Deepwater Statistics

DEEPWATER STATISTICS Current Deepwater* Activity *Deepwater defined as a minimum water depth of 3,000 ft. (914 m).

Number of rigs drilling in deepwater worldwide: 126 Number of deepwater rigs/vessels under construction: 79 (As of 8/20/2011) Total Deepwater Prospects with Drilling/WO Activity Gulf of Mexico 27 Offshore West Africa 29 North Sea 9 Offshore Brazil 50 Asia- Southeast 13 Offshore Australia 5

Trans Alaska Pipeline Volumes

Trans Alaska Pipeline Map

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) is the conduit that makes it possible for oil to flow from Prudhoe Bay some 800.302 miles down to the ice-free port at Valdez. From Valdez it can be shipped by tanker (about 25 a month) to customer refineries further south.

Methane Hydrates Resource

Methane Hydrate -  The Gas Resource of the Future MORE INFO Alaska North Slope Field Program Offshore Gulf of Mexico Field Program Methane hydrate is a cage-like lattice of ice inside of which are trapped molecules of methane,  the chief constituent of natural gas. If methane hydrate is either warmed or depressurized, it will revert back to water and natural gas. When brought to the earth's surface, one cubic meter of gas hydrate releases 164 cubic meters of natural gas. Hydrate deposits may be several hundred meters thick and generally occur in two types of settings: under Arctic permafrost, and beneath the ocean floor. Methane that forms hydrate can be both biogenic, created by biological activity in sediments, and thermogenic, created by geological processes deeper within the earth.

Libyan Oil Production Decline

The six month conflict has reduced Libyan oil production from about 1.6 million barrels per day before the start to a meager 50,000 barrels per day now.

Irene: NASA photo

East Coast Earthquake Explained

"The USGS says yesterdays East Coast earthquake was caused by an unknown fault line running under D.C. and through Virginia. It is now being called Obama's Fault, though Obama will say it's really Bush's Fault. Another theory is that it was the founding fathers rolling over in their graves, but I believe what we all thought was an earthquake was actually the effects of a $14.6 trillion dollar check bouncing in Washington."

Earthquakes in the United States: Last 7 days

Who knew?

Virginia Earthquake Map

Depth is in km.

Seismic Events of the East Coast

Here is a quick view of earthquake locations in the eastern U.S from 1900-2002. (from USGS)

Niagara Falls, Frozen

Niagara Falls frozen circa 1902?

Salt Provinces Gulf of Mexico

Shells's Floating LNG Project

By 2017 the vessel should be anchored off the north coast of Australia, where it will be used to harvest natural gas from Shell’s Prelude field.
Once the gas is on board, it will be cooled until it liquefies and stored in vast tanks at -161C.
Every six or seven days a huge tanker will dock beside the platform and load up enough fuel to heat a city the size of London for a week.

Gas Resource Plays Uneconomic?

Oil and Gas Production: Gulf of Mexico

The Earth, A Cross-Section

Teapot Dome Seismic Section

California Shale Plays

'Frack' oil wells draw California into debate: "'Frack' oil wells draw California into debate

David R. Baker, Chronicle Staff Writer


Monday, August 15, 2011"

Oil vs. Gas Drilling Rigs

Freight Railroad Energy Efficiency

This illustrates two points: first, improvements in energy efficiency often translate into greater consumption of the energy-consuming good—what energy economists call the “rebound effect.” Second, unlike other areas where government mandates drove efficiency improvements (i.e., refrigerators) there were no government mandates driving locomotive engine efficiency gains.

Post Carbon Transportation

The ultimate hybrid!

Oil Demand

Defining Energy Security...Huh?

Everyone likes to talk about “energy security,” or its even more poll-pleasing but less sensible cousin, “energy independence,” but few ever bother to define energy security with any tolerable degree of exactness, let alone measure it in a meaningful way. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for 21st Century Energy has stepped up, and just released the second iteration of its Index of U.S. Energy Security Risk.
The Index comprises 37 different metrics grouped into four primary areas: geopolitical, economic, reliability, and environmental. The Index also has the virtue of backtesting is metrics all the way back to 1970, which could be said to be the beginning of the modern era of serial energy “crises” with the first Persian Gulf oil disruption starting in 1973

Reservoir Simulation..at it's finest!

My newcomputer, now I can map the entire world.

Drlling Rig in Tornado Path?

Santa Rita No. 1: Permian Basin Oil Discovery

Discovery well for Big Lake Oil Field. First gusher in Permian Basin, first University of Texas producer on land once thought almost worthless. Fruit of the faith of Big Lake lawyer Rupert Ricker. Though in 1919 no oil had been found within 100 miles, Ricker got leases on 431,360 acres of University of Texas Land in Crockett, Irioin, Reagan and Upton Counties soon working with him were P.G Stokes, Big Spring; Frank Pickrell and Haymon Krupp, El Paso; and others.
Their wildcat well ½ mile south of this site, on Ollie Parker's ranch, was drilled by Carl Cromwell. Dee Locklin was to olddrsser.slow and hard drilling made crew name well for Santa Rita, Patroness of the Impossible. 4 years, 2 months and a day after permit was filed, and at 3055 feet, well pressure tossed the rig's bucket high into the air. Santa Rita was a produce! The date was May 28, 1923.
This day the Permian Basin, since acclaimed one of the greatest oil regions in the world, had its first big find. Other spectacular fields were to follow.
Multi-Millions in Royalty dollars have since made the University of Texas one of the world's most heavily endowed schools. Original rig that brought in Santa Rita now is on the University Campus.

Reserves Terminology

Elmworth deep basin Struture

Basin Centered Gas Model

Bakken Oil Production