Posts by Hannah Michie

Some of the world’s largest hydrocarbon resources remain trapped underground, not because they are undiscovered, but because they are difficult to produce. Ecuador provides a compelling example of this challenge. Today, the country produces roughly 360,000–370,000 barrels of oil per day, with most of this production originating from the Oriente Basin, one of the most…

To understand the potential for incremental production in Venezuela, one must look deep beneath the surface. The richness of these reservoirs is no accident; it is the result of three massive marine transgressions that shaped a complex and fascinating geological architecture, allowing hydrocarbons to accumulate across vast basins at multiple levels. The Geological Foundation The…

Regional Focus: For decades, the Middle East was defined by light oil production. But as many of those wells decline, operators are increasingly turning to heavy and extra-heavy oil reservoirs to maintain output. The opportunity is significant but unlocking it depends on using the right EOR approach. The Regional Challenge: Heavy oil behaves very differently…

Regional Focus: Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, yet production remains far below its potential. The issue isn’t the size or quality of the resource it’s the challenge of extracting extra-heavy oil in a region constrained by ageing infrastructure, limited investment, and high operational complexity. For operators, the problem is familiar. Traditional heavy…