New CT string design allows shorter taper sections

National Oilwell Varco (NOV) announced the commercial availability of TRUE-TAPER XR, a new coiled tubing (CT) string design optimization that allows shorter taper sections to achieve better results for CT operators working in extended-reach applications, the company said. The TRUE-TAPER XR achieves a linear taper by gradually varying the thickness of the flat steel strip, reducing stress concentrations and bias welds while optimizing safety factors and strength-to-weight ratio. The string design enhancement has more precise string-weight distribution in the lateral, which allows operators to maintain higher performance levels with longer strings while meeting stricter weight requirements. In an early project, a TRUE-TAPER XR string design allowed a customer to reduce the number of tapered sections in its string from four to two; additionally, the total average length of the tapers was reduced by almost 65%. nov.com

Subsea system lowers costs by 30%

Baker Hughes, a GE company, has released its new approach to subsea development: Subsea Connect, including its Aptara TOTEX-lite subsea system, a suite of new lightweight, modular technologies designed for the full life of the field, a press release stated. By combining planning and risk management, new modular deepwater technology, innovative partnerships and digital tools into a single offering, Subsea Connect can reduce the economic development point of subsea projects by an average of 30% and has the potential to unlock an additional 16 Bbbl of reserves globally. bhge.com

New well testing technology delivers actionable information for safer operations

Schlumberger has released its Concert well testing live performance technology. Concert brings real-time surface and downhole measurements, data analysis and collaboration capabilities to well testing, according to a company press release. In the Concert performance ecosystem, all well test data are digitally integrated via wearable technology, wireless sensors and video cameras. Robust software drives web dashboards, accessible anywhere customers specify, with separate teams able to view the same data. Extensive testing of the Concert performance technology has been conducted in Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia and Australia. The new technology was used in testing the first development wells of a major offshore gas condensate field in Australia. Concert performance introduced new efficiencies to managing the testing spread required for the ultrahigh flow-rate wells. The automated real-time data collection and communication enabled collaborative analysis that accelerated the understanding of the testing operation while significantly reducing the personnel required. slb.com/concert

New eROV offers savings for operators

Forum Subsea Technologies’ latest electric ROV (eROV) addition is driving cost efficiencies for the subsea sector, a press release stated. The recently launched XLe Spirit is the first observation-class ROV to utilize Forum’s Integrated Control Engine to bring greater functionality only commonly found in larger work class vehicles. The advanced control electronics pod fitted to all Forum XLe observation class vehicles enables superior connectivity and expansion capabilities when compared with other ROVs on the market, according to the company. Ethernet interfacing allows seamless integration with other industry sensors using common IP architecture and ease of remote data transfer. The XLe Spirit incorporates several features to maximize its stability for use as a sensor platform, including regulated propulsion power, optimized thruster orientation and location, accurate thruster speed control, and a wide range of auto-functions for positioning and flying. f-e-t.com

Frac plugs increase efficiency in cemented completions

Packers Plus Energy Services Inc.’s latest suite of frac plugs is providing operators with higher efficiency plugand- perf systems worldwide. The TREX cemented product line now offers composite and degradable plugs to improve deployment and reduce/eliminate mill-out operations, saving time and reducing risk, a press release stated. The suite of frac plugs includes Lightning Composite Plug, LightningPLUS Composite Plug and LightningBOLT Degradable Plug. The Lightning plug has a combination of composite and cast-iron slips, while the LightningPLUS has full composite slips. Both plugs have a short length that enables fast deployment and quick mill-out operations. The LightningBOLT degradable plug is designed with proprietary material and provides optimal degradation times to minimize debris left in the wellbore. The plugs are rated up to 10,000 psi differential and can be run in conditions up to 149 C (300 F). Each plug is paired with a ball to provide zonal isolation. With more than 2,300 installed in North America, operators are seeing faster mill-out operations from a shorter plug design and composite slips. packersplus.com

New technology boosts oil recovery

Tendeka has launched a new technology to optimize oil production and assist with the challenges of effective water injection in fractured reservoirs. FloFuse can increase oil recovery by improving injected water conformance in fractured reservoirs or by ensuring the effective placement of matrix stimulation acids, according to a press release. When installed across a segmented wellbore, FloFuse autonomously chokes back injection into thief zones or large fractures that dominate the outflow profile and ensures effective injection into the rock matrix or fracture structure. This prevents early water breakthrough into production wells, thereby increasing total oil recovery and reducing water production. By triggering at a predetermined flow rate, it reduces the outflow area in the completion compartment. Furthermore, the dynamic and reversible operation of the valve makes it suitable for applications where the permeability contrasts change over time, such as in thermally fractured water injection wells and where matrix stimulation is used to improve near-wellbore permeability. Unlike conventional waterflood management technologies, Flo- Fuse devices are easy to run in horizontal wells and highrate environments and have a longer life expectancy with less need for maintenance. tendeka.com

New fluid mechanics app provides calculation of results

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions has released its Fluid Mechanics Calculator App. The new app covers a wide variety of topics in the field of fluid mechanics and serves as a reference for the analysis, design, maintenance and operation of fluid-related systems, a product announcement stated. The app provides results for different fluid mechanics equations, including those used in civil, structural, pipe flow and general engineering. The Fluid Mechanics Calculator has more than 130 formulas and 360-plus different calculations. It provides fast and convenient calculation of results along with unit conversion support. The app can be downloaded for free in iTunes or Google Play. Claude Kornelis, director digital business development at Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, said, “The Fluid Mechanics Calculator is designed to support fluid thinkers, whether they are students, engineers, analysts or researchers, working in the automotive, aerospace, biotechnology, fluid power, mining, marine or oil and gas industries. It’s for anyone involved in fluid mechanics, not just those specifying seals, and is aimed at making the working lives of engineers easier, whether at their desks or on the go, 24/7.” tss.trelleborg.com

New oilfield water intelligence platform

Sourcewater is no longer just a water marketplace, according to a product announcement released in December 2018. Sourcewater acquired the Digital H2O Water Asset Intelligence service from Genscape in November and launched an all-new integrated oilfield water and disposal intelligence platform serving the upstream energy industry with advanced water data science. Sourcewater gathers intel from its exclusive marketplace, weekly satellite imagery, terabytes of state regulatory files and from daily outbound market research calls to thousands of water market players. Then the company runs quality assurance and data science on all of these data and puts the results in a fast, easy-to-use online digital map. With its acquisition of Digital H2O, Sourcewater now shows which operator leases send water to each Texas disposal each month, how much water they send, water production for every lease, and utilization and pressure trends for every saltwater disposal well. sourcewater.com