PDC bit design allows operators to drill longer and faster

Ulterra introduced polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) bits that incorporate the newest FastBack technology, allowing operators to drill longer and faster runs than with traditional PDC designs, according to an Ulterra press release. The FastBack design’s smaller profile eliminates wasted energy pushing a bit’s blade surface, instead focusing all energy on the diamond cutting surfaces. The blade configuration opens up the junk slot area for optimal hydraulics and enhanced cuttings evacuation, according to the release, and the new FastBack blade design has surface coatings that provide erosion control without sacrificing strength. According to the release, a FastBack bit drilled a Marcellus well 56.8% faster than average, proving its ability to improve efficiency in drilling operations. ulterra.com

Networking products speed up SCADA communication

Redline Transport Gateway (RTG) Connect, a new family of wireless networking products designed to securely connect industrial SCADA systems, is now available from Redline Communications Group Inc. RTG Connect enables high-speed wireless communication between serial and TCP/IP-based SCADA field devices and a remote control center, which allows real-time data collection from different devices such as programmable logic controllers, remote terminal units, natural gas meters, and pump controllers, according to a Red-line Communications press release. The data are delivered to and from the SCADA host system, which can be hundreds of miles away, via a wireless broadband backbone. Wireless networks powered by RTG Connect are eight times faster on average than other systems and deliver 2 Mbps at the port, according to Rodney Cronin, director of product management at Redline Communications. The benefits of this increased speed and lower latency, even with large volumes of SCADA data, include faster polling, more timely data, greater visibility, and improved management of devices, Cronin said. rdlcom.com

Remote system makes driving piles subsea safer, faster

The new remotely operated Subsea Piling System introduced by Conductor Installation Services Ltd. (CIS) can drive piles as large as 36 in. in diameter in water depths up to 300 m (984 ft). The system’s self-tensioning hydraulic winches automatically lower and raise the hydraulic hoses and electrical cables that connect to the hammer based on sea conditions. This makes the process safer and more efficient than having technicians manually operate the winches, according to CIS. The process is carried out by an experienced pile-driving engineer from a control unit and monitoring system onboard a vessel or barge. The engineer can continuously monitor and control the operation as the hydraulic hammer is lowered into the water, accurately positioned, and heaved onto the piles. By doing so, every blow is delivered with greater accuracy. It also reduces the time it takes to drive the pile, according to James Chadd, technical sales manager for the CIS Group. The system is modular, making it easy to assemble and deploy, and only uses the highest quality of biodegradable hydraulic oil to guard against a negative impact on the environment in the event of oil leakage, according to the release. c-i-services.com

Generator offers customization, power

The new QAC 1200 1-MW generator from Atlas Copco was specifically engineered for the US and Canadian market, with a wide variety of options that make it customizable for the customer’s needs, according to an Atlas Copco press release. The generator can be customized for situations like high altitudes or extreme weather conditions and can be used for either prime power or critical standby power. The QAC 1200 features a Cummins QST30G5 diesel engine that is EPA Tier 2-certified and provides 1,140 kVA/912 kW prime power rating (60 Hz). The integrated fuel tank provides a minimum run time of eight hours, and the generator was engineered with 500-hour service intervals, resulting in low life-cycle costs, according to the release. Customizable options include a Qc4002 controller that allows a user to parallel two or more generators for loads beyond 1 MW, creating a power management system and enhancing the core value of predictable power. atlascopco.us

Centrifuge improves precision, performance in solids control

CRS Reprocessing Services LLC unveiled THE BEAR, a new centrifuge for better precision and performance in solids control, according to a press release from the company. The centrifuge’s proprietary design includes lower side differentials for drier letdown and the industry’s longest bowl configuration for longer dwell time and maximum extraction. It has up to 100 hp for more torque. The centrifuge can be used for the management of drilling fluids, including top hole, water-based, and oil-based muds. CRS delivers the centrifuge to the customer’s drilling site on an innovative skid that requires only a small footprint, according to the release. CRS’ service also includes 24/7 onsite coverage, remote monitoring, and onsite lab capabilities that alert personnel to changing fluid conditions. thebearsonit.com

Software plugin combines forward modeling, rock physics, inversion

dGB Earth Sciences launched its new SynthRock plugin, a software module that combines forward modeling, rock physics, and inversion to help lower exploration risk and quantify reserves. The plugin will form part of the latest version of the company’s seismic interpretation software, OpendTect 4.6, and can be used in qualitative and quantitative seismic interpretation studies, according to a dGB Earth Sciences press release. Users can use simple wedge models and cross sections created from pseudo wells to build workflows and hypothetical scenarios or more complex stochastic simulations. Model parameters also can be varied stochastically and run to create a database of pseudo wells representative of the expected geologic and seismic variations at target level, the release said. SynthRock allows users to make Monte Carlo-style simulations; generate prestack synthetic seismic data using state-of-the-art ray tracing, reflectivity calculations, cross-over handling, and frequency-domain convolution; and modify parameters to instantly analyze the response on the seismic data. dgbes.com

Tube-bending process boosts construction of subsea wellhead trees

All-electric tube-bending machines from Unison Ltd. are being used to reduce build times and improve manufacturing capacity for subsea wellhead trees, according to a press release. The technology is being used by FMC Technologies in a production method pioneered by its employees. By using 3-D modeling of tubing, the tubing system for subsea tree orders can be designed and bent in advance and delivered to the manufacturing cells ready for immediate assembly. The all-electric architecture of the Unison machine has greater precision and repeatability than traditional hydraulically powered bending, according to the release. This produces less scrap than less accurate methods, saving money on the often expensive alloys used. FMC Technologies has been able to cut the time required for tubing assembly by about two-thirds. unisonltd.com