Stephen Rassenfoss

JPT Emerging Technology Senior Editor (Retired) Society of Petroleum Engineers

Now retired from SPE, Stephen Rassenfoss was the Emerging Technology Senior Editor for JPT, whose stories cover a range of novel ideas, including those that engineers may find promising but are not sure will work. He also covered other stories including crashes to the outlook for engineers.

Energy transition

European and US Efforts To Develop Geothermal Energy Are Headed in Different Directions

Hot rock is found worldwide, but the methods used to generate energy from it vary.

December 1, 2024 • Stephen Rassenfoss • Journal of Petroleum Technology
Geothermal energy

The Geysers Is a Unique Geothermal Resource Presenting Equally Unique Challenges to Drillers

What we’ve learned about faster drilling in oil and gas applied just as well to geothermal development—until we reached The Geysers.

November 1, 2024 • Stephen Rassenfoss • Journal of Petroleum Technology
Geothermal energy

Wells for Geothermal Power and Energy Storage, Too

Maximizing profits in geothermal energy may require the flexibility to adjust output as electricity prices fluctuate. Battery storage can ensure power is available when prices peak.

October 1, 2024 • Stephen Rassenfoss • Journal of Petroleum Technology
$Venting steam from a geothermal site in Nevada which demonstrated Fervo could create a fractured reservoir to produce geothermal power. Source: Fervo Energy.$

Field/project development

Fervo Showed Fractured Geothermal Works, Now Must Do It Bigger, Cheaper, and Soon

Fervo Energy proved fracturing can harvest geothermal energy and is now rapidly learning to build a utility-scale power plant.

September 1, 2024 • Stephen Rassenfoss • Journal of Petroleum Technology
Fracturing/pressure pumping

API Proppant Test Not Looking So Strong

Matthew Bryant has spent years trying to convince engineers that the API proppant testing standard has significant limitations. And he may well be right.

Locked
May 1, 2024 • Stephen Rassenfoss • Journal of Petroleum Technology
Business/economics

Being the Bigger Oil Company Offers an Edge on Well Costs

As the biggest US companies grow bigger, the advantage of scale becomes clearer.

April 3, 2024 • Stephen Rassenfoss • Journal of Petroleum Technology
Unconventional/complex reservoirs

An Acid Test for Spacing Decisions: Complete 44 Wells With 129 Miles of Laterals on a 3×2-Mile Lease in the Midland Basin

A 44-well development tests what ConocoPhillips has learned about maximizing the value of the wells by figuring out how they drain the reservoir.

Locked
April 1, 2024 • Stephen Rassenfoss • Journal of Petroleum Technology
Well intervention

Chevron Applies Some Unconventional Thinking To Try To Make Shale EOR a Standard Treatment

Chevron has some new ideas on how to get more oil for less cost out of shale wells in their early years.

Locked
February 1, 2024 • Stephen Rassenfoss • Journal of Petroleum Technology
Business/economics

Surprise! Bakken Oil Production Up Strongly Last Year

Bakken oil production surprised on the upside showing it can grow, but an encore is not expected this year.

January 19, 2024 • Stephen Rassenfoss • Journal of Petroleum Technology
Unconventional/complex reservoirs

25 Years of Technology as Reported in JPT

Highlights of innovations in fracturing, drilling, and reservoir engineering include mysterious gummy bears, horseshoe-shaped wells, and automated rigs.

January 1, 2024 • Stephen Rassenfoss • Journal of Petroleum Technology

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