My favorite adage about work/life balance is not the oft-quoted saying, "No one on their dea... more My favorite adage about work/life balance is not the oft-quoted saying, "No one on their deathbed ever wished they'd spent more time at the office." Instead, I prefer the advice to "write your own obituary." Although the first is a good warning, it doesn't provide much guidance. In contrast, the second supplies a technique to help you plan your life even at an advanced age. Alfred Nobel made a fortune by inventing and manufacturing dynamite. In 1888, when his brother Ludvig died, a newspaper misattributed the work of Alfred to his brother and printed the headline, "The Merchant of Death is Dead!" Disgusted by the obituary of himself, Alfred Nobel decided to use his wealth to alter his legacy. When he died 8 years later, he provided funds for awards for people whose work was of benefit to humanity and in doing so successfully turned around society's assessment of him. Today, almost no one associates Nobel Prizes with death from the use of dyn...
We often lump oil and natural gas together, but in many ways they are very different products, wh... more We often lump oil and natural gas together, but in many ways they are very different products, which are used in different applications. While those of us in the petroleum industry view natural gas as an excellent, environmentally friendly energy alternative, our potential customers do not necessarily share that perspective. In some markets, natural gas has a bad image. From our perspective, natural gas is the most environmentally friendly fossil fuel and as such an excellent source of energy for electric power generation. Combustion of natural gas emits almost 30% less carbon dioxide than oil and about 45% less carbon dioxide than coal; virtually no sulfur dioxide; and up to 80% fewer nitrogen oxides than coal. Emissions of particulates from natural gas combustion are negligible. With all these advantages, we believe that customers should have a strong preference for natural gas. Nevertheless, electric utilities often see natural gas as an interim fix, with the long-term solution b...
Since moving to northern California from Texas in early 2000, I have gotten a lot of practice def... more Since moving to northern California from Texas in early 2000, I have gotten a lot of practice defending our industry. After 21 years working in upstream research and business development for Mobil, my first assignment after joining Chevron in 2000 was managing global climate change policy. I’m currently directing research in advanced energy alternatives. These assignments have given me ample opportunities to interact with people whose passion is protecting the environment. The more I engaged people in discussions on the environmental merits of the petroleum industry, the prouder I became of my chosen profession. Prior to shifting from conventional E&P assignments, I knew the standard defenses, which include describing the great care that we as an industry take to protect the environment, from the first stages of seismic exploration through development, production, and transportation. I could also describe the benefits of using natural gas instead of coal to generate electricity. How...
Summary X-ray computerized tomography (CT) scans obtained during measurement of the electrical re... more Summary X-ray computerized tomography (CT) scans obtained during measurement of the electrical resistivity of core samples revealed some problems in obtaining uniform saturation along the lengths of the samples. The electrical resistivity of core samples is measured as a function of water saturation to determine the saturation exponent used in electric-log interpretation. An assumption in such tests is that the water saturation is uniformly distributed. Failure of this assumption can result in errors in the determination of the saturation exponent. Three problems were identified in obtaining homogeneous water saturation in two samples of a Middle Eastern carbonate grainstone: a stationary front formed in one sample at 1-psi oil/brine capillary pressure, a moving front formed at oil/brine capillary pressure ≤4 psi in samples tested in fresh mixed-wettability and cleaned water-wet states, and the heterogeneous fluid distribution caused by a rapidly moving front did not dissipate when ...
I was chatting about oil prices with a vice president of a giant agricultural-commodity company. ... more I was chatting about oil prices with a vice president of a giant agricultural-commodity company. He said that in his industry, the cure for high prices was high prices. While it is difficult to get the timing correct, in the long run the same holds true for oil. When oil prices rise, people leap to the conclusion that the world is running out of oil. In the late 1970' s and early 1980' s, soaring oil prices raised the specter of the end of the oil era. Then, in response to the high prices, demand dropped. Between 1978 and 1983, worldwide demand dropped by about 16%, and consumption in the U.S. declined by almost 20%. On the supply side, high prices stimulated a wide range of efforts to create new energy supplies, including efforts in renewable energy, oil shale, surfactant flooding, and oil production in hostile environments. New supplies of oil entered the market. The combination of reduced demand and new supplies led to a price collapse in early 1986. Fears of oil shortages receded into the background for many years. Now, in the midst of another period of high prices, people are again worrying that the world is running out of oil. I don't think so. The world has vast supplies of hydrocarbons that are waiting for new technology or higher oil prices to make them commercial. Examples include ultra-heavy oil, heavy oil in deep water, and oil shale. Rising oil prices push the rates of return of many previously unattractive projects above company investment thresholds. However, companies are reluctant to invest in large capital projects with long payout times until they are convinced that the higher prices will be sustained. Even after development projects are approved, the time to bring the new supplies to market is measured in years. When a flood of new energy supplies hits the market, prices will drop if demand does not grow faster than the increase in supply. Once capital has been invested and become a sunk cost, projects will continue production as long as operating expenses are covered. When prices are declining, everyone strives to reduce operating costs. A project will continue to operate at far lower oil prices than anticipated when the capital investment was made. Although many alternatives to oil were investigated in the oil boom of the late 1970' s and early 1980' s, oil has remained the overwhelmingly dominant transportation fuel. But, oil is not without competition. Every time oil prices surge, energy alternatives have a boost in their efforts to enter the market. During an oil boom, investment increases not only in hydrocarbon projects but also in energy efficiency technologies and alternative energy supplies. At some point, on the basis of a combination of price, convenience, and environmental concerns, the general public will embrace a substitute for oil. As former Saudi Arabia Oil Minister Sheikh Yamani noted in an interview in The Telegraph several years ago, just as the Stone Age did not end because of a shortage of stones, the oil era will not end because we ran out of oil. It will end when a better alternative emerges. Those who believe that depletion of oil will drive a sustained increase of inflationadjusted oil price should consider the results of a famous wager. The bet was made back in the last oil boom in 1980, when Malthusians were predicting that the earth 2006 SPE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SPE is about you, the individual member. Over the last year, I have written a lot about how diffe... more SPE is about you, the individual member. Over the last year, I have written a lot about how different aspects of industry image impact our industry's ability to operate. Now, let's make this personal and look at how industry image affects us as individuals and what each of us can do. My daughter is now 25 years old. Recently, she reminisced about how, when she was 9 years old and in the fourth grade, I had visited her class to talk about my work. I was pleased that the visit had created such a strong positive memory. For my visit, I borrowed an SPE Magic Suitcase, which holds simple equipment to demonstrate the fundamentals of porosity, permeability in sand, oil sources and traps, and gas- and waterdrives (www.spe.org/web/suitcase/default.html). One demonstration that I thought these 9- and 10-year-olds would understand illustrated the concept of porosity. You can put it together yourself, using an empty container, granular material such as sand, beads, or marbles, and a con...
A general explanation of the instrumentation and theory of CAT (computer axial tomography) scanni... more A general explanation of the instrumentation and theory of CAT (computer axial tomography) scanning is provided. Specific examples of CAT scanning applications to several reservoir core material systems are presented. It is concluded that CAT scanning technology is invaluable in providing information about the internal structure and saturation distributions within core materials. CAT scanning is versatile and can be utilized
My favorite adage about work/life balance is not the oft-quoted saying, "No one on their dea... more My favorite adage about work/life balance is not the oft-quoted saying, "No one on their deathbed ever wished they'd spent more time at the office." Instead, I prefer the advice to "write your own obituary." Although the first is a good warning, it doesn't provide much guidance. In contrast, the second supplies a technique to help you plan your life even at an advanced age. Alfred Nobel made a fortune by inventing and manufacturing dynamite. In 1888, when his brother Ludvig died, a newspaper misattributed the work of Alfred to his brother and printed the headline, "The Merchant of Death is Dead!" Disgusted by the obituary of himself, Alfred Nobel decided to use his wealth to alter his legacy. When he died 8 years later, he provided funds for awards for people whose work was of benefit to humanity and in doing so successfully turned around society's assessment of him. Today, almost no one associates Nobel Prizes with death from the use of dyn...
We often lump oil and natural gas together, but in many ways they are very different products, wh... more We often lump oil and natural gas together, but in many ways they are very different products, which are used in different applications. While those of us in the petroleum industry view natural gas as an excellent, environmentally friendly energy alternative, our potential customers do not necessarily share that perspective. In some markets, natural gas has a bad image. From our perspective, natural gas is the most environmentally friendly fossil fuel and as such an excellent source of energy for electric power generation. Combustion of natural gas emits almost 30% less carbon dioxide than oil and about 45% less carbon dioxide than coal; virtually no sulfur dioxide; and up to 80% fewer nitrogen oxides than coal. Emissions of particulates from natural gas combustion are negligible. With all these advantages, we believe that customers should have a strong preference for natural gas. Nevertheless, electric utilities often see natural gas as an interim fix, with the long-term solution b...
Since moving to northern California from Texas in early 2000, I have gotten a lot of practice def... more Since moving to northern California from Texas in early 2000, I have gotten a lot of practice defending our industry. After 21 years working in upstream research and business development for Mobil, my first assignment after joining Chevron in 2000 was managing global climate change policy. I’m currently directing research in advanced energy alternatives. These assignments have given me ample opportunities to interact with people whose passion is protecting the environment. The more I engaged people in discussions on the environmental merits of the petroleum industry, the prouder I became of my chosen profession. Prior to shifting from conventional E&P assignments, I knew the standard defenses, which include describing the great care that we as an industry take to protect the environment, from the first stages of seismic exploration through development, production, and transportation. I could also describe the benefits of using natural gas instead of coal to generate electricity. How...
Summary X-ray computerized tomography (CT) scans obtained during measurement of the electrical re... more Summary X-ray computerized tomography (CT) scans obtained during measurement of the electrical resistivity of core samples revealed some problems in obtaining uniform saturation along the lengths of the samples. The electrical resistivity of core samples is measured as a function of water saturation to determine the saturation exponent used in electric-log interpretation. An assumption in such tests is that the water saturation is uniformly distributed. Failure of this assumption can result in errors in the determination of the saturation exponent. Three problems were identified in obtaining homogeneous water saturation in two samples of a Middle Eastern carbonate grainstone: a stationary front formed in one sample at 1-psi oil/brine capillary pressure, a moving front formed at oil/brine capillary pressure ≤4 psi in samples tested in fresh mixed-wettability and cleaned water-wet states, and the heterogeneous fluid distribution caused by a rapidly moving front did not dissipate when ...
I was chatting about oil prices with a vice president of a giant agricultural-commodity company. ... more I was chatting about oil prices with a vice president of a giant agricultural-commodity company. He said that in his industry, the cure for high prices was high prices. While it is difficult to get the timing correct, in the long run the same holds true for oil. When oil prices rise, people leap to the conclusion that the world is running out of oil. In the late 1970' s and early 1980' s, soaring oil prices raised the specter of the end of the oil era. Then, in response to the high prices, demand dropped. Between 1978 and 1983, worldwide demand dropped by about 16%, and consumption in the U.S. declined by almost 20%. On the supply side, high prices stimulated a wide range of efforts to create new energy supplies, including efforts in renewable energy, oil shale, surfactant flooding, and oil production in hostile environments. New supplies of oil entered the market. The combination of reduced demand and new supplies led to a price collapse in early 1986. Fears of oil shortages receded into the background for many years. Now, in the midst of another period of high prices, people are again worrying that the world is running out of oil. I don't think so. The world has vast supplies of hydrocarbons that are waiting for new technology or higher oil prices to make them commercial. Examples include ultra-heavy oil, heavy oil in deep water, and oil shale. Rising oil prices push the rates of return of many previously unattractive projects above company investment thresholds. However, companies are reluctant to invest in large capital projects with long payout times until they are convinced that the higher prices will be sustained. Even after development projects are approved, the time to bring the new supplies to market is measured in years. When a flood of new energy supplies hits the market, prices will drop if demand does not grow faster than the increase in supply. Once capital has been invested and become a sunk cost, projects will continue production as long as operating expenses are covered. When prices are declining, everyone strives to reduce operating costs. A project will continue to operate at far lower oil prices than anticipated when the capital investment was made. Although many alternatives to oil were investigated in the oil boom of the late 1970' s and early 1980' s, oil has remained the overwhelmingly dominant transportation fuel. But, oil is not without competition. Every time oil prices surge, energy alternatives have a boost in their efforts to enter the market. During an oil boom, investment increases not only in hydrocarbon projects but also in energy efficiency technologies and alternative energy supplies. At some point, on the basis of a combination of price, convenience, and environmental concerns, the general public will embrace a substitute for oil. As former Saudi Arabia Oil Minister Sheikh Yamani noted in an interview in The Telegraph several years ago, just as the Stone Age did not end because of a shortage of stones, the oil era will not end because we ran out of oil. It will end when a better alternative emerges. Those who believe that depletion of oil will drive a sustained increase of inflationadjusted oil price should consider the results of a famous wager. The bet was made back in the last oil boom in 1980, when Malthusians were predicting that the earth 2006 SPE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SPE is about you, the individual member. Over the last year, I have written a lot about how diffe... more SPE is about you, the individual member. Over the last year, I have written a lot about how different aspects of industry image impact our industry's ability to operate. Now, let's make this personal and look at how industry image affects us as individuals and what each of us can do. My daughter is now 25 years old. Recently, she reminisced about how, when she was 9 years old and in the fourth grade, I had visited her class to talk about my work. I was pleased that the visit had created such a strong positive memory. For my visit, I borrowed an SPE Magic Suitcase, which holds simple equipment to demonstrate the fundamentals of porosity, permeability in sand, oil sources and traps, and gas- and waterdrives (www.spe.org/web/suitcase/default.html). One demonstration that I thought these 9- and 10-year-olds would understand illustrated the concept of porosity. You can put it together yourself, using an empty container, granular material such as sand, beads, or marbles, and a con...
A general explanation of the instrumentation and theory of CAT (computer axial tomography) scanni... more A general explanation of the instrumentation and theory of CAT (computer axial tomography) scanning is provided. Specific examples of CAT scanning applications to several reservoir core material systems are presented. It is concluded that CAT scanning technology is invaluable in providing information about the internal structure and saturation distributions within core materials. CAT scanning is versatile and can be utilized
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