its wellbore

cleanout and optimization systems in 2002 and

continues to improve this robust lineup.

Jet Blaster* jetting scale removal service is a

CT-conveyed through-tubing tool that uses a

rotating head and high pressure fl uids to remove

scale, including hard scale (strontium and iron

sulfi de), from wellbores in one trip. It is a fast

and cost-effective alternative to nozzle systems,

positive-displacement motors, impact hammers

and other techniques on the market.

PowerCLEAN* engineered fi ll removal service

is a CT service that effi ciently lifts sand, silt,

wax, scale and other debris from the wellbore.

The system’s innovative software, coupled with

engineered nozzle and fl uids, optimizes the job

by evaluating the fl ow rate, circulating pressure,

bottomhole pressure and other variables before

taking each bite of fi ll.

Workovers: In recent years, coiled tubing has

become an effi cient, cost-effective solution for

open-hole milling, fracturing and many other

workover jobs.

CoilTOOLS* is a one-stop source for the latest

downhole CT tools. The portfolio includes standard

bottom-hole assemblies such as motor heads,

connectors, check-valve, disconnect assemblies,

knuckle joints, fi xed and hydraulic centralizers,

fi xed and rotary wash tools, nipple locators, gauge

carriers and the entire suite of downhole valves.

Discovery MLT* multilateral tool is a cost-

effective reentry system for maximizing the

performance of multilateral wells. The downhole

tool sends a pressure signal to confi rm that it has

reached the correct lateral. The tool’s orientation

adjusts from the surface and provides real-time

feedback, which greatly increases the chance of

a successful reentry on the fi rst try to Level 1 and

Applications




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2 multilateral wells. The Discovery MLT software

displays several essential parameters, such as the

tool’s orientation relative to the lateral window. The

application also monitors previous indexes and

guides the operator through subsequent indexing

cycles to provide accurate, real-time information.

Coiled tubing is often used to pump fl uids to

specifi c sections of a well, and Schlumberger has

a suite of CT tools that make the job go easier.

CoilFLATE* through-tubing infl atable packer de-

signed for extreme conditions. CoilFLATE packer

can isolate selected perforation intervals with

pump-through capability, without the need for a

workover rig. The system also allows operators to

permanently abandon zones or temporarily iso-

late areas of the wellbore for testing.

CoilFRAC* stimulation through coiled

tubing is a well stimulation service that

incorporates unique bottomhole as-

semblies to selectively isolate zones

of interest. CoilFRAC service can treat

multiple zones in a single trip and stimu-

late zones that were bypassed during

the original completion. Many opera-

tors are using this economical system

to stimulate lower-producing zones that

were too expensive to treat before.

CoilCAT* coiled tubing computer-aid-

ed treatment raises informed real-time

decision making to a new level of confi dence.

The new CoilCAT well site service makes well

interventions more effi cient and reliable. CoilCAT

service combines the Coiled Tubing Sensor Inter-

face advanced data acquisition system with the

Universal Tubing Integrity Monitor and software to

effi ciently merge design, execution and real-time

evaluation capabilities in one package.

Perforating: Coiled tubing offers many advan-

tages over other conveyance systems, particularly

for highly deviated and horizontal wells. First is

the strength and rigidity of the tubing, which can

endure more tensile and compressive forces

than wireline systems. Schlumberger routinely

runs coiled tubing perforating strings in excess of

2,000 feet (600 meters) on Alaska’s North Slope.

For live wells, CT perforating can run long

gun strings and either drop them off or retrieve

them without having to kill the well. The ability

to continuously circulate through the tubing also

makes it easy to spot-treat with fl uids. Treating a

carbonate interval with acid just before perforat-

ing, for example, creates cleaner perforations.

In depleted wells where there is not enough

difference between the bottomhole pressure and

pressure from the reservoir, nitrogen can be cir-

culated to lighten the fl uid column and increase

the drawdown at the target zone.




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CT EXPRESS* rapid-deployment coiled tubing

service is designed for low- to medium-pressure,

intermediate-depth land-based wells. The sim-

ple, reliable design can handle rough terrain and

extreme weather conditions.

The unit consists of just two trucks and a crew

of three. One truck holds the CT rig itself, and the

second vehicle carries a combination nitrogen

and liquid pump, plus electrical and hydraulic

systems to run the entire unit. Since there are no

hydraulic or electrical connections to be made

on location, rig-ups are safer and more effi cient

than with other systems. During fi eld tests, CT

EXPRESS crews performed more than 200 jobs

without a lost-time incident.

With CT EXPRESS service, rig-up and rig-down

times are as short as 30 minutes. Coiled tubing

rigs with similar capabilities typically require four

trucks and a crew of fi ve. CT EXPRESS service

can be used on wellheads up to 20 feet high; the

system can also be deployed onto the rig fl oor of

land rigs if required.

CT SEAS* Safer, Effi cient, Automated Solu-

tions, is a fi t-for-purpose offshore CT system

that greatly improves the effi ciency and safety

of moving from one well to the next. Designed

for harsh offshore conditions, the system incor-

porates the same proven process control and

distributed architecture of the CT EXPRESS

rapid-deployment coiled tubing unit for land-

based operations.

Speed is a key feature. In some cases, well-to-

well time is as little as four hours. The system’s

ergonomic design, smaller footprint and high de-

gree of automation also make it less costly than

other alternatives.

The CT SEAS system provides one central

control point for the entire coiled tubing opera-

tion, as well as real-time data acquisition and data

transfer to offsite locations. The versatile, space-

saving design combines all the major coiled

tubing components into modules that are easy

to transport and assemble with zero discharge.

Because several key processes have been au-

tomated, CT SEAS systems also require fewer

operators than conventional CT units, which is a

real advantage offshore.

CT SEAS systems have a fl exibility that makes

them readily adaptable for many offshore struc-

tures, including platforms, fl oaters and tension

leg platforms. But even with a high degree of

fl exibility, they retain all the capabilities of con-

ventional coiled tubing units.

This advanced system improves the overall

safety of coiled tubing operations; with a proven

15 percent increase in operational effi ciency, a

substantial reduction in boat lifts, and 30 percent

Fit-for-purpose

solutions




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fewer offshore personnel. The design of the

equipment package features fewer mechanical

connections, improved control room ergonomics,

and faster well-to-well cycle times. Compared to

earlier systems, CT SEAS systems can also run

heavier coiled tubing at increased speeds.

CT TCOMP* advanced coiled tubing motion-

compensation system is made specifi cally for

deepwater use. It is the result of a two-year fi eld

study to identify the potential safety and effi cien-

cy that could be gained by improving the design

and packaging of compensation equipment. The

result is a total motion-compensation package

for deepwater CT operations.

CT TCOMP system trims up to 16 hours from

the average 87 hours it takes to rig up and rig

down a standard deepwater CT system, and it

is safer than other CT packages. It protects well-

head integrity during CT operations by limiting

wellhead stresses, and by compensating for verti-

cal and horizontal wellhead motion from inside or

outside the derrick. And since the equipment rigs

up quickly, it can be used on some spars (caisson

vessels) and TLPs where conventional coiled tub-

ing systems would be too expensive to use.




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In May 2008, Schlumberger introduced the

ACTive family of coiled tubing services for onshore

and offshore use. This innovative suite of down-

hole coiled tubing services provides continuous

feedback that allows engineers—either at the well

or in remote locations—to measure, interpret and

act on downhole events in real time.

All previous systems relied on surface data and

feedback from the well to determine what was

happening downhole. Downhole pressure was

estimated from pressure readings at the pump,

the wellhead or both. Actual tool depth was in-

ferred from the amount of coiled tubing in the

hole, which is only accurate to within about 0.3

percent. When jobs required greater accuracy,

crews might tag a known bottom or restriction,

use tubing tail locators, or run mud-pulse telem-

etry logging tools. These techniques, however,

are inaccurate, expensive and time consuming,

and they can complicate the job.

The ACTive difference is a rugged, high-

bandwidth fi ber optic cable inside its own

nickel-chromium-based super-alloy steel carrier

that is deployed inside the coiled tubing string.

The fi ber optic cable links bottomhole sensors

with surface monitors and controls, allowing

specialists to measure, interpret and act on

downhole events as they occur.

The complete system includes a bottomhole

assembly, fi ber optic carrier, surface electronics

and software that delivers internal and external

pressure, temperature, casing collar locator

depth correlation, and distributed temperature

measurements that provide data back to surface

in real time.

ACTive services can elevate the performance,

effi ciency and results of coiled tubing operations

in various types of wells. Operators in western

Canada, for example, need cost-effective ways

to achieve maximum reservoir contact in their

partially depleted carbonate reservoirs. Multi-

lateral completions give them greater reservoir

contact and the ability to reach isolated parts

of the reservoir without excessive construction

cost or complexity. Conventional coiled tubing

services are often used to access and treat these

multilateral wells, but without accurate depth

information, it can be hard to confi rm access in

all the laterals. Operators not only have to cor-

rectly orient the bottomhole assembly to enter

the lateral, they must fi rst determine which lateral

they are entering. For them, ACTive services rep-

resent a step change in CT capabilities.

ACTive services give operators the tools they need

to diagnose and respond to changing conditions

in real time. To take full advantage, Schlumberger

fi elds a team of CT experts who stand ready to

diagnose and respond, based on their knowledge,

experience and the information they get from

ACTive real-time downhole measurements.

ACTive services –

a breakthrough in

CT technology




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As Schlumberger experts monitor the well,

Decipher* dynamic evaluation software provides

the information they need to cross-reference

what they see downhole with surface and petro-

physical data. For the fi rst time, adjustments to

job parameters are based on immediate feed-

back from the job in progress. Changes can be

made decisively and with greater confi dence

than ever before.




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The ACTive portfolio

ACTive Matrix monitors

the injection rates, downhole

pressures and temperatures of

matrix treatments to promote

the penetration of fl uids,

enhance diversion and optimize

treatment volumes. The service

also aids in the design of

subsequent treatments.

ACTive Cleanout is a

fi ll-removal service that uses

differential pressure readings to

avoid formation damage and

minimize the number of trips in

and out of the well. It also re-

duces the total operating time

by optimizing fl uid volumes and

penetration rates into the fi ll.

ACTive Isolation provides

effi cient, on-depth settings of

isolation devices in a single run.

It allows operators to insure the

integrity of the seals by control-

ling both the infl ation pressure

and the differential pressure

across the sealing elements.

ACTive Isolation can also be

used to accurately place fl uids

for temporary operations or to

permanently isolate zones, all

in one trip in the hole.

ACTive Lift improves the

time and fl uid effi ciency of ni-

trogen lift jobs by continuously

monitoring pressure in the

wellbore. The result is a faster,

more controlled restoration of

production, without the risk of

producing excessive sand and

debris from the reservoir. This

service also aids in the charac-

terization of fi eld performance

and the evaluation of artifi cial

lift programs.

ACTive Perf achieves accu-

rate depth control in a single

run and ensures full coverage

of the target zone. Controlling

the hydrostatic balance avoids

damage to the formation,

and prevents the invasion of

formation fl uids and sand into

the wellbore. Verifi cation that

the perforating guns have

been activated improves the

safety and reliability of CT

perforating jobs.

ACTive Profi ling enhances

all ACTive services with DTS

profi ling to provide a 3D

temperature profi le of the

entire wellbore to monitor the

placement of treatment fl uids

and production performance

of the well. Temperature

profi ling also gives operators

the ability to perform active

point measurements and DTS

spatial measurements on the

same run.

There are six services in the ACTive portfolio.

Each presents its own unique solution in the

market by combining advanced, high data-rate

telemetry, fi ber optics and real-time downhole

measurements with state-of-the-art interpreta-

tion software.




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Increased st imulat ion coverage of a mult i lateral gas wel l :

When an operator in Canada needed to increase the productivity of two openhole legs in an exist-

ing multilateral gas well, they turned to ACTive Matrix for a solution. The well, which is in a natu-

rally fractured dolomite formation, was producing a high concentration of H2S and some CO

2.

Coiled tubing was run in the hole to obtain downhole measurements, which were used to

stimulate the openhole legs. Acid treatments temporarily diverted and treated the sections of the

open hole that would otherwise not have been stimulated. Pre- and post-treatment distributed

temperature survey (DTS) data were used to optimize acid placement.

Using the more reliable real-time bottomhole pressure measurements, rather than surface pres-

sure measurements, increased the accuracy and effectiveness of the stimulation treatments.

The initial acid treatment was confi rmed. Injection points and other zones to be opened were

identifi ed. Thermal analysis results were used to generate a revised pump schedule that provided

details of the appropriate diverter and acid stages, which allowed temporary diversion of the

initially stimulated zones and better overall treatment of the multilateral leg.

A fi nal DTS confi rmed that the treatment successfully diverted the acid and stimulated all of the

targeted zones.

Accurate placement for a successful water shutoff :

Saudi Aramco chose ACTive Isolation when a 60 percent water cut caused one of its new horizon-

tal wells to stop fl owing. Most of the water was coming from the toe of the openhole completion.

ACTive Isolation* provided a coiled tubing solution by allowing operators to deploy an infl atable

packer through the production tubing and a cement plug to isolate the water-producing zone.

An initial CT run confi rmed accessibility and revealed an accurate downhole temperature,

which was needed to prepare the cement slurry. On the second run, the through-tubing infl atable

packer was deployed to the depth of the oil/water interface. After confi rming the depth, a ball was

dropped in the coiled tubing to set the packer, and real-time measurements confi rmed that the

packer was properly located and set. A third run spotted cement on top of the infl atable packer.

Kill fl uids were displaced with nitrogen, which was confi rmed at the surface by monitoring the

downhole pressure. With the well back in production, the water cut decreased by 50 percent and

oil production increased by 1,000 barrels per day.

ACTive case studies




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Effect ive sand cleanout:

Talisman Malaysia Ltd. (TML) drilled a water injector well in Malaysian waters of the South China

Sea. After perforating the fi rst zone, produced sand plugged the next perforating intervals. Despite

efforts to clean the well using conventional CT methods, the planned intervals could not be

reached. Injecting nitrogen to circulate fl uids and fl ow the well only produced more sand.

The operator chose ACTive Cleanout and ACTive Perf to obtain real-time downhole measure-

ments, which allowed better control of the cleanout and accurate placement of the perforating guns.

The existing sand in the wellbore was lifted out by keeping the bottomhole pressure balanced or

slightly overbalanced using real-time bottomhole pressure data. The designed pumping schedule

was then followed with continuous real-time monitoring of the pressure and temperature. Before

continuing with the planned perforation run, an injectivity test ensured that the tunnels in the exist-

ing perforation interval were open.

Perforating resumed, with the guns successfully conveyed to the target depth and correlated

against the base depth log. The real-time bottomhole pressure reading assured operators that

they were maintaining the proper balance to keep additional sand from entering the wellbore.

Using the real-time CCL correlations, the guns were positioned. The e-Fire* electronic fi ring head

system was activated via nitrogen pulses through the coiled tubing. Both the bottomhole pressure

and temperature increased after the guns were fi red.

ACTive services allowed operators to effectively clean sand from the well, accurately place the

perforating guns, fi ne-tune the bottomhole pressure and receive feedback at the surface once

the guns were fi red. As a result, the fi nal water injectivity rate was 8,900 bbl/d at 700 psi surface

pressure, which confi rmed that sand was not reintroduced into the wellbore after the perforating

operations were complete.

ACTive case studies




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Identifying the causes of lost production:

When production dropped in a well that was completed using an openhole slotted liner in the

Bunga Raya fi eld, the operator, Talisman Malaysia Ltd. (TML), performed a chemical treatment to

remove the emulsion and polymers left behind by the drilling fl uid used to drill the well. Immediately

after the treatment, production increased from 500 bbl/d to 2,000 bbl/d, but within fi ve hours, it

dropped dramatically and then stabilized at its pretreatment rate.

TML suspected that the emulsions and asphaltenes had formed in the wellbore during the

shut-in time while rigging down. However, the operators did not have adequate information about

the formation characteristics and the trajectory of the well. Without the data, they could not

understand the cause of the production decline after treatment, where and how the emulsions and

asphaltenes were forming, and how to dissolve them or prevent them from reforming.

TML asked Schlumberger to design a well cleanup plan, to obtain pressurized bottomhole

samples, and to run a DTS. ACTive Profi ling was chosen to provide a single-point temperature

reading at the tool and to provide a temperature reading across the fi ber optic cable used to

deliver the DTS measurements.

The objectives were to check the conformance of the fi rst DTS results and interpretation, to use

the DTS data to select the location for collecting representative bottomhole hydrocarbon samples

and to optimize the treatment interval.

The pressure survey and DTS data revealed minimum pressure support from the water injector,

which, in turn, caused the gas cap to expand. Temperature dropped across the entire interval, but

was lowest at the toe. The cooling effect and subsequent drop in liquid production was caused

by gas coming from the heel and toe of the well as the gas cap expanded. The combination of

gas rates with oil and water production was also creating a tight, viscous emulsion that further

hindered the well’s performance.

TML concluded that with this well, due to the horizontal openhole slotted-liner completion, the

high gas production from the toe and heel could not be selectively shut off or controlled.

ACTive case studies




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Using downhole measurements to boost well performance:

Talisman Malaysia Ltd. operates more than 130 wells in the South China Sea, but many of them

do not perform to full potential because of perforation damage at suboptimal reservoir conditions.

Initial attempts to solve the damage problem involved CT perforating with the well in an under-

balanced condition. The main advantages of CT were the ability to lower the bottomhole pressure

using nitrogen and a lower overall cost when compared to tubing-conveyed perforating using a

standard rig.

Although conventional CT methods were considered effective in this application, concerns

included perforating off-depth due to inaccurate depth control, an inability to detect fi red guns

and improper pressure balance in the well. Too much pressure in the wellbore could result in an

ineffective cleaning of the perforations and too little pressure could cause the guns to be sanded

in after they fi red.

ACTive Perf was selected because the service provides downhole measurements, tools and

techniques to perforate in properly balanced conditions. It also allows the accurate placement of

the guns, a pressure activated electronic fi ring head system and the ability to receive real-time

confi rmation that the guns have fi red.

The ACTive Perf system was used to complete a TML offshore gas well. The perforating gun

was positioned on depth using real-time CCL correlation. Prejob calculations showed that the

correct underbalance would be reached after the displacement of wellbore fl uid with nitrogen.

However, when real-time pressure data showed that the desired underbalance pressure had not

been achieved, operators were able to respond immediately to correct the problem.

Nitrogen pulses were sent down through the coiled tubing to fi re the guns. Downhole measure-

ments quickly showed an increase in bottomhole temperature and pressure, which confi rmed a

successful fi ring.

By perforating under optimal reservoir conditions, TML achieved a higher-than-expected and

sand-free gas production rate of 70 MMcf/d.

ACTive case studies




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Avai lable now, or coming soon

ACTive services are already deployed in eleven

countries, with nine more coming online in

2009. The addition of ACTive services to the

Schlumberger family of services brings the next

generation of coiled tubing capability and novel

ways to tackle old problems.

www.slb.com/active

w w w . w e l l c o n t r o l . c o mw w w . w e l l c o n t r o l . c o m

Tel: +1-713-849-7400

API

WEL

LCONTROL SCHO

OL

e-L

ear

ning

Well Contr

ol

T

rain

ing

System 21

e -Learning

Web -Based

Training Program

IADC & API Well Control Training (Drilling, Workover/Completion, Well Servicing)

Stuck Pipe Prevention Training

Instructor - Led

Training Program

IADC & API Well Control Training (Drilling, Workover/Completion, Well Servicing)

IWCF Preparatory Course and Testing(Rotary Drilling & Well Intervention)

Tel: +1-713-849-7400

Commit ted to Quality...

Delivering Value!

Schlumberger co i led tub ing



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16 Sch lumberger co i l ed tub ing

C o m p a n y P r o f i l e

Coiled Tubing Units, Nitrogen and Coiled Tubing Support Equipment

NOV Hydra Rig is the recognized world leader in coiled tubing units,

nitrogen and coiled tubing support equipment, having supplied more

coiled tubing units than all current manufacturers combined.

National Oilwell Varco’s Hydra Rig Division couples advanced

technologies with proven high-quality components, service and

technological expertise to provide the single source for all of your well

intervention requirements worldwide. NOV Hydra Rig delivers the complete

CT equipment advantage with brand names relied upon for more than 30

years and is constantly developing new and innovative solutions for all of

your future CT requirements.

Coiled tubing drilling operation utilizing an NOV Hydra Rig coiled tubing unit and nitrogen unit, NOV Texas Oil Tools pressure control equipment, NOV

CTES data acquisition system, and an NOV Rolligon twin fluid pumper.

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Ft. Worth, Texas Duncan, Oklahoma Calgary, Alberta U.K. Dubai, U.A.E.

817-985-5000 580-255-4433 403-279-6430 44-1493-651801 971-4-883-5910



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Sch lumberger co i l ed tub ing 17

Two Door

Stripper Packer

NOV Texas Oil Tools has enhanced the Over/Under design

to have two easy access doors. The new Two Door

Stripper packer provides two packers in one Stripper

with easy replacement and extended life packers.

“ES” BOP

3.06’’, 4.06’’, 5.12’’, and 7.06’’

This is a lightweight, high pressure coiled tubing BOP

package. Features include hydraulic ram change,

balanced shear piston and combi shear seal and pipe

slip ram capabilities.

Coiled Tubing (CT) Pressure Control Equipment

NOV Texas Oil Tools

Since its founding in 1978, Texas Oil Tools (TOT) has established itself as one of the leading

specialty manufacturers and suppliers of pressure control equipment. During this period,

TOT has expanded its range of products to meet the dynamic demands of the industry.

A proven track record of excellence in design, manufacturing and service has gained

NOV Texas Oil Tools worldwide recognition as a leader in pressure control products. We

design and manufacture our products to the most stringent standards. We are a licensed

API manufacturer and supply our equipment to meet or exceed industry standards.

Our product range begins with 1.50’’ bore and goes up to 9.00’’. In addition, our

spectrum of products exhibit working pressures up to 20,000 psi and temperature ranges

from -75°F arctic service to 500°F geothermal applications.

NOV TOT CT Pressure Control Equipment

• Blowout Preventers

Single, Dual, Triple, Quad, Quint, and Combi Ram Designs

• Stripper Packers

Side Door, Sidewinder, Conventional, Tandem Side Door, Over/Under, Two Door

• Quick Latches

Hydraconn, Injector Connector, Quick Disconnect, Hydraulic Releasing Connector (JHS)

• Additional Equipment Offered:

— Flanges — Safety Valve

— Flow Cross — Transport Lift Frames

— Hand Unions — Tubing Punch

— Lubricators — Tubing Shear

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Conroe, Texas Broussard, Louisiana Scotland, U.K.

936-520-5300 337-839-0024 44-1224-331-200

www.nov.com



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Sch lumberger co i l ed tub ing

Tenaris offers the most diverse line of coiled tubing for downhole applications

Tenaris is the leading manufacturer of coiled tubing products worldwide. At its two Houston

facilities, the company manufactures coiled tubing and coiled line pipe in a range of sizes and

grades, including corrosion resistant alloys for sour service environments. As a result of Tenaris’

capabilities, Schlumberger chose the company to be its exclusive provider of coiled tubing for

their global coiled tubing services organization.

Tenaris has differentiated its product offerings by not only supplying coiled tubing strings used

for downhole production-related coiled tubing services, but also through manufacturing of larger

coiled tubing that may be utilized for marine pipeline requirements. The company is the world’s

fi rst tube or pipe manufacturing facility to obtain ISO-9001 certifi cation for its quality assurance

programs. Tenaris is the world’s only supplier of 4 ½-in. and 5-in. OD coiled tubing and the sole

provider of heavy wall coiled tubing with available thickness from 0.224-in. to 0.300-in.

Additionally, Tenaris operates the world’s only dedicated three-layer continuous coating line

for coiled line pipe, consisting of fusion bonded epoxy, copolymer adhesive and polyethylene

or polypropylene. The coiled line pipe is delivered on spools to marine vessels where they are

consolidated to enable the vessel to pay out the tubing signifi cantly faster compared with con-

ventional stick pipe welded joint by joint and laid by a traditional pipelay vessel.

Coiled line pipe typically is used in water depths of 200-3,000 ft. with one Gulf of Mexico

installation in more than 7,000 ft. of water and other projects in locations from Norway to

New Zealand. Tenaris also pioneered the API 5LCP coiled line pipe certifi cation standards, and

continues to be the only certifi ed supplier.

Continuously setting records

The company holds numerous production records for the longest and heaviest coiled tubing ser-

vice work strings, all of which have been in conjunction with Schlumberger as its global alliance

supplier of coiled tubing.

• A project in the Gulf of Mexico calling for 28,900 ft of 1 ½-in. high strength (HS) 110 tapered coiled tubing;

• A Gulf of Mexico project requiring 32,600 ft of 2-in. tapered coiled tubing, plus a second 33,300 ft tapered

string of 2-in. HS 110 tubing. The strings have seven wall thickness transitions from 0.204-in. to 0.125-in.

The project took two years to develop, including six months of pre-planning and the manufacturing of two

mini-strings to test bias welds;

• A third Gulf of Mexico project for Schlumberger required 30,600 ft of 1 ¾-in. HS 110 coiled tubing;

• A project offshore eastern Canada called for 30,200 ft of 2-in. HS 90 coiled tubing with electric line cable for

logging equipment.

Optimizing manufacturing process

Tenaris’ coiled tubing plant in Houston went through a debottlenecking and expansion program from late 2005

through spring 2007, signifi cantly improving workfl ow as well as adding the latest technology to increase production

effi ciency. The expansion project also improved service handling and simplifi ed truck traffi c fl ow through the plant.

Improvements included increased assembly lines, additional assembly consolidation wheels, which dramatically

reduced the amount of time the coiled tubing was in the assembly area, and the addition of digital radiography tech-

nology to reduce the time for welds and inspection by 50% compared with the older fi lm processing technology.

Two heavy-duty overhead crane systems were installed providing for safer and more reliable transportation

of the coiled tubing strings throughout the plant. There are more and larger spooling reels available for long

coiled tubing strings, and additional hydro test bays were built. The expansion program increased output by

75%-80% and signifi cantly reduced backorder time. There also is additional infrastructure to allow for further

expansion, including a third mill and bias welding cells as well as room for onsite master coil slitting.

Tenaris continuously works with other innovative companies to develop new applications for coiled tubing

and coiled line pipe. The forward thinking company is currently testing the applicability of large diameter coiled

line pipe for marine riser applications, unique artifi cial lift products, and tubular products as subcomponents for

more advanced production equipment for tertiary and SAG-D production.

Tenaris is a leading supplier of tubes and related services for the world’s energy industry and certain other

industrial applications. Its mission is to deliver value to its customers through product development, manufactur-

ing excellence and supply chain management. The company minimizes risk for its customers and helps them

reduce costs, increase fl exibility and improve time-to-market. Tenaris’ employees around the world are commit-

ted to continuous improvement by sharing knowledge across a single global organization.

Contact:

Dennis Dunlap

8615 East Sam Houston Parkway North

Houston, TX 77044

Telephone: 281-458-2883

Fax: 281-458-2886

[email protected]

www.tenaris.com/coiledtubes

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Second Annual

Women in Energy Forum

Energy Workforce Opportunities in the New Economic Climate

Customized and Personalized:Improving Frontline Training Practices

EnergyWorkforceF o r t h e i n d u s t r y ’ s c a r e e r - m i n d e d p r o f e s s i o n a l s • S p r i n g 2 0 0 9

A s u p p l e m e n t t o P e n n W e l l p u b l i c a t i o n s • w w w . P e n n E n e r g y J O B S . c o m



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Energy Workforce Opportunities in the New

Economic Climate 6

P e t e r W e i g a n d a n d M i c h a e l A b r a h a m , S k i p p i n g S t o n e

Forum: Continued advancement for women

in energy is promising 8

C h r i s P o s e y , C o n t e n t S t r a t e g i s t

Customized and Personalized 14

T h e A s c e n t G r o u p , I n c .

DEPARTMENTS

p u b l i s h e r ’ s l e t t e r 2

J O B S i n s i g h t 4

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

Chesapeake Energy Corporation. ............................................................................................. Inside Front Cover

Shaw Group Inc. ........................................................................................................................................... 3

Aerotek Energy Services ............................................................................................................................... 5

Epco Inc. ..................................................................................................................................................... 7

Fluor Corporation ....................................................................................................................................... 11

PennEnergy.com ........................................................................................................................................ 13

PennEnergyJOBS .................................................................................................................. Inside Back Cover

Alberta Employment Immigration ......................................................................................................Back Cover

w w w . P e n n E n e r g y J O B S . c o m

EnergyWorkforceStacey Schmidt, Web Publisher

[email protected]

Chris Posey, J.B. Avants, Editors

[email protected]

[email protected]

Candice Doctor, Sales Manager

[email protected]

Chad Wimmer, Art Director

[email protected]

Dorothy Davis, Production Manager

[email protected]

Tommie Grigg, Audience

Development Manager

[email protected]

Tom Cintorino

Sr. Vice President, Digital Media

PennWell Corporation

1421 South Sheridan Road

Tulsa, Oklahoma 74112

918 835 3161

PennWell.com

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Recruitment Advertising Sales:

Candice Doctor

Sales Manager

918 831 9884

[email protected]

Stephanie Brown

Power & Petroleum Account Executive

918 832 9228

[email protected]

Brent Eklund

Petroleum Account Executive

720 535 1264

[email protected]

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Cover illustration © Spectral-design

Dreamstime.com



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With easier, more effi cient

navigation and even more

valuable, energy-centric content,

PennEnergy.com serves the

global energy industry with the broadest and most complete

coverage of petroleum and power industry news, research,

workforce management solutions and product information.

global energy industry with

2 For job opportuni t ies, v is i t www.PennEnergyJOBS.com EnergyWorkforce

In 2008, PennWell Corporation launched the new PennEnergy.com, the fi rst website

of its kind focused on providing the most complete and in-depth coverage of both

the petroleum and power industries. In January 2009, PennEnergyJOBS offi cially

became part of the PennEnergy.com family. With the addition of PennEnergyJOBS,

PennEnergy.com now provides workforce

management solutions and tools for job seekers

and employers.

With content organized by Topic Centers, the

new PennEnergy.com provides easy access to

in-depth and expert original and sourced news,

comprehensive fi nancial data, extensive research

tools and product and service information. Topic

Centers focus on specifi c areas of both the Power

and Petroleum industries, including Renewable

Energy, Smart Grid, Petroleum Exploration,

Refi ning, Processing, and LNG.

Since 1910, PennWell has been a leader for coverage of and service to the worldwide

petroleum and power industries. With foundation magazines and web sites such as Oil

& Gas Journal, Off shore Magazine, Renewable Energy World, Power Engineering, and

Utility Automation Engineering T&D, PennWell created PennEnergy.com to serve as a

one-stop resource for energy news, research, and insight. In addition to today’s energy

news and information, the site contains ten years of archived content from PennWell’s

award-winning energy publications.

With easier, more effi cient navigation and even more valuable, energy-centric content,

PennEnergy.com serves the global energy industry with the broadest and most complete

coverage of petroleum and power industry news, research, workforce management

solutions and product information.

I thank you for your support of PennEnergyJOBS, Energy Workforce Magazine and

PennEnergy.com, and look forward to serving you in the future.

Regards,

Stacey Schmidt

Web Publisher, Energy Markets

p u b l i s h e r ’ s l e t t e r

Dear Reader,



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www.shawgrp.com

At Shaw, Power Group employees lead their

business with ingenuity and vision. Shaw’s collaborative

work environment allows you to reach your full potential as we

meet the needs of our global clients. If you are looking for a career

with substantial opportunity for growth and challenge, consider

building yours with Shaw. Immediate opportunities include:

Building Excellence—One Career at a Time

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Maintaining your fi nancial and

career security is priority number

one, but it is also important to keep in mind your long term

goal—turning this tumultuous time into a career upgrade.

one, bbut iit iis allso iimportant


J O B S i n s i g h t

By the end of January, the unemployment rate rose to 7.6% bringing job losses

to a 34 year high. Th e energy sector has faired better than areas including

manufacturing and construction. Moreover, the peaked interest and support in renewable

energy has led to a great deal of discourse around the so-called “green collar” jobs. Th is

could possibly result in fewer lay off s in the energy industry, yet more transitions. Th e

overall reality is the precarious environment in which we currently live is serving as a

catalyst to think about our career development.

Regardless of your job’s current state of vulnerability, it is the perfect time to think

about your next career move. Th e evolution

of your career will either be in your current

company or outside of it. Th e decision may not

be yours to make, but you can at least insert

yourself into the outcome.

Build a road map of your career future by

asking yourself some important questions. What

is the current state of my career? How susceptible

is it to a lay off ? What are my options?

Th e level of lay off susceptibility will help to determine whether or not your path will stay

within your current organization or outside your current organization. For those of you who

fi nd yourself highly susceptible to a lay off , you should get your resume up to date, reach out

to your network and start researching. Find out which companies are hiring, which energy

jobs are active and how your skills and experience could translate into a new opportunity.

Not everyone will be looking for career options outside of their company. Internally, the

short term goal is to make your job less vulnerable by gravitating towards the work, taking

on challenging projects, appraising your skills and expertise and working on building

areas of weakness. Take the initiative, work hard and you could potentially increase the

sustainability of your job.

Maintaining your fi nancial and career security is priority number one, but it is also

important to keep in mind your long term goal—turning this tumultuous time into a career

upgrade. Future tides will turn once again providing opportunity for promotion. Finish out

your road map with a target promotion in mind and strive towards it every day. Doing so

could pay rich dividends.

Th ese challenging times should be looked upon as a catalyst for career growth, not just

by those laid off , but by everyone. Th ere may be hardships incurred earlier, but eff ort spent

now is the key to a more stable career over time.

Sincerely,

Stanna Brazeel,

Manager, Staffi ng and Salary Administration, Human Resources

PennWell

Career Focus In Economic Uncertainty



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The things that make you unique may also make you uniquely qualified. That’s

why, at Aerotek, we take the time to find the person behind the resume. We dig deeper to discover

the very best qualities inside you. Qualities that inspire. Qualities employers look for. Qualities you

may not even know you had. Because at Aerotek, we send only one perfect candidate to fill one

perfect opportunity. And we want it to be you. People. Fit. Perfectly.®

Aerotek is an equal opportunity employer. An Allegis Group Company. © 2009

Nationwide & International Offices. 800.977.6499 www.aerotek.com

Career Placement Specialists SM

Engineers Managers Welders/Fitters Multi-craft Mechanics Specialty Technicians Craft Labor Other Related Professionals



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ENERGY WORKFORCE


Energy Workforce Opportunities in the New Economic Climate

It’s a mixed message out there. On the one

hand the media is claiming the energy

sector is the place to be; on the other hand,

energy companies are not immune to the

current economic woes. With commodity

prices down, industrial demand destruction

a reality and the inevitable increase in slow

or no paying customers, energy companies

are definitely experiencing the effects of our

current economy.

Just as consumers have become wallet vigilant, so too are

energy companies. And given that energy companies cannot

control demand destruction, commodity costs, or payment

consistency, that leaves projects and labor costs as the target

rich environment for cost control. We are already seeing hiring

freezes, projects being killed and a number of related signals

that indicate many energy companies are following the rest of

the economy into a standstill.

Opportunity Knocks

Who hasn’t heard or read about the workforce crisis facing the

energy industry? A couple of telling fi gures; such as 50 percent

or more of utility employees are eligible for retirement within

10 years, or, that Gen-Xers fall 4 to 6 million people short of

fi lling the vacated positions across all industries within the

next 3 years, are sobering indeed.

Meanwhile, the energy industry is experiencing a popularity

boost like nothing seen before. A recent college senior survey

indicated energy as one of the top 5 fi elds of interest. Until two

years ago, energy didn’t even make the top 20 list.

It’s an employers market today. Th ere may not be a better time

to capitalize on this opportunity and when the economy starts

to recover, this window of opportunity will close.

Answering the Door

It would be easy to suggest a simple strategy, such as, go out

and hire people from outside the industry in droves, but

the odds of that working and the cost of the inevitable large

number of “mistakes” is pretty high.

Th ere are essentially two key issues with hiring from outside the

energy industry: 1) lack of training, and, 2) retention risk.

Training can be an expensive investment in people, especially

given post-training retention risks.

Th is doesn’t have to be the case.

According to a Skipping Stone survey which was administered

to non-energy industry job seekers who were interested in

getting into the energy industry, 35 percent of respondents

were willing to pay for some amount of industry training out

of their own pocket. Th e number increased to over 50 percent

if they knew a job was waiting for them upon successful

completion of training. Th e number jumped to 85 percent

if the company hiring them was willing to reimburse their

training costs over a period of time.

Given the survey results, the current unemployment situation

and willingness of non-energy professionals to be retrained, this

screams for a low cost strategy that results in a new trained and

retained talent pool. For example, off ering jobs upon successful

training completion with a three-year payback program tied to

retention starts to look attractive. If you couple that with a third

party student loan program backed by your company and a

personal guarantee from the applicant, it gets even better.

If you don’t want to wait for people to get outside training

to get them started, a simple and cost eff ective retention risk

mitigation strategy is a contract to permanent program.

Contract to permanent has a myriad of benefi ts beyond the

obvious “try before you buy”. Advantages such as fl exibility, no

benefi ts costs, no HR issues, and little or no insurance impact

come with a “contract-to-permanent” approach.

Contract-to-permanent is a viable solution whether your

strategy is progressive on workforce development or if you

are simply in cost control mode. Using contractors for staff

augmentation and project work enables the ability to shed costs

quickly and easily as fi nancial conditions warrant.

Implementation

Most human resource departments aren’t equipped to

implement these strategies single handedly. Outsourcing in



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Join us in driving fast-moving, far-reaching

projects that span from the Gulf Coast to

the Rockies and across North America.

Whether building new pipelines

and facilities or optimizing and maintaining

existing ones, advance your career like

never before. Experience the stability of

working for a growing, industry-leading,

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track record of success.

ENGINEERINGWe move careers as fast as

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Visit:

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• Field & Process Engineering

• Asset Integrity

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• Project Engineering

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• Measurement/Controls

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Opportunities

ENERGY WORKFORCE

a partnership mode with internal HR is the quickest way to

capture what may be a short term opportunity. Th is eliminates

the ramp rate of hiring internal recruiters, contract coordinators,

training coordinators and other gaps to timely implementation.

To streamline the eff ort and minimize the number of outsource

partners needed, one way to eff ectively hit the market hard

and fast is the use of a fi rm that can provide a combination of

recruiting services, contractors, including payroll and benefi ts,

training coordination and assist in developing strategies and

tracking performance and budget.

Financial Impact

Consider the investment in the aforementioned workforce

strategies in terms of a two to three year window. Th e cost to

implement it in 2009 will be much lower than in future years as

eventually the labor market will strengthen and in the current

environment the competition for talent is at a low point.

Assuming there is a need to either address a retiring work

force, renewable mandates or potentially a government backed

windfall of activities, any way you look at it, there is a need

to invest in a workforce strategy. Doing so should not impact

earnings to a signifi cant degree and could position the company

for a signifi cant return on that investment in future years. If

positioned right, analysts might even reward such a strategy.

Th e competition for talent may never be this low again. —EW

About the Authors:

Peter Weigand is Chairman of Skipping Stone, a

professional resources company focused on providing

energy companies with strategic consulting, interim

and contract resources and recruiting services. Email:

[email protected], Phone: 714-965-0885

Michael Abraham is a resourcing client manager

with Skipping Stone. Email: mabraham@

skippingstone.com, Phone: 714-965-0883

—

We encourage your feedback on this or any PennEnergyJOBS EnergyWork-

force article. Please send your comments to [email protected]



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ENERGY WORKFORCE


Forum: Continued advancement for women in energy is promising

Existing roadblocks and challenges

Q: Do you see any challenges or roadblocks that still exist for women

in the energy industry whose career management paths include in-

tentions to reach senior levels? If so, what are the challenges you see?

Kendrick: Utilities are facing a workforce crisis with the

imminent retirement of baby boomers and the changing

demographics of the future smaller workforce talent pools. I

have heard statistics expressing as many as 50 percent of some

utility’s workforce can retire in the next 5 years. Th is creates

many opportunities, especially for women, in the utility business.

Not only as positions become available but additional new skill

sets will be needed which do not require the physical strength

many utility positions required in the past. Th e bigger roadblock,

in my opinion, are the numbers of girls being attracted to take

science, math and technology classes starting in middle school.

Th ese courses will be critical to the success of the future utility

workforce. Th erefore, attracting girls to these classes will be

crucial; inspiring them to stay in science classes is essential; and

providing the right mentors and positive experiences in the

utility business is fundamental to continued recruitment.

Shanahan: I believe the challenges and roadblocks for the

advancement of technical women in the energy industry

are the result of decades of engineering colleges graduating

predominately white men. Th e few women work in a male-

dominated environment. Although I believe very few in the

industry seek to exclude women from the fi eld or advancing,

that is not the same as creating an inclusive environment. Th e

value of diversity to an organization is the better decisions and

results from bringing together a diverse set of perspectives,

approaches and styles of thought to business problems. But

for women to succeed, we oft en train women to adapt to the

predominant (male) culture. Although this makes women

more eff ective in the work environment, the women no longer

participate “authentically.” Th e business loses the value of

diversity and the women have to hide their authentic self.

Creating an inclusive environment would increase women’s

ability to fully contribute at all points in a career path and give

the employer stronger business results.

Nichols: At the 2008 Energetic Women’s inaugural conference,

guest speaker Alice Eagly, author of Th rough the Labyrinth,

shared her research-based concept that the glass ceiling no

longer exists – there is no barrier to the top. Th ere are lots of

challenges (a labyrinth to navigate) for women in their quest for

the corner offi ce, but there are plenty for men as well. Th ose

challenges may be diff erent then for men, but the bottom line

Forum Participants:Betty Shanahan is the executive director and CEO for the Society of

Women Engineers, the fi rst engineer to hold this position. Prior to joining

SWE, Betty spent 24 years in development, engineering management, and

marketing for the electronics and soft ware industries. She has earned B.S. in

electrical engineering, Master of Soft ware Engineering, and M.B.A degrees.

Wanyonyi J. Kendrick is the Chief Information Offi ce at Jacksonville Energy

Authority. Ms. Kendrick joined JEA in February 2000 as Director of Corpo-

rate Applications. She is responsible for a $500 million information technology

portfolio. Ms. Kendrick has spent the last 17 years of her career focusing on

integrating technology solutions with regulatory, legislative, and business

process requirements, resulting in solutions with measurable results.

Kristine J. Nichols directs engineering for

Nicor Gas, one of the nation’s largest natural gas

distribution companies, serving over 2 million

customers in the northern third of Illinois (outside

of Chicago). Her responsibilities include all aspects

of pipeline integrity and regulatory compliance

for the utility. Prior to joining Nicor in 2003, she

held management positions at Kohler Company

in Brownwood, Texas and Wisconsin Gas Company/WEC in Milwaukee,

Wisconsin (now WeEnergies). She is the Inaugural Chair of Energetic Women,

a nationwide organization designed to increase the pool of promotable women

in energy operations and engineering.

Gianna Manes is senior vice president of retail customer services for

Duke Energy. With 20 years of industry experience, Manes leads the retail

customer services function, which includes call center operations, revenue

services, marketing, energy effi ciency and large business customers providing

service to Duke Energy’s approximately 4 million customers in the Midwest

and Carolinas. Previously, Manes served as senior vice president of regulated

portfolio optimization and fuels for Duke Energy’s U.S. Franchised Electric

and Gas organization.

In the Spring 2008 issue of Energy Workforce, we invited three female

executives in the energy industry to participate in a forum on women

seeking to enter or advance their careers in the energy industry.

In light of this article’s notable reception, we are continuing our forum

one year later in the Second Annual Women in Energy Forum.



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ENERGY WORKFORCE

“…the bottom line is always about how much value

you can bring to the table for the organization. If wom-

en focus on how they can help their organization to be

successful, rather than focusing on being in a male-

dominated environment, it becomes easier to meet

the challenges and overcome the perceived barriers.”

—Kristine J. Nichols, Vice President,

Engineering, Nicor Gas

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EnergyWorkforce For job opportuni t ies, v is i t www.PennEnergyJOBS.com 9

is always about how much value you can bring to the table for

the organization. If women focus on how they can help their

organization to be successful, rather than focusing on being in

a male-dominated environment, it becomes easier to meet the

challenges and overcome the perceived barriers.

Manes: Th e challenges for women are no diff erent in the ener-

gy industry than in other fi elds. Th e ability to progress in a ca-

reer starts with a strong foundation of knowledge (education),

curiosity and the willingness and ability to get the job done.

In addition to the foundation, there are other actions women

(and all workers) can take to enhance their advancement po-

tential: 1) seek mentors and role models who have your best

interest in mind to provide guidance and honest feedback,

even if it is diffi cult to hear; 2) be honest about and know your

personal strengths and weaknesses; 3) leverage your skills and

experience and be intentional in career choices and identifying

experiences you want to gain (rather than focusing on a spe-

cifi c “job”); 4) don’t expect others to read your mind – make

your interests known; 5) be willing to take risks.

Prospects for advancement

Q: How would you characterize prospects for career

advancement for women in general in the energy industry?

Shanahan: I have the opportunity to speak to executives in

many segments of the energy industry, from huge energy

producers like ExxonMobil to utilities like Exelon. Th e

uniform message I hear from executives is their desire to

advance women in their organizations and benefi t from having

women in the most senior positions. Th e challenge becomes

getting the executive commitment refl ected in the day-by-day

actions throughout the organization that advance or hinder

women’s career paths. My advice for women in the energy

industry is to understand your employer’s overall commitment

to diversity. If your employer is committed to diversity but the

day-by-day environment you experience is not supportive,

then work with your employer to fi nd opportunities elsewhere

in your organization. If your employer is not committed

to diversity, then I suggest you look at the many energy

organizations that off er advancement.

Nichols: Although traditionally dominated by men, today

there are opportunities galore for women in the energy

industry! Today’s senior

leaders understand the value

of diversity at every level of

an organization, and oft en

actively seek opportunities

to grow talent where they

may not feel they are diverse

enough. My recommendation

for women is to focus on how

they can add the most value to

their organization, and ignore that there may be more men

then women at the table. Being the only woman can be an

opportunity rather than a barrier to showcase their talents.

Manes: Th ere are tremendous opportunities for women in

the energy industry. Energy companies are competing with

other industries for smart, creative and adept employees. Th ese

companies recognize their future viability is dependent on the

ability to attract and retain this type of talent. As a result, any

bias, however subtle, that may have existed in the past limiting

the success of females or other minorities no longer has a

place. As these companies also face signifi cant retirements in

the coming years, I am optimistic about the opportunities that

will be presented for women as the next generation of industry

leaders. Lastly, the energy industry is undergoing dramatic

change as it expands from traditional technologies that have

sustained us in the past to include emerging technologies and

renewable energy. Th e need for innovators and entrepreneurial

thinking to support this change is increasing, which makes it

an exciting time for everyone – one full of growth potential.

Kendrick: Career advancement in utilities has been perceived

as diffi cult (if not impossible) for women in the past; however,

both a combination of the landscape of the industry and a

changing talent pool provides great hopes for the future. Th e

prospective talent pool for utilities will defi nitely be more

heterogeneous than in the past and that includes women. As

a result of workforce planning pressures, the utility industry’s

workforce needs and expectations are also changing to meet

this new talent pool. Th e utility jobs of the past will not be

the utility jobs of the future, with key national initiatives such

as green energy jobs, smart grids, and social responsibility,

utilities are reengineering their positions to embrace and



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ENERGY WORKFORCE

“The utility jobs of the past will not be the utility

jobs of the future, with key national initiatives such

as green energy jobs, smart grids, and

social responsibility, utilities are reen-

gineering their positions to embrace

and accommodate the new talent pool.

I believe the future for women’s ad-

vancement in utilities is promising.”

—Wanyonyi Kendrick,

Jacksonville Energy Authority

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“As a tactic to support women, I encour-

age managers at all levels to create fo-

rums for women to network with each

other, learn, and feel a sense of communi-

ty. Organizations like the Society of Women

Engineers can serve as such a forum.”

—Betty Shanahan, executive director and

CEO for the Society of Women Engineers

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accommodate the new talent pool. I believe the future for

women’s advancement in utilities is promising.

Organizational support

Q: What measures and/or initiatives have you seen implemented

within your own company that support women in their career

management paths, even into the senior levels of your organization?

Manes: Duke Energy has taken steps in a number of areas to

actively support women in their career development. One of

the biggest successes in recent years is the growth and value

created by our employee resource groups. One such group,

the Business Women’s Network (BWN), promotes networking

and workshops targeted to the specifi c needs and interests of

women in the company. Th is group is supported by an executive

steering team comprised of women executives who are actively

and visibly engaged with BWM members in various activities

and serve as accessible role models and mentors. Th e company

also promotes a voluntary mentoring program for all employees

where they are matched with an executive leader.Additionally, I

have seen an increase in the fl exibility employees are provided in

terms of work hours and location, which gives them increased

ability to manage both a career and family. We are redefi ning

the defi nition of “workplace.” Increasingly, work is being

performed where the employee is physically located rather than

the traditional job where employees go to the work location.

While not directed specifi cally at women, this greatly increases

women’s ability to better integrate their career and lives over the

course of time, increasing their choices and enhancing

their overall career opportunities.

Nichols: Nicor Gas has an excellent and well-

earned reputation for promoting the people that

add the most value – and that certainly includes

women. Th e most impressive aspect of Nicor

Gas’ leadership development is the support senior

leaders within the organization provide to emerg-

ing leaders. Nicor has a comprehensive succession plan which

focuses on growing internal talent. In succession planning, em-

ployees have the opportunity to take on diff erent posi-

tions and responsibilities which allows them to develop a

broad vision of the organization. Th e fact that Nicor has

so many women in leadership roles across the company

with a variety of experiences on their resume demon-

strates their long-term commitment to empowering

women to assume meaningful leadership roles.

Kendrick: Over the past decade JEA has developed

both implicit and explicit strategies that support and

promote career advancement for women even into

senior management positions of JEA. Change starts

at the top and both our present and immediate past CEO

actively supported these strategies. In fact, JEA’s Board of

Directors closely refl ects our community in diversity and for

fi scal year 2008 our Board Chair was an African American

woman. Today we have three relevant initiatives: cultural

competence initiative, executive leadership development

program and internships. At JEA cultural competence is

recognizing, understanding, and valuing people’s diff erences

and using this knowledge to interact eff ectively. JEA’s vision is

to be recognized as a leader in achieving excellence by valuing

the unique contributions and needs of our employees and

the communities we serve. We are establishing a multiyear

initiative focusing on our cultural competency goals with the

intended outcome of supporting the expected changes in our

workforce to refl ect the heterogeneous community we support.

JEA’s Executive Leadership Development (ELD) identifi es and

supports (through training and mentoring) our future utility

leaders. Th e ELD group endeavors to be diverse. Th e group

meets regularly and not only has an opportunity to network

with both the JEA board and executive management but also

some of the best and brightest CEOs in North East Florida.

JEA’s Employee Development Program is similar to the ELD but

specifi cally focused on the unique needs of individuals striving

to become supervisors and entry level managers, however it

continues to ensure strong mentorship as well as the creation



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ENERGY WORKFORCE


of sustainable networks to support career advancements. JEA’s

internship program promotes hiring the best and the brightest

college students for internships for up to four years to prepare

these students for a career in utilities. Again the initiative attempts

to represent the community in its demographics.

Industry improvement

Q: How might the energy industry in general improve prospects

for women to advance their careers?

Shanahan: Th e fi rst requirement is commitment from top

management. CEOs, facility managers, and others in top

management must demonstrate, not just say, their commitment

to diversity throughout the organization. From that

commitment should spring eff orts to have all employees shift

their understanding of diversity from tolerance to others to

creating an inclusive corporate culture where all employees can

contribute. As a tactic to support women, I encourage managers

at all levels to create forums for women to network with each

other, learn, and feel a sense of community. Organizations like

the Society of Women Engineers can serve as such a forum.

Kendrick: I am a strong proponent of a best practice approach

to improving the advancement of women in business. Th ere

are many industries and many companies in the utility

business that have embraced successful strategies that

have encouraged better promotion of women into senior

management positions. Th ese practices start with defi ning

the business case: clearly understanding the benefi ts of hiring

women and other groups in the customer base serviced.

Continue by creating a strategy and an organization structure

that can sustain the objectives: including recruitment,

retention, development, training, communication and most

importantly measurement strategies. Lastly monitoring

and celebrating the results. At a more fundamental level

many of the criteria that make a great company also make a

great company for women’s advancement. Th ere are certain

programs that can be considered that truly will attract and

retain women: strong mentoring programs, access to senior

management, career paths and succession planning. But

the basics are also important: great benefi ts, fl exible hours,

job sharing and various forms of childcare may also help a

company to diff erentiate itself to women.



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ENERGY WORKFORCE

“While current economic conditions seem

daunting, I believe opportunities are hid-

den in the news about job

losses and are providing us

the chance to rethink how

we manage our business…

In order to succeed, we need

a multi-dimensional, inclusive

workforce.”

—Gianna Manes, Duke Power

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Nichols: Th e opportunities are out there; the industry already

provides them! Th e real question is what women can do to

capitalize on those opportunities? First, I would advise women

to join Energetic Women and other leadership development and

networking groups as a means of broadening their horizons and

creating a supportive network outside of the organization to grow

their leadership potential. Second, seek out ways to maximize

your potential. Objectively evaluate your past experiences,

the value you currently add to your organization, and what

experiences or skill sets you need to work on in order to be the

best candidate for another opportunity. Finally, be brave! Time

and time again, women executives most oft en credit having

the courage to try something totally new as the primary reason

behind their success. Th ey did not always go seeking their

next assignment. Many were just thrust in a new direction.

Th ey had to dig deep, have faith in their own abilities to grow

and adapt, and have the courage to face their challenges head

on. Th ose experiences are the ones that really make a diff erence.

Concerns about the economy and

employment

Q: With the recent economic and employment slump, have you

noticed any changes in recruitment and sourcing activities aimed

at women in the energy industry?

Kendrick: Yes, the transition to a 21st century heterogeneous

workforce has defi nitely slowed down as a result of the economic

turndown. Any initiative that is not essential to the next 12 to 18

months has been put on hold, canceled or eliminated, oft entimes

diversity initiatives fall into this category. However, the problem

still remains with a shrinking talent pool of the future, the pain

has just been postponed and I am confi dent that most of these

initiatives will begin again in the coming years in the same form

or a more appropriate modifi ed format.

Nichols: It is a tighter market for everyone, not just women.

Now is a good time to focus on leadership development

opportunities. Consider formal education, taking on new

assignments in an area you have not worked before, or testing

your skill sets as a volunteer outside of the corporate world.

Showing your dedication to continually grow and add value

will only strengthen you, regardless of the economy.

Manes: I believe all challenges present opportunities. While

current economic conditions seem daunting, I believe opportu-

nities are hidden in the news about job losses and are providing

us the chance to rethink how we manage our business. It is an

opportunity to be creative with regard to costs, earnings and

resources – especially employees. Th is is the time to focus on

the best talent, the best ideas and the best solutions. In order to

succeed, we need a multi-dimensional, inclusive workforce. We

are being more deliberate in our sourcing and recruiting in all

areas with these needs in mind, which will continue to improve

opportunities for all, including women.

Shanahan: I wouldn’t note changes for women that are any

diff erent than the changes for men. Some sectors of the

industry are facing hiring slowdowns or freezes that impact

both men and women.

Final thoughts

Q: What else do energy companies need to know about women

in the industry?

Nichols: Many women learn and grow in ways diff erent

than their male counterparts. Th e opportunity to network

with other women in the industry is a great asset to their

growth and development. It has become obvious to me now,

through my involvement with Energetic Women, that it is

really essential to have a safe venue for women to explore their

leadership potential with other women and to fi nd solutions

to the challenges they experience in their careers. I strongly

encourage energy companies to look into Energetic Women as

a resource to attract, develop, and retain women to diversify

their talent pool and strengthen the organization long term.

Shanahan: Th e energy industry must fully utilize all the talents

of a diverse workforce if it is create a long-term strategy to

deliver sustainable energy to the world while maintaining and

increasing quality of life globally.

Kendrick: Women and other diverse workforce groups

should not be portrayed as replacing any one demographic…

but rather complementing the workforce and providing

opportunities for better decision-making similar to Abraham

Lincoln’s strong cabinet team of rivals. —EW



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ENERGY WORKFORCE


Customized and PersonalizedImproving Frontline Training Practices

Training and training delivery systems are

changing, evolving to take advantage of the

power of the Internet, mobile communications,

and handheld technologies—the technologies

that are changing society itself. Technological

advancement has made it possible and

practical to shift from classroom training to

individualized learning. In turn, corporations

are expecting trainers to become performance

consultants, with the goal of developing custom

learning content to help individual employees

achieve their desired outcome.

As a result, companies are spending more per employee

on training and the average number of hours of formal

learning per employee is increasing. Th e use of technology

to deliver learning content has increased and companies are

also spending more on external services like content design,

development and delivery or technology infrastructure.

More and more subject matter experts are assuming the

training role. More live instruction is being delivered remotely

or online and more and more self-paced or computer-

based training is being off ered to busy employees, making

it even more convenient to brush up on skills or learn a

new procedure. Training that is portable, self-directed, and

available on-demand is becoming popular, through pod casts,

PDAs, or even mobile phones. Simulation technology is also

being widely implemented, allowing learners to realistically

“try the job” before actually on the job.

Companies are expecting more from their training

organizations—to maximize results while minimizing

resources; to prove that the investment in training is paying

off in employee performance; to develop content more

quickly; and to deliver learning in such a manner that it is

more accessible, even seamless with work duties. More so

than ever before, an organization’s training function is being

run like any other business function with increased attention

on operational effi ciency, accountability, and connection to

organizational strategy.

Th ese challenges are refl ected in the top concerns identifi ed

by training and development professionals in recent

industry research:

Managing training costs and funding•

Getting the most out of e-learning, learning •

development systems

Linking learning to performance•

Increasing training comprehension•

Aligning learning with business needs and •

individual employee competency needs.

It’s no longer acceptable to hope an employee learns something

at a training session. Th e best performing companies are

thoughtfully developing and engaging their most important

resource: the people they employ.

Engaged employees are the key to excellent customer service.

Engaged employees are employees that feel as though they

are truly valued at work; that their eff orts directly contribute

towards the mission and success of the company. Engaged

employees are more productive and less likely to look outside

of the company for employment.

However, employee engagement is beginning to deteriorate due

to the failing economies of the U.S. and elsewhere around the

world. A recent national study by Modern Survey revealed that

that 21% of U.S. workers actively disengaged. Poor employee

engagement can lead to absenteeism, a lack of teamwork, poor

morale, and low productivity, among other concerns.

It is becoming more and more diffi cult to fi nd and engage the

right employees. Tight labor markets are making companies

think twice about compensation packages, benefi ts, and

incentives. Turnover and competition are pushing companies to

focus on ways to keep qualifi ed employees happy and motivated.

Customer service management’s top priority is attracting and

engaging top-performing customer service employees.

Learning plays a key role in helping employees to get and stay

engaged. Many organizations have begun to rely heavily on

the learning function for engagement support. While new-



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ENERGY WORKFORCE


hire training can initiate an employee’s engagement with the

company, refresher training and other personal development

opportunities can help keep employees engaged. However,

training and development alone does not guarantee employee

engagement.

Additionally a good relationship between employees and

immediate supervisors is recognized as a top driver of

employee engagement. Yet this is a problem area for many

customer service organizations—frontline supervisors and

managers lack the skills to eff ectively engage employees. A

study performed by the Ascent Group found, many customer

service organizations do not off er basic supervisory training

to frontline supervisors, much less tactics to improve

employee engagement.

With all this in mind, the Ascent Group conducted research

in mid- and late-2008 to better understand training and

development programs for front-line customer service

employees. Th is research was conducted in concert with

additional research into the recruitment and hiring of front-

line employees and performance measurement.

Th e main objective of the study was to identify “best practices”

for front-line customer service training. In particular, focus

was given to understanding how best-in-class customer service

organizations train and prepare their front-line, customer-

facing employees.

Secondary objectives included understanding:

What initial training programs are used? •

Duration?

What on-going training programs are used? •

Duration? Frequency? Pass/Fail?

What job rotation processes are in place? Are they •

eff ective in increasing productivity and customer

satisfaction?

What technologies are improving the training •

process?

Participants were also asked to share management tactics and

strategies, as well as identify any improvement in performance.

Th e study also asked companies to include considerations,

successes, and plans moving forward. Study participants

ranged from 2 to 6,000 frontline employees and from 1 to

1,900 new hires per year.

Lessons Learned

Hire for Attitude, Train for Technical Skills. Th e best foundation

for service excellence is your people. It is easier to teach

profi ciency than it is to change attitudes. Best-in-Class

companies look for motivated and enthusiastic people who

demonstrate a propensity to serve—hire for attitude and

train for skill. Consider potential, not necessarily experience.

Best-in-Class companies have turned hiring into an art form,

not only the process but also the identifi cation of the right

type of employee. In a service business, the employees are the

company and hiring is critical. Work with your recruiters to

fi nd the right candidates.

Communicate Job Expectations Th roughout New Hire

Training—Do as much as possible to relay expectations

to students during the new hire-training program. Th e

more a new employee understands about the job, the work

environment, performance expectations, and culture,

the quicker they will be able to achieve standard. Use job

shadowing, peer mentoring, or simulation to relay culture

and expectations. Revise training content so the appropriate

expectations are conveyed. Survey new students to better

understand how to continually refi ne the process and

minimize new-hire surprise.

Emphasize the Importance of Customer Service in the Training

Process—Make sure that students know up front about your

organizational commitment to customer service. Stress the

importance of customer service and customer satisfaction

throughout the new-hire training program. Do as much as

possible to integrate the “Customer Experience” into Training

Program—so students understand customer expectations

and appreciate the customer perspective. Use simulation,

role-playing, and mentoring to convey the correct “customer

experience”. On average, our participants spend about 20

percent of new-hire training hours on soft -skills, usually

integrated into the new-hire training program.

Engage New Hires with “Hands-On” Training, Customized

to Individual Learning Styles—Research shows a growth in

more interactive, hands-on training opportunities for new

hires—role playing, simulation, peer mentoring. Hands-

on experiences help internalize learning, incorporate more

“learning by doing” opportunities into your new-hire program.

Hands-on learning can also be used to drive assessment

so that trainers can measure both factual knowledge and

comprehension. Additionally, training comprehension is

increased through individualized training—training tailored



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ENERGY WORKFORCE

eLearning & learningmanagement systems

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

% Participants reporting

Computer-based &video-based training

Web meeting software

Enhanced training room

Intranet repository

Fig. 1. Top new training technologies

29%

29%

24%

18%

18%


to each students individual learning style. Smaller class sizes,

modular training, and self-paced activities help students learn

at their own pace.

Mentoring & Monitoring Ease the Transition to the Floor—

Participants use a combination of one-on-one mentoring and

frequent call monitoring to help new hires transition to the

fl oor. Many companies also employ “nesting”—pod on the fl oor

dedicated to new hires— to facilitate more extensive coaching

and one-on-one assistance until the team is up-to-standard.

Another approach that has been successful is the creation of an

OJT manager to shepherd new-hire and ongoing OJT eff orts.

Maximize Intranet and Internet Resources and other

Technologies to Enhance Training and Job Aids—Newer

technologies off er the opportunity to customize learning and

make it more accessible. Investigate opportunities to deliver

online or computer-based training. Self-paced training is

inherently customized to individual learning speeds and

styles. Training that is portable, self-directed, and available

on-demand, through pod casts, PDAs, or mobile phones, will

be more convenient and more appealing for many employees.

Simulation technologies allow learners to “try the job” before

actually being on the job, creating a more realistic training

environment. Research also shows a growth in the use of web-

based meeting applications, such as WebEx, GoTo Meeting,

and LiveMeeting, to facilitate distance learning and to reduce

training costs.

Integrate Training with Quality Assurance and Operational

Excellence to Facilitate Continual Improvement and Pre-

emptive Targeted Training. To ensure successful continuous

improvement, encourage training groups to work closely

with quality assurance and operational excellence groups.

Th is will encourage the link between learning and

performance—making sure the training group is equipping

employees to successfully perform as well as making sure any

operational changes are refl ected in training. At the same time,

underperforming employees can receive targeted training.

Provide Supervisors with Training on How to Coach

and Engage Employees. Organizations reporting more

highly engaged workers actively promoting a culture

of engagement by ensuring that organizational leaders,

including immediate supervisors, are skilled in the area

of engagement improvement. Aft er all, having a good

relationship between employees and immediate supervisors

is a top driver of employee engagement. Yet, many frontline

supervisors are lacking in basic supervisory skills, much

less tactics for engaging employees. A study by the Ascent

Group found that only 57 percent of participants have a

formal supervisory (coach) training program for front-line

customer service employees.

Evolve Your Training Resources. As technology becomes

more specialized and learning becomes more personalized,

trainers will assume more of a performance consultant role.

Make sure your trainers have the appropriate training and

resources to make the transition. Many companies have a

diffi cult time balancing the needs of the business to meet

service level goals and the need to train and develop frontline

employees. Make the time to adequately train your frontline

customer service resources.

Make Time for Training. Many companies have a diffi cult time

balancing the day-to-day needs of the business and the need

to train and develop frontline employees. Make the time to

adequately train and prepare your frontline customer service

resources. Make sure they are equipped and trained to handle

all situations. Refresh training periodically to keep employees

in top performance and up-to-date on customer service and

technical skills. —EW

About The Ascent Group

Th e Ascent Group, Inc. is a management-consulting fi rm that

specializes in customer service operations and improvement,

performance benchmarking, competitive benchmarking, work

management, and industry research. www.ascentgroup.com

—

We encourage your feedback on this or any PennEnergyJOBS EnergyWork-

force article. Please send your comments to [email protected]



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Known for its natural beauty, entrepreneurial spirit and welcoming communities,

Alberta, Canada is a good place to be. Alberta offers employment opportunities and

plenty of excitement for your days off.

Visit our booth at the Offshore Technology Conference, May 4-7, 2009 in Houston, Texas

to find out more about working and living in Alberta.

www.AlbertaCanada.com/liveworkstay

Work Hard.

Play Hard.



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