Hello,

I'm pleased to say that 2006 has been yet another very busy and successful year for the Rushmore Reviews.

We settled into our new offices, renewed existing contracts, gained a significant number of new participants around the world and upgraded our website to provide a suite of dynamic on-line charting facilities.

We ended the year with our annual participant meetings in November and had a wonderful networking dinner at Haddo House. Rushmore Reviews staff pictured below.

We are continuing to increase our rate of growth. Although we said farewell to some team members this year we have said hello to a larger number of new staff, particularly on the completions side.

Peter and I travelled to visit clients and potential clients in Argentina, Austria, Brazil, France, Norway, Switzerland and the US, whilst our roving 'data detective' Rainer has helped clients with their data collection in Oman, Austria and France.

Our calendar for next year is filling up quickly. We will be starting the year with a ten day visit to Houston. We plan to then visit the Far East and Australia with meetings in Kuala Lumpur, Miri, Perth and Sydney. If you would like us to visit you please do let us know.

We have now fixed dates for training in data input and website navigation in Aberdeen, the January course is almost full and so we will add more courses if necessary.

We are all looking forward to an exciting 2007 and, on behalf of everyone here at the Rushmore Reviews, I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy and Peaceful New Year.

Helen Rushmore

BP, the primary founding member of the Drilling Performance Review in 1988, have renewed their 'near global' contract for both the DPR and CPR for a two year period. This will provide drilling data from around eighteen countries and completions data from around thirteen.

Eni, with over a decade of data already published, have renewed their commitment to 'near global' participation in both the DPR and CPR for three more years, providing data from around fourteen countries.

We are very pleased to announce the participation for the first time of Occidental (Oxy) with a three year global DPR contract and an 'enabling' contract for the CPR to allow Oxy companies to also include completions data as they become able. Oxy are operating in Qatar, Oman, Yemen, Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina and Libya.

Shell was a founding member of the DPR back in 1988 and some Shell companies have participated ever since. In July, however, Shell contracted for the first time to participate on a global basis and have committed to this for five years. We are especially pleased, however, that this five year global commitment is to all three studies, the DPR, CPR and Well Productivity Review (WPR).

This contract means that in addition to the Shell companies that had been participating independently over the last 17 years we will now be additionally gaining drilling, completions and well productivity data from: Algeria, Libya, Brazil, China, Egypt, GOM, New Zealand, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Syria.

< Carolina Cruz of Shell and Helen at contract award.

Tullow, who first participated in the DPR in 1999, have now extended their commitment to include both the CPR and WPR on a global basis to 2009.

Woodside, who joined the DPR when it first covered Australia in 1994 have expanded the scope of their contract for both DPR and CPR to 'global' status and renewed it for three years.

For a full list of participants click here.

The annual participant meetings in November witnessed the youngest ever attendee, albeit for lunchtime only. Baby Michelle, daughter of Ameze Okeudo of SPDC Nigeria, came along to say hello at just six months old.

The meetings took a slightly different slant this year with more emphasis upon workshop and discussion groups. This proved so popular that we will be following the same format next year.

Both the NPT and Rushmore Drilling Index workshop sessions evoked much useful conversation and brainstorming.

For the minutes of the “Best Practices” meeting please click here.

For the minutes of the DPR participants meeting please click here.

For the minutes of the CPR and WPR participants meeting please click here.

Our evening reception was held at Haddo House this year, the family home of Lady Aberdeen and of the Gordon family for over 400 years. Few people will forget the sight of Pipe Major Roddy Deans standing on the balcony of the house, ostrich feather hat blowing in the wind, piping a welcome to our guests.

We were very honoured to welcome the Lord and Lady Provost of Aberdeen and a great evening was had by all.

Picture shows BP staff at Haddo with Roddy the Piper.

Next years meeting will be held from 6th to 9th November at the Marcliffe at Pitfodels Hotel in Aberdeen. As always rooms are booked very quickly so if you wish to stay in the hotel please make your reservations as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

The success of the meeting is always built upon participants' willingness to share their benchmarking success stories and experiences. Over the last few years we have had some very inspiring and interesting presentations from Operators worldwide. If you would be able to contribute please do let me know.

The dates for training in Aberdeen in 2007, subject to minimum numbers, are January 9th and 10th, April 25th and 26th, July 11th and 12th and October 10th and 11th.

The first day covers the DPR and the second day the CPR.

For more details, or if you are interested in this training in Houston on 23rd and 24th January please contact me.

Whilst Anadarko, BHP, BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Eni, Hess, Marathon, Pioneer, Shell, Woodside and Total have all contracted to provide deepwater GOM data on their 2006 wells, some participants are also going back in time to obtain historical offset well data.

Unocal / Spirit participated in deepwater GOM data since 1999 but when they became part of Chevron their access to most of this data ceased. Chevron are now retrospectively submitting their deepwater GOM data back to 2000 to regain access to this data. Other participants will now benefit from data for twenty deepwater GOM wells drilled by Chevron / Texaco between 2000 and 2004. Chevron are also now providing data from offshore Canada to obtain full retrospective global status in the DPR.

Shell committed to global participation earlier this year, but have also contracted to provide drilling, completions and well productivity data from their sixteen deepwater GOM wells from 2005.

Marathon are also providing data on eleven deepwater GOM wells drilled in 2002 and 2003 in order to obtain access to all GOM data back to 2000.

An article by Peter Rushmore on the use of benchmark data to drive performance improvement was published in BP's Well Connected magazine earlier this year.

To view please click here.