Petroleum Review - January 2011
Petroleum Review – January 2011
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Knowledge is power EI delivers through its members
Louise Kingham
CLIMATE CHANGE – FINANCE
Bridging the gap
There is an urgent need for large-scale financing to allow developing countries to mitigate and adapt to climate change. However, there is a yawning gap between the current level of climate change finance (approximately $8bn/y) and even the most conservative estimates of the World Bank for the amount required by developing countries ($90–$210bn). Standard & Poor's Michael Wilkins, Global Head of Carbon Markets and Julian Richardson, Chief Executive of Parhelion Underwriting, look at whether capital markets can bridge the climate change financing gap.
CCS – STANDARDS
Standards to speed CO2 developmentDNV and the energy industry, with a valuable contribution from government agencies, have developed what is claimed to be the world’s most comprehensive guideline for the safe and sustainable geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO2). It has been followed by one of the world’s first guidelines for capture and transport. Designed to support both industry and regulators, the guidelines represent a breakthrough that aims to speed up the large-scale deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS), writes DNV CCS Director Elisabeth Rose.
E&P – DEVELOPMENT TRENDS
E&P’s pioneering spirit
Post-Macondo, the global upstream industry must be seen to strive to attain even higher standards of safety and environmental responsibility than before – but at a time when many of its multibillion dollar projects are taking place in some of the harshest frontiers the world has to offer, in ultra-deepwater, Arctic and other equally remote environments. As a consequence, this demands the use of pioneering – and often ‘industry-first’ – technologies as well as the continual evolution of solutions covering the full gamut of fixed, floating production, gas liquefaction, subsea and seabed development options. Mark Thomas reports.
IP WEEK 2011 – PREVIEW
A changing industry
IP Week will feature as one of the conference highlights of 2011, as a unique opportunity to hear industry leaders discuss the key issues of the day. The 2010 conference attracted over 2,000 senior managers over three days, and the 2011 programme looks set to do the same.
E&P– DIGITAL OIL FIELDS
From digital to integrated oil fields
The oil industry has seen an evolution of digital oil fields in the last decade thanks to advances in both hardware and software that have enabled operators to extend the monitoring of assets and flows throughout their operations. However, as the industry contends with more complex challenges, it now recognises that more integrated models and business processes are required to enable digital oil field technology to tackle emerging operational challenges. Johan Nell, Global Upstream Lead, Accenture, explains.
E&P– DIGITAL OIL FIELDS
Integrated operations in perspective
Two leading energy consultants and integrated operations (IO) systems pioneer Schlumberger give insights into their perspectives of the latest digital oil field initiatives. Brian Davis reports.
CANADA – E&P
Weathering the storm
After several years of battening down the hatches, the beleaguered Canadian oil patch has finally hit calmer waters, writes Gordon Cope.
NORTH AMERICA – E&P
Focus on US shale
The most active sector in the current US energy scene is the extraction of oil and natural gas from shale deposits. Production of natural gas in particular, has increased 10-fold since 1990, reaching levels not seen for more than 35 years, writes Judith Gurney.POLAND – SHALE GAS
Geology complicated, but legislation more so
Finding commercial quantities of shale gas in Poland may prove easier than coping with the country’s legal and fiscal terms, writes Maria Kielmas.
EI TECHNICAL – OVERVIEW
Value added knowledge
The objective of the Energy Institute (EI) is to promote professionalism and good practice throughout the international energy industry. One of the key mechanisms to achieve this is via the EI Technical Programme. Martin Maeso, EI Technical Director, looks at how the programme is operated, the successes of 2010 and planned developments in 2011 and beyond.
EI TECHNICAL – PROCESS SAFETY
Don’t let it happen to you
A number of recent incidents at facilities in various parts of the world have highlighted the increasing importance of effective process safety management (PSM), as well as the more traditional focus on health, safety and environmental (HS&E) management. Here, Martin Ball MEI, John Pond MEI and Dr Mark Scanlon MEI introduce the Energy Institute’s (EI) Process Safety Survey (EIPSS), which is designed to help companies assess how well they are managing the key factors that prevent a major accident.
IRAQ – SECURITY
Ambition is tempered by security concern
The newly self-regulated security contractor industry will be tested in Iraq, where it is expected to assume more of the heavy lifting in the oil fields as the country pursues its goal to become a top-three oil producer, writes Nigel Bance.
TECHNOLOGY – E&P
Barrier-breaking technologyAs energy assets around the world mature, operators must either bring their existing shut-in wells back online and up to full production or drill more wells in order to meet increasing production quotas. And while the debate about deepwater drilling continues, the focus on finding technological advances in well integrity as a solution to meet the increasing demand for hydrocarbons becomes ever greater. Kevin Stewart, Chief Executive Officer, Brinker Technology, explains.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY – TRANSPORT
Smarter mobility
Mobility is not discretionary, it is a need. As the population of the world climbs from around 6.5bn today to an estimated 9bn by mid-century, the need for mobility will grow with it. Here, John Bullock, Executive Vice-President for Shell’s Global Retail Business and Europe Regional Director for Shell Downstream, outlines the global shift taking place today towards more energy efficient transport – to help move people and goodsaround more reliably, more affordably and more cleanly.
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