Technology brings safety, cost boost to North Sea E&P
A new technology that delivers vital nitrogen supplies to platforms, vessels and onshore worksites by refining the gas from the atmosphere has been developed, tested and deployed in the North Sea by E Innovation in conjunction with a major operator, a press release stated. Certified for safe use in ATEX Zone 1 hazardous areas, the Nitrogas unit already has been deployed in the U.K. Continental Shelf, removing a long-standing reliance on expensive sea conditions-dependent bottled gas deliveries. The technology has achieved savings of more than 65% compared to traditional nitrogen delivery methods—in financial terms that would equate to a figure of $170,532 saved within a 30-day project. The Nitrogas unit’s onboard software and filtering systems manufacture nitrogen by removing oxygen from the air before pumping it directly into platform infrastructure or for storage at the worksite for future use. The mobile unit, which is the same size as a domestic refrigerator, replaces cumbersome traditional quads. It also significantly reduces the risk of slips, trips and falls by removing trailing lines and cabling used in traditional methods since it can be placed directly at the workface. einnovation.no/home

Slice-and-view tool for 3-D reconstruction
FEI has released the latest version of its Auto Slice & View 3-D reconstruction software, which makes 3-D imaging faster, easier, more accurate and more cost-effective, according to a product announcement. The software works with all of FEI’s current DualBeam-focused ion beam/scanning electron microscope platforms to enable 3-D structure and composition of samples at the nanometer scale. fei.com/software/auto-slice-and-view/

Ocean current forecast service provides site-specific awareness
Offshore oil, gas and marine companies that experience project-related disruptions from fluctuating ocean currents now have a new tool to better manage those challenges. The Wilkens Weather Technologies (WWT) Ocean Current Guidance Forecast service provides site-specific awareness of currents to give operators a clear understanding of oceanic conditions, a press release stated. “We designed this service for anyone engaged in smaller scale budget-sensitive projects where ocean current awareness is necessary but where current solutions are often cost-prohibitive,” said Ryan Fulton, program manager at WWT. The Ocean Current Guidance Forecast service uses global current modeling to provide insight into ocean current conditions and their expected changes over the next 120 hours. The service provides users with high-resolution customized zoom-level charts as well as a five-day site-specific forecast of current speed and direction. wilkensweather.com

Artificial lift protection and control system
Franklin Electric Co. Inc. has released the FluidWise Drive and Control System that protects and controls artificial lift motors, electric submersible centrifugal pumping systems and electric submersible progressive cavity pumping systems for gas well dewatering, mine dewatering and oil stripper applications, a press release stated. The FluidWise system incorporates increased functionality and data acquisition capabilities, allowing the pumps to operate at depths up to 1,500 m (4,921 ft). The FluidWise Drive and Control System for artificial lift applications includes three running modes: a set speed, regulated speed to reach a set target water level or a regulated speed to reach a desired flow rate (must have a flowmeter). The system provides underload/overload protection including dry run protection, one-second datalogging with Microsoft Excel file downloading capability, real-time data monitoring, alarms and alerts sent directly to any cellphone or email, web page interface via direct or Wi-Fi connection, and a Franklin Electric controller designed specifically for dewatering applications. franklin-energy.com/products.aspx

New ultrasound camera for straight and angled beam NDT inspections
Imperium Inc. has released its latest ultrasound camera and rugged controller system, the AcoustoCam i700, a press release stated. The AcoustoCam i700 improves inspections on straight beam applications such as composites and pipeline corrosion mapping as well as angled beam inspections for weld and time of flight diffraction. The AcoustoCam i700 offers higher resolution C-scan images than automated ultrasonic testing (UT) or phased array systems. It creates images in flat or curved materials up to 6 in. thick and is fully compliant with most industry UT codes. The camera produces sub-millimeter images of an entire field rather than a single pinpoint for better detection of pitting, cracking and other defects while reducing false positives. Large area maps are created in real time and reviewed offline via analysis reporting tools. imperiuminc.com

Drill floor safety system monitors traveling block parameters
Rig Control Products (RCP) has released the latest version of its Travelling Block Monitor (TBM) following a six-month period of design and product development, a press release stated. The TBM is an advanced electronic floor and crown saver system designed to continually monitor traveling block parameters to calculate a safe working envelope for the blocks. The system has been proven to avert serious equipment collisions on the drill floor, making it a safer environment for personnel to work as well as providing time and cost savings associated with equipment incidents, downtime and HSE investigations. The new system is designed with extended operational longevity in mind, a capacity for displaying and recalling historical system data and inbuilt diagnostics with condition-based monitoring to reduce the need for offshore technical assistance. rcpat.com

Subsea connector enhances reliability of high-voltage operations
GE Oil & Gas has completed the qualification of its upgraded 36-kV high-voltage wet mate connector, according to a press release. MECON WM 36/500 offers far more reliability and predictability in subsea power system connections and can be used with equipment such as transformers, switchgears, variable speed drives and motor loads. “Our MECON Wet Mate 36/500 connector is designed to provide highly reliable connections of subsea high-voltage equipment. Unlike conventional stab-type connectors, we deploy a unique connection process that ensures that we are in full control of the electrical environment inside the connector before completing the electrical connection,” said Alisdair McDonald, subsea power and processing leader at GE Oil & Gas. In addition to offering greater control and predictability compared to conventional stab-type connectors, MECON WM 36/500 can act as an isolation switch at rated system voltage and can be used to verify system health prior to commissioning or to find faults after failure. MECON 36/500 has undergone more than a year of extensive testing to comply with the latest industrywide standards. The connector has been certified for operation up to 36 kV and 500 amperes in water depths down to 3,000 m (10,000 ft). geoilandgas.com

Waterless riser cleaning tool is air-actuated, self-propelled
Chet Morrison Contractors has released a new tool for cleaning drilling and production risers that is safer, faster and more cost-effective than current methods, a product announcement stated. MUDBUG is an air-actuated self-propelled device that uses oscillating brushes to clean debris buildup inside risers, moving through the length of the riser and back out again. Unlike other methods, MUDBUG does not require high-pressure water to remove the rust, scale and drilling mud that builds up in drilling and production risers. MUDBUG uses only 120-psi air to operate, thus eliminating the problem of water disposal and risk associated with high-pressure washing. MUDBUG can be operated by a two- or three-man crew instead of the usual five-man team required to clean a riser. Because the device is portable, it can easily be transported via plane or helicopter to any remote location either onshore or offshore. Its small job box (.6 m by .6 m [2 ft by 2 ft]) takes up very little space, making it ideal for rigs or other offshore operations. When operational, MUDBUG is about .9 m (3 ft) long and 19 in. in diameter. mudbugrisercleaner.com

Production tubing paraffin treatment provides uninterrupted oil production
YESSS OIL has released its thermal electric downhole paraffin treatment system, which is designed to eliminate the need for costly chemical or hot oil treatments to ensure consistent crude production free from wellbore fouling, a press release stated. YESSS OIL’s paraffin systems provide uninterrupted oil production by combining MCAAA’s proven downhole heater cable technology with intelligent controls to regulate and monitor the tubing heating system. Production tubing is maintained above wax appearance temperatures to eliminate paraffin plate-out and subsequent well clogging. Surface equipment is safe, quiet and nearly maintenance-free. YESSS Oil’s systems require minimal capex and are simple to deploy. The robust stainless steel-sheathed cables have no external splices and band directly to production tubing. Wellhead feedthrough is simple and effective. The technology has been proven to provide consistent and predictable production with an expected life of more than 10 years. yesssoil.com

Oxygen sensor operates in low temperatures
Tyco Gas & Flame Detection’s CTX 300 is available with a new oxygen sensor with a five-year life. It carries a full four-year warranty and is compatible with any existing CXT 300 O2 detector in the field. Designed for industrial applications in unclassified areas, the new sensor ranges from 0% to 30% vol O2 and operates from -40 C to 50 C (-40 F to 122 F) continuously for use in a wide range of low-temperature applications. The detector is a 4-20 mA analog gas transmitter and offers a wide range of sensor options in addition to oxygen, including monitoring for CO2, toxic gases and refrigerant gases. The CTX 300 transmits data in record time and has the flexibility to protect many potentially hazardous environments. The device is easy to maintain with precalibrated sensors and an optional LCD display. TycoGFD.com

Please submit your company’s updates related to new technology products and services to Ariana Benavidez at abenavidez@hartenergy.com.

To enter your product or service for an 2017 Meritorious Engineering Award, go to epmag.com/mea/mea-process.php.