Shell, Subcon Introduce Engineered Pipe Clamping Mattress

Subcon has released a new method to mitigate pipeline walking. Developed in cooperation with Shell Global Solutions (Shell), it is an engineered “pipe clamping mattress” (PCM).

The technique was first developed on Shell’s Malampaya project as an alternative to traditional rock dumping. The results led to a further 15 PCMs being deployed on the same field in first-quarter 2018.

“When rock dumping or concrete matts are deployed for walking mitigation, the vast majority of load is wasted because it is passed straight onto the seabed,” Subcon CEO Matthew Allen said.

Addressing pipeline walking with PCMs also eliminates the need for fall-pipe vessel and competent rock, according to Subcon.

Future field developments may consider a wait-and-see philosophy for pipeline walking, eliminating suction pile fabrication and installation. As pipeline-walking is an uncommon and slow process, remediation can be achieved using post-installed PCMs, the company said.

Shell has a U.S. patent pending for the PCM and has released the PCM option to the market via a global licensing agreement with Subcon.

Schlumberger Offers New MEMS Gyro Surveying Service

Schlumberger has introduced the GyroSphere microelectromechanical system (MEMS) gyro-while-drilling service, responding to the needs of E&P companies for a faster gyro-surveying-while-drilling tool that increases drilling efficiency and reliability while reducing drilling risks.

As the first application of MEMS technology for gyro surveying while drilling in the oil field, the GyroSphere sensor performs gyro surveys faster than conventional systems and avoids the need for recalibration between runs, the company said. Solid-state technology enables the GyroSphere sensor to withstand the downhole shock and vibration that occur during drilling beyond the limits of current gyro technologies. Additionally, the GyroSphere service can reduce gyro survey uncertainty by up to 45%, providing more accurate access to smaller reservoir targets.

The GyroSphere service has been proven through extensive testing and field trials in the North Sea, Ecuador, Africa and Russia. In Russia the GyroSphere service enabled a customer to avoid wellbore collisions while accessing reservoirs from existing structures, eliminating drilling risks associated with deploying conventional gyro surveys, according to Schlumberger.

Simec Atlantis Energy Unveils Single Rotor Tidal Turbine, AR2000

The Turbine and Engineering Services Division of SIMEC Atlantis Energy (SAE) has unveiled the design for its new 2.0-MW tidal power turbine system.

This next-generation turbine will be capable of accommodating rotor diameters of between 20 m and 24 m (66 ft to 79 ft), site dependent, with a cut in speed of less than 1 m (3 ft) per second and a maximum of output of 2.0 MW at 3.05 m (10 ft) per second for a machine with a 20-m rotor diameter.

The AR2000 has been in development for over two years and builds on the successes and lessons learned from the AR1500 deployment and operation on the MeyGen project in Scotland, according to a news release. The machine will be available commercially in fourth-quarter 2019.

The turbine is offered as part of a complete rotor to grid tidal generation system, with an array architecture that allows multiple turbines to be connected in parallel, reducing the cost and impact of the subsea infrastructure.

The AR2000 will feature a new electromechanical pitch system, 360 degrees of yaw, upgraded onboard health monitoring and diagnostics systems and optimized critical system redundancy. The AR2000 will have a 25-year design life with quarter-life interventions for routine maintenance. The system utilizes a quick connect wet-mate system, designed for rapid and safe deployment on either a gravity base or mono pylon of up to eight turbines per day.

Atlantis is in discussions with governments, developers and site owners with respect to identifying potential locations for a manufacture, assembly, testing and commissioning facility.

—Staff Reports