Shale sweetspot technical service reduces costs
WellDog has released its Shale SweetSpotter service, which is the first commercial reservoir-evaluation analysis technology specific to unconventional oil and gas, following successful field trials with its industry partner in the Marcellus Shale, a press release stated. WellDog’s next-generation downhole technical service uses lasers and sophisticated detectors to identify the locations where hydrocarbons occur in shale formations, allowing producers to focus development efforts, reduce drilling costs, optimize production and reduce the number of hydraulic fracturing stages and associated water usage. The service uses WellDog’s Reservoir Raman System, which was originally developed to find sweet spots in coalbed methane developments. In 2014 the company began developing new shale-based applications for the technology. Shale SweetSpotter was developed with the target of doubling the number of producing fractures. This is accomplished by using the industry’s only downhole Raman spectrometer to directly identify locations of producible hydrocarbons across the formations.
Flowback service improves well productivity
Halliburton has released the CALIBR engineered flowback service, which applies advanced diagnostics and a collaborative workflow to continuously manage flowback operations to improve well productivity. It also helps maximize water recovery and reduce damage to fractures caused during drawdowns, a product announcement stated. Halliburton recently partnered with an operator in the Permian Basin to demonstrate the advantages of implementing an optimized flowback strategy to increase productivity. The well was drilled in what was believed to be marginal acreage, but by using CALIBR the operator was able to complete the well with the highest productivity index within its portfolio.
Hydraulic fracturing gets quiet
Liberty Oilfield Services has released its new Quiet Fleet technology, a press release stated. The Quiet Fleet utilizes patent-pending Liberty-developed sound reduction technology incorporated directly into fracturing equipment to dramatically reduce noise emissions during hydraulic fracturing operations. Noise levels are reduced by a factor of three compared to a conventional fracturing fleet, far more effective than costly sound walls. This noise reduction is achieved without any impact to operational performance or rigup time. The design of the Quiet Fleet also allowed the incorporation of a sophisticated threestage fire suppression system on each unit, which is not viable on a conventional fracturing fleet. The Quiet Fleet recently was deployed in the Denver-Julesburg Basin for Extraction Oil & Gas and completed 210 frack stages in the first 10 days of operation.
Virtual reality improves safety, productivity
Optech4D partnered with a manufacturer of high-speed rotating equipment (turbines, pumps and compressors) to develop a custom virtual reality product to support its training program, a press release stated. To ensure the safety of its employees and equipment, Optech4D’s client exercises the Lockout-Tagout (LOTO) system by which equipment is de-energized, locked and tagged so it cannot be started during maintenance or when highly explosive environments are present. The Optech4D Fully Immersive Training Simulator simulates the LOTO procedure training using virtual reality. By partnering with Oculus Rift, Optech4D developed a virtual world where the trainee can walk through the facility to check all critical equipment and verify that it is properly de-energized, tagged and locked out. In addition, Optech4D has leveraged augmented reality safety glasses and tablets and its SafeBeacon sensor technology to give operators in the field real-time assistance during LOTO.
Produced water to irrigation-grade achieved in a single modular system
An OriginClear licensee has released a complete modular system (ECOPOD)— now in operation at an oil field near Bakersfield, Calif.—to clean up produced water, a press release stated. The ECOPOD pilot scale system uses OriginClear’s Electro Water Separation, requires no chemicals and reliably processes 340 bbl/d of oilfield produced water with minimal operator supervision. The ECOPOD System 1.0 can successfully and competitively treat produced water and recycle it into irrigation quality water for local beneficial reuse. OriginClear licensee ECT Services & Solutions developed the compact ECOPOD System 1.0 to transform produced water into clean water for use in irrigation and potable water applications. The centerpiece is OriginClear’s commercial-scale P3000, designed to treat up to 3,000 bbl/d. The ECT team implemented additional scrubbing and polishing steps to achieve potable-grade water. The entire process is chemical-free and extremely energy-efficient while reducing the rate water evaporates during reuse.
Troubleshoot faster with decision support
GE Digital has released a new generation of its automation software portfolio that goes beyond traditional automation to offer decision support capabilities, a critical foundation for efficient operations. The new GE HMI/ SCADA software offers the most comprehensive and best-in-class monitoring and visualization capabilities as well as work process management, analytics and mobility, a press release stated. Based on the International Society of Automation’s high-performance design principles, this software enables companies to troubleshoot faster, reduce waste and increase productivity. This fourth-generation HMI/SCADA technology can allow operators to spend less time navigating, find critical data faster, improve alarm resolution success, identify relevant screens for an alarm, increase usability and achieve a faster build/deployment.
Virtual reality tool aids ship designers, engineers
The ShipSpace product is a next-generation virtual reality design verification tool that allows designers, engineers and key stakeholders to validate design ideas and communicate effectively about vessel concepts and designs, a KNUD E HANSEN press release stated. The product consists of computer hardware and software on the customer’s premises and in the cloud. ShipSpace uses the latest virtual reality technologies to enable users to walk around all areas of the vessel and get a better understanding of how spaces work with a true sense of depth and scale not possible with monitors or projectors.
Eccentric casing strings cut with single tool
A new technique developed by Energy Fishing & Rental Services (EFRS) was used to successfully cut totally eccentric 5-in., 7-in., 10¾-in. and 16-in. strings in a Gulf of Mexico well with a single cutting tool, a press release stated. The technique was developed in response to a problem faced by an operator during a plug-and-abandonment (P&A) operation. Because all four casing strings were cemented together, conventional multistep cutting using graduated-size cutting tools and knives was impossible. EFRS used a combination of specially fabricated cutter knives and an EFRS-designed procedure that used the correct combination of pump pressure and torque monitoring to cut all four totally eccentric inner strings using a cutter that typically could not have been used in this application. A job considered impossible was performed efficiently, with all strings cut and pulled. All four eccentric casing strings were cut using an EFRS 3½-in. outer diameter two-blade internal hydraulic casing cutter. The quick visualization, development and execution of specific procedures to complete an extremely difficult job has created a new option for effectively overcoming similar problems in P&A work.
Collaboration improves production efficiency
Emerson and StepChange Global have combined technology and consulting expertise to help producers increase production and cut operational costs by developing, implementing and evolving best practices with integrated operations (iOps) and the digital oil field, a press release stated. Emerson’s technology and StepChange Global’s consultants help improve collaboration between the operational site and the support teams in the office, maximizing the value that can be gained from operating asset information. With iOps an enterprise can then build confidence in its information and trust among extended teams to implement improvements that include improving operator efficiency and optimizing its core operational processes. By optimizing production using iOps tools and techniques, an oilfield operator can see production efficiency improvements of up to 2%. A closed-loop gas-lift application can see production improvements of 5%. Previous iOps implementations have seen opex reductions of 5% to 20% with payback in less than one year.
Anticorrosion packaging eliminates rust claims
Cortec has released its EcoShield VpCI-226 Series Film, an easy-to-use packaging for corrosion protection, a product announcement stated. The film replaces the typical oils and desiccants used to protect packaged metal parts, not only guarding against corrosion but eliminating extra labor time and the hassle of removing greasy coatings. Metal parts protected in EcoShield VpCI-226 are ready to use immediately after unpacking. Once removed, the nontoxic film, which does not contain nitrites, phosphates or halogen-based materials, can simply be recycled. Metal parts packaged in the film are continuously protected from the corrosive effects of salt, excessive humidity, condensation, moisture, aggressive industrial atmospheres and dissimilar metal corrosion. Vapor-phase corrosion inhibitors in the film vaporize and condense on metal surfaces in the enclosed package, reaching every area of the part to protect the exterior as well as hard-to-reach interior surfaces. This provides complete product protection during storage and domestic or oversea shipments and virtually eliminates rust claims.
World’s first controlled pinpoint refrack
NCS Multistage has announced the successful refracturing of a 25-stage well that had originally been completed utilizing the company’s Multistage Unlimited coiled-tubing fracturing system and MultiCycle frack sleeves, which gave the operator the ability to manage stage-bystage formation access over the life of the well, a press release stated. After evaluating production, the operator wished to increase stimulated reservoir volume by placing additional proppant in all stages using a different fluid system and higher pump rates than used in the original completion. The refracturing began by closing all of the sleeves and verifying wellbore pressure integrity. Then, using the NCS Shift-Frac-Close sequence, all 25 stages were individually refractured. At each stage, the MultiCycle sleeve was opened for the fracture and then immediately closed at the end of pumping. When the stimulation was complete, the full-drift wellbore was again successfully pressure-tested, all sleeves were reopened and the well was turned over to production. The entire refracturing took about 36 operating hours, and wellbore pressure and formation access were controlled throughout the operation.
Epoxy linings provide long-term protection
With the release of its new Hempaline Defend epoxy linings, Hempel offers a complete range of linings for challenging applications, where heavy-duty performance and a fast return to service are essential for continued production uptime, a press release stated. The Hempaline Defend epoxy linings provide long-term protection for assets in challenging environments, such as bulk storage tanks, process vessels, frack tanks and secondary containment areas. The internal linings protect both steel and concrete from aggressive chemicals, elevated temperatures and abrasive service conditions. The epoxy linings come with a choice of hardeners, enabling users to select a single-coat system that allows a vessel to be returned to service in as little as 24 hours without any drop in performance.
Perforating system sets Canadian e-coil perforating record
Hunting has announced that its Titan Division’s select fire perforating system set a new Canadian e-coil perforating record with a 52- ControlFire assembly gun string deployed by Titanium Tubing Technology Ltd. for Teine Energy Ltd. in Kindersley, Saskatchewan, a press release stated. Titanium achieved the record, previously held by Tucker Energy Services in Canada, after deploying the guns’ string in one run with 60.3-mm e-coil. By using Hunting’s Titan Division ControlFire switch system, the company was able to perforate in a single trip rather than in the typical two to three runs. The switch system is the latest in perforating switch technology that uses unique switch identification logic to selectively perforate multiple intervals in one trip. Each ControlFire switch provides real-time confirmation and skip-over capabilities through a surface perforating command and control panel.
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