Weatherford
Weatherford International plc announced the addition of the sand-tolerant pump (STP) to the company's artificial-lift solutions offering. Aimed to optimize the life of wells, slow production declines and reduce workovers, the STP is an alternative to standard rod pumps in wells with high sand production. The STP prevents abrasion caused by sand accumulation in the barrel/plunger that results in decreased pump efficiency or total failure.
The STP is designed to operate at depths reaching 9,000 ft (2,743 m). A unique wiper assembly and filter coupling reduce sand damage by moving sand upward through the pump and away from the barrel/plunger interface. Based on field trial results, the STP has demonstrated up to 5.5 times longer run life than conventional rod pumps in sandy conditions.
The STP is available in most American Petroleum Institute (API) pump sizes and can perform in temperatures up to 360 degrees F (182 degrees C). By lubricating the plunger/ barrel interface and keeping sand out of this critical area of the plunger system, the STP provides efficient and reliable performance and extended run times.
With the addition of the STP, Weatherford continues to offer the most comprehensive artificial-lift portfolio and training program in the industry.
Ariel
Less than a year shy of its 50th anniversary, Ariel Corporation has shipped its 50,000th compressor. The company produced and shipped its first compressor in 1968 after establishing the corporation in 1966. In June of 1978 compressor #1,000 was shipped. Compressor #5,000 shipped in 1985, and #10,000 was shipped in 1994. Compressor #40,000 was shipped on November 30, 2012, with #50,000 shipping in July of 2015. Producing nearly 40,000 compressors since the mid-1990's demonstrates how Ariel has positioned itself to become the world standard in natural gas compression.
Ariel compressors are utilized all over the world, but #50,000 isn't leaving the state of Ohio. The KBB-6 is headed to Wayne County where it will be installed along with 4 other Ariel units at "Mainline Compressor Station 2" as part of the 800-mile Rover Pipeline, a gas transportation network designated to transport Marcellus shale gas from Pennsylvania and West Virginia across Ohio into Michigan and Canada. The Rover project will utilize 39 other Ariel compressor configurations.
It is estimated that 6,500 construction jobs will be created by the Rover Pipeline project. Almost $100 million dollars will be paid to Ohioans for land easements, and about $135 million dollars annually will be paid in property taxes when the Rover Pipeline is put into operation.
Halliburton
Halliburton's Wireline & Perforating business (NYSE: HAL) has introduced the XaminerSM Sonic Service, an evolution in acoustic formation evaluation that provides operators with high-fidelity data and advanced processing capabilities to more accurately characterize a wide range of reservoirs, including those in deep water, mature fields and unconventionals. The service debuted at the Society of Petroleum Engineers Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Houston TX.
This technology works by recording acoustic waveforms that travel from a transmitter through the formation to a receiver. As a result, operators can measure seismic properties and analyze reservoir characteristics and geomechanical properties. These acoustic applications provide information to help customers optimize completion and stimulation design and reduce drilling and completion risks.
Loadmaster
Loadmaster Derrick & Equipment announced that Ogden "Jeff" Myklebust, II has been named President and CEO, effective, September 1, 2015.
Mr. Myklebust earned his BA from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas and has 31 years of Industrial Manufacturing, Distribution and Field Services experience within the Oil & Gas, Petrochemical, and Refining business. Mr. Myklebust was formerly the Senior VP for Leader Gasket Technologies and prior President of International Gasket and Supply where his team successfully expanded the brand presence and manufacturing operations to become a global supplier to Shell Global Solutions, Valero Energy, Dow Chemical, Celanese Chemical, and Occidental. Mr. Myklebust's career includes a broad spectrum of engineered equipment and manufacturing technology solutions in the process equipment, valves, automation, and flow control industries.
Fuglesangs Subsea
Norway's Fuglesangs Subsea (FSubsea) and the German pump company RuhRPumpen have announced a collaborative agreement to develop advanced subsea centrifugal pump solutions. The two firms have joined forces to serve oil & gas customers with a range of innovative, cost-effective, and flexible seabed boosting and injection systems. The subsea equipment will be designed to provide enhanced performance, exceptional durability, and significantly reduced costs.
RuhRPumpen and FSubsea initiated the move to anticipate the changing priorities of customers, as subsea field developers are seeking more profitable brownfield and greenfield subsea oil & gas fields by increasing standardization efforts.
The partnership leverages FSubsea's subsea pump system expertise (their "Seal-Less" and "Topside-Less" technology portfolio) with RuhRPumpen's more than 65 years of experience in oil & gas pump development and manufacturing. Initially the two companies will focus on "Seal-Less" and "Topside-Less" subsea pumps for injection and boosting applications. The "Seal-Less" technology removes dynamic shaft seals in subsea pumps. This move reduces equipment costs as customers no longer need expensive hydraulic umbilicals or subsea barrier fluid systems, both commonly found in subsea boosting systems. Removing the seals also adds the benefit of improved reliability as seals and barrier fluid systems are costly and traditionally a cause of pump failures. The "Topside-Less" technology removes the requirement for a topside hydraulic power unit (HPU) and topside variable frequency drive (VFD). A key part of this technology is a subsea variable speed control integrated into the pump itself.
WellDog
WellDog launched its new fiber optic-based Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) installations and services offering at the SPE ATCE as part of its WatchDog business unit, which encompasses a comprehensive range of electrical and fiber optic solutions that monitor fracture/stimulations, production and reservoir conditions in real-time.
The product stems from a newly formed partnership with Silixa, an industry leader in distributed sensing solutions. Silixa's distributed fiber optic systems, in conjunction with WellDog's existing downhole technologies and long established service record, will provide high-quality, reliable monitoring solutions in oil and gas wells around the world.
Distributed sensing provides a greater understanding of the unconventional reservoir and its production performance. WatchDog provides a suite of fiber optic based permanent and semi-permanent monitoring systems. These systems combine the expertise of WellDog's system design, installation and support services with Silixa's distributed fiber optic sensing technology and expertise to ensure safe and reliable permanent downhole monitoring.
Baker Hughes
Baker Hughes announced today the commercial release of its SPECTRE™ frac plug, the first in the industry to completely disintegrate downhole after fracturing. The plug eliminates coiled tubing (CT) interventions, accelerates completion times and leaves behind an unobstructed production inside diameter (ID) for maximum flow area and easy future access.
As with a traditional frac plug, the SPECTRE plug enables flexible stage placement. But unlike traditional plugs and even other disappearing downhole plugs, the entire SPECTRE plug-including the plug body, anchoring grip and packing element-disintegrates fully at predictable rates when exposed to wellbore fluids. Complete disintegration ensures that no plug debris are left downhole, thereby protecting the well infrastructure from undissolved components, which can compromise wellbore integrity, restrict access and complicate operations such as future well rejuvenations.
The SPECTRE plug's innovative design leverages a high-strength, controlled electrolytic metallic (CEM) nanoconstructed material developed by Baker Hughes. Much of the plug body is formed from the same CEM material used in the company's IN-Tallic™ disintegrating frac balls, which inaugurated an era of higher efficiency for multistage hydraulic fracturing by eliminating the time, cost and health, safety, and environmental risks associated with milling out frac balls.
Development locations and plug setting depths are not constrained by the availability and/or finite horizontal reach of CT, allowing operators to access more feet of pay zone, in more locations. The SPECTRE plug's virtually unlimited treatment depths also enable operators to achieve more reservoir contact per wellbore to reduce surface infrastructure and costs, while creating a more environmentally responsible operating footprint.
Tech Allies Consulting, LLC
Tech Allies Consulting has developed with partner American Business Services, an SAP HANA Certified, bolt-on solution for the Oil and Gas / bulk commodity industries that reduces the rack, bulk and crude transaction billing process from days to real-time.
The solution is called Transaction Management Workbench (TMW). TMW is a one of a kind solution that provides real-time, two-way communication between terminals and your ERP / back-office systems. It is a "bolt-on" to your existing terminal automation system (TAS) and is compatible with most any ERP / back-office software.
TMW covers 80-90% of the Bill of Lading processes and eliminates many of the bottlenecks and discrepancies. The ability to process in real-time significantly reduces Days Sales Outstanding, enables tighter contractual compliance, and allows marketing/traders to exploit trading opportunities based on actual inventory positions.
In a typical Oil and Gas / bulk load transaction, the process can take anywhere between 24-36 hours. The terminal generates a Bill of Lading at the time the product is loaded on the carrier, this data is then stored at the terminal system for up to 36 hours before it is transmitted to the ERP / back-office for validation and invoicing.
Vallourec
Vallourec, a world leader in premium tubular solutions, delivers 14,000 tons of premium tubes in the scope of a contract with Hess Corporation for the Stampede project in the US Gulf of Mexico. Stampede is a deepwater subsea development which is located in the Green Canyon Block area, approximately 115 miles south of Fourchon, Louisiana.
Vallourec is providing over 5,000 tons in various sizes of oil country tubular goods (OCTG) for the critical deepwater development wells, including high performance premium grades from Europe and Ohio. Over the life of project the majority of the pipes will be threaded at VAM USA, Houston, TX, with VAM® SLIJII™ and VAM® HP™ for a total of over 12,000 premium connections.
Vallourec's contract also covers 9,000 tons of seamless steel line pipe for flowlines and steel catenary riser (SCR). They will be installed in water depth of approximately 3,500 ft (over 1,000 meters). Amongst the scope of products and services, Vallourec will provide SCR pipes with very tight pipe end tolerances and optimal welding characteristics, key features to reduce both the cost and risk of project execution.
ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company has awarded Schlumberger an international license for ExxonMobil's patented Internal Shunt Alternate Path (ISAPTTM) sand screens to improve gravel packing of cased and openhole completion wells.
ISAPT screens dramatically increase the reliability of wells completed in sand-prone reservoirs. The technology provides internal alternate flow paths, called shunt tubes, in the downhole tool to effectively gravel pack the producing sections of a well. The shunt tubes enable the ISAPT gravel packing operation to proceed even if sand prematurely blocks the well annulus, which would force a conventional packing operation to shut down. ISAPT shunt tubes divert gravel slurry around sand blockages to fill voids in the annulus until a complete pack is in place. The unique design of the ISAPT screen technology allows gravel packing lengths exceeding 5,000 feet.
Knight Oil Tools
Earl Blackwell, President and Chief Executive Officer of Knight Oil Tools, announced that Paul Breaux has been named General Manager of Tri*Drill Services. Tri*Drill Services provides non-destructive inspection and hardbanding of drill pipe and bottomhole assembly components.
Breaux has more than 30 years of experience in oilfield inspections. He has been with Knight Oil Tools since 2012. His previous positions include Special Project Manager, Rocky Mountain Interim Regional Manager and, most recently, U.S. Technical Support Specialist for Tri*Drill Services.
Breaux held Level II Inspection Certifications in Magnetic Particle, Ultrasonic Wall, Liquid Penetrant, Visual/Dimensional Examination and Electromagnetic Inspection.
Focused on providing "zero-failure" equipment and service for more than 40 years, Knight Oil Tools has grown to be the largest privately held rental and fishing tools business in the oil and gas industry. Operating from more than 50 locations across 11 oil-producing states and internationally, Knight Oil Tools serves all phases of a well's lifecycle from exploration to abandonment.
Moblize
Moblize, a leader in cloud-based real time data solutions for the energy industry, announced that the company has won a complete victory in a patent infringement lawsuit filed by TDE Petroleum Data Solutions. The United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas in Houston ruled that U.S. Patent No. 6,892,812, which TDE bought from another company and then asserted against Moblize, was invalid. The Court additionally dismissed all of TDE's claims with prejudice. Moblize was represented by Vinson & Elkins LLP, a global energy and technology law firm.
BuTech
BuTech, a brand of Accudyne Industries, announced that it has achieved ABS certification for its line of medium pressure valves and fittings. The Product Design Assessment (PDA) certificate, number 15-HS1373638-PDA, issued through the American Bureau of Shipping's (ABS) along with Type Approval certificate, number LA2948597-X, demonstrates that BuTech valves are safe to use in offshore applications on a variety of ABS-classed vessels and offshore equipment and systems.
One of the world's leading ship classification societies, ABS is committed to setting standards for safety and excellence, leading pioneering efforts to maximize efficiency and environmental sustainability in offshore fleet operations. Shipbuilders choose ABS classification services for new builds in order to comply with the latest standards and international codes and to increase operational efficiencies and meet energy efficiency standards measured and mandated by the IMO.
BuTech medium pressure valves are used in a multitude of offshore vessels and applications, from topside FPSO's to subsea templates, operating under pressures as high as 20,000 psi (1380 bar) and extreme temperature conditions, often with erosive or corrosive solids, liquids or gases. The certification gives confidence to the mission of BuTech customers in the shipbuilding and offshore industry that BuTech valves and equipment will meet strict ABS standards and help safeguard life, floating assets and the natural environment.
PENNWELL CORP.
PennWell Corp., owner of Oil & Gas Journal, has elected Robert F. "Bob" Biolchini chairman of the board of directors after his retirement as president and chief executive officer. Frank T. Lauinger, formerly chairman, becomes vice-chairman.
Biolchini has worked with PennWell in various capacities for 45 years. Before becoming president and CEO in Apr. 1, 2000, he served on the executive committee of the board of directors and as legal counsel for the company.
Replacing Biolchini as president and CEO is Mark C. Wilmoth, who has been PennWell's senior vice-president, finance, and chief financial officer since January 2004.
