Middle East

Shell invested in a Singapore solar company and signed an agreement to purchase a Texas company with solar and other renewable assets. Along with its minority stake in a company that uses solar to generate steam for EOR in the Middle East, Shell catches some rays in the Asia Pacific, US, and Oman.

The session will cover an area of growing interest, given increasing concern about wellbore integrity and well control.

Holding little back, speakers at the annual IHS CERAWeek conference in February discussed how the industry has been shaped by the disruptive impact of North American shale production and predicted that many more months of financial pressure will spell the end for some companies.

Plunging oil prices led to a drastic drop in drilling rigs working in most places in the world, with a notable exception. Baker Hughes’ widely watched weekly report on drilling rigs shows activity has remained steady in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.

A new type of organically modified silica glass that can remove a wide variety of oils and contaminants from produced and flowback water is showing promising results as it undergoes field trials.