Eldon Ball • Houston
Historically, new technology has been the life blood of the oil and gas industry, the ingredient that leads to lower costs, greater productivity, and new reserves. That is the case even more today than ever, as witness the boom in shale oil and gas drilling in the US because of the technology developed there. Some notable new drilling and production technology has made the scene in recent weeks, and it bears further discussion.
New steerable system
Schlumberger recently introduced its new hybrid PowerDrive Archer rotary steerable system that the company says enables drillers to kick off from any inclination, building curves as aggressive as 17°/100 ft and landing in the reservoir sooner.
According to Schlumberger, PowerDrive Archer delivers high build rate well profiles previously only possible with motors – yet with the rate of penetration and wellbore quality of a fully rotating RSS.
All external parts rotate, which Schlumberger says reduces the risk of mechanical or differential sticking and improves wellbore quality for easier well completion.
For a complete report on this technology, see our annual rotary steerable supplement, beginning on page 68.
New RSS, sand management, frac system
Speaking of RSS systems, Baker Hughes has introduced a new version of the AutoTrak rotary steerable system, designed for high build rates and accurate drilling of long horizontal wells. It too is discussed in more detail in the rotary steerable survey that starts on page 68.
Baker Hughes also has introduced its GeoForm sand management with shape memory polymer technology. The GeoForm system conforms to the borehole in an open hole to reduce complexity of gravel pack systems, the company says, and to improve efficiency while mitigating risks.
At the same time, the FracPoint product from Baker Hughes is a new multi-stage fracturing system using the company’s IN-Tallic disintegrating frac balls. The balls are light weight, high-strength materials with controlled electrolytic metallic technology based on an electrochemical reaction controlled by nanoscale coating within the composite grain structure, Baker Hughes says.
Access without interruption
At the recent Subsea Tieback Forum in San Antonio, Oil States Industries announced its new Intervention “Y” Fitting, designed to provide access to a riser or flowline for coiled tubing or wireline intervention, without interrupting flow. It allows bi-directional pigging at all other times.
Intervention “Y” Fitting from Oil States Industries.
With its diverter plug in place, the fitting’s 5D main bore facilitates passage of any type of pig in either direction. In the event of hydrate formation or other flow assurance problems requiring intervention, the diverter plug is removed, while the flowline remains in service, and coiled tubing or wireline is introduced through the intervention branch.
The Intervention “Y” Fitting is manufactured from either a forged or cast body. The curved bore is machined to match a typical 5D bend and the pipe wall thickness.
Access into the pressurized cavity of the fitting, for removing and installing the diverter plug, is provided through a valve. The diverter plug is installed and removed using a plug intervention and removal tool, which, according to Oil States, is designed for operation by either a diver or ROV. The tool is attached to the valve, pressure is equalized, and the valve is opened, allowing the diverter plug to be extracted into the tool while the flowline remains pressurized.
Extreme HP/HT
GE Oil & Gas recently was awarded a $7-million contract from Total E&P UK Ltd. to supply drilling and production equipment for the expansion of the Elgin Franklin gas field in the North Sea.
To meet the extreme well pressure and temperature demands of the project, GE will supply surface wellhead and flow control equipment that can operate at well pressures of 15,000 psi and temperatures of 450° F.
“This is an important North Sea project for Total E&P UK, benefitting from GE’s ability to manufacture and install advanced technology high-pressure/high-temperature equipment,” said Matt Corbin, regional leader United Kingdom and continental Europe, GE Oil & Gas.
In addition to the equipment, GE will provide field service installation, training and maintenance services for the project.
Largest roller cone bit
Varel International reports that it recently completed a massive 44-in. steel-toothed roller cone bit for the oil and gas industry. The bit, which weighs in at more than 6,000 lb and is over 22% larger in diameter than any previous roller cone bit, was requested specifically by Saudi Aramco.
The bit features an advanced cutting structure with optimized row placement, tooth spacing and cutter geometry for increased drilling efficiency, Varel says. These attributes also work to minimize tooth wear and prevent cutter tracking in a variety of formations and conditions.
David Harrington, vice president of Varel’s roller cone technology group, explained how the ultra-large diameter bit will work to create efficiencies in current field operations by offering a single bit solution to top-hole drilling, which previously involved drilling a pilot hole and then re-drilling with a hole-opening assembly.
“Drilling with this large diameter bit in the top-hole section is a more efficient solution,” Harrington said. “The bit saves the operator time and money through a reduction of tripping to change bits and the need for hole-enlargement tools. The inaugural run of this innovative product is scheduled for the first quarter of 2011.”
Containment system
The Marine Well Containment Co. has completed and made available its initial well containment response system for rapid containment response to an underwater well control incident in deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
The system has a subsea capping stack to shut in oil flow or to flow the oil via flexible pipes and risers to surface vessels. The system also includes subsea dispersant injection equipment, manifolds, and, through mutual aid among members, capture vessels to provide surface processing and storage.
The interim system can operate in water depths to 8,000 ft (2,438 m) and has storage and processing capacity for 60,000 b/d of liquids. The capping stack has a maximum operating pressure of 15,000 psi (103 MPa). The equipment is located on the U.S. Gulf Coast.
The Marine Well Containment Co. is a partnership of ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Apache and Shell.
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