rigs

Offshore platforms facilitate Gulf of Mexico (GOM) production, but when their useful life is over they are typically decommissioned and dismantled to be sold as scrap or converted into an artificial reef. Not always, though. In certain cases, inactive rigs can be refurbished and used in new projects — a potentially inviting possibility, especially with GOM production expected to rise and drillers under pressure to keep costs down. In today’s RBN blog, we will examine the challenges (and potential benefits) of reusing an inactive platform and look at plans by LLOG Exploration to refurbish an existing facility for its upcoming Salamanca development, the first such project in a decade. 

Oil and gas production in the Shale Era is a refined, controlled process — and a far cry from the early days of wildcatting a century ago. Modern drilling typically involves multiple wells on a single well pad, with each well going through a four-stage process to produce hydrocarbons that are then separated into distinct components. In today’s RBN blog, we look at how drilling-and-completion techniques have evolved over the years, from old-school vertical wells to the highly complex strategies targeting shale areas today, and how they set the stage for hydrocarbon production and recovery.