Eldon Ball - Houston
As we swing into that time of year again for the annual Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, it’s clear that the offshore industry has cut back on some activity and spending. But at the same time it’s significant to note that the development of new technology and equipment has not diminished.
In fact, it is moving full-speed ahead, as this month’s issue of Offshore illustrates.
From a new SIMOPS drilling technique to 20,000-psi subsea equipment to real-time formation pressure testing – and more – the pages of this issue are filled with break-through innovation. So, set aside some time to give these articles and reports your full attention.
Shell’s North field SIMOPS at forefront of innovation
“When you start doing something you have never done before, you are never sure if it is going to work out,” says Anton Vos of Qatar Shell. “We showed that innovation, that thinking outside the box, can make a lot of savings.”
“We started off with just a concept. It was important to have enough lead time because it takes a while. That and a ‘can-do’ mentality,” says Bart Lismont of Qatar Shell.
What they were both talking about is Shell’s new way of simultaneously drilling a well while preparing another well ready for start-up. They have named the process SIMOPS, and are using it for the first time in the North field of Qatar.
SIMOPS, asJohn Waggoner, Technology Editor, Drilling & Production, details in his report this month, accelerates well delivery and significantly reduces costly rig time.
The Pearl GTL project was the first in Qatar to undertake drilling and completion operations, while simultaneously performing perforation, stimulation, and clean up operations on previously drilled and completed wells.
In the past, taking 75 days to complete a production well in the North field was considered a good performance. With the new technology, Shell slashes the average total operation time to only 45 days per well. On average, 10 days on each well are saved through faster drilling and another 20 days by carrying out activities in parallel (SIMOPS). Pearl is on track to deliver 22 wells with a total saving of more than 600 days relative to what was considered good performance. This translates into a projected savings of $135 million.
Waggoner’s report begins onpage 36.
First 20,000-psi subsea completion coming to GoM
Offshore oil and gas operations continue to trend towards developing high-pressure/high-temperature (HP/HT) fields. Over the last decade, the industry has developed completion solutions for wells up to 15,000 psi (103 MPa), and operators now require completions for wells up to 20,000 psi as a result of exploring further offshore, drilling in deeper water, and drilling to greater well depths.
FMC Technologies responded with a High Capacity (HC-20) 18 ¾-in. wellhead system rated to 20,000 psi. The first subsea system qualified at 20,000 psi (138 MPa) is scheduled for installation by Anadarko Petroleum Corp. in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.
The report begins onpage 48.
Real-time formation pressure testing saves $6 million on GoM well
In deepwater exploration wells, where one critical challenge is the ability to optimize mud weight and manage equivalent circulating density (ECD), the ability to obtain formation pressure while drilling (FPWD) data in real-time has proven valuable.
When used to guide exploration drilling in a recent Gulf of Mexico well, a system with this capability has acquired real-time logging-while-drilling (LWD) formation pressure test data at record depths and record high formation pressures. The data provided critical reservoir information that led to a revised completion strategy, which that saved the operator more than $6 million.
Jim Wilson of Halliburton Sperry Drilling Services gives the case history beginning on page 44.
To respond to articles in Offshore, or to offer articles for publication, contact the editor by email ([email protected]).
