Editor's Letter

Modernization? Empower Kids to Think Small (Business) and Big Things Will Happen

Pat Davis Szymczak

   In the oil and gas industry, safety is a life and death matter: fire, explosion, industrial machinery with moving parts that can easily take off...

Ukraine Makes Shale Gas Discovery in Eastern Regions

Ukraine's Ukrgazdobycha has discovered several potential plays of shale gas in the Dnipropetrovsk-Donetsk basin, the newspaper Delo has reported, citing the head of the company's exploration department, Mikhail Machuzhak.

Suit Filed to Require President Obama to Lift 'Jackson-Vanik' for Russia

Suit was filed today in U.S. federal court to require President Barack Obama to use his existing legal authority to permanently remove the Russian Federation from trade restrictions under the 1974 "Jackson-Vanik" law. A press conference on the suit will be held at 8:00 AM tomorrow, Tuesday, April 19, in the offices of Bailey Gary PC (1615 L Street NW Suite 650, Washington), counsel for plaintiffs, with video link to the Interfax news agency in Moscow.  Participants will include the plaintiffs and their attorneys, members of the Russian Duma, and American and Russian experts on U.S.-Russia ties.

Push to Modernize Drives Government, Industry to Rewrite Safety Regs for Processing Industry

Russia is in the midst of overhauling its regulatory laws as they relate to safety in oil and gas processing plants. A year ago, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev ordered the overhaul as part of the Kremlin’s drive to modernize Russian industry.

Surgutneftegaz Opts for VZBT Rigs Tender-led price pressure and hiking metal prices raised the cost of victory

Interview with Dmitry Sinyukov, the head of the VZBT Moscow office, member of the board

Africa Oil and Gas Tech Needs Offer New Markets for Russian Exports

   Despite the clamors and merits foreseen in the pursuit of local content which is becoming a vital arm of oil and gas contract policies in producing nations of Africa, it has become clear that oil-rich nations of Africa do for sure need immense assistance in the areas of technology to jump-start its burgeoning industry.

Lone Wolf: Russian Blogger Tries to Fight Corruption in Fuel Energy Complex

   Alexei Navalny, a lawyer and a lone crusader for the rights of minority shareholders in big Russian oil and gas companies, jokingly describes his actions as “mosquito bites”.

Russian Minister: No More Cheap Oil

   Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said recently that over the next three years, oil prices will linger below $60/bbl.

Thermo Scientific SampleManager LIMS™ for Largest Russian LNG Project Ever of the Sakhalin Energy

   Sakhalin Energy is bringing onstream one of the largest integrated oil and gas projects in the world in Russia’s Far East. The Sakhalin II Project combines partnership incorporating the recovery, production and transportation of oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Analysis of Well Filter Operations – An Intake Section FVPR5(A)-12 with Compressed WMPM Filter Elements

   Over 30 percent of Samaraneftegaz well stock has problems with solids entrainment. Subject to the type of solids one of the methods of ESP protection is applied: fluid filtering upstream of the pump. This method is used by plentiful oil producing companies, however for solids of specific grain size.