Management

The message from a single chart’s data from the first full-scale hydraulic fracturing surface test is simple: Far less proppant flows out of the first clusters passed in a stage than the last ones.

A sidetrack is planned to confirm commercial quantities of oil and gas.

Employment is not a direct function of oil prices, but of upstream and midstream investment and activity. Fluctuations in SPE membership generally lag the activity increase or decrease by 1–2 years. It is expected that the current upcycle of activity will contribute to a rebound in membership, especially among the young professionals.

The last couple of years, I have highlighted efforts around remote operations of fields, smart wells, and the acquisition and integration of real-time data. This year, I have focused on recent drilling-related papers that highlight how safety and performance can be improved with more-intelligent operations.

The combined company will get a new name and a new focus on offshore renewables and other clean energy projects.

Schlumberger, Baker Hughes warn of an uncertain future for their work in Russia while Halliburton prepares for a full wind down. In turn, all look to North America for revenue growth.

As Europe’s second-largest LNG hub after Spain, the UK promises to play a near-term role as an “energy bridge” to ease the EU’s dependence on Russian energy, given that the UK can ship regasified product directly to the continent via subsea pipeline.

Forecast increased demand for natural gas globally will keep new US liquefaction projects and additional proposals moving forward.

The price of natural gas always drops when winter weather ends, but maybe not this year.

South Africa’s Sasol has nixed plans to invest in the proposed African Renaissance Pipeline, opting instead to import LNG by tanker from Mozambique where TotalEnergies, Eni, and ExxonMobil are developing projects.