By most estimates, global consumption of natural gas - a cleaner-burning alternative to coal and oil - will double by 2030. However, in North America, Europe, China, and South and East Asia, which are the areas of highest-expected demand, the projected consumption of gas is expected to far outstrip indigenous supplies. Delivering gas from the world's major reserves to the future demand centres will require a major expansion of inter-regional, cross-border gas transport infrastructures. This book investigates the implications of this shift, utilizing historical case studies as well as advanced economic modelling to examine the interplay between economic and political factors in the development of natural gas resources. The contributors aim to shed light on the political challenges which may accompany a shift to a gas-fed world.

Exploration and characterization of conventional and unconventional reservoirs using seismic technologies are among the main activities of upstream technology groups and business units of oil and gas operators. However, these activities frequently encounter difficulties in quantitative seismic interpretation due to remaining confusion and new challenges in the fast developing field of seismic petrophysics. Seismic Petrophysics in Quantitative Interpretation shows how seismic interpretation can be made simple and robust by integration of the rock physics principles with seismic and petrophysical attributes bearing on the properties of both conventional (thickness, net/ gross, lithology, porosity, permeability, and saturation) and unconventional (thickness, lithology, organic richness, thermal maturity) reservoirs. Practical solutions to existing interpretation problems in rock physics-based amplitude versus offset (AVO) analysis and inversion are addressed in the book to streamline the workflows in subsurface characterization. Although the book is aimed at oil and gas industry professionals and academics concerned with utilization of seismic data in petroleum exploration and production, it could also prove helpful for geotechnical and completion engineers and drillers seeking to better understand how seismic and sonic data can be more thoroughly utilized.

By most estimates, global consumption of natural gas - a cleaner-burning alternative to coal and oil - will double by 2030. However, in North America, Europe, China, and South and East Asia, which are the areas of highest-expected demand, the projected consumption of gas is expected to far outstrip indigenous supplies. Delivering gas from the world's major reserves to the future demand centres will require a major expansion of inter-regional, cross-border gas transport infrastructures. This book investigates the implications of this shift, utilizing historical case studies as well as advanced economic modelling to examine the interplay between economic and political factors in the development of natural gas resources. The contributors aim to shed light on the political challenges which may accompany a shift to a gas-fed world.

"An academic career was in front of me, but I sampled the oil and gas industry and stayed. Thirty years later I became CEO of an international company based in Greece." Michael Earle's story is full of exploration and adventure from beginning to end. He witnessed the aftermath of the fall of communism in Eastern Europe and felt the threat of nuclear war between Pakistan and India; in the Sahara Desert he crossed a minefield in the war zone between Libya and Chad, and he was attacked by gigantic hornets in the spectacular mountains of Papua New Guinea - all in the line of duty. Extensive international travel came with the territory, and the narrative contains interesting portraits of many countries, and insights into the pros and cons of expatriate life. Finally, I am CEO recounts the hard lessons learned at each stage of a tortuous path through corporate life, and how passion for work and the need to support a family strained marriages and determined career choices.

This study aims to raise policy makers' awareness of the business case for investing in gas flaring and methane reduction projects. It focuses on mid-sized flares that are too small to be prioritized by oil companies but represent 58 percent of global flare volumes.

The Global Oil & Gas Industry: Stories from the Field relates specific examples of challenges in decision making, changing business practices, and the difficulties in executing complex projects across the global industry. From contentious border disputes over mineral rights to the emergence of industry disrupters shaking the status quo, each story presents contemporary issues to distill lessons that are transferrable to management challenges both inside and outside of the global oil and gas industry. Bestselling PennWell authors Andrew Inkpen and Michael Moffett join with industry expert Kannan Ramaswamy to provide a narrative of 18 stories, each highlighting a different aspect of the industry. This collection provides an enriching, thought-provoking look into a business that many believe to be globally mature, but as these stories intimate, are increasingly local, emerging, and evolving with the global economy. Features and Benefits: Examples of the complex business situations in oil and gas and how excellent (and sometimes less-than-excellent) leaders navigate these difficult circumstances. Insights into the decision making of oil and gas companies from around the world Different themes that span the entire industry value chain: upstream, midstream, and downstream Timeless truths for the hydrocarbon sector and for many other businesses

In Under the Surface, Tom Wilber weaves a narrative tracing the consequences of shale gas development in northeast Pennsylvania and central New York through the perspective of various stakeholders. Wilber's evenhanded treatment explains how the revolutionary process of fracking has changed both access to our domestic energy reserves and the lives of people living over them. He gives a voice to all constituencies, including farmers and landowners tempted by the prospects of wealth but wary of the consequences; policymakers struggling with divisive issues concerning free enterprise, ecology, and public health; and activists coordinating campaigns based on their respective visions of economic salvation and environmental ruin. For the paperback edition, Wilber has written a new chapter and epilogue covering developments since the book's initial publication in 2012. Chief among these are the home rule movement and accompanying social and legal events leading up to an unprecedented ban of fracking in New York state, and the outcome of the federal EPA's investigation of water pollution just across the state border in Dimock, Pennsylvania. The industry, with powerful political allies, effectively challenged the federal government's attempts to intervene in drilling communities in Pennsylvania, Wyoming, and Texas with water problems. But it met its match in a grassroots movement-known as "fractivism"-that sprouted from seeds sown in upstate New York community halls and grew into one of the state's most influential environmental movements since Love Canal. Throughout the book, Wilber illustrates otherwise dense policy and legal issues in human terms and shows how ordinary people can affect extraordinary events.

The future of oil and natural gas production in Mexico is of importance for both Mexico's economic growth, as well as for U.S. energy security, a key congressional interest. Mexico is a top trade partner and the 3rd largest crude oil supplier to the United States. Mexico's state oil company, Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) remains an important source of government revenue even as it is struggling to counter declining oil production and reserves. Due to an inability to meet rising demand, Mexico has also significantly increased natural gas imports from the United States. Still, gas shortages have hindered the country's economic performance. This book provides an overview of Pemex and the content and prospects for Mexico's energy reforms, before discussing specific issues facing Mexico's oil and gas industry. It then examines the U.S.-Mexico energy relationship through the lenses of trade and energy cooperation. It concludes by suggesting several oversight issues for Congress related to what the enactment of energy reform might portend for Mexico's economic development, the U.S. energy matrix, and bilateral or North American energy cooperation.

Many factors set oil and gas apart from other industries and make unique demands on its human resource management, including its global nature, the importance of safety, the involvement of governments, proactive stakeholders, a multifaceted workforce, and project focus. Managing Human Resources in the Oil & Gas Industry provides an in-depth look at human resource management for all aspects of the oil and gas sector. The authors provide a full picture of human resource management and its role in staffing, training, performance management, compensation, and labor. This book is relevant to all human resource management department employees and all managers in the oil and gas industry and is suitable for workshops, seminars, and courses in human resource management in the oil and gas industry. 

Almost four decades ago, in response to the Arab oil embargo and recession it triggered, Congress passed legislation restricting crude oil exports and establishing the SPR to release oil to the market during supply disruptions and protect the U.S. economy from damage. After decades of generally falling U.S. crude oil production, technological advances have contributed to increasing U.S. production. This book examines what is known about price implications of removing crude oil export restrictions; other key potential implications; and implications of recent changes in market conditions on the SPR. This book also discusses and describes the status of applications to export liquefied natural gas-natural gas cooled to a liquid state for transport- and the Department of Energy's process to review them; and the status of applications to build LNG export facilities and FERC's process to review them.

What happens when a vast multinational mining company operates a gas plant situated close to four densely populated villages in rural Bangladesh? How does its presence contribute to local processes of "development?" And what do corporate claims of "community engagement" involve? Drawing from author Katy Gardner's longstanding relationship with the area, "The Gas Field" reveals the complex and contradictory ways that local people attempt to connect to, and are disconnected by, foreign capital. Everyone has a story to tell: whether of dispossession and scarcity, the success of Corporate Social Responsibility, or imperialist exploitation and corruption. Yet as Gardner argues, what really matters in the struggles over resources is which of these stories are heard, and the power of those who tell them. Based around the discordant narratives of dispossessed land owners, urban activists, mining officials, and the rural landless, "The Gas Field" touches on some of the most urgent economic and political questions of our time, including resource ownership and scarcity, and the impact of foreign investment and industrialization on global development.

This study was to analyze the future role of natural gas in the energy mix of countries of South East Europe. The study further identifies regional, cross-border and country-specific gas infrastructure projects that are economically, financially and technically sound. The study also analyses, and makes proposals for, the institutional and policy issues relating to funding and implementing gas infrastructure projects. The study examines sources of gas supply from Russia, the Caspian region and other current and prospective producer countries through Turkey and other transit routes (including LNG) and assesses costs of supply and gasification prospects in nine gas markets in the South East Europe region: Albania Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Kosovo Macedonia Montenegro Romania Serbia These markets are all signatories of the Athens Memoranda of 2002 and 2003, which commit the participants to regional cooperation in electricity and gas."

Chapter 1 examines how BLM's actual costs and potential oil and gas well liabilities have changed for fiscal years 2010 through 2017 and the extent to which BLM has implemented its well and bond review policies. Chapter 2 reviews oil and gas lease suspensions on federal lands managed by BLM and examines the extent of and reasons for such suspensions and the approach BLM uses to monitor the status of lease suspensions. Chapter 3 describes the distribution of BLM's oil and gas Inspection and Enforcement program's workload and workforce among agency field offices for the most recent 5 years for fiscal years 2012 through 2016 and examines the extent to which BLM conducted internal control reviews in accordance with its July 2012 oversight policy for fiscal years 2013 through 2018. U.S. oil and natural gas production has increased substantially since 2008. These increases have important policy implications for energy markets, infrastructure, security, and the environment as reported in chapter 4. Chapter 5 discusses the recent oil market trends and geopolitical factors that have contributed to price escalation since the start of 2018. Chapter 6 reviews the federal government's response, restoration, and research efforts after the Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon oil spills. This chapter examines how the trustee councils have used the restoration trust funds and the status of restoration and the interagency committee's coordination of oil spill research efforts.

The downturn in the oil commodity price starting in 2014 had a chilling effect on oil and gas M&A. However, recent price stabilisation has improved the outlook for M&A activity, making a second edition of this book most timely. A feature of the M&A industry has always been its variety of participants, ranging from integrated energy conglomerates to entrepreneurial frontier explorers. New entrants include state-owned oil companies, financial investors, diversifying service contractors and oil traders. With the growth of specialist stock markets, junior and independent oil companies are better able to raise acquisition finance than ever before, and companies specialising in end-of-life reservoirs are filling the spaces left as oil majors go in search of new opportunities. Transaction types are also diverse and are completed using a variety of different deal structures. As well as providing chapters on each type of acquisition method, this book also includes an analysis of the underlying structuring decisions. In addition, this practical guide covers a number of ancillary areas, including valuations, financing, tax and accounting. Decommissioning liability is also considered in an M&A context. A number of new chapters are also featured, covering topics such as competition law, environmental law and dealing with material adverse changes. This comprehensive new edition will prove an essential resource to anyone involved in the upstream industry M&A process including lawyers, bankers, financiers, business executives, accountants and tax advisers.

Recent expansion in natural gas production has made the resource an increasingly significant component in the U.S. energy market. Further, a number of policies recently proposed and/or promulgated at the federal, state, and local levels may serve to accelerate this development. Examples of federal policies include U.S. Environmental Protection Agency air standards for power plants and vehicles, as well as bills introduced in the 114th Congress to promote increased natural gas production on federal lands, amend provisions in the tax code to incentivize natural gas production and use, and streamline the approval, permitting, and/or construction of natural gas infrastructure. Many of these proposals promote technology and infrastructure investments that could be significant and long lasting. For this reason, some stakeholders recommend a thorough analysis of the costs and benefits of these proposals as well as a full assessment of the economic and environmental impacts of increased natural gas development. Fuel-switching strategies from other fossil fuels to natural gas have the potential to impact many segments of the general economy, including jobs, investments, infrastructure, national security, human health, safety, and the environment. The net climate impact of replacing other fossil fuels with natural gas depends upon a number of analytic assumptions, including the choice of fuel, end-use sector, equipment, and processes modeled. This book presents a comparative analysis of the potential climate implications of switching from coal to natural gas in the domestic electric power generating sector. Furthermore, this book provides information on the natural gas industry and the types and sources of air pollutants in the sector. It examines the role of the federal government in regulating these emissions, including the provisions in the Clean Air Act and EPAs regulatory activities. It concludes with a brief discussion of the aforementioned outstanding issues.

Due to the growth in natural gas production from shale gas, the United States is benefiting from some of the lowest prices for natural gas in the world and faces the question of how to best use this resource. Different segments of the U.S. economy have different perspectives on the role natural gas can play. Suppliers, which have become the victims of their own production success, are facing low prices that are forecast to remain low. Some companies that have traditionally produced only natural gas have even turned their attention to oil in order to improve their financial situation. Smaller companies are having a difficult time continuing operations and larger companies, have bought into many shale gas assets. Prices have remained low even as consumption has increased, in part, because producers have raised production to meet the demand and because companies have improved efficiency and extraction techniques. This book examines what has changed in the natural gas industry and focuses on the demand side and ancillary benefits to the U.S. economy.

Within the next five years, the United States may become a large exporter of natural gas for the first time in decades. Increased development of U.S. natural gas resources, particularly shale gas, along with low domestic prices in recent years and idle liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure, have drive: change in the US. The United States has exported some amounts of natural gas for close to 100 years, but has generally imported more than it has exported. However, imports have been declining since 2005, while exports have been climbing. As the debates over the economy, energy independence, climate change, and energy security continue, Congress is beginning to face important questions regarding a potential increase in U.S. natural gas exports. This book examines the changes in the U.S. natural gas market and the prospects and implications of the United States becoming a significant net natural gas exporter.

Natural gas is considered a potential bridge fuel to a low carbon economy because it is cleaner burning than its hydrocarbon rivals coal and oil. Natural gas combustion emits about two-thirds less carbon dioxide than coal and one-quarter less than oil when consumed in a typical electric power plant. Additionally, improved methods to extract natural gas from certain shale formations has significantly increased the resource profile of the United States, which has spurred other countries to try to develop shale gas. If the United States and other countries can bring large new volumes of natural gas to market, then natural gas could play a larger role in the world's economy. This book examines key aspects of global natural gas markets, including supply and demand, as well as major U.S. developments.

This is a major work providing a country-by-country analysis of African oil and gas. The book details the oil and gas frameworks and the key concerns in the most significant jurisdictions including traditional producing countries such as Libya, Algeria, Angola and Egypt, and more recent areas with significant potential such as Sudan. Topics addressed include the key terms of the petroleum laws, the types of legal arrangement in place (eg, concession agreement, production sharing contract or service agreement), the fiscal terms, the acquisition of acreage, governing law, dispute resolution mechanisms and governmental control. Covering 26 countries in total, this book features contributions from a variety of leading experts in the industry, including from ministries of petroleum, national oil companies, international oil companies, law firms and consultancies. This unique new work provides a wider understanding of oil and gas law, contracts and regulations within the African continent.

The federal government has been extensively involved in the production, storage, and use of helium since the early part of the twentieth century. The federal helium program is currently managed by the Department of the Interior's BLM. During the 1960s and early 1970s, Interior purchased about 34 billion cubic feet of crude helium for conservation purposes and to meet federal helium needs, such as for the space program and scientific research. Crude helium is a gas of 50 to 85 percent helium. While some of this helium was used to meet federal needs, most of it was retained in storage. The funds used to purchase this helium became a debt owed by the program. This book examines urgent issues facing BLM's storage and sale of helium reserves and perspectives of users.

Hydraulic fracturing is a technique used to free oil and natural gas trapped underground in low-permeability rock formations by injecting a fluid under high pressure in order to crack the formations. The composition of a fracturing fluid varies with the nature of the formation, but typically contains mostly water; a proppant to keep the fractures open, such as sand; and a small percentage of chemical additives. Some of these additives may be hazardous to health and the environment. The Shale Gas Production Subcommittee of the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board (SEAB) has recommended public disclosure, on a well-by-well basis, of all the chemical ingredients added to fracturing fluids, with some protection for trade secrets. This book provides an overview of current and proposed laws and regulations at the state and federal levels that require the disclosure of the chemicals added to the fluid used in hydraulic fracturing.

The global market for oil and gas resources is rapidly changing. Three major trends --the rise of new consumers, the increasing influence of state players, and concerns about climate change --are combining to challenge existing regulatory structures, many of which have been in place for a half-century. "Global Energy Governance" analyzes the energy market from an institutionalist perspective and offers practical policy recommendations to deal with these new challenges.

Much of the existing discourse on energy governance deals with hard security issues but neglects the challenges to global governance. "Global Energy Governance" fills this gap with perspectives on how regulatory institutions can ensure reliable sources of energy, evaluate financial risk, and provide emergency response mechanisms to deal with interruptions in supply.

The authors bring together decisionmakers from industry, government, and civil society in order to address two central questions:

-What are the current practices of existing institutions governing global oil and gas on financial markets?

-How do these institutions need to adapt in order to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century?

The resulting governance-oriented analysis of the three interlocking trends also provides the basis for policy recommendations to improve global regulation.

Contributors include Thorsten Benner, Global Public Policy Institute, Berlin; William Blyth, Chatham House, Royal Institute for International Affairs, London; Albert Bressand, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University; Dick de Jong, Clingendael International Energy Programme; Ralf Dickel, Energy Charter Secretariat; Andreas Goldthau, Central European University, Budapest, and Global Public Policy Institute, Berlin; Enno Harks, Global Public Policy Institute, Berlin; Wade Hoxtell, Global Public Policy Institute, Berlin; Hillard Huntington, Energy Modeling Forum, Stanford University; Christine Jojarth, Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law, Stanford University; Frederic Kalinke, Department of Politics and International Relations, Oxford University; Wilfrid L. Kohl, School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University; Jamie Manzer, Global Public Policy Institute, Berlin; Amy Myers Jaffe, James A. Baker Institute for Public Policy, Rice University; Yulia Selivanova, Energy Charter Secretariat; Tom Smeenk, Clingendael International Energy Programme; Ricardo Soares de Oliveira, Department of Politics and International Relations, Oxford University; Ronald Soligo, Rice University; Joseph A. Stanislaw, Deloitte LLP and The JAStanislaw Group, LLC; Coby van der Linde, Clingendael International Energy Programme; Jan Martin Witte, Global Public Policy Institute, Berlin; Simonetta Zarrilli, Division on International Trade and Commodities, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

This book is authored by John S. Stahley. Despite the fact that the use of dry gas seals in process gas centrifugal compressors has increased dramatically over the last 20 years, the technology remains misunderstood by many in the industry. Dry gas seals operate with clearances measured in microns, much less than the thickness of a human hair! While dry gas seals can be very problematic if not properly applied at the time of plant, process, and/or compressor design, the many successful installations are a testament to how trouble-free these devices can be when properly applied. Let author John Stahley help you take the mystery out of dry gas seals in this comprehensive new book. Dry gas seals are in used in compressor stations, processing plants, refineries, chemical plants, and more. This book is perfectly suited for: engineers, operators, maintenance personnel, purchasing personnel, and technical management. The information found in ""Dry Gas Seals Handbook"" will help you make informed decisions regarding the application, operation, and maintenance of dry gas seals. This book presents a complete guide to the technology, from the principle of gas seal operation to 'lessons learned' from actual field experience. This book contains: more than 50 figures to illustrate explanations; seven case studies break down common problems associated with dry gas seals, corrective actions, and lessons learned; appendices that provide typical examples of dry gas seal test reports and dry gas seal and barrier seal selection guidelines; and, a glossary of common terms related to dry gas seal technology.

Founded in 1855, the Parisian Gas Company (PGC) quickly developed into one of France's greatest industrial enterprises, an exemplar of the new industrial capitalism that was beginning to transform the French economy. The PGC supplied at least half the coal gas consumed in France through the 1870s and became the city's single largest employer of clerical and factory labor. Representing a new form and scale of capitalistic endeavor, the firm's history illuminates the social tensions that accompanied the nation's industrialization and democratization. To study the company over its fifty-year life is to see industrializing France writ small. Using previously untapped company archives, Lenard R. Berlanstein has written a rich and detailed study that skillfully bridges the divide between business, social, and labor history.

An Insightful Guide to Avoiding Offshore Oil- and Gas-Industry Disaster Designing, constructing, operating, and maintaining offshore oil and gas industry equipment and systems can sometimes result in accidents, injuries, and other serious problems. Safety and Reliability in the Oil and Gas Industry: A Practical Approach focuses on oil and gas industry equipment reliability, offers useful and up-to-date information on the subject, and covers in a single volume the most common safety and reliability engineering issues in the oil and gas industry. The book introduces the latest developments in the area, and provides relevant methods and approaches. It also presents important aspects of various case studies on major accidents in the oil and gas industry, and considers human factors that contribute to accidents and fatalities in the area of oil and gas. Additionally, this book describes: Mathematical concepts Oil and gas industry equipment reliability characteristics Accident data and analysis Mathematical models used for performing safety and reliability-related analyses in the industry Safety and Reliability in the Oil and Gas Industry: A Practical Approach covers important aspects of safety in the offshore oil and gas industry. A reference designed with engineering professionals in mind, this book can also be used in oil- and gas-industry-related courses, and serves as a guide for anyone concerned with safety and reliability in the area of oil and gas.