#source: box repsol blog

[danilovefest]

from: Box Repsol blog

What makes Dani Pedrosa a one-of-a-kind rider?

His clean, technical style

Wherever he sets his eyes, his wheels follow. Dani has always been an extremely smooth rider, taking turns with the best riding line and great skill. This riding style protects the wheel from wear and allows him to gain precious seconds. Although the samurai can’t always take the line he’d like to on the track (because it’s occupied by another rider, for example), knowing which is the optimal line helps him identify the best alternative. If you can’t take the riding line you want, make your own.

Sportsmanship

One of Dani’s stand-out qualities for his fans, the media, and other riders is that number 26 is a true gentleman when it comes to competition. When he’s on the bike, respect for his fellow competitors and safety on the track are values that he refuses to set aside. That’s why Dani has earned the respect and esteem of everyone in the paddock.

Tenacity

Dani is a demanding rider who always tries to give his all on the track. It doesn’t matter how many times he’s been one step away from success, the Samurai isn’t satisfied with almost achieving something. His tenacity is an admirable quality, even more so after years of pursuing the title, something that he hasn’t achieved in the top category. Having tried time after time alone is a feat that’s difficult to match.

His numbers

31 victories in MotoGP; 153 podiums across all of the categories, the third most podiums in history; and 2940 points, the second highest number of total points in the top class. To that, add three world titles — one in the 125cc category and two in 250cc — as well as 16 consecutive seasons winning at least once race, 12 of which were in MotoGP. All of these numbers paint the portrait of a tremendously successful MotoGP career, and are the foundation that earns him the support of many fans.

Modesty

Even with all of his success, Dani is still the same guy he’s always been. He likes cycling, Japan, water sports, and spending time with his friends. Dani is by no means pretentious, and we can see that in the way he works, how he celebrates his successes, and how he always greets his fans with a smile.

Beloved

It’s precisely because of all of these qualities (and many more) that Dani’s fans love him. Dani has enthralled an entire generation of motorcycling fans, who have shouted in unison: “No corres solo” or “You’re not riding alone!“. The fan club of this rider from Castellar del Vallés is one of the most active, and is legendary on the grandstands at circuits such as MotorLand and Cheste. The red and blue banners with number 26 and the baby samurai are their most beloved symbols. Their support has always been essential for Dani to remind him of the effort and determination that have got him to this point and that, whether he’s on his bike or not, he’s never riding alone

[edgarwseidel]

Will Brazil Lead A Recovery In Deepwater Drilling?

Introduction

The Pre-salt arena, discovered only a decade ago, contributes an increasing share of Brazil’s daily oil production. In the graphic below, you can see that there is a steady ramp up in Pre-salt production since 2009. You can also see a slow, but steady decline in other sources.

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With the scandals and political strife that have become the stuff of legend in the last decade, Brazil finds it again needs external sources of capital to supply its oil requirements. In furtherance of that goal, it has been auctioning off attractive blocks, and happily pocketing the Dinheiro that the IOCs (International Oil Companies) offer up for them.

Why drill in deep water?

This is a fair question. With all the press that the American shale has received in recent years, the Deepwater arena has been neglected. Deepwater drilling has fallen by the way over the last few years, largely due to the front end cost. The rigs needed to drill in this environment were very expensive, and when added to the ancillary services used across the life of the wells, made the overall proposition uneconomic for the oil companies.

Deepwater is a necessary part of the energy basket that modern society will need to make sure that it is adequately supplied with power. To understand why it is helpful to know that not all hydrocarbon reservoirs are alike. So, to further the discussion, I will discuss the topic briefly below.

I will start by defining some terms to help you understand the points I will make below.

· Clastic. This refers to a type of petroleum reservoir comprised of detrital sediments that accumulate over time; typically sandstone. Shale is also a clastic, but its grain structure is so tightly compressed that it has little or no matrix permeability.

· Matrix permeability. This refers to the rock’s flow characteristics and is measured in Darcy units.

· Stimulate. That’s what fracking is — an attempt to massively increase the near-wellbore flow characteristics to increase production from the well.

Back to our question. Why drill in Deepwater? The short answer is that if you want big discoveries, you must drill in prolific reservoirs that are capable producing thousands of barrels per day for a long period of time, reservoirs that are typically the target of DW exploration. Part of the reason for this is that many of these DW reservoirs are clastic (sandstone) and have some matrix permeability already. What this means is that unlike most shale reservoirs, where the permeability lies in tiny, vertical fractures, sandstone reservoirs have at least some horizontal connectivity back to the well bore. When you stimulate (frack) this type of reservoir, the increase in permeability is huge, literally achieving gains of 1,000s of times. Part of the reason shale is so drilling-intensive is that it lacks that horizontal permeability. Fracking overcomes this for a while, but in the end — usually two to three years usually — Mother Nature takes over and these wells play out.

OK, that’s it for the tech stuff. If you want more you’re going to have to take a class. If you didn’t understand any of this, then I will ask you to take my word as an industry veteran — and the word of virtually every major oil company on the planet — that DW is where the big finds are.

Tool Box Talk

What is the Pre-salt? It consists of oil formed from depositional activity in basins formed by the breakup of the super-continent of Gondwana 300 hundred million years ago. In modern times these deposits lie beneath a thick layer of evaporite salt and is further overlain by additional sedimentation, and of course about 6,500 feet of water.

Source

It is a massive resource that is likely replicated to a large extent in West Africa as the graphic above reveals. In Brazil, it is estimated that the Pre-salt runs from Santa Caterina to Espirito de Santo, a distance of some 800 kilometers. It may also be as much as 200 kilometers wide.

Petrobras has drilled a number of wells in the Pre-salt and has not hit a dry hole yet (a fact which might account for the strong IOC interest in this play). This resource was originally declared so basic to Brazil’s oil independence that it was restricted to Petrobras. Over time, the capital cost to develop these fields led the ANP, the Brazilian oil regulator, to open the Pre-salt to IOCs. Which brings us to the recent auctions.

The success of this auction, Round 15 in particular, might also account for the relatively mild showing in the recent U.S. GoM auction that yielded only a $124 million for a record auction of 77K acres. By contrast, the Brazil auction net the government $2.4 billion in hard currency. In short, each auction had many of the same players, and clearly, the big money was tied up in Brazil.

Who got what in Brazil’s 15th Round?

Source

ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil (XOM) and partners were the big winners and snagged 8 blocks to add to the 10 blocks captured in the September 2017 round. Clearly, XOM who needs to start ramping up reserves replacement, and has not operated in Brazil before is on the board now. Exxon was so confident in one block, CM-789, that it paid a record $853 mm for that block alone.

Source

Why was Block CM-789, so special to XOM and partner Petrobras? Perhaps it was the fact that the Paleocene, turbidite depositional mechanism creates the potential for huge finds. This geology is similar to the West African structures it has tapped offshore Angola and Liberia. It has further similar acreage offshore Ghana. Perhaps they dream of a reservoir that will deliver the Erha-type performance it found offshore Nigeria- wells making twenty-thousand BOED.

Turbidite describes a depositional state characterized by a high energy environment that often yields clean, high quartz reservoirs capable of delivering wells with flow rates as high as 20-30K BOPD. These wells can produce for many years.

Source

Exxon’s interest is surely also drawn by the tantalizing proximity to some of the Pre-salts biggest finds to date, Lula. Shown above in orange. It also near another new Petrobras operated Mega-field that has just come online, Libra. Libra is shown in gray in this graphic. Libra has been estimated to contain between 8 and 12 billion barrels of recoverable oil. With reserves potential like this, XOM’s interest in block CM-789 comes into sharp focus.

Source

Note in the graphic above that this block is directly adjacent to the Pre-salt polygon, originally reserved for exclusively for Petrobras.

Source

This is a structure identified as a “lead” in the ANP Roadshow prior to the lease sale. In the paste below, you see a lot of wonderful anticlines (an upward folding of the rock, with the oldest sediments at the center) that are famous for forming stratigraphic traps for oil accumulation. The ANP has helpfully pointed out in blue what might appear to be hydrocarbon accumulations just under the salt.

Source

Was what XOM saw here worth almost a billion dollar front-end investment? Time will tell. One thing is for sure. With a billion on the table, exploration drilling will begin shortly. Even Exxon doesn’t park that kind of money for very long. I see a rig getting a contract soon.

Chevron

Chevron, (CVX), picked up four new blocks. It was the first time in a number of years CVX had participated in the Brazilian play. It has other Deepwater operations in Brazil’s offshore market, key among them the Frade (FYI- “D” makes a soft “g” sound in Portuguese) project. You may recall CVX and Brazil had a bit of a dustup regarding oil leaks from shallow flows on Frade, that to senior CVX execs being slapped in jail for a weekend. There’s nothing like a night in a South American jail to cool the ardor of oil execs for a particular country. Time heals all wounds, however, and CVX is back in Carioca-land. Perhaps with a new set of execs.

Source

You can see that CVX has been treading water the last couple of years, with reserves being markedly down since 2014. So back to Brazil, and Deepwater exploration it came.

Shell

Shell has operated in Brazil for nearly 30-years. It has a considerable infrastructure already and is in a good position to develop the blocks it picked up in round 15.

Shell picked an additional 4-blocks in round 15. Those, with the 6-blocks it picked up last Fall give it a total of 18 exploratory blocks to probe for oil and gas. It plans drilling on the highly prospective Gato do Mato (Jungle cat) block in 2019.

Repsol

The Spanish oil operator could use some reserves addition as well. It has been treading water largely for the last several years. This particularly true when the recent suspension of their license in Vietnam to drill the CRD project is taken into account.

Source Chart by author

Statoil (STO), BP, and Wintershall, Division of Germany’s (OTCQX:BASFY), were all winners in this auction as well.

Summary

With billions of dollars in leases laid out, these companies are not going to be sitting on their hands. They need to replace reserves… badly. That’s the reason for the interest in the Brazilian Pre-salt. Drilling will start soon, as these companies look to start capitalizing on the huge down payments they’ve made here.

Over the next year or so we should see some DW rigs returning to service, and starting the cycle for other service providers to follow.

Author’s Bio.

Dave Messler is an oil industry veteran who maintains a consulting and training practice called, ACME Fluids Training. More info can be obtained at www.acmefluidstraining.com.

In addition, he writes for a financially oriented blog site called Seeking Alpha, under the pseudonym The Fluidsdoc. There he runs a Market Place investing service known as The Daily Drilling Report. More info on this can be obtained at https://seekingalpha.com/author/fluidsdoc/articles#regular_articles.

  The post Will Brazil Lead A Recovery In Deepwater Drilling? appeared first on Drillers.

from Updates About Oil And Gas https://drillers.com/will-brazil-lead-a-recovery-in-deepwater-drilling/

[danilovefest]

from: Box Repsol Blog

Dani Pedrosa’s passion for Japanese culture will blow your mind!

Hi, Dani! It’s well known that your nickname is baby samurai. Do you think your love of Japan chose you, or did you choose it?

Not sure which came first but I have always been fascinated by Samurai and the Japanese culture. I don’t know who picked who but it’s been a perfect match for me for sure.

Do you have anything that reminds you of Japan in your day-to-day life?

Well of course I have the ‘Little Samurai’ as my logo so I see that a lot in my day to day life! Obviously spending all my career with Honda, I have received many trinkets and gifts from Japanese fans and colleagues which I keep and always remind me of Japan. I have strong roots with Japan and the Japanese, they have played a huge part in my life!

We know that the Japanese GP is one of your favourites. What is it like to stay in Japan during a GP?

Honestly it’s a shame that we don’t get to see so much since the race weekend is so busy and we stay at the circuit hotel. So we only see the race track and hotel and then usually we have to leave for the next race.

Have you been on holiday to Japan? Would you like to go back? What did you most like about your visit?

I’ve never had the chance to holiday there but I’ve often thought that when I retire I’d like to go and spend a few months in Japan and travel around. Experience the temples and traditional Japanese ways of life and study some meditation techniques and learn more about it. I do know the people are very friendly and hospitable and it’s a fascinating culture that should be experienced for sure.

What would you like to bring home from Japan? And what Spanish things would you like to take there? Apart from Spanish jamón of course hahaha…

I don’t really take anything to Japan as I like to embrace their culture when I’m there… but I would like to bring home some Samurai swords to hang in my house.

Do you like karaoke? How is your singing voice? Have you ever sung karaoke in Japan?

Haha, not really and my singing voice is terrible! It depends where I am and who I’m with! I’m quite shy so this isn’t really something I would get up and do in a group of strangers or in public, but maybe with a few friends in a small environment. I did do it once in Japan in 2013, after the Motegi race a lot of the paddock goes to The Cage in Narita – close to the airport – and we all had a lot of fun partying there with the team and singing we had a good time.

There are some expressions in the Japanese language that are unforgettable and transmit the culture. Could you tell us two phrases that really had an impact on you?

Not really any sayings but there are some traditions that my team have taught me which I really value. One is the Darumu doll which is seen as a talisman of good luck for the Japanese. At first, the figure’s eyes are both blank white. Then you choose your goal or wish and paint in one of the figure’s two eyes. Once the desired goal is achieved, then you can draw in the second eye.

Do you like Japanese food? What are your favourite dishes? Do you like to cook sushi, tempura, and other traditional Japanese dishes?

I really like teppanyaki and sushi, also the noodles are good! I’m not a very good cook so probably better I leave it to the experts!

Do you like martial arts? Is there one that you especially like because of its philosophy?

Yes, very much, in particular I like the art form of Aikido. This uses circular rather than linear movements, with the defender moving out of the line of attack and then using his opponent’s own momentum to overcome him. The defender does not attempt to block his opponent’s blows or in any way to clash with his opponent’s force. With my size, I find this the most interesting as you only defend and use your opponent’s energy against them.

Do you know any Japanese? Can you say three sentences in Japanese one after the other? You can send us a video to prove it 

I can say some basic greetings, like ‘Hello, I’m Dani Pedrosa, nice to meet you. See you later!”… haha.

Have you tried out any other traditional Japanese arts? Flower arrangement, calligraphy, cooking, painting…?

Not really, but I would like to learn more about the art of Japanese archery – Kyudo. This is a kind of meditation, finding your ‘Zen’, to become more aware of the present without looking back to the past or into the future. Only then can you reach your highest potential and find inner harmony. It is learnt with mind and intellect, but you work towards practicing it without either and to let go of the intellect and to try and stand with the bow fully drawn, not feeling the need to hit the target. This way you can practice in a way which focuses on the proper breathing, proper mindset and proper body movements, not on hitting the target. If done correctly, you can hit the target—potentially with your eyes shut. Potentially, that is. But in order to even get close to that you would have to practice for many, many years, and perhaps never reach it. But with kuydo, as with all other “Ways”, they try to focus on the journey, not the goal.

You recently told us in #AskMarcDani2017 that you’d like to learn more about zen and meditation. What do you know about Eastern philosophy?

Zen is the Japanese word for meditation and all I know is that it’s a very powerful, ancient, meditation practice. It demands high self-control and involves techniques and ideals to promote relaxation, build your energy within and develop feelings of compassion and patience.

Ninjas or samurai, who would win in a fight?

It doesn’t matter who wins, what is important is the attitude and I prefer the attitude of the Samurai.

[danilovefest]

from: Box Repsol Blog

Cycling, a sport that inspires me

A love of cycling

I discovered my passion for bicycles when I was very young. Before getting on a motorbike, I had already tried it all on my bicycle. For me, it was as if my bicycle were a motorbike! I started riding motorbikes from a very young age, but at that time I thought that if it didn’t work out, I wanted to be a cyclist.

Now I only go cycling to stay in shape and enjoy myself. I love cycling up mountain passes and I get a kick out of beating my times whenever I do the same route again. I have to keep myself in check so that I don’t go overboard and get carried away. It’s not a good idea to go flat out every day. You have to be smart when training and know when to take a break for a few days. Even though I don’t cycle professionally, I take it seriously and get annoyed when I see that my times are off and when my pace is not as good as the last time.

Another thing I like about cycling is that you can adapt it to your own fitness level. For example, during winter I remove the outer chainring as I barely use it. When my legs feel stronger, I look for the best way to improve, adding the chainring or really upping my cadence.

The best part is cycling as a group. The time and distance fly by when you are in good company, and it is also a way of getting better quality training. I still enjoy the days that I cycle alone though as it’s a different approach; I have to look for motivation from within.

Bicycle collector

The bicycle itself plays a big role and I use a Pinarello Dogma F10 fitted with Shimano. The key to choosing a bicycle is to find one that fits just right, that weighs very little, and that has a high quality carbon frame, not forgetting about the look of the bike.

Years ago, I decided to start a collection of all of my bikes because of all the unforgettable memories and experiences I’ve had on them. Many of my sporting accomplishments have been achieved when using cycling for training. I have fond memories of those tough times that I faced, pedalling with all my strength on a steep climb.

I now have a wonderful collection of Pinarellos. It is a selection of bikes that represents the changing times and fashions and when you look at them all together, you can see the differences in technology and colours used over the years.

A passion for professional cycling

Purito was my favourite cyclist because of his explosive power, but now that he is retired, I have my eye on other Spanish cyclists, like Alejandro Valverde and Alberto Contador. I’m also looking forward to seeing who will be the next rising star to keep us entertained. In recent years, Froome, Quintana, Nibali and Alberto Contador are the cyclists we’ve seen competing for the big titles. So who knows who might surprise us this year.

If I had to choose my favourite cycling stage it would definitely be the Alps. I’ve had a great time cycling there myself and it’s the best area. The Dolomites stages are really tough and I’ve suffered cycling up those passes, but it feels amazing when you finally reach the top.

When watching cycling on TV, I prefer to watch the bigger tours. I tend to watch them more often, although it is easy to get hooked on the classics with the exciting shows they put on.

My experience cycling

I have taken part in a tour cycling race before, and I know that in this sport it’s difficult to position yourself, to know if the group got broken up, or if you’re at the front. That is why it’s vital to wear an earpiece because it helps a lot in this regard. There has been a lot of talk about whether using an earpiece disrupts the competition, but nobody can deny that it increases rivalry between the cyclists and makes for a better show.

I’ve sometimes thought about taking part in Paris-Roubaix, but when I consider how tough it is, it puts me off. My brother has cycled in it. He has told me what it’s like and to be honest, it looks way easier on TV than it is in real life. I don’t think it would be my favourite race if I ever did cycle in it.

I hope you’ve enjoyed hearing about my passion for cycling. As always, thanks to all Box Repsol followers for reading and for your unconditional support. See you at the track!

Dani Pedrosa

[danilovefest]

from: Box Repsol Blog

Dani Pedrosa: Also a samurai in the water

Hi Dani. First of all, thanks for coming to Box Repsol and talking with us so we can learn more about the things you do when you’re not racing.

Did you have time to do any water sports during the summer break in July?

The truth is that between the testing and the promotional events, my holidays weren’t too long, but I did manage to practise a few water sports. I did some wakeboarding with some friends, where you ride on a board over the surface of the water while holding on to a rope, being pulled by a boat, and I was also lucky enough to try out an electric wakeboard at home. I usually go to Lake Geneva (located between France and Switzerland), which as you know is very close to where I live. At the end of the summer I went water skiing (similar to wakeboarding but with skis) and wakeboarding in Salzburg (capital of the state of Salzburg in Austria).

 Do you ever try to take trips so you can practise these types of sports?

In theory it’s a good idea and I would like to be able to, but in reality I never have enough time for trips. Maybe in the winter, but I prefer to go somewhere hot and, of course, to be with my friends.

Where’s a good spot you would recommend for water sports?

I’m lucky to have Lake Geneva right on my doorstep, so I usually go there.

Do you notice a big difference being on water rather than on asphalt? What does each surface feel like?

Yes, there’s definitely a huge difference. For beginners, it doesn’t hurt as much when you fall. The truth is that, over time, you can get the same sensations on water as you get on the asphalt, and you begin to understand how it responds. But it’s very different from riding a motorbike.

 Do these sports help you at all with MotoGP?

I never thought about it that way, but maybe working on balance and using your torso could apply to MotoGP.

Of all the sports you’ve tried, which do you consider yourself to be good at and in which would you like to improve?

I’m not especially great at any of them, but I’m good enough to have fun doing them. I enjoy all types of water sports (wind sports as well as motor sports), but windsurfing tops my list. Of course I’m always trying to practise and get better, but time is my enemy…

 What would you think of signing up for a jet ski championship?

Ha, ha, no thanks, but I have signed up for an amateur windsurfing competition. Wish me luck!

Do you prefer to do sports by yourself and focus on improving, or do them with friends and have fun?

A bit of both. I like to cycle as part of my training, and that’s an individual thing (you’re alone on the bicycle, pushing yourself and your body to the limit), but at the same time, you’re with a group of friends. So I enjoy the best of both worlds.

 Are there any water sports that you’d like to try but haven’t tried yet?

Sure, maybe kitesurfing (instead of getting pulled by a boat, your power comes from a kite) or wakesurfing (after the boat pulls you up, you let go of the rope and surf on the boat’s wake). I’ve never tried either, but it’s always good to try new things.

What’s the best feeling you get when you practise water sports?

The best is planing, when the board skims across the surface and you can feel the speed. But then there’s the time you spend in the water, the scenery, the sun, the photos, the friends sharing the moment; it’s all special.

 Do you have any advice for people who want to practise water sports for the first time?

Just do it! The worst that can happen is you fall in the water. It’s really fun and there’s a lot of options out there for everyone, regardless of skill level, physical condition, age, etc.