November-December 2020
Living the Crude Life – November/December 2020
“We are in the process of closing a deal in Howard County in the Permian, so that will give us a presence there. We picked up a nice little acreage position with a few active wells on it. We’re really excited about that because it fits hand in hand with...
Product Showcase: You Can Now Buy Petroleum and Industrial Equipment Online
Northwest Pump, a 61-year old distributor of petroleum and industrial parts has decided it’s time to go full digital. NWP recently purchased Petrostuff, an online petroleum sales platform that sold items such as nozzles, breakaways, swivels, pumps and more. Petrostuff has been around since 2010 and has made great strides...
Young Professionals in the Oil and Gas Industry: Interview with Kamilia Putri
Kamilia Putri is a production engineer at Schlumberger and is currently based in Houston, Texas. As an active Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) member, she was the communication coordinator with SPE GCS YP, and currently serves as the secretary. Putri holds a Master of Engineering and Bachelor of Science in...
It Takes an Industry to Build a Forest
Nearly ten years ago, journalist and entrepreneur Jason Spiess began investigating the oil and gas industry in the Bakken oilfields. Months of sleeping in his vehicle, touring well pads and having coffee with landowners shaped his view of the oil and gas industry and it was this embedded experience that...
2020: The Final Nail Transformation for the Oil and Gas Industry
August 27, 1859, was a defining moment for America when the first oil well was drilled near Titusville, Pennsylvania. It set the course for industry and innovation for the next 161 years, which has led us to today, a period where the oil industry has reached its apex. The COVID-19...
Letter from the Publisher (November-December 2020)
Amazing that we are near the end of the year and our November/December issue is already here. This year went by super fast for me. I hear the same from industry associates who also point out the virus, subsequent lockdowns, election year campaigns, and an uncertain future all played a...
Investing in Technology and People – Bridging the Digital Gap
Over the last several years there has been a digital transition taking place in industries across the board. The oil industry was no exception. It realized the positive impact that customizable software could have on operations and, after careful consideration, companies were following the trend toward profit and safety optimization....
Tips for Operating Unconventional Reservoirs
The world’s energy demand is steadily increasing to the point that it has now become difficult for conventional hydrocarbon reservoirs to meet demand levels. Therefore, oil and gas companies have gone through rapid changes to adapt, survive, improve processes, create automation, generate value and are also seeking novel ways to...
Private Equity’s Essential Role in the Upstream Space
Current Realities in the Oil and Gas Property Acquisitions and Divestitures Market Riverbend continues to see a disconnect between buyers and sellers in the property acquisition market as the oil and gas industry begins to rebound from a significant downturn in revenues, activity and confidence in 2020 due to the...
Is Now the Right Time to Rethink Your Enterprise Software Strategy?
While it may be counterintuitive to make sweeping changes to enterprise software strategies amid a pandemic, reduced budgets and headcounts, the payoff could be substantial in the long run. Working remotely has drastically shifted work processes across every industry; however, the effects on the energy industry specifically seem to be...
How Does the Oil Industry Benefit from GIS Software?
Geographic information system (GIS) data enables collecting and analyzing spatial and location-based information and extracting valuable insights from it. Here are some of the emerging ways companies can use GIS in oil industry projects. Getting More Familiar with Worldwide Oil Operations When oil professionals have a broader understanding of current...
Sustainability Through Innovation: How Legasea’s Eco-Conscious Solutions are Shaping the Industry
The utilization of subsea equipment is essential in offshore oil exploration. Unfortunately, subsea operations aren’t always the most eco-friendly, having the potential to cause negative, long-term environmental impacts and increase carbon emissions. As a result, operators in the oil and gas industry require a solution that makes subsea operations more...
Lawyer and Landman Finds Nexus Between Oil and Gas and Alternative Energy in Central Texas
Having left the Beechcraft Bonanza G36 sitting in the steadily warming Texas sun, Jonathan Grammer is now three miles south of Haskell, Texas, watching the dirt fly from his legs as he brushes off his hands on his jeans. The property, forty-five miles north of Abilene, is meaningful to him,...
Interview: Stephen Anson, Director of Measurement, W Energy Software
Eric Eissler: Can you give a brief overview of your measurement pedigree and role in building the next generation of measurement solutions? Stephen Anson: In my two decades in energy, I’ve always been focused on measurement in the field, the office and in the classroom. On the engagement and support...
Virtual Training Technologies Will Be Used to Re-Train Furloughed COVID-19 Oil Industry Workers
The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out nearly 40 million jobs dating back to mid-February. It didn’t matter which industry, as millions of workers were either sent home, let go or furloughed until further notice. In March and April, employers eliminated roughly 22 million jobs and, by April, the jobless rate hit...
America’s energy challenges will be before us for many years ahead. As I wrote in my book, America Needs America’s Energy, “Future generations are depending on us to keep the American dream alive. For too long we in America have been wasting time blaming the energy industry or the government...
Why a Trusted Seal Supplier is More Important Than Ever
It is no secret to those of us embedded in the oil and gas industry that 2020 has been a challenging time. In an industry dependent on energy supply and demand, COVID-19 has provided an unparalleled worldwide reduction in oil and gas demands, resulting in lower prices per barrel and...
Flushing Rotary Equipment of Contaminants and Excess Costs
Innovation has always been a key component in the success of the offshore oil and gas industry. New and improved procedures coupled with enhancements in technology have paved the way for economic gains. Lube oil flushing found its way into the industry’s arsenal of weaponry, although not in recent years....
Technologies That Help Diagnose Hydraulic Fracturing
Hydraulic fracturing is part of the upstream sector, occupying a privileged place in terms of its importance, as it is constantly used to raise production in depleted fields. The application of hydraulic fracturing depends, to a large extent, on its cost and, in turn, on the effective production improvement it...
How Businesses are Engaging Asset Performance to Improve Competitive Advantage
In 2020, industry saw big, industrial operations truly pivot toward technology, as the growing demand for data, information and visibility has become amplified to the extreme. Simultaneously, we have seen the combination of a heightened awareness to safeguard employees and the need to deliver cleaner, greener supply chains. This perfect...
Improving Well Safety with Accurate, Real-Time Condensate Detection
Condensate can easily be detected and quantified in a laboratory setting. However, real-time condensate detection, especially in the field, has been an elusive goal. Why is condensate detection important? The simple answer is safety. The ramifications of undetected condensate impinging upon frac and trucking assets can be explosive. Many of...
The Business Case for Oil and Gas Companies to Think — and Act — Sustainably
There was talk when the COVID-19 crisis hit that it would sidetrack, at least temporarily, the oil and gas industry’s “beyond the barrel” diversification into new, more sustainable lines of business and, in doing so, set back global efforts to decarbonize the energy mix in order to address climate change....
New Technology Improves Oil Spill Detection
With the recent disaster in Mauritius reminding everyone about the damage caused by an oil spill, renewed emphasis is being placed on rapid oil spill detection to minimize and contain the spread of leaked oil as soon as possible. Long wave infrared (LWIR) cameras have been a useful tool for...
Utilizing Technology to Create a Customized Training Experience
Without a doubt, technology is changing the way we live and work. This notion is nothing new or groundbreaking. For example, the energy industry has been utilizing drone technology since 2013, and processes are becoming increasingly automated universally across industries. According to a 2017 report from the McKinsey Global Institute,...
Balancing Defense with Offense During COVID-19
Within the oil and gas industry, the pandemic set off a chain reaction of events, resulting in the largest drop in crude oil pricing in three decades. Unable to assess the continued impact of COVID-19 and severely reduced production, oil and gas companies are instead looking to achieve sustainable change...
Fuel Retailers: Get More for Your Money When Upgrading to EMV-Compliant Hardware
To get the most out of your upgrade project, ensure your technology partner(s) help you realize these eight qualities. Retail is transforming at lightning speed across all sectors, and the fuel and convenience industry is not exempt. Customers now expect digital buying experiences with modern options like delivery and curbside...
2020 Sees Higher Than Ever Demand for Drone Inspections
The use of drone technology for inspecting offshore oil and gas assets has grown massively over the last decade and is predicted by Research and Markets to grow by a further 60 percent over the next five years. Quicker, more cost-effective, and with a reduction in safety risks, companies are...
Scanning Takes on New Meaning for Pipeline Work
Scanning is getting easier in the oilfields. Just ask Texas-based S Oliver and Associates (SOA), which has provided surveying services for the oil and gas industry for more than 20 years. The varied and changing requirements of its clientele call for flexibility, innovation and the ability to implement solutions to...
What to Consider When Choosing a New Oil Field
Choosing the optimum oil drilling location is certainly not a straightforward process. Extensive planning is involved. It also requires various scientific parties to collaborate and, ultimately, a great deal of patience. There are multiple factors that need to be considered. Geology, costs, the presence of infrastructure, proof of prior development,...
