5 YEARS AGO APRIL 2009

摘要

The glory days of oilfield scouting were long gone by 2009 when Oilweek talked to a pair of anonymous scouts to learn the changing tricks of the trade. Eavesdropping on cellphone calls had become impossible with the shift from analogue to digital, while evolving views on privacy and confidential information laws were hamstringing scouts. Business was now on the decline, according to one industry veteran. At the peak of his 25-year career, he had employed 15 scouts. By 2009, that number had dwindled to just two. "Today, oil companies have to ask whether its worth spending $30,000 to have a scout sit in the field for 30 days only to find out their competitor ran a casing," he said.