Improved Recovery Week articles from March 1995

Improved Recovery Week archives from March 1995

Petrobras delving deeply into 'biomarker' research. (Petroleo Brasiliero S.A.; molecular organic geochemistry)
March 6, 1995... Ever-rising exploration and production costs have increased the need for more detailed dope on the origin of thermal evolution of potential source rocks and their associated hydrocarbon accumulations. Today, much of that information is being...

Coalbed methane shows global promise.
March 6, 1995... Once cheaper supplies of natural gas from Canada begin to dwindle by the first five years of the new century, U.S. coalbed methane reserves will become more economically attractive, says a London-based research group. U.S. coalgas could get...

Clinton favors Alaska oil exports, says White. (Pres. Bill Clinton; Deputy Energy Secretary Bill White)
March 6, 1995... As was expected, the Clinton administration last week said it backs relaxation of the existing ban of exports of crude oil from Alaska to anywhere but the U.S. Bill White, deputy Energy Secretary, whose department has recommended the export...

Dormitories pose threat to Clearview wells. (Mobil Exploration and Producing U.S. Inc.'s proposed oil drilling on tidelands in the Santa Barbara Channel)
March 6, 1995... Plans to build student housing by the University of Santa Barbara has thrown another pitfall before Mobil Exploration & Producing U.S. Inc. in its proposed drilling of extended-reach wells from shore to tap oil reserves off the California coast....

IPAA-DOE continue incentives war of words. (Independent Petroleum Assn. of America; Dept. of Energy)
March 6, 1995... The warm glow of discourse is being fanned to flames as the Energy Dept. and the Independent Petroleum Assn. of America continue their war of words over the question of domestic exploration and production incentives. The IPAA last month held...

W. Virginia natural gas-coalbed methane project completed. (College of West Virginia at Beckley's joint undertaking with the Department of Energy)
March 13, 1995... A project for recovering both natural gas and coalbed methane from each of three wells has proven to be successful for a small private college in West Virginia. What's more, it has spawned a project to provide coalgas for isolated villages on...

Fast-track money pledged for independents.
March 13, 1995... Up to $800,000 is now available from the Energy Dept. for cost-shared research projects by small independent producers who operate onshore in the Lower 48 states. This is a "fast-track" program, says Todd Martinez, who is in charge of the...

Argentina's YPF in $1.75 billion acquisition. (Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales)
March 13, 1995... To the amazement of many petroleum industry observers, Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales, S/A, the former national oil company of Argentina, has agreed to purchase Dallas-based Maxus Energy Corp. YPF, which became a publicly owned oil company a...

DOE-Phillips complete phase I of horizontal CO2 flood demo. (Phillips Petroleum Co.)
March 20, 1995... A cost-shared project to demonstrate the applicability of a carbon dioxide flood in the Permian Basin of West Texas using multiple horizontal injection wells has reached the end of its first phase. Whether it will continue into Phase 2, however...

Coalgas resolution sought. (Independent Oil and Gas Association of Pennsylvania)
March 20, 1995... The Coalbed Methane Committee of the Independent Oil & Gas Assn. of Pennsylvania has recommended that industry seek a resolution from the General Assembly to opt out of the federal regulatory program for settling coalbed methane production...

Technology eases E&P cost price grip. (oil exploration and production)
March 20, 1995... For leverage to achieve long-term success, the petroleum industry needs new technology, says C. Robert Black, Texaco Inc. senior vice president. But high costs and competitive pressures demand that companies approach research and development...

Panel votes on Alaska oil ban. (Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources)
March 20, 1995... The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last week voted to end the ban on exporting oil from Alaska's North Slope, setting up passage of a Senate bill asking for just that. The key Senate committee approved the bill by a vote of 14-4....

Russian reinjection slated. (oil field gas reinjection)
March 20, 1995... The World Bank has awarded a British company a contract to investigate the potential benefits of gas reinjection at the South Kharampur oil field in Western Siberia. The study, to be undertaken by AEA Technology, will determine whether...

Dole backs axing DOE; AGA urges efficiency. (Senator Bob Dole; Department of Energy; American Gas Association)
March 20, 1995... Senator Bob Dole, R-Kan., is calling for elimination of the Energy Dept., but the American Gas Assn. is supporting its continuation as a smaller, leaner and meaner agency, minus defense and other collateral responsibilities. Dole, speaking at...

Firm finals N. Dak. horizontal. (GeoResources Inc. completes horizontal oil well in Bottineau County, ND)
March 20, 1995... Completion of a deep horizontal well in the Wayne field in Bottineau County, N. Dak. has been announced by GeoResources Inc., of Williston. In a press release, the company said the well was drilled to a total depth of 6,200[feet], but the pay...

Record horizontal completed. (horizontal gas well owned by Mobil Erdgas-Erdoel GmbH)
March 20, 1995... The first deep horizontal gas well in Germany with multiple hydraulic fractures has been completed by Mobil Erdgas-Erdoel GmbH, the German exploration and producing unit of Mobil Corp. The Soehlingen horizontal Well No. Z-10, located about 40...

Texas RRC backs four new industry incentives. (Texas Railroad Commission)
March 20, 1995... Texas producers could keep thousands of marginal oil and gas wells from being abandoned if the state legislature accepts four new incentives and extension of two others established previously, says Barry Williamson, chairman of the Texas Railroad...

Investigators say Amoco responsible for leaks. (Amoco Production Co.; coalbed methane seeps)
March 20, 1995... A multi-jurisdictional team of federal, state, county and tribal scientists and engineers conclude that widespread coalbed methane seeps in an affluent Colorado neighborhood are the result of Amoco Production Co.'s gas production operations in...

K.M. Cowan of Shell Oil Co. (awarded patent no. 5,337,824 for drilling fluid that is transformable to cement)
March 20, 1995... K.M. Cowan of Shell Oil Co. has patented a drilling fluid transformable to a cement that can be produced using components which are characterized by dual functionality in promoting both the drilling operation and the cementing operation and...

Utah touts major coalbed methane 'fairway.'
March 27, 1995... Utah state officials now recognize that a 12-mile by 80-mile belt of coal in central Utah may contain as much a 4-9 tcf of coalbed methane reserves. The Utah Geological Survey estimates the belt, or "fairway," is up to 40[feet] thick at depths...

DOE least affected by House rescissions bill. (Department of Energy)
March 27, 1995... Overall federal energy and environmental programs took big hits recently with the House of Representatives voted 227-200 to cut some $17.1 billion of unobligated funds from the fiscal 1995 budget, which already has been funded. The rescissions...