Production system improves economics in unconventional wells

Baker Hughes announced the commercial release of the ProductionWave production solution for unconventional oil wells. The system offers better economics, a smaller environmental footprint, and fewer HSE risks than traditional rod lift systems in unconventional resource plays, according to a Baker Hughes press release. ProductionWave uses Baker Hughes’ Centrilift FLEX series pumps, electric submersible pumps that can operate in flow ranges from 50 b/d to 4,000 b/d of fluid. The production solution also has technology for gas handling and sand control, production chemicals and services, and technology related to applications engineering, real-time optimization, and field support. The solution allows for deeper placement in the well for greater drawdown and affords the benefit of deviation tolerance, which increases system uptime, improves asset recovery, and eliminates the tubing wear typical of rod lift systems. There are no above-ground rotating parts, reducing the HSE hazards, according to the press release. bakerhughes.com

Automated drilling system provides cost-effective consolidated control center

Omron’s PRECISE Automated Drilling System allows drilling contractors to drill wells from one control and monitoring system. The system is designed to make drilling safer and faster with lower operating costs, according to Barry Baker, Omron’s senior technical sales specialist. It features a capacitive touch screen on the newest monitor designs and interfaces with the rig tools using remote input/output installed on the draw-works, top drive, mud pumps, and drill floor. The system communicates over fiber optics for optimal process speed with no noise or interference, Omron said in a press release. The PRECISE System has an advanced process and surveillance camera system to allow the operator to quickly detect and react to problems as well as a talk-back system integrated into the system’s ergonomic cyber chair for two-way voice communications and enhanced safety on the drilling rig. Omron’s system offers a variety of industrial protocols and Ethernet connectivity into the control system, allowing third-party integration. oilfield.omron.com

Sonic-while-drilling service helps manage risk for large boreholes

Schlumberger released the multipole sonic-while-drilling service for wells with large boreholes that enables operators to better manage drilling risk, according to a press release from the company. The SonicScope multipole sonic-while-drilling service for large boreholes provides measurements to determine formation pore pressure and breakout limits with a quality-control process consisting of a series of unique control plots that assures that data are unaffected by external factors. Additionally, the service employs a fast-logging multimode capability that enables top-of-cement identification with consistency and repeatability while tripping. It combines monopole and quadrupole measurements to provide Stoneley data and compressional and shear slownesses in all formations, regardless of mud slowness. By using the data as part of a real-time workflow, operators can more safely drill wells by estimating pore pressures in various geological layers and adjusting mud weight windows, according to Steve Kaufmann, president of Schlumberger Drilling and Measurements, in the press release. The SonicScope service has been field-tested globally, including in several deep-water locations, in boreholes ranging from 10½ in. to 17½ in. slb.com/sonicscope

Tool provides diverless solution to subsea clamp installation

T.D. Williamson introduced the Clamp Installation Tool (CIT), a remote-controlled system that offers pipeline operators a diverless solution to installing any proprietary clamps on subsea pipelines in need of repair or preparation for tie-in to new pipelines. An experienced technician can operate the CIT via laptop onboard a platform or diving support vessel away from the pipes, improving operational safety and efficiency and enhancing technician control over clamp installation operations. The CIT is a self-contained tool with a built-in control and hydraulic system and a passive ROV interface. The full installation package consists of an installation frame that incorporates the installation tool, a control skid, a third party-supplied work-class ROV, and a clamp or fitting provided by a third-party supplier. Sensors on the control skid transmit information to the technician’s laptop on the position and proximity of the ROV manipulator arms and rotation speed during the bolt spinning and tensioning process. The technicians can visually monitor each installation through the sensors’ information and cameras affixed to the CIT and ROV. Because the CIT is modular, after the clamp is installed and the frame is removed and recovered at the surface, it can then be used immediately to install additional clamps on the pipeline. tdwilliamson.com

Modular carousel can ease cost of heavy installations

Aquatic Engineering & Construction Ltd., an Acteon company, unveiled the 1500Te Modular Carousel System, a modular drive system for installing and replacing flexibles, umbilicals, power and telecommunication cables, and wire rope products in deepwater operations. The modular design enables the carousel to be broken down into components that fit in standard shipping containers and gives users a less expensive option than buying a new vessel and building a carousel around it, according to Chris Brooks, Aquatic group president. The system provides the strength and stability to withstand the installation of the heaviest equipment in deep water, according to an Aquatic press release. The carousel can handle a product load up to 1,500 metric tons (mt), has a maximum reeling speed of approximately 1 km/hr (0.6 mph), and uses a built-in tensioner with a maximum line pull of 5 mt to maintain product tension on the horizontal reel at all times. The carousel has a reel diameter of 12 m (39.4 ft) and a variable hub diameter, which allows it to handle multiple products and be mobilized onto most vessels of opportunity. aquaticsubsea.com

Steam generator improves EOR at great depths

Blackbird Energy LLC announced that a downhole steam generator for improving EOR is now commercially available after 11 months of successful field tests. The Blackbird generator can induce superheated steam, CO, heat, and pressure directly into the payzone as deep as 6,096 m (20,000 ft) using rocket-based technology. Equipment is staged on trailers for quick mobility away from wells that are unproductive, and all COemissions are kept underground. This technology makes it possible to use steam for EOR for deep formations and Arctic permafrost, according to a Blackbird press release. The Blackbird generator tools are sized to fit 5-in., 6-in., and 7-in. oil well casings and will accommodate standard turning sweeps for horizontal wells. The tool generates 5 MMBtu/hr to 50 MMBtu/hr and offers substantial energy savings compared to current surface steam generators, according to the release. downholesteam.com