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Exploration and Production (E&P) Technology in the
Upstream Oil and Gas Industry
The March into the Deep
Deepwater
Technology
nTwenty
years ago the water depth limit for the E&P industry was about 1000 ft.
Now companies produce several million barrels a day from greater
depths and regularly drill exploratory wells in 10,000’ of water.
n There is no other industry, with the possible exception of space
exploration, that is addressing the range and complexity of challenges
associated with deepwater exploratoin and development,
making it the most technologically sophisticated of industries.
nThe
revolution continues with the industry focused on:
nMoving
as much activity as possible from surface facilities to the seafloor
nMultiphase
pumping
nOil-gas-water
separation
nCompression
nDrilling
ultradeep wells in layers previously unviewable by seismic
nSubsalt
in Gulf of Mexico and Brazil