2010s
Adapting to a new energy landscape
During this decade, Schlumberger’s products and services proved to be more relevant than ever, as E&P activities moved into more complex and environmentally extreme areas—especially offshore and in deep water. The search for unconventional oil and gas intensified, and Schlumberger’s unmatched commitment to research and development allowed it to deliver cutting-edge technologies, analytical tools, and expertise tailored to meet those technical challenges.
The company's offerings enabled enhanced efficiency and improved the flow of information and analysis, resulting in better reservoir characterization and more precise, effective drilling. Innovative products made a significant impact on customers, contributing to improved performance across the board.
- The Dielectric Scanner multifrequency dielectric dispersion service, launched in 2010, was the first in the industry to accurately quantify residual hydrocarbon volume—Archie's exponents and formation cation exchange capacity (CEC)—reducing uncertainties and eliminating the wait for laboratory analysis.
- LIVE digital slickline services, introduced in 2011, allow two-way digital communication using a slickline cable enabling tool and well information to be transmitted to the surface in real time. This advance enables oil and gas producers to manage well intervention and workover programs with increased knowledge, accuracy, and certainty—reducing manpower requirements, saving time, and cutting operational risk.
Schlumberger's range also includes products designed for the expanding shale oil and gas sector, such as
- OpenFRAC fully disclosed hydraulic fracturing fluids
- HiWAY flow-channel fracturing technique
- M-I SWACO's ENVIROTHERM NT chrome-free water-based drilling fluid system
- Smith Bits' Spear shale-optimized steel-body PDC drill bit.
Strategic mergers and acquisitions remain central to the company's drive to offer a comprehensive package of products and services to customers.
- The merger with Smith International in 2010 widened Schlumberger's lead as the world's largest oilfield services company in terms of revenue and market capitalization. Smith and M-I SWACO technologies and expertise complement Schlumberger's offerings, while benefiting from Schlumberger's large geographical footprint.
- The acquisition of Geoservices, also in 2010, expanded Schlumberger's products and services in mud logging, slickline and production surveillance operations.
Schlumberger continued to build on its reputation for outstanding research through the geographical expansion of its R&D network. The 2011 opening of WesternGeco's Penang Product Center in Malaysia reflected our desire to establish R&D facilities close to new hydrocarbons development areas, enabling the company to tap into new talent and tailor new products to specialized local conditions.
| Year | Event |
| 2010 | Introduces Dielectric Scanner service; ACTive PS CT real-time production logging service; and Quartet downhole reservoir testing system for safer and more efficient reservoir testing Paal Kibsgaard appointed Chief Operating Officer of Schlumberger Limited Completes merger with Smith International Acquires Nexus Geosciences, a seismic support company Acquires IGEOSS, a developer of structural geology software Acquires Geoservices, a privately owned French oilfield services company specializing in mud logging, slickline, and production surveillance operations Acquires GeothermEx, a California-based global provider of geothermal consulting services Introduces OpenFRAC fluids for hydraulic fracturing and HiWAY service |
| 2011 | Acquires Framo Engineering, a privately owned Norwegian firm producing pumps, metering systems, swivels, and other marine systems to the oil and gas industry Acquires ThruBit, a Shell Technology Ventures Fund company providing openhole logging services Inaugurates WesternGeco Penang Product Center in Malaysia to support global demand for geophysical services Paal Kibsgaard appointed chief executive officer of Schlumberger Limited Launches LIVE services, using a slickline cable engineered to deliver two-way digital communication for tool and well information to be transmitted to the surface in real time Starts first commercial use of Dual Coil Shooting multivessel full-azimuth acquisition in WesternGeco's Revolution multiclient survey in western Gulf of Mexico Releases Avocet 2012, combining an overall view of operations with engineering analysis to help avoid production shortfalls Launches several products able to maximize benefits from shale plays, including M-I SWACO's ENVIROTHERM NT system and Smith Bits' Spear drill bit Launches PowerDrive Archer high build rate rotary steerable system, delivering well profiles previously possible only with motors, and with the ROP and wellbore quality of a fully rotating RSS |
| 2012 | Forms OneSubsea, a joint venture with Cameron, to manufacture and develop products, systems, and services for the subsea oil and gas market Introduces next generation of Spear bits for unconventional shale plays, engineered for improved drilling performance in curve and lateral hole sections Releases RHADIANT oil-based ultrahigh-temperature drilling fluid system, formulated to maintain stable rheologies and thin filtercake to ensure quality reservoir characterization Adds Litho Scanner high-definition spectroscopy service to the Scanner Family rock and fluid characterization services, a service that delivers quantitative mineralogy in complex lithologies Launches Saturn 3D radial probe, a new wireline formation testing service that enables formation testing in low-permeability and unconsolidated reservoirs Opens the Schlumberger China Petroleum Institute in Beijing to provide best-in-class petrotechnical services to address technical challenges specific to China Introduces Rhino XC on-demand hydraulically actuated reamer, a next-generation reamer that delivers on-demand reaming for well borehole enlargement flexibility Launches ReSOLVE instrumented wireline intervention service for monitoring and control of wireline workover operations Adds important new science to Petrel 2012 for exploration, development, production workflows, and enhanced enterprise knowledge management Introduces NeoScope sourceless formation evaluation-while-drilling service, the industry's first fully sourceless LWD formation evaluation service, which reduces drilling risk and delivers greater operational efficiency Releases industry-first Mangrove engineered stimulation design in the Petrel E&P software platform that enables completion and fracture modeling in the context of a shared earth model Launches breakthrough marine seismic technology: IsoMetrix marine isometric seismic technology delivers the first true 3D wavefield measurement Releases SPARK technology delivery platform that merges Schlumberger stimulation technology, chemistry, and exclusive techniques to provide a new solution to address stimulation needs Expands marine broadband offering via WesternGeco with ObliQ sliding-notch broadband acquisition and imaging technique that delivers improved seismic imaging Enters into an agreement with Altor Fund II to acquire SPT Group, a privately owned software company specialized in dynamic modeling for the oil and gas industry Introduces new resistivity and imaging-while-drilling service: MicroScope 475 resistivity- and imaging-while-drilling service provides key information for formation evaluation, well placement, and fracture identification Expands portfolio of high-temperature reservoir characterization services with PressureXpress-HT high-temperature reservoir pressure service and MDT Forte-HT rugged high-temperature modular formation dynamics tester Announces cooperation agreement with Petrofac to deliver integrated and high-value production projects in the emerging and growing production services and production enhancement market |
| 2013 | Introduces Stinger conical diamond element, a centrally placed element that enhances PDC drill bits for improved drilling performance Releases DigiScope slimhole measurement-while-drilling service, which transmits high-quality data for real-time decision-making in land, extended-reach, and deepwater wells Introduces the CoilScan RT real-time pipe inspection system that minimizes nonproductive time by identifying coiled tubing pipe defects Launches Quartet-HT high-temperature downhole reservoir testing system and Quartet downhole reservoir testing system enabled by wireless telemetry, which transmits data for real-time validation Commences IsoMetrix marine isometric seismic technology in Barents Sea via WesternGeco, a new survey that extends successful multiclient program, and commences a new multiclient seismic survey offshore Mozambique to cover open blocks ahead of future licensing rounds Delivers enterprise knowledge management for IT professionals: Studio Manager empowers information management professionals to work interactively with geoscientists and engineers, improving productivity Introduces MD-2 dual-deck shale shaker to improve solids control performance Releases Petrel 2013, which delivers advanced science for exploration, development, and production and enables enhanced collaboration and productivity Completes OneSubsea joint venture with Cameron to target subsea oil production and recovery Releases ONYX 360 rolling PDC cutter, an industry-first rolling PDC cutter that stays sharp longer, extending run length in abrasive formations Introduces advanced microseismic data processing for improved well completion design, notably a new moment tensor inversion service to enhance microseismic data Releases MicroScope HD resistivity- and high-definition imaging-while-drilling service that provides detailed logging-while-drilling images for reservoir description and completions optimization Introduces SonicScope multipole sonic-while-drilling service for large boreholes to deliver validated measurements for improved drilling risk management Introduces Vx Spectra surface multiphase flowmeter, which provides accurate flow rate measurements for oil and gas production monitoring and allocation |
| 2014 | Introduces the MS Recon high-fidelity microseismic surface acquisition system that provides improved imaging of hydraulic fracture geometry Releases Invizion Evaluation well integrity evaluation service, which helps operators evaluate zonal isolation by using integrated drilling, cementing, and well logging data Launches StingBlade conical diamond element bit with Stinger elements across the bit face, which increases rate of penetration while improving steering in directional drilling applications Delivers Petrel Shale, the first shale-specific software that offers a customized user interface, engineered for exploiting shale resources Releases the Quanta Geo photorealistic reservoir geology service that enables geoscientists to confidently model reservoir distribution Announces alliance between OneSubsea, a Cameron and Schlumberger company, and Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. to develop technologies and deliver services to optimize the cost and efficiency of subsea well intervention systems Introduces GeoSphere reservoir mapping-while-drilling service, a unique reservoir mapping service around the wellbore to enhance field development strategies and to improve production Acquires Rock Deformation Research, a UK-based company specialized in geological software development and structural geology consultancy for the oil and gas industry Purchases the remaining shares of SES Holdings Limited ("Saxon"), a Calgary-based provider of international land drilling services Launches PowerDrive Orbit rotary steerable system that increases drilling efficiency in challenging environments by extending system life, delivering precise directional control and increasing drilling efficiency Commercializes PeriScope HD multilayer bed boundary detection service that detects formation layers for advanced well placement in clastic and carbonate fields Releases ELEMENTAL degradable technology for multistage stimulation treatments, which ensures maximum well productivity without need for mechanical intervention Introduces BroadBand Sequence fracturing service, which enables sequential stimulation of perforation clusters in wells drilled in unconventional reservoirs to increase productivity Founds Schlumberger Software Technology Innovation Center (STIC) in Menlo Park, California |
| 2015 | Introduces Infinity dissolvable plug-and-perf system, a first for the industry Releases TeleScope ICE ultraHT measurements-while-drilling service, which provides critical information for real-time drilling optimization and well placement Releases PowerDrive ICE ultraHT rotary steerable system with proprietary electronics that are ruggedized for extreme downhole environments Launches two new full-azimuth multiclient surveys in the US Gulf of Mexico Introduces ACTive Straddle CT real-time multiset inflatable packer to isolate and treat multiple zones on a single trip, reducing workover costs and improving treatment efficiency for production optimization Schlumberger and Chevron Energy Technology Company sign a software agreement, providing universal access to the Petrel platform across Chevron's earth sciences organization Introduces ACTive OptiFIRE CT real-time selective perforating and activation system that enables selective perforating at different depths in a single run, saving time and operational costs Chief Executive Officer Paal Kibsgaard is appointed Chairman of the Board BP standardizes using the Petrel platform to support its new digital technology rollout M-I SWACO releases SCREEN PULSE fluids and cuttings separator to deliver optimum efficiency and reduce overall drilling costs Introduces Depth Domain Inversion Services to reliably illuminate complex geology and reduce uncertainty through amplitude inversion Launches industry-first multiclient wide-azimuth deepwater seismic survey in Mexican waters, Gulf of Mexico Announces agreement to acquire Cameron International Corporation, a provider of wellhead and surface equipment and flow control and processing technology Schlumberger and IBM introduce a new service to optimize integrated upstream production operations Acquires Novatek, adding unique diamond technologies for improved drilling performance Acquires a minority equity interest in Moscow-based Eurasia Drilling Company Limited, a leading onshore and offshore drilling and well services contractor that owns and operates one of the largest fleets of land drilling and workover units in the world Schlumberger and Ikon Science sign a joint software development agreement Acquires Fluid Inclusion Technologies, Inc. to expand rock and fluids services portfolio and add geochemical logging capability Schlumberger and Bauer agree on a manufacturing joint venture to develop land drilling rigs and rig equipment Executes contract with Statoil for multiclient wide-azimuth deepwater seismic survey in the Campeche Basin Introduces INTERSECT high-resolution reservoir simulator, a software-as-a-service solution available in the cloud |
| 2016 | Introduces AvantGuard advanced flowback services to optimize well performance from poststimulation operations through production Launches OpenPath Sequence diversion stimulation service, which uses degradable fibers to suspend multimodal particles Announces the release of GeoTesting geology-based well test design and interpretation services Acquires the coiled tubing drilling and coiled tubing units from Xtreme Drilling and Coil Services Corp., a Calgary-based provider of international land drilling and coiled tubing drilling services Acquires Meta Downhole Limited, a UK-based engineering and service company that offers technology and expertise to provide downhole metal-to-metal isolation solutions in well integrity applications Opens new reservoir and rock analysis laboratory in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Forms OneLNG joint venture with Golar LNG Limited Acquires Omron Oilfield and Marine, Inc., a provider of automation technology and solutions Acquires Saltel Industries, an engineering, manufacturing, and service company offering expandable patches and steel packers technology Introduces Manara production and reservoir management system to enable downhole permanent monitoring and in-lateral flow control of multiple zones and compartments in real time Introduces Maze microfluidic SARA analysis for reservoir fluids characterization, an industry first that automates the process for testing oil samples Introduces MaxPull high-pull wireline conveyance system, the industry's highest-pull wireline conveyance system that can pull from 18,000 lbf to 30,000 lbf in wells 40,000 ft deep or more Completes merger with Cameron International Corporation, combining two complementary technology portfolios into a pore-to-pipeline products and services offering Introduces ACTive Q CT real-time downhole flow measurement service, which delivers real-time injection diagnostics and treatment evaluation in just one run in a well Develops AxeBlade ridged diamond element bit, which incorporates new-geometry Axe ridged diamond elements across the bit face Develops Cloud Hosting services for internal business systems |
| 2017 | TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Company and Schlumberger announce a new multi- and wide-azimuth multiclient reimaging program in the Central US Gulf of Mexico Opens new purpose-built Production Technologies Center of Excellence in Houston aimed at solving global challenges related to deepwater, heavy oil, and other extreme environments Introduces SpectraSphere fluid mapping-while-drilling service to provide accurate pressure measurements, perform downhole fluid analysis, and acquire high-quality samples while drilling Introduces Lift IQ production life cycle management service, which offers monitoring, diagnostics, and optimization of artificial lift systems in real time Schlumberger and YPF sign an agreement to start a shale oil pilot project in Bandurria Sur Block in Vaca Muerta, Neuquén, Argentina Signs a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Aramco to develop an In-Kingdom Total Value Add roadmap in alignment with the Kingdom's economic vision for 2030 Introduces Pulsar multifunction spectroscopy service, which is the industry's first complete cased hole formation evaluation and reservoir saturation monitoring with openhole logging quality Forms OneStim joint venture with Weatherford to deliver completions products and services for the development of unconventional resource plays in the United States and Canada land markets Acquires Peak Well Systems, an Aberdeen, UK, based specialist in the design and development of advanced downhole tools for flow control, well intervention, and well integrity Unveils the new DELFI cognitive E&P environment, which enables collaboration across exploration and production teams and leverages the full potential of all available data and science to optimize assets Introduces DrillPlan coherent well construction planning solution, the first step in the DELFI environment and part of a fully integrated well construction offering Launches GROVE IST integrated seat technology valve |
| 2018 | Announces intent, along with Subsea 7, to form a joint venture, thereby providing the industry with one point of contact for subsea production system (SPS) and subsea umbilicals, risers, and flowline (SURF) services Launches Tempo instrumented docking perforating gun system Introduces GyroSphere MEMS gyro-while-drilling service Commercializes HyperBlade hyberbolic diamond element bit Rolls out CemFIT Shield mud-sealing cement system Hexacom launches The Oilfield Marketplace, an e-commerce platform that connects oil and gas industry professionals with the products, services and information they need to optimize their assets Launches Concert well testing live performance |
| 2019 | Enters joint venture agreement with Rockwell Automation to create Sensia, the oil and gas industry's first fully integrated automation solutions provider Appoints Olivier le Peuch as Chief Executive Officer Introduces IriSphere look-ahead-while-drilling service, providing the industry's first application of electromagnetic (EM) technology for detecting formation features ahead of the drill bit in oil and gas wells Introduces Ora intelligent wireline formation testing platform, leveraging new architecture and metrology for unprecedented performance in dynamic reservoir characterization in all conditions, including reservoirs where it was previously not possible |