Baker Hughes drilling fluid system optimizes circulating pressures

Posted on 02 July 2013

The Baker Hughes MPRESS drilling fluid system was developed and tested using a rigorous quality assurance program at the Baker Hughes fluids labs in Houston.

Baker Hughes’ recently commercialized the MPRESS drilling fluid system, which enables operators to manage circulating pressure more efficiently by reducing stand pipe pressure and applying more horsepower to the bottomhole assembly and drill bit.

The shear-thinning rheological profile of the MPRESS system has a “rapid-set/easy-break” gel structure that minimizes the cuttings in the vertical section of the wellbore from settling into the curve during connections and trips. It also has elevated ultra-low-shear-rate viscosity (ULSRV) that minimizes the likelihood of the cuttings in the lateral section from agglomerating on the bottom of the wellbore “gluing down” during connections. Both the rapid-set gels and elevated ULSRV help keep the wellbore clean and minimize torque and drag associated with cuttings beds in the lateral section. In addition, the gels within the MPRESS system have the ability to break easily, reducing surge pressure when tripping in the hole so mud losses are reduced.

The MPRESS system  reduces viscosity in the drillstring, while optimizing viscosity in the annulus for more efficient cuttings transport. The pressure saved in the drillstring can be used to increase flow rate, provide more power to motors and bits, and save wear and tear on surface equipment. In combination with other Baker Hughes technologies, such as the Autotrak Curve rotary steerable system and Talon high-efficiency PDC bits, the pressure profile of the MPRESS system enables efficient drilling of challenging lateral sections in unconventional reservoirs.

MPRESS, Autotrak and Talon are a trademarks of Baker Hughes.

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Baker Hughes’ new gravel-pack, frac-pack system completes job in Gulf of Mexico

Posted on 28 June 2013

Baker Hughes completed the first commercial frac-pack job with its SC-XP system in the GOM for a major operator in the South Timbalier field.

Baker Hughes recently performed the first commercial frac-pack job with the SC-XP system in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) for a major operator in the South Timbalier field. The system was used to frac pack a completion in 7 ?-in. casing at a depth of 12,600 ft (3,840 meters).

The new gravel-pack and frac-pack system is designed to increase operational efficiency by withstanding higher bottomhole temperatures and to improve production ratings compared to previous sand control systems. The SC-XP gravel-pack and frac-pack system combines field-proven technology and design enhancements in a single package. Its new design provides advanced performance in extreme environments, as recently demonstrated during the frac-pack completion of a well in the GOM.

The single-platform SC-XP system can be used for both frac packing and openhole gravel packing. The system incorporates the critical features of field-proven Baker Hughes gravel pack systems coupled with engineering design enhancements onto a single optimized platform. It can be run into the well up to 30% faster than previous systems. Available in 7 ?-in. and 9 ?-in. sizes, the SC-XP system can operate reliably at temperatures up to 400°F (204°C), treating pressures of 15,000 psi, and can convey proppant volumes up to 1,600,000 lb at a rate of 65 bpm, while still preserving casing integrity.

The system has undergone extensive erosion and stack-up testing at Baker Hughes technology centers and test wells. The SC-XP system is a Baker Hughes PayZone solution, designed to help operators maximize recovery from their reservoirs.

SC-XP is a trademark of Baker Hughes.

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2nd OSRL capping system delivered to Singapore base

All four of OSRL’s capping stacks are designed into a standard configuration, with common pipework, valves, chokes and spools all rated to 15kpsi. The common framework gives greater flexibility by using interchangeable gate valves and rams.

By Astrid Wynne, contributing editor

Oil Spill Response Ltd (OSRL) unveiled the Subsea Well Intervention Service (SWIS) at its new facility in Singapore on 13 June. It is the second of four OSRL systems to be delivered this year, following the delivery of the first capping system in Norway in March. A third system is expected in South Africa in the next few weeks and a fourth in Brazil by Q4. “Each of the centers was chosen because of their strategic location in relation to the major drilling regions. This one covers Asia Pacific,” said Robert Limb, OSRL chief executive officer. The location of the facility in Singapore’s Loyang area was selected for its proximity to the deepwater harbor and to Seletar airport, where a dedicated aircraft that can be used for aerial dispersant is on permanent standby.

A capping stack toolbox and a subsea dispersant hardware toolbox are the main components of the SWIS. Both were developed by the Subsea Well Response Project (SWRP), a consortium of experts from nine oil and gas companies that worked to improve the industry’s subsea well control incident intervention capabilities outside of the US Gulf of Mexico. Houston-based Trendsetter Engineering  was selected to manufacture the four capping systems, which were designed to be adaptable to a range of well and metocean conditions. The 7 1/16-in. stack in Singapore is currently set up in a 10,000-psi configuraton but can become a 15,000-psi stack by changing out a central gate valve system with the dual-ram system.

“The connectors are similar to those in use in the US GOM in that they are provided with H4 and HC connectors, but we needed our system to be modular to accommodate the different well scenarios,” Keith Lewis, project manager for SWRP, said. “The rams were included to deal with gas volume and expansion, and the 7-in. gate valves offer lower weight and faster closing time, providing benefits for oil wells with a lower gas/oil ratio.”

Singapore is also a strategic location for storage of the subsea dispersant hardware kits. Manufactured by Oceaneering, the kits are designed for the subsea application of dispersant if the rig fails to close off the BOP. They include tools for site surveys, such as 2D and 3D sonar debris-clearing equipment with cutting, grappling and dragging tools, flying leads, distribution manifold and dispersant wands to inject dispersant at multiple locations, and high-pressure, high-volume accumulators for closing the existing BOP.

The new SWIS forms part of the permanent “Tier 3” preparedness and response capability of OSRL, a not-for-profit industry-owned cooperative with 18 deepwater capping members worldwide. The tiered approach integrates the contingency plans of the operator, government agencies and other stakeholders to ensure sufficient capabilities are in place. “Tier 3 is global response “big guns.” Tier 2 is regional or occasionally for a specific oilfield/installation, and Tier 1 is equipment at or very close to the location of the activity,” Mr Limb said.

In addition to the capping stack and a subsea dispersant hardware, OSRL’s Singapore facility has a Hercules aircraft on standby 24/7 at Selatar Airport, sea access for its two 20-meter catamarans and other specialized response equipment. The center employ two incident managers and 28 spill response specialists, all full-time, with additional response backup by 53 technical staff trained in oilfield response.

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Automated control system integrates preventive and predictive maintenance functions

Integrated Drilling Equipment’s second-generation, automated Centurion drilling system has been installed on a rig for Lewis Energy in the Eagle Ford play.

By Katie Mazerov, contributing editor

Integrated Drilling Equipment (IDE) has introduced the second-generation, automated Centurion drilling control system on a new 1,500-hp AC Sparta rig for Lewis Energy in the Eagle Ford Shale.

The new system, developed by IDE’s Automation and Controls division, combines preventive and predictive maintenance functions, such as coriolis flow meters, to measure real-time drilling fluid density, mass flow and temperature and pressure readings. It is designed in an open architecture software platform to deliver real-time information and control to drilling contractors, operators and service companies.

“Using this type of platform enables service companies to employ specialized applications for control of the auto-driller and pressure control aspects of rigs,” IDE CEO Steve Cope said. “The use of customer-supplied applications allows for optimal rate of penetration while maintaining zone management and the safety of personnel and machinery.”

The software technology used with the Centurion system also eliminates the need for customers to learn another interface, he added. Information can be accessed onsite and offsite via the  internet or by using a personal computer, smartphone or tablet.

“With this system, we’re taking existing technology and implementing it in a new way on land-based rigs to increase efficiency, accuracy and predictability,” said Charlie Piper, IDE vice president of technical products. “For example, the system can perform oil analysis to give us the real-time properties or viscosity of the diesel powering the rig so we know how much life is left in the diesel before it needs to be changed,” he said. Data from the new system to better understand the trigger points for preventive maintenance and measure the system’s economic viability is being collected and analyzed at 60- and 90-day intervals.

The Centurion system package for the Lewis rig is outfitted with a full package of options, including an integrated, self-aligning satellite system with high-speed broadband; offsite access to all systems; full communication systems with voice over IP; telephone; IP camera and DVR system; fire and gas detection; real-time logging, and offsite data collection and reporting. “By using our own satellite system, we are able to collect and aggregate the data and transfer it quickly to our monitoring facility,” Mr Piper added.

The Sparta Drilling System, one of IDE’s engineered rig packages offered in 500-kip, 750-kip and 1,000-kip (a kip is 1,000 lbs of force) load ratings, features a modular self-elevating mast and a substructure with an integrated walking system. It is designed to be fast-moving for efficient rig moves from pad to pad and well to well. The rig also features the latest AC variable frequency drive technology, proprietary drilling controls and automated options.

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DNV: As dual gradient grows, system qualification will be needed to ensure safe operations

By Katherine Scott, associate editor

Qualification of DGD systems is dependent on the specific configuration of the DGD system, the drilling installation and the well conditions, DNV’s Francisco Chávez V. said at the IADC Dual Gradient Drilling Workshop on 9 May in Houston.

As industry gains experience in the deployment of dual-gradient drilling (DGD) systems on floating rigs, qualification of these systems will become necessary to provide documented evidence that the system will operate safely, Francisco Chávez V., principal project manager of the drilling & well section for Det Norske Veritas (DNV), said at the 2013 IADC DGD Workshop in Houston on 9 May. Such qualification would be dependent on three factors: the configuration of the DGD system, the drilling installation and well conditions, he said. “These three set the qualification boundaries, and changing any one of these will require a reassessment of qualification.”

Because new technologies begin with no defined standards that become developed as the technology is utilized, Mr Chávez said, a risk-based, systematic approach to system qualification would ensure that the technology functions reliably within specified limits. This approach should be applied to DGD technologies, he said, which remains new in terms of field deployment, particularly in deepwater environments. It’s also necessary to qualify DGD systems to extend the operational limits when existing DGD technology is used in more demanding operations, he said.

Mr Chávez cited the following as the current, relevant design standards for DGD on floating drilling rigs with DNV Class:

DNV OS E 101 “Drilling Plant”DNV OS A 101 “Safety Principles and Arrangements”DNV OS D 202 “Automation, Safety, and Telecommunication Systems”

Efforts are also ongoing to produce more specific guidelines for designing DGD systems:

The IADC Underbalanced Operations & Managed Pressure Drilling Committee has drafted an API Recommended Practice for managed pressure drilling, “Constant Bottom Hole Pressure using Applied Surface Back Pressure (Category 2 MPD) with Single Phase Fluid”Revised version of NORSOK D-010DNV revision of DNV-OS-E101

“The design of all equipment has to consider the regulations and the standards, which will eventually be used for qualifying such a system for the operation that is intended. Within that, it implies as well the need to assess the reliability of the different components within that part of the classification so the standards and the qualification methods contribute to building trust on the safe operations, the design and the performance, the reliability of a DGD system,” Mr Chávez said.

Paul Guirlet, Pacific Drilling, said at the workshop that the company had to make several modifications to integrate DGD on the Pacific Santa Ana but is incorporating lessons learned on the four rigs still under construction, which will be delivered “as DGD ready as we can.”

In another presentation at the workshop, Paul Guirlet, vice president of technical support for Pacific Drilling, highlighted the challenges and modifications associated with the integration of DGD on rigs, particuarly what the company has accomplished over the past three years working with Chevron on the Pacific Santa Ana.

He acknowledged that integrating DGD on that drillship has been a team-based effort among many companies, including Chevron, GE, AGR and National Oilwell Varco, adding that the biggest challenge from his perspective was finding space on the rig for the system. “Even if we have a very large vessel, the challenge is finding room.” Further, installation of DGD equipment required locations where it would be easy to access, easy to maintain and easy to use. “This is quite a big piece of equipment; consider it like a lower stack of a BOP that needs to be installed a part of the riser string… We’ve done a lot of work trying to optimize and make the best use of the space available on the vessel.” The DGD equipment includes a drilling riser cross-section, subsea rotating device, solids processing unit, MaxLift pump and drill string valve.

Other equipment on the rig, such as the piping system and the Christmas tree, also needed to be retrofitted due to the fluids used in DGD. “All of our vessel are coming with two storages for the BOP, but of course the MaxLift pump was not exactly similar to a BOP, so we needed to upgrade that. We needed to have a second guiding system to make sure the vessel motion would not create any problems.” Pacific Drilling also had to add two Mux reels, he said.

Mr Guirlet noted that Pacific Drilling is taking all the lessons learned from the Pacific Santa Ana, which was delivered in late 2011, to its new ultra-deepwater drillship, the Pacific Sharav. “We really believe in the DGD plan, so all of the four rigs that we’ve got currently under construction at Samsung will be as DGD ready as we can, because there is a lot of development still ongoing at this stage. And we will know more certainly after we drill the first well in not too long.” Samsung is expected to deliver the Pacific Sharav at the end of 2013.

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Baker Hughes Introduces Rigless Intervention System

HOUSTON, TEXAS (May 2, 2012) – Baker Hughes’ new mechanized, self-pinning rigless intervention system, Mastiff™, provides operators an alternative method for carrying out pipe installation and retrieval operations, which typically require a costly offshore rig. By eliminating the need for a rig, the Mastiff Rigless Intervention System (RIS) can reduce the cost of abandonment, workover and drive pipe pre-installation operations.

The Mastiff RIS’ modular design and light weight make it ideal for operations on platforms with limited load capacity and is easily deployed worldwide. With a maximum weight of 24,000 pounds (10886 kg), each RIS module can be transported in a standard 40-foot (12-meter) open-top container.

The Mastiff RIS has a self-pinning mast erection system that improves safety and enables the unit to be rigged up or rigged down in 24 to 48 hours. Hydraulics built into the system enable the modular components to be assembled and disassembled using a hydraulic, self-pinning design, eliminating the need for riding belt operations, and dramatically reducing risks associated with working at height and manual handling of components. The system’s sturdy mast enables safe operation at wind speeds of up to 50 mph (43.5 knots).

The system has a 352-ton pulling capacity. While performing conductor pipe removal, the Mastiff RIS can support cutting and pulling lifts of 50-foot sections of 36-inch conductor pipe, inner casing and cement, a significant improvement over casing jack systems, which work with 5-foot sections.

As an alternative to well abandonment, the Mastiff RIS can be used to initiate a slot recovery program for continued field development prior to the arrival of the drilling rig. Once the pipe is removed, the well slot can be prepared for a new, full-sized wellbore using a full-range of equipment from drive-pipe whipstocks to hammer services, saving valuable rig time and offering the operator the option to further redevelop assets.

# # #

Baker Hughes is a leading supplier of oilfield services, products, technology and systems to the worldwide oil and natural gas industry. The company’s 58,000-plus employees today work in more than 80 countries helping customers find, evaluate, drill, produce, transport and process hydrocarbon resources.

Unsurpassed reliability and the industry’s best value, including casing and tubing running, hammer services, and completion assembly services.

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Lower your risks with our systems and services for hydraulic fracturing, matrix stimulation treatments, and other remedial operations.

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Our general remedial equipment consists of many types of casing cleanup tools, rod-pumping tools, and other tools like cementing manifolds, swivels, and locators.

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Make informed, just-in-time decisions that optimize operations with our SMART intervention service.

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From the OTC exhibit floor: Directional control system offers alternative for wellbore navigation

Posted on 08 May 2012

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Chris Maranuk, new product launch manager for Weatherford International, talks with Drilling Contractor editorial coordinator Joanne Liou about Weatherford’s MotarySteerable system on the exhibit floor at the 2012 OTC last week in Houston. The directional control system bridges the gap between conventional mud motors and RSS to optimize directional drilling.

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Petrobras' First Intelligent Completion System Goes To Baker Oil Tools

HOUSTON, TEXAS (October 2, 2000) Baker Oil Tools has been awarded Petrobras' first-ever Intelligent Completion System contract. Ultimately intended for the Brazilian operator's ultra-deepwater Roncador field, Baker Oil Tools InCharge Intelligent Well System was selected over other offerings due to its simplicity and all-electronic design, incorporating a one-penetration approach and a power-on-communications architecture that will require little to no retrofit of existing subsea trees. The first qualification deployment of the InCharge system will take place at Mossor, near Natal, Brazil, at the beginning of the next year.

"Baker Oil Tools is very excited to participate with Petrobras in this deepwater milestone," said Baker Oil Tools President Ed Howell. "The all-electronic InCharge system is an ideal fit with Petrobras' objectives of reliability and elimination of hydraulics from subsea dynamic systems," Howell commented.

All-electronic system enhances reliability

"For an intelligent completion system to deliver on its functionality, it must be engineered as an integral part of the completion system. This means a detailed focus on reliability in all phases of the implementation, from design through deployment, integration and commissioning," Howell explained. The InCharge all-electronic real-time monitoring and control system has been designed with all terminations, bypasses, feedthroughs, and splices engineered within reliable, conventional completion components. "This allows operators to achieve downhole monitoring and control without compromising proven completion designs and techniques," Howell said.

One aspect of the InCharge system that is particularly valuable to subsea operators is the single control line that penetrates packers and wellhead. Combining power transmission, command and control, and data transmission on a single, 1/4-inch penetration delivers simplicity without sacrificing functionality. From this control line, the operator can monitor and control up to 12 zones in a single well, and up to 12 wells from a single InCharge Surface Control System.

The InCharge system monitors real-time measurements of pressure, temperature and flow at the sandface level(s), in both the tubing and annulus. This enables the operator to manage production and/or injection conditions in real time, and to selectively control individual zonal flow rates, thereby allowing continuous well optimization in response to changing conditions downhole. Flow contribution can be properly allocated, water and gas breakthrough can be controlled, and multiple target zones can be pre-completed to be selectively brought onstream or shut off at will from the PC-based control system.

World's first electrical wet disconnect tool

Petrobras early 2001 qualification deployment of the InCharge system will employ the world's first downhole electrical disconnect/reconnect system. Based on Baker's hydraulic wet disconnect system (also a world first), the system enables downhole electrical connectivity that is compatible with proven hydraulic/mechanical techniques routinely used in state-of-the-art deepwater tubing space-out, expansion/contraction, and stress management systems.

Baker Oil Tools is a world leader in total completion, workover, and fishing solutions that help exploration and production companies optimize their hydrocarbon recovery investment. Baker Oil Tools solutions are based on advanced downhole and surface technology, practically applied, to help operators produce at the highest levels and the lowest cost throughout the life of the reservoir.

Baker Hughes (BHI, NYSE, PCX, EBS) is a leading supplier of reservoir-centered products, services, and systems to the worldwide oil and gas industry.

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Chinese Operator Slashes 60% Off Development Cost with Mini-Beta One-Trip Multi-Zone Completion System

HOUSTON, TEXAS (June 26, 2000) – China's Bohai Oil Corporation cites Baker Oil Tools' Mini-Beta One-Trip Multi-Zone Completion System for helping slash completion time per well by up to 66% and total development cost by more than 60% in its JZ93 Bohai Bay field. The Mini-Beta system, which was used to complete 30 of 47 wells in the JZ93 Bohai Bay field, enabled the operator to individually frac pack or gravel pack four zones in as few as 2.4 days.

"Even with the relatively inexpensive costs in the Bohai Bay area, the use of the Mini-Beta One-Trip Multi-Zone Gravel Pack System resulted in saving more than $2.5 million US in rig time for the wells that were completed during this project," said Liang Yue Liu, Design Manager, for Bohai Oil. The savings figure was based on rig time valued at $40,000 per day. As a result of the success of this project, Bohai Oil awarded the completion of all 186 wells in its SZ36-2 Bohai Bay field to Baker Oil Tools. That contract is valued at $15 million.

Big rewards without sacrifice

The Mini-Beta System combines Baker's field proven CK-FRAQ crossover tool technology with one-trip multi-zone expertise to allow multiple producing intervals to be gravel- or fracpacked with a single trip into the wellbore. Each interval can be treated individually while maintaining complete zonal isolation during all steps of the treatment. In addition to multiple producing intervals, the system is particularly well suited for areas where the producing formation is layered and subsequently difficult to treat as one complete interval. These layered reservoirs can be short or extremely long. To work in these varying lengths, the Mini-Beta System is adjustable for interval spacing, including intervals as close together as 28 ft (8.5 m). As a result, layered reservoirs of any length can now be treated quickly and efficiently.

"All of these attributes offer users of the Mini-Beta System the opportunity to reap big savings in rig time and cost without having to sacrifice production time or quality," said Carroll Newman, Baker Oil Tools Product Line Manager for Stimulation and Pumping Services. Newman pointed out that one particular advantage of the system is the ability to optimize technology vessel logistics so that pumping operations on all zones can be completed without operation standby.

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New System Sets World Record by Perforating a 1490-m Horizontal Section

HOUSTON - November 11, 2002 - Baker Atlas has set the world record for the longest horizontal perforating operation in the Norwegian section of the North Sea.

A Baker Atlas crew, with the assistance of Baker Oil Tools staff, successfully ran a 2246-m (7367-ft) Horizontal Oriented Perforating SystemSM (HOPSSM) to perforate a total 1490-m (4888-ft) section using 4½” deep penetrating PERFFORM™ charges.

The guns were tubing conveyed using 188 swivel gun connectors to orient gun sections and negotiate deviations in the wellbore. Charges were oriented in the direction of maximum formation stress to minimize sand production.

The gun design also allowed the operator to optimize production by effectively covering 6% more of the reservoir and decreasing the total area left unperforated across connections by more than 50%.

Baker Atlas launched the new Horizontal Oriented Perforating System after completing field testing with over 50 runs. HOPS is designed to reliably and efficiently perforate long intervals in highly deviated wellbores where the orientation of perforations is critical. Perforating gun sizes from 27/8” to 7” OD are available. The system is made up of specially phased, eccentrically weighted perforating guns and swivel gun connectors that allow the guns to rotate.

To date, the system has successfully been deployed in highly deviated wells to minimize sand production and avoid oil-water contacts. The orientation performance of the system has been proven using Baker Hughes’ Shot Detection Indicator Devices. One example verified an average perforation orientation accuracy of ±7.5° at a maximum build angle of 3.7°/30 m.

Baker Atlas, a division of Baker Hughes Incorporated, offers a complete range of downhole well logging services for every environment. Services include advanced formation evaluation, production and reservoir engineering, petrophysical measurements and geophysical data acquisition services. In addition, perforating and completion technologies, pipe recovery, and processing and analysis of open and cased hole data complete the service range. Additional information may be found at www.bakeratlas.com.

Baker Hughes is a leading provider of drilling, formation evaluation, completion and production products and services to the worldwide oil and gas industry.

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Digital oilfield system connects personnel through smartphones, touch pads

Posted on 05 April 2012

By Joanne Liou, editorial coordinator

DOFERO Consultancy has launched an interface that provides access to the oilfield, on land and offshore, through smartphones and touch pads in real time.

DOFERO’s Viz-iSeries and latest Viz-iHMI2100 application for remote access of data connects field personnel with their supervisors, subject matter experts and original equipment manufacturers to help solve issues without the cost of traveling or nonproductive time. The system provides the medium for real-time maintenance and trouble shooting and real-time training.

“The goal is to manage the asset from start to finish,” Darrell Fanguy, co-owner and executive VP of sales and marketing for DOFERO, said at the product launch in Houston on 22 March. The Viz-iSeries and latest Viz-iHMI2100 includes multiple cameras for rig sites, a means of face-to-face communication and application for an early detection system for equipment failure. “This is nothing new; this is all proven technology,” he added.

DOFERO’s Viz iSeries includes:

Viz-iMech, a self-contained and self-deployable solution for rig sites;Viz-iRig, a remote-access solution with multiple cameras for rigs sites;Viz-iWire, an early detection system to predict equipment failure; andViz-iChat, a collaborative environment to communicate with rig sites.

Watch the video to see a demonstration of the digital oilfield applications.

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Baker Oil Tools Introduces Tension Cut and Pull Subsea Wellhead Retrieval System

HOUSTON (February 13, 2003) - The new Baker Oil Tools Tension Cut and Pull Subsea Wellhead Retrieval System can save hundreds of thousands of dollars by reducing the number of trips needed to recover intermediate casing strings and wellhead from the seabed.

The Baker Oil Tools Tension Cut and Pull Subsea Wellhead Retrieval System can engage any manufacturer's wellhead, cut conductors in tension, and recover the wellhead from the seabed in a single trip.

"With the costs of deepwater operations, any opportunity to improve efficiencies without increasing risk is welcome," said Baker Oil Tools Fishing Product Line Manager James Sonnier. "Deepwater operators can reduce the number of trips and save rig time and operating expenses with the Tension Cut and pull Subsea Wellhead Retrieval System."

Besides bringing improved efficiency to deepwater operations, the Baker Oil Tools Tension Cut and Pull Subsea Wellhead Retrieval System is reliable and safe. The system uses all hydraulically operated components and requires no motors and no explosives, which means decreased risk and reduced damage to the subsea habitat.

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Digital oilfield system connects personnel through smartphones, touch pads

Posted on 05 April 2012
By Joanne Liou, editorial coordinator
DOFERO Consultancy has launched an interface that provides access to the oilfield, on land and offshore, through smartphones and touch pads in real time.
DOFERO’s Viz-iSeries and latest Viz-iHMI2100 application for remote access of data connects field personnel with their supervisors, subject matter experts and original equipment manufacturers to help solve issues without the cost of traveling or nonproductive time. The system provides the medium for real-time maintenance and trouble shooting and real-time training.
“The goal is to manage the asset from start to finish,” Darrell Fanguy, co-owner and executive VP of sales and marketing for DOFERO, said at the product launch in Houston on 22 March. The Viz-iSeries and latest Viz-iHMI2100 includes multiple cameras for rig sites, a means of face-to-face communication and application for an early detection system for equipment failure. “This is nothing new; this is all proven technology,” he added.
DOFERO’s Viz iSeries includes:
Viz-iMech, a self-contained and self-deployable solution for rig sites;Viz-iRig, a remote-access solution with multiple cameras for rigs sites;Viz-iWire, an early detection system to predict equipment failure; andViz-iChat, a collaborative environment to communicate with rig sites.
Watch the video to see a demonstration of the digital oilfield applications.
View the original article here

Successful dual-gradient system follows nature’s pressure profiles

By Katie Mazerov, contributing editor

A dilution-based dual-gradient system dilutes the riser and creates a different pressure profile at the seabed.

A dilution-based dual-gradient system has been shown to deliver significant cost reductions and enhanced well control in deepwater wells. “This is an alternative way of creating a dual-gradient profile in the wellbore, not by means of pumping heavy mud from the seafloor up to the surface but by diluting the riser and creating a different pressure profile at the seabed,” said Luc de Boer, president of Dual Gradient Systems, which collaborated with Transocean in the development of the system. Mr de Boer discussed the testing process in a presentation at the IADC Dual Gradient Drilling Seminar on 19 March in Milan, Italy.

The premise of Transocean’s continuous annular pressure management (CAPM) system is based on using two stable mud densities in the wellbore, a specially designed centrifuge and a rotating control device (RCD) near the top of the riser below the slip joint rated to 1,500 psi.

The $5 million research and development project was conducted over a five-year period. The system is designed to follow the earth’s profiles – the ocean being low pressure and the earth being high pressure – rather than fight them, Mr de Boer noted.

“Initially, the system was designed conventionally, where heavy mud was pumped down the drill string through the bit and up the annulus,” he explained. When Transocean joined the project, the company suggested the use of an RCD to pump the mud. “At the bottom of the riser, the same mud without barite is injected into the return mud stream, creating a lower-density mud in the riser,” he said. An RCD at the top of the riser holds back pressure and directs flow to a choke manifold. Flow meters accurately track barrels in and out of the well. “The control device is at the surface, which also services as a very good safety feature,” he added.

Continuous separation

Testing began in 2002 with the concept to separate the oil-based mud into a high-density mud and a nearly un-weighted mud on a continuous basis. A second phase was launched in 2004 testing an oil-based mud and a water-based mud. In a third test in 2006, a special centrifuge unit with better capacity than a single centrifuge unit was deployed. The final test in 2007 achieved the desired separation process with a specially designed centrifuge that increased the flow from the normal pump rate of 50 gal/min to 600 gal/min, Mr de Boer explained.

In a comparative test in a deepwater Gulf of Mexico well, the conventional single-gradient well design included nine casing and liner seats to total depth (TD). The dilution-based, dual-gradient well design had six casing and liner seats, with a high-density mud weight of 12.8 lb/gal to 16.3 lb/gal, a riser mud weight of 9.9 lb/gal to 11.3 lb/gal and a dilution ratio of 2.4 to 3.1. “The reduction in casing strings, at $10 million per string, is significant,” Mr de Boer pointed out.

A third scenario featured a dual-gradient drilling (DGD) design with dilution below the mud line. The system resulted in four casing and liner seats, with a high-density mud weight of 17.3 lb/gal, riser mud weight of 10.9 lb/gal and a dilution ratio of 2.9. “We call this the prize,” Mr de Boer said. “This design takes more work to get the dilution below the seabed, but it gives us extended reach.” The dilution-below-mudline system also can be used for low-cost open-hole sidetracks and for low-cost exploration drilling.

With the DGD dilution system, all equipment is on the surface and can be repaired with little downtime; the CAPM riser system and flow controls enhance well control. The system also can be switched from dual-gradient to single gradient in an hour if necessary, Mr de Boer said.

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Texas agency approves mobile system to recycle produced, flowback water

Posted on 26 March 2012

Texas-based Water Rescue Services has received approval from the Railroad Commission of Texas to operate a mobile recycling system to recycle produced and flowback water created through the hydraulic fracturing process.

“Only a handful of companies meet the stringent requirements to recycle flowback and produced water, which allows for substantial gains in efficiency while performing on location,” said Wes Williams, president of Water Rescue Services. “We believe our customers with active Texas drilling operations will enjoy a significant market advantage when utilizing Water Rescue’s mobile treatment technology to recycle water on site, thus lowering costs and saving time through this recycling process.”

Water Rescue Services recently signed a strategic alliance with Select Energy Services that gives Select access to a mobile water treatment and recycling technology through Water Rescue’s electro-coagulation units.

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New software modules enhance drilling riser monitoring system

By Katherine Scott, editorial coordinator

 Pulse Structural Monitoring, an Acteon company, unveiled three new software modules developed to complement its DrillASSURE drilling riser monitoring system software during a launch event at the 2012 IADC/SPE Drilling Conference and Exhibition in San Diego, Calif., on 7 March. Developed in conjunction with 2H Offshore, the new modules are DrillJOINT, DrillWINDOW and DrillADVISE and add to the current modules DrillFATIGUE, DrillTRANSIT and DrillVIV. The new interfaces are designed to help operators and contractors optimize use of their drill joint inventory, identify optimum operating windows and conduct safe campaigns by constantly analyzing conditions in real time.

“Improvement in safety, productivity and efficiency are increased and lower operating costs are the major benefits we see for integrating the software into (a company’s) operations,” said Jeff Diestler, business development manager for Pulse.

The DrillJOINT module is a complete inventory detailing the location, availability, technical specification, previous use and maintenance history of the owner’s drill joint. It enables  operators and contractors to source riser joints and assemble a robust drilling stack on screen prior to drilling, saving time and enhancing safety and efficiency.

DrillWINDOW offers pre-drilling analysis of static and dynamic operating windows and hang-off envelopes. The user inputs known environmental data, such as wave height, current velocity and mud density, then the software evaluates these data points against approved safety margins to calculate the fatigue life of the drill stack.

Lastly, the DrillADVISE module calculates parameters such as vessel position, flex joint angles and environmental conditions, then presents easily interpretable data in real time to guide the user on proceeding safely and efficiently. Feedback is presented in colors: Green shows all parameters are within thresholds, amber indicated caution or corrective action are required, and red is an instruction to disconnect immediately.

The combination of hardware and software modules creates the DrillASSURE system, which provides information to support day-to-day drilling operation and longer-term integrity management. The system uses real-time software in conjunction with inputs from sensors on the topside vessel, lower marine riser package and along the length of the riser.

“With our DrillASSURE systems (we can) monitor fatigue accumulation on critical components,” Mr Diestler said.

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WindowMaster<font size="-1">^&#8482</font> System Enables the World's First Commercial Re-Entry Expandable Liner

HOUSTON, TEXAS (May 8, 2003) - Baker Oil Tools' WindowMaster™ one-trip window cutting system was a key enabler for a recent successful expandable liner installation for Kerr-McGee Oil & Gas Corp. in the East Breaks Gulf of Mexico field.

Baker Oil Tools' WindowMaster™ System was chosen over the alternatives because of its proven reliability with over 4,000 successful jobs. Using the renowned METAL MUNCHER™ cutting structure, the whipstock system was able to create a full length, full gauge, quality window at the optimum build rate through 9-5/8 in. 53.5 lb. casing. This performance was critical to the successful deployment of the 7-5/8 in. solid expandable liner that was run through the casing exit.

"Expandable tubulars can be sensitive to severe doglegs and longitudinal scratches in the material," said Steve Sparling, Kerr-McGee Oil & Gas Deepwater Drilling Engineer. "A clean window is extremely important during the deployment and expansion process. For our project, this window was so clean, there was no indication of a window at all."

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Baker Oil Tools Introduces Tension Cut and Pull Subsea Wellhead Retrieval System

HOUSTON (February 13, 2003) - The new Baker Oil Tools Tension Cut and Pull Subsea Wellhead Retrieval System can save hundreds of thousands of dollars by reducing the number of trips needed to recover intermediate casing strings and wellhead from the seabed.

The Baker Oil Tools Tension Cut and Pull Subsea Wellhead Retrieval System can engage any manufacturer's wellhead, cut conductors in tension, and recover the wellhead from the seabed in a single trip.

"With the costs of deepwater operations, any opportunity to improve efficiencies without increasing risk is welcome," said Baker Oil Tools Fishing Product Line Manager James Sonnier. "Deepwater operators can reduce the number of trips and save rig time and operating expenses with the Tension Cut and pull Subsea Wellhead Retrieval System."

Besides bringing improved efficiency to deepwater operations, the Baker Oil Tools Tension Cut and Pull Subsea Wellhead Retrieval System is reliable and safe. The system uses all hydraulically operated components and requires no motors and no explosives, which means decreased risk and reduced damage to the subsea habitat.

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Baker Oil Tools' EXPress<font size="-1">^™</font> Expandable Screen System Enhances Sand Control and Production

HOUSTON (Feb. 26, 2003) – The EXPress™ Expandable Screen System, now available from Baker Oil Tools, is a premium downhole sand exclusion device with a unique combination of mechanical advantages. The EXPress screen combines the proven sand control ability of the Baker Oil Tools EXCLUDER screen with the additional benefits of screen expansion such as annular flow reduction, hole stability, and large inside diameters.

The EXPress Screen's design, based on perforated pipe expansion technology, adds tremendous mechanical strength and reliability to the screen. The EXPress screen can be expanded outward to greatly reduce or eliminate the annular space between the wellbore and the screen. Reduced annular flow lessens the potential for sand migration and development of "hot spots" in the screen. The screen's unique filter membrane construction allows for the production of mud solids without plugging the screen while still maintaining effective sand exclusion.

Baker Oil Tools has published a brochure detailing the unique advantages of the EXPress Expandable Screen System.

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