Oil and gas are important to every aspect of our economy, yet the oil and gas industry is distinguished by its combination of increasing demands and decreasing discovery volumes--and it is an industry shrouded in an environment of extremely volatile pricing. Although the profits enjoyed by the oil and gas industry are enormous, the industry remains one of the most capital-intensive in a world where rising expenses continue to threaten to squeeze profit margins. Geopolitics may continue to be the most important variable in maintaining existing assets and in successfully achieving new discoveries and carrying out their subsequent development. But finding new oil and gas reserves is becoming more challenging and the places where hydrocarbons are being found are more remote. Thus technology advances are also a key variable to enable exploration, drilling and development to become economically feasible in some of these more difficult operating environments. For the last century oil and gas additions have exceeded demand but has this industry now reached a "peak oil" situation? Some experts argue we are on the cusp of maximum oil production while others suggest we are still about a decade away. Natural gas demand however, is rising at a slightly faster rate than oil. Natural gas may be the immediate replacement fuel for oil as a source of clean and efficient electric power generation. Three out of the top ten Fortune 500 companies were oil/gas companies in 2011. This short introduction to the oil and gas industry will focus on history, operations, major companies, outside market forces, regulation and the current challenges the industry faces. Such factors as finite natural resources, the environment, economics, geopolitics, and technology will all come into play in the narrative. The book will demonstrate how the leaders of this industry, former champions of progress, are now coming under scrutiny and being depicted as the biggest culprits of environmental degradation. Yet the industry is likely to continue to grow until some form of alternate fuels is developed. The oil and gas industry will continue to have an enormous impact on life on the planet.

We know that the people of Mesopotamia were using crude oil as a tar for building ships and houses as early as 3000 BC, so it is not by any means a new industry-but it is a volatile one. Oil and gas are important to every aspect of our economy yet this industry is distinguished by its combination of increasing demands and decreasing discovery volumes-and it is an industry shrouded in an environment of extremely volatile pricing. This book is a vital introduction to the oil and gas industry that focuses on history, operations, major companies, outside market forces, regulation, and the current challenges the industry faces. Such factors as finite natural resources, the environment, economics, geopolitics, and technology are also analyzed in detail. The focus on oil and gas is likely to continue to grow until efficient, environmentally safe alternate fuels become available. And because it's woven with complex relationships that are ever changing, this book is the best tool to have for a better understanding of this industry.

The history of the European oil and gas industry reflects local as well as global political events, economic constraints and the personal endeavours of individual petroleum geoscientists as much as it does the development of technologies and the underlying geology of the region. The first commercial oil wells in Europe were drilled in Poland in 1853, Romania in 1857, Germany in 1859 and Italy in 1860. The 23 papers in this volume focus on the history and heritage of the oil and gas industry in the key European oil-producing countries from the earliest onshore drilling to its development into the modern industry that we know today. The contributors chronicle the main events and some of the major players that shaped the industry in Europe. The volume also marks several important anniversaries, including 150 years of oil exploration in Poland and Romania, the centenary of the drilling of the first oil well in the UK and 50 years of oil production from onshore Spain.

Trends in Oil and Gas Corrosion Research and Technologies: Production and Transmission delivers the most up-to-date and highly multidisciplinary reference available to identify emerging developments, fundamental mechanisms and the technologies necessary in one unified source. Starting with a brief explanation on corrosion management that also addresses today's most challenging issues for oil and gas production and transmission operations, the book dives into the latest advances in microbiology-influenced corrosion and other corrosion threats, such as stress corrosion cracking and hydrogen damage just to name a few. In addition, it covers testing and monitoring techniques, such as molecular microbiology and online monitoring for surface and subsurface facilities, mitigation tools, including coatings, nano-packaged biocides, modeling and prediction, cathodic protection and new steels and non-metallics. Rounding out with an extensive glossary and list of abbreviations, the book equips upstream and midstream corrosion professionals in the oil and gas industry with the most advanced collection of topics and solutions to responsibly help solve today's oil and gas corrosion challenges. - Covers the latest in corrosion mitigation techniques, such as corrosion inhibitors, biocides, non-metallics, coatings, and modeling and prediction - Solves knowledge gaps with the most current technology and discoveries on specific corrosion mechanisms, highlighting where future research and industry efforts should be concentrated - Achieves practical and balanced understanding with a full spectrum of subjects presented from multiple academic and world-renowned contributors in the industry

Natural gas and crude oil production from hydrocarbon rich deep shale formations is one of the most quickly expanding trends in domestic oil and gas exploration. Vast new natural gas and oil resources are being discovered every year across North America and one of those new resources comes from the development of deep shale formations, typically located many thousands of feet below the surface of the Earth in tight, low permeability formations. Deep Shale Oil and Gas provides an introduction to shale gas resources as well as offer a basic understanding of the geomechanical properties of shale, the need for hydraulic fracturing, and an indication of shale gas processing. The book also examines the issues regarding the nature of shale gas development, the potential environmental impacts, and the ability of the current regulatory structure to deal with these issues. Deep Shale Oil and Gas delivers a useful reference that today's petroleum and natural gas engineer can use to make informed decisions about meeting and managing the challenges they may face in the development of these resources. - Clarifies all the basic information needed to quickly understand today's deeper shale oil and gas industry, horizontal drilling, fracture fluids chemicals needed, and completions - Addresses critical coverage on water treatment in shale, and important and evolving technology - Practical handbook with real-world case shale plays discussed, especially the up-and-coming deeper areas of shale development

This book brings together contributions from leading scientists, academics, and experts from the oil and gas industry to discuss microbial-related problems faced by the industry and how bioinformatics and an interdisciplinary scientific approach can address these challenges. Microbial Bioinformatics in the Oil and Gas Industry: Applications to Reservoirs and Processes presents the major industrial problems caused by microbes (e.g., souring, biocorrosion) as well as the beneficial activities (e.g., biofuels, bioremediation). FEATURES Offers a detailed description of how bioinformatics has advanced our understanding of numerous issues in the oil and gas industry Covers cases from geographically diverse oil fields, laboratories, and research groups Contains fundamentals and applied information of relevance to the oil and gas sector Presents contributions from a team of international experts across industry and academia With its cross-disciplinary approach, this comprehensive book provides microbial ecologists, molecular biologists, operators, engineers, chemists, and academics involved in the sector with an improved understanding of the significance of microbial bioinformatics applications in the oil and gas industry.