SCHLUMBERGER
Schlumberger announced the launch of OpenPath Sequence* diversion stimulation service. The new service sequentially diverts acid into additional clusters or zones to maximize wellbore coverage, resulting in more precise treatment placement and greater production when compared with conventional methods.
OpenPath Sequence service is the first in the industry to use degradable fibers to suspend multimodal particles that enable sequential stimulation of intervals in acid stimulations. Suitable for both cased and openhole completions, the service can be used for acid fracturing or matrix stimulations in carbonate reservoirs. The service is also suited for restimulation treatments in mature fields.
In the Middle East, a customer wanted to stimulate two separate zones with multiple clusters in a vertical well. Effective diversion using OpenPath Sequence service was indicated by an increase in diversion pressure and confirmed by injection logs. In addition, the productivity index improved by more than 300% with an increase in production to 1,200 bbl/d from 350 bbl/d.
In the Permian Basin, a customer needed to bring a vertical injector well with a 1,000-ft-interval and multiple perforation clusters back into production. After OpenPath Sequence service was used to treat the laminated carbonate formation, tracers confirmed diversion between stages as well as the stimulation of all perforated intervals. After the operation, the initial fluid production of the well was 600 bbl/d, exceeding operator expectations.
OpenPath Sequence service is the first release of a family of OpenPath stimulation services aimed at maximizing well productivity in conventional and unconventional reservoirs.
SPX FLOW INC.
From its APV brand, SPX FLOW provides a wide range of plate heat exchanger technologies for oil and gas production in both onshore and offshore locations that can help increase heat process efficiency and contribute to lower costs.
In higher temperature and higher pressure applications, the APV® Hybrid series of welded plate heat exchangers stand out as an obvious choice for operation in areas such as wet crude heaters, lean-rich interchangers, sour gas coolers, and acid condensers covering processes including crude stabilization, gas dehydration and gas sweetening. The high thermal efficiency of the APV Hybrid heat exchangers reduces external energy input demand, while its design flexibility enables very low-pressure drops to be achieved without compromising performance. The APV Hybrid heat exchanger can be easily opened for inspection and cleaning by removing the housing covers. The unit is mechanically cleanable on the tube side and plate side is easily CIP-able making it a truly cleanable solution.
From its Lightnin brand, SPX FLOW will be showcasing its GP2 mixers which are designed for multifunctional open tank applications. It has an integrated digital control system that offers clockwise and counter-clockwise operation with automatic reversing capability along with a countdown timer with automatic stop to assist operators. A low energy LED mixing light further helps the user by making the mixing process more visible. The mixers offer versatile, reliable and precise mixing solutions ideal for a wide range of applications.
Wellsite Fishing and Rental Services, LLC
Wellsite Fishing and Rental Services, LLC, a provider of drilling and completion rental equipment, has created a new division: Cornerstone Completion Services (CCS).
Located in Zelienople, Pa., and servicing Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, CCS will provide thru tubing and fishing services to oil and gas exploration companies and gas storage and transmission companies.
Slade Woods has been appointed as CCS's vice president and general manager and joins Wellsite from Workover Solutions, where he was regional sales manager and Extreme Energy Services, where he served as northeast district manager.
Wellsite's packaging of services is supported by a strategic relationship with Deep Well Services (DWS). Both Wellsite and CCS will serve as subcontractors to DWS.
Ametek
AMETEK Solidstate Controls, Inc. (SCI), a provider in highly customized uninterruptible power supplies, hosted an open house at its newly renovated training facility in Houston. The event featured a three-hour training course that covered the theory and operation of industrial power/power conditioning equipment. Don Imlay, Manager of Training and Support for SCI, provided hands-on demonstrations with SCI's Digital ProcessPower (DPP) UPS and Digitally Controlled Ferroresonant (DSE) UPS system to 18 training course participants.
Tours of the cutting-edge, 10,000 square foot facility were given, exhibiting upgraded labs where a 400-amp service was added to emulate a real-world testing environment, as well as two newly renovated classrooms that hold up to 25 students each. Innovative new products from SCI were on display for the tours, including SCI's digitally controlled, electronic tap changer (DVS), the industry's first Digitally Controlled Ferroresonant (DSE) UPS system, and the Powervar 3200, a light, industrial-grade UPS.
Sensirion
At the European Utility Week 2016, Sensirion will presented certified standard products SGM70xx, as well as a next generation of microthermal gas meter modules for residential smart gas metering applications.
In 2016, Sensirion's SGM70xx microthermal gas meter modules achieved an evaluation certification in accordance with the harmonized standard EN 14236 and the normative document OIML R 137 for natural gas types H and L. The evaluation certificate significantly accelerates and simplifies the process of obtaining the MID approval for a gas meter product using a SGM70xx as core metrological unit.
Sensirion's microthermal sensor technology has been installed for years in industrial and residential gas meters; more than 500,000 gas meters are already in use in Europe. The gas meter modules enable gas consumption to be reliably monitored in real-time and feature long-term stability as well as dust resistance. Thanks to the compact design and the digital output (I2C interface), they can be integrated quickly and easily into gas meter products. The sensor modules measure volume flow at standard conditions independent of pressure and temperature and feature low power consumption. The SGM70xx certified standard products are available for gas meter sizes G1.6, G2.5, G4 and G6.
Baker Hughes
Baker Hughes announced the commercial release of its TRETOLITE™ SNAP fluids separation technologies, designed to help oil and gas operators maintain dry oil and good water quality, while also stabilizing operations and reducing costs-without limiting production-to improve overall profitability. This next generation of chemical solutions includes water clarification and demulsification technologies that deliver improved performance in multiple production applications, including steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) facilities, as well as conventional and other unconventional onshore and offshore fields.
For SAGD producers, fluids separation is vital to the success of their operations because the recovered water must be clean enough to reuse in the thermal recovery process. The water is used to generate steam for injection into the well to heat the extremely heavy oil. These operators often are forced to compromise profitability to get in-spec oil and good quality water. TRETOLITE SNAP technologies help minimize oil-in-water (OIW) levels to improve water quality for reuse, reducing heat exchanger fouling and related equipment cleanout expenses. The new products also help lower basic sediment and water (BS&W) content in the oil to decrease recycling and slop oil trucking, which translates into additional operational efficiencies and cost savings. TRETOLITE SNAP technologies enable SAGD producers to increase profitability by getting a more controlled oil/water interface that improves production volumes and throughput capacity.
Operators also experience oil and water separation challenges in other unconventional and conventional onshore and offshore applications where they are required to meet regulatory specifications for both in-spec oil and water disposal/discharge. TRETOLITE SNAP technologies help to more efficiently lower OIW and BS&W levels to ensure regulatory compliance and to minimize oil losses due to high OIW content. Operators may also attain a tighter oil/water interface with these new products, which helps reduce slop oil production and improve overall oil and water separation.
In a recent Canada application, a SAGD producer was experiencing heat exchanger fouling that increased operational costs beyond profitable margins. Baker Hughes applied a TRETOLITE SNAP water clarification treatment program, which exceeded the incumbent product's performance by reducing OIW at the free water knock out by 58 percent and BS&W at the treater by 53 percent. The operator also was able to reduce the generation of skim, slop oil and off-spec recycling streams. Since implementing the TRETOLITE SNAP treatment program, there have been no heat exchanger fouling issues. The operator estimates annual savings of USD 3.8 million by switching to this program.
Peak Well Systems
Peak Well Systems, a specialist in the design and development of advanced downhole tools for well intervention, announced that its IRIS-3D technology has won the Innovation Award at the annual Energy Institute Awards held in London in November, 2016.
In its 17th year, the annual EI Awards recognize the highest level of commitment to serving society and outstanding achievements within the energy sector.
Peak was represented at the EI Awards by Robin McGowan (CTO), Gus Brown (Engineering Development Manager) and Stuart Ferguson (Chairman). Mark Foster, former British swim team champion and eight-time world record holder, presented the award which was accepted by Gus Brown on Peak's behalf.
Subject of a suite of patents filed at the start of the year, IRIS-3D has long since graduated from 3D printed plastic to rapid prototyped steel parts.
IRIS-3D provides a high expansion, mechanical support system that can applied to a wide range of possible applications. For downhole applications in particular, it can be used to extend the performance of traditional elastomer seals and therefore enables an entirely new suite of wellbore sealing systems.
The IRIS-3D system has already undergone extensive testing at Peak's Perth and Aberdeen Technology Centres in Perth (Australia) and Aberdeen (UK), achieving excellent results in practical testing of system performance, reliability and debris tolerance. Simply through the addition of IRIS-3D components to Peak's existing downhole SIM plug system, the team has been able to extend the performance of the SIM seal from 150°C and 5,000psi up to 200°C and 10,000psi.
The IRIS-3D technology has many other potential applications beyond downhole seals and extrusion barriers including drilling tools, connectors, surface pipeline tools and more. The engineering team is also working to identify what applications can best use the new technology and is looking for partners in the oilfield and beyond to help tap into this significant potential.
AVEVA
AVEVA announced the partnership with two leading institutions in Vietnam, the Shipbuilding Industry Association and The School of Transportation Engineering of Hanoi University of Science and Technology. These strategic partnerships will enable VISIA & STE-HUST to offer cutting edge engineering and design software to its members, as well as, support systematic training programs. These programs will be focused on software implementation in the oil & gas, petrochemical, power and marine industries throughout Vietnam.
STE-HUST's programs, are also designed to serve the needs of industry, so this partnership is key for future proofing and supporting the latest trends in the industry.
AVEVA has successfully implemented academic initiatives in other parts of the world including in Malaysia, Indonesia, Korea, Singapore, India, Taiwan and China. Through these partnerships, AVEVA is committed to initiatives such as knowledge transfer to ensure students are ready for employment in the industry as soon as they leave university.
The AVEVA Academic Initiative benefits educational institutions, their students, employers, and the global engineering community. AVEVA's educational partners range from local vocational training centres to the world's most prestigious postgraduate universities.
SIEMENS
With the introduction of Version 5.0, Siemens has now enabled its XHQ Operations Intelligence software to be used on mobile devices, allowing data relevant to plant operation to be accessed anywhere, anytime. For the first time, Version 5.0 allows organized and relevant visualizations on both mobile and desktop devices to be set up with a single tool, the XHQ Workbench. Users are now also able to use a new interface to easily access their operations and business data for further analyses in Business Intelligence Tools.
XHQ Operations Intelligence aggregates and links plant data from the operational and business level. Interactive views of the relevant plant data can be simply configured to address individual user requirements. By using XHQ, operating personnel and management are able to access a visualization of the current plant status at any time, allowing them to compare plant performance against business targets in real time using methods such as dashboards and charts as and when required.
High plant availability and security are among the most important success factors in fields such as the chemical and petrochemical industries. XHQ extracts and prepares information relating to the ongoing production process from a wide array of information sources and compares it to other sources such as process historians, laboratory data or business data.
The different possibilities for data analysis and visualization provide vital support to users at all levels of the organization for better decisions. Operations intelligence can be used to provide justification for the implementation of measures, to avoid production risks or as the basis for shaping production in line with changing market requirements. Market changes or influencing factors can also be taken into consideration both on the local level and at locations around the world.
GE
GE and Maersk Drilling announced a partnership to collaborate on a data analytic-driven pilot project with the aim to increase Maersk's drilling vessels' productivity and significantly reduce maintenance costs by up to 20 percent.
The two companies have collaborated to deploy SeaStream* Insight, GE's latest innovation in marine asset performance management, powered by Predix*. The pilot project will be carried out on one of Maersk Drilling's XLE rigs and will last for 12 months. Currently, the project has reached its first milestone, with data collected from the rig currently being processed and analyzed online.
Operational sensor data from critical equipment is connected to a historian, a specialized server that stores the data needed to model the blueprint of the drilling operation. By building this "digital twin," the digital software can then help compare assets to assets and provide access to vessel performance against the ideal state. Big data is also translated into clear dashboards with a holistic view of a vessel, which can help operators make more informed decisions.
Thanks to advanced algorithms and a strong data-processing capability, SeaStream Insight will also be able to predict the future state of critical asset health, therefore spotting inefficiencies or detecting potential failure earlier, up to weeks ahead. Operators are given early warnings to mitigate potential problems in advance, which help reduce unplanned downtime and increase drilling productivity.
In addition to enhanced productivity, SeaStream Insight will also allow operators to maintain equipment in a more efficient manner. As the "predictivity" allows transition from prescriptive (calendar-based) to predictive maintenance, it can help reduce excessive maintenance and significant costs for Maersk Drilling.
Hexion Inc.
The Oilfield Technology Group of Hexion Inc. announced the release of its kRT™ resin coated proppants that provide a cost-effective option for the oil and gas industry, while delivering superior performance compared to uncoated frac sand.
Hexion's kRT™ proppants are a low-cost resin coated sand available in 20/40, 30/50, 40/70, and 100 mesh sizes. Their Stress Bond™ technology delivers many of the benefits that curable resin coated proppants have over uncoated frac sand. This includes the reduction of proppant flowback, reduction of proppant fines generation, minimization of proppant embedment, enhanced well production, as well as the reduction of silica dust generation during the pneumatic transfer and conveying process, which helps improve health and safety on location.
The 100 mesh product, kRT 100™ proppant, is a low-cost option for those that want to pump 100 mesh proppant and are concerned with proppant flowback or excessive silica dust. Large amounts of silica dust can be produced by uncoated 100 mesh sand when it is transported due to the small grain size. The resin coating of kRT 100 proppant provides many of the benefits associated with traditional resin coated sand, while supporting the intended use of 100 mesh proppant within the fracture network.
Resin coated proppants are used in the hydraulic fracturing process to help optimize production from oil and gas wells by maximizing fracture conductivity from the reservoir to the wellbore. Technological innovations and Hexion's introduction of enhanced materials have expanded the use of resin coated proppants into unconventional reservoirs that feature complex and challenging geological formations. Hexion's experienced personnel, with their years of hydraulic fracturing knowledge and expertise, continue to bring advanced proppants to the industry.