Journal of Petroleum Technology July 2012 : Page 21

leum industry, power generation, and coal industry would be enormous. Even wind farms and other emerging alterna-tive energy technologies could not com-pete economically with LENR. So what can be done to prepare for LENR? First, watch it closely and do not let skepticism blind you. When the Wright Brothers flew their first plane at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the sci-entific community reportedly argued for years after the fact over whether a heavier-than-air craft could actually fly. Even the most obvious evidence was not enough to make some people aban-don their preconceived notions of what was possible. Drake had to battle similar skepticism when he drilled the first oil well; many people in Pennsylvania called it “Drake’s Folly.” It is also important to evaluate the specific impact that LENR would have on an individual company. How well posi-tioned is your company to weather such a disruptive storm, or to capitalize on these potential opportunities? If LENR becomes a reality, you do not want to fly blindly into the side of a mountain. Investigate creative ways for your com-pany to participate in the LENR market. While this new technology will be dis-ruptive to a number of industries, there will also be business opportunities in the manufacturing, installation, and servic-ing of LENR systems in multiple appli-cations and sizes around the globe. Mil-lions of LENR units of varying sizes will be required because of the distributed nature of this energy technology. There is a probability that LENR may never emerge as a reliable, new energy source. If not LENR, then what? Eventually, some other technology is bound to come along with a much superi-or value proposition than hydrocarbons. It is not a matter of if, but when, this will happen. There was nothing the whal-ing industry could do to halt its pend-ing decline, and the same will be true when a new technology makes our cur-rent approaches to energy generation obsolete. It is vital for a company to have a strategy development process that rec-ognizes and characterizes uncertainty, and deals with complexity appropriately, including potential game changers such as LENR. Such an approach places com-panies in a stronger position to mitigate risk and capture opportunities as our complex, unpredictable, and surprising future unfolds. JPT Call the Shale Experts! Wood Group Mustang has the breadth of experience in pipeline engineering, field services, natural gas processing, NGL recovery, and CO 2 /Enhanced Oil Recovery technologies to be your valued partner in the shale plays. We have the expertise, value-added internal support and track record to get your projects done on time, within budget and with no surprises. We offer: Production Facilities Gathering Systems (Multiphase) ■ Life-of-Field Flow Assurance ■ Dehydration/Compression ■ Right-of-Way Services ■ Survey ■ ■ GIS Environmental Permitting ■ Transportation Systems ■ Ethane Recovery/Handling ■ LPG/NGL Recovery ■ Cryogenic/JT Plants ■ ■ If you are in the shale, it is time to talk to Wood Group Mustang. Contact Dany Jew and David Carpenter (pipeline, associated facilities design and field services) or Simon Wooler (facilities design). People Oriented...Project Driven ® Email: dany.jew@mustangeng.com, david.carpenter@mustangeng.com or simon.wooler@mustangeng.com Tel: +1 713/215-8000 www.mustangeng.com JPT • JULY 2012 21