Wireless remote unit added to seismic data acquisition system

Targeted at the buried array market for hydraulic fracture and reservoir monitoring, Wireless Seismic's four-channel version of the company's RT System 2 operates without cables and with ultra-low power consumption. A proprietary 2.4-GHz radio relay technology that operates at internode distances of 1 km (0.6 miles) or more allows large areal arrays of instruments to deliver a continuous flow of passive seismic data to a central recording system in real time.

RT System 2 supports the integration of hundreds of one-channel or four-channel buried array recording units and surface-based recording units, all simultaneously controlled from a single central recording system. The entire array can be monitored continuously from the central recording location; wake-up commands, system and performance tests, battery status, and seismic noise level metrics are transmitted between the recording units and the control center.

The four-channel RT System 2 also can be employed for conventional multicomponent seismic surveys, providing real-time seismic data without cables or the uncertainty of autonomous recording systems, according to the company. wirelessseismic.com

BOP secures wellbore within three seconds

The new Influx Volume Reduction (IVR) System, developed by Managed Pressure Operations, introduces a way to facilitate the handling of unscheduled influxes in a wellbore. Conventional BOP technologies allow wellbore pressures and kick volumes to significantly exceed safe handling ranges due to their slow actuation times. According to the company, conventional BOPs allow enough time after detection of a kick for a considerable influx of volume and pressure to find its way into the wellbore.

The company's IVR System, with its patented quick-close annular, has been developed to close within five seconds, compared to a conventional BOP closing time of 40 to 60 seconds. This minimizes the initial kick volume by a factor of up to 10 times. The system introduces considerable safety factors that facilitate the handling of well control incidents, protecting a rig through all phases of operations, according to the company.

The IVR accomplishes this by using a 20?-in. spherical packer within a proprietary housing design suited for riser deployment similar to a standard spherical annular. With an outside diameter of 46½ in., the housing is slim enough to drift through a 49½-in. rotary table, eliminating below-rotary-table lifting maneuvers, which increases safety and minimizes installation time. managed-pressure.com

Water recycling service allows use of produced water in fracturing fluids

The H2prO water management service by Baker Hughes enables operators to design high-performing hydraulic fracturing fluids using produced and flowback water. The service treats water to maximize production; minimize reservoir damage; and reduce freshwater sourcing, storage, and transportation costs, according to the company. The service includes a pre-treatment analysis so that the operator is able to fully understand the water's chemistry to ensure selection of the appropriate treatment, as each reservoir contains different water compositions. This analysis is provided by a team of scientists and engineers who use their expertise in production chemistry, pressure pumping, and water treatment to determine the constituents in the water that is to be treated to meet the completion requirements of the operator. Then, based on the analysis and requirements, application engineers choose the best treatment from the service portfolio. This portfolio includes options to address all major produced and flowback water contaminants, including total dissolved solids, heavy metals, total suspended solids, hydrogen sulfide, and other organic compounds. This will, in turn, enable operators to reduce the cost of sourcing, transporting, and storing freshwater and transporting, treating, and disposing of wastewater by as much as 90%, said the company. bakerhughes.com

Water cut monitor is accurate in low ranges, ignores coating buildup

The Universal IV CM Model Water Cut Monitor by AMETEK Drexelbrook, which measures the percentage of water in oil, provides water cut measurement accuracy in low ranges (0% to 1%, 0% to 5%, and 0% to 10%

water). The technology's accuracy is 0.03% water and measurement resolution is 0.0002% water. Compared to the company's previous monitor, this technology is more compact, with a smaller housing. It is able to ignore coating buildup on the probe and puts the sensing area of the instrument directly into the process stream, according to the company. The monitor also has a built-in LCD display and keyboard.

The technology includes a Perm-A-Seal sensing element that installs directly into a main process line without requiring spool pieces, side-arms, or slipstreams. The sensing element uses a polyether-ether-ketone material and stainless steel sensing rod that is extremely durable and requires no epoxy coatings. It is able to extend a minimum of 15 in. into a main process line. The probes are designed to handle pressures up to 1,500 psi and temperatures up to 232°C (450°F). The instrument comes precalibrated to one of 11 preset ranges for light oil (API gravity greater than 25°) and heavy oil (API gravity less than 25°). drexelbrook.com

Oil detection system can be installed on seabed pipeline

Cambridge Consultants has used its fertility monitoring technology to develop a new early warning system of oil leaks at sea. The naturally fluorescent characteristics of crude oil are the basis of most oil detection systems. The device is capable of detecting the natural fluorescence of small amounts of oil in or on water. Unlike contemporary methods of detecting oil that are not consistently accurate, according to the company, this technology gives oil companies a simple, compact, and accurate system that can be permanently installed on seabed pipeline. By distributing the sensors along the seabed, oil can be detected that is not yet able to be seen by the human eye on the surface. According to the company, this will provide a more cost-effective solution than previously offered in the conventional method of employing aircraft equipped with radar and scanners to detect oil fluorescence. cambridgeconsultants.com

Cone-shaped flowmeter requires no maintenance

McCrometer's "no-maintenance" wafer-cone flowmeter, used for measuring gas or steam, is a differential pressure flowmeter with a design that conditions the flow prior to measurement. Differential pressure is created by the cone, which is placed in the center of the pipe. It creates a more stable signal across wide-flow downturns due to its shape and design, which flattens the fluid velocity profile in the pipe, according to the company. The cone is interchangeable for flexibility to accommodate changing flow conditions without the need for recalibration and requires little to no maintenance. The system can be configured with a direct mount, which minimizes installation labor and eliminates impulse lines. This reduces potential leak points by more than 50%, said the company. Applications include natural gas wellheads; gas, water, and COinjection; gas lift; and compressor antisurge. It is ideal for liquid, gas, or steam service in line sizes from 1 in. to 6 in. mccrometer.com

Grant for rotary traction system prototype

Paradigm Drilling Services has secured a US $400,525 grant from the Technology Strategy Board to develop novel rotary traction systems. This prototype will be used in extended-reach horizontal drilling and completion applications. According to the company, the technology will increase the ROP by translating rotary motion into forward traction, giving more consistent weight on bit, and by removing stick slip, which will facilitate horizontal drilling. The company also wants to address the issue of running and retrieving ultra-long complex horizontal completions more effectively, which will rule out the possibility of string rotation. paradigm.eu