By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Apr. 30--ExxonMobil Corp. has licensed to a joint venture of service companies technology for a coiled-tubing system able to service wells from the sea bottom in as much as 6,500 ft of water.
The technology will use a 380-ft vessel to accommodate the intervention tool, which will be lowered to the sea floor to perform interventions through horizontal trees with 36-in structural casings. It will be able to service wells as deep as 13,000 ft below the sea floor.
ExxonMobil calls the patented system Subsea Intervention Module (SIM). It says the SIM will be able to perform downhole logging, acidizing, and other interventions as much three times faster than a mobile offshore drilling unit can at as much as half the cost.
The dynamically positioned SIM vessel will be about 50% larger than standard offshore stimulation vessels. It will have a large moonpool for deployment of the intervention tool, a mission-control center, and accommodations for more than 100 crew members. It also will have fluid tanks, pumps, work areas, and other systems needed for subsea interventions.
The licensing joint venture of BJ Services Co. and Otto Candies LLC will operate the SIM system after completion of design and construction in about 3 years.