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DAY
2
11 December 2014
KUALA LUMPUR • MALAYSIA
T H E O F F I C I A L S H O W D A I LY O F T H E I N T E R N AT I O N A L P E T R O L E U M T E C H N O L O G Y C O N F E R E N C E
IPTCDAILY
Show Daily Sponsor
Sponsoring Societies
Conference Opens
With Challenge
To Collaborate
Stephen Rassenfoss, Staff Writer
T
he International Petroleum Technology
Conference (IPTC) opened Wednesday with a
salute to what collaboration and technology
has accomplished and with sober remarks about the
challenges of living on the sharp edge of falling prices.
The featured speaker at the opening, Dato’ Sri
Abdul Wahid Omar, a minister in the office of the
Malaysian prime minister, talked about the paradox of
energy affordability.
One side is positive, with more affordable prices
for those buying oil and gas, aiding consumers
and the economy. The other side is negative for
oil-producing countries such as Malaysia, whose
collections on production represent more than half of
government revenues.
“Against the backdrop of weaker oil prices,
companies are becoming cautious. Expenditures are
cut as they optimize costs. It raises question about the
viability of certain high-cost projects,” he said.
The situation points to the critical role of the
business leaders gathering in Kuala Lumpur to
consider the future of the oil and gas industry. “It
Dato’ Sri Abdul Wahid Omar, a minister in the office of the Malaysian prime minister, spoke at the Opening Ceremony
of the eighth International Petroleum Technology Conference on Wednesday.
is the only industry where a change in its business
environment carries a great impact to not only
individual companies but also to entire countries,” he
said, noting that advanced exploration and production
methods have added production that is “flooding
the market.”
In Malaysia, that has caused the national oil
company, Petronas, to begin reducing spending on
projects to expand production, which is a decision
being faced by producers around the world who have
PLEASE SEE CONFERENCE ON PAGE 3
Low Oil Prices Present Opportunity for Innovation, Panelists Say
Abdelghani Henni, Staff Writer
T
he oil and gas industry should
not panic because of lower
oil prices and should take
the opportunity to strengthen its
base to prepare for the next phase,
according to panelists at the Executive
Plenary Session of the eighth
International Petroleum Technology
Conference (IPTC).
Following the session’s theme of
Innovation and Collaboration: Keys
to Affordable Energy, speakers at the
panel agreed that the current price
level should not hinder investments in
research and development (R&D) and
companies need to learn from past
experiences by not laying off people or
stopping ongoing R&D projects.
Matthias Bichsel, former director
of projects and technology at Royal
Host Organization & Principal Sponsor
Energy correspondent Eithne Treanor, left, moderated the Executive Plenary Session
on Wednesday. Matthias Bichsel, formerly of Royal Dutch Shell, center, and Raoul
Jacquand, executive vice president at CGG, right, were two of the panelists.
Dutch Shell, said that lower oil prices
are not something to panic about,
referring to his long experience in the
industry, during which, he said, he
witnessed a lot of panic. “Our industry
is a cyclic industry, and this cyclicity
of the business needs to be managed
through collaboration and innovation,”
Bichsel said. “Low prices are a great
opportunity to work together.”
Because of the cyclicity of the
business, the industry seems to be
worried about the ups and downs
rather than looking for ways to deal
with the cycles. “Instead of panicking,
we should have thought of how
to manage this business through
the cycle. How can we create and
narrow the band within which we can
operate through using innovation and
collaboration?” he said. “This period
is a great opportunity for the industry
to work better and reshape the way of
doing business.”
PLEASE SEE PANELISTS ON PAGE 3
www.iptcnet.org/2014/kl
Co-Host Organizations and Principal Sponsors
#IPTCKL
Principal Sponsor
IPTCDAILY
3
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS
Technology Leaders Plenary Session—Leveraging
Technology: Current Challenges and Opportunities
for the Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0900–1030
Plenary Theatre
Technology Showcase—Hess Oil and Gas,
Hess Overview and Smart Drill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1415–1445
Exhibition Floor
Coffee Break . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1030–1100
Exhibition Halls 1–5
Technology Showcase—SCOMI Group, HyPR
Deep System: Deepwater WBM Inhibiting
Hydrate Formation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1500–1530
ePoster Presentation 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1030–1100
Exhibition Floor
Foyers, Levels 3 and 4
Coffee Break . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1530–1600
Integrated Project Management Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1100–1230
Exhibition Halls 1–5
Plenary Theatre
Technology Showcase—Mubadala Petroleum,
A Young and Growing Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1115–1145
Exhibition Floor
Technology Showcase—Talisman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1200–1230
Exhibition Floor
Topical Luncheon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1230–1400
Grand Ballroom
ePoster Presentation 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1530–1600
Foyers, Levels 3 and 4
Panel Session 2—How to Deliver HSSE and
Operational Excellence? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1600–1730
Plenary Theatre
Technology Showcase—Petronas, Technology for
New Lease of Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1615–1645
Exhibition Floor
Panel Session 1—Are We Delivering Fit for
Purpose Oil and Gas Field Developments? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1400–1530
Plenary Theatre
CONFERENCE,
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
seen oil prices drop from more than
USD 100/bbl to less than USD 70/bbl.
“The daunting task facing oil
producers is ensuring energy output is
continued,” he said during his opening
address. In the address, he talked
about how the Malaysian government
has worked to diversify its economy,
allowing it to “ride out the current
disruption in oil prices” without
disrupting the economic programs to
raise the living standards of its people.
At an international meeting shining
light on the accomplishments of
Malaysia’s energy sector, “the elephant
PANELISTS,
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
A key challenge with the current oil
price is its toll on technology providers
and developer who are tasked with
providing affordable technologies.
“‘Affordable’ means within the
boundaries that oil companies will
operate, which also means a wakeup
call for us to work on game-changing
technologies that will allow us to go
through this challenging period,”
said Raoul Jacquand, executive vice
president at CGG.
Other panelists said that the
problem also existed when oil prices
hovered around USD 120/bbl, when
some operators suffered because
the returns were not great and the
costs were high. “If you look at the
industry investment over the last few
years, it was clear that the problem
was coming,” said Patrick Schorn,
president of operations and integration
at Schlumberger. “The lower oil price
makes things a bit acute, which means
there is a lot we need to do as an
Dancers entertained
the audience at
Wednesday’s Opening
Ceremony.
in the room is the oil price,” said Dato’
Wee Yiaw Hin, executive vice president
and chief executive officer for upstream
at Petronas. “After 4 to 5 years of stable
oil prices, it is a pity we are facing these
problems again.”
He said the “major disruption” in
prices will lead the industry to “look at
how innovation and technology can help
us face this challenge.”
More efficient operations can
sustain long-term projects that will be
needed to supply a world where the
growing population and rising living
standards will ultimately create the
demand that will boost prices again.
The evidence was easy to see in this
growing Asian business hub.
“Asia is the center of economic
growth and oil and gas demand in the
past decade and in the next decade,” he
said, noting that history has repeated
itself this year at IPTC. The last time the
conference was held in Kuala Lumpur
was at the end of 2008, after a global
economic meltdown battered oil prices.
“In 2008, the conference theme was
High Prices, High Stakes, High Risks.
By December 2008, it was low prices,
high stakes, and high risk,” he said. “If
you ever want another major oil price
disruption, organize another IPTC in
Kuala Lumpur, and you will get what
you want.” n
industry. And, with a low oil price, we
need to do this faster,” he added.
Among the things that the
industry needs to do is develop newer
technologies, which may include extra
costs. But, Schorn said, companies
need to think about these technologies
as an efficiency driver. “There are many
technologies that have been developed
recently focusing mainly on how we can
operate efficiently,” he said. “If we look
at the failure rate of our industry, which
could be due to tools or procedures,
there is a lot more that we can do to
improve this.”
Speaking about technology raises
the issue of cost. Technology is
supposed to lower overall costs, but the
opposite often happens. Tan Sri Dato’
Seri Shahril Shamsuddin, president
and group chief executive officer of
SapuraKencana, said, “We should set
ourselves a benchmark of prices, which
will allow us to innovate in terms of
services, business model, and also our
own financial situation,” he said.
That raises the question of who
sets the price. As oil prices increased,
different participants decided to take
a cut, which pushed prices higher,
Shamsuddin said. “The solution
is to set the target in a low-cost
environment, and certain technologies
need to be commoditized,” he said.
Technology developers at the
session didn’t agree on the idea of
commoditizing oil and gas technology.
“New technology has a higher price
because people need it. But, if
they don’t need it, it will be cheap,”
Schorn said.
Shamsuddin said that commoditizing
oil and gas technology is possible given
that the top four innovative companies
right now are technology companies.
“Why not in the oil and gas sector?”
he said.
Meanwhile, Bichsel said that prices
are set by the expectations in the
market, and he urged the industry to
collaborate and be more transparent
about the basis for costs. “Lowering
cost is essential,” he said.
Datuk Mohd Anuar Taib, senior
vice president for upstream Malaysia
at Petronas, said that a lot of
innovation comes from competition.
“Collaboration needs to have a
sort of competition so the business
environment can flourish,” he said. n
IPTCDAILY
IPTC Daily is the official show daily
of the eighth International Petroleum
Technology Conference.
Inquiries? Contact [email protected]
IPTC Daily Editor
Adam Wilson
Director Magazines and Web Content
John Donnelly
Senior Manager Publishing Services
Alex Asfar
SHOW DAILY STAFF
Jack Betz
Li Ping Chwa
Stephanie Gillett
David Grant
Abdelghani Henni
Stephen Rassenfoss
Mary Jane Touchstone
Stephen Whitfield
Valerie Wilke
Published for the International Petroleum Technology
Conference (IPTC). The opinions and content expressed in this
publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions of IPTC or
its sponsoring organizations.
Copyright 2014 International Petroleum Technology Conference, Limited.
4
IPTCDAILY
Interview
Petronas Vice President Talks About
Restructuring, Falling Prices, and EOR
Petronas restructured earlier this
year. How do your new responsibilities
as senior vice president, upstream
Malaysia, differ from your previous
role as vice president and chief
executive officer for Petronas
Development and Production?
Datuk Mohd Anuar Taib,
senior vice president,
upstream Malaysia,
Petronas
I am expecting industry players
to shift their focus from production
growth to maximizing returns. There
will be more capital discipline,
prioritization on investment, and
consolidation in the industry
throughout the value chain in the next
few years.
The industry’s focus on cost will
intensify—either through efficiency,
effectiveness, or lower rates. Let’s
be honest: While there are pockets of
excellence, cost management has not
been one of the industry’s greatest
strengths in the past few years.
and are the initial production
indicators encouraging?
The Tapis EOR project is one of the
world’s largest WAG (water alternating
gas) projects implemented offshore. The
field has had its first WAG injection in
September 2014, and we have achieved
As part of the Upstream Business
good well injectivity performance.
team, led by Dato’ Wee Yiaw Hin, I am
The WAG injection is conducted in
responsible for the upstream business
phases, starting with injection at Tapis
in Malaysia. The Upstream Malaysia
A, followed by other Tapis satellite
division is responsible for exploration,
platforms once we have completed all of
development, and production activities
the associated brownfield modifications.
conducted by Petronas Carigali in
In addition, we have successfully
Malaysia, oversight for
completed 14 workover
Vestigo Petroleum, Petronas
activities in Tapis A wells.
We are in an industry that manages
LNG (liquefied natural gas)
Petronas Carigali and
complex in Bintulu, and
Exxon
Mobil Exploration and
finite resources where depletion starts
the Floating LNG 1 and 2
Production
Malaysia have
from the first molecule produced. As
when these facilities are
set up a joint surveillance
a company that wants to thrive in this
ready for operation in 2016
team to monitor and analyze
industry, Petronas must continue to invest the performance of the
and 2018. In addition, I am
also responsible for the
WAG operation.
to ensure growth and sustainability,
delivery of our Technical
Since production started
especially for major projects with longGlobal division, our global
in 1978, approximately 400
term business horizons.”
upstream integrated project
million bbl of oil have been
delivery unit that covers
— Datuk Mohd Anuar Taib extracted at the Tapis oil field,
petroleum engineering,
peaking in the 1980s, when
project engineering,
production was between
wells, operational excellence, and
I have been in the industry since
70,000 to 80,000 B/D. At peak, the project
technology development.
1990. Our industry has gone through
is expected to produce between 25,000
I am excited about the new role.
many cycles of ups and downs since
and 35,000 BOPD by 2017.
The previous role provided challenges
then. Going through the industry’s
I must say that I am impressed with
in the delivery and growth in the
track record, I am certain that the
the project execution team led by our
development and production of oil
industry will adjust to these new
partner ExxonMobil Malaysia. They are
and gas for Petronas Exploration
challenges to come out stronger.
very focused in working together with us
and Production globally. The new
Trying times tend to spur creativity and
in ensuring the project is delivered on
organizational setup allow us, together
innovations in all of us, especially for
schedule and budget. We, at Petronas
with our partners, the Malaysian
those in our industry.
Carigali, learned a lot from them.
Petroleum Management, and our LNG
Marketing and Trading division, to
What does this mean for Petronas?
What do you think the next steps are
enhance the delivery of the end-to-end
for EOR in Malaysia?
value from molecules to market to
We are in an industry that manages
We estimated that IOR (improved oil
Petronas and its partners.
finite resources where depletion starts
recovery) and EOR projects have the
from the first molecule produced.
potential to recover an additional 2
Various industry bodies, including
As a company that wants to thrive in
billion bbl of oil from the various fields
the International Energy Agency, are
this industry, Petronas must continue
in Malaysia. Today, we have one EOR
predicting that 2015 will be a tough
to invest to ensure growth and
project in the production phase.
year for the oil and gas industry
sustainability, especially for major
We have recently sanctioned,
with oil prices potentially declining
projects with long-term business
together with Sarawak Shell,
because of lower demand growth and
horizons. These include projects such
our Petronas-Carigali-operated
increasing supply. What reactions do
as RAPID (Refinery and Petrochemical
BARDEGG2 (Baram Delta Gas
you expect to see from the industry if
Integrated Development) and key
Gathering Project 2) project that
the oil price drops below USD 80/bbl?
projects along our LNG business value
would contribute to our EOR efforts in
chain and key oil projects.
Baronia. We are also maturing other
The industry has been facing
Like everybody else, we have also
EOR projects in Samarang, Baram
profitability challenges for quite
enhanced our investment criteria and
Delta, Dulang, North Sabah, and
some time due to the high cost
capital allocation process. This is to
Peninsular Malaysia with partners.
of delivering production. We have
ensure that we progress only projects
While we continue to mature
seen industry players reducing
that are commercially robust under the
these projects, we also recognize the
their focus on production growth to
current prevailing conditions. This has
additional profitability challenges
focus on profitability and returns
resulted in a 10–15% reduction in our
posed by the current prevailing market
to shareholders. This has resulted
next 5-year capital investment globally.
conditions. We are working hard, in
in reduction in investment level
In Malaysia, we will put on hold projects
collaboration with our partners, to
announced by players in the industry.
that are not commercially robust under
address those challenges through
What started as profitability challenges
the current prevailing conditions, such
technology and innovations, being
due to high cost is now exacerbated
as some marginal-field projects.
disciplined in our approach and
by a lower expected oil price regime.
looking for ways to reduce costs of
Unless there is a strong economic
We have recently seen the startup
these projects. I am optimistic that we
recovery that spurs fundamental
of the first Malaysian enhanced oil
will be able to bring a few more EOR
demand growth, we could be in this
recovery (EOR) projects. Have they
projects forward. n
price range for some time.
met expectations during execution,
“
IPTCDAILY
5
Technology Leaders Discuss Promises, Challenges of New Tools
Jack Betz, Staff Writer
T
he Technology Leaders Plenary
Session will start at 0900 today
in the Plenary Theatre and
will follow the theme Leveraging
Technology: Current Challenges and
Opportunities for the Future. During the
panel, speakers will discuss technology
development and implementation in
the oil and gas industry at large and
small-scale companies and the different
hurdles associated with its creation,
including the inventive stage, testing of
robustness, introduction to the market,
industrial-scale production, commercial
support, and eventually obsolescence.
Panelists will attempt to answer
the following questions about the role
of technology in 2014: What are the
emerging trends in technology? Can
development of new technologies
keep pace with industry demand? Are
technology developers and end-users
properly aligned? What are the roles of
universities, research institutes, startup companies, and venture capitalists
in technology development, and are
they being used effectively?
The panel will be moderated by Zied
Ben Hamad, vice president, Marketing
and Technology Production Group,
Schlumberger, and will feature four
participating speakers, Abdulaziz AlKaabi of Saudi Aramco, Liu Yuzhang
of the China National Petroleum
Corporation, Daniel Plathey of Total,
and Rustom Mody of Baker Hughes. n
Industry Plenary Session Gazes Into Future of Oil and Gas
Jack Betz, Staff Writer
T
aking a wide view of the upstream
industry during IPTC’s Industry
Plenary Session, representatives
from each of the conference’s four
sponsoring societies—the American
Association of Petroleum Geologists
(AAPG), the European Association of
Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE),
the Society of Exploration Geophysicists
(SEG), and the Society of Petroleum
Engineers (SPE)—will share their
perspectives on the technological and
operational trends that will shape the
future of exploration and production
worldwide. The session will begin at
0900 Friday in the Plenary Theatre.
SEG president-elect and professor
of geophysics at the University of
Arkansas Christopher Liner will
speak on the Progress and Promise of
Offshore Geophysical Technology, an
area where improvements can have
an important effect on drillers’ bottom
lines. “Vector acoustic cables, notchfree seismic data, and simultaneous
sources mean that today’s offshore
seismic data can be far superior to
that of only a few years ago,” Liner
explained. “This, in turn, improves
data quality for better geological
interpretation and lower drilling risk.”
AAPG president and University of
Wyoming professor Randi Martinsen
will open the session with her
presentation, titled Petroleum is First
Found in the Mind: Thought Processes
and Strategies Leading to Successful
Unconventional Resource Plays.
Martinsen will emphasize the
value of creativity in unlocking
unconventional plays but insists that
all progress in this area, no matter
how inventive, will always be grounded
in science. “There is no resource
play magic,” Martinsen said, “Most
unconventional accumulations—just
like conventional accumulations—
require source, reservoir, seal,
and trap.”
During her presentation, she is
will encourage companies to use
data-driven approaches, not just
data-driven approaches, in their quest
for production.
Our people thrive on your technical challenges.
Scientific curiosity and technical innovation have been part of the Schlumberger culture for more than 80 years.
We recruit the best students and talented professionals from around the world and advance their technical knowledge and
skills through national and international experience. With 125 research, engineering, and manufacturing centers located in
15 countries, our goal is to continually deliver new technology to solve customers’ complex reservoir challenges.
Find out more at
slb.com
© 2014 Schlumberger. 14-OF-0266
Statoil’s Philip Ringrose, president
of EAGE, will be delivering a talk on
topic Integrated Reservoir Geoscience:
Turning Dreams into Reality. Ringrose
will discuss innovations in geoscience
broadly, from enhanced oil recovery to
frontier exploration methods such as
use of electromagnetic data alongside
seismic data.
The session’s last speaker, SPE
2014 President Jeff Spath, is expected
to talk about industry trends and the
role of innovative technology. He said
he will talk about several industry
trends, including cost escalation
and sustainability.
He also will discuss improving
efficiency of the industry. n
6
IPTCDAILY
Interview
See Kok Yew,
chairman and president of
ExxonMobil Exploration
and Production Malaysia
and chairman of
ExxonMobil Subsidiaries
in Malaysia
Industry Collaboration Extends to Academia
ExxonMobil is an ardent investor in
both high school and university-level
education programs around the world.
Can you explain why ExxonMobil finds
it important to support such programs?
For any nation to remain competitive
globally, we must ensure all children,
no matter where they live, are provided
the best education possible and are
prepared for work or college when they
finish their schooling.
ExxonMobil’s success as a company
in a global economy depends on the
quality and ingenuity of our workforce,
and we are certainly not alone in our
dependence on quality workforce.
Unfortunately, if the next generation
lacks the skills to solve the problems
of the future, it’s not just leadership
in energy that’s at risk—it’s also the
leadership in medicine, research,
technology, and other pillars of a
country’s economy.
That is why we focus on supporting
education in the fields of science,
technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM) because demand
for STEM professionals is rapidly
expanding, yet fewer and fewer students
are choosing to prepare for these
important career tracks.
Our involvement in helping to
organize the 2014 IPTC educational
activities, specifically in the Education
Days program, is an example of
this commitment in support of
STEM education.
As part of the educational day
program, the selected secondaryschool students will have the chance
to learn about the oil and gas industry
via the industry professional plenary
and experience sharing sessions. I will
also be addressing the students at one
of these sessions, and I look forward to
sharing my experiences.
There will also be a school project
competition where the students will be
able to share their creative ideas via
project model and oral presentation on
providing affordable energy.
Students will also have the
opportunity to visit selected oil and gas
companies’ exhibition booth as part of
the learning process.
I believe the students will greatly
benefit from participating in the
Education Days program.
How do you think industry/academia
collaboration can benefit the industry?
Industry/academia collaboration is
important to develop a comprehensive
human capital program to meet the
long-term needs of the industry. A
key challenge today is the availability
of a steady flow of talents in the labor
market and developing the skill set
necessary for the industry to continue
to grow.
For example, what we are seeing
in Malaysia is that a number of local
graduates lack critical thinking/cognitive
and communication skills.
While technical skills are important,
ensuring students have these soft
skills is also equally critical, otherwise
they may be unemployable and be left
behind in a world that is becoming
increasingly competitive.
Additionally, academia undertakes
research and development, but only
industry can provide insights on its
practical application. On the flip side,
industry faces issues and challenges,
and it is beneficial to share those with
academia to encourage research in
these areas.
For example, ExxonMobil recently
announced collaboration with the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT) to advance energy science
and technology research. This new
agreement between ExxonMobil
Research and Engineering Company
and MIT will focus on a wide range of
projects, including research to improve
and expand renewable energy sources
and find more efficient ways to produce
and use conventional hydrocarbon
resources. MIT will also establish 10
ExxonMobil Energy Fellows each year
for graduate students.
How do you think the educational
activities at events such as IPTC benefit
the industry? How do they benefit
the community?
Educational activities at events such as
IPTC help create awareness about the
opportunities as well as exciting careers
available in the industry.
They afford students the opportunity
to interact with young professionals
and managers and demonstrate that
companies such as ExxonMobil are
dynamic, exciting places to work. It
hires exceptional people, and every
one of them is empowered to think
independently, to take initiative, and to
be innovative.
They also help exhibit the
importance of the energy industry in
ensuring economic prosperity and
human progress. They demonstrate
the important work that the men and
women in our industry do every day to
provide the energy needed throughout
the world in a safe, ethical, and
environmentally responsible manner.
Ultimately, they spark an interest in
school children to explore careers in the
industry and for parents to encourage
their children to pursue STEM education.
Specific to the Education Days
program, the organizing committee is
working closely with representatives
from the Education Ministry. About
40 teachers have also been invited to
participate in the program together
with more than 100 students. This will
provide them the opportunity to learn
more about the industry and what
is required to raise the bar on STEM
education so that students are more
prepared to join the oil and gas industry.
What other efforts or initiatives do you
think would strengthen the relationship
between industry and academia and
better attract young minds to the oil
and gas industry?
We need to ensure that there is
continued dialogue to understand how
each party can benefit the other.
Coordinated visits should be arranged
for industry to visit select local universities
to understand what is available at these
universities and to explore possible
partnerships and collaboration.
Universities and schools should also
invite professionals from the industry to
give career talks as well as create greater
awareness of the oil and gas industry.
Exposure of young minds to the
industry is crucial. Programs such
as Education Days and students’
participation in industry conferences and
exhibitions will go a long way to create
awareness and generate interest in
the industry.
What advice would you give to young
people thinking of pursuing science
disciplines in high school?
Never stop questioning. You always need
to be curious to learn.
The fascinating thing about science
is the ability to look at the world,
understand it, then do or create
something to overcome the challenge so
that it brings benefits to humankind.
Again, specific to the Education
Days program, I would encourage the
students to learn as much as they can
during the program. Make full use of
the opportunity, whether it is the school
projects competition, the exhibition
tour, or listening to industry speakers.
Engage the professionals, be curious,
and ask questions.
What advice would you give young
people thinking of pursuing science or
engineering at university?
I would give the same advice as the one I
provided to high school children.
However, for university students,
it is good to remember that a career
is something that you do not just
for money. You need to put your
interests above all else, and it will be a
meaningful career.
Pursuing science and engineering
at university is only the beginning of
what may eventually become a very
fulfilling career. It provides the individual
with the necessary fundamentals
for a variety of career choices
and opportunities.
As the saying goes, engineers
turn dreams into reality. The greatest
inventions and discoveries in this world
were made by scientists and engineers.
Would you describe the petroleum
industry as high-tech? If so, why? And
why is this not recognized more broadly?
It is high-tech, but the issue is
awareness and the public perception of
the industry. One example is the graphics
cards in our high-end computers used to
process seismic or simulation data. They
are on par with, if not better than, those
required to run high-end games.
But people fail to connect the dots.
Technology used in our operations is not
always visible to the lay person like it is
with smartphones or computers.
But, again, if you tell stories, you can
raise awareness. For example, in our
industry we could drill wells from Kuala
Lumpur City Center and hit a target the
size of an auditorium in Putra World
Trade Centre.
We have certainly progressed from
engineering concepts on drafting
tables that were once hand drawn to
sophisticated computer-designed rigs
that can operate in ultradeepwater
depths of more than 10,000 ft and can
drill wells that are 5 miles below the
bottom of the ocean floor.
Our industry’s technological
innovations have made it possible to
unlock vast, new supplies of energy
across the world, and this is making a
difference in empowering human lives. n
IPTCDAILY
7
Shell’s Sabah Platform Drills Deeper, Smarter for Asia’s Energy
T
he Gumusut-Kakap offshore
platform was built entirely in
Malaysia. It is bristling with
advanced technology designed to unlock
essential energy resources safely and
from below seas 1200 m deep.
The platform is the latest of more
than 20 major deepwater projects that
Shell has delivered around the globe.
It operates off the coast of Sabah state
in Malaysia, producing oil from wells
that stretch around 3 km below the
seabed. It is expected to have a peak
annual average production of 135,000
BOPD, boosting the country’s production
by 25% and providing important
economic benefits.
Tapping into resources at great water
depths poses technical challenges. To
overcome these, Shell uses advanced
technologies, strict safety procedures,
and rigorous design, construction, and
maintenance standards.
Shell brought decades of expertise in
deep water to the project, enabling the
local workforce to develop the skills to
construct the platform and run it from
day to day. It was built by Malaysian
Marine and Heavy Engineering.
Heavy Lifting
The Gumusut-Kakap platform weighs
approximately 40 000 t, roughly the
same as 30,000 family cars. Its four
decks alone, with processing facilities,
partially submerged. It is attached to a
200-km-long pipeline that transports oil
to a terminal on shore.
The capacity it provides could enable
future energy discoveries nearby to be
brought on-stream using the existing
platform as a hub. It can also be moved
easily to a new location.
Smart Sensors
Shell’s Gumusut-Kakap platform is
expected to achieve a peak annual
production of 135,000 BOPD. Photo
courtesy of Shell.
an accommodation block for up to 140
crew members, and technical buildings,
weigh some 23 000 t.
These topside units were mounted
onto the hull in April 2012 in a delicate
operation that earned the project team a
world record for the largest and heaviest
lift of its kind on land.
Built for Capacity
The platform is a semisubmersible
floating production system. The hull
floats on four huge columns that are
The Gumusut-Kakap project uses
Shell Smart Fields technology to
monitor and adjust production from
the field’s undersea wells to achieve
greater efficiency.
Initially, it will produce from 14
wells; five more will be added later. The
technology is being deployed on Shell
projects worldwide to provide a realtime flow of information supporting
decision-making.
Approximately 40,000 sensors are
built into equipment in the field, such as
valves and pumps, which are designed
to be operated from the platform’s
control room. Data about temperature,
pressure, and other field conditions are
sent to three control centers on land.
Approximately 100 engineers in
Kota Kinabalu, Miri, and Kuala Lumpur
share a single detailed picture of
facilities and production. Engineers
at each center specialize in different
aspects of the project. Using highquality videoconferencing, teams
pool their expertise. This means the
engineers can make important decisions
faster about the best way to extract oil
and spot problems early on.
The onshore centers interact with
the platform’s control room in real time,
allowing engineers the ability to activate
valves remotely to resolve a problem or
increase production by managing the oil
flow better.
“Smart Fields is about integrating
people, processes, and technology,”
said Joseph Low, a senior engineer
based at the Kuala Lumpur center. “You
can make decisions or solve problems
in a day, whereas, before, they might
have taken a week and have slowed
production down.”
Safer, More Productive
The technology is one way engineers
keep facilities running longer without
unscheduled shutdowns, helping to
increase the total oil or gas recovered
from a field and generating greater
income. In some areas where Shell
operates, this can be as much as 10 and
5%, respectively.
Above all, Smart Fields also helps to
keep employees safe. Many challenges
can now be solved on land without
sending engineers and other personnel
offshore. That means fewer helicopter
flights and less exposure to safety risks
in the field. n
8
IPTCDAILY
IPTC
IPTCDAILY
IPTC
DAILY
9
10
IPTCDAILY
Panel Examines HSSE Leadership’s Role in Production Excellence
Adam Wilson, Show Daily Editor
T
he increasingly challenging
search for resources has
made oil and gas operations
more complex. With this increased
complexity comes a renewed focus
on health, safety, security, and the
environment (HSSE). A special session
today will look at how the industry’s
attention to HSSE can coincide
with operational excellence. The
session, titled How to Deliver HSSE
and Operational Excellence, will be
held from 1600 to 1730 today in the
Plenary Theatre.
A panel of industry professionals
will address the various issues
and barriers affecting HSSE and
operational performance in the oil
and gas industry and discuss potential
actions and solutions to achieve
world-class HSSE and operational
performance across all parts of the
exploration and production business
in various parts of the world. Much of
the discussion is expected to revolve
around leadership and its effect on
HSSE and operational excellence.
The panel will consist of Brett
Doherty, chief safety, health,
environment, and quality officer
for RasGas; Jim Seale, manager
for production safety, health, and
environment for ExxonMobil; and
Yusop Sahari, head of the Operations
Management department, Production
International, at Petronas. The session
will be moderated by Emmanuel
Garland, senior health, safety, and
environment adviser with Total.
Seale’s presentation will analyze
how leadership drives culture,
culture drives behavior, and behavior
drives performance. He will present
examples of each aspect of the
leadership-to-performance chain and
discuss the future of HSSE leadership.
“The future of HSSE leadership also
includes insightful analysis as we
move from a reactive approach to
proactively addressing incidents with
high potential,” he said.
Doherty is expected to talk about
identification of a set of common
industry hazards that have escalated
to major incidents and an agreement
on a standard set of barriers
designed to prevent or mitigate
these consequences. He also will
talk about management’s role in the
establishment and maintenance of
those barriers and the benefits of a
common HSSE standard for operators,
which would include benchmarking
and identification and adoption of
good practice.
Sahari will round out the discussion
with his presentation on visual and
tangible leadership. n
Ninth and 10th IPTCs
Set for Doha, Bangkok
T
he ninth and 10th IPTCs will be
held 6–9 December 2015 in Doha,
Qatar, and 14–16 November 2016
in Bangkok, Thailand, respectively.
In December 2005, the first IPTC was
held in Doha, Qatar, and was hosted by
Qatar Petroleum (QP) and co-hosted
by Shell.
The ninth IPTC will see QP and
Shell renew their collaboration as host
and co-host organizations. Under the
theme Technology and Partnerships
for a Sustainable Energy Future, the
event will feature a ministerial session,
CEO plenary session, panel sessions,
and more than 70 multidisciplinary
technical sessions.
“We are extremely pleased with the
strong legacy IPTC has in Qatar. We are
looking forward to welcoming industry
professionals from around the world
to return to Qatar next December to
celebrate IPTC’s 10th anniversary,” said
Saad Al-Kaabi, ninth IPTC Executive
Committee co-chairman and managing
director for QP.
The call for papers deadline is 29
January 2015.
Following the ninth IPTC in Doha, the
10th edition of IPTC will be held 14–16
November 2016 in Bangkok, Thailand.
This major industry event, hosted by
PTT Exploration & Production (PTTEP),
returns to Bangkok after being held
there for the first time in February 2012,
when IPTC attracted 4,113 industry
professionals from 57 countries.
“Given the growing importance of
Asia in the global energy mix, we are
very pleased that IPTC has selected
Thailand to play host to the 10th edition
of IPTC. This event will be an important
opportunity for energy professionals
not only to share knowledge and
best practices but also to celebrate
a significant IPTC milestone,” said
Tevin Vongvanich, 10th IPTC Executive
Committee co-chairman and president
and chief executive officer of PTTEP.
For further information about the
ninth or 10th IPTC, please visit the IPTC
Pavilion in Hall 5 of the Kuala Lumpur
Convention Centre, visit www.iptcnet.org
online, or email [email protected]. n
IPTCDAILY
11
Young Professionals Challenged To Be a Force for Change
Stephen Rassenfoss, Staff Writer
the workshop with the awareness
that opportunities require change. In
Middleton’s case, this is his 13th job title
with multiple companies. Cook is on job
nine, all at ExxonMobil.
Prices are among the unexpected
changes that argue for a long-term
perspective. The argument for better
prices was an inevitable rise in global
demand in coming decades because of
population growth plus the expanding
consumption per person as incomes
rise, Cook said.
The added production needed is far
greater than the annual rise in total oil
consumed because the industry will also
need to replace the declining output in
older fields, said Maen Razouqi, vice
president and general manager of
Brunei, Malaysia, and the Philippines
for Schlumberger.
For those meeting the day before
the start of the International Petroleum
Technology Conference (IPTC), that
creates opportunities. In Malaysia,
he said, the number of professionals
needed is expected to rise by 53,000
by 2020.
But, for the 59 working professionals
in the group, the issue of the day was
getting ahead in their careers. Speakers
talked about the need to adapt to change
and how to advocate for it.
For some of those newcomers, their
paths will also lead to management. But
many will have to find ways other than
their job status to sell their ideas.
A survey of SPE’s young
professionals shows that “there are
simply not enough management
positions available” for the number who
aspire to them, said Andrew Shepherd,
the IPTC educational activities cochairperson who led the workshop.
“Often, the aspirations are misaligned
with the career opportunities,” said
Shepherd, who is production chemistry
discipline lead for Shell Development
in Australia.
One commodity not in short supply
is problems to solve, beginning with the
cost of producing a barrel of oil, which
has been rising for years while the price
of oil has been flat, Razouqi said. The
price drop from USD 100/bbl to less than
USD 70 makes solving the production
problem all the more urgent.
A key to that is working with a wide
range of others to see all the aspects
that must come together to solve a
problem and build a consensus for doing
something differently.
The issues to consider go well
beyond the technical requirements
of the company, as does the network
of people that is needed to offer
career support.
Jobs in exploration and production
present great opportunities and
interesting challenges, but trying
to influence how things are done is
difficult. “Oil and gas is one of slowest
implementers of technology. I am not
happy with how we push projects and
how we apply technology,” said Min
Teong Lim, a technical advisor for
Petronas on enhanced oil recovery.
The former Shell executive said that
getting ahead requires dedication and a
tough assessment of one’s abilities. “You
constantly need to feel uncomfortable,”
he said. That feeling is a warning
against complacency, a motivation to
keep working at improvement, and a
reminder of the humility that comes
with an industry where learning from
mistakes is a critical skill.
At the end of the session, a flurry
of comments were made about the
critical role a boss can play in a person’s
career. On the list of things that keep
people awake at night, one participant,
T. Kuhanesapathy, a drilling engineer for
Petronas, said, “For me, it is promotion
and salary increase. But, for my boss, it
is the last priority.”
Lim’s response was that good
leaders work to help team members
advance but “make sure you are ready.”
At the end of the all-day workshop,
Aira Aspiras, a drilling engineer for the
Energy Development Corporation of the
Philippines, said one thing that struck
her was, “You have to have the whole
package to succeed in this realm.” n
THE LARGEST MULTI-SOCIETY, MULTI-DISCIPLINARY OIL AND GAS EVENT IN THE EASTERN HEMISPHERE
SAVE THE DATE
Conference: 6–9 December 2015
Exhibition: 7–9 December 2015
2016
Qatar National Convention Centre,
Doha, Qatar
14–16 November 2016
Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld,
Bangkok, Thailand
2015
Y
oung professionals were told to
prepare for a future in an industry
where the outlook is partly cloudy
and variable.
The industry’s outlook is looking
darker, with oil prices down sharply in
recent months. The industry’s future
appeared on some of the lists of “things
that keep me up at night” compiled
from participants of the SPE Young
Professionals Workshop held Tuesday,
where industry veterans offered advice.
“Do not panic. These things happen,
and the industry always adjusts,” said
Melanie Cook, manager of operations
for ExxonMobil Exploration and
Production Malaysia. “The year I started
working for ExxonMobil, the price was
the lowest it had been in 50 years. I am
here to tell you it happens.”
This is not to say that there are not
plenty of areas of concern for students
who want to have successful careers in
oil and gas.
In the long run, those who are
successful continue to expand what they
know. “When you start your career, you
start within a narrow range. You have
some knowledge and skills,” said Sean
Middleton, development manager of
engineering for Mubadala Petroleum.
“You should pick up more knowledge in
other areas that may seem quite distant.”
An emphasis on developing a
range of portable skills emerged at
Sponsoring Societies
www.iptcnet.org
12
IPTCDAILY
Around the Exhibit Floor
A roundup of technology being displayed at this year’s IPTC
Reliable Connections Enhance
Safety, Improve Well Integrity
Quality connections are critical to
tubing and casing integrity and to
overall well integrity and operational
efficiency. Poor connections can lead
to tubing and casing string failures,
which increase production losses, add
intervention costs, and significantly
shorten the operating life of the tubing
and casing. As operations move into
ultradeep water, ensuring compliant
connections that can withstand hightorque and bending stresses is even
more important. Challenged with these
demanding requirements, operators
are focusing heavily on connection
integrity. In response, Weatherford
has developed a comprehensive
management process for tubular
running services and connection
integrity. In collaboration with premium
connection manufacturers, Weatherford
recently enhanced its TorkPro torqueturn analysis software to deliver
additional measurement capabilities
and significantly reduce the risk of
catastrophic, costly leaks. The new
TorkPro 3 software offers real-time
connection monitoring and control.
It records, analyzes, and evaluates
torque-turn data from all tubing and
casing connection tools—including
TorkPro 3 software identifies a poor
connection in real time. Photo courtesy
of Weatherford.
Weatherford power tongs, bucking
units, and the OverDrive system—and
has expanded traditional acceptance
criteria to include delta turns,
shoulder slope, statistics snapshots,
and connection overlays. The
continuous graph overlay functionality
and statistics screen enable quick
comparisons with historical data to
identify unusual connection trends.
After acquiring and processing
torque-turn data, the software
automatically evaluates connection
integrity and enables technicians to
take immediate corrective action. The
ability to view connection makeup
in real time from any computer,
notebook, or smartphone reduces
on-site headcount and helps operators
resolve connection problems faster. To
ensure that operators meet evolving
connection-integrity requirements,
Weatherford periodically upgrades
TorkPro 3 software to the latest
pipe-manufacturer standards. All
job data is stored in the cloud for
easy access to historical information.
TorkPro 3 software is compatible
with all Weatherford torque-turn
measuring systems, including JAMPro,
JAMCompact, and torque-processcontrol systems that are used in pipe
mills and bucking facilities.
Service Provides Borehole
Images in High Definition
To estimate reserves properly,
optimize recovery from existing wells,
and place future development wells
more accurately, operators require
increasingly detailed understanding of
oil and gas reservoirs. Microelectrical
borehole images can be acquired
continuously at any depth in any
formation. Until recently, highdefinition borehole imaging was
possible only in electrically conductive
or water-based muds. However,
most deepwater wells and many
unconventional shale wells are being
drilled with modern, high-performance
Quanta Geo service’s photorealistic
images enable accurate identification of
geological features and their orientation
from the dip data in OBM environments.
Photo courtesy of Schlumberger.
nonconductive oil-based muds
(OBM). Schlumberger launched the
Quanta Geo photorealistic reservoir
geology service to provide OBMadapted microresistivity imaging
with both high-resolution and almost
full borehole coverage—98% in 8-in.
Become an EAGE member!
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issn 2352-0418
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About EAGE
• World’s largest multi-disciplinary geoscience society
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17407-MEM14 131x196.indd 1
03-11-14 15:23
holes. This completely re-engineered
imaging technology has eight pads
with 192 microelectrodes, uses new
image measurement physics, and
creates core-like representations of
formation geology. Its unique sonde
design enables operators to record
image data while running into the
hole—an industry first. Drilling a 12¼in. borehole with OBM, an Australian
operator required high-quality borehole
images to characterize reservoir
geology and assess economic potential.
Legacy OBM imaging tools would
cover a mere 21% of the borehole
circumference. The new technology
tripled borehole coverage, revealing
fine geologic details while saving
offshore rig time and costs.
Jack-Up Drilling Rigs
Offer Safety, Versatility
Perisai’s Pacific jack-up drilling rigs
debuted in summer 2014 with the
launch of Perisai Pacific 101, with two
more on the way. Built as Pacific Class
400 rigs, Perisai’s fleet of jack-ups
incorporates advanced technology,
rig design, and capabilities, such as
operating in water depths of 400 ft and
drilling to depths of 30,000 ft, highpressure/high-temperature capability,
hook load of 1,500,000 lbm, short
drive of 750 t, a blowout preventer
rated for 15,000 psi, and 150-person
accommodations with quality facilities.
These features are key to enabling the
rigs to handle a wide range of situations
IPTCDAILY
Launching of Perisai Pacific 101. Photo
courtesy of Perisai.
and drilling conditions necessitated by
today’s increasingly harsh environments
and highly complex wells. Independent
leg cantilever systems provide the rigs
with much-needed flexibility in mobility,
positioning, and drilling with or without
existing platforms. The ability to be
jacked up with full preloading tanks
allows the rigs to be jacked up or moved
within a much smaller weather window
and thus reduces the risk of damage.
Perisai Pacific 101 had been awarded a
3-year contract with Petronas before its
construction was completed.
needles. The subs are run as integral
parts of the liner in the open hole and
are positioned across the formation
where stimulation is desired. The
liner is hung off with a standard liner
hanger. Depending on the formation
type, the laterals then are either jetted
or drilled by pumping fluids. All laterals
are created simultaneously, resulting
in a fishbone-style well completion
with multiple laterals extending
from the main bore. Three hundred
laterals in one well is achievable.
The first deployment in a carbonate
reservoir took place in a tight limestone
formation in the Austin chalk in
Texas in April 2014. The pilot well,
horizontally placed in a tight limestone
formation with approximately 5%
porosity, was shut in after several years
of production and prior stimulation and
was considered to be without potential
for normal restimulation. A 4.5-in.diameter lower completion string was
planned for in the 6.5-in.-diameter
open hole. Fifteen subs with a total of
60 needles and three openhole anchors
were spaced out with 4.5-in.-diameter
liner joints and run in the open hole.
The pumping operation was completed
after 5 hours, including jetting and fluid
displacement. The creation of as many
as 60 laterals in one well is believed
to be a record. The production results
were very positive, with an 8.3-times
increase in cumulative production in
the first 30 days compared with well
production before shut-in. The results
confirm the significant stimulation
of the well by the use of Fishbones’
multilateral-stimulation technology.
Cryogenic Service Helps
Reduce Mercury Contamination
New Technology Efficiently
Stimulates With Multilaterals
Fishbones has developed and fieldtested new technology for efficient
stimulation of oil and gas wells. The
technology creates a large number of
laterals from the mainbore, connecting
the well and reservoir, in a short
pumping job. The technology consists
of a liner sub that houses four smalldiameter, high-strength tubes called
13
The new multilateral-stimulation
technology from Fishbones. Photo
courtesy of Fishbones.
PEI provides consultation and guidance
for aluminum-heat-exchanger (AHX)
performance in situations where
mercury contamination has occurred or
may occur. Produced mercury in North
America has become an emergent
issue and, with recent mercury
mapping studies completed in US and
Canadian shale gas plays, will continue
to develop as more unconventional
production is processed through
existing and new plants. PEI’s Mercury
and Chemical Services Group recently
completed a mercury decontamination
14
IPTCDAILY
of an AHX at a petrochemical plant
located on the Texas Gulf coast.
Specialty cryogenic services include
computational modeling, analytical
services, inspection (bore scope and
radiography), risk analysis and mercury
decontamination (hot nitrogen or
solvent/alcohol plus chelants), and
verification. Mercury-decontamination
procedures can be applied to aluminum
cold-box equipment to prevent attack
of aluminum welds by condensed
mercury. Historically and recently in
the US, mercury in gas and gas liquids
has caused failure of several aluminum
cryogenic heat exchangers. The cold
box in a gas-separation process [as
opposed to a liquefied-natural-gas
(LNG) process] typically is an aluminum
plate-frame heat exchanger. LNG
heat exchanges use a spiral design
and metallurgy that avoids mercury
attack. Cryogenic heat exchangers
are typically of brazed aluminum
construction using aluminum alloy
Al 3003 in the core with Al 5083 or
6061 in the headers and piping. The
location and amount of mercury in
a contaminated heat exchanger are
key elements in determining risk
to process and decontamination
methods. It is important to have an
accurate assessment of the degree to
which the cold box is contaminated by
mercury so that educated decisions
can be made concerning the likelihood
of mercury attack, appropriate
decontamination-methods, and
Left, metal embrittlement. Right, bore-scope header inspection. Photo courtesy of PEI.
processing-system requirements to
remove mercury from heated nitrogen
or decontamination chemistry.
Interpretation Technique
Supports 2D and 3D Seismic
One of the biggest developments in
seismic interpretation over the last few
years has been the emergence of global
seismic interpretation techniques—
interpretation methods that autotrack
seismic reflectors to arrive at fully
interpreted seismic volumes. These
seismic volumes have opened the way
to a number of advanced seismicinterpretation workflows covering
sequence stratigraphy, attribute
generation, and model building. Yet,
while most of these global interpretation
techniques focus on 3D seismic
applications, much regional exploration
remains in 2D seismic. dGB Earth
Sciences’ HorizonCube is one of the
few commercial global interpretation
techniques that supports both 2D and
3D seismic. The technology has been
developed as part of the Sequence
Stratigraphic Interpretation System
(SSIS) consortium—a joint industry
project that includes Statoil, OMV,
MOL, and RocOil as sponsors. The new
autotracker is part of OpendTect 5.0,
the latest version of dGB’s open-source
seismic interpretation software. dGB’s
HorizonCube provides fully interpreted
seismic volumes where horizons are
automatically tracked between a given
set of framework horizons and faults
with the tracking carried out through
use of a seismic dip volume. The new
interactive HorizonCube workflow for
2D seismic supports simultaneous
interpretation in both the structural
and Wheeler transformed (flattened)
domains. The workflow is not only
used to track single horizons but is
also used to create 2D HorizonCubes.
The horizons are created through a
dip-steered tracker in which the user
picks multiple seeds per horizon in
the two domains. The new workflow
and correlated geologic timelines
created will provide interpreters with
new ways of analyzing seismic data
and understanding their depositional
histories. The 2D HorizonCube tracker
will also form the basis of all future
2D and 3D horizon trackers within
OpendTect and will lead to an overhaul
of OpendTect’s conventional amplitude
and similarity autotrackers. The tracker
will also be extended from 2D to 3D
inside the SSIS Consortium. n
The workflow starts with framework
mapping (1) to produce initial
HorizonCubes (color-coded lines)
per region (2). The HorizonCubes are
merged through a correlation exercises
(3), performed by an interpreter. After
the correlation, one HorizonCube
is produced that contains correct
geologic time lines (4a) and hence
produces superior Wheeler diagrams
(4b) to perform sequence stratigraphic
interpretation. Photo courtesy of dGB.
SPE is where you are.
Abstract submission deadline: 21 December 2014
Early Bird registration deadline: 7 June 2015
The 2015 Near Surface Asia Pacific Conference focuses on near-surface
issues within the entire Pan-Pacific region and provides a world-class forum
for new technical advances, developments, and applications in near-surface
geophysics.
We welcome the submission of papers covering theoretical developments
and case histories in the broad topic of near-surface geophysics, including:
• Shallow Seismology
• Ground Penetrating Radar
• Electric, EM and NMR Methods
• Engineering Geophysics
• Mining and Geothermal
Exploration
• Remote Sensing and Lidar
• Applications
• Hydrogeophysics
• Rock and Soil Properties
• Borehole Geophysics
• Modeling and Inversion
• Geophysical Instruments
For more information about this and other
near-surface events, please contact [email protected].
www.seg.org/ns
All over the world
Our membership combines the brightest minds in the E&P industry, giving
you access to new people, new places, and new ideas from all over the world.
And when you join SPE, you also join your local section. So, you can meet
regularly with other members in your area to exchange ideas and discuss
common issues.
SPE has something for everyone working in the upstream oil and gas
industry, no matter where on the globe you may be.
Visit us at IPTC 2014, Booth H504.
Join our worldwide membership today
at www.spe.org/join.

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