The position of the earth's magnetic field not only wanders, but actually switches from North to South for varying lengths of time. Magnetically susceptible rocks record these polarity reversals providing a new logging technique for well-to-well correlation and dating rock.
The world is increasingly protected by extensive environmental regulation. But the exploration and production industry is setting its sights beyond compliance, with many companies instigating proactive environmental management systems. We look at industry guidelines designed to minimize impact on the onshore Arctic and focus on seismic exploration in Alaska to show how these guidelines are applied.
Exploration and production is in part an information business, relying on rapid transfer of data over worldwide communications networks that blur boundaries of space, time and organization. What happens when these networks grow and link with other networks? We describe the rapidly expanding Schlumberger Information Network and investigate how its evolution may shape the way explorationists think and work.
Ever since the Piper Alpha disaster, safety has become one of the industry's hottest issues. Attention to safety leads to improved communication within organizations as well as between operators and contractors, and ultimately to more efficient operations. This article describes safety management systems, the safety-case philosophy and legislative changes that are helping promote these new safety tools.
What is quality? How do you achieve it? How do you keep it once you've got it. The answer for industry at large is the three-step hierarchy of quality control, quality assurance and Total Quality Management. We review the history of the quality movement, illustrating with examples from Schlumberger operations, review the oil industry's approach to quality, and finally introduce Schlumberger's quality-associated Client Link program.