Tech Trends

Non-radioactive traceable proppant available for downhole
CARBO Ceramics has introduced CARBONRT. The technology incorporates a taggant that allows downhole, near-wellbore detection of ceramic proppant and assists in determining fracture propagation and geometry to optimize stimulation effectiveness and maximize productive capacity.

With non-radioactive CARBONRT, there is no half-life deterioration. The proppant is engineered for extended identification, giving operators flexibility to conduct post-frac logging months or years after fracturing. The proprietary tracer can be added to any ceramic proppant in the product line. It is distributed uniformly through each grain of proppant, allowing for consistent distribution of the traceable marker throughout the fracture zone. www.carboceramics.com

Software connects enterprise, individuals
Schlumberger’s Merak Peep 2010 software delivers planning and reserves management capabilities and an economics software solution that connects teams across the enterprise and can meet individual users’ needs.

Step changes in usability and performance provide efficient comparison of global assets, and new plug-in capabilities enable integration with other business applications or incorporate fiscal changes. System functionality can be extended and customized to implement a time-saving work flow or integrate a proprietary forecast curtailment algorithm. New buttons, menu items, and functions, or in-context data displays can be added.

Merak Peep 2010 personalizes economics through MyPeep – a role-based view for diverse users and teams. MyPeep improves efficiency, controls quality, and enables faster on-boarding, Schlumberger says.

Merak Peep 2010’s user interface supports more efficient data entry and results. (Image courtesy of Schlumberger)

The software’s user interface supports more efficient data entry and results and allows users to perform familiar tasks quickly and simply. It has been refreshed, updating its core technology to provide enhanced functionality, usability, extensibility, and performance. www.slb.com

New rod guides reduce wear
R&M Energy Systems has launched a new line of rod guides for progressing cavity downhole pumping applications. The New Era Blazer high-performance rod guides can increase production and decrease workover costs by extending rod and tubing service life in standard- and high-temperature applications. The rod guides deliver maximum performance, even in well conditions up to 500°F (260ºC).

The rod guides are manufactured from engineered plastics enhanced with performance additives tailored to withstand high-temperature well conditions.

The New Era Blazer rod guide sleeve rests on the tubing wall as the steel rotor and the rod string rotates in downhole applications to extend the life of the rods and tubing. (Image courtesy of R&M Energy Systems)

The spin-through design of the rod guide reduces the torque generated by the mechanical and hydraulic friction of the rotating rod string. Additional features and benefits include:
• Reduced wear resulting from the centralization of the rods inside the tubing;
• Compatibility with steam-assisted gravity drainage and steam-flooded applications;
• Easy installation in the rod string; and
• Long service life.

Using its rod guide advisory program, R&M Energy Systems can recommend the proper rod guide design, material, spacing, and auxiliary equipment for both beam and progressing cavity pump applications. Wellbore deviations, dynamometer readings, workover histories, well operating conditions, completion information, and production data are used to properly select the most effective rod guide for each well. www.rmenergy.com

New software facilitates analysis, quality control of geophysical data
INT has released INTViewer 4.1, the latest version of its data visualization application and development platform for seismic analysis in the E&P industry. The software is designed to be easy to learn, support large datasets, and reduce preparation time to share data and analysis results.

INTViewer 4.1 uses the Netbeans Rich Client Platform, which provides a standards-based environment for creating and managing plug-in functionality. The software can be used as a framework for customized seismic analysis and quality-control work flows featuring a comprehensive application programming interface (API) for access and control of menus, data, and custom displays. The product features:
• A new plug-in update center with optional plug-ins that can easily be downloaded/updated online, including signal/noise analysis, Butterworth filter, spherical divergence, SMT data reader, etc.;
• Enhanced 3-D capabilities for multiple concurrent 3-D windows integrated with the INTViewer desktop;
• Improved refresh rates for cross-section and time slices in 3-D and added capabilities to update the view while moving cross-sections and time slices;
• Enhanced spectrum analysis capabilities for multiple spectrum types and comparisons between spectra from various plots;
• Improved labeling and GIS display, including better support for projections when loading shape files; and
• Enhanced API to develop custom plug-ins, including manipulating 3-D objects and implementing individual layers and windows.

The software also provides an open, extendable architecture that enables geoscientists, asset management teams, and companies to customize the visualization framework to match their specific work flow needs. www.int.com/intviewer

Progressing cavity pumps convey process fluids
Moyno Inc. progressing cavity pumps provide performance-enhancing features to oil and gas industry users. The pumps can handle clean, clear liquids as well as thick, abrasive, and corrosive fluids and slurries, even with viscosities of more than 1 million cp. The product line includes models capable of generating flow rates up to 2,500 gal/min and pressures to 2,100 psi. The high-performance progressing cavity design results in a gentle, low-shear discharge, while the pulsation-less flow rate improves metering capabilities.

The continuous seal line between the rotor and the stator helices in the progressive cavity pump keeps the fluid moving steadily at a fixed flow rate proportional to the pump’s rotational speed. (Image courtesy of Moyno Inc.)

Typical progressing cavity pump applications include drilling mud; onshore, offshore, and heavy crude transfer; sales oil; chemical injection; treater batteries; oil skim; and water injection. www.moyno.com