Shell dumps $12.5 billion Louisiana gas-to-liquids project December 9, 2013, oilpatchasia

Royal Dutch Shell plc said Friday it won't move forward with the proposed 140,000 barrels per day Gulf Coast gas-to-liquids (GTL) project in Louisiana and will suspend any further work on the project.

Shell said it has “taken the decision that GTL is not a viable option for Shell in Noeth America, at this time, due to the likely development cost of such a project, uncertainties on long term oil and gas price and differentials and Shell’s strict capital discipline.”

Shell and Governor Bobby Jindal had announced in September this year the site for the project in Ascension Parish. Shell would have spent a minimum of $12.5 billion under agreements with Louisiana for the project, which would have created 740 direct jobs. CEO Peter Voser said Friday, “We are making tough choices here, focusing our efforts and capital on the most attractive opportunities in our world-wide portfolio, to add value for shareholders.”

“Shell thanks the Governor of Louisiana, his staff, Parish officials, regulators and the community for the opportunity to consider locating this project in Louisiana, and the company looks forward to continuing a long, successful relationship with the state,” the company said in a statement.

RAVVA OIL AND GAS FIELD, INDIA

Ravva oil and gas field is located in the shallow offshore area of the Krishna-Godavari basin on the eastern coast of India. It lies in Block PKGM-1.

Ravva oil and gas field is located in the shallow offshore area of the Krishna-Godavari basin on the eastern coast of India. It lies in Block PKGM-1. The field is operated by Cairn India which holds a 22.5% stake in it. Its partners in the field include ONGC (40%), Videocon Petroleum (25%) and Ravva Oil (12.5%).

The Ravva field was initially estimated to produce 100 million barrels of crude oil. It has, however, produced more than 225 million barrels till 2011.

E - Books Updates

New Well Control Books Added To E - Learning Page. Go Through the below link and Download:

http://thepetroinnovations.blogspot.in/p/e-learning.html

Fiber Optics Sensors Creating New Possibilities For Optimizing Fracturing

HOUSTON–The United States ranked number one in the world for both crude oil and natural gas production growth last year, and U.S. producers appear to be positioned to defend that title in 2013 and well beyond. As unlikely at it may have seemed only five years ago, the nation has turned around its energy destiny completely, all thanks to unconventional resource plays.

A litany of sophisticated technologies are being deployed in even the most “routine” shale gas and tight oil development projects, but if operators could point to a single technology that has enabled the domestic industry’s rise to global champion of oil and gas production growth it surely would be hydraulic fracturing. Simply put, the ability to economically and safely induce fractures in ultratight hydrocarbon-bearing rock has revolutionized oil and gas development and opened new horizons of recoverable resources, beginning in dry gas shales and migrating into a range of tight liquids formations.

Distributed Fibre Optic Sensing With Hydraulic Fracturing

Unlike conventional reservoir monitoring devices, in which the sensing element is a physical device usually placed at the end of a copper line, with distributed fiber optic sensing, the entire length of glass fiber is turned into thousands of sensing points.

A critical advance has been micro seismic monitoring,which provides an even better subsurface picture of fracture growth and effectiveness, but it still leaves operators with multiple possible interpretations of the results and performance inconsistencies from one stage to another, leading to such questions as: Why is there micro seismic overlap? Is there stage communication in the reservoir? Is a plug leaking or is there poor cement quality in that particular hole section? With distributed fiber optic sensing, by analyzing the laser light reflections from different spots in the fiber, the temperature and strain of the glass can be determined at any point in the well, and the fiber can be turned into a series of distributed microphones or hydrophones.

Whereas in the past, one may have been limited to a couple of sensing points per well, with distributed sensing, the operator effectively has thousands of measurement points covering the entire well bore.

For the large unconventional reservoirs that operators are now targeting, the real value of distributed fiber optic sensing comes in combining multiple subsurface diagnostic techniques with the surface hardware and fluid chemistry to get the most out of each fracturing treatment.

In a project where thousands of wells may be drilled, it is critical to get the well spacing and horizontal orientation correct. If the operator does not have it right, he is either drilling too few wells or stranding valuable reserves, or drilling too many wells spaced too closely together and wasting tens of millions of dollars on drilling and completing wells that are not required.

While distributed fiber optic systems are invaluable in monitoring hydraulic fracture treatments, they also provide value throughout the life of a well. After the frac job, the same distributed sensing fiber can be used to perform production logging or be used for long-term well bore integrity monitoring.

Note: Full Case Study on "Fiber Optics Sensors Creating New Possibilities For Optimizing Fracturing"  Will Be Updated Soon.

Updated E-Learning Page Contains SLB CD Series

Drilling Engineering CD Series Updated.

To Download Click the link Below

Click here

Schulumbger Cd's for Drilling Engineering

Schlumberger CD'S for Drilling Engineering 

Updated Soon

Content: 

CD 1: An Introduction to Drilling Rigs and Main Components of Drill String 

CD 2: BOP Equipment's 

CD 3: Drilling Fluids and Mud Test

CD 4: Mud Circulation and Treatment Equipment's 

CD 5: Hoisting Equipment's 

CD 6: Rotating Equipment's & Mast and Substructure 

CD 7: Pipe Handling 

CD 8: Casing and Cementing 

CD 9: Well Logging, Mud Logging and Drill Stem Test

CD 10: Power System and Instrument 

TEXAS DRILLING RIG HITS GAS PIPE LINE AND THEN EXPLODES

It happened at about 9:30 a.m. November 14th, 2013 near the intersection of Highway 77 and FM 308 in Milford. 

Ellis County spokesman James Saulter said a Chevron crew had been conducting a type of drilling when the explosion happened.

Video from SKY4 showed heavy flames rising from what appeared to a rig in a rural field. It was surrounded by several charred work trucks. The large plum of black smoke was visible from Interstate 35E.

No one was hurt and there were no reports of damage to any nearby homes or businesses, Saulter said.

However, officials are still concerned about the fire spreading to other pipelines in the area.

The whole city of Milford, which has a population of about 800, was evacuated. Students were moved to schools in the nearby town of Italy.

Traffic on FM 308 was rerouted between Highways 22 and 77. Motorists in the area were asked to use I-35E as an alternative to Hwy. 77.

Chevron will let the pipeline burn itself out, which is expect to take about 24 hours, Saulter said.

Bakrie oil arm acquires field in South Africa Oleh Dyah Megasari - Senin, 21 Oktober 2013 | 14:17 WIB | Sumber The Jakarta Post

JAKARTA. Jakarta listed PT Energi Mega Persada, arm of the widely diversified Bakrie group, sealed a deal to acquire an oil and gas block in South Africa.

Energi Mega announced on Friday that it had acquired a 75 participating interest in Buzi EPCC Block in Mozambique.

The company will be a new partner to the Mozambique government, which owns the remaining 25 percent stake through its Empressa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos (ENH).

Energi Mega said the acquisition of the block, which is expected to start production in 2017, had been valued at US$175 million.

Energi Mega president director Imam Agustino said the Buzi block was a high value asset with measurable risk.

“A number of large multinational companies are actively exploring, appraising and developing their gas discoveries into LNG [Liquefied Natural Gas] projects in Mozambique. We are happy that our entry to Mozambique is in the early stages of gas development and our partner is the government,” Imam said in a written statement.

Energi Mega said it would finance the acquisition with internal cash and loan financing.

The company’s head of investor relations Herwin Hidayat said Energi Mega’s internal cash would finance almost 50 percent of the $175 million needed to acquire interest in the block.

He said that the Buzi block was a good prospect.

The Buzi block, one of many fields in Mozambique known for its gas reserves and resources, is reported to have 283 billion cubic feet of proven and probable gas reserves.

Moreover, the block also has 3.4 trillion cubic feet of gas prospective resources.

It is also surrounded by other producing gas fields, such as the Pande, Temana and Inhassoro oil fields.

Moreover, proper infrastructure of gas pipeline from Mozambique to South Africa will secure its distribution.

Demands are also in place, both export and domestic, including for Mozambique’s electric generation and petrochemical industry.

Article on "Pipelines pose fewer risks for workers and less spills compared to transporting oil by rail or truck"

CALGARY, AB—Oil transport by pipeline presents significantly lower safety risks to workers than oil movement by road or rail, concludes a study published today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.

The study, Inter-modal Safety in the Transport of Oil, determined that the rate of injury requiring hospitalization was 30 times lower among oil pipeline workers compared to rail workers involved in the transport of oil, based on extensive data collected in the United States. Road transport fared even worse, with an injury rate 37 times higher than pipelines based on reports to the U.S. Department of Transportation for the period 2005-2009.

Announcement Offshore Energy exhibition & conference 2014

Offshore Energy  Exhibition and Conference 2014 will be held on 28 & 29 October 2014 at the Amsterdam RAI, the Netherlands. 2014 brings the 7^th edition of Offshore Energy.

Offshore Energy is the fastest growing gathering of offshore industry professionals. Founded in 2008 with 70 exhibitors and 1,765 visitors, Offshore Energy has been breaking records year after year. The 6^th edition of Offshore Energy on 15 & 16 October 2013 brings together some 500 exhibitors and over 8,500 visitors representing 50 nationalities.

The organization expects that the event will continue on its path of steady growth. Offshore Energy 2014 will host between 500 and 600 exhibitors and is expected to attract over 10,000 professionals from all over the world. Both the exhibition and the extensive conference program of Offshore Energy 2014 will address the technical, operational and commercial challenges associated with industry growth.

The 2014 technical program will once again feature an international faculty of speakers covering a broad palette of topics. Meetings range from high caliber panels and technical sessions to annual meetings of industry organizations and masterclasses, catering to professionals from board level to operational level and young talents.

Largest oil fields in the World

It comes as no surprise that the top three largest offshore oil fields in the world are located in the Persian Gulf - two of them operated by Saudi Arabia and one by UAE. Brazil's Santos Basin and the Caspian Sea contain the other two giant oil fields. Sources profiles the largest offshore fields by estimated recoverable reserves.

Reliance Industries signs a joint study agreement with Petroleos De Venezuela, SA (PdVSA)

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and the Venezuelan state oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela, SA (PdVSA) have signed a Joint Study Agreement for Ayacucho Block 8 in Orinoco Oil Belt.

As per the study agreement, both the parties will jointly evaluate the development plan for Ayacucho 8.

RIL and PdVSA have also extended the term of the MOU signed between the parties last year by one year for continued cooperation.

The signing of the Joint Study Agreement for Ayacucho Block 8 and the extension of MOU marks further strengthening of the long standing relationship between RIL and PdVSA as well as between India and Venezuela.

About RIL

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) is India’s largest private sector company on all major financial parameters with a turnover of INR 371,119 crore (US$ 68.4 billion), cash profit of INR 30,505 crore (US$ 5.6 billion) and net profit of INR 21,003 crore (US$ 3.9 billion) as of March 31, 2013.

A New Approach to Facing Rod Pump Challenges

Worldwide, there are approximately 2 million oil wells and 37.5 percent of these use rod pumps as the artificial lift method. Alternative methods such as electrical submersible pumps, gas lift systems, and progressive cavity pumps are used on 12.5 percent of the wells.

Rod pumps face many operational challenges. Some of these challenges consist of:

• Mechanical wear
• Corrosion
• Pump failures
• Inefficient pumping

The most common challenges are mechanical wear and corrosion, both of which lead to a constant battle to decrease failures and workover costs, especially as a field matures and water production increases. Corrosion and wear management are an essential part of optimizing operations. There is extensive information available in literature about traditional mechanical wear and corrosion mitigation methods. Below are some examples of the most common mitigation methods:

• Use rod guides to prevent rods and rod couplings from contacting tubing
• Install rod rotators to distribute the wear equally
• Utilize pump-off controllers so the well is not pumped off, and only actively pumped when sufficient fluid is available
• Use corrosion inhibitors to oil-wet the tubing and rods in high water cut wells to provide lubrication

A new type of rod pump, the Linear Lift System (LLS), was recently developed. The LLS aids in directly addressing inefficient pumping and mechanical wear and indirectly addresses pump failure challenges; the LLS will be the focus of this blog.

Fig-1 Traditional Rod Pump

Top stories from Offshore World for the month of September

1. BP requests US court to stop spill settlement payments
2. GE Oil & Gas unveils subsea manifold design for offshore customers
3. FMC secures $90m subsea equipment contract from Statoil
4. Chevron to pay $42m to settle Brazilian spill suits
5. Total warns Shell of corrosive drilling fluid leak at Shearwater
6. Buccaneer Energy to acquire Apache leases in Alaska

And many more have a look at Offshore World Top stories for the month of September...

http://www.offshore-technology.com/features/feature-september-stories-bp-us-court-settlement-chevron-frade-field/

GE to provide close to $600 million in turbomachinery equipment for Russia’s Yamal LNG megaproject

GE (NYSE:GE) has received a contract to provide key turbomachinery equipment for the Yamal liquefied natural gas (LNG) “megaproject” that is being developed on the Yamal Peninsula in Russia’s northern Siberia region. The LNG produced at the site will be used to help meet the growing energy needs, primarily of Asia and Pacific Region countries.

“GE is supporting some of the world’s largest LNG projects, and the Yamal LNG megaproject is an exciting example of how our deep expertise in integrated LNG technology and life cycle services is helping the Russian/CIS region secure its energy future”

The LNG megaproject is owned by JSC Yamal LNG, a joint venture between Russia’s largest independent gas producer OAO Novatek (80 percent) and France’s Total SA (20 percent). The project is being implemented in the Arctic zone of Russia, in the Yamal Peninsula, near Sabetta port. The joint venture is building a gas liquefaction facility that will have a production capacity of 16.5 million tons per year, based on the feedstock resources of the South Tambeyskoye gas condensate field. Proved and probable reserves of natural gas (PRMS) of the South Tambeyskoye field exceed 900 BCM (32 tcf).

Petroleum Engineering Professionalism and Ethics

Engineering professionalism and ethics

  
A great deal has been written about professionalism and engineering ethics. This material along with expanded examples and detailed discussions of engineers as expert witnesses appears in the book Advanced Reservoir Engineering and Management. Highly recommended reading includes “Good Ethics Makes Good Business Sense” and “Building a Best-in-Class Compliance Program.”

Inocean won the CAT I drillship design contract from Statoil

Inocean has been awarded the contract for the Concept and option for FEED for the Statoil CAT I Drillship.

The most important contract for Inocean ever, says Jon Erik Borgen, CEO of Inocean. – Being developed for arctic operations, we are probably speaking of the most advanced and sophisticated unit evolved within drilling operations. Having this opportunity to develop the drillship of tomorrow is a big recognition of our design and engineering capabilities. We also appreciate that a Norwegian designer was chosen by Statoil in a strong competition with several major international players, says Jon Erik Borgen.

The CAT I Drillship will be tailored for the Statoil Arctic Step-up program through suitable winterization, increased capabilities and a hull suitable for operations in ice infested waters.  It is designed to minimize the environmental footprint and arranged with maximum focus on HSE. The design is based on the INO-80 Drillship.

Significant oil discovery offshore Canada

Statoil (OSE:STL, NYSE:STO) Canada and co-venturer Husky Energy have announced that the first Bay du Nord exploration well has discovered between 300 and 600 million barrels of oil recoverable.

The Bay du Nord discovery, located approximately 500 kilometres northeast of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, was announced in August. A sidetrack well has been completed this week and confirms a high impact discovery. Additional prospective resources have been identified which require further delineation.

The Bay du Nord discovery is Statoil's third discovery in the Flemish Pass Basin. The Mizzen discovery is estimated to hold a total of 100-200 million barrels of oil recoverable. The Harpoon discovery, announced in June, is still under evaluation and volumes cannot be confirmed at this stage.

The Bay du Nord well encountered light oil of 34 API and excellent Jurassic reservoirs with high porosity and high permeability.

"It is exciting that Statoil is opening a new basin offshore Newfoundland," says Tim Dodson, executive vice president of Statoil Exploration. "This brings us one step closer to becoming a producing operator in the area."

"With only a few wells drilled in a large licenced area, totalling about 8,500 square kilometres, more work is required," adds Dodson. "This will involve new seismic as well as additional exploration and appraisal drilling to confirm these estimates before the partnership can decide on an optimal development solution in this frontier basin."

Offshore Solutions signs north sea contract with Maersk Oil UK

Offshore Solutions BV (OSBV), the joint venture between AMEC and Cofely Nederland NV, has signed a North Sea contract with Maersk Oil UK to provide marine access support to the floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit Global Producer III.

Located 185 miles north east of Aberdeen, Scotland, OSBV’s Offshore Access System (OAS) will support the shutdown operations for a minimum of 110 days, with options to extend.

The walk to work system is deployed on the REM Installer, a new-build offshore subsea construction vessel chartered by Canyon Offshore, the marine contracting business unit of Helix Energy Solutions. Sea trials for the project were completed in North Sea waters in July with operations starting later the same month.

Lindsay Young, managing director of OSBV, said: “OAS equipped vessels provide safe and cost effective marine transfer and offshore accommodation allowing for greater access to offshore installations than by crew vessels or helicopters. By using the OAS, additional offshore man-hours are made available, enhancing production whilst ensuring that workers are transported in a safe manner.

Rob Armstrong, walk to work project manager for Maersk Oil UK added:

“Having personally investigated several walk to work options, the Offshore Access System (OAS) proved to be the most reliable, with a track record of high connection rates and excellent operability. Maersk Oil UK undertook an intensive hazard identification procedure to select the safest system for the project and the OAS heave compensated marine access system that we examined complies with Maersk's very stringent safety standards. Fitted on-board the REM Installer, which is a new build, state of the art DPII vessel, we are expecting even greater performance than previously experienced.”

Source: Offshore Solutions

Statoil ASA announces gas discovery in Iskrystall

Well 7219/8-2, drilled by the drilling rig West Hercules, has proved an approximately 200 metre gas column. Statoil estimates the volumes in Iskrystall to be between 6 and 25 million barrels of oil equivalents (o.e.).

Iskrystall was the second of the four prospects to be drilled in the Johan Castberg area this year with the aim of proving additional volumes for the Johan Castberg field development project. The first prospect Nunatak resulted in a small gas discovery.

"Our main goal was to

Watchful experts at your side, GE’s power conversion business can’t control the weather but allows the mariner to control the ship

                             

 As much as we hate to admit it, success is based on how well we adapt to situations we simply can’t control. That’s why, when it comes to holding a drill ship on-site, as winds whip the sea and the underwater currents into a frenzy, oil companies and their contractors turn to GE’s Power Conversion business (NYSE: GE). It’s what we do.

We are your watchful experts on the bridge with a full knowledge of the ship putting one of the industry’s most powerful dynamic positioning systems at the mariner’s fingertips, and we do it efficiently saving operators up to 10 percent in fuel usage.

Fuel from landfill

As the search for new energy source and alternative ways to power the world`s energy needs increases, more have been said toward diverting attention from the conventional sources of energy – crude oil and coal in a bit to reduce over reliance on these conventional thereby reducing the quantity of greenhouse gas emission. Energy from hydro, wind, solar is known to many but little has been known about energy from landfills. Energy from landfills have remained unknown to many and are produced on a daily basis either consciously or unconsciously through the refuses, wastes, garbage from our homes, offices, schools and factories etc. hulled away by trucks to specially designed structures called Landfill for disposal.

Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and University Students in India, 2013

And this is probably the best and a well known scholarship scheme for those who have passed class 12 in 2013 and are pursuing/will pursue higher studies in under graduate regular courses in Engineering, Science, Commerce, etc. (not correspondence or distance mode) from recognized educational institutions/university in India.

By the Central Sector Scholarship Scheme, the Government of India awards 82000 scholarships (41000 for boys and 41000 for girls) worth Rs. 1000 per month during under graduation and Rs. 2000 per month for your masters. And once you are selected, you keep getting this scholarship till you continue your studies.

The National Merit Scholarship Scheme, the objective of which was to provide financial assistance to meritorious students studying from post-matric to post-graduate level in Government schools/colleges and universities has been discontinued with effect from April, 2007. However, a New Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and University Students has been introduced during XI Five Year Plan. The objective of the new scheme is to provide financial assistance to meritorious students from low income families to meet a part of their day-to-day expenses while pursuing higher studies.

The scholarships will be awarded on the basis of the results of senior secondary examination. 82000 fresh scholarships per annum (41000 for boys and 41000 for girls) will be awarded for graduate/postgraduate studies in colleges and universities and for professional courses, such as Medical, Engineering etc.

Allocation of Scholarships: The total number of scholarships will be divided amongst the state boards based on the state’s population in the age group of 18 - 25 years, after segregating share of CBSE and ICSE on the basis of number of students passing out from various boards in the country which means you have to apply through the board whose certificate exam you have passed in 2013.

**Here we are sharing the details for the CBSE students. And the students who have passed out of ICSE and other state boards should apply through their respective board's website.

50% of the scholarships would be earmarked for girls. The number of scholarships

Now we focus on the Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and University Students in India for those students who have passed out of CBSE in 2013.

Who can apply: All conditions are mandatory and applicable to all categories of applicants:

• The applicant should be an Indian national
• The applicant should have passed the Senior School Certificate Examination 2013 conducted by CBSE and have secured the total aggregate marks (in first five subjects) equal or above the following minimum marks out of 500 as per the stream opted by the applicant:

Science: 418, Commerce: 401, Other Streams: 338

• The applicant should be pursuing higher studies and have taken admission in Under Graduation regular course (not correspondence or distance mode) from recognized colleges/university in India.
• The applicant should not be availing any other scholarship.
• Total Annual Income of parents of the applicant from all sources should not exceed Rs. 6 lakhs per annum.
• The applicant should not belong to creamy layer as defined by DoP&T from time to time. (Govt. of India, Dept. of Per. & Trg., OM No. 36033/S/2004-Estt. (Res.), dated 14-10-2004) (This is applicable to all categories of applicants both ‘general’ and ‘reserved’)

Scholarship Amount and Duration: 

a) During graduation: Rs. 1000/- per month* for three years: To be disbursed lump sum amount of Rs. 10,000/- at end of academic year.

b) During post graduation: Rs 2000/- per month for two
years after graduation: To be disbursed lump sum amount of Rs. 20,000/- at end of academic year

Number of scholarships will be distributed amongst pass out of the Science, Commerce and Humanities in ratio of 3:2:1. Reservation to SC, ST, OBC and PH will be as per guidelines of the Govt of India.

How to Apply: To apply, you need to fill an online application and send its hardcopy to the CBSE's head office in New Delhi by September 30, 2013

For more details on this scheme, go through this doc (Official Notification)

And you can apply here online: Online Application