Integrated approach
In the works for some time, Halliburton's Optimized Drilling Performance (ODP) approach is aimed at improving drilling efficiency and saving drilling time. ‘We've evolved this workflow over a few years,' said Jeremy ‘Jez' Greenwood, chief global technical advisor for drilling optimization for Sperry Drilling, a Halliburton business line.
The integrated workflow links a number of the service company's specializations and expertise to improve drilling performance. According to Sperry, it saved an operator $7.5 million and 50 additional days of rig time in deepwaters offshore Brazil.
In developing the workflow, Halliburton documented the processes necessary to deliver drilling services from planning through execution, and to drive increased safety, efficiency and reliability. The workflow includes integrated bit and bottomhole assembly design, mud characteristics and real-time optimization of the drilling process. ‘It's not a discrete tool or a discrete piece of software or a discrete bit, but a way of working to ensure everything is integrated,' Greenwood explained.
Customers can also take advantage of Halliburton's digital infrastructure, including real-time well placement within an earth model that can be updated in real time, he added.
‘Halliburton teams now work with this proprietary workflow and the digital infrastructure in our real-time operating centers in every region,' noted Jonathan Lewis, senior VP of Halliburton's Drilling & Evaluation Division. Optimized Drilling Performance can significantly reduce NPT and improve performance, he said, adding: ‘This potential represents billions of dollars in savings.'
Ensuring accurate choke control
A precision-built choke console for managed pressure drilling (MPD), underbalanced drilling (UBD) and other low surface pressure operations was unveiled by M-I Swaco.
The Low Pressure AutoChoke Console (LPAC) allows the operator to directly set and maintain the desired back-pressure on the well using either the local hydraulic power unit console or the remote human-machine interface (HMI) panel near the driller. According to the developers, the LPAC unit enables seamless transition between AutoChoke, while controlling two units.
With its hydraulic accumulator, air storage tank and uninterruptible power supply, the unit is claimed capable of maintaining pressure for more than two hours after loss of rig air and up to one hour after loss of rig power. Sunlight-readable touch screen panels ensure accurate readings in any weather condition and allow for precise pressure inputs to the AutoChoke units. Screens display additional operating parameters including casing and drill pipe pressures, pump rates, strokes and diagnostics.
The remote HMI comes as standard with the LPAC unit and can be placed anywhere, allowing the choke operator to work in close proximity to the driller throughout the MPD or UBD section of the well.
TAZ takes a bow
The patent-pending TAZ multiple activation circulating sub, launched in Amsterdam by downhole drilling tool specialist XDT, was hailed as ‘the first infinite activation sub to provide a truly unlimited number of activations downhole'.
Malcolm Greener, managing director of XDT, a member of the Reservoir Group, said: ‘The TAZ offers the drilling industry a major advantage in a truly infinite number of activations, affording enhanced efficiency and peace of mind.' With wells becoming increasingly more complex, he added, it is often likely that pumping large volumes of drilling fluid or lost circulation material will be required at some point during the drilling process, dictating it necessary that a circulation sub be run in the bottom hole assembly (BHA). ‘Until now, these tools have had a limited number of activations. The TAZ tool offers a pioneering approach to impacting downhole drilling patterns by using a "magic ball" to influence the flow port. The tool remains dormant in the bottom hole assembly area until opened by pumping down a magic ball. The resulting pressure drop allows the mechanism to engage, opening three ports to the annulus.'
Greener added: ‘The central feature of the Taz system is that the magic ball, which is made of naturally degradable material, "disappears" upon activation, ensuring that a 2in clearance is maintained through the tool at all times. Closing the ports is achieved by pumping down an identical ball, which also "disappears" upon de-activation, leaving the tool dormant and ready to be activated again in a truly endless cycle.'
Rapid drill-through reaming system
The Turbocaser Express, introduced by Aberdeenbased casing and completion technology specialist Deep Casing Tools, was described in Amsterdam as delivering a ‘step change in drilling industry process' and the ‘first ever drill-through tool to ensure casing to target depth'.
‘In demanding downhole conditions, getting casing to target depth, or landing the casing exactly in the subsea tree, is an essential first step for ensuring wellbore integrity and constructing the well as planned,' explained Deep Casing Tools CEO Lance Davis. ‘After developing the Express version of the Turbocaser system, we now have orders from operators from as far as the Middle East and Alaska, where the technology can dramatically reduce the risks and costs of well construction.'
According to Davis, after reaming casing to target depth, the Turbocaser Express's ‘unique, patented internal design can be drilled through in minutes with standard drill bits after normal cementing, in one costeffective operation'.
The company added that its new downhole tool – manufactured as a single body from high-strength steel – is rugged enough to ream casings through obstructions and is fully high HP/HT compliant. It is also designed to work with any drilling fluid without deterioration in power output, reliability or performance.
Shape shifter
Baker Hughes launched its GeoForm conformable sand management system with shape memory polymer technology, which the company said reduces complexity when compared to traditional gravel pack systems.
The GeoForm system, which conforms to the borehole in an open-hole environment, also improves efficiency, reduces rig time and mitigates risks associated with conventional sand control techniques, the company added.
The shape memory polymer (SMP) is manufactured to a desired shape and size, placed on the outside of the base pipe, and compacted to a smaller shape conducive to running in hole. When exposed to bottom hole temperatures and a catalyst, says Baker Hughes, the material expands to its original shape, fully contacting the borehole wall and conforming to abnormalities.
Positive stress on the formation stabilizes the near wellbore region and controls sand migration.
Designed for integration with other Baker Hughes technologies, GeoForm can also be used for remediating existing sand control issues, as the SMP may be deployed across the production interval to repair sanding problems through an existing completion.
High-res HP/HT measurements
New quartz gauges introduced by Schlumberger for well testing operations are designed to operate reliably and obtain high-quality pressure measurements throughout a test, even in rugged HP/HT downhole conditions up to 30,000psi and 410°F. The company attributes this performance to the Signature gauges' new-generation ceramicbased electronics designed specifically for pressure measurement, with data acquisition and processing combined into a purpose-built circuit. This integrated design optimizes power consumption and allows less physical connections for enhanced reliability.
‘With our Signature quartz gauges, operators can run detailed tests for longer to reveal the finer features of the reservoir,' said Devan Raj, marketing and technology manager, Schlumberger Testing Services. ‘Clients can see beyond the near-wellbore area for better reservoir characterization compared to tests run using standard pressure gauges.'
The gauges have been field tested in India, Saudi Arabia, Norway and the UK under a variety of reservoir conditions. In one HP/HT offshore well, the gauges' temperature rating reportedly allowed the operator to position them at a depth of 5108m – 1750m closer to the reservoir than conventional gauges. The well test lasted 15 days and met the operator's test objective of confirming the reservoir's commercial viability.
Environmental edge
Castrol Offshore believes its GreenField lubricants are likely to remain the only products fully tested to stringent Norwegian environmental standards through 2011. Regulatory changes introduced by Norway on 1 January 2010 require discharged lubricants and chemicals, used in closed systems in amounts of more than 3000kg a year per facility, to be registered for use offshore. Crane hydraulics, thrusters, drilling system hydraulics, and mooring winch gears were among the applications affected by the Harmonised Offshore Chemicals Notification Format (HOCNF) requirement.
Castrol Offshore proactively registered its products before the January deadline, said the company's environmental specialist Susannah Linington, adding: ‘We believe we remain in the unique position of being able to offer products fully tested and registered with the Norwegian authorities.'
Topside hydraulic fluid Castrol BioBar and thrusterspecific Castrol BioStat have both been tested and registered according to the OSPAR (the Oslo and Paris Conventions for the protection of the marine environment of the northeast Atlantic) requirements on the Norwegian NEMS database.
The range is completed by Anvol CF22, formulated for BOP control systems, BioTac for jacking legs and deck machinery and BioTrans for gear boxes. All of these products are easy to retrofit, said Linington.
Getting to grips with subsea wellheads
Under its joint industry project initiative launched last October, Plexus Holdings is inviting oil & gas operators and service companies to contribute to the process of applying Plexus' friction-grip technology to a new subsea wellhead design, HGSS, with the following features:
Plexus CEO Ben van Bilderbeek confirmed that the company was proceeding with the initiative, following six months of ‘active dialogue' with operators and regulators about the need for a new design direction to improve safety and performance standards. ‘Recent well control incidents have raised awareness of the critical function of wellheads, particularly in subsea applications,' he said.
‘With this venture we plan to address the emerging requirement for improved integrity throughout and beyond field life. As operating conditions become more extreme, long term performance will inevitably require that firstly all critical seals are isolated from forces at work in the well, and secondly that monitoring facilities, combined with the ability to effect repairs to the production casing annulus are provided, should such remedial action prove necessary.'
HGSS qualification testing and field trials are expected to begin in Q1 and Q3 2012, respectively.
Plexus is establishing a dedicated online discussion forum (‘HGSS Forum') for interested parties who wish to track the project objectives.
VIV suppression
The high performance T-Strake vortex induced vibration (VIV) system launched by Trelleborg Offshore features an innovative modular design to facilitate more efficient transportation and installation.
‘Pipelines unsupported over free spans, such as steel catenary risers and rigid steel flowlines, are prone to VIV fatigue, which can cause serious performance issues such as pipe girth weld failure or premature pipe malfunction,' explained the company's engineered products VP James Vultaggio. ‘To combat this, the T-Strake comprises overlapping and interlocking mouldings, with three-start helical strakes to provide an effective triangular or trapezoidal strake profile.'
Subjected to extensive computational analysis and physical testing, the T-Strake is temperature resistant up to 90°C/194°F. The design enables the system to be stacked during shipping, and each section has been designed as a single component, ensuring it is quick and easy to pre-install onshore or install offshore, said Vultaggio.
Subsea riser monitoring
FlexGuard, the new subsea riser monitoring tool from flexlife, takes the form of a collar that can be fitted to a flexible riser to provide the operator with remote, continuous access to its condition from any location in the world.
Hailed as a failsafe early warning system, it incorporates the latest ultrasonic and subsea communications technology and is able to wirelessly, either on command or at scheduled weekly inspection times, provide the status of the flexible pipe's annulus and underlying armour wires. According to flexlife, the system can be deployed either during riser installation or retrofitted to offer permanent monitoring for corrosion/ breaches.
ATEX-certified sensing system
Hailed as a new concept in environmental monitoring and gas detection, the Sentro 8 Sensorstation launched recently by Trolex is an integrated multi-purpose sensing station fitted with an integral sounder and warning beacon.
ATEX certified for use in hazardous area applications, Sentro 8 has a facility for up to eight pre-calibrated sensing modules, intelligent ‘plug-and-play' elements each with its own processor for intelligent data storage and signal conditioning circuits. Each has data storage capacity to record up to 4000 points of data.
Sentro 8 can also use a standard RS485 data network to link up to 32 sensing stations onto a single cable to a PC running SCADA. Trolex says typical offshore applications for the integrated package include monitoring the concentration of up to eight different gases, or in combination with a choice of remote connected sensors including ambient temperature, vibration or air velocity.
Flexible grouted clamps for pipe repair
The Penspen Group was commissioned by LNG producer Qatargas to develop the detailed design for a new flexible grouted clamp and produce a set of clamps to enable the quick and effective repair of their large diameter subsea pipelines in the event of damage incidents. Penspen in turn contracted FoundOcean to provide consultancy services related to the grout selection and the design of the clamp grout delivery system as well as the performance of verification tests.
Qatargas engineers identified the flexible grouted clamp concept as a way to repair anchor damage such as dents, gouges and displacement, as part of the development of their emergency pipeline repair system (EPRS). They are now working with Penspen to develop a simple off-theshelf modular repair system that can be modified to suit a variety of non-leaking damage scenarios.
While conventional clamps are adequate for the repair of a leaking defect, such as those that may be caused by corrosion, they are usually straight and cannot readily be fitted to pipelines that have been displaced and distorted. In addition, they do not necessarily incorporate structural grouts that will support damage and prevent failure of the defect under the clamp.
Penspen says it is addressing these issues in its design, due to be delivered in June. As well as developing procedures to quickly and reliably assess the severity of anchor damage to large diameter pipelines, including consideration of the presence of any potential denting, displacement, or gouging, damage limits will be provided for the flexible grouted clamp's application.
FoundOcean recently mobilised a 12-man crew to undertake the offshore grouting work associated with installation of SBM Offshore's MOPUstor phase two installation in the North Sea's Yme oil field,
Power drill
R&M Energy Systems plans to roll out its Moyno Even Rubber Thickness power sections product at OTC 2011. The Moyno ERTs improve motor rates of penetration by providing up to twice as much power as conventional power sections, R&M said. An even thickness of rubber applied to an internally machined, onepiece stator contour provides improved power and torque, the company said. That capacity allows the Moyno ERTs to more efficiently transfer power to the bit.
Optimization of metal reinforced stator technology is achieved by minimizing the rubber volume in the stator and applying the rubber evenly to the tube ID. ERT stators ensure accurate dimensioning, even rubber thickness and optimal steel properties for connection, R&M said.
Camera for sale or rent
Ashtead Technology has been appointed exclusive global rental agent for Newfoundland-based SubC Control's innovative 1CamMkII stills and HD video cameras. Offering 12MPixel stills and 1080HD video from a single camera, they require no system upgrades as they record to the camera's internal 64GB memory while outputting regular SD video to surface.
Mark Derry, managing director of Ashtead Technology Offshore, said the cameras would be available to the company's global ROV customers on either a sale or flexible rental basis.
Hydraulic riser handling tool
Developed for a Norwegian client to provide a solution for running, handling and remote pressure testing of an 18in, 15m NT-2 tension joint, Claxton's new hydraulic riser handling tool is reported to have saved the client 41/2 hours of rig time with each run – equating to an estimated project cost saving of £1.8 million. In addition, the tool eliminated scaffolding requirements and offered protection to the associated riser connector.
According to Claxton technical director Dannie Claxton, further benefits can be realised from testing the joint with a previously installed Claxton slimline tension ring, which reduces Texas deck exposure.
Go with the flow
FCI has introduced its VeriCal in-situ calibration verification system for gas and flare flow meters, which the company said saves time and operating costs in flare gas applications. The system allows for verification of flow meter calibration without the need to remove the meter from the pipe or process.
Used in conjunction with FCI air/gas flow measurement products, the VeriCal system combines a specially manufactured and plumbed air/gas flow element with additional electronics that feed and measure a precise flow of gas from a nitrogen source. To test a flow meter, the nitrogen gas is flowed through the meter's flow element and measured against five benchmark measurement points across the meter's range. The in-situ flow meter test data is then compared to original FCI laboratory calibration and installation benchmark test data.
The VeriCal system is designed to comply with recent environmental regulations stipulating that all US offshore rigs processing more than 2000b/d must install flare/vent gas flow meters. OE
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