A couple of days ago, we posted a photograph taken at the Offshore Technology Conference and challenged you to tell us what it is. A sculpture at the Reliant Center in Houston? An artist's rendering of an octopus? Perhaps a close-up of a broach from the 1920s?

Actually, it's a 12 ¼" hybrid drill bit that grinds deep into the Earth in the search for oil and natural gas. But it has a lot in common with high-end jewelry. The black dots in the golden arms are diamond grit embedded in a cobalt matrix.

Drill bits are fastened to the end of a long pipe called a drill string. The drill string rotates and the bit chews its way through thousands of feet of rock to the oil and/or natural gas formation. This particular drill bit, developed by Baker Hughes, was designed to drill through altern... more »

Now that I've attended a few panel discussions here at the Offshore Technology Conference, it's abundantly clear that many of the speakers are in agreement over the issues that threaten America's ability to plan for a secure energy future. They mention the lack of bipartisanship in Congress, the fact that the oil and natural gas industry has been "demonized" by its critics, and the tone and content of the national debate over energy policy. As Karen Harbert of the Institute for 21st Century Energy said yesterday, the ongoing energy conversation has been "captured" by those who have their own agenda.

Several speakers said that there is widespread agreement that our nation needs wind and solar power. In fact, we need every form of energy available; but as a nation, we have to be realistic. S... more »

"It's just a matter of time before we must act on energy," said API President and CEO Jack Gerard when he met with reporters and bloggers yesterday at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston. But he said our nation needs to be realistic. "We can't just throw a switch and change from one source of energy to another overnight."

Every credible projection on U.S. energy consumption over the next couple of decades shows that oil and natural gas will continue to play a large role in the nation's overall energy mix. And as Jack explained, energy consumption will increase. The U.S. Department of Energy expects energy consumption to climb 9 percent from 2007 to 2030.

How should the nation prepare for the future? Jack discussed several ideas:

• Efficiency and conservation: As he put it, "... more »

If you're into technology and mind-boggling engineering, you'll enjoy reading about our travels next week. A couple of us from API are going to Houston for the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC)--the "must attend" offshore energy event where the advanced technologies used to explore for and produce oil and natural gas are put on display.

Want to see undersea robots that work at depths no human can withstand? Want to experience the hunt for oil and natural gas using computer models that project images of hidden energy resources in a 3D-kaleidoscope of color? Would you like to learn more about how Brazil became energy independent by finding huge oil deposits off its coastline? The OTC is the place to go.

This year's conference will begin with a panel discussion on how to improve communicat... more »