The same platforms that produce oil also turn seawater into freshwater by filtering it through fine membranes in a complex process called reverse osmosis.  More »

The Offshore Technology Conference’s international character came into focus Tuesday as Petrobras predicted big growth from reservoirs in Brazil, China outlined its long-term plans for harnessing shale gas and France’s Total touted the success of a massive 49-well project off Angola.  More »

Joe Shine of oil field services firm Baker Hughes discussed at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston methods drillers can use to account for lost circulation in wells.  More »

At an OTC luncheon, a vice president of Total detailed some of the complex technology in the French oil company’s offshore Pazflor project in Angola.  More »

Chief executives of some of the world’s largest national oil companies said they are bullish on fossil fuels, even if their companies are also investing in biofuels and other forms of renewable energy.  More »

For years, offshore drilling foes have filed lawsuits challenging oil and gas development in areas around Alaska, but now that litigation is moving to new territories, potentially threatening activity in the Gulf of Mexico, a former regulator told the Offshore Technology Conference on Tuesday.  More »

Video of a deep sea drone gliding along the ocean floor like a robot out of a science fiction movie drew interest from major oil companies at the Offshore Technology Conference on Tuesday.  More »

Each day of drilling a deepwater well can cost an oil and gas operator $1 million or more, and costs are adding up for the offshore industry. So, maximizing the returns from the reservoirs that feed those undersea wells has become more important.  More »

Jeff Miller, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Halliburton, notes that deep water is the one remaining place where major untapped oil fields remain and the payoff can be extraordinary  More »

Bulky, heavy and designed for redundancy rather than beauty, blowout preventers are the last line of defense for a runaway well. National Oilwell Varco has staked a piece of the company’s future on expanding production of blowout preventers and exporting them around the world.  More »

With new regulations — and more on the way — and heightened public scrutiny, companies are more risk-averse than ever. That’s good news for a company that focuses on helping companies improve safety practices and retrain people to think differently.  More »

As more wells are drilled around the world in search of new sources of oil and gas, technology and collaboration between contractors will be key to plugging and abandoning those wells in a cost-effective and safe manner, a Schlumberger official said Monday.  More »