WILLIAM (BILL) HEAD, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Nice Information: For sure, however I’ll say it anyway, vitality was given a large step of freedom on Nov. 5 in the US. That’s, assuming that President-elect Donald J. Trump can persuade others to redirect energy in direction of extra liberty [less regulation] and fewer taxation [your money]. The seminal reversal of the so-called Chevron doctrine by the U.S. Supreme Courtroom will assist to cease profession regulators from inventing legal guidelines.
Unhealthy Information: It’s not the horrible nuclear menace or ongoing wars, however they shouldn’t be tolerated both. Moderately, freedom implies that hydrocarbon reserves will now be in additional demand. Nice! The place? You might have observed that solely two classes of future reserves are being aggressively pursued. To this point, which means fracing inside continents and mega-discoveries offshore, however not within the Gulf of Mexico or the North Sea. That’s significant for FPSOs.
Nevertheless, if I recall accurately, shopping for an FPSO enterprise bankrupted my firm, PGS. An excessive amount of of a superb factor within the unsuitable place or time in historical past could be deadly. Not so, for Exxon in offshore Guyana. So, what to do? You’ve got been studying on this journal that mergers, gross sales, and shopping for reserves stay a going enterprise. The information then? Sport on, so no slackers, in the event you care about shareholder worth.
CO2???? Can’t watch for the subsequent push for inexperienced or saving the world from CO2? Neither can traders, who’re watching Trump, et al, and the Euro greens. No worries. Liberal ideologues have already began lawsuits towards an administration (Trump’s) that has but to exist! Even when the EPA’s $85/ton credit score for sequestration evaporates, geophysical and reservoir geology continues to develop concepts and know-how that can profit exploration and lengthy, lengthy, long-term manufacturing.
At present, I’m inspecting DOE proposals for monitoring fuel leakage in situ from orphan wells and fuel leakage on the floor from any effectively. Additionally, tasks onshore, alongside the GOM coast, seem like scorching candidates for each sequestration and oil restoration. Frac tech is progressing, such because the U. of Bergen’s analysis in foam substitutes for brine water. Foam, as in dish cleaning soap!
An outdated concept is being rejuvenated: geology whereas drilling. Who else has cash to spend on effectively know-how? World Oil has famous SLB’s advances, however to be honest, discover them for your self: https://www.slb.com/products-and-services/innovating-in-oil-and-gas/well-construction/measurements/logging-while-drilling-services
Fig. 1. Dr. Jon Olson, College of Texas at Austin.
To not be left behind, on the College of Texas at Austin’s Hildebrand Division of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, the holder of the Cockrell College of Engineering’s Household Chair, Jon Olson, introduced a workshop on fracing to Texas academics, and Hilary Olson introduced on geothermal fracking purposes. Assisted by Sabrina Ewald, this nonpolitical workshop session for science academics gave artistic hands-on demonstrations of the porosity and permeability of rock varieties widespread to fossil gasoline fracing and hydrothermal reservoirs.
Hydraulic Fracturing and Geothermal Power: Diversifying Engineering and Know-how Purposes within the Power Sector.
Whereas tempted to interrupt the presentation that day, I’ll say that the Hildebrand brothers are to be recommended for his or her cash effectively spent. The battle for hydrocarbons just isn’t on the pump or the drill bit however within the minds of our younger individuals, who’re going through unsure futures. You’ll be able to contact Dr. Olson at jolson@austin.utexas.edu. Maybe he’ll share a few of his slides together with your group of doubters. In spite of everything, to paraphrase a politician, no good crack ought to go to waste.
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