R&D/innovation
Findings from two new SPE papers argue that the tight-rock sector needs to rethink longstanding assumptions about how hydraulic fractures form underground.
The newest recipient of the title SPE Legend of Hydraulic Fracturing talks about his career, the evolution of fracture stimulation, the development of increasingly useful simulators, and the future of the oil and gas industry. The honor was given at the 2026 SPE Hydraulic Fracturing Technology Conference and Exhibition.
SLB's and Baker Hughes' partnerships with NVIDIA and Google Cloud, respectively, will develop advanced AI-enabled power optimization and sustainability solutions for the global data center sector.
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A system that could help turn stranded-gas fields into producing projects has moved closer to reality, aided by the growing focus on reductions in carbon emissions. -
Many OFS companies have pulled away from the unconventional resources and redirected their efforts into alternate energy and clean technology. There is a limited bucket of money available for these companies to invest in new technology, and with every dollar diverted to ESG, those dollars are taken away from traditional technologies.
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Swiss robotics company ANYbotics introduced ANYmal X, the first explosion-proof legged robot, at the Offshore Technology Conference Asia.
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The center will develop innovations for renewable-energy technology and the low-carbon future and will bring together and support research of faculty in the energy, materials science, data science, and artificial-intelligence fields.
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Oil producers encountering pockets of methane typically use flare stacks to burn off the vented gas. However, winds blowing across conventional open flame burners often result in 40% or more of the methane escaping into the air.
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Gazprom Neft and a cloud computing joint venture involving Abu Dhabi National Oil Company have signed an agreement to commercialize jointly developed digital solutions in Russia and the Middle East.
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Tested within a full ballast water tank on a North Sea FPSO, the ROV collected visual inspection data, validating system performance including wireless navigation and wireless communication.
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Applications include identifying new green catalysts to enable the conversion of waste products to useful matter, green hydrogen generation, CO2 utilization, and the development of fuel cells. Novel catalysts also could be used to replace expensive and rare materials such as iridium, the metal used to generate green hydrogen and CO2 reduction products.
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The technical section will focus on the transfer of technology and practices from the oil and gas industry to geothermal energy development and promote industry best practices.
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It appears to be possible to sense how fractures change during production using ultrasensitive fiber-optic strain measurements.
