Petroleum Review - March 2011
To view Petroleum Review online, please click here (members only)
Perspective – Pushing the frontiers of global energy development?
SEISMIC – TECHNOLOGY
Technology plays the differentiator
In his annual survey of the E&P geophysical services market, Andrew McBarnet suggests that companies are placing an increased emphasis on technology t win their share of business.
GAS – PRICING
Lifting the price
The decoupling of oil and gas prices that is occurring in the mature US market heralds a progressive gas price decoupling from oil throughout the world. However, outside North America the world has been slow to adapt to this change. Here, Ruud Weijermars and Crispian McCredie, Alboran Energy Strategy Consultants, look at the worldwide pace of decoupling and its implications for future gas pricing.
FUELS – DIESEL
Tracking global winter diesel fuel quality
A new Winter Diesel Fuel Quality Survey, which presents data from around the world and examines global fuel trends, was recently published by petroleum additives company Infineum. Robin Hunt, Infineum Fuels Chemist, presents some of the key trends and findings highlighted by the study.
LUBRICANTS – METALWORKING FLUIDS
Metalworking fluids in the energy industry
David Neadle, Chairman of the UKLA’s Metalworking Fluids Product Stewardship Group, provides a brief introduction to metalworking fluids and their use in the energy industry, outlining some of the current issues facing this sector.
Capex in the pipeline
As the offshore oil and gas industry continues to require essential infrastructure to meet the steadily growing energy requirements of the world economy, Infield Systems forecasts growth in offshore pipeline capital expenditure (capex) and installations measured in km in 2011 relative to 2010 levels. Alastair Reid, Peter Kiernan and Roger Knight highlight some of the trends expected this year, as well as forecast market activity through to 2015.
PIPELINES – BRAZIL
Network expansion plans
Petrobras, Brazil’s national oil company, has been heavily investing in pipeline technology via a large-scale project to expand its oil and gas pipeline network, reports Pacifica Goddard.
EI TECHNICAL – SAFETY
Performance indicators for human factors
Dr Kevin Fitzgerald, Lloyd’s Register EMEA; Derek Porter, Lloyd’s Register Human Engineering; Rob Miles, Health and Safety Executive Offshore Division; and Dr Mark Scanlon, Energy Institute (EI), review the need to measure human factors performance and introduce a recently published EI research report that assists this process.
IP WEEK – PREVIEW
IP Week – EI's flagship event begins this month
The Energy Institute’s International Petroleum (IP) Week takes place later this month from 21–23 February at venues across central London. Petroleum Review outlines what delegates can expect at this year’s events.
EUROPE – H&S
EC takes steps to improve safety
In response to well publicised events in the Gulf of Mexico, European Commission (EC) undertook an urgent assessment European Union (EU) regulations, consulting a number of industry and member states’ regulators. In October 2010 it published communication identifying the areas needed for action. Jacqui O’Keeffe, Partner at law firm Howard Kennedy, explains.
EI TECHNICAL – MICROBIOLOGY
Microbes in oil E&P
What do microbes have to do with oil field E&P? We most often hear about microbes when they are involved in food poisoning or when drinking water is contaminated. However, both good and bad microbes are found in modern oil and gas production facilities and applied during the exploration of new oil and gas fields. Challenges and benefits of microbes were some of the topics recently presented at the 16th Reservoir Microbiology Forum in London on 30 November–1 December 2010. Torben Lund Skovhus, Danish Technological Institute and Bart Lomans, Shell E&P, summarise the outcomes from the event.
Back to Petroleum Review homepage
