Well control technologies going electric, digital

Bruce Beaubouef, Managing Editor  

Well control technologies have long been a key component of offshore production systems. But the importance of these systems has only been amplified in recent years, as producers have moved further offshore and into higher pressure and higher temperature reservoirs. 

Traditional and established well control technologies include blowout preventers (BOPs), managed pressure drilling (MPD) systems, early kick detection systems (EKDS), subsea shut-off devices (SSDs), capping stacks, and relief well systems.

More recent well control technologies have emphasized automation, digitalization, and integration with MPD and the industrial internet of things (IIoT).

All-electric solutions

The industry is trending toward all-electric and digital solutions, driven by regulatory pressures and the need for precision in deepwater and HP/HT environments, though hydraulics remain critical for high-power applications.

Earlier this year, SLB released its EWC electric well control technology system, which it says is designed to help prevent uncontrolled release of fluids from wells. The company noted that traditionally, power has been supplied by hydraulic systems comprising hoses, valves and actuators. But SLB noted that this tended to make well control systems expensive to install, with added costs for routine maintenance over the lifetime of the well control system.

In place of hydraulics, EWC contains a simplified electric power system that is said to reduce these costs, while also providing real-time data insights and continuous on-demand power to the well control components, irrespective of operating conditions.

SLB says that its first EWC technology will enable drillers to instantly and precisely control and monitor BOPs onshore and offshore, leveraging IIoT components along the system architecture to provide instant pressure readouts, without the need for conventional pressure gauges. The goal is to help customers make better-informed decisions about the operation and maintenance of the well control system — reducing nonproductive time and minimizing opex. Recently SLB secured a FEED contract for an EWC BOP control system for a rig operating in the North Sea. A final review of the design should follow sometime this year.

Further advancing the “all-electric” front is Halliburton’s recently introduced EcoStar electric tubing-retrievable safety valves. The EcoStar eTRSV is the all-electric version of its DepthStar product, replacing the hydraulic system with an electric actuation system.

It incorporates the same magnetic coupling technology to isolate the actuator from the wellbore. This design is said to provide operators with more precise control, real-time valve monitoring, and enhance overall well safety by eliminating the need for hydraulic fluids. 

Automated controls 

Also earlier this year, Halliburton and Sekal AS delivered what they described as “the world’s first automated on-bottom drilling system” for Equinor in the North Sea. The system integrated Halliburton’s LOGIX remote operations functions capability with the automation functions provided by Sekal’s Drilltronics system.

The team delivered the well for Equinor on the Norwegian Continental Shelf with an integrated closed-loop control solution. That solution included autonomous directional drilling with automated wellbore hydraulics and dynamic surface drilling rig equipment control.

These automated controls enabled the rig crew to optimize drilling parameters in real time and deliver well placement more precisely, thereby enhancing wellbore integrity.

Elsewhere, ADNOC has been developing an autonomous well control system with support from AIQ, a joint venture between Presight and ADNOC; and Halliburton. Using AI in the cloud, the RoboWell system is designed to allow wells to self-operate and self-adjust based on changing field conditions. This results, the companies say, in safer operations, fewer site visits, lower emissions and better performance.

Challenges ahead

There are challenges ahead for advanced well control technologies, as with 20K-psi BOPs and digital twin systems – these systems remain expensive, and are thus difficult or impractical for smaller operators to use in marginal fields. In addition, all-electric systems and robotics face reliability challenges in deepwater HP/HT conditions, though advancements are closing this gap. In addition to these technological, operators also face varied regulatory requirements in different offshore provinces. Global differences in well control standards, as can be seen with US and UK standards, further complicate technology deployment.