New developments in drilling tubulars are rapidly evolving and represent enabling technology for drilling deeper, longer-reach wells more cost-effectively. The full-length paper describes field performance of high-strength, high-toughness 5(7)/(8)-in. drillpipe as well as provides a statistical look at high-strength drillpipe grades. Application-specific landing-string designs also are discussed.

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 86470, "The Effect of Oriented Perforations as a Sand-Control Method: A Field Case Study From the Varg Field, North Sea," by Johan Tronvoll, SPE, SINTEF Petroleum Research; Arne Eek, SPE, Pertra A/S; Idar Larsen, SPE, SINTEF Petroleum Research; and Francesco Sanfilippo, SPE, Oilfield Geomechanics Intl., prepared for the 2004 SPE International Symposium and Exhibition on Formation Damage Control, Lafayette, Louisiana, 18-20 February.

Gas-to-liquid (GTL) conversion is an emerging technology that very likely will be widely used within the next decade. With its vast natural-gas resources, the Alaskan North Slope (ANS) will be one of the first areas in the U.S. to exploit this new technology. The objective of this study is to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of transporting GTL products through the Trans-Alaskan pipeline system (TAPS).

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 84173, "Underbalanced Drilling With Casing Evolution in the South Texas Vicksburg," by Doug Gordon, SPE, Rich Billa, SPE, and Mike Weissman, SPE, Shell E&P Co., and Fu Hou, SPE, Shell Intl. E&P Inc., prepared for the 2003 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Denver, 5-8 October.

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 84562, "Producing Stress-Resistant High- Temperature/High-Pressure Cement Formulations Through Microstructural Optimization," by Dan T. Mueller, SPE, BJ Services Co., prepared for the 2003 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Denver, 5-8 October.

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 84947, "The Slug-Suppression System in Operation," by K. Kovalev, Shell Global Solutions Intl. B.V.; A. Cruickshank, Dril-Quip Ltd.; and J. Purvis, Shell U.K. E&P, prepared for the 2003 Offshore Europe, Aberdeen, 2-5 September.

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper OTC 16714, "Towards the Expandable Reservoir Completion: The Case for Openhole Completions," by Nicholas Gee, SPE, Colin Jones, SPE, and Stuart Ferguson, SPE, Weatherford Intl. Ltd., prepared for the 2004 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 3-6 May.

Single-shot laboratory flow tests were performed with limestone and dolomite cores to determine perforation damage as a function of underbalance pressure. The calculated perforation skins from carbonate perforating experiments are not well described by earlier sandstone correlations. In particular, the reliance on rock permeability as a predictor of perforation cleanup does not work for carbonates. Perforation skin for carbonates is best related to peak underbalance pressure and rock strength. The results of this study suggest that the initial perforation-cleanup, mechanism is primarily related to failure of the perforation-tunnel wall under stress as opposed to fluid surge flow.

An incident during liquefied-natural-gas (LNG) transfer between an onshore or offshore structure and an LNG carrier can result in an LNG spill into the water. A leak inside a submerged combustion vaporizer also can lead to LNG/water contact. Under certain conditions, these contacts can produce LNG vaporization rates so high that explosions, called rapid phase transitions (RPTs), can occur. These RPTs can generate air and underwater blast pressures that could damage adjacent plants or structures and lead to serious accidents.

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 84491, "Closing the Gap: Fracture Half-Length From Design, Buildup, and Production Analysis," by R.D. Barree, SPE, Barree & Assocs., and S.A. Cox, SPE, J.V. Gilbert, SPE, and M. Dobson, SPE, Marathon Oil Co., prepared for the 2003 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Denver, 5-8 October.

The first production test of methane-hydrate layers was carried out in the Mackenzie Delta in the Canadian Arctic. Three wells were drilled through hydrate layers at a depth of approximately 900 to 1100 in beneath 640 in of permafrost on a line at 40-m spacing. Coring, logging, and other scientific experiments and production test were performed over a 79-day period. The Geologic Survey of Canada (GSC) was coordinator of the science program, and Japan Natl. Oil Corp. (JNOC) and Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. (JAPEX) were operators.

In the high-pressure deep wells of the Hassi Messaoud field, proppant fracturing has increased production significantly, prolonging the economic life of many wells. The availability of coiled-tubing (CT) equipment in the field provides the means to stimulate the wells without a workover rig. When coupled with a mechanical isolation system, the CT fracturing technique protects the production tubing from high treating pressure and abrasive proppants.

Drillpipe capable of transmitting high-bandwidth data from downhole sensors and surface control signals back to those sensors has been developed and successfully tested. The system incorporates a high-speed data cable that runs the length of each joint and downhole tool. The cable terminates at induction coils installed in protective grooves machined in the secondary torque shoulders of double-shouldered tool joints at each end of the pipe. The system is virtually transparent to standard rig procedures and offers robust, reliable operation.

Three different sanding models were applied to six high-pressure/high-temperature (HP/HT) wells. In all wells, no sanding was observed under drawdowns surpassing conditions required for sand failure. Analytical shear-failure- and tensile-failure-based models were examined. All models were highly conservative. This behavior is attributed to the underlying assumption that sand production occurs when sand fails. The fulllength paper proposes an alternate approach that extends sand production criterion to include not only sand failure, but also seepage forces that liquefy and mobilize the sand.

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 79797, "New, Stable PDC Technology Significantly Reduces Hard-Rock Cost per Foot," by Edward J. Schell, SPE, and Duane Phillippi, SPE, Anadarko Petroleum, and Robert T. Fabian, SPE, ReedHycalog, prepared for the 2003 SPE/IADC Drilling Conference, Amsterdam, 19-21 February.

The full-length paper is a case history describing fracture optimization of low-permeability, highly stratified stacked turbidite sandstone reservoirs of the B interval in the Elk Hills field. Occurrence of high-permeability, high-pressured water-saturated sands immediately above and/or below the objective oil sands poses a major challenge. Results from surface tiltmeter measurements completed during 26 fracture stages were used with downhole tiltmeter data and reservoir characterization to optimize the ongoing redevelopment from a peripheral water-flood to a pattern flood.

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 77538, "Study of Gas-Condensate Well Productivity in Santa Barbara Field, Venezuela, by Well Test Analysis," by Mario Briones, SPE, and Judith A. Zambrano, SPE, PDVSA, and Cesar Zerpa, U. de Oriente, prepared for presentation at the 2002 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, San Antonio, Texas, 29 September-2 October.

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 77591, "Assessment and Modeling of High- Permeability Areas in Carbonate Reservoirs," by G. Massonnat, SPE, and E. Pernarcic, TotalFinaElf, originally presented at the 2002 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Dallas, 29 September- 2 October.

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper OTC 15210, "A Novel Underbalanced-Perforating Gun Deployment System Using Production Packer Technology Successfully Completes Offshore Horizontal Wells in a Single Trip," by Martin Beveridge and Alex Bruce, Shell U.K. E&P, Thomas Robb, SPE, and Steve Herron, Halliburton Energy Services Inc., prepared for the 2003 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 30 April-3 May.

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper SPE 81098, "A Process for Planning New Developments in an Upstream Gas Business," by Shivanand Maharaj, SPE, Eric Hennington, SPE, Michael Daniel, SPE, and I. Tenny Wibowo, BP Trinidad and Tobago LLC, prepared for the 2003 SPE Latin American and Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference, Portof- Spain, Trinidad, 27-30 April.