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BWA Water Add|t|ves |s the g|oba| |eader |n susta|nab|e
water treatment so|ut|ons for tops|de or down-ho|e
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80
ISSN 1757-2134
contents
Copyright

Palladian Publications Ltd 2013. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner.
All views expressed in this journal are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily the opinions of the publisher, neither do the publishers
endorse any of the claims made in the articles or the advertisements. Printed in the UK. Images courtesy of www.bigstockphoto.com.
Oilfield Technology is audited by the Audit Bureau
of Circulations (ABC). An audit certificate is
available on request from our sales department.
| 03 | EDITORIAL COMMENT
| 05 | WORLD NEWS
| 10 | THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING
Oilfield Technology Correspondent Mark Robinson reports on the
continuing viability and strategic importance of the Gulf of Mexico.
| 14 | BIG MONEY IN DEEP WATER
Rachel Stonehouse, Douglas-Westwood, UK, looks at the forecasted
global deepwater Capex of US$ 223 billion for 2013 - 2017 and
reveals what it will be spent on, and who will be spending it.
| 20 | MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK
Michael ODriscoll, Joao Ruiz and Milton Pereira, on behalf of Acteon,
use the example of a deepwater conductor installation project to show
how group collaboration can allow major obstacles to be overcome.
| 23 | WALKING TO WORK
Lindsay Young, Offshore Solutions BV, The Netherlands, reveals how
a new generation of personnel-transfer solutions is helping operators
cut costs without cutting back on safety.
| 27 | OFFSHORE OCCUPATION
Daniel Younger, CY Partners, UK, examines some of the recruitment
challenges facing the global oil and gas industry and the pros and
cons of living and working in the offshore sector.
| 30 | KEEP IT SIMPLE
John Spain, Quickflange, UK, sets out the case for simplicity in
offshore piping operations.
| 35 | REDUCING RISKS ON ELDERLY ASSETS
Graeme Ellis, ABB Consulting, UK, explains how implementing robust
safety risk assessment and ageing asset programmes can help lower
the risk of safety or environmental hazards in the oilfield.
| 40 | SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTIVITY
Philippe Levy, SBM Offshore, Brazil, shows how an effective
sustainable development plan can allow oil and gas companies
to meet their environmental obligations without cutting back on
productivity.
| 45 | FINISHING OFF FLARING
Shravan Joshi, CompactGTL, UK, outlines the development of an
FPSO compatible gas-to-liquids plant that can help eliminate the
unnecessary flaring of associated gas.
| 48 | WORKING TOWARDS GREEN E&P
Andra Wilcox, Houston Advanced Research Center, USA, explores
the development of a programme aimed at integrating environmentally
friendly technologies into oil and gas production.
| 55 | PUSHING PERFORATIONS TO THE SIDELINES
With operators in the Eagle Ford Shale looking for alternatives to
fracture stimulate the toe stage of long laterals, Andrew L. Arguijo
and Lee Morford, Cabot Oil & Gas, USA, and Jason Baihly and
Isaac Aviles, Schlumberger, USA, explain how a new valve design can
help cut costs and mitigate risk when fracturing the first stage of shale
wells without perforating guns.
| 58 | TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE BALL
Mike Churchill, Churchill Drilling Tools, UK, highlights a development in
mechanical extrusion technology that offers operational benefits over
ball activation for downhole tools.
| 63 | DRILLING COMPLETION AND BEYOND
Tom Ashton, Eagleridge Energy LLC, Chi Vinh Ly, Graham Spence
and Guy Oliver, Robertson (a CGG Company), USA, present a
RoqSCAN case study from the Barnett/Chester play.
| 69 | SINGLE-TRIP TECHNOLOGY
Chad Hightower, Superior Energy Services, USA, shows how
multizone and horizontal single-trip sand control systems are a key
strategy for producers hoping to optimise well completions.
| 75 | ROBOT ROUGHNECK
Murray Gerwing, David Harris and Ron Rolling, McCoy Corp., USA
and Canada, take a look at a mechanical roughneck that can increase
the speed and safety of tripping tools in and out of wells.
| 80 | PLENTY MORE FISH IN THE SEA
Mark McGurk, National Oilwell Varco, USA, examines the properties
of a new tool that is helping oil and gas operators deal with complex
fishing operations.
| 85 | METER BY METER
Finn Erik Berge, Emerson Process Management, Norway, shows how
deploying more accurate multiphase meters can improve results in
well testing, production monitoring and flow assurance.
| 90 | GO WITH THE FLOW
Rebecca Roth, INTECSEA, USA, explains how direct electrical heating
(DEH) can provide new possibilities for field development.
| 95 | FIBRE OPTIC ACOUSTICS
Sudhendu Kashikar, Silixa, USA, reveals how fibre optic technology
can assist in reservoir exploitation and allow companies to boost their
production.
| 104 | MONITORING YOUR MOORING
Mark Nolet and Michael Spencer, InterMoor Inc., USA, outline the
importance of a reliable mooring monitoring system for successful
mooring system integrity management.
| 110 | INTEGRITY MANAGEMENT
Rennie van Wyk, Geoff Eagan, Steve Hall, Jim Palmer and
Gareth John, Intertek, USA and UK, discuss comprehensive pipeline
integrity programmes.
FMC Technologies has developed subsea well intervention technologies and services that enable cost-effective
workover operations from a vessel, avoiding the need for expensive rigs. Equipped with systems like the one on
this months cover, operators are revitalising wells and maximising recovery from mature fields in the North Sea.
On this months cover >>
April 2013 Volume 06 Issue 04
Discover more at:
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Email: downhole@nov.com O n e C o m p a n y . . . U n l i m i t e d S o l u t i o n s

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High-frequency downhole data is critical for eliminating
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3
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
Anna Scordos
Editor
comment
Oilfield Technology subscription rates: Annual subscription 80 UK including postage/95/e130 overseas (postage
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Publisher: Nigel Hardy
I
n my December 2012 Editors Comment, I discussed the
hot topic of the global oil and gas skills shortage. So far
in 2013, that topic is still a hot one.
At the end of March, an Oil and Gas Sector Strategy to
secure billions of pounds of future investment and thousands
of oil and gas jobs was announced by the UK government.
Part of the strategy is to address the skills shortage of
mid-level career engineers. The government has stated
that it will aim to work with industry to establish a national
programme to retrain ex-military personnel in order to
smooth the progress of their redeployment into the oil and
gas industry. Over the years, Ive noticed that many of the
successful engineers and senior managers Ive come into
contact with in the O&G space are ex-military personnel,
and it is certainly often the case that ex-military candidates
possess certain attributes that ensure they are a good t for a
career in the global O&G industry.
The government has also recently introduced The
Shortage Occupation List, which outlines 20 new job
categories that are to be exempt from the usual strict
immigration rules. While not essentially tackling the global
skills shortage per se, this move means that oil and gas
companies operating in the North Sea will be able to cut
through an inordinate amount of red tape and hire workers
from outside Europe; allowing companies to more easily ll
critical positions.
However, while the UK is making some steps to welcome
more internationally skilled candidates into its workforce,
the US remains notorious for the tough hurdles it places in
the way of highly educated foreign workers who are ready,
willing and able to contribute to the growth of its economy.
On 1 April every year, the US government accepts
applications for its H1B visa, which allows highly skilled
foreigners the right to work in the US for a US company, for
a period of 3 years. This year, the quota was lled in just ve
days, which suggests that the US economy is on its way up.
However, the Financial Times Edward Luce recently pointed
out just how undersized this set quota really is: There are
only 65 000 H1B visas given out annually, plus another
20 000 to foreign graduates [of US universities]. [] With less
than a tenth of Americas population, Australia hands out
129 000 green cards a year. He points out that the US visa
system does its best to deter educated foreigners while in
practice accepting an outsized share of the worlds migrant
poor. [] The net result is a gradually unfolding blow to US
competitiveness. With the US set to support a bill this year
to put its 11 million illegal immigrants on the road to legal
citizenship, the foreign work visa issue is certainly contentious
against this backdrop.
In Februarys State of the Union Address,
President Obama highlighted the promise held in American
energy, and outlined one of his top priorities as, Making
America a magnet for new jobs and manufacturing. But for
the US to maintain its position as a technological global lead
and generate future jobs for Americans, wont it need a little
help from its friends? Friends in the form of highly skilled
innovators from around the world? President Obama went on
to deduce, Real reform means xing the legal immigration
system to cut waiting periods, reduce bureaucracy, and
attract the highly skilled entrepreneurs and engineers that will
help create jobs and grow our economy. In other words, we
know what needs to be done. [] Now lets get this done.
Send me a comprehensive immigration reform bill in the next
few months, and I will sign it right away. Judging by the
overwhelming wave of H1B applications in April, there will
surely be plenty of US companies ready to hand him the pen.
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05
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
world news
inbrief
The Kremlin has reported that Shell
and Gazprom Neft have signed an
agreement covering joint offshore
drilling in the Russian Arctic.
Shells Chief Executive, Peter Voser
was quoted last year as saying that,
From a strategic point of view [Shell]
are open to further investments in
Russia and therefore are looking at
opportunities in oil or LNG. We have
talked with the various players. Those
talks include Gazprom.
Shell already works with
Gazprom Neft on developing onshore
oil resources, and is even involved
with the Russian companys parent,
OAO Gazprom, on the Sakhalin-2 gas
project in Eastern Siberia.
Gazprom is one of only two
companies that has been granted
permission by the Russian government
to conduct oil and gas operations on
the countrys Arctic shelf. The other
company, Rosneft, has been striking
deals with IOCs in order to gain access
to the expertise and technology
required for operations in harsh Arctic
conditions. The Kremlin has also
announced changes to the tax regime
in a bid to make investment more
attractive to foreign companies.
Despite the challenges involved in
operating in the Arctic, it still remains
tempting, as the region is believed to
hold a significant portion of the worlds
remaining undiscovered oil and gas
reserves.
Shell has recently had to postpone
operations in the Arctic offshore Alaska
after a series of delays, regulatory
concerns and setbacks prevented the
company from making any significant
progress. The company is to resume
drilling offshore Alaska in 2014.
UK NORTH SEA
According to reports, a combination
of new technology and new operators
are set to push the UK North Seas
overall production up by a third
(to 2 million bpd up from
1.55 million bpd) by 2017.
14 new oilfields are set to begin
production in the region over the next
two years. Declining production in the
UK North Sea has been attributed
as one of the causes behind the
UK economys drop towards a third
recession in under five years.
BRAZIL
Brazils upcoming oil block auction has
attracted over 70 companies, including:
ExxonMobil, CNOOC, Premier Oil,
Hess Corp., and GDF Suez.
The Brazilian national petroleum
agency, ANP, is now tasked with
sorting the documentation provided by
interested companies. The next hurdle
for interested parties is the deadline for
financial guarantees later this month.
The blocks covered by the auction
are located offshore Brazils north and
northeastern coasts, and are from a
different geological formation than
Brazils famous pre-salt fields.
VIETNAM
Petrovietnam, Vietnams national oil
company, has announced that it will
continue to conduct offshore oil and
gas exploration despite a territorial
dispute with China.
The companys Chief Executive,
Do Van Hau has said, Our petroleum
activities over the past years have
completely been conducted in the
continental shelf and the exclusive
economic zone of Vietnam, [...] in
compliance [with] the UN Convention
on the Law of the Sea.
// Shell & Gazprom Neft // Russian Arctic shelf
exploration agreement
Hess Corp. has announced that
it has agreed to sell its Russian
subsidiary, Samara, to OAO Lukoil for
US$ 1.8 billion as part of an ongoing
process to stabilise the companys
finances, placate shareholders and
boost profits.
The sale comes in the wake of
Hess Corp.s divestment of assets in
the UK North Sea, South Texas and
Azerbaijan, and brings the total raised
by Hess so far to US$ 3.4 billion.
Announcement of the sale has seen
Hesss shares rise by 2%.
Samara, which is based in the
Volga-Urals region of Russia, has assets
covering 60 fields and two oil treatment
plants, and has been producing
since 2001. At present, the company
produces approximately 50 000 bpd.
Shares in the UK-listed company,
Heritage Oil, dropped by 7% after the
ruling of an international arbitration
tribunal went against the company.
The case focuses around
US$ 400 million of unpaid taxes that
the Ugandan government believes it is
owed by Heritage. This ruling marks the
second legal victory by the Ugandan
government in this dispute, after a
Ugandan court also ruled against the
company.
Heritage has responded by
claiming that the ruling opens up
further arguments; namely, that the tax
laws were unfairly changed after the
production sharing contract had been
signed, and that a stabilisation clause in
this contract should have protected the
company from such changes.
// Hess Corp. // Sells
Samara for US$ 1.8 bn
// Heritage Oil //
Shares hit by tax ruling
06
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
diarydates
webnews
highlights
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To read more about
these articles and for
more event listings go to:
world news
Norwegian offshore O&G strike
called off at last minute
Lundin strikes it lucky at Luno 2
Ethiopia could continue East African
Oil Boom
06 - 09 May
OTC
Houston, Texas
E: meetings@otcnet.org
www.optcnet.org/2013
20 - 22 May
Global Energy Security Conference 2013
Dubai, U.A.E.
E: info@pcstconsultant.com
www.pcstconsultant.com/global-security
20 - 22 May
The 6th Deepwater Asia Congress
Jakarta, Indonesia
E: info@szwgroup.com
www.deepwatercongress.com
10 - 13 June
EAGE
London, UK
E: eage@eage.org
www.eage.org
// Providence Resources // Barryroe
sees upgrade to 311 million bbls
Irish explorer, Providence Resources, has had further good
luck with its Celtic Sea Barryroe discovery as third party audits
have raised the fields recoverable reserves to 311 million bbls
of oil and 207 billion ft
3
of natural gas, or 346 million boe when
combined.
In total, the Basal Wealden and Middle Wealden reservoirs
of the Barryroe find are believed to hold over 1 billion bbls of oil
in place. Netherland Sewell & Associates conducted the audit
on the Basal Wealden reservoir, and found 266 million bbls of
oil and 187 billion ft
3
of associated gas. In 2011, RPS Energy
conducted an audit of the Middle Wealden reservoir and found
45 million bbls and 21 billion ft
3
of associated gas.
Providences Technical Director, John OSullivan said, This
third party resource audit by Netherland Sewell & Associates
further validates the significant volumetric and recoverable
resources of the Basal Wealden oil reservoir in the
Barryroe field, which [the company] first reported on last
summer. In addition, the audit has demonstrated that there are
significant volumes of associated gas in solution.
Production studies on the field suggest that, using
horizontal wells, it would be possible to attain 100 000 bpd
from each platform.
According to Noble Energy, the Tamar
natural gas field offshore Israel is now
online and is producing approximately
300 million ft
3
. The gross resource
estimate for the field has also been
boosted to 10 trillion ft
3
.
Gas flows from the five wells of
the Tamar field began at the end of
last month and have now stabilised.
Combined with the Mari-B Well at the
Yam Tethys field, total production is
approximately 500 million ft
3
. This figure
is predicted to rise to 700 million ft
3
over
the course of this year.
The future growth of the Tamar field
could be significant as each of the five
wells currently producing are technically
capable of producing 250 million ft
3

each.
It has been just over four years from
discovery of the field to production.
Norwegian state player, Statoil, has
announced that it has increased
production from its oil sands assets by
more than 60%, whilst also reducing
the CO
2
output from the extraction
process by 24%.
The companys SAGD
Leismer Demonstration Project in
Northern Alberta, Canada, which is run
under a partnership with PTTEP, began
production in early 2011. Last year,
the company produced an average of
16 333 bpd from Leismer, with a
steam-oil ratio of 2.5.
Statoil is to decide next year
whether or not to expand its oil sands
operations in Canada from 2017.
The company had been expected to
develop the 40 000 bpd Corner project
in the next two years, but this may not
now take place for four years.
// Noble Energy //
Tamar now online
// Statoil // Oil sands:
production rising
BU Oil,Gas and Petrochemical
E- mail: oilandgas.info@it.abb.com
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A4.indd 1 4/7/2011 11:47:56 AM ABB_Layout.indd 1 19/03/2013 08:49 OT_05-09_April13.indd 7 09/04/2013 09:03
product news
08
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
// Scientic Drilling // Next generation mud pulse MWD system launched
Scientific Drilling International (SDI), based in Houston,
USA, has announced the launch of a next generation
mud pulse MWD system. The FALCON MWD is designed
to offer superior reliability, precision wellbore placement,
higher durability, deeper reach, safer operations and
faster drilling.
The device is a full-featured mud pulse MWD system
that provides a telemetry mechanism for other SDI MWD,
gyrdoMWD, LWD rotary steerable and Smart Motor
components. The control module has also been given
the capability to measure basic drilling dynamics as well
as mud flow and rotation for the purposes of drilling
optimisation and power management.
Features of the system include:

Bi-directional mud pulse telemetry.

Positive pulse (3 - 5 bits per sec.).

Full accelerometer and drilling dynamics package.

Rugged thread mount throughout.

Surface equipment and softare upgrades.

BHA sizes from 3 to 9 in.

Flow rates from 50 - 1500 gpm.

TUF preventative maintenance process.
// Schramm // A new series of mobile rigs ready for the Marcellus and Utica Shales
A new range of mobile, land-based hydraulic drill rigs,
designed by Schramm Inc., is ready for operations in the
Marcellus and Utica Shales.
The mobile T500XD Telemast

rig, which can be

delivered in an eight truckload package, is rated for hook
loads of 500 000 lbs, and is designed with full 360` walking
portability for fast moves from hole to hole without the
traditional limits of two axis pad mounted designs.
The design of the rigs has also been focused around
horizontal and directional drilling with a total depth
of at least 15 000 ft. In addition, weight on bit can be
controlled without drill collars or a reliance on gross
string weight. The rigs can also provide 35 000 ft-lbs
of top torque, a directional steering interface, and
80 000 lbs of hydraulic pulldown capacity.
The new rigs are also equipped with a LoadSafe

XD
pipehandling automation system that is capable of
handling 24 in. diameter Range III tubulars weighing up
to 10 000 lbs; drill pipe is racked horizontally for easy
loading and offloading, which greatly improves operator
safety.
Figure 1. The T500XD Telemast mobile drill rig.
Figure 1. A graphic rendering of the FALCON MWD in operation.
The gift that keeps on giving
10
Oilfield Technology Correspondent Mark Robinson reports on the
continuing viability and strategic importance of the Gulf of Mexico.
T
he great American author Mark Twain was quoted
as saying, The reports of my death have been
greatly exaggerated. The same might be said of the
Gulf of Mexico (GoM), that prodigious oil-producing region
bordered by the southern USA, Mexico and Cuba. Following the
Macondo spill and US government moratorium on E&P activity
during 2010 - 2011, oil production in the GoM region has been
steadily climbing to near pre-spill levels. While the US shale oil
and gas revolution has recently overtaken much of the media, the
GoM remains an important part of the oil producers strategic
plans.
To understand the GoMs lure as a strategic play for many
of the worlds largest oil companies, one has to consider the
regions geology. 150 to 160 million years ago, during what is
known as the Jurassic period, Mexicos Yucatan peninsula began
separating from the North American continent. According to many
geologists, saltwater fowed into what is now the GoM region only
to later evaporate, leaving the residual salt on the ocean foor.
Over the ensuing millions of years, the level of salt left behind
built up to a point where, in some places, layers of salt are now
tens of thousands of feet thick. Moreover, the continual shifting
of geological formations over the ensuing years has built salt
canopies. Underneath these canopies lie the oil discoveries that,
over the last 20 - 30 years, have allowed production in the GoM
region to boom.
According to the American Oil & Gas Historical Society,
America's offshore oil industry began in the Pacifc Ocean with
drilling and production piers at Summerland, California. However,
in 1938, Pure Oil Co. and Superior Oil Co. built a freestanding
drilling platform in the GoM, despite logistics, engineering and
communications challenges. They hired a Houston engineering and
construction company, Brown & Root Marine Operators, Inc., to
build a 320 ft by 180 ft freestanding wooden deck in 14 ft of water
a mile offshore. The chosen drilling site was near Creole, Louisiana.
With that platform, the US offshore industry had begun and the
GoM was about to play an important strategic role.
Macondo-Gulf spill fuels new safety innovations
It is no surprise that the Macondo disaster pressured oil companies
into focusing their technological skills on developing safety
innovations. Prime targets for these innovations include newer
versions of the blowout preventer, containment devices and
underwater vacuums that siphon oil and gas from a leaking well.
No less than three new versions of blowout preventers
have appeared on the market over the last 18 months. In some
of the new versions, the blowout preventer itself is equipped
with hydraulic-powered blades known as a shear ram that
can cut the drill pipe that extends into the earths crust.
National Oilwell Varco Inc. rolled out a shear ram with opposing
shears in the shape of the letter w. According to the company, the
11
Nexens ENSCO 8501 rig in the Knotty Head region of the Gulf of Mexico.
Photo courtesy of Nexen Inc.
shears puncture the drill pipe as they converge on it, a design that
is capable of slicing through thicker pipes with less force. Not to be
outdone, Cameron Internationals new shear ram can cut through
and seal thicker pipe. GEs Oil and Gas division has been promoting
a suite of blowout-prevention equipment, including a new design
that increases the force available to the shears.
Major oil companies have historically banded together to
co-develop felds, and they have recently created a consortium
called the Marine Well Containment Co. or MWCC. The MWCC is a
joint effort created by ExxonMobil, Chevron, Royal Dutch Shell Plc.
and ConocoPhillips and has a total common investment of
US$ 1 billion. Six other companies are members of MWCC and
include BP, Apache Corp., Statoil, BHP Billiton Ltd,
Anadarko Petroleum and Hess Corp. The consortium has created a
containment system capable of capturing up to 100 000 bpd from
an oil gusher as deep as 10 000 ft below the surface. In the event
of a deepwater crisis, the 30 ft tall, 100 stack spill containment
device is lowered on top of a gusher and works to either kill the
fow or funnel the escaping oil to ships where it can be recovered.
According to MWCC offcials, the new device could take up to only
10 days to stop a spill rather than three months as was previously
observed.
Another signifcant innovation is the Noble Bully 1, a new type
of drill ship that has been developed by Royal Dutch Shell Plc. This
new vessel is equipped with state-of-the-art information technology,
including powerful new data imaging tools and predictive analytics
software. The ships design helps Shell drill wells faster, more
safely, and at a lower cost than has historically been observed.
According to Shells deepwater operations manager David Loeb,
Since I started out in the industry, the water has gotten deeper,
the wells have gotten deeper and the technology has gotten much
more challenging. The Bully was co-developed by Shell and
Frontier Drilling, now owned by Noble Corp.
As regulatory scrutiny increases
While oil companies have been creating innovative methods for
containing future spills, governments in countries with a deepwater
industry have been increasingly fne-tuning their regulatory
programmes. In a report following the Macondo spill, the US
National Commission concluded that other countries such as
Britain and Norway have better regulatory systems in place than
those in the US.
Changes to the US regulatory regime are now being modelled
after the UK system, which was introduced in 1990 following
the July 1988 Piper Alpha disaster. One important change is that
responsibilities for awarding drilling permits and overseeing safety
activities were split between two agencies: the Department of
Energy and Climate Change and the Health and Safety Executive
now control this process respectively. The US has followed this
example by disbanding the Minerals Management Service and
replacing it with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)
and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. Further
change was enacted resulting in the safety-case system, which
forces companies to persuade the government regulator that
they have not only identifed potential hazards and risks but have
corrected them as well.
Drilling increases in the Gulf
As the GoM returns to a period of normalcy not seen since April 2010
and the Macondo incident, the US Government, in December 2011,
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OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
reserves of this magnitude and depth
highlight the attention that will need to be
paid to safety issues. US and Mexican
offcials are keen to work together to ensure
that projects meet the safety standards
of both nations and lay the framework for
more co-operation to develop uniform
safety guidelines.
Shallow water drilling makes a
comeback
Although deepwater drilling in the
GoM has been of signifcant strategic
importance to oil companies, E&P activity
in shallow water has also staged a
comeback. As recently as April last year,
37 shallow water rigs were under contract
to drill. This number is up 32% from the
low point in January 2011. According to
data from RigData Offshore, US Federal
regulators issued 10 permits for new wells
in shallow GoM waters during February
2012, the second-highest monthly total
since the Deepwater Horizon incident.
Some 60 years after the frst offshore well
was drilled in the GoM, the region still
plays a strategic role for many companies.
GoM offers favourable
attributes
What makes the GoM a viable place to
do business? One of the factors driving
the resurgence in GoM production is
the price of oil. Over the last six months,
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil has
averaged around US$ 90 to US$ 100 per bbl. High, but steady oil
prices give producers the incentive necessary to continue drilling
not only in deepwater but also in the GoMs shallow waters as well.
Oil produced in the GoM can be even more valuable than
land-based crude because it does not have to be delivered to
refneries using the overtaxed pipeline system. The ideal scenario
is that crude oil is loaded onto tankers and shipped anywhere
in the world. To make drilling more palatable to oil companies,
the Obama Administration recently overhauled requirements for
GoM drilling permits. Offcials removed a number of waivers that
allow drillers to bypass some environmental reviews and added
additional safety measures, including the advanced spill-containment
equipment mentioned earlier. Another characteristic that has enabled
the revival in GoM drilling is an improvement in seismic technology
that gives E&P managers a clearer picture of precisely where to drill.
Coupled with pricing, geographical location, streamlined
permitting and a favourable tax and royalty regime in place, it is no
wonder why the GoM is highly favoured by the E&P industry.
Conclusion
Mark Twain made his famous statement after hearing that his
obituary had mistakenly been published in the New York Journal and
he went on to publish many great works. Almost one year ago, the
Gulf of Mexico was being referred to as the Dead Sea by the E&P
industry. It is now clear that the prediction of its death is also
premature.
O T

Figure 1. The Gulf of Mexico. Image modied from
ESRI data and maps 2000.
Figure 2. Gulf of Mexico crude-oil production, in
millions of bbls a day. Source: Energy Information
Administration.
unsealed more than US$ 330 million in
winning bids for drilling leases, the frst
offered there in almost three years. Some
21 million acres of federal waters were
available and could lead to more than
400 million bbls of new oil production.
Most of the supermajors, including BP,
state that as industry leaders, they intend
to remain active investors in the GoM.
According to then BP spokesperson
Daren Beaudo, the company intends to be
active in all facets of the GoM: as explorer,
developer, operator and interest owner.
A renaissance of new
discoveries
Despite predictions of a slowdown in GoM
E&P activity, oil companies continue to
make large discoveries proving that the
region remains a strategic priority. During
September 2011, Chevron made an oilfeld
discovery approximately 200 miles off the
Louisiana coast in 6700 ft of water. The
Moccasin prospect will undergo additional
appraisal to confrm the extent of the
resource. ExxonMobil has also made
signifcant discoveries in the Hadrian
prospect while a third discovery confrmed
the area contained 700 million bbls of
oil and gas. Around the same time, BP
announced a signifcant resource extension
at its deepwater Mad Dog feld. BP says
that the entirety of the Mad Dog complex
has some 4 billion bbls of oil potentially
2 billion bbls may be recoverable. BPs
Tiber, found in 2009, is estimated to hold 3 billion bbls of oil.
These discoveries are occurring in a layer of rock known as the
Lower Tertiary, which many analysts believe could hold as much as
15 billion bbls of recoverable oil.
As important as these new discoveries are to the overall
potential amounts of recoverable oil, they are just as important to
Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) in its bid to help Mexico reclaim its
former glory as a major oil-producing nation. Recently, the US and
Mexico reached an agreement that would allow oil and gas drilling
in more than 1.3 million acres in the GoM. The agreement signed in
February 2012 by former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and
Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa, establishes a legally
binding framework for US companies to develop offshore energy
projects with Pemex. This acreage is located 200 miles south of the
mouth of the Mississippi river and includes areas where the water
is almost 11 000 ft deep. To fully exploit any recoverable reserves,
companies will rely on the technical expertise of major US oil
companies and their deep fnancial pockets.
Without this agreement, Mexicos status as the USAs number
two oil producer is in jeopardy. Mexico has seen its offshore oil
production drop for seven consecutive years. At current
reserve-to-production ratios, Mexico has approximately 10 years
of proven reserves of crude oil remaining. The areas that are
part of the agreement may hold as much as 170 million bbls
of oil and 304 billion ft
3
of natural gas according to the
US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. Being able to exploit
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14
T
he 2013 outlook for the deepwater business is clearly
one of signifcant long term opportunity. As deepwater
projects become increasingly capital-intensive there is
an economic challenge for exploration and production (E&Pj
companies and a signifcant potential prize for international
oilfeld service and equipment vendors.
The Golden Triangle at the forefront of
deepwater expenditure
Douglas-Westwood (DWj has forecast a global Capex of over
US$ 223 billion for the 2013 - 2017 period; double the amount
spent in the preceding fve year period. The 'Golden Triangle'
of deepwater will account for 80% of this expenditure with
activity in West Africa, the Gulf of Mexico and Brazil. African
and Brazilian developments are expected to drive the forecast
spend, with African developments largely concentrated in
Angola, Ghana and Nigeria. Brazil is likely to experience
substantial growth, exceeding Africa's deepwater expenditure
towards the end of the forecast period. Activity is driven by
Petrobras investing in development of its pre-salt Campos and
Santos felds.
Recent discoveries off the East coast of Africa signify a new
deepwater province emerging towards the end of the decade.
Whilst this expenditure is not captured within the forecast period,
I
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Bonga Floating Production Storage
and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, Nigeria.
15
16
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
these recent fnds have sparked excitement within the industry
as additional opportunities for operators emerge. ln particular,
deepwater gas felds such as the Golfnho feld in Mozambique
could provide high returns if gas can be exported to Asia, where
natural gas prices are high.
Drivers of deepwater activity
Deepwater E&P activity is driven by a variety of supply and
demand-side factors:

Potential for discoveries of large oil reserves such as in the
Brazilian pre-salt basins.

The need to offset declining production from onshore and
shallow-water basins.

lncreased economic viability of deepwater developments.
Discoveries of large felds are a key driver of activity, as they
provide a large return on investment. Examples of this are the
pre-salt Santos and Campos basins off Brazil, which is driving
the high levels of activity currently underway by the national oil
company, Petrobras.
As production from mature basins onshore and in shallow
water declines, development of deepwater reserves has
become increasingly vital. Robust oil prices support investment
in deepwater developments. The sustained increase in oil
prices that has occurred over the past few years has increased
confdence in the sector, with deepwater projects being viable
at US$ 80/bbl. and upwards. Continuation of high oil prices has
also led to exploration of ultra-deep basins; the world's deepest
platform installation is currently BW Offshore's BW Pioneer
FPSO in the US Gulf of Mexico, at a water depth of 2600 m
(operational since February last yearj.
Whilst oil price crashes (such as 2008j do impact the
sector, the effect is lessened as E&P operators take a long term
view of deepwater projects; investments are merely delayed
and do still go ahead at a later date. Barriers to fnancing
for deepwater projects are slowly being withdrawn, with the
relaxation of the Basel lll requirements and signs of recovery in
the equity markets. The outlook for oil companies is positive,
Barclay's Capital Survey estimates that global E&P budgets will
increase by 7% this year. The top 15 international companies are
all increasing their expenditure compared to last year, including
Petrobras, Shell, Exxon and Total. Furthermore, 42% of all
companies interviewed are increasing the percentage of their
budget dedicated to exploration.
Market forecast
Latin America
Latin America is currently the
second biggest deepwater
region by total Capex after
Africa, but has the largest
spend over the next fve
years at over US$ 70 billion.
Continuing development of
the pre-salt basins off Brazil
by Petrobras should see this
region overtake Africa this
year. Notable developments off
Brazil include Lula Central and
Franco.
Petrobras is the
largest energy company in
Latin America and the third largest in the world. lt has reserves
estimated at 16 billion bbls of oil equivalent (boej and production
of 2 million boe per day. Strict local content restrictions and
technological challenges have both contributed to widespread
delays of projects. However, over 40 deepwater prospects have
been identifed off Brazil since 2003 and Petrobras plans to deploy
approximately 50 FPSOs and semisubmersibles by 2020.
Africa
Africa is one of the key regions of the deepwater
'Golden Triangle' and was the largest region of deepwater
capital expenditure in 2012. With expected spend of over
US$ 60 billion in the next fve years, it is expected to be
overtaken by Latin America. Most of the major deepwater
developments in Africa are located off Angola, Ghana and
Nigeria. Notable exceptions include the West Nile Project (Egyptj
and Windjammer (Mozambiquej.
Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producer and has an established
deepwater oil and gas industry with major players including
Shell, BP, ExxonMobil, ENl, Chevron, Total and ConocoPhillips.
Production is underway from the Agbami, Akpo and Usan
developments. Planned projects include Bonga South-West and
Egina, both of which are large developments.
North America
The global economic recession led to a signifcant downturn
in activity in 2009/2010 in this region. ln addition to this, the
Macondo incident in 2010 and the subsequent deepwater drilling
moratorium resulted in oil production from the US Gulf of Mexico
falling signifcantly. Activity has since recovered with drilling
rig numbers almost back to pre-Macondo levels and almost
US$ 40 billion is expected to be spent between 2013 and 2017.
Whilst the majority of deepwater projects are drilled with
subsea completed wells, Big Foot is a large project in this region
to be developed with surface (dryj wells. Another difference in
North America is the lack of FPSOs, which dominate in all other
regions. Over the forecast period, the most common type of FPS
units are Spars, closely followed by FPSS and TLPs - there is
just one FPSO expected on the Stones feld.
Asia
Despite a signifcant decline in activity during the global
recession, deepwater basins remain an important focus
Figure 1. Global deepwater Capex 2008 - 2017. Source: Douglas-Westwood.
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18
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
area for development. The region is expected to see
signifcant growth over the next fve years, with the total
expenditure in 2013 - 2017 reaching over US$ 16 billion as
deepwater projects continue to be developed, such as the
Krishna Godavari Basin (lndiaj and especially the ultra-deep
D6 satellite felds.
Eastern Europe and FSU
This region is predominantly shallow water and previous
expenditure has been largely related to the deepwater
Gunashli feld in Azerbaijan in addition to trunkline projects.
The South Stream pipeline contributes the majority of the
US$ 15 billion of Capex forecast, however further development
of the Shah Deniz project in the Caspian Sea results in further
spend towards the latter end of the forecast period.
Western Europe
Western European shallow oilfelds have been facing
declining production, therefore deepwater developments
are important in order to offset this. The region expects
almost US$ 10 billion of expenditure over the next fve years;
this is predominantly focussed in deepwater basins; West
of the Shetlands and in the Norwegian and Barents Seas.
Trunklines drive a lot of this spend as large projects, such as
the Laggan-Tormore pipeline which ties these deepwater gas
felds back to shore, are implemented.
Component forecast
The deepwater market can be broken down into the following
sectors:
Drilling and completion (units)
This includes wet 'subsea completed' and dry 'surface
completed' development wells. Of the US$ 223 billion to be
spent in the next fve years, US$ 78 billion is to be spent on the
drilling and completion of wells; almost all of these are subsea
completed. There are a small number of surface wells in Africa,
Asia and the Americas.
Subsea hardware: production hardware and SURF
Production Hardware (Unitsj: subsea trees, control systems,
templates and manifolds, fying leads and jumpers.

Production hardware is driven by the number of
wells drilled, therefore Capex is related to drilling and
completion Capex, and is expected to total US$ 30 billion
over the 2013 - 2017 period. This expenditure is
concentrated in the 'Golden Triangle' where a large
proportion of deepwater drilling occurs.
SURF (kmj: infeld fowlines, production umbilicals and risers.

As SURF is also primarily driven by subsea well numbers,
Capex on SURF and production hardware is similar, with
US$ 32 billion of expenditure expected over the next
five year period. Risers, however, depend on the number
of FPS units being installed, with vessels in ultra-deep
waters requiring longer riser bundles.
Pipelines (km): trunklines
The next fve years expect to see over 10 000 km of subsea
trunklines installed, incurring US$ 26 billion of expenditure.
Around half of this will occur in the Eastern Europe and FSU,
driven by the large South Stream project. Another large project
is the Galsi pipeline, which will run from Algeria to ltaly.
Floating production systems: FPSOs, FPSSs, spars and TLPs
FPSOs continue to dominate expenditure on FPS units,
accounting for US$ 18 billion of the US$ 20 billion FPS
spend expected over the next fve years. Only North America
does not favour this type of FPS, instead choosing an
FPSS for its Hadrian feld, towards the end of the period.
Latin America has the largest number of FPS units to be
installed over the fve years at 27, with almost all of these set
to be FPSOs.
Project delays
Whilst delays in this industry are not uncommon, they have
been particularly prominent in the forecast period covered
(2013 - 2017). The main reasons for this are:

Local content requirements.

Technological restraints.

Geopolitical disputes.
ln Brazil, local content laws require 70% of work to be
completed by Brazilian personnel. This has caused particular
problems, as deepwater projects require skilled workers,
therefore, widespread training is required to assure the
engineering talent required. Whilst local content requirements
affect almost every country in the world, Brazil is the forefront
of deepwater developments and their requirements are
demanding, resulting in this being a particularly notable
example. Angola also has strict local content laws, which
may cause delays to projects as these issues are overcome.
Furthermore, local content requirements need supporting
infrastructure such as shipyards, which takes time to develop.
Several FPS projects have been delayed, most notably in
Brazil - Espadarte, Franco and Carioca to name just a few.
Petrobras discussed these challenges in a recent report;
including technological issues with mooring systems due
to the water depth of a feld and associated problems with
risers. Whilst FPSs are not the only feld development option
experiencing delays, as they are particularly capital intensive,
slippage of projects impacts upon DW's forecast expenditure.
Similarly, trunklines contribute a large percentage of
deepwater projects and geopolitical issues can cause long
delays as trunklines require the co-operation of governments
of both transit and consumer countries, which can be
extremely time-consuming and costly.
Conclusions
Despite the delays caused by local content requirements
and geopolitical disputes, signifcant investment will occur
in the 'Golden Triangle', with Petrobras investing heavily in
developing the Brazilian pre-salt basins. Regions such as
Asia, with historically low levels of deepwater activity will
experience astounding growth over the next fve years. Recent
discoveries in East Africa will be developed towards the end
of the decade.
High oil prices are driving deepwater activity due to
the increased viability of projects; however technological
advances and increased cost-effectiveness of existing
technologies will be required to ensure the viability of future
prospects in both existing and new deepwater provinces.
Furthermore, barriers to fnancing are being reduced as equity
markets show signs of recovery, resulting in an extremely
positive outlook for the deepwater industry.
O T

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and expanding their oil and gas productions into remote
regions such as the arctic. Siemens is helping to make
these field developments technologically and economically
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and systems. Covering everything from connectors and
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OTC 2013,
Houston,
Booth 5341
Michael ODriscoll, Joao Ruiz and Milton Pereira, on behalf
of Acteon, use the example of a deepwater conductor
installation project to show how group collaboration can
allow major obstacles to be overcome.
S
everal Acteon companies worked
together to deliver a highly
challenging conductor installation
project for the Papa Terra oilfeld in 1200 m
water depths in the southern Campos
basin, Brazil. Petrobras operates the Papa
Terra concession and has a 62.5% interest;
Chevron holds the remaining 37.5%.
ln March 2010, Petrobras challenged
InterMoor do Brasil to install drilling and
production conductors with a tolerance
of less than 30 cm off centre using its
conductor installation methodology.
The company was to install the
conductors before the arrival of the drilling
rig. The key benefts of pre-installation are
that it removes this task from the critical
feld development path and eliminates it
from the rig procedures so that
lower-cost platforms can be utilised to
support the offshore installation. In addition,
the operator does not have to pay a drilling
spread rate for this type of operation.
Preparation
The task was to manufacture 17 conductors
of 36 in. outside diameter, 1 in. wall
thickness and 59 m length, and to install
15 of them in 365 contract days. The pipe
supplier was to use 160 of these days to
fabricate the pipes in Morgan City, Louisiana,
USA, and deliver them. The challenge
was further complicated by the turnkey
nature of the project: design, fabrication
and installation of the conductors to strict
inclination, position and height tolerances.
InterMoor and MENCK performed an
installation review focusing on the impact
driving of the single-piece conductors. From
the soil data provided, it was decided that
using the MENCK MHU 270T deepwater
hammer spread (MHU 270T MHP DWSj
would provide suffcient installation
contingency while ensuring structural
integrity and minimum induced fatigue to the
conductor system.
2H Offshore performed the engineering
critical assessment (ECAj, an analysis based
on fracture mechanics principles, which
Petrobras reviewed and approved.
One of the main challenges that faced
InterMoor do Brasil was getting the welding
qualifcation procedures required approved
to DNv standards, which are normally used
for the welding qualifcation of rigid risers.
ln addition, the allowable faw sizes were
exceedingly tight. These were defned by
the ECA and based on critical operational
lifetime loads to be induced on the
conductors.
All 17 of the 36 in. conductors and fve
guide templates were manufactured to the
DNv-OS-F101 standard and the client's
specifcation, whereby the ECA determined
whether a given faw was safe from brittle
fracture, fatigue, creep or plastic collapse
under the specifed installation and service
life loads.
All the conductor welds were inspected
using X-ray, magnetic particle and
automated ultrasonic testing (AUTj. AUT is a
very sensitive non-destructive testing system
and required an equipment confguration
specifcally designed for this project because
of the J-bevel joint profle, the 1 in. pipe
thickness and the allowable faw sizes, as
defned by the ECA study.
After the 17 conductors and fve
templates had been fabricated, inspected
and approved in Morgan City, the high
20
Many hands make
Figure 1. Conductor fabrication.
21
22
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
level logistics process to transport them safely to Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil, began. Barges were used for the inland transit from
Morgan City to Houston followed by a vessel to Rio de Janeiro.
This vessel was equipped with two heavy cranes capable
of loading the conductors and templates in Houston and
offoading them directly onto barges in Brazil. The offoading was
performed in two days after the installation vessel arrived and
without incident.
Working offshore
Work offshore commenced in the frst quarter of last year with
template installation using a chartered installation vessel equipped
with a 250 t offshore crane with active heave compensation, as
one of the main challenges on location concerned the positioning
and installation tolerances. These were within 30 cm of the
conductor target position, and at less than 1` inclination and
10 cm stick-up.
For this purpose, fve individual templates were designed.
Each 35 t template measured 24 m x 4.5 m x 1.5 m and
would guide three conductors. The templates were needed
in a very short delivery time and their manufacturing required
an extraordinary amount of collaboration to ensure that the
installation measurements would be accurate. The work included
onshore 3D modelling of the templates to provide models for
use offshore during quality assurance and control. A further
challenge was to devise an appropriate procedure for the
vessel to lay the templates in the correct position with minimal
iteration.
Acteons involvement continued with InterMoor and Seatronics
providing survey equipment for the long-baseline survey array,
which helped in the control and positioning of the templates.
Long-baseline surveyors from NCS Survey worked with InterMoor
surveyors during the offshore phase.
To install the conductors, a technique that had only been used
once before in deep water was applied: the conductors were
launched from an auxiliary barge, the Muliceiro-X, which also
transported them to the Papa Terra site, using special tools. The
only other project to use this technique so far was an InterMoor
project for ShellPetrobrasONGC in the Shell-operated BC-10
feld in Brazil's Campos basin in 2008.
Figure 2. Template installation.
Figure 3. Conductor installation.
The Muliceiro-X was modifed by the installation of fve rails.
Two rails served as the track for a special shuttle system to
elevate and transport each conductor to the barges side. The
other three rails served to support the conductors and to sea
fasten them. The conductors, connected by a towline to the
installation vessel, were side launched from the barge using the
shuttle system.
Mobilising the MENCK MHU 270T MHP DWS onto the
installation vessel was another challenge owing to the limited
deck space. Detailed operational procedures for use offshore and
the strategic layout of the equipment helped to mitigate these
challenges. The company also designed and fabricated a winch
frame for the umbilical winch and a chute to deploy the umbilical
used to remotely operate the hammer.
Once the Muliceiro-X arrived on location, the fve templates
being already in position on the seabed, the installation vessel
came alongside and began the conductor launching sequence. All
15 conductors were batch set in one feld visit. lnstead of putting
one conductor in the mud and then hammering it with the MENCK
hammer, the conductors were batch set. This meant that all the
conductors were in the mud, in a stable confguration, but not yet
driven to grade. This helped to minimise the outboard handling of
the hammer. The fewer times an 80 t piece of equipment needs to
be handled offshore the better!
By batch setting in this way, the hammer only had to be
launched once; it drove all 15 conductors and then it was
recovered. That was its total use. This approach saved time
offshore and minimised the risks.
A special suction-to-stability head tool was used to handle the
conductors and safely launch them from the barge into a stable
vertical underwater position. This tool also enabled suction to
be used to increase the penetration of the conductors beyond
their self-weight penetration depths to the minimum allowable
depth. Generally, the suction-to-stability heads can increase the
penetration depth by up to 5 m.
Installation was completed in April last year after template
removal and the fnal as-laid survey. A survey tool specially
designed for the fnal as-laid survey was positioned at the top of
each conductor. These confrmed that all the conductors were in
their fnal positions.
O T

LindsayYoung, OffshoreSolutionsBV,
The Netherlands, reveals how a new
generation of personnel-transfer solutions
is helping operators cut costs without
cutting back on safety.
P
ersonnel transfer is one of the key challenges in the
offshore environment, particularly in regions affected by
extreme weather conditions.
Fog, high winds, rough sea states and other such adverse
conditions can cause signifcant delays and risk in the
transportation of personnel to offshore installations, with a
resultant impact upon costs and effciency.
With more than 10 million crew transfers taking place
annually across the world in the offshore oil and gas sector
alone, either by helicopter, vessel or crane and basket, this
is one of the highest risk and most expensive activities in the
industry. As such, transfer methods must be proven, reliable and
capable of handling the changeable conditions that occur in the
offshore environment. This means that organisations must be
able to provide solutions that are both safe, and technically and
economically feasible.
Marine access was previously viewed as a decision
relating purely to transferring people, but the economic climate
accelerated by recent events has put safety frmly in the
spotlight and has seen an increased drive towards the walk to
work system. By considering alternative opportunities, operators
can realise increased platform production, reduced maintenance
or project cost and, most importantly, an improved method of
protecting people.
An alternative solution
OSBVs Offshore Access System (OAS) provides a
cost-effective, practical personnel transfer solution that
Figure 1. The OAS connecting to the Qatar Shell GTL Ltd Pearl 1 platform.
23
24
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
facilitates safe and effcient access from a vessel to offshore
facilities.
The system is a 21 m hydraulically operated, telescopic
gangway, ftted with an active heave compensation system.
With continuous 24 hr connection and operating capability,
it incorporates a motion reference unit in its active hydraulic
system, which, when engaged, maintains the walkway tip at a
constant height relative to the horizon. This allows the gangway
to be connected safely to a fxed offshore installation in sea
Figure 2. The free standing OAS.
Figure 3. The OAS mounted onboard the Bourbon Gulf Star.
states of up to 3 m signifcant
wave height when installed on a
suitable vessel.
Once connected, the heave
compensation is disengaged
and the gangway is allowed to
'foat' between the vessel and
the installation. The walkway
is robustly connected and
automatically compensates for
the six movement planes of the
vessel's motion.
During transfer, the system
operates a semi-automatic
traffc light system that signals
when it is safe for personnel
to cross from the vessel to
the installation. From system
checks through to deployment,
the process takes around fve
minutes, whilst recovery is
approximately one minute.
With its own independent
power source, the system
can remain operational, even
in the event of power failure
on the vessel, and should an
emergency disconnection be
required, there is a fail-safe
mechanism that allows
automatic release from the
platform.
Multiple benefits
An OAS-equipped vessel with accommodation in the field
means that personnel can be transferred to the offshore
facility at the start of their 12 hr shift. Several installations
can be serviced by one vessel and with available
man-hours on each installation increasing by up to
70% using this system as opposed to helicopters, this
equates to very significant cost savings for the operator.
lndependent studies have shown the system's operability
is up to 20% higher than other similar
heave-compensated systems.
The OAS vessel, as well as providing accommodation
can also be used to facilitate ROv, dive support,
workshops, materials storage, platform supply and, in
certain cases, it could also function as a standby vessel.
A free standing version of the system has also been
developed. This skid-mounted unit can be installed in less
than 24 hrs, and was used in 2011 for the first
vessel-to-FPSO personnel transfer using a heave
compensated gangway.
At a time when increased productivity and cost
reduction is of key importance in the continued success
of the industry, the cost benefits provided to operators via
the safe and efficient transfer of personnel are significant.
Case study
One of the key challenges in the offshore environment
is extreme, unpredictable weather conditions, even in
the Middle East and as a result, a rise in activity has been
seen in the region after first trialling the OAS prototype in
Qatar during 2003.
The system was the first heave-compensated access
personnel transfer solution to work in the region and has
been providing 24 hr personnel access in the Middle East
for Qatar Shell GTL Ltd, operator of the worlds largest gas
to liquids (GTL) plant, since the completion of sea trials
in December 2010 transferring crews to the Pearl 1 and
2 platforms, positioned in The Gulf.
Mounted onboard the Bourbon Gulf Star, the 21 m
system provides a permanent connection, enabling the
operator to optimise 12 hr shift patterns and to use the
OAS vessel as the primary means of escape. The OAS
continuous connection and operating capability was a
key element of this success. As well as the robust
physical connection, this OAS was specifically adapted
Marine access systems
will be increasingly used
in the transfer of
personnel to ofshore
structures in the future.
to perform for extended periods in demanding climatic
conditions.
Despite a challenging environment, the unique
continuous 24 hr connection capability allowed staff to
leave the platform for the vessel during periods of high
temperature and humidity; returning to work during cooler
periods of the day a demonstration of the flexibility and
efficiency of the system.
The system mounted onboard the Bourbon Gulf Star has
been connected for more than 5000 hrs since operations
began. More than 63 000 personnel transfers have taken
place without any safety incidents.
The future
It is highly likely that marine access systems will be
increasingly used in the transfer of personnel to offshore
structures in the future. It has become clear that operators
worldwide are beginning to challenge their existing
operating models.
Marine access was previously viewed as a decision
relating solely to transferring people, but the economic
drivers for the selection of a walk to work system are
mainly those of increasing platform production and
reducing maintenance or project cost. The OAS can
facilitate these through its use, in conjunction with the
right vessel, by increasing the available workforce
man-hours (reduced shuttling time and more reliable
platform access when compared with crew boats) or
by reducing costs (when compared to jack-ups and
helicopters).
O T

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DanielYounger, CYPartners, UK, examines some of
the recruitment challenges facing the global oil and gas
industry and the pros and cons of living and working in the
offshore sector.
Photo courtesy of BP p.l.c.
T
he upstream oil and gas industry is an
exciting, international, vibrant, skilled and
varied industry to work for. The scope of work
undertaken in the oil and gas industry is vast. It
often works with cutting edge technology, but it also
operates in remote, offshore locations, in difficult
climates and very high-risk environments.
Recruitment within this industry is different from
any other industry out there. This is because the
oil and gas sector is one that, unlike many other
industries, has not had to downsize because of the
economic recession. In fact, the oil and gas industry
is on the rise.
Rather than adopting a slash and burn policy of
job cuts, closing production and generally reacting
in the same way to the global recession as every
other industry, the oil and gas sector has managed
to survive the most uncertain of economic times by
freezing wages and waiting for the storm to pass.
That storm has now abated, and the industry has
emerged stronger, leaner and ready to do business
on a grand scale.
The worlds demand for petroleum-based
products has increased, not decreased, and new
ways of tapping into the planets resources are being
explored on a daily basis. The knock-on effect of this
increased level of exploration and industry stability
means that oil and gas jobs are now highly desirable
and plentiful.
Oil and gas engineers are constantly inventing
new technologies to extract oil from increasingly
deeper levels beneath the Earths surface. Because
of this exploration, engineers are trained to be the
best in their field and there are new and excellent
opportunities for career progression.
The oil and gas industry has evolved along
with the rest of the world and has realised the
need to develop new ways of producing clean
energy for the global market. There are few
industries that offer such long term prospects and
employment opportunities, but these can be found
in unconventional gas (UCG); this is a relatively
new field and is growing rapidly and offers people
the chance to develop skills that can be utilised on
projects worldwide.
UCG is a perfect example of where new
technologies and new employment opportunities
are developing worldwide. Large-scale coal mining
ended some time ago but coal did not run out
and thanks to new technologies and the need to
find alternative energy sources, the growth of the
coalbed methane (CBM) market looks set to continue
for decades to come.
This is an exciting field of work both for existing
oil and gas specialists as well as those looking for
re-training opportunities, and for those who have
faced redundancy from areas of industry that have
declined in recent years.
OFFSHORE
OCCUPATION
27
The industry on the whole employs a huge skills base
and rewards those who are prepared to work hard, use their
initiative and are ambitious. With this, comes good pay and
ample opportunity for advancement.
The depletion of the UK skills base for jobs in a growing
sector has been a worrying statistic in many reports over the
last few years and one that needs to be tackled. Alongside
the industry boom, a great deal of publicity has been given
to the so-called skills gap or talent shortage. This is
especially true for the engineers who are the lifeblood of the
oil and gas sector.
A maturing workforce, a lack of investment during
the 1990s and early 2000s and an increase in science,
technology, engineering and maths graduates choosing a
career in the City of London as opposed to the oil and gas
industry have all been contributors to the situation now
faced by the industry. Oil and gas companies are looking to
hire experienced and highly skilled engineering professionals
from a wide range of disciplines, but the fact is that demand
for oil and gas professionals has outstripped supply.
Recruiting staff from other industries where engineers
can transfer their skills to oil and gas is very common.
Industries such as Defence have proven to be an area where
companies are having success in attracting engineers with
high-technology backgrounds. Most engineers once in oil
and gas feel they do not want to transfer elsewhere.
Recruiters are busy finding a new generation of workers
and training programmes have sprung up to prepare them.
Some young people are signing on for jobs that promise
good pay, but there are still a lot of positions to fill.
The increase in talent demand resulting from so many
projects getting the go-ahead has widened the talent gap
even further than industry expectations. The future of the
oil and gas industry is solid, so long as there is the talent to
keep it running.
Below are common advantages and disadvantages of
working in the industry.
Oil and gas jobs and rig jobs: advantages

Great pay: for engineers who choose to work in the
sector, the financial rewards can be attractive. When
it comes to the pay packet of oil gas jobs and rig
jobs, they can compete with any industry in the world.
Compared to the same job on land, pay is raised by
a good percentage when employees are offshore and
working on the rig. According to the Oil and Gas Global
Salary Guide 2012, industry professionals in the sector
enjoy average salaries of 55 850 per annum - more
than twice the UKs average salary of 26 244. The
guide also suggests that contractors in the North Sea
are among the best paid anywhere in the world.

Good career prospects: engineers may start at the
bottom of the ladder as a roustabout, but hard work
and dedication will soon see people move up the
ladder.

Variation of roles and excellent training packages at
regular intervals.

Great opportunities for international travel.
Oil and gas jobs and rig jobs: disadvantages

Being away from family and friends a lot: some find it
difficult to cope with the fly in, fly out rosters.

Difficult working environment: sometimes having to
work in remote, hot, difficult environments.

Cramped living: the living quarters are not exactly
penthouse suites.

Lack of privacy: lack of privacy in oil and gas jobs and
rig jobs is one turn off for many people. Everything
seems to be shared with colleagues, right from soap to
towels.

Finally, as a general rule, the oil and gas projects
require highly skilled workers, with good levels of
numeracy and literacy. Maths and science certificates
are required in many of the jobs in the oil and gas
sector, and training for the various categories of
jobs/careers can often take at least three years.
O T

Industries such as
Defence have proven
to be an area where
companies are having
success in attracting
engineers.
www. ener gygl obal . com/ news
READ about the latest
developments in drilling and
production on Energy Global.
NdjWg^c\ndjgh`^aa#NdjhZindjgeVXZ#
Saudi Aramco is looking for drilling and workover engineers to plan and
design some of the most technically advanced multilateral and extended
reach horizontal wells in the industry, along with high pressure, high
temperature (HPHT) gas and deepwater exploration wells. Saudi Aramco
offers a stable and rewarding career and an international lifestyle, with
great travel opportunities, a competitive salary and some of the industrys
best savings and retirement plans.
6eeancdl#
Hiring managers will be conducting prescheduled interviews in May with
talented engineering professionals.
lll#6gVbXd#?dWh$DI
jcXdbbdcdeedgijc^i^Zh
9G:6B7><
I=>H>HNDJGIJGC>C<ED>CI#
John Spain, Quickflange, UK, sets
out the case for simplicity in offshore
piping operations.
30
A
s operators move
into deeper and more
inhospitable offshore
environments, the need for
simplicity in piping operations has
continued to rise up the agenda.
There are a number of reasons
for this. Firstly, there is the growing
complexity of offshore platforms
today. From pumping seawater
through to fre fghting, cooling,
water injection for enhanced oil
recovery, and the supporting of
other offshore equipment, such
as compressors and scrubbers,
offshore platforms are often
characterised by a sprawling
network of piping systems.
In such cases, where
maintenance, modifcations or
tie-ins are required, operators
are looking for processes and
technologies that offer minimal
disruption to existing operations.
This includes avoiding the need for
large numbers of extra personnel
all with associated costs, and who
take up precious platform space.
Another key driver is that
of safety. While safety remains
the highest priority for offshore
operators, any processes that
reduce safety concerns and avoid
paperwork, safety certifcates and
potentially costly delays are to be
welcomed.
And fnally, there is the issue
of cost. With operators looking
to maximise production rates,
it is essential that any piping
repairs have little to no impact
on production. As felds and
platforms become that much
older (particularly the case in the
North Sea), and as operators
are faced with ageing piping
infrastructures and the threat of
potential leaks and corrosion, the
effective modifcations and repairs
to piping without the need to shut
down production and without
threats to safety are crucial.
In short, offshore operators
today are facing unprecedented
topside and subsea challenges in
guaranteeing the integrity of their
offshore and subsea infrastructures.
The case for simplicity in offshore
piping operations has never been
more compelling!
Welding
So, are todays piping connections
and repair technologies meeting the
simplicity threshold?
One of the most common
techniques for piping repairs and
new connections is that of welding.
31
32
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
However, welding fails to meet the simplicity criteria in a number
of areas.
Firstly, there is the issue of safety. The fact that welding
requires access to gases, ignition sources and fames, has
signifcant safety implications with the need to regularly test for
fammable gases, source adequate ventilation and isolate areas
of operation. The need to X-ray the pipe joint and transport
radioactive isotopes offshore - used for non-destructive testing
(NDT) - also comes with its own set of safety considerations.
The result is that such operations are anything but simple,
with permission to conduct welding onsite, for example, often
requiring up to two weeks advance notice and signifcant
amounts of paperwork. The actual welding process itself can
also necessitate large numbers of personnel to meet regulatory
requirements with the extra costs and flling up of already
crowded platforms.
Secondly, on occasion, there may be a need to shut down
production with welding.
Piping modifcations often take place within congested
areas and when facilities are in operation. While on occasion, a
piping tie-in may be relocated onto a line that can be temporarily
put out of service, often this will not be possible with the result
being a production shutdown of a shorter or longer duration and
subsequent production and fnancial losses for the operator.
This is particularly the case with the traditional cut and weld
approach where a branch is added to an existing line and which
normally requires the line to be shut-in.
It is with these issues in mind that there is a growing interest
in lower impact and more fexible piping connection solutions.
One such alternative is that of cold work solutions.
The benefits of cold-work solutions
Cold work solutions dispense with the ignition sources and
fames associated with welding and deliver a secure and
leak-free mechanical and pressure-tight connection.
The 'Quickfange' cold-work solution, for example, consists
of a modifed standard weld neck fange with a patented internal
groove profle. There are no moving parts with simplicity of
construction a beneft.
The fange is machined in such a way that it can slide onto
the pipe and be mechanically joined. A hydraulic tool is then
used to activate the fange, allowing for a mechanically robust
fange-to-pipe connection within just a few minutes. Figure 2
outlines the installation process and a cutaway of the fange.
Typical applications for this solution include pipe work
and new spool tie-ins, the replacement of existing fanges,
ftting fanges in space restricted areas, replacing damaged or
corroded piping, inserting valves, or as a means of avoiding
welding in operational areas where space is at a premium.
So, do cold-work solutions lead to greater simplicity in piping
operations? The answer is yes.
The increased safety and low impact nature of this particular
cold-work solution means that it is easier to install than
conventional welding solutions. There is little required paperwork
and existing platform personnel can be trained up to deploy it
with no need for increased staffng levels and extra platform
space.
Cold-work solutions also negate the need for production
shutdown. With the operation often taking place in a confned
area, there is no adverse impact on production and no need
for hot-work permits, pressurised welding habitats, and all the
resulting paperwork and costs.
There is also increased speed of installation and fexibility
with this solution, for example, it is able to be combined with
already popular cold-work systems, such as pipe cutting and
spark-free grinding.
The fact that this solution is modifed from a standard fange,
unlike other mechanical connection solutions, also means that it
can be delivered to the operator within hours without production
delays, and without the need to access specifc materials and
suppliers. lts fexibility also means that it can cover a wide
variety of piping diameters and materials, including carbon and
stainless steel, duplex, and CuNi.
The Quickfange was recently deployed on the Dunlin Alpha
offshore platform in the North Sea in response to corrosion
issues on a fare header drain. Another recent deployment
was for ZADCO (Zakum Development Company), part of the
ADNOC Group of companies, where two Quickfange devices
were installed on the discharge line of the fre water jockey
pump at the accommodation platform on the Upper Zakum feld.
The solution reduced the work scope and duration required for
connecting fanges to utility piping with simplicity of operation
again a key driver.
Growing challenges offshore
However, it is not just on topside platforms that simplicity is so
important. It is equally key subsea as well. There are a number
of additional reasons for this. Firstly, like on offshore platforms,
subsea infrastructures today have become increasingly
complicated and crowded.
With industry analysts, Douglas-Westwood, estimating
a 79% growth in deepwater oil and gas capital expenditure
between 2011 and 2015, subsea production systems today
include foating production units, risers, mooring lines and other
subsea installations, such as pipeline networks or fowlines; all
of which are potential obstacles. In such circumstances, low
impact and fexible pipeline repair systems that can navigate
around existing infrastructure are crucial.
Secondly, there are the high costs of subsea intervention;
whether it relates to well production trees, manifolds, pipes or
production lines.
With operators going into ever deeper waters, and with
the growth in high pressure/high temperature environments,
Figure 1. The Quickange Subsea can be utilised in a number of
subsea scenarios.
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34
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
unscheduled and unplanned subsea interventions can come
with signifcant operating expenses, limited diver intervention
opportunities and highly negative effects on production.
Yet, while the need for simpler operations has manifested
itself in the growth of remote and ROV-enabled subsea
intervention systems, the subsea mechanical connector market
seems to have changed little over the past two decades. Today,
it is still characterised by high subsea intervention costs and
complex and highly engineered solutions.
Such solutions come with signifcant diver time and costs as
well as accompanying safety considerations. Welding subsea,
for example, requires the creation of welding habitats and
specialist diver skills that many commercial divers simply cannot
offer. This is in addition to some of the other drawbacks already
mentioned in this article.
Going subsea
lt is against this market backdrop that many of the
technologies behind the topside cold-work solution have been
taken and applied subsea.
ln its simplest form, the Quickflange Subsea
is, like the topside version, a modified, standard
weld neck flange with the hydraulic tool used
to fit the solution onto the pipe by a process,
which flares the pipe into the products grooves.
The process is completed within minutes with
the resulting connection qualified to be every bit
as robust as a welded connection. The solution
can be utilised in a number of subsea scenarios,
such as pipe lay, decommissioning, pipe work
and new spool tie-ins, the replacement of
existing flanges, subsea repairs such as for
emergency spools, or for repair contingency
purposes.
This subsea version of the connector can
deliver a number of benefts as compared to
traditional subsea connector solutions. Firstly,
there is its robustness and reliability. In its
deployment, the cold-forging tool forces the pipe
wall into the grooves, resulting in the assembled
joint being stronger than the fange itself and
energised by the natural relaxation 'springback'.
Third party testing has also demonstrated that
the solution is equivalent to welded weld-neck
fanges in terms of pressure retention and load
resistance. The solution also has no moving
parts, grips or other components, helping ensure
that less can go wrong.
The second key beneft with this system is the
reduction of delivery times, which results in faster
implementation. There is a lowering of required
diver time, less pipe preparation, such as coating
removal and deburial, and the solution also
comes with fexible rental options and installation
tooling that can help reduce capital expenditure.
Finally, the new solution can bring greater
simplicity and fexibility to subsea repairs
through its low impact and easy installation. Up
to 60% shorter than other sleeve connectors,
this system is easier to handle and activate with
straightforward diver operations. No specialist
diver training is required with 'diverless' and
remote operations a real possibility in the future. No specialist
pipe preparation is required either.
The installation tool for this cold-work subsea connector
can also be used on multiple pipe ranges with fexible material
selection and is fully retrievable and reusable - ideal for repair
and emergency pipeline repair systems (EPRS) contingency
situations. The fact that the fange is activated with a
cold-forging tool also negates the need for welding-type
habitats and equipment.
Finally, due to its easy installation and simplicity, it is also
unlikely to have a negative effect on other subsea activities
and can navigate around existing subsea infrastructures.
The case for simplicity
lt is clear that the case for simplicity, both topside and subsea,
is too big to ignore for operators today. It is encouraging to see
that technologies are rising to the challenge, ushering in a world
of simple, fexible, reliable and cost-effective topside and subsea
pipeline repairs.
O T

Figure 2. Permanent ange to pipe connection installation process.
REDUCING RISKS
ON ELDERLY ASSETS
GraemeEllis, ABBConsulting,
UK, explains how implementing robust
safety risk assessment and ageing
asset programmes can help
lower the risk of safety or
environmental hazards in
the oilfield.
T
he Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which fowed for three months
in 2010, was the largest marine oil spill in the history of the
petroleum industry. The environmental impact of 4.9 million bbls
of oil contaminating the sea and land was devastating; over 491 miles
of coastline was contaminated and alarming numbers of mutated
crab, shrimp and fsh were reported. A series of cost decisions, and
lack of a system to ensure well safety was blamed for the incident.
However, as well as this devastating blow to the environment,
11 people also lost their lives in the initial explosion on the drilling rig; a
fact which is often, wrongly, overlooked.
Having a robust emergency response and mitigation plan in
place can come some way to minimising the impact of disaster, but
prevention is always better than cure.
The key to lowering the chances of an incident like this happening
again is learning to spot potential problems and take action before
they become an issue.
Good process safety management must embrace the way in
which people, plant and systems all inter-relate:

Plant and equipment must be of an appropriate design
standard/integrity, and be adequately maintained.

Systems/procedures must be fit for purpose and practicable,
and must be routinely audited to confirm compliance.

People must be adequately competent and work within a
positive cultural framework that encourages safe behaviour
and a belief that any injury, harm or damage can be avoided.
Safe operations are also reliable and effcient, so any actions
taken to improve safety performance also lead to improvements in the
bottom line performance. Two elements that should be focused on
are:
1. Risk management
Poor monitoring of process safety risks can result in a lack of
investment for necessary improvements and a poor response to near
misses. People can become complacent that major accidents are not
likely to occur, and ultimately this greatly increases the risk that one
day a major fre or explosion will occur, seemingly out of nowhere.
lnvestigations following major accidents often indicate that the root
causes are rarely related to failures during normal plant running.
The common themes are errors during maintenance activities and
non-routine activities, or poorly assessed plant modifcations. These
themes are explored in detailed risk assessment studies on existing
facilities such as Retrospective HAZOP and Process Hazard Review
(PHRj.
HAZOP is the most widely used hazard identifcation and risk
evaluation technique used throughout industry. HAZOP allows
companies to control and prevent major accident risks and also give
consideration to operability issues.
Developed in the 1960s, the technique has traditionally
been applied towards the end of the design phase of projects
and modifcations. However, as companies set process safety
performance indicators and set higher standards for their operations,
many are seeking new innovative ways of achieving this. Applying
HAZOP in a retrospective manner can assist in the drive for
continuous improvement whilst minimising risk in operations.
PHR uses a guide diagram to identify credible loss of
containment or release of energy scenarios on each process
system, to understand the consequences and assess the need for
remedial measures. The process takes into account real operational
experience, including any variations from design intent or unreliability
of key protective systems. Key issues are identifed more quickly than
with other techniques, minimising the time required of busy operating
staff.
Both studies allow for the preparation of a risk based
improvement plan for the facility, and provide a platform for
continuous improvement in health, safety and environmental
protection, for example:
ABB Consulting recently carried out a PHR on a number
of offshore assets following a release of oil into the sea. lt was
possible to tailor the PHR method to focus on releases into the
sea, and assess how well these were being controlled. A number
of ongoing operational problems were identifed, including level
instrumentation that had become blocked or scaled so it was giving
35
36
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
regular intervals. However, the systems for deciding what action
needs to be taken and then managing and completing these
actions are often far less robust.
Companies often struggle to correctly interpret the requirements
from the studies and can fnd the challenge of programme
management daunting. This results in actions taking a long time
to be completed and slows the pace of operational improvement
for the facility. lt also leaves the asset at risk as the benefts from
studies are only realised once the actions are completed.
Through experiences in running dedicated action teams for
assessments on existing assets, the following key requirements
have stood out:

Clear, concise and specific recommendations.

Planning and prioritisation of actions.
Continuous improvement
Once the risk assessment is carried out and actions completed
the improvement process needs to be maintained. Periodic
safety assurance studies are necessary to maintain continuous
improvement throughout the lifecycle of the plant. Figure 2 shows
this in a diagrammatic way. During the early stages of operation
performance improves. Operators become more profcient,
incidents are investigated and the lessons learned. However, after
a period of fve to 10 years, performance levels off. From this point
onwards, gradual deterioration will occur unless positive measures
are taken. This is contrasted with the expectation of stakeholders
(public, shareholders, regulatory authoritiesj of continuous
improvement.
Many factors can contribute to the decline in process safety
performance including:

Creeping change; where modifications to the plant may not
have been adequately assessed or several smaller changes
can result in a major change to the basis of safety.

Reductions in the level of personnel or loss of knowledgeable
staff due to retirement.
However, one key factor is asset ageing.
Ageing is not about how old your equipment is; it is about its
condition, and how that is changing over time." (UK HSEj.
Once assets run beyond their design life, new failure
mechanisms and integrity problems occur that operating personnel
may have not previously encountered. This can lead to costly
unplanned downtime or even serious incidents. As over 50% of
the UK's offshore installations are operating beyond their design
life, the issue has become a major focus for the Health and Safety
Executive (HSEj. ln 2000, the frst Key Programme (KPj to improve
offshore safety was introduced, each subsequent initiative has
centred on a key area of operational safety.
KP4 was launched in July 2010 and follows on from KP3 issues,
which highlighted signifcant issues on maintenance versus safety
critical systems. The aim of KP4 to ensure that the risks to asset
integrity associated with ageing and life extension are controlled
effectively.
The programme, which will run to September 2013, involves:

lnspection of duty holder asset integrity management systems.

Onshore inspection of thorough reviews to confirm that:
h
Ageing issues have been identified and are being
adequately managed.
h
Reasonably practicable improvements are identified and
implemented.

Offshore inspections to verify onshore findings and check
workforce involvement and awareness.
Figure 1. ABBs three step approach to managing risks.
Figure 2. Improvement lifecycle.
false readings and procedural checks that were not being followed
properly. Recommendations from the study were to modernise level
instrumentation and reinforce the importance of procedural controls
to ensure work is being carried out competently to help avoid future
releases.
To further drill down into weaknesses in risk control measures
on operational facilities, a 'Basis of Safety Assurance' approach has
been developed. The study provides a rapid view on the 'vital signs'
related to the state of health of measures to prevent and mitigate
major accident hazards. A representative set of scenarios for the
operation are selected and evidence gathered from documentation,
discussions with operations-based staff and site visits to confrm
the robustness of the key layers of protection.
Risk assessment studies are the frst step in ABB's three-step
approach to managing risks. Any potential risks are identifed, and
then options to reduce these risks are defned, allowing
cost-effective, pragmatic solutions to be implemented. This
approach provides peace of mind that any possible risks have been
identifed and reduced to as low as reasonably practicable.
However, to move to a safer place on the risk matrix it is
imperative that the actions resulting from safety studies are carried
out. Within most operating companies, the process for identifying
and assessing areas of improvement is fairly robust. For instance,
hazard assessments are well understood and are carried out at
Measure
of SHE
Performance
1. Identify
Event probability
Result - reduced risks
E
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2. Define options
3. Implement
Problem Addressed
by SHE Assurance
Stakeholder
Expectation/
Continuous
Improvement
Plant Performance
Time
The new Stand Transfer Vehicle (STV) from NOV makes
safety simpler. Designed to address the injury incident level
of pipe handling operations in the derrick, the STV removes
the derrickman from the monkey board and allows him to trip
pipe from a safe zone. Engineered for ease of operation with
s|mp|e contro|s, the STv de||vers efc|ent p|pe-hand||ng w|thout
compromising uptime performance.
Heres what weve heard so far
Keep safety simple and contact us at rig@nov.com for more
information on the STV solution.


Email: rig@nov.com

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O n e C o m p a n y . . . U n l i m i t e d S o l u t i o n s
Utilizes intuitive remote operator control
with dual CCTV feedback
Guides tubulars between fingerboard and well center
Handles 3 1/2- 10 DP & DC
Allows for manual racking
Embodies lightweight design
Transports easily in or out of the mast
The Derrickman expressed learning more over
the last few weeks about drilling than he ever has
before thanks to the STV.
Not slowing us down at all. Id suggest having
one on every rig.
It improves safety tremendously. It takes the
human out of harms way. I wish Id thought of it.

Business
Monkey
No more
38
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
To meet the demands of KP4, asset-ageing programmes
should be part of a holistic approach to integrity management.
The approach, just as with process safety, should cover:

The reliability and integrity of the assets themselves.

The effectiveness of systems and procedures that are in place
to control operation and maintenance of the assets.

The knowledge and competence of the workforce that is
managing and maintaining the assets.
A properly specifed and conducted asset life extension
project will identify:

Where and why deterioration is taking place.

What is needed to maintain equipment integrity to the end of
field date.
lt will carry out life cycle actions and the investment plans
required to maintain integrity and reliability.
lt will also:

Bring improvements to operating and maintenance practices.

Demonstrate the proactive management of assets to
regulators and stakeholders.

Educate plant personnel through involvement in the study.

Reduce risk of safety and environmental incidents.
lt allows the development of a strategy to control and manage
the risk associated with extending the life of offshore installations
based on a systematic process to support the case for life
extension of an offshore installation that will satisfy stakeholders,
shareholders, legislators and employees.
From the experience of carrying out asset life extension
studies, the following common issues have been identifed:

Failure to remove redundant equipment: simplification,
structural loadings or scope for updates.

lncreased congestion of equipment, resulting from operational
strategy changes or modifications.

Replacement of obsolete equipment.

Operating equipment outside a defined operating envelope.

Turn down capacity of key equipment as process
requirements change.

Declining equipment reliability, particularly rotating equipment.

Newly emerging corrosion/deterioration mechanisms, from
process changes e.g. sand, hydrogen sulphide.

lntegrity of minor structures (handrails, walkways, laddersj.

Neglect of utility systems (air, nitrogen, HvAC, cooling water,
etc.j.

High costs, usually due to age related unreliability of key
systems, such as fire mains and pumps.

Electrical power limitations affecting current and future
operations.

Compliance with current and future environmental
legislation.

Upgrading safety and escape equipment and
active/passive fire protection to meet latest standards.

Competencies vs. ageing workforce, the need to
substitute technology for skills and loss of corporate
knowledge.

Changed or reduced manning regimes and leaner
organisations with increased reliance on sub-contractors.

Lack of clarity for ownership of knowledge between
operator and sub-contractors.
This list illustrates how managing the impact of ageing
assets is not simply equipment related, but is highly
reliant on effective management systems supported by
commitment at all levels in the organisation. These fndings
are echoed by the HSE in their KP4 objectives. Getting the
management systems right before focusing on equipment life
will potentially result in less equipment replacement over the
long term. Focusing on equipment only delivers short term value.
Proactive approaches around how things are done and managed
are key aspects for managing assets in the longer term. To
reduce the risk of incidents, effective asset management needs
to start before equipment deterioration takes place, not after.
The integrity of equipment is further compromised by plant
modifcations, a history of operating outside of the operating
envelope and business pressures such as reduced maintenance
budgets and smaller site teams.
2. Ageing people
There are also challenges in attracting new recruits and keeping
suffcient expertise in the industry. The average age of the
offshore workforce is around 41 years.
As the size of operating teams decreases, leading to
increased workload pressures, there is a risk that vital historic
plant knowledge is lost. This can lead to competence issues.
Competence
Competence has received particular attention since the
Deepwater Horizon accident. ln the UK, the Oil Spill Prevention
& Response Advisory Group (OSPRAGj was created, involving
industry, regulators and trade unions, to review existing standards
and learn the lessons from the US. Both industry and the regulator
will need to ensure that the lessons from the work of OSPRAG are
adopted. Onshore, the HSE is undertaking a programme to audit
the competence of COMAH sites. The inspection will involve a
walk and/or talk through a safety critical task to confrm that staff
has the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to undertake
critical tasks adequately. Although no similar scheme for offshore
assets has been announced, operators should put measures in
place to ensure that their competency management system (CMSj
is being effectively managed and implemented.
Conclusion
As business pressures increase, oil reserves become harder
to reach, assets age and the general public become more
environmentally aware, safety and integrity must be the
number one priority for operators. Environmental incidents,
like Deepwater Horizon are not acceptable and the risk can be
reduced to as low as reasonably practicable by implementing
a robust safety risk assessment and ageing asset programme.
O T

Figure 3. ABBs asset management process.
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Philippe Levy, SBMOffshore,
Brazil, shows how an effective
sustainable development plan
can allow oil and gas companies
to meet their environmental
obligations without cutting
back on productivity.
40
B
razils oil and gas industry is
booming and the future is looking
bright. The Douglas-Westwood
World Floating Production Report
forecasts capital expenditure over the
next five years will total US$ 68 billion.
The report predicts that Latin America will
account for half of all floating production
system (FPS) expenditure, with much
activity taking place offshore Brazil. In a
research report by Visiongain, the value
of the global FPSO market in 2012 was
estimated to reach US$ 6.9 billion with the
dominant players Brazil, Nigeria and China
at the top of the stack of the 16 leading
national FPSO markets worldwide.
Riding the wave, the Brazilian
government is shaping its own future by
strategically steering the international
oil companies and service providers in
a direction that will be beneficial for the
country. At the top of the priority list
for international companies attention
are the local content and environmental
obligations.
The Estaleiro Brasa yard located across
the Niteroi Bridge from Rio de Janeiro
is an example of the way forward and
demonstrates how service providers are
planning to beneft from and contribute to
this growth. With a joint venture between
Naval Ventures Corp. and SBM Offshore
ensuring that the latter company fulfls
its local content quota and with an
environmental strategy in place from the
yards development plan to its inception, the
Brazilian yard has laid a solid foundation for
future operations in the country.
Oil and gas companies in Brazil,
specifcally Petrobras, recognise the yard's
importance in bringing their projects to
fruition, to high standards whilst ensuring a
sustainable approach. The Chief Executive
of Petrobras, Maria das Gracas Foster has
personally visited the yard.
Brasa is fully committed to
sustainability with an ethical and
ecological imprint left on every step of
the yards development that has gone
beyond the legal requirements imposed by
Brazilian law.
Globally, the shipyard project entailed
the development of new fabrication yard
facilities dedicated to complex FPSOs for
the Brazilian market. Specifcally, the plan
for the 65 000 m
2
yard was to include the
capacity to assemble topsides modules,
calm buoys and other heavy structures. The
added challenge was to build the yard while
adhering to a strict ecological programme,
which is dedicated to preserving the fragile
ecological surroundings.
Figure 1. The FPSO Cidade de Anchieta.
Sustainable
productivity
41
42
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
Situated on the island of Ilha do Conceio within the
environmentally sensitive Guanabara Bay, the company felt
strongly about carefully conserving this heritage whilst at the
same time providing a thriving workplace that offers jobs to
the local community. This latter point will help ensure that the
obligations imposed by the Brazilian government on international
companies to source at least 65% local content for all projects in
the country will be met.
Recycling old to new
Originally home to an old abandoned yard, the site location
was deemed ideal. In order to transform the site into
state-of-the-art facilities work began with the demolition of
the redundant facilities with an estimated 40 t of construction
waste generated. The waste, representing approximately
2500 truckloads, was donated to other companies for re-use.
In addition, waste soil sampling and analysis was conducted
to ensure that the soil donated was not contaminated as a
result of operations that took place in the yards former life.
Preparation had begun back in 2005, when a preliminary
study was undertaken to verify environmental impact at
the site; contamination in soil and groundwater samples
was found. Following the preliminary study, a confrmatory
research study was conducted in 2012. To chart the process
of the contamination evolution, monitoring wells were
established to permit a constant study of the impact.
Operation nature
Authorisation was obtained from the Niteroi Municipality
Environmental Department for the removal of 20 trees at the
yards site; 140 young trees were planted in compensation.
In addition, the wood and plant material removed was milled
and incorporated into compost windrows for organic fertiliser
production. With the help of volunteers the 140 seedlings
were planted in a nature reserve at the Niteroi Municipal
City Park. The event proved to be a fun exercise for all who
participated and helped to promote environmental awareness
in the local community. To extend the exercise, the
eco-volunteers can follow the trees progress on an annual
basis.
The yards environmental programme also included:

Assessment and monitoring of groundwater pollution.

Installation of a rainwater drainage system, a compact
station for sanitary effluent treatment, an oil and water
separator box for a car wash, a waste centre and
containment gutters for buildings.
Figure 2. A working and living bay: Guanabara Bay is home to several cities, which have a total population of approximately 11 million people. The
polluting activities that can potentially influence water quality in the bay are primarily the lack of sanitation in the municipal regions and operations by
local industries. The local population is economically dependent on the bay in particular for its livelihood from the fishing and tourism industries.
Figure 3. With the help of local volunteers, 140 seedlings were
planted in a nature reserve at the Niteroi Municipal City Park as
compensation for the removal of vegetation at Brasa yard.
44
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013

A weeklong event Cleaning Guanabara Bay.

A workshop on an energy saving solution for the yard.

Publication of an environmental booklet on waste
reduction and segregation.
In April and May the yards ecological focus will be on
green education, developing environmental awareness
among the local population by partnering with the nearby
schools. The topics to be covered will include: water and
energy consumption, waste sorting, the use of natural
resources and the importance of the environment to human
wellbeing.
In the meantime, an educational programme with the
local community and schools is underway in preparation
for the 2013 World Environmental Week, which takes place
in June. This will include a celebration for International
Environment Day, with activities and games to raise
awareness among school children and residents from the
local communities.
Figure 4. Located in the hub of the oil and gas industry, the
65000m
2
Brasa yard is situated just over the Niteri Bridge
across from Rio de Janeiro with a team consisting of 99% Brazilian
employees.
Figure 5. Brasa yard opened for business in time to start on the
assembly of FPSO Cidade de Ilhabela modules in July 2012. Ilhabela
will be leased to Petrobras and is set to become SBM Offshores
biggest FPSO, once completed in September 2014.
SOS bay emergency plan
One initiative for the prevention of environmental impact is
the yards contract with Oceanpact, a company specialised
in responding to environmental emergencies along the
shorelines. The yard also has an Individual Emergency
Plan, which provides appropriate responses for all possible
scenarios that may occur that could put the bay at risk.
Environmental emergency simulations at sea and along the
shoreline are regularly performed.
With such a high density of companies operating on its
shores, Guanabara Bay itself has an emergency plan that
aims to contain any environmental accidents or oil spills
that could put the bay at risk. It works in collaboration
with associated companies that have a mutual agreement
to trigger the emergency plan when a company cannot
contain its own environmental accident. When alerted,
the other members of the Guanabara Bay emergency
plan come to the aid of the company requiring additional
support. Currently, this emergency plan is not compulsory,
however, a new plan is being assessed, aimed at making
participation compulsory for more than 40 companies with
operations around the bay that could potentially cause
contamination.
A yard goes to work
The yards construction was achieved within a tight
schedule and its completion allowed the assembly of
the FPSO Cidade de Ilhabela modules in July 2012 (see
Figure 5). Ilhabela will be leased to Petrobras once she
is completed in September 2014. The vessel Ilhabela is
due to leave the shipyard in China at the end of July and
is expected to arrive at the Brasa yard towards the end of
September, when integration of her modules will begin.
Approximately 1600 people are directly and indirectly
involved in the execution of the Ilhabela project at the yard.
Jos Miranda Formigli Filho, Petrobras, said I believe
that SBM Offshore brings the expertise to the local market
as well as the mind set to deliver what is contracted.
SBM Offshore and Brasa will be able to contribute to the
development of local capacity for delivering big projects
like Ilhabela. He continued, We look at this local content
issue as an opportunity to develop the country.
Location, location, location
Guanabara Bays location in the heart of the capital of the
Brazilian oil and gas industry, Rio de Janeiro, is unique and
convenient. Situated just across the Niteroi Bridge, it has
plenty of space, which is a key component in the effective
construction of modules. With the help of local partners
it can accommodate more than two projects at a time.
In addition, the four-storey office building allows all the
project teams to meet together.
Heavy lifting
In addition to the construction and assembly of topside
modules and other systems and equipment, the yard has a
Pelicano floating crane, which provides heavy lift solutions
and services. Once an upgrade has been completed on the
crane it will meet the heavy lifting (>500 t) requirements for
placing FPSO modules and equipment onto the decks of
FPSOs and will be unique in Brazil.
O T

Shravan Joshi, CompactGTL, UK, outlines
the development of an FPSO compatible
gas-to-liquids plant that can help
eliminate the unnecessary flaring of
associated gas.
T
he common sight of faring offshore raises environmental
concerns for governments and regulators. lt, literally, is sending
resources up in smoke, and if the stated actions from the recent
World Bank Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership (GGFRj conference are to be
set in place, the industry will see a dramatic increase in pressure on operators to
stop faring.
A 30% cut in fve years is a realistic goal," a World Bank offcial told senior
government and oil company offcials at the Global Forum in London, October 2012,
at which GGFR partners reviewed the initiative's progress since it was launched in
2002.
ln order to achieve this, the co-operation of governments, NOCs and lOCs is
required. lt requires technology that is operational and independently verifed for
deployment. This is not an easy task, but it is something that has been achieved,
Flare stack on the Scott-Telford platform in
the North Sea. Photo courtesy of Nexen Inc.
45
46
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
through the development of a technical solution combined
with a business model that can satisfy the differing needs of
governments, state and private oil and gas companies.
By converting the natural gas into a synthetic crude,
CompactGTL has demonstrated that dealing with associated
Figure 1. CompactGTL commercial demonstration plant, Brazil.
Source: Petrobras, 2011.
Figure 2. EWTV system with integrated GTL solution for associated
gas.
Figure 3. Number of elds by location (left) and number of elds offshore and onshore (right). Source: Fugro Robertson presentation, SMi GTL
conference, October 2012 London.
natural gas (ANGj is possible in the oilfeld, through the
demonstration plant in Brazil. This has been operating now for
two years, and has enabled Petrobras (the plants owners) to test
every aspect of the process.
Governments are always facing calls to increase their energy
security. The reliance on imported fuel sources is a prospect that
no country wants. Yet, faring occurs across the globe, wasting
140 billion m
3
of gas in 2008 alone (source: NOAA Satellite data).
By capturing that gas and converting it to oil, governments can
ensure better utilisation of natural resources, as well as take
advantage of potential World Bank funding.
NOCs can earn higher tax revenues, increase proft (under
PSC terms), and reduce their negative impact on the environment,
through implementing the CompactGTL solution. IOCs attain
higher production of oil, are able to unlock new discoveries and
add those oil and gas reserves to their balance sheet.
The conceptual FPSO facility shown in Figure 2 is the result
of four years of design and engineering work by SBM Offshore
and CompactGTL. Both companies have worked in partnership
to come up with a solution that could change the way oil and gas
companies view new offshore feld developments.
A lot of the design and engineering work has been around
integrating the gas-to-liquids (GTL) plant with the FPSO systems.
That makes for a more effcient use of utilities and by-products.
For example, the water desalination system for the FPSO can be
run off the excess heat produced from the GTL plants modular
Fisher-Tropsch (FT) reactors.
The FT reactor modules and steam methane reformers (SMR)
are container sized modular units that can be plugged in and out
of the plant easily, and are built for safety, durability and ease
of transportation. The modules need catalyst change-out every
3 - 5 years, and it is important to be able to do so, whilst keeping
the plant operating; something that the modular design lends itself
well to.
Part of the reason that real strides have been made towards
taking the plant offshore is that the process does not require an
oxygen feed, unlike some other reforming technologies, making it
feasible from a safety perspective. The modular design also gives
a low centre of gravity, again, suiting offshore requirements. There
is also approval in principal from a certifying authority for the
overall FPSO concept and design, giving greater confdence to
the industry that this is a credible, feasible undertaking.
Efforts are ongoing to apply knowledge gained from the EWT
concept, to a full feld FPSO development application. This option
will provide access to stranded oilfelds and help in scenarios
where the producer cannot commercialise or even access a feld
because of gas disposal constraints. The CompactGTL offshore
plant designs can receive gas feeds of up to approximately
40 million ft
3
/d.
So what other options are there for the gas?
There is always faring, but with ever increasing restrictions on
this cheap disposal method, it is getting harder to do this for
new felds.
The gas can always be re-injected, thus maintaining reservoir
pressure, and not raising the same concerns associated with
faring. However, economic models run indicate that for specifc
scenarios, the lRR on a project using ANG re-injection is lower
than a project using a GTL plant. This difference is driven by the
substantial costs associated with offshore gas re-injection. lnjection
well completions, SURF costs, and gas compression all add to this.
The oil company is also left in a scenario where the gas has not
been utilised. An additional factor here for consideration is, whether
gas re-injection will damage the reservoir.
To try and utilise the gas, one could look at piping it to market.
For the small volumes discussed here, the cost is substantial for
the returns that would be attained for a commodity; the price of
which is not envisaged to go up any time soon. Negotiating these
contracts can be a lengthy drawn out process, and questions have
to be asked about the fairness of the buyer, who knows that the gas
disposal is an issue for the seller.
This leaves the operator with few options, and even fewer
commercially viable options.
The advantage with the offshore GTL solution is that there is
an answer to gas disposal, which is independent of regulatory
framework, gas quality and distance to market. The core
business model is set around oilfeld operability, enabling gas
to be dealt with in situ, aboard the FPSO, and the converted
syncrude product to be delivered with the natural crude, through
existing oil export infrastructure. The fact that no additional
infrastructure is needed downstream of the plant to get the
product to market is a strong project driver for remote felds with
ANG.
Future prospects
Over 800 felds in total, both onshore and offshore, have
been identifed as economically and technically viable for the
application of ANG GTL solutions. Geographically also, the
spread of these felds is not particular to any region or only
applicable to some geographical formations. The economic
drivers become more relevant in territories where there are
fnancial implications for faring or re-injection, and that can be
seen with the large number of viable felds in the FSU region.
These economic tests for viability add to the growing number
of reasons why ANG GTL conversion is being considered by so
many of the E&P companies, as well as the mutually benefcial
partnerships with long term and committed supply chain
partners. The future prospects for GTL look compelling, as more
and more pressures drive producers to maximise on natural
resource utilisation.
O T

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48
AndraWilcox,
HoustonAdvancedResearchCenter,
USA, explores the development of a programme
aimed at integrating environmentally friendly
technologies into oil and gas production.
I
n 2005, the Environmentally Friendly
Drilling Systems (EFD) programme was
begun through Texas A&M University and the
Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC). Its aim
is to provide unbiased science and develop solutions
to address environmental issues associated with
oil and gas development. Featuring an international
research team, this programme has worked to
bring together industry, academia, environmental
organisations, a variety of associations and the
public.
Through the integration of low impact site access
and operations, the long term goal of the programme
is to address environmental issues in order to enable
operations in environmentally sensitive ecosystems.
Such technology not only addresses potential
long term reduction of the environmental footprint
associated with operations, but also reduces drilling
and operations expenses. The EFD team works
with industry and other stakeholders to develop
cost-effective technologies and to help provide
the unbiased science needed for sound policy that
manages environmental risks associated with oil and
gas drilling and production activities. Projects such
as the Technology Integration Program, the Coastal
Impacts Technology Program and the Virtual Rig
for example, serve as tools to achieve the overall
objectives.
The overall key objectives are:

Identify new, cost-effective technologies that
reduce the environmental tradeoffs of E&P
operations.

Integrate current/emerging technologies into
systems with no or very limited environmental
tradeoffs.

Define viable systems (including transportation,
testing and completion) that could be used for
exploration and exploitation of oil and natural gas
in environmentally sensitive areas and to test key
enabling technology in the field. Utilise a systems
engineering approach to help decision-makers
select an optimal drilling system for a given site
in order to minimise environmental impact, reduce
costs and maximise profit at specific sites.

Express the attributes of an optimised system
through the use of environmental scorecards for
various ecosystems that can measure tradeoffs
associated with unconventional natural gas
production.
49
50
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013

Develop case studies of applying technologies at
environmentally sensitive ecosystems, capturing best
practices and lessons learned that will enable replication at
other locations.

Create and manage a joint project of industry, academic,
government and environmental organisation partners
to assess methods to mitigate individual costs and
develop industry acceptance of an entire viable system to
accomplish this task.

Through a technology transfer effort: educate industry, the
public, government, environmental organisations and others
about practices, technologies and systems that enable the
production of natural resources in environmentally sensitive
areas. Hold various workshops to ensure that the overall
programme is appropriately focused.

Document findings to ensure that the technologies,
methodologies and systems developed, reviewed and
evaluated are available to all interested parties.
Integrating new technology
The Technology Integration Program (EFD-TIP) is a
continuation of the EFDs research programme. In this
phase, the EFD-TIP will field test the identified technologies
after being vetted by an advisory committee. The overall
mission of this programme is to identify and facilitate the
integration of various projects/programmes that can address
environmental issues associated with unconventional
natural gas developments. The project addresses both
exploration and production. Environmental impacts include:
land, air, surface and ground water, emissions and societal.
Technologies come from a variety of sources including
service providers, other Research Partnership to Secure
Energy for America (RPSEA) and National Energy Technology
Laboratory (NETL) funded projects, and technologies
identified and developed throughout prior programmes.
The objectives of the programme are:

Establish a network of regional centres that test and
integrate developing technologies into systems that
lower cost and improve performance of unconventional
gas shale development.

Plan and implement field-testing of technologies.

Demonstrate technology to reduce the environmental
footprint of oil and gas operations.

Disseminate the information.
Through the integration
of low impact site
access and operations,
the long term goal of
the programme is to
address environmental
issues in order to
enable operations
in environmentally
sensitive ecosystems.
The goals of the programme are:

Speed the commercial development of technology.

Create an organisational structure that includes
a network of regional centres that facilitate and
co-ordinate field deployment of such technologies and
document effectiveness of field operations.

Perform field trials so that results can be evaluated
efficiently as to benefit the industry, the organisations
with the technology, and the public sector.

Document and provide the results of technology field
trials so that promising processes, systems and products
can be utilised in a wider range of unconventional
natural gas plays.

Emphasise programmes that reduce cost and improve
performance, address environmental issues, and the
societal issues associated with natural gas development.

Include and report on safety improvements in the
planning/demonstration of technologies, emphasising
technologies that foster a culture of
health/safety/environmental protection.
What gets measured, gets done
The development of a scorecard has been ongoing since
2008. The first 3 years focused on reaching a consensus
for the various attributes/sub attributes through a series
of workshops, meetings and paper exercises. Since the
middle of last year, the scorecard has been undergoing
various tests. This testing consists of reviewing systems
and technologies as well as applying the scorecard to
past and ongoing operations. The objective is to develop
a methodology that documents the environmental and
societal tradeoffs associated with energy development
taking into consideration variances in geographic regions.
The scorecard will allow operators to objectively assess and
continually improve their environmental performance and
that of their service providers and it may enable companies
to provide transparent documentation of performance.
Last year, the scorecard was tested at actual drilling
operations as well as drill-a-well-on-paper exercises. The
testing gathered findings to enhance the scorecard process.
A workshop with operators will be held this Spring to
review its current status. The scorecard will be issued this
year based on input received from sponsoring operators.
In addition, further testing will be performed in order to
determine unique characteristics that need to be included for
different ecosystems as well as different phases of oil and
gas production and operations.
Considering the coast
In 2012, the Coastal Impacts Technology Program (EFD-CITP)
was initiated. This project is designed to supply sponsors
various opportunities to increase their understanding of how
cost-effective, low impact technologies may be applied to
wetlands, semi-arid and upland woodland ecosystems. This
is a 4 5 year, US$ 4 million programme.
The EFD-CITP is a research and demonstration programme
that may lead to commercial application of technologies that
will reduce the environmental impacts of unconventional natural
gas and other petroleum exploration and production activities
along the Texas Gulf Coast. The project area includes all the
coastal counties in Texas, as the research demonstration,
testing, commercial applications and workshops will be
The Ul t i mat e Par t ner I n Wel l bor e Pl acement
16701 GREENSPOI NT PARK DRI VE, SUI TE #200 HOUSTON TX 77060 WWW. SCI ENTI FI CDRI LLI NG. COM 1. 800. 514. 8949
52
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
held in various coastal counties.
The CITP is a comprehensive
programme that identifes
environmentally friendly technologies,
implements the technologies along
the Gulf Coast, measures the
effectiveness of the technologies
to conserve, protect or restore
the natural coastal environment,
and educates the workforce. The
goal is to provide a programme of
research and demonstration that
may lead to commercial application
of technologies that will reduce
the environmental impacts of
unconventional natural gas and other
petroleum exploration and production
activities along the Texas Gulf Coast.
Objectives include:

Technology road mapping:
identify technologies that will
reduce the environmental impact
of oil and gas activities along the
Texas Gulf Coast.

Environmental impact mitigation:
evaluate technologies that may
mitigate the environmental
impacts of oil and gas exploration and production on
coastal areas.

Inter-state collaboration: co-ordinate efforts with other
producing states to identify, formalise and co-fund
collaborations regarding applicable technologies.

Workforce programme: create and implement an
educational workforce programme to focus on a skilled
workforce in environmental mitigation of exploration and
production impacts in coastal regions, in particular, the
Texas Gulf Coast.
Towards the end of last year, a dozen proposals were
received that addressed a range of environmental topics
including air emissions, ecosystem impacts and water
management. These projects include innovative data
collection, treatment technologies and restoration of land.
Four projects were selected for funding in Phase 2 of the
programme:
Texas A&M University, Galveston
Site Restoration: Assessing the Ecological Integrity of
Wetlands in Galveston Bay: Comparison of the Functions
of the Low March and High Marsh to Determine Efficient
and Effective Mitigation Practices Based on Long Term
Sustainability and Resiliency in Response to Energy
Production Operations. This work will include extensive
field data collection and development of model protocol,
termed Wetland Functional and Valuation Assessment.
The objective is to develop a more effective approach to
replacing critical wetland niches based upon functionality
characterised by vegetation, soil, wildlife, hydrology and
landscape. As a practical basis for effective wetland
mitigation these requirements capture critical elements
beyond the conventional metrics of acreage alone.
Restoring ecological function and value is a logical and
cost-effective approach to meaningful mitigation.
Texas A&M University, Kingsville
Air Emissions: Biological
Emissions Treatment Technology
Deployment to Reduce
Air Pollution for Refining
Operations. Air pollutants
are captured and treated
using two-stage biofiltration
technology. This work advances
development of alternatives
to high temperature thermal
oxidisers or flares as a means
of removing hazardous air
pollutants and volatile organic
compounds for emissions
reductions.
The Nature Conservancy
Site Restoration: Restoring
Altered Surface Hydrology at
Texas City Prairie Preserve.
The habitat of the endangered
Attwaters prairie-chicken is
degraded by the invasion of
deleterious vegetation that is
directly related to surface water
drainage. In this instance, existing drainage patterns
around access roads and old well pads are addressed.
This work involves mapping, ecological monitoring and
other study along with drainage improvements aimed at
restoration of this critical habitat.
Texas A&M University, Kingsville
Site Restoration: Effects of Age and Depth on Topsoil
Properties and Seedbank Characteristics. The
stockpiling of topsoil for use in site restoration affects
the chemical and biological properties of the soil and
seedbank. These factors strongly influence the success
of subsequent site restoration. Soil and seed science
data collected in this study will help improve soil storage
practices through better understanding of relevant
ecosystem processes and recommendations for greater
success in site restoration.
Virtual learning
Within the Workforce Development effort, the EFD
Virtual Site has been developed. The objective is to
develop environmental awareness among employees.
In addition, the site allows for industry to demonstrate
how environmental issues are addressed. The vision is to
have a full field development consisting of four different
sites: drilling location (rig), hydraulic fracturing site, well
pad and a compressor station. The user will progress
from one site to another. Once the user discovers all
the interactions at the rig site they can teleport to the
hydraulic fracturing site, then to the well pad and finally
to the compressor station. The rig site was rolled out last
year with a limited number of technologies. This year,
the rig site will be populated with various technologies.
Depending upon funding, development of the hydraulic
fracturing site may be initiated.
O T

Figure 1. Low impact rig.
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APRIL ISSUE
ATTENTION
N W
REGISTERED READERS
ONLINE
http://www.energyglobal.com/magazines/register/oilfield-technology.aspx
Available free of charge to registered readers:
With operators in the
EagleFordShale looking for
alternatives to fracture stimulate
the toe stage of long laterals,
AndrewL.Arguijo and LeeMorford,
Cabot Oil & Gas, USA, and
JasonBaihly and IsaacAviles,
Schlumberger, USA, explain how
a new valve design can help cut
costs and mitigate risk when
fracturing the first stage of shale
wells without perforating guns.
T
he KickStart* pressure-activated
rupture disc valve is designed to
isolate and hydraulically fracture the lateral
toe stage of a shale well without perforations and
the associated expense of coiled tubing (CT), stick pipe or wireline tractors to position
perforating guns.
Potential application of the pressure-activated rupture disc valve is substantial in
North Americas unconventional plays, including the Eagle Ford, where high crude oil and
liquids yields, coupled with attractive commodity prices, are driving an unprecedented
boom.
Total liquids production in the south Texas play has risen from fewer than
21 000 bpd in 2007 to 350 000 bpd by the end of last year, according to the
US Energy Information Administration. Last year alone, more than 4100 permits were
issued, the vast majority for horizontal wells.
55
56
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
The most commercially targeted areas have a pay thickness
of at least 125 ft. The average Eagle Ford lateral is now 5387 ft, an
increase of almost 1500 ft in the past three years. The average stage
count is up to nearly 20, with perforation clusters ranging from three
to 12.
The low-clay, high-carbonate content in the extensional basin
make it conducive to complex hydraulic fracturing using the
plug-and-perforating technique for multiple entry points that create
complex fractures at a
minimal cost.
Over 75% of more than
6000 Eagle Ford horizontal
wells have traditional
cemented and cased laterals
stimulated with the
plug-and-perforation
method, a cost-effective and
effcient way to treat every
stage except the frst stage.
Perforating risks and
solution
In the closed system,
perforating guns have to be
pushed to the frst fracture
stage in the toe section with
CT, wireline tractor or stick
pipe, creating additional
expense and complicating
logistics and effciency.
Initial completion
approaches included the
use of a wet-shoe in which
the cement is displaced to create an adequate fow path at the
bottom of the completion (wet shoe) to lower costs of the
pump-down plug-and-perforation process. But the process
includes risks of leak paths, lack of isolation and a lack of
pressure integrity verifcation of the casing.
Engineers set out to create a valve in the casing string
that would eliminate the need for a perforating gun in the frst
stage. The valve would include a sleeve that could be activated
by pressure to expose helical ports, or slots, to the cement.
Operators could stimulate through the ports.
various port and slot confgurations were tested to assess the
viability of the valve by attempting to minimise and predict fracture
initiation pressures. A series of fnite element analyses (FEAj,
mathematical models and laboratory tests were conducted.
Full-scale tests were then performed in unstressed concrete
cylinders to investigate how the valves port geometry affected
fracture initiation pressures in unstressed, surface conditions.
Tool design and testing
Primary goals were to minimise fracture initiation pressure and
see which port design promoted a vertical bi-wing fracture in
the concrete. The tests were performed with 4 in. casing and
valve assemblies cemented inside concrete cylinders 36 in.
in height with an average compressive strength of 4000 to
5000 psi.
Cylinders were constructed for each tested port confguration.
The assemblies were pressured up until failure, or fracture
initiation, and the pressure was recorded. The pressure
breakdown response created by perforating guns was also
evaluated against the various port confgurations.
The results showed fracture initiation pressures varying from
327 psi to 1790 psi. Each port confguration had a unique effect
on the near-wellbore geometry of the hydraulic fractures. A
cutaway of a test with six 12 in. vertical
slots with 60` phasing can be observed
in Figure 1. The slots created a bi-wing
vertical fracture plane.
Unstressed cylinder tests showed that
a port confguration consisting of six 6 in.
ports with 60` phasing provided optimum
performance for fracture initiation. A 3D
FEA model predicted the stress near the
wellbore in tight sandstone with far-feld
stresses applied and determined the
optimum parameters for tests under
actual bottomhole conditions.
Tests were conducted using
sandstone blocks. For each test, a 30 in.
wide by 30 in. deep by 54 in. tall block of
sandstone was placed in a tri-axial test
apparatus. A minimum horizontal stress of
4000 psi, maximum stress of 5000 psi and
an overburden stress of 6000 psi were
applied to the block.
The base case test was constructed
using 4 in. casing cemented in the rock
block and then perforated with a 1 ft gun
with 3 spf at 120` phasing. One of the
shots was aligned to the preferred fracture
plane (PFP) to simulate the best possible
alignment for the perforating gun.
Figure 1. Post fracture concrete
cylinder test of a six nned valve
with 12 in. long slots.
Figure 2. 2D and 3D FEA analysis along with a helical port picture.
Table 1. Average rate, treating pressure, hydraulic horsepower (HPP) and instantaneous shut in
pressure (ISIP) of the first 10 stages on the B-6H lateral
Stage
Average rate
(bbl./min.)
Average treating
pressure (psi)
Average HHP ISIP (psi)
1 65 6830 10 881 4562
2 80 7089 13 848 4996
3 79 6110 11 771 5007
4 80 6764 13 246 4741
5 81 6805 13 443 4736
6 80 6806 13 295 4783
7 81 6739 13 395 4462
8 80 6748 13 198 4890
9 80 6871 13 540 5031
10 79 6293 12 139 4702
57
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
A pressure of 4540 psi fractured the sandstone block with the
120` perforations. Another test using a six-slot valve phased at 15`
from the PFP broke down the sandstone block at 4598 psi. The
difference between the perforations and 15` helical port sleeve
tests was negligible, and indicated that the valve does not require
a high fracturing pressure, making it a viable completion option.
To reduce the near-wellbore pressure effects further, engineers
used the calibrated 3D FEA model to analyse various port
confgurations. New helical ports were developed to best emulate the
effect of oriented perforations in the wellbore. Based on this model, a
new helical port confguration was developed and used successfully
in real well applications (Figure 2j.
Rupture disc valve placement and activation
The KickStart rupture disc valve is spaced three to four casing joints
above the foat shoe to align the valve with the desired toe stage frac
point in the formation.
When the valve is set in place, cementing operations begin. The
cementing process is performed just as if the wellbore was lined only
with casing. There are no changes in the cement pumping procedure.
No special cement chemistries, such as acid soluble cement, are
needed. After the cement is set, a casing integrity test is performed.
The valve is then activated by pressuring up slightly above the casing
test pressure.
The tool is activated by increasing bottomhole pressure to
rupture either one or two rupture discs positioned to block fow
(Figure 3j. Rupture discs can be selected ahead of time and
installed before the valve is delivered to the rig or on the rig foor
when casing is being run. The discs are selected based upon the
sum of surface pressure and well hydrostatics. The rupture discs
are manufactured in 250 - 300 psi increments, allowing for a precise
activation window.
The rupture disc is typically selected to have a value
approximately 500 psi greater than the desired casing test
pressure. Only one disc needs to rupture for the RDv to operate.
Upon rupture, a pathway for fuid fow opens to the tool's internal
atmospheric chamber. Pressure and fuid rush in, and the valve
opens in a piston-like manner. When the internal sleeve slides open,
the helical ports around the rupture disc valve expose the entire
circumference to the cement sheath.
The hoop stress in a horizontal wellbore typically contains two
weak points 180` apart in the near wellbore area.
Regardless of tool orientation, one of the fracturing ports is never
more than 3` from one of the minimum stress points on the hoop
stress envelope. This ensures that the hydraulic fracture near the
wellbore does not have far to reorient, minimising tortuosity, which
in turn reduces fracture treating pressure. The helical ports allow for
the cement to be broken down with ease. Fluid can then continue
into the formation to create the hydraulic fracture. The total sum of
all ports is 10.7 in.
2
, equivalent to six perforation clusters 2 ft each in
length with 6 spf.
The frst stage is pumped through the rupture disc valve with
relatively low initiation and surface treatment pressure, similar to
hydraulic fractures pumped through perforation tunnels. Once the
frst stage is completed, economic pump down plug-and-perforation
operations can commence. Alternatively, the valve does not have to
be used if the operator prefers multiple perforation clusters for some
reason.
A gun string with a frac plug can be pumped down and set as in
any plug-and-perforation operation. No frac balls are required. The
valve is rated to 20 000 psi and 325 `F. Treatments can be pumped
through the rupture disc valve at rates up to 120 bbls/min. and up to
10 lbm/gal. of proppant added. The pump rate allows operators to
use the rupture disc valve across a wide variety of formations types,
pressures and temperatures.
Eagle Ford Shale success
Cabot Oil & Gas frst used the KickStart valve in the second quarter
of 2011. Eliminating CT-conveyed frst-stage perforating gun runs,
in laterals that average approximately 5500 ft with 14 to 20 stages
on well spacings down to 55 acres from the feld norm of 80 acres,
helped reduce costs.
Routine casing tests are performed to 10 000 psi. The tests
typically select rupture discs that activate at 600 to 800 psi above
the casing test pressure. All of the rupture disc valves have activated
within 200 psi of the desired range.
The operator routinely pumped the frst fracturing treatment,
consisting of over 250 000 lbm of proppant at 65 bbls/min., through
the RDv helical ports. For the rest of the stages, 80 bbls/min. and
400 000 lbm of proppant is common. The fracturing treatment rate
was 65 to 80 bbls/min. for all wells. Some increases and decreases in
the treating pressure were due to fuid type or additive changes and
equal one wellbore volume pumped.
Table 1 shows the average rate, treating pressure, hydraulic
horsepower (HHPj and instantaneous shut in pressure (lSlPj of the
frst 10 stages on the B-6H lateral.
The KickStart rupture disc valve stage had similar average
treating pressures, the lowest HHP, and the second lowest lSlP of
all stages analysed. This is proof that fracturing through a cemented
sliding sleeve with helical ports is not troublesome and is very similar
to other plug-and-perforation stages in the same wellbore.
Consistent fracture stimulation treatments were achieved, with
more than 250 000 lbm of proppant through all of their rupture disc
valves without any issues.
O T

Note
*Mark of Schlumberger.
Figure 3. Initiator valve schematic with rupture discs highlighted.
Figure 4. Location of case study wells in south Texas.
TAKE YOUR EYE
OFF THE BALL
Mike Churchill, Churchill Drilling Tools, UK, highlights a
development in mechanical extrusion technology that offers
operational benefits over ball activation for downhole tools.
58
O
ne of the most innovative recent advances in downhole activation for the drilling industry
has been the introduction of mechanical extrusion technology, incorporating the
deployment of rigid metal darts as a means of improving cycling and control of a range
of processes and devices. Mechanical extrusion using dart activation is being increasingly
recognised by operators as a time, cost and labour saving alternative to traditional ball
activation methods.
As an example, drilling bypass valves have been conventionally cycled with balls via
a polymer extrusion. However, using mechanical extrusion, Churchill Drilling Tools has
developed an effective and accurate dart-based valve, which can deliver up to four times faster
deployment, saving considerable wait time over polymer methods.
The companys MX (mechanical extrusion) system allows the use of rigid darts
(Smart Darts) for multi-cycle control and exploits their robustness and HPHT resilience (up to
660 `Fj to deliver greater speed, reliability and performance. A key feature of the system is that
it has two confgurable shearing modes, improving reliability and power delivery. lt requires as
little as 0.0075 in. radially for power transmission, making implementation extremely compact.
Users can control and power three or more tools independently, removing the conventional
lD and obstruction conficts between different tools in a string. This has implications for
mono-cycling ball and shear systems, which commonly obstruct the bore after use. These
can now be turned into multi-cycling, non-obstructive, multi-tool systems. Multi-cycling ball
activated tools based on polymer extrusion, are also enhanced by improving performance and
delivering greater multi-tool compatibility and inter-operability.
59
60
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
The system allows mechanical extrusion to be delivered
in a range of settings to suit the specifc cycle application.
Offering a variety of latching, sealing and fow path geometries
as well as the adjustable shear mode ratings, this element
of the system provides a tangible change in string design
and programme implementation. For example, in bypass
valve implementation, users can cover multiple fow path
contingencies with a single valve in hole and then choose
from the range of darts the optimal setting for the situation
encountered.
The system advances the capability of simple
hydro-mechanical control and its power and reliability benefts
areas that were previously the domain of more complex
electronic systems. Being mechanical, it is not subject to
the same HPHT limits that affect electronics and electrical
components.
Smart Darts can help unlock the potential of a simple circ
sub to deliver reliable and versatile bypass on demand. The
correct fow path mode is vital for a given application. There is
no need for confguration in advance. Each bypass application
has its own dart to 'quick set' the valve into the right mode.
Functions such as LCM spotting, split-fow hole cleaning and
dry tripping are plug and play.
The closing cycle relies on a universal closing dart rapidly
deployed to allow drilling to resume quickly with no loss of
hydraulic performance. Multiple cycles can be performed in any
sequence.
System benefits
When curing losses, boosting hole cleaning or performing
other circulation applications, conventional BHA bypass
relies on balls landing on seats. Landing seats are sized to
withstand a pressure up activation cycle and then succumb
to a blow through shear-out sequence to regain circulation
to the bit. The emergence of the mechanically extruding dart
technology as an alternative to the polymer extrusion has
presented tool designers with an opportunity to push some of
the performance boundaries of conventional valves.
Circulating objectives
The objective for any tool is to offer maximum performance
and value whilst being as simple, reliable and fexible to use
as possible. For drilling bypass
valves this can be more specifcally
analysed under the following
sections to assess the current
conventional limits.
Activation speed and ball displacement
algorithms
With heavy losses, fast activation
is critical to stem the mud being
lost to the formation. Over-zealous
activator displacement, which fails
to take into account depth, angle
and mud density parameters,
creates a risk of blow-through
misfre. Conservative displacement
can increase delays and may
make activation pressure more
diffcult to detect from the surface.
Polymer extrusion systems can therefore lead to comparatively
slow activation sequences, as time must be allocated to
displacement calculations and detection of the activation
point before curing can begin. ln contrast, darts eliminate the
calculation element and activate at high pump rates, and with
a positive opening stroke clearly indicated by a pressure drop,
losses can be treated more quickly.
Cycling reliability
The properties of the extrusion determine the performance
window of the cycle. Using polymer extrusion, the designer has
to create an interference between the ball and the seat that can
withstand the landing shock and allow the ball to overcome the
inertia of the piston/mandrel in the valve before it reaches its
extrusion threshold. ln single cycle circ subs this interference
can be over-engineered to guarantee opening, but for
multi-cycling the shear-out point needs to be in pump range so
that circulation can be regained by extruding the ball. ln order
for it to be possible to close the valve using polymer extrusion
it must, by defnition, be possible for it to misfre. By creating a
dual shear point characteristic, mechanical extrusion
addresses both reliability and the activation speed
simultaneously.
Multi-modal/application flexibility
When selecting a valve it is prudent to perform a weighted
risk assessment to identify the circulating contingencies
that are most likely for a given well. For example, whilst hole
cleaning might be a major issue, contingency for heavy losses
might be prioritised on the basis of well control. The operator
then makes a tool selection based on these priorities.
ln polymer extrusion systems, tool choice is an important
consideration because of the multiple confguration
permutations during bypass. The introduction of an activation
ball sets the polymer extrusion tool in primary bypass mode.
However, this may not be the optimal setting, meaning either
performance is limited or delayed whilst smaller secondary
setting balls are pumped to secondary seats to create
application specifc fow paths. By contrast, dart-based
mechanical extrusion can optimise bypass for almost any
application in a single step, thereby simplifying both tool
selection and application implementation.
Figure 1. DAV MX Smart Dart.
62
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
Genuine BHA isolation
Using polymer extrusion, contamination of the bottom hole
assembly (BHA) during pill spotting can occur even when 100%
bypass has been confgured. A ball on a seat seals in just
one direction, once the pumps are switched off u-tubing and
buoyancy forces will determine whether the ball stays on its seat
or foats/rolls away to allow curing fuids to make their way into
the BHA. Dart latching through mechanical extrusion ensures
that the isolation objective is achieved.
Simplicity of operation and design
Complexity downhole invariably adds risk and unreliability. Whilst
the permutations of polymer extrusion applications can allow the
skilled user to activate and confgure for almost any application,
the need for skill and expertise adds risk for the operator.
Multi-sized operating balls and complicated displacement
procedures for activation can increase the risk of error and
non-productive time. ln addition, the likelihood that full value
will be returned from fnancial investment in the tool is reduced
because users will be naturally cautious about trying unfamiliar
or complex procedures.
For the mechanical extrusion system, a simple port and
piston assembly housing a low profle ceramic 'socket' to
catch the darts is all that is required. The darts themselves
determine performance. Single use and individually sealed, the
dart is kept isolated from the downhole environment until the
very last minute. Dart robustness means up to four times faster
deployment and landing at speeds up to 2000 ft/min.; saving
in excess of an hour of wait time and giving positive opening
indications to remove any uncertainty.
Proven success
Through 2011 and 2012 the system has a 100% reliability record
courtesy of the high shear landing mode and the innate stability
of the mechanism in any fuid and high temperatures and
pressures. As an example, a European land operator deployed
a single dart cycle to set hole cleaning and tripping dry modes
simultaneously, not only saving time but also delivering rig foor
safety that would previously have been unavailable.
ln another instance, a North Sea operator planned for hole
cleaning and jetting but when unexpected losses occurred it was
simple to switch strategies and choose a dart that would deliver
LCM into the formation and protect the BHA from contamination.
The system has been used in bypass valves for more than
80 wells since January 2011, including in the Gulf of Mexico.
Handling the pressure
ln December 2011, the company applied mechanical extrusion
to a fourth dart in a new tool for string integrity testing. The
system provides a simple yet accurate way to test a drill string
up to a specifc pre-set pressure with the capability to regain
circulation between each test. This allows users to perform
multiple tests at various pressures in a single run. The system
can be run in any length of pipe, at any angle or temperature and
with any type of circulation fuid.
The subs have fully tapered internals, provide unrestricted
circulation and have a full through-bore prior to the frst cycle.
The dart is dropped and pumped into place with the load
transmitted through pins in the dart into the sub; the pins
determine the shear-out pressure. Pressure can be held at the
required test level for as long as necessary, and when testing is
complete, a small increase in pressure is used to shear-out the
dart into the catcher below. The unique benefts of the system
are that multiple test cycles can be performed; full circulation is
regained between each test, and that the shear-out point can
be accurately modifed by altering the dart's pins before it is
dropped.
The system was frst successfully deployed in Norway by
a major pipe manufacturer in 2011 with shearing accuracy
results of 99.6%. As a result of this success, a full programme
of further drill string development applications has been
scheduled using the system. The system is also being used in
the UK Continental Shelf for leak detection in operational
drill strings, in pre-emptive integrity tests prior to ultra-critical
high pressure phases.
Choosing the right tool for the job
The MX Smart Dart system does not require a redesign of a
companys existing ball activated systems. The system can be
integrated into existing tool designs by a simple replacement of
the landing seat. The darts themselves are available in a range
of sizes with adjustable shearing points. Whereas a typical ball
system will require approximately 13.4% of the bore lD to be
used for power delivery, this new system requires less than 1%
and this compactness makes it both easy to implement and able
to deliver the fexibility for multi-tool compatibility and
inter-operability.
Both operators and service companies are starting to look
at using the system to improve BHA design by reducing lD
restrictions and increasing operational performance windows.
This can be done by replacing ball seats within a series of
conficting tools with dart seats that catch only the darts
intended for that tool. This simplifes the process for the user as
more options can be kept open and also for the tool designer
who can offer the user more fexibility and performance.
The Smart Darts provide an infnite combination of
geometries, latches, seals and chokes that can be rapidly
deployed to set the tool into its optimal confguration.
To summarise, the user benefts of such a system are:

Multi-tool (three or more) multi-cycling in any order.

High speed activation.

High reliability.

HPHT to 660 `F.

High angle performance.
The key benefts for OEMs are:

Easy to retrofit into existing tools (both ball shear and
extrusion types).

Multi-tool series capability.

Multi-modal tool options controlled by the dart deployed.

Compact (radially <1% compared to ~13.4% for ballsj.

lnfinitely more configurable for power delivery and shearing
points.

Smart Dart options for variable tool settings and flow paths.

Total flexibility for OD/lD selection.
Conclusion
Mechanical extrusion via dart deployment has helped make
existing processes faster, more cost-effective and simpler
to deploy. There is now an opportunity to evaluate whether
mechanical extrusion can become the conventional system for a
range of downhole deployments.
O T

Figure 1. Final data summary chart, generated by RoqSCAN, from the analysis of legacy ditch cuttings.
A
s interest in hydraulically fractured reservoirs continues
to grow globally, their characterisation has become
much more critical to maximising hydrocarbon returns
and developing more cost-effective fracturing regimes.
Fracturing regimes have tended to rely upon a large number
of frac locations to maximise the hydrocarbon recovery from a
well, but more recent work has shown that, in some cases, up to
30% of the fraccing stations have not added to well production.
Given that each hydraulic fracture station adds signifcantly
to the fnal cost of the well, a better understanding of reservoir
characteristics would not only allow for maximisation of
hydrocarbon recovery, but also reduce overhead costs through
the use of a tactical fracturing regime, ultimately reducing
the total number of fraccing stations required for maximum
recovery.
Key factors that affect an unconventional reservoir are the
characterisation of its pores and the brittleness of the rock
(rock physics). However, aside from the downhole derivation
of porosity values from wireline logs, the majority of pore and
rock physics characterisation occurs offsite in a laboratory
and a signifcant time after drilling. With the increasing speed
and effciency of drilling, this delay has, in some cases, made
it impractical to use lab-based characterisation data for
completions.
However, with new developments in the capability of the
RoqSCAN system, (a portable lab-based analytic system
developed jointly by Robertson and Carl Zeiss), it is now
possible to obtain both mineralogical information and textural
data for reservoir characterisation and completion design at the
wellsite, in real time.
Drilling completion
andbeyond
Tom Ashton, Eagleridge Energy LLC, Chi VinhLy,
Graham Spence and Guy Oliver, Robertson
(aCGG Company
1
), USA, present a RoqSCAN
case study from the Barnett/Chester play.

63
64
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
In addition to the directly measured mineralogy and imaged
porosity, RoqSCAN can provide a real time measure of a
formation brittleness/ductility via the RoqFRAC curve, using
the mineral composition and texture.
This advance makes it more practical to develop well
completion plans based not just on inferences from well logs,
but on rock properties measured directly from actual rocks.
Reservoir and completions characterisation from
cuttings
Reservoir characterisation from well data is a challenging task
in the best of circumstances but even more so in long and
expensive horizontal wells, especially those in the vast shale
plays of North America.
Historically, analyses of core samples and logs have been
the methods of choice for reservoir characterisation. However,
drill cuttings (the drill bit-induced rock chips) have recently taken
on increased signifcance, not just for their inherent ability to
characterise the formation being drilled, but also because they
can now be used to directly measure and image the formations
pore fabric.
In most cases, drill cuttings represent the drilled interval and
reveal by frst-order observation key characteristics such as
particle size, porosity, solid bitumen, clay types and chemical
composition. These are important properties with respect
to the potential reservoir and add certainty to petrophysical
interpretation.
Moreover, some of these parameters are un-seen by logs
especially in unconventional plays, either because logs simply
cannot resolve them or because of issues regarding the mud
conditions. For example, barite in the mud might be obscuring
the true Photoelectric Index.
Application of new capabilities
The RoqSCAN system was frst applied successfully at a wellsite
for Forest Oil Corp. at its Shannon Estate Lease in Crockett
County, TX (Wolfcamp targetj.
Since the initial launch, an extensive R&D programme has
led to improved functionality and capability of both the hardware
and software of the system, thus increasing RoqSCANs
capabilities and value at the wellsite. Drill cuttings can now
be measured directly to determine not only the mineralogical
composition, but also textural information, including pore and
fracture fabric/properties and brittleness.
The mineralogical data obtained allows for recognition of
lithologies, mineral correlation, key elemental composition,
defnition of formations and stratigraphic sequences
between wells. Moreover, pore textural data, porosity, the
pore size distribution and pore aspect ratio allow for a better
understanding of the elastic properties of the formation
being drilled. In many instances, it has been shown that well
performance is linked not only to the mineralogical composition
of the formation but also to the pore structure being fracced.
Additionally, the ability to generate these types of data from
drill cuttings allows for more refned petrophysical modelling of
the rocks elastic properties from lateral wells. This fact becomes
important when drilling through deep formations at temperatures
and pressures that are not amenable to the use of downhole
tools. These conditions affect the use of downhole tools in two
major ways: frst, being a reduction in the quality of the data,
or even no useable data; and second, easing the concern of
operating tools in such harsh conditions with the possibility of
loss or damage of the tool and its added cost liability.
Having access to more detailed rock properties data in real
time allows for informed drilling and engineering decisions, such
as identifcation of casing, coring and total depth (TDj horizons,
and probable penetration points of reservoir units or intersection
of known and unknown faults.
Additionally, the ability of RoqSCAN to generate
mineralogical and pore textural data for horizontal production
wells, where hydraulic stimulation is required, allows for more
strategic fraccing to optimise recovery from a geologically
constrained number of fraccing stages. The advantages of
reduced cost and environmental benefts from less frac stages
make completion optimisation through better characterisation
increasingly more important.
Case study: Eagleridge Energy LLC Burgess-4,
Stephens County, Texas
In the summer of last year, Robertson was contracted by
Eagleridge Energy LLC to assist in the characterisation
and steering of a lateral well, targeting the Barnett Shale
and Chester Limestone at the companys Burgess lease in
Stephens County, Texas.
Based on previous geological studies of these formations, the
Barnett Shale is a purely gas play while the Chester Limestone
below the Barnett is a mixed oil/gas play. Additionally, the
Chappel Limestone below these two formations is known to be
water-bearing; and penetration into this formation, either directly
from the borehole or during hydraulic fracturing, would severely
damage well productivity. Therefore, one of the key goals during
the drilling and fnal completion was to avoid penetration of the
Chappel Limestone.
The contract involved initial laboratory analyses of 30 legacy
ditch cuttings samples from an adjacent vertical well to generate
a detailed mineralogical and textural zonation scheme for the
Barnett Shale and the carbonate formations above and below the
target shale zone.
ln addition to the identifcation of the four main formations
(Duffer, Barnett, Chester and Chappel) the Barnett, Chester and
Chappel Formations were further zoned. Figure 1 shows the fnal
data summary chart, generated by RoqSCAN, from the analysis of
the legacy ditch cuttings. Defned on this chart and in more detail
in Table 1, is the zonation scheme based on the mineralogical
and textural data. The zonal descriptions defne the quantitative
mineralogical/elemental differences between the sub-zones of the
Barnett, Chester and Chappel Formations, not visible to the naked
eye but easily quantifed using the RoqSCAN technology.
The original well plan was developed based on 3D seismic
and other regional well data. Based on 3D seismic, the plan
was to land the base of the curve at a vertical section (VS)
displacement of 465 ft with the target landing point being at
4506 ft TvD. Seismic also indicated an 87` from vertical down dip
in the formation along the length of the lateral, between 465 ft
to 1760 ft VS displacement, and a further steepening of the dip
to 85` from 1760 ft to 2290 ft vS displacement. There were also
indications from the seismic of a possible fault along the intended
lateral borehole at 4425 ft vS displacement.
During the early stages of drilling, downhole tools and
mud-logging data were used to determine the kick-off point, and
to steer the building of the curve and also the fnal landing of the
bit into the target zone. RoqSCAN data was not collected during
Figure 2. The complete data summary chart for the whole lateral section of well, generated by RoqSCAN in real time. The chart follows the same template as the vertical prole of Figure 1 with the addition of an ROP log (left hand track) a Completion Information
Column, a GC data column and representative cuttings sample textural maps showing micro-fracture development (right hand tracks).
the vertical section of the well, with sampling only during the
building and landing of the curve.
Based on downhole tools and mud-logging data, and
using the RoqSCAN data as the fnal QA/QC, the curve was
fnally landed at a vS displacement of 600 ft, compared to
the originally planned landing at 465 ft VS displacement.
This placed the actual landing depth at 4535 ft TVD rather
than the originally planned 4506 ft TvD, as defned by the
seismic model. The mineralogical profle at the revised landing
depth correlated more accurately to the mineralogical profle
associated with the high gamma spike towards the top of the
Barnett as identifed in the vertical well profle.
Figure 2 is the complete data summary chart for the whole
lateral section of the well, generated by RoqSCAN in real time.
The data clearly shows the kick-off point in the Marble Falls
Formation (Location 1 on Figure 2j, at 3950 ft measured depth
(MDj, before transitioning into the Duffer Limestone (Location 2
on Figure 2j. The log then shows the continual building of the
curve through the Duffer Limestone (Location 3 on Figure 2j
and then the maintenance of the steep inclination through
Location 4, while drilling through the transitional zone between
the Duffer and Barnett Formations.
The curve was then landed at 4973 ft MD within the upper
Barnett Formation (Location 5 on Figure 2j. Based on various
data sources, including the RoqSCAN data, the lithologies
seemed to dip at a relatively low angle of approximately 1` for
approximately 1630 ft (i.e. 600 - 2230 ft vS displacementj.
As such, the drill inclination was maintained at 87`, as per
well plan, to drill down section through the shale and into the
Chester Limestone below.
Furthermore, the RoqSCAN data shows a clear distinction
between the top of the upper Barnett (Location 4 on Figure 2j,
the middle of the upper Barnett (Location 5) and the base of
the upper Barnett (Location 6 on Figure 2j. RoqSCAN's ability
to further refne the reservoir characteristics and mineralogy
compared to the zonation scheme provided better feedback to
the drillers in understanding the true location of the drill bit in
the corresponding zone.
Additionally, during the drilling through the middle of the
upper Barnett (Location 5 on Figure 2j drilling breaks from
an ROP of >100 ft/hr to <50 ft/hr occurred (Point 5a and 5b
on Figure 2j. At the time it was unclear if these drilling breaks
were because of the possible intersection of an unknown
fault or indeed whether the drill bit had encountered Duffer
lithology because of an undetected (and unexpected)
increase in bed dip.
However, the mineralogical data clearly identifed the
presence of apatite and calcite in the corresponding cuttings,
a mineralogical assemblage which is consistent with
laterally extensive and amalgamated carbonate/phosphate
concretions, known to occur within the upper part of the
Barnett shale and also identifed within the zonation scheme.
Once past these harder lithologies, the borehole
continued through the lower part of the Upper Barnett
Formation (Location 6 on Figure 2j and into the upper part of
the Lower Barnett Formation. This can be easily identifed by
the reduced volume of coarser siliciclastic minerals coupled
with an increased volume of clay species corresponding to
Zone B2.
Drilling continued through the Lower Barnett at the
planned 87` drill bit inclination with the aim of penetrating
the upper boundary of the Chester Limestone at 4425 ft vS
displacement. Importantly, because of excessive smearing
of the log from the downhole tool along the lateral well, the
RoqSCAN data was the most reliable dataset available to the
drilling team to identify the actual drill bit location (based on
reference with the Zonation scheme), as it is based on actual
measured mineralogical data.
Table 1. RoqSCAN vertical zonation scheme
Zone Zone Description Formation Summary
B1
High Quartz 30 - 50%
Illite/Muscovite 10 - 25%
Kaolinite 1 - 10%
Apatite increase 0.4 - 0.7%
Calcite AlSi 3 - 10%
Calcite AlSiK 0.6 - 1.4%
Peaks of Sphalerite
Barnett Shale
Calcite may not be laterally extensive and may
represent concretions
Higher volume of clay minerals
(Illite/Muscovite and Glauconite)
Higher amounts of Apatite
Higher pyrite content
Top B2 marked by Kaolinite peak >6%
Base of B2 marked by Pyrite peak >1.5%
B2
Lower Quartz content 20 - 30%
Increased Illite/Muscovite 20 - 42%
Kaolinite 4 - 16%
Calcite AlSi 3 - 10%
Calcite AlSiK 0.6 - 1.4%
Apatite decrease 0.08 - 0.2%
C1
Increase of Calcite Al Si 10 - 35%
Increase of Calcite AlSiK 1.2 - 4%
Illite/Muscovite 5 - 28%
Kaolinite 0 - 7%
Trace Apatite
Chester Limestone
Argillaceous Limestone: increase of Calcite Al
Si and Calcite AlSiK (intermixed clays and calcite)
C2
Calcite abundance >50%
Illite/muscovite & Kaolinite <3%
Apatite <0.1%
D1 Dolomite abundance 50 - 80%
Chappel Limestone
Top abundance Dolomite and lower Limestone
D2
Calcite abundance >60%
Minor clay minerals <5%
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65
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
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OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
After approximately 1080 ft (2230 ft vS displacementj, a further
drill break was observed, again dropping the rate of penetration
(ROPj from 100 ft/hr down to 20 ft/hr (Location 8 - 9 boundary on
Figure 2j. Examination of the GR-log at circa 6500 ft MD (Figure 2j
clearly showed a change in the formation from a typical shale profle
above to a cleaner lithology below (lower gamma response).
However, based only on the GR-log, it was impossible
to differentiate if this cleaner lithology corresponded to
Duffer Limestone above or Chester Limestone below. Based on
the calculated bed dip from the original 3D seismic model, the
initial conclusion was that the drill bit had drilled up-section into the
Duffer.
Once the RoqSCAN data was included in the
decision-making process, it became clear that the measured
mineralogical assemblage corresponding to this clean Gamma
Ray log (GR-log) response indicated Chester lithology rather than
Duffer lithology.
Based heavily on the RoqSCAN data, it was agreed that
the fault originally diagnosed in the 3D seismic model had been
penetrated, albeit some 1125 ft up-hole (original placement of the
fault was at 4425 ft vSj. As the RoqSCAN data also indicated that
the fault plane had juxtaposed Lower Barnett (Zone B2 up-holej
against Upper Chester (Zone C1 downhole), the drilling team
confdently continued drilling at the same drill bit inclination into the
up-thrown Chester.
It was important not to penetrate the Chappel Limestone
below (to avoid unwanted water cut) nor to drill close to the
Chester/Chappel Formation boundary (to avoid any chance of
fraccing into the water-leg).
With the uncertainty of the data from the downhole tools, and
the knowledge of the error in the 3D seismic model, drilling into
the Chester Formation was based primarily on the RoqSCAN data,
together with some mud logging data, to support the directional
drillers. All RoqSCAN samples were closely scrutinised for zonal
location, in particular, as evidenced by Zone C2 (lower Chesterj
versus Zone C1 (upper Chester).
Drilling into the Chester Formation continued for an additional
1140 ft with the drill bit staying within Zone C1. At 7650 ft MD, the
decision was made to TD the well earlier than anticipated as the
planned length of Chester pay had been achieved. Of course the
earlier than anticipated TD resulted in cost savings because of
fewer drilling days and a shorter-than-planned lateral.
Completions and beyond
Though the RoqSCAN data played an important role at the wellsite
in proactively steering the drill bit, the level of detail regarding
mineralogical and rock properties also allowed for further value
during completions characterisation.
As the GC data was erratic and unreliable along the length of
the lateral, the RoqSCAN data (mineralogical and ductility data,
RoqFRAC) was used to group similar ranges of rock ductility into
fraccing stages (marked as 'P' on Figure 2j.
Within a stage, perforations were targeted as much as possible
in the most brittle zones, where the possibility of natural fractures
remained the greatest, as indicated by high resolution textural
images collected from RoqSCAN (see examples of natural and
drilling induced fractures and stylolite development on Figure 2j and
where oil shows were present. In addition, the RoqSCAN data (in
particular the mineralogical data) allowed the more ductile stages
to be treated with a hybrid fracture treatment of linear gel-based
fuid to create more fracture width during the initial breakdown
(e.g. Stages 5 and 6 on Figure 2j. lmportantly, within these
stages, the perforations were spaced evenly so as to limit
cross-cutting or competing fractures.
Full production data for this well has yet to be released.
However, early indications show even, consistent production
from all stages.
The RoqSCAN data was then further applied in the correction
and re-validation of the 3D seismic model generated for this
resource play. Subsequent feld development is now based upon
the new, RoqSCAN-constrained model. Additionally, with the
detailed geological information provided from the ditch cuttings,
all further development of the play will target the Lower Barnett/
Upper Chester boundary, rather than the boundary between the
Lower and Upper Barnett, which had been the original plan.
In conclusion
Through the use of vertical profling by RoqSCAN in the
laboratory, and translating that into lateral steering by RoqSCAN
in the feld, there has been an improvement in the capability
of understanding the formation being drilled, as well as an
increased ability to accurately geo-steer lateral wells, while also
generating the required data for more optimal well completions.
The level of detailed information from the RoqSCAN system
allows the wellsite data to be used to improve mapping of the
regional geology and to refne and improve the seismic models,
which can then help to improve subsequent wells within the
same region.
In summary, real time RoqSCAN data and interpretation
positively impacted the design and completion of this well by:

Assisting in accurately landing the lateral at the correct zonal
location.

Using the quantitative mineralogical interpretation to identify
lithological/geological features, such as concretions and fault
planes.

Being the dataset of choice as other tools or data became
less reliable through the drilling of the well.

Allowing for proactive well steering, identifying mineralogical
changes associated with a zonal change within the lateral
(deviation from target zone) and real time adjustment of the
well path inclination while keeping within the target zone.

Providing reactive steering, quickly identifying the well path
crossing a fault plane and entering the juxtaposed up-thrown
Chester.

Allowing the drilling team to drill confidently within the
Chester (Zone C1) knowing that the mineralogical zonation
scheme was robust and any evidence of proximity to the
underlying water wet Chappel would be quickly identified.

Directly impacting the placing and design of perforation
stages (tactical fraccing) and the type and volume of
propellant used based on the mineralogical and ductility
data.

Further constraining the geological model for this particular
resource play, such that the benefits identified in this well
could be achieved in all other wells.

Assisting in reducing well costs by providing reliable
datasets to allow for an earlier than planned TD, thus
reducing drilling time and, as the overall length of the lateral
was somewhat shorter than planned, a probable reduction in
the originally planned number of completions.
O T
References
1. Formerly Fugro Robertston Inc.
TBC-Brinadd is a global provider of
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A
ccording to the US Energy Information Agency,
US production rates in 2013 will break all
previous records, and will continue to rise
by some 25% throughout 2014. The rapid growth
in production is due to the continued success of
horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracture stimulation
technology used in unconventional oil and gas plays.
Yet, todays operators must
continue to fnd and implement
world-class drilling, stimulation
and well completion strategies
in conventional areas, or risk
falling behind their peers.
In fact, recent increases in
daily rig rates and support
services have pushed up the
capital cost of sand control
completions, so better
technology, faster completions
and reduced costs are
becoming more crucial to operational success.
Recent applications are proving that the
implementation of new sand control technologies used
in well completion operations, especially single-trip
capabilities, save signifcant rig time and millions of
dollars during well stimulation activities. One of the best
emerging strategies is the utilisation of multizone and
horizontal single-trip sand control systems.
Multizone single-trip (MST) technology is a
workstring-deployed sand control assembly used for
gravel packing or frac packing multiple zones in a
single trip. To date, the companys MST system has
exclusively been applied to cased hole applications, but
can be adjusted to run in openhole applications.
During recent applications, the MST system
provided the versatility needed to perform all types of
sand control treatments on multizone wells of varied
length and separation, as well as the selectivity required
to optimise well production. The
process is designed to provide safe,
simple, reliable and user-friendly
operations. Additionally, the design
allows pre-testing during rig assembly
and run in, as well as post testing
of all critical components prior to
pumping individual treatments.
Simple diagnostic procedures and
contingency operations ensure
rapid recovery from unforeseen
occurrences.
For horizontally drilled wells,
Superior Energy Services horizontal single-trip (HST)
technology is an openhole sand control system that
enables washdown, gravel packing and a post-pack
stimulation stage that can be accomplished in a single
trip.
The HST system employs a crossover tool with a
large return bypass area for extended length circulating
water packs. Once the sand control treatment is
complete, the service crossover tool can be converted
into a pump-through tool that allows selective
stimulation treating that can be performed across the
ChadHightower,
SuperiorEnergyServices,
USA, shows how multizone
and horizontal single-trip
sand control systems
are a key strategy for
producers hoping to
optimise well completions.
69
70
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
entire screen length. In this system, the biggest contributor in
equipment has been the screen division, primarily the DynaFlo
diffusion-bonded type. These screens are heavy duty premium
sand exclusion screens designed for use in gravel-pack
and standalone screen installations in cased and openhole
environments.
Then and now
HST openhole gravel pack technology utilising non-swab and surge
free-service tools has been around since the 1970s. Maintaining
openhole wellbore stability prior to sand control treatments is
well known as a preventative
measure to avoid well-cake
deterioration (fuid lossesj and
sand-bridging problems during
sand placement.
Today, the differentiator
is the multizone systems
ability to perform treatments
on different zone lengths
and zone separations while
maintaining pressure integrity
on the remaining zones. With
this technology, after all zones
are treated, the operator can
ascertain that pressure integrity
exists across the system prior
to running production and
bringing the well to production.
These zones can then be
selectively opened to control
production.
Also, selective stimulation
across pre-determined screen
sections with a converted
pump-through service tool
is defnitely a plus to drillers
hoping to promote the uniform
breakdown of the remaining flter cake and to enhance well
productivity.
Prior to MST systems, the standard for multiple-zone
gravel-pack systems required zone lengths to be similar, with
some restrictions on zone separation. Zone isolation for zones
not being treated required seals to isolate the lower zones, and
an inner double-concentric workstring to isolate the upper zones
during the treatment phase. Unfortunately, crossfow between the
zones could occur prior to running a concentric isolation string.
With MST, the screen-wrapped sliding sleeves in each zone
of the system provide positive and negative zone isolation on all
zones except the zone undergoing treatment. A service tool
auto-locating device ensures that the service tool is correctly
aligned for each zone treatment.
Typically, an operator might assume that the system could
only be utilised in single-selective, single-tubing applications.
However, the MST system has been successfully applied to
dual-tubing applications as well as single-zone applications,
whereby up-hole squeezed perforations can be isolated with
packers when the MST system is being set in the well.
Global applications
ln 2001, Superior Energy Services' frst commercial HST well
was a 700 m x 8 in. openhole circulating water pack utilised
in Brazil. Later, in 2004, the company's frst prototype test-well
application of its MST technology was implemented in Bayou
Sale Field in south Louisiana. ln 2007, its frst commercial MST
well application, with a two-zone, 9
5
/8 in. well completion, was
undertaken in Indonesia. All of the applications were successful
demonstrations of the technologys ability to perform as
expected.
More recently, the company performed its frst Alaskan job
in late November and early December of 2011. The project,
requested by the operator, called for an 11 week preparation
Figure 1. MST job loaded in offshore baskets. Figure 2. With MST, the screen-wrapped sliding
sleeves in each zone of the system provide
positive and negative zone isolation on all zones
except the zone that is undergoing treatment.
1
Figure 3. MST treatment ow (red = inow, yellow = returns).
Seal Bore Packer
Frac Sleeve
Mechanical Sleeves
Isolation Packer
Mechanical Sleeves
Isolation Packer
GP Sleeve Open
Screen Wrapped
Sleeve Open
time to manufacture the necessary equipment to have the job
ready for onsite installation at Cook Inlet. The operator also
required a system capable of completing a well with a
multizone-selective application to provide assurance that the
low BHP zones would not be hampered with fuid-loss issues
during well completion.
The completion project was a fve-zone sand-control
application, with selective sleeves required for all zones, in
a 3.7 lbs/gal. environment with roughly 1200 psi completion
fuid overbalance. The job was unique because the production
tubing contained profles that incorporated internal diameter
restrictions, compared to the larger MST sliding-sleeve internal
diameter profles. ln order to shift the sleeves via wireline,
a slimline shifting tool was designed and utilised. The tool
provided the ability to compress the keys and pass through the
restrictions, then expand and engage the MST sliding-sleeve
profles.
Also, while MST applications typically include ProWeld
wire-wrap screen technology, the Alaska project design required
variations of high-rib designs that included components such
as screen communication sleeves and screen-wrapped sliding
sleeves.
The company completed the treatments with a restress on
all fve zones in a mere 52 hrs, which included some shutdown
periods for the pumping crew to rest. A standard stacked pack
assembly would have been able to complete only approximately
two or three zones in the equivalent time interval. Also, the
MST required only one perforating trip and one service tool trip,
where a stacked pack would require individual perforating runs,
individual packer runs and packer plug-retrieval runs.
Elsewhere, an MST system was used in the Mahakam Delta
offshore Indonesia. According to a 2010 case study published by
the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), the operators use of a
multizone single-trip method, instead of a conventional stacked
cased-hole frac pack or a high-rate water pack, resulted in an
average 5.3 days completion installation time on 13 wells with
three to six zones at an average depth of 12 000 ft. Overall, rig
time was reduced by 70%, resulting in a US$ 30 million saving
at that time. On a single fve zone sand control completion job,
Figure 4. Patented screen communication assembly.
When you want to get the job done and done right.
Screen Jacket Wire Wrap
Communication Ports
Inner Sleeve
Inner Sleeve
Screen Jacket Wire Wrap
Flow Path
O
T
C
2
0
1
3
COME AND
SEE US
6
-
9
M
A
Y
Houston, Texas, USA
BOOTH #2200
73
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2 013
more than eight days were saved; approximately US$ 2 million,
based on local rig cost.
Another SPE case study of work performed in the deepwater
Gulf of Mexicos Lower Tertiary Formation detailed that a similar
project resulted in an average 18.6 days of work for the two
three-zone completed wells, compared to a conventional
stacked frac-pack completion that would have required
approximately 32.8 days. The project involved a true vertical
depth of approximately 25 000 ft, a maximum reservoir pressure
in excess of 19 500 psi and a maximum temperature of 260 `F.
Unconventional technology
To serve the emerging global unconventional plays, the
companys Completion Services Division designed OmniFrac
MST, an openhole multi-stage completion system designed
for land-based completions in unconventional reservoirs. The
system is a lower cost alternative to cemented plug-and-perf
completions and allows operators more surface area to the
reservoir, increased production and faster stimulation times
when compared to conventional completion methods.
The new technologys targeted applications include tight
gas sands, gas and hydrate shales and coalbed methane. The
system includes a ball-actuated isolation valve, pressure-actuated
frac sleeve and ball-actuated frac sleeves. The single-element
openhole isolation packers have metal element support and an
interlock device that prevents the packer from being set while
going in the hole.
Also, with this system, a permanent, hydraulically set hanger
packer with hydraulic running tool release is included. The
frst-generation system incorporates a unique ball-seat design
that facilitates easier milling and lower pop-off pressures for
production initiation. Features such as zone isolation, fuid-loss
control and selective production can be integrated into the
system, from a simple single-zone gravel pack to single-trip
multi-zone completion systems.
Deepwater, high pressure
During the next few years, exploration and production companies
are expected to ramp up operations in offshore deepwater, high
pressure, high production oil and natural gas plays. For these
projects, the ability to monitor reservoir parameters closer to the
sand face will add overall utilisation of new technologies.
To serve that sector and to keep pace with these new
developments, service companies will be making large
Figure 5. Estimated rig time savings for MST system.
1
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investments in the engineering and development strategies to
meet the challenges of growing global demand for oil and natural
gas. Competition within the service sector to have the most
effcient system for their customers will continue to drive new
development.
By applying current MST and HST technology, along with
future generations of such systems, global energy companies will
have access to completion options for a broader range of wellbore
completion scenarios that best ft the reservoir and production.
Certainly, cost savings and completion effciency, along with
system redundancy add to the viability of these applications.
Conclusions
Overall, industry case studies indicate a wealth of benefts
resulting from the use of MST systems when compared to more
conventional systems such
as stack pack completions.
According to recent data, an
average of one or two days
of rig time can be saved per
zone, depending upon well
depth and complexity. The
time between pumping jobs is
reduced to hours as opposed
to days, resulting in the early
release of service providers
and reduced travel time to and
from location.
However, it is important
to note that, due to the
complexity of the system, a dedicated and experienced team
familiar with the system should be on hand to ensure safe and
reliable operations. For example, project managers should
ensure that the service tool is designed and maintained for heavy
duty use, and crossover tools and seals must be engineered to
cope with high volumes of proppant.
Also, operators should have suffcient volumes of treating
fuid onsite because pumping jobs are only a few hours apart.
And close co-ordination between MST and HST technology
service providers and drillrig operators is necessary to ensure
suffcient equipment, safety systems and adequate manpower is
available onsite during operations.
O T

References
1. Source: Superior Energy Services.
Figure 6. The HST system employs a crossover tool with a large return bypass area for extended length
circulating water packs.
1

YOU
ASKED
DELIVERED
WE
INTRODUCING WE, A LINEUP OF TRULY SUPERIOR PRODUCTS, PROVING THAT FASTER CAN BE
SAFER, STRONGER CAN BE LIGHTER, AND BETTER CAN BE LESS EXPENSIVE. WITH INNOVATIONS
IN EFFICIENCY, RANGE OF MOTION, MOBILITY AND POWER, WERE MAKING YOUR JOB
EXPONENTIALLY EASIER. BUT DONT TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT - YOURS IS THE ONE THAT MATTERS.
LISTENING TO CUSTOMERS IS A GREAT WAY TO
REVOLUTIONIZE THINGS. WE TOOK YOUR THOUGHTS
AND BUILT THEM INTO OUR NEW PRODUCT LINE.
weTORQ | weCATT | weBUCK | weMOVE | weRUN
COME SEE US AT THE OFFSHORE
TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE IN
HOUSTON AT BOOTH #2023
MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT
HTTP://WE.MCCOYGLOBAL.COM
weTORQ
CompSet II HP
Packer
MS Closing Sleeve
Dual Flepper Valve
Wash Shoe or
Bull Plug
DynaFlo Premium
Screen
Set Down GP
Service tool
Circulating Valve Washpipe
roughneck
MurrayGerwing,
DavidHarris
and RonRolling,
McCoyCorp.,
USA and Canada,
take a look at
a mechanical
roughneck that
can increase the
speed and safety of
tripping tools in and
out of wells.
A
new mechanical roughneck has been designed,
which allows operators to work more safely, more
quickly, and save money all at the same time.
Rather than testing McCoys weTORQ in controlled lab
conditions or in moderate, conventional feld trials, it was
decided that the system would be tested on Trinidad Drillings
Rig 60 in the middle of winter in the Canadian province of
Alberta. Trinidad was drilling in the Puskwaskau formation, a
part of the much larger Exshaw formation, which is primarily
composed of black shale in the lower part, and siltstone and
limestone in the upper part.
Testing the mechanical roughneck in conditions where
the temperature was -25 `C was a choice made to see how
the system would perform under some of the most severe
weather conditions.
75
76
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
The well was drilled to 4530 m (14 850 ft). The rig
is a Mastco design telescoping double and has an
Axon FDS 250 t top drive.
This mechanical roughneck is a very compact unit
with the wrench and spinner mounted on a positioning
arm. The pipe size range for the tool is from 2
7
/8 in.
to 8
3
/4 in., covering virtually all of the drill string
components. The maximum make-up torque for the
weTORQ is 65 000 ft.lbs and the maximum break out
torque is 85 000 ft.lbs. The tool fts in a standard foor
socket.
For this well, 4
1
/2 in. drill pipe was run with 4FH
connections. The average torque for make-up was
13 000 ft.lbs, well below the capacity of the weTORQ.
The average time to make or break connections was
between 20 and 30 sec., although due to the harsh
weather conditions, at times it was extended because
the cold temperatures (generally averaging -20 `Cj had
the effect of making the API Dope very thick, with a
consequent extension of the connection make up times.
The total number of joints made up and broken out was
1080. Even with the large number of joints and the extremely
cold weather conditions, the system performed well.
The weTORQ was designed to have some spinner
compliance while spinning in and out, but so far, at least in the
Canadian feld test, additional thread compensation has not
been needed, because the pipe feeds directly through the spin
rollers whether it is threading or unthreading the joint.
One of the features of this system is that it uses standard
tong dies, resulting in excellent grip of, and minimal marking on
tool joints, as well as keeping operating costs very economical.
Also because of this feature, the system has the advantage
of the dies being readily available and easy to install. It uses
5 in. x 1
1
/4 in. x
1
/2 in. thickness standard dies, although 5
7
/8 in.
dies can also be used.
The system has an adjustable clamping force feature on
the gripping cylinder. The force is adjustable by the use of
the pressure relief setting on the relevant valve. There is also
a soft start feature that keeps a lower pressure on the lower
clamp until the upper clamp is activated following spin-in. This
feature prevents distortion of the box end of the drill pipe, a
problem that can drastically affect the length of the job, not to
mention extra costs involved in replacing damaged pipe. Limiting
the clamping pressure on the gripping cylinders by means of the
soft start also reduces the potential for egg shaping the pipe
connection.
The weTORQ was developed due to demands within the
industry for higher torques, but increased safety as well. To
look at the evolution of why something like this system was
developed, one must look at the history of drill string operations.
The make-up of connections for drill pipe and drill collars
goes back to the early days of drilling for oil and gas. The
traditional method for many years was to use a spinning chain
for the initial spinning of the pin into the box until the rotary
shoulder was reached. Although on the surface, this method was
effective, it was also extremely dangerous with many injuries,
particularly to hands and fngers, in cases, still occurring to this
day.
After the pin connection had been spun in, the roughnecks
would then bring on the two opposed rotary tongs to put full
torque on the connection. Because those tongs used chains
Figure 2. The weTORQ is in position on the drilling rig before work
commences.
Figure 3. The extended arm view of weTORQ.
Figure 1. The weTORQ is clamped on pipe on a drilling rig in Canada during field testing.
Optimize. Accelerate.
Maximize.
For the life of the eld.
www.fmctechnologies.com
Copyright FMC Technologies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
FMC Technologies delivers complete life cycle
support to optimize the operations of subsea
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and intervention services maximize recovery in the
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attached to fxed points in the derrick to reach the required
torque, it was critical that they were positioned correctly, which
was not always the case. Excess torque, improper latching
and having personnel in close proximity to the operation are in
general considered risk points.
Also, because the rotary tongs were swung by the
roughnecks, they were not easy to control. In addition, if the rig
foor was slippery with mud and oil, which was usually the case,
it was easy for the roughnecks to fall and injure themselves.
In deep wells, it is very hard, physical work that is needed to
trip the drill pipe into or out of the well. It is also very repetitive
and very dangerous work.
The concept of a hydraulic powered mechanical roughneck
was frst introduced into the oil and gas industry in the late
1970s and early 1980s. Many key innovations were developed
by manufacturers since that time, which have subsequently
provided major advancements in the technology and usability of
the tools far beyond the original concept tool.
In addition, safety concerns demanded mechanising the
process of making up or breaking out drill pipe connections,
and the result of those demands was the development of
the power spinner, typically pneumatically powered since
only low torques are needed. Most spinners have two large
rollers, which grip the pipe and rotate the upper joint. By
using a power spinner, the need for using spinning chain was
eliminated, therefore making the job much safer. The spinner
unit part of the weTORQ rotates at 175 RPM on 4 DP and
has a torque capacity of 1850 ft.lbs. For most units, the rollers
are made of durable urethane for maximum gripping and zero
marking on the tool joints.
Working to meet demand
Based on industry feedback, several differentiating features
were included in the design and development of the
system. Specifcally, it is hydraulically operated, rather than
pneumatically. With supply at 40 GPM at 2500 psi, the system
will perform at its maximum ratings.
Additionally, the controls are actually mounted on the
unit itself, and for the Canadian trial were manually operated.
Optional remote control and wireless systems with full
functionality are currently under development.
The positioning arm has a horizontal travel of 60 in. and
a vertical travel of 36 in. The actual total reach of the tool is
108 in., measured from the centre of the mounting socket to
the well centre. Also with the weTORQ, torque wrench rotation
is 37.5` from neutral, with the total rotation available being 75`.
The system also has a well centre lock, which means the tool
can be delivered to a set position, generally well centre, on
extension, and stay in that position. An advantage in the design
of this system is that the wrenching action covers an arc of 75`
compared to the industry standard of 30`. With conventional
systems, failure of the connection to fully make up the correct
torque means that the wrenching action will have to be repeated.
lf this has to be done on each connection, signifcant delays
can develop, which is something that drilling contractors are
understandably keen to avoid. Having a greater arc of wrenching
action means that delays of this kind are less likely to occur.
As the system continues to work in the feld, more elements
will be continually added to it, with the end result being a tool
that both onshore and offshore operators can count on for
safety, speed, and cost savings.
O T

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us on
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latest news
from the global
energy industry.
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conventional to ultra torque. Stator rubber formulations developed by Dyna-Drill
have produced innovations in elastomer durability resulting in products that serve
specifc applications which can be compounded to withstand the most punishing
drilling fuids and downhole temperatures.
For over 50 years, Dyna-Drill has offered operators the most technologically
advanced and effcient downhole motor equipment in the oil and gas industry.
MarkMcGurk, NationalOilwellVarco,
USA, examines the properties
of a new tool that is
helping oil and gas
operators deal with
complex fishing
operations.
80
T
he overshot, which is the tool used to retrieve stuck or broken objects
downhole, is one of the most important fshing tools in the entirety of
the oil and gas industry. The simple design of the Bowen series 150
overshot has proven to be robust and dependable. Consequently, aside from
some material improvements, minor design changes and added accessory
items, there has been no major improvement to the industry standard
overshot for many years.
Market challenge
Needless to say, the oil and gas industry has experienced signifcant
technological advances over the past 80 years. Wells are drilled with more
sophisticated drilling systems allowing companies to drill deeper, more
tortuous and high angle/horizontal wells. Combined with today's focus on
rejuvenation and extended life of mature felds, a signifcant increase in
cost-effective, planned and un-planned fshing and well intervention work
has been seen. This has, in turn, led to increased demand on fshing tools
in general, probably none more so than the most common fshing tool: the
Bowen wide catch overshot fshing tool (WCOSj.
During any fshing operation, it is important to maximise effciency. With
careful preparation, it is possible to increase the possibility of success, and
ultimately decrease costs through the least number of trips possible. A range of
factors, such as rotational wear, can reduce the outer diameter (ODj of the fsh
to be recovered, particularly across the section of fsh to be caught.
The overshot fshing tool has proven to be simple, strong and rugged,
making it the industry standard for decades. However, there are tight limitations
on the catch range of each grapple (spiral and basketj that can limit the ability
to successfully catch a fsh where its OD has been worn beyond the range of
standard grapples.
Because of the limited catch range of each grapple, a relatively high
number of different size grapples are required to cover the entire catch-range
of fsh that the standard overshot is capable of catching. Anyone who has
witnessed the inventory of grapples held at the facility of a fshing services
provider or looked inside an offshore basket of fshing tools, is usually amazed
at the high quantity of grapples required to support the standard overshot
catch range (e.g. a 5 in. OD standard tool can be dressed with over 20
different sizes of grapplesj. Additionally, seals used in the standard tools are
also quite limited and generally do not allow for consistent sealing around fsh
OD worn beyond the range of existing grapples.
Development
NOv has developed an overshot with a wider catch range than the industry
standard. The WCOS is used to engage, pack-off and retrieve twisted-off,
stuck or lost tubing, drill pipe, casing couplings, tool joints, casing or other
similar fsh. The tool is composed of three outside parts: the top sub, bowl
and guide. lt can be dressed with either of two sets of internal grapple parts
depending on whether the fsh to be caught is near maximum catch size for
the particular overshot. lt can also be dressed with optional extension subs. lf
the fsh diameter is near the maximum catch of the tool, a spiral grapple and
spiral grapple control are used. lf the fsh diameter is considerably below the
maximum catch size (usually in. or morej, a basket grapple and mill
control or optional plain control are used. The WCOS may also be
dressed with either of two sets of sealing assemblies depending
on the amount of pressure the seals may be subjected to when
attempting to circulate fuid. lf the operating pressure is below
2000 psi then the standard pressure assembly is used. lf
the operating pressure is above 2000 psi the high pressure
assembly is used (Figure 1j.
Solution
ln service, the WCOS takes a positive grip over a larger
surface area of fsh and is capable of withstanding heavy
81
82
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
pulling, torsion and jarring strains without damage to the tools
or the fsh. The tool has been designed to signifcantly increase
the catch range of the OD of the fsh to be caught, compared
to the standard overshot. This enables a greater opportunity
for a successful fshing operation in a reduced number of trips;
therefore reducing overall fshing costs for the operator. ln
addition to the substantially increased catch range, the tool
has the ability to seal across very large extrusion gaps, at both
standard and high pressure, and provide full circulation through
the fsh, should it be required. New coarse threads have been
introduced at the connection between the top sub and bowl
to allow for quick assembly while maximising the torsion and
tensile strength. The new tool also incorporates the ability to
interchange the bottom guide with the full range of existing
components previously used with the standard overshot tool.
Aside from improved
performance downhole,
another advantage
of the new tool is the
reduction in the number
of grapples required
at the work location.
Fewer grapples are
benefcial when work
is being performed at
remote and offshore
locations where
packages of primary
and contingency fshing
tools are deployed. The
reduction in the number
of grapples varies by
overshot OD (and other
key design factorsj;
however, as illustrated
in Figure 2 below, there
is an average of almost
50% reduction in the
number of grapples
across four different
WCOS tool ODs.
Case history #1
Objective: to engage and
recover a 4 in. tubing
stump and pull out a (ESPj production packer from a depth of
2647 ft offshore in the North Sea.
Job summary:
The Fishing Service company arrived at the jobsite to fnd that an
ESP production packer was set at a depth of 2647 ft inside of the
9
5
/8 in. casing. ln order to prepare the ESP packer for removal,
four separate milling runs were made. Due to the extensive milling
operations, the actual OD of the fsh was unknown, but was
estimated to be somewhere between 6
7
/8 in. and 7 in. Due to
the unknown OD of the fsh, the 8
1
/8 in. OD WCOS, dressed with
a 7 in. nominal spiral grapple was deployed in the well. A 7 in.
nominal wide catch range is 6.719 in. to 7.031 in.
After running the tool downhole and making contact with
the fsh, the tool supervisor attempted to engage by bumping
down and pulling up several times. The hole-angle and weight
of the fsh made this operation particularly challenging. ln these
challenging circumstances, it is vital to pay close attention to
any signs of the fsh engaging the pressure pack-off above the
grapple. After further engagement, a 200 psi increase in pump
pressure was noted at surface so the decision was made to
return the bottom hole assembly (BHAj to surface. Once the
BHA was out of the hole, it was discovered that the WCOS had
retrieved the entire packer and tubing stump assembly (Figure 3j.
Results:
Through the use of the WCOS, an oilfeld service company
was successfully able to externally engage, pack-off and pull
an ESP production packer that had been signifcantly worn
due to four previous milling runs. After further investigation,
the OD of the fsh was found to be at the extreme minimum
catch range of the new tool. This saved the customer a
minimum of two or three trips in hole when compared to a
standard overshot (i.e. to change out grapple catch size, an
impression block run and likely a run to dress the top of the
fsh to a more known ODj.
Case history #2
Objective:
To engage and recover a 1603 ft long, stuck milling assembly
from 7 in. liner from a well in the Middle East. The lost milling
assembly consisted of 51 joints of 2
3
/8 in. OD drill pipe with a
damaged 2
7
/8 in. OD tool joint fshing neck, a bit sub, and a
3 in. OD junk mill.
Job summary:
The 3 in. milling
assembly was
mechanically wedged
inside of a 4 in. liner.
No progress was made
after several attempts
to jar up and down, so
the decision was made
to back off the string,
leaving the top of the fsh
at a depth of 11 971 ft.
Multiple fshing attempts
were made using a
standard 5 in. overshot
Figure 1. WCOS set up with a basket
grapple and the optional low/high
pressure sealing assemblies.
Figure 2. Grapple inventory reduction: Series 150 vs. WCOS.
dressed with a 2
7
/8 in. grapple, but the fsh would
constantly slip from grapple while jarring. The decision
was then made to deploy the WCOS, dressed with
2
7
/8 in. nominal catch basket grapple (2
7
/8 in. nominal
Wide Catch range is 2.594 in. to 2.906 in.j. With the BHA
at working depth, the fsh was successfully fully engaged,
after six hours of jarring and axially agitating, the fsh
eventually slipped from grapple due to the extensive
damage of the drill pipe fsh neck. Subsequently on
the same job, the new tool was deployed for another
two additional runs during back-off and pipe recovery,
ultimately working closer to the stuck point. During the
fnal run, the customer was able to retrieve the remaining
fsh by a combination of conventional high impact jarring
and high frequency, low-impact axial agitation.
Results:
The WCOS was able to externally engage, pack-off and
pull a fsh that had been signifcantly worn, showing high
tensile strength during the jarring and axial agitation
process. The new overshot was also able to successfully
withstand all forces applied during heavy jarring,
long term, high frequency axial agitation and moreover
during the blind back-off operation.
lt is estimated that a minimum of three trips were
saved using the new tool as compared to a standard
overshot fshing tool. These were: trips to change grapple
catch size, wireline lead impression block runs and a
washover show run to dress the top of the fsh.
O T

Figure 3. WCOS bowl and extracted sh.
Table 1. Technical specifications
Tool size (OD) 4
11
/16 in. 5 in. 8
1
/8 in. 9
1
/8 in.
Maximum catch size
(spiral)
3
21
/32 in. 4 in. 7 in. 8 in.
Maximum catch size
(basket)
3
1
/6 in. 4
1
/8 in. 6
1
/4 in. 7
1
/4 in.
Load capacity at yield
points (lbs)
Spiral grapple 332 100 407 100 548 900 548 900
Basket grapple without
stop
290 900 407 100 512 300 512 300
Makeup torque (ft-lbs)
Top sub/bowl 5200 8000 17 800 22 600
Bowl/guide 1100 1400 4200 6000
Fish extracted from the well
For more information visit www.abc.org.uk
or email info
@
abc.org.uk
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An ABC Certicate shows our gures have been
independently veried, giving you condence
in our claim.
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Meter by
Finn Erik Berge, Emerson Process Management, Norway,
shows how deploying more accurate multiphase meters
can improve results in well testing, production monitoring
and flow assurance.
ubsea multiphase meters today play a crucial role in reservoir
management and downhole monitoring with applications for
well testing, production monitoring, production allocation and
flow assurance.
By providing minute-by-minute information on a wells capabilities
during production (information such as water breakthrough, permeability
and flow characteristics) operators are able to use the information to
support their downhole monitoring, improve their well control and flow
assurance, and ensure a seamless flow of oil and gas from reservoir to
refinery.
The last few years, however, have seen a growing number of
challenges facing subsea multiphase gas meters. This article will examine
how the latest technologies are responding to these challenges and
why multiphase metering today remains a key element of an integrated
downhole network.
A rapidly changing picture
Operators are facing a rapidly changing picture in regard to their offshore
operations. Firstly, there is the growing geological complexity and
remoteness of many of todays fields.
85
86
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
Offshore exploration is going deeper and into harsher
environments, with the high pressure and water depths
multiphase meters have to operate in providing significant
challenges to the accurate measuring of flow rates in the
well streams. This focus on deepwater exploration is only
likely to grow. Industry analysts, Douglas-Westwood forecast
a global Capex of US$ 22 billion between 2013 and 2017,
according to their Worldwide Deepwater Market Forecast.
For multiphase meters, this means an increased onus
on reliable equipment and communications. Size, weight
and instrument compactness are crucial with many subsea
manifolds already crowded with instrumentation and little
room to spare.
A second challenge is that many oil and gas wells are
being produced over a wider range of process conditions
with more liquid and water present as well as high gas
volume fractions (GVF). This can apply not only to newer
deepwater fields, but also to older brownfields.
There is therefore an increasing need to more accurately
measure flow rates under such conditions. Accuracy in water
production, for example, is becoming more important in
detecting formation water and producing injected seawater,
and there is also a need to measure the process flow over
the entire range of the GVF.
Measuring water salinity has also become increasingly
important. Salinity is often a key operational parameter
for reservoir management and flow assurance in the
field. Salinity measurement can tell the reservoir engineer
whether formation water is entering the flow as well as help
the process engineer adjust the injection rates of scale
and corrosion inhibitors. To date, however, water salinity
detection has tended to be viewed as less of a priority by
both operators and vendors.
Finally, the last few years have also seen a growth
in subsea tie-backs and longer horizontal production
pipelines, as operators look to tie in smaller fields to existing
infrastructure as well as tie-in remote deeper infrastructure.
With longer tiebacks and potential delays to detecting water
breakthrough, the need to track threats to pipeline and
production integrity and accurately measure production and
fiscal allocation is crucial.
In summary, despite their popularity, subsea multiphase
meters are facing a number of growing demands. They are
expected to come with increased robustness and operate
throughout the lifetime of the field and they must operate
accurately and effectively in the challenging operating
ranges of between 90 and 100% GVF. Finally, they must
also link seamlessly with other downhole tools to provide a
complete production surveillance system.
The rest of this article will examine how recent
developments in subsea multiphase meters are meeting
these challenges.
Improving the measurement accuracy of
subsea multiphase meters
Traditionally, multiphase meters tend to show an increased
uncertainty at GVF of approximately >95%. Typically
between the ranges of 95% and 100% GVF, the use
of mixed density measurements is the main input for
determining the liquid fraction in wet gas fow results.
Such inputs, however, come with high uncertainties with
the fractions of liquid unable to be estimated accurately
using density gauges that typically only allow for a resolution
between 1 - 4 kg/m
3
. Long in-line calibration cycles of
the gamma density systems may improve measurement
accuracy, but this is often not practical subsea.
In addition, other potential obstacles to the effective
deployment of multiphase meters subsea include a limited
mapping of the different fow regimes and the inability to
handle varying conditions.
It is with these issues in mind that Emerson has
developed a new measurement system for its subsea
multiphase meter that makes it more effective in wet gas
felds with high GvF.
There are a number of key technologies, which underpin
the new meter.
A field replaceable insert venturi
Central to the new meter is a field replaceable insert
venturi that allows for extended service life and operating
ranges, and removes uncertainties in sizing meters based
on uncertain production forecasts. The insert venturi
is also designed to minimise the effects from swirl and
unsymmetrical flow patterns caused by piping geometry
upstream of the meter.
Venturi models for measurements of gas flow rates
in wet gas flow are well known in the industry and are
mostly tested out on two phase gas-liquid systems. By
using multiphase meters as wet gas meters, additional
information about the flow can be retrieved, potentially
improving the performance of the gas measurements.
More combinations and accurate fraction
measurements
The new measurement principle for the meter is based
on an electrode geometry sensor, which allows for
measurements in separate sectors, in addition to the full
cross-sectional area. This results in more combinations and
more accurate fraction measurements and velocities for
each segment.
Rather than systems only being able to perform
cross-sectional measurements, the subsea meter can perform
both rotational near wall measurements and cross-volume
measurements, thereby providing a comprehensive mapping
of the fow regimes. Challenges, such as the need to handle
Size, weight and
instrument compactness
are crucial with many
subsea manifolds
already crowded with
instrumentation and
little room to spare.
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88
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
Figure 1. By combining the known water fraction along with the gas/liquid split,
water fraction and gas fraction are known.
Figure 2. Deviations in hydrocarbon mass ow rate.
Figure 3. Deviations in water volume fraction.
Water Fraction
D
e
v
i
a
t
i
o
n

[
%
]
D
e
v
i
a
t
i
o
n

a
b
s

[
%
]
GVFref [%]
GVFref [%]
35bar
35bar
50bar
50bar
65bar
65bar
70bar
70bar
Gas Fraction
1/ Resistivity
all types of fow regimes varying from horizontal laminar
fow to full developed vertical annular fow are also met.
Asymmetrical flow and less-than-perfect mixtures
of the gas and dispersed phase can also be handled
in a manner that was not possible previously,
resulting in improved measurement accuracy and an
extended operating range.
Real time capacitance measurements
The meter also incorporates real time capacitance
measurements, pressure and temperature
measurements and algorithms that take into account
the hydrocarbon composition of the fuid using PvT
simulations at the operating pressure and temperature.
This PvT input data provides single phase
densities and gas-condensate ratios at operating
pressures and temperatures, thereby improving the
meter's accuracy.
The subsea multiphase meter's impedance
measurement has mainly a capacitive component in
an oil-continuous flow and a conductive component
in a water-continuous flow state; hence a capacitive
mode and conductance mode. This provides the
meter with a measurement principle that is extremely
sensitive to changes in the water fraction and is not
affected by changes in the salinity of the water.
The impedance measurement in capacitive mode is
not suitable when the multiphase fow is in a
water-continuous state, and for this reason, the
conductance mode is used to determine the water
fraction of the mixture. Similar to the capacitance mode
in oil-continuous fow, the conductance mode fnds the
water fraction of the water-continuous mixture.
By combining the known water fraction along with
the gas/liquid split found from either non-gamma
algorithms or the gamma densitometer system oil
fraction, water fraction and gas fraction are known, as
illustrated in Figure 1.
Furthermore, in order to improve the meter's
performance, a salinity sensor, which enables
absolute measurements of the salinity of the
produced water has been developed. Two different
probes have been developed - both based on
microwave technology. There is the wet gas probe,
which measures salinity in wet gas and high GvFs,
and the multiphase probe, which measures salinity in
water continuous multiphase flow.
Increased compactness
Finally, the new subsea multiphase meter is also
signifcantly more compact than previous subsea
meters: 20% of the weight and half the height of
the previous meter. This compactness is crucial
with many subsea manifolds already crowded with
instrumentation.
The reduced size also opens up enormous
potential cost savings in terms of installation and
maintenance as well as providing greater fexibility. lt
allows operators to install the meter on individual wells
and in previously inaccessible locations, as well as
replace earlier multiphase meters.
The end result is a fexible subsea multiphase meter with improved accuracy and
sensitivity across the feld lifecycle with particular accuracy in felds with high GvF.
Putting the meter to the test
The new multiphase meter's applicability for wet gas felds was tested at the Colorado
Engineering Experiment Station lnc. (CEESlj Multiphase Wet Gas Flow Test Facility in
Colorado in June 2011 and November 2012.
The June 2011 results showed that, once characterised, the multiphase meter was
found to be capable of metering the natural gas mass fow rate to within 2% at 95%
confdence. The meter was also found to be capable of metering the total hydrocarbon
mass fow rate to within 1.5% at 95% confdence.
A differently sized sensor - almost twice the size of the frst tested meter - was then
tested at CEESl in November 2012. ln this case, the meter was proven to measure results
for hydrocarbon mass fow within +/- 5% rel. uncertainty and 0.2% WvF abs in the defned
operating range between 95 - 100% GvF. ln the range between 98 - 100% GvF, the WvF
uncertainty can be defned to be less than 0.1% abs WvF.
Figures 2 and 3 show the deviations in hydrocarbon fow rate and water volume
fractions respectively.
The results were found to be inside the
performance specifcations of the meter and
again confrmed its effectiveness across
the lifecycle of the asset and its transition
between being a multiphase and wet gas
meter. The meter was also able to shift
successfully between multiphase and wet
gas mode according to the set criteria.
An integrated downhole network
Today, the subsea multiphase meter is
providing crucial information and input into
a broader and integrated downhole network
and is able to combine, for example, with
systems that can generate multiphase fow
measurements from downhole in the well.
Systems such as the Roxar Downhole
Flow Sensor System can generate
multiphase measurements, including fuid
fractions and fow rates, from either single
bore or multilateral well confgurations. ln
this way, the system allows operators to
control multiple production wells, measure
the individual fow zones of oil, gas and
water, and establish optimum fow rate
control.
Increasing investment returns from
wet gas fields
What the tests described have
demonstrated is the high level of accuracy
of new multiphase metering technologies
when applied to wet gas mode. The result
will be increased production optimisation
in the high GvF/wet gas range and a
substantial increase in investment returns
from operators' more remote wet gas felds.
With the increased remoteness of
offshore felds, the wide range of process
conditions and other challenges, such as
salinity and subsea tie-backs, technology
developments such as this are arriving at
exactly the right time.
O T

Figure 4. The Roxar subsea multiphase
meter.
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G
o

w
i
t
h

t
h
e

f
l
o
w
A
dvancement in fow assurance technology is bringing
viable new development options to challenging oil and
gas felds. One technology proving its worth is direct
electrical heating (DEHj.
DEH improves the fow of heavy oil, prevents and remediates
hydrates and paraffns, extends shutdowns with limited
use of chemical injection or hot oil circulation, reduces the
infrastructure for such chemical injection and hot oil circulation,
reduces Capex and Opex, handles high water-cut during tail end
production periods and aids in planning for third-party tie-ins
with poorly-defned composition.
Conventional answers to hydrate and wax
formation
Hydrate and/or wax formation is often a limiting factor in
development of deepwater, ultra deepwater, heavy oil and
Arctic felds. Marginally proftable oil and gas felds often become
economically viable only if the costs of a local host can be avoided.
Tie-back lengths are increasing in order to transport the production
stream from the subsea feld to an existing nearby host or to a new
host shared by a number of reservoirs spread over a large area.
Because of the greater distances, the product's temperature
drops along the length of the fowline, which results in a relatively
cool topsides arrival temperature compared to the reservoir and
wellhead temperatures. ln deepwater or Arctic developments, the
heat lost from the production fow to the cold seawater causes a
very low arrival temperature, even in shorter fowline lengths.
As the production fow temperature drops in these deep and
Arctic waters or over the long tie-back lengths of the marginal
felds, the product forms hydrate crystals, similar to ice fakes.
For reservoirs with heavy oil, the product's temperature along
the fowline and riser also must be maintained to make sure the
90
Rebecca Roth,
INTECSEA, USA,
explains how direct
electrical heating
(DEH) can provide new
possibilities for field
development.
fow is suitable. Otherwise, wax content in the production fuid
can produce wax deposits, which coat the fowline walls and,
eventually, restrict fow.
During a shutdown of felds in shallower depths or with
reduced fowline distances, the hot fow from the reservoir ceases.
Whether these shutdowns are planned or unplanned, hydrate
formation probability is high.
Conventional fow assurance methods for hydrate and wax
prevention include high-performing thermal insulation, chemical
injection with hydrate and wax inhibitors and dead oil circulation
during shutdown. However, in deepwater, the Arctic and long
tie-backs, conventional methods may not be adequate.
Advantages of DEH
Using (DEHj on fowlines is an alternative to conventional
fow assurance techniques. The effciency of a DEH system
is calculated by comparing the useful heat generated in the
fowline to the overall power dissipated in the circuit. By
providing heat directly to the fowline generated by an electrical
current in the pipe wall, the DEH current causes the steel to
warm up due to the electrical resistance of the metal. Through
thermal conduction, the heat is then transferred from the pipe
wall to the production fuid, thereby raising the temperature of
the fow above the critical wax and/or hydrate temperatures.
Looped fowlines or a service line can be eliminated since
DEH can serve as an alternative to dead oil circulation. Many
capital and operational costs of chemical injection and handling
equipment can also be avoided by reducing the amount of
chemicals required for the fowlines. However,
non-electrically-heated production facilities, such as subsea
trees, manifolds and jumpers may still require chemical
injection during shutdowns.
91
92
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
Types of DEH systems
There are three types of DEH systems currently in operation:
Open loop (wet insulated).
End-fed pipe-in-pipe (dry insulated).
Centre-fed pipe-in-pipe (dry insulated).
Wet insulation systems are exposed to seawater. Over the
course of time, the integrity of these systems can be affected
if they are not properly insulated.
Dry insulation systems are well insulated and isolated from
seawater, but their higher capital costs can be an important
consideration when selecting a system.
In an open loop DEH system (Figure 1), a single core
electrical cable piggy-backs on the fowline and carries
the total DEH current. The return current is split between
the fowline in parallel with the surrounding seawater and
sea foor. The electrical power supply is connected to both
ends of the fowline, either directly or through wet-mateable
connectors.
Typically, the open loop DEH system has multiple anodes
attached to the fowline to maintain the surface current
density below a level at which AC corrosion is induced. This
corrosion, which results from the AC current transferring
from the fowline to the seawater, generally occurs near the
submerged electrical connections.
Effciency calculations for an open loop DEH system
include the piggyback cable, power connections, seawater
return path and fowline.
An open loop DEH system is in use for Statoils Asgard,
Huldra, Kristin, Urd and Tyrihans developments as well as
Canadian National Resources Olowi, which has a continuous
fowing DEH.
For an end-fed pipe-in-pipe (PIP) DEH system (Figure 2),
the inner and outer pipes are used as electrical conductors.
Connected electrically
at the subsea end by a
conducting bulkhead, the
two pipes allow current
to fow down one pipe
and return in the other. At
the host end, where the
power supply is located,
an isolating joint forms
part of the fowline such
that an electrical supply
can be connected across
the fowline and carrier
pipe without the near end
bulkhead creating a short
circuit. The power supply
is also isolated from the
topside structure.
Since a PIP DEH pipeline
is essentially a coaxial cable,
skin and proximity effects
are both present. The skin
effect is the tendency of AC
current to fow at the surface
of a conductor. The proximity
effect is the tendency of AC
current to move in close
proximity to AC current fowing in the opposite direction.
Because of these effects, the current fows on the outer
surface of the inner pipe and the inner surface of the outer
pipe (on the annulus surfaces) (Figure 3). Other than anodes
for conventional corrosion protection, no special precautions
or electrical insulation material are required along most of the
fowline to prevent stray current fowing into the seawater since
the current is drawn into the annulus.
However, if the current density is suffciently large, AC
corrosion can potentially occur in areas where the system is
not coaxial in nature, namely the surface of the outer pipe
near the conducting bulkhead. To reduce the current density,
multi-layer coating or 3 - 4 m of bare pipe near the bulkhead is
recommended (adequate anode protection required).
Effciency calculations for this PlP DEH system include the
inner pipe, outer pipe, bulkhead and power connectors.
Increased resistance of an object will cause greater heating
for the same amount of current. PIP DEH systems have a
higher AC resistance than open loop systems due to an
increase in current density when the skin and proximity effects
draw the current into a very thin layer on the pipe surface.
Therefore, PlP DEH systems are considerably more effcient
than the open loop system even though almost half the power
is dissipated in the outer pipe. Also, there are no piggyback
cable power losses or seawater power losses as compared
with the open loop system, and heat losses are very low for dry
insulation compared to wet insulation.
Shells Serrano and Oregano lines use the end-fed PIP DEH
system.
For a centre-fed PIP DEH system (Figure 4), the inner
and outer pipes are used as electrical conductors in a similar
manner to the end-fed system. However, in the centre-fed
confguration, steel bulkheads are installed at both ends of the
segment and the power source is connected at the mid-point
Figure 1. Open loop (wet insulated) direct electrical heating.
Figure 2. End-fed pipe-in-pipe direct electrical heating.
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via the mid-line assembly (MLA). The power is connected to
the inner pipe using a fexible connection to the pipe itself,
and a wet-mate connector to isolate the current from the MLA
housing.
This system can be designed for long fowlines that can be
broken down into discrete heated segments, each with an MLA.
lt can also be used for high gel temperature oil where continuous
heating is required. End-fed systems cannot be used for
continuous heating because water in the produced fuid could
create a short circuit across the isolating joint.
Portable power supplies can be used to service fowline
segments located at considerable distances from the topside
supply if the DEH is required on a temporary basis.
However, if continuous operation is needed, then the MLA
must be tied back to the host.
Projects that feature the centre-fed PlP DEH include
the Shell/BP Na Kika feld and the Shell Habanero
development.
Most currently-installed DEH systems maintain
temperatures during shutdown. lf the DEH system is
immediately activated to preserve the heat in the fowline,
there is no delay in the prevention of hydrates and wax,
unlike conventional fow assurance methods, which require
operators time to circulate dead oil or inject chemicals.
DEH technology is constantly
being stretched to enable ever more
challenging feld developments.
Studies are underway regarding its
use for hydrate plug remediation,
how to design the system for
continuous fowing conditions,
and maximising the length of a
DEH-heated fowline. All of these
questions and opportunities
are under consideration as the
technology continues to evolve.
O T

Figure 3. Skin and proximity effects.
Figure 4. Centre-fed pipe-in-pipe direct electrical heating.
SEARCH hundreds of international
industry events on Energy Global
www. ener gygl obal . com/ event s
Sudhendu Kashikar,
Silixa, USA, reveals
how fibre optic
technology can
assist in reservoir
exploitation and allow
companies to boost
their production.
A
s energy demands increase rapidly, the goal of
energy companies is to maximise ultimate recovery
in an economically sound manner. Distributed fbre
optic technology can help remove the uncertainty from
reservoir exploitation by offering a solution for reservoir
characterisation and downhole production monitoring
while overcoming the cost and technology challenges
encountered with traditional point sensors.
The intelligent Distributed Acoustic Sensor (iDAS)
measures the full acoustic feld along unmodifed optical
fbre up to tens of kilometres in length with a spatial
resolution down to one metre, capturing the full amplitude
and phase of the incident wave on the sensing optical fbre
95
96
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
up to frequencies >100 kHz with a wide dynamic
range (>120 dB). The system allows for high quality,
synchronised and coherent digital recording of
acoustic waves with no cross-talk along the fbre. The
Ultima Distributed Acoustic Sensor (DTSj provides fne
temperature (0.01 `Cj and spatial resolutions (25 cmj
over a wide operating range.
This fibre optic sensing technology is well
suited for production surveillance, production
optimisation, borehole based time-lapse seismic,
leak detection and high temperature applications.
The combination of DTS and DAS measurements
provides improved capabilities for analysis and
understanding of wellbore and near wellbore
phenomena as well as understanding reservoir
performance away from the wellbore.
Principle of measurement
The iDAS functions by using a method based on
optical time-domain reflectometry (OTDR). When
light is emitted into a fibre, the signal is reflected
throughout the fibre length. These reflections are
the result of a variety of mechanisms, including
Rayleigh, Brillouin and Raman scattering. By
monitoring this scatter as a function of time
following the emission of each sensing pulse, it
is possible to build a map of the time variance of
light scattering properties throughout the fibre. This
information can be analysed to give a measure of
the acoustic signal at each sensing zone along the
fibre. A new digital optoelectronics architecture
is used to measure this backscattered signal
with a precision and speed that allows acoustic
measurements from very low frequencies <10 mHz
to high frequencies >100 kHz. This sensing system
can be retrofitted on existing standard optical fibre
cable installations.
The Ultima illuminates the sensing fibre with a
series of sub-nanosecond duration pulses. As the
pulses propagate down the fibre, a small amount
of light is backscattered towards the laser source.
The majority of the backscatter, Rayleigh light, is at
the same optical wavelength as the laser and is not
temperature sensitive. However, a small proportion
of the light is scattered by the Raman process
and is temperature dependent. By recording the
backscattered Raman light as a function of time,
the temperature at all points along the fibre can be
determined.
Flow profiling on demand
Various techniques that will permit quantitative
analysis of flow measurements are currently
being developed and tested. The ultimate goal is
to provide 3-phase flow metering over the entire
length of the well or perforated interval.
The iDAS system can measure the phase of
the acoustic signal coherently along the fibre optic
cable. Therefore, it is possible to use a variety of
methods to identify the presence of propagating
acoustic waves. Digital signal processing can
Figure 1. The iDAS provides digital acoustic measurements along the entire
length of single-mode bre.
Figure 2. This k- analysis is only possible using the unique abilities of the
iDAS to determine the full acoustic signal (amplitude, frequency and phase).
Figure 3. A single shot record obtained by iDAS.
Digital acoustic measurements all along the
fibre allows the fibre to be used as a distributed
acoustic sensor. (e.g 10 km = 10 000 acoustic
sensors of 1 m spatial resolution)
Acoustic field
1 m pulse of light
Backscattered light provides
Measurement point every 1 m
Standard single-module optical fibre
A N Y WH E R E . A N Y T I ME . E V E RY T I ME .
Ahead of the Curve
SM
Nantes, France
sales.nantes@sercel.com
Houston, USA
sales.houston@sercel.com
www.sercel.com
MaxiWave

High Resolution, High Reliability

From large 3D-VSPs to microseismic
monitoring, MaxiWave provides versatility, offering
100-level capability with no-compromise high-delity recording,
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98
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
transform the time and linear space (along the well)
into a diagram showing frequency and wavenumber in
k-space. A frequency independent speed of sound
propagation along the well will show up as a line in
k- space. The frequency band over which the speed
of sound can be determined is more than sufficient for
compositional and flow characterisation. With the acoustic
sensor, the speed of sound can be evaluated over a
large section of the well and, therefore, the distributed
variations of the flow composition and characteristics
along the well can be measured. Since sound travels in
all directions, it is possible to compute the upgoing and
downgoing speed of sound. These appear as distinct
lines in the k- space. These two lines can be analysed to
reveal the Doppler-shifted sound speeds for upward and
downward propagating sound within the fluid of interest,
permitting computation of fluid velocity, or flow rate.
Figure 2 shows the distributed flow determined in a gas
injector well. The determined flow speed varies with depth
Figure 4. (Left) deconvolved stacked data from source sweeps at position 4. (Right) migrated image made from combined deconvolved upgoing
data.
Figure 5. (Left) acoustic response to no leaks obtained from iDAS. (Right) acoustic response to leaks obtained from iDAS. The sensor can identify
accurately the presence and position of gas leaks.
Base Case: No Leaks Acoustic Response to Leaks
in the well corresponding to the change in hydrostatic
pressure for a section of tubing with a uniform inner
dimension and a gradually sloped well trajectory. In total,
the instantaneous and locally determined flow is roughly
within +/- 0.3 m/s (that for this well is 10%) of the actual
flow speed.
The technique is particularly powerful for determining
the fluid composition of the flow. For example, gas has a
speed of sound of around 600 m/s whereas water has a
speed of sound around 1500 m/s.
Borehole seismic
The acoustic sensor offers an unobtrusive method of
acquiring seismic data on demand without shutting
down production. The optical fibre can be installed in the
wellbore, on the surface or on the seabed.
The fibre optic acoustic array has the potential to be
used like a continuous string of mechanical geophone
receivers placed along the entire length of the well to
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100
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
measure changes in formation fluid saturations or image
subsurface geologic structure. Standard seismic sources
(e.g. drop weights, vibroseis trucks, marine airguns
and/or explosives) are used to generate the acoustic
signal in a nearby well or at land surface and detected by
the distributed fibre optic sensor assembly.
The high density fibre optic array has a greater spatial
resolution than is typically recorded using standard
seismic receivers (i.e. one geophone measurement per
10 to 25 m) because of cost limitations. Once the FO
assembly is installed, cross-well seismic, vertical seismic
profile (VSP), and 2D seismic surveys can be performed on
demand as required.
Examples of field surveys conducted at the Devine well
in Texas and in an extended reach well (ERD well) in the
Gulltopp field offshore Norway are highlighted below.
A test was conducted at the University of Texas
EGL Devine Test Site near San Antonio, Texas. The
Wilson #2 well used in this test was completed with a steel
10 in. (0.273 m) surface casing to 592 ft (180 m), and a
7 in. (0.177 m) fibreglass casing to 3062 ft (933 m). Both
strings of casing were cemented to the surface and are
reported to be in excellent condition. Borehole inclination
is reported to be within 1` of vertical for the entire length
of the well, with a cumulative top to bottom lateral
displacement of 43 ft (13 m).
A in. diameter optical cable designed for permanent
downhole deployment was run in logging configuration
to near the bottom of the Wilson #2 well. No additional
coupling components were installed along the optical
cable. A single vibroseis unit successively occupied four
positions along a
NW-SE line parallel
to the line that
connects the Devine
boreholes. Coherent
stacking, correlation
and deconvolution
opto-electronics
can synchronously
capture both
amplitude and phase
of acoustic signal,
along the entire
length of optical
fibre with a wide
dynamic range of
>120 dB with no
cross-talk. This in
turn means that the
acoustic sensor
data can be
processed with
methods that
were developed
for other linear
transducers such
as accelerometers,
geophones and
hydrophones. As
a result, the
signal-to-noise ratio in DAS data can be improved using
coherent stacking, correlation and deconvolution.
For each source position, it was possible to take
advantage of the nearly continuous spatial sampling
offered by the acoustic sensor to separate up and
down-going signal. The left side of Figure 4 shows the
result from source position 4, spatially down sampled to
an 8 m sampling interval and trace normalised by
pre-signal noise level. The blue and red curves
superimposed on the display were obtained by ray tracing
in a model based on published models and refined to
fit these new data. The right side of Figure 4 shows a
migrated image made from the deconvolved up-going
signal from source positions 2 - 4.
Another test was conducted in the Gulltopp well
34/10-A-32-C drilled from the Gullfaks A platform.
With a length of 9910 m, the well at the time of
completion represented the worlds longest horizontal
producing well drilled from an offshore platform. At
the time the 34/10-A-32-C well was completed with a
fibre optic pressure and temperature gauge to a depth
of 7192 MD/2181 TVD RKB. The acoustic sensor was
retrofitted to the fibre in the Gulltop well to measure
seismic signals in the well while a seismic vessel was
shooting in the well vicinity. After the test, the fibre was
restored to its original configuration. An example of
a single shot record is depicted in Figure 3. The shot
position is situated vertically above and approximately
halfway along the cable. One trace is obtained for each
metre of fibre optic cable. This test was carried out
without disturbing the normal operation of the well, and
Figure 6. Pyramidshaped bre optic acoustic antenna used for obtaining data with iDAS.
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WORLDWI DE
CO-ORDI NATORS
jwebster@oesallworld.com
LONDON
FAR EAST
CO-ORDI NATORS
gerald@iemallworld.com
SINGAPORE
EXHI BI TI ON
ORGANI SERS
fawzi@aeminfo.com.bh
BAHRAIN
CONFERENCE
ORGANI SERS
spedub@spe.org
DUBAI
:VJPL[`VM7L[YVSL\T,UNPULLYZ
SUPPORTED BY:
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102
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
the well continued to produce at normal rates during
the entire borehole seismic acquisition.
Leak detection
Several projects in identifying leaks in pipelines as well
as gas seepage on seabed have been completed using
the iDAS.
Gas seepage in littoral Ionian waters was monitored
passively at Katakolo using the sensor. The gas
seepage in the environment of interest is indicated
by the presence of hydrocarbon-flled bubbles within
the water column. When the bubbles are released by
the seabed into the water column, they ring at their
resonance frequency in a manner consistent with
standard bubble acoustics. This bubble ringing can be
detected by sensor, allowing for both leak detection
and quantifcation. The processing chain used to
observe this phenomenon can have applications in both
industrial and environmental monitoring capacities.
In this test, a cable was set up to go from the
shore-based acoustic sensor, into the water, and
return to the surface. As the cable passed from the
sensor to the shore-based point of cable termination,
a variety of configurations were in place to allow
observations from different cable geometries. These
included a pyramid-shaped structure, which is shown
in Figure 6.
The gas seepage was successfully identifed and
quantifed through analysis of the acoustic sensor data.
In another test, leak detection was identified using
a test setup that included a buried pipeline along
with several optical fibre cables located a few inches
away from the pipe. Figure 5 shows the comparison of
acoustic sensor data when no leaks are present and
with low volume gas leakage. As seen in the Figure,
the sensor is able to identify accurately both the
presence and location of the gas leaks.
Additional tests have been performed in wellbores
for identifying gas leakage behind casing. This is being
done prior to well abandonment to ensure the well
integrity and plan any remedial work required before
abandonment.
Summary
The acoustic sensor offers several advantages in the
acquisition of borehole seismic data using a single FO
cable, which is inherently simpler and more
cost-effective than geophones. Geophone systems
require several passes of data acquisition to attain
complete coverage of the well, whereas the acoustic
sensor provides complete wellbore coverage for each
source fring, thus signifcantly reducing the acquisition
time. A permanently installed FO cable eliminates
the need for intervention, and allows repeat seismic
acquisition on demand providing cost-effective time
lapse surveys for improved reservoir management.
The different case studies presented illustrate
the sensors potential to enhance the capability for
wellbore surveillance, reservoir optimisation and
understanding in-wellbore activities, production
profiles and reservoir management.
O T

Fibre optic sensing
technology is well
suited for production
surveillance, production
optimisation, borehole
based time-lapse
seismic, leak detection
and high temperature
applications.
Table 1. Summary of acquired and processed flow data
Region
Technology
used
Application Results
North Sea iDAS Flow
Demonstrated
speed of sound
determination in
single phase fluid.
Asia iDAS +DTS Flow
Identified all inflow
zones using iDAS
+ DTS. Successful
k- and speed of
sound in high rate
wells.
Middle East iDAS Flow
Successfully
measured speed
of sound and zonal
flow contribution.
Table 2. Summary of additional borehole seismic surveys
Region
Technology
used
Application Results
North
America
iDAS
2D VSP, 3D
VSP
VSP acquisition.
Measured P and shear
arrivals. Walk-away
imaging performed.
North Sea iDAS
2D walk-
away VSP
Acquisition during
production.
North Sea iDAS
2D walk-
away VSP
Simultaneous
acquisition on four
wells using a single
offshore source
vessel.
Asia iDAS
Zero Offset
VSP
Completed ZOVSP
using an accelerated
weight drop and
marine airgun source.
Europe iDAS 2D VSP
Completed 2D VSP
acquisition using a
buried source.
Middle East iDAS ZOVSP
Completed ZOVSP
using conventional
vibroseis.
SPE Offshore Europe is where the E&P community meets to nd the
solutions required to keep up with an accelerating technology race,
and understand the demands of a changing industry committed to
ensuring security of supply in an increasingly complex world.
The Offshore Europe Partnership,
a joint venture between:
Oil and Gas Conference
and Exhibition
connect
3rd-6th September 2013
Aberdeen, UK
CONNECT
3rd6th September 2013
AECC, Aberdeen, UK
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T
here has been an increased
level of interest and research
in mooring system integrity
management over the last decade
and this has been spurred on by
several recent high profile events
that have occurred for a variety
of reasons. An international Joint
Industry Project (JIP) delivered
a paper at the 2005 Offshore
Technology Conference illustrating
its key findings related to mooring
integrity. In this study, it states:
In general, mooring monitoring/
instrumentation and access for
in-water inspection seem not to be
as advanced as might be expected
for a system which is safety critical.
1

In support of their criticality, the UK
Health and Safety Executive ranks
multiple mooring line failure of FPSO
facilities as Risk Category 1, its
highest hazard rating.
2
Systems
are being developed to improve
understanding of mooring system
performance to allow for more
effective management of mooring
integrity.
Background
Because of the increased focus over the
last decade, the industry has learned
a lot about how more could be done
to understand how mooring systems
perform and how to ensure that there
are no failures in the future. By some
estimates, the number of FPSOs will
increase from todays current fleet
size of approximately 150 to as many
as 250 producing within the next
decade. This does not include all the
other floating production units (FPUs)
such as spars, semi-submersible
production units, MODUs and CALM
buoys that will be added during
this period. For this reason, it is of
considerable importance that these
key findings are taken and built
upon to improve the current
state-of-the-art in mooring integrity.
In 2008, a summary of work
performed by Oil & Gas UK offered
guidance on what were seen to be
the key aspects that should, at a
minimum, be a part of any mooring
integrity management system.
3
They
include the following:
104
M
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105
106
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013

Recognise that manufacturing and deployment activities
can contribute to the reduced life of a mooring system.

Define a clear strategy for the operational intent of the
mooring system including the clear steps required in the
event of its failure.

Perform a detailed risk review of the mooring system.

Monitor the mooring system.

Inspect the mooring system, driven by risk review results.

Develop a system to track and respond to findings.
This article will focus on just one key aspect of a
mooring integrity management system: monitoring.
Currently, the monitoring equipment on the market today
is not as reliable as it should be. Although many offshore
mooring systems have the ability to monitor tension in one
form or fashion (e.g., such as load cells integrated into pull
in windlasses/winches) most systems have poor reliability.
During the 2005 JIP, it was further estimated that 50%
of the existing instrumentation cannot monitor mooring
line tension in real time and 78% do not have line failure
alarms.
1
Developing a monitoring system
In order for a monitoring system to be an effective part
of a mooring integrity management system it should be
both simple to use and be reliable. Recognising that the
offshore industry prefers building upon proven technologies,
InterMoor has teamed up with Pulse Structural Monitoring
to leverage the existing, reliable, monitoring technology
currently used for riser and subsea systems and to apply
that to moorings. This collaboration produced the
Inter-M

Pulse.
This system is a blend of existing technologies that when
combined provide a simple and reliable system comprised of
both hardware and software. The primary hardware consists
of the following proven and reliable components:

H-link permanent mooring connector fitted with two
strain gauges.

Two INTEGRIpod motion data loggers each equipped
with inclinometers.
An impact resistant marine grade plastic shroud protects
the strain gauges and houses the data loggers. All of the
data that is tracked/stored is sent topside to a
MOORASSURE package, which converts the raw data into
useful information.
How it works
The monitoring system is a mooring line connector that
directly measures line tension with secondary readings of
angle and rotation. The device is built around an existing
class approved chain-to-chain permanent mooring H-link
connector design currently in use worldwide. The H-link
is forged or fabricated from Grade R4 material and is
designed to be fully compatible with the chain links that are
in the mooring system.
The H-link is equipped with two axial strain gauges
that are capable of directly measuring mooring line tension
within 5 Te (11.0 kips) accuracy and at 1 Te (2.2 kips)
precision. Each strain gauge is connected to one of the
two data loggers in order to provide 100% redundancy
and increase battery life. The data logger is equipped
with bi-axial inclinometer for direct motion measurement.
The pod contains all electronics, batteries and sensors in
a cylindrical corrosion resistant casing rated for 3000 m
(9842 ft) water depth. Electrical connections use specialised
alloys to ensure that the units will operate for permanent
facility service lives of up to 25 years. The data loggers
are housed within the plastic shroud that is designed to
facilitate ROV removal or replacement.
Each Inter-M

Pulse in the mooring system has its own

unique ID and acoustically transmits statistical tension and
mooring line angle data (maximum, minimum and root mean
square) to acoustic receivers near the surface; thereby
eliminating the need for data cables that could otherwise
be susceptible to damage. Topside receivers can either
be permanently mounted on the underside of the foating
unit or stored onboard and lowered into the water on an
as-needed basis using a compact deployment winch, ideal
for temporary applications.
The data is fed to a topside standalone data acquisition
system. Individual line tension, line angle, and line
rotation are displayed on the user interface. The system
also activates an audible alarm if mooring line tension
ventures outside the user-defned acceptable range
and automatically adjusts the logging and transmitting
frequency until acknowledged. This audible alarm provides
immediate notifcation that a mooring line failure is about
to or has occurred, something currently missing from over
78% of existing tension monitoring systems.
1
The monitoring system logs data for the predefned
period of time each day and automatically transmits the
statistical data once per day. In the event that the user
needs to manually query the system, there is also an
on-demand transmittal request function. Through the
software, the user can adjust the logging and transmission
frequency and change the acceptable safe tension range.
Depending upon the required frequency of the data logging
and transmission, battery life is as long as fve years.
Tension can be directly measured using the in-line
strain gauge or indirectly calculated using the measured
mooring line angle from the data logger in conjunction with
vessel position information and the installed mooring line
composition and anchor position. This feature, in addition
to having two data loggers per connector introduces
additional redundancy into the system.
A trial test of the full in-line version in operation on a
MODU in the North Sea began in mid-December 2011.
By some estimates the
number of FPSOs will
increase from todays
current fleet size of
approximately 150 to as
many as 250 producing
within the next decade.
Some conditions leave no
room for choice
TMK PF and ULTRA QX Premium
Connections have been successfully tested
for conformance with the international SO
13679 standard, level CAL V*
*CAL Connection Application Level
CAL IV is the highest level
Trade House TMK
40, bld. 2a, Pokrovka Street
Moscow, 105062, Russia
TMK Premium Service
20, bld. 1, Podsosensky Lane,
Moscow, 105062, Russia
10120 Houston Oaks Dr.
Houston, TX 77064 USA
Tel.: +1 281 949-10-23
Fax: +1 281 445-40-40
108
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
The system proved reliable through a wide range of sea states
with maximum wave heights reaching 12 m (39 ft).
The system was recovered for inspection in late
June 2012. In October 2012, the system also completed
an ROV test at the Underwater Test Centre in Fort William,
Scotland, showing the capability to replace the batteries
in-situ.
Installation and maintenance
Each connector is proof-loaded, function-tested and
calibrated prior to being mobilised for offshore installation.
The units are pressure tested to simulate 3000 m (9843 ft)
water depth conditions. Acoustic transmission is also
checked using a test tank.
Because it is built around a proven H-link design, the
monitoring system is designed to connect between two
sections of chain, eliminating additional connectors and
associated fatigue concerns or failure points. Designed to
withstand deployment over an AHTS vessel stern roller, the
connectors are also suitable for temporarily moored MODUs.
Once installed and operating, the mooring line tension
measurements can aid in properly proofloading the mooring
Figure 1. Inter-M

Pulse deployment over an AHTS vessel stern roller.

Figure 2. MOORASSURE topside display.
:
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+
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6
6
5
&
lines and balancing the system. Complex mooring
systems are particularly difficult to optimise, requiring
mooring line pretensions and survival tensions to be
accurately set to achieve predictable performance.
Accurately measuring mooring line tension is especially
significant for floating units that periodically winch-over
or that have mooring lines with components susceptible
to changes in length and would likely experience gradual
tension reductions. According to a Noble Denton research
report, conventional on-vessel mooring line tension
meters are often inaccurate due to either improper initial
calibration, calibration drift over time, fairlead seizure,
insufficient instrumentation sensitivity or because they are
located inboard of the mooring fairlead.
4
Mooring system
tension imbalance can result in increased maximum line
tensions and reduced fatigue life, which in the event of a
single mooring line failure has the potential consequence
of an increased transient vessel excursion in excess of
allowable offsets.
4
For permanent mooring applications of up to 25 years,
the connector is designed for the life of the system. The
only anticipated maintenance is periodic (i.e. up to every
five years) removal of the data loggers for battery
recharging/replacement and full time trace mooring line
tension and angle data acquisition.
The data loggers utilise industry proven and reliable
wet mate subsea connectors to allow either ROV or
diver recovery and reinstallation. The strain gauge is not
recoverable and would require mooring line disconnection
and recovery of the entire connector for repair; however,
since mooring line tension can be inferred using the
mooring line angle provided by the data logger, loss of the
strain gauge would not necessitate replacement for the
system to continue collecting pertinent information.
Summary
Mooring system monitoring is one key aspect in any
mooring integrity management system. Understanding
how a mooring system is performing in the field is more
important than ever. With the rapidly growing number of
permanent FPUs being brought to market it is critical that
the integrity of the mooring system is properly managed.
To conclude with one last thought from the 2005
JIP, common mode failure mechanisms such as
fatigue and wear are likely to be prevalent on more
than one mooring line and therefore early detection of
a failure with appropriate mitigation strategies could
even prevent system failure.
1
This guidance has been
taken into account and systems have been developed
to help operators understand how a mooring system is
performing such that the potential for a future mooring
line failure event can be identified.
O T

References
1. Floating Production Mooring Integrity JIP Key Findings by Brown,
Martin G., Hall, Tony D., Marr, Douglass G., English, Max, Snell,
Richard O., OTC paper 17499, 2005.
2. Cost Effective Mooring Integrity Management by Hall, Anthony D.,
Welaptega Marine Ltd, OTC paper 17498, 2005.
3. Mooring Integrity Guidance, Oil & Gas UK, November 2008.
4. Design and integrity management of mobile installation moorings,
prepared by Noble Denton Europe Ltd for the Health and Safety
Executive, 2004.
www.deltarigging.com
1-877-408-8008 (US) +1-713-512-1700 (Outside US)
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Whether it needs to be
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pushed, suspended,
hoisted, jacked, or tested;
'eltas the one to call
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110
O
wners and transmission companies across the globe are investing in
integrity management programmes to mitigate the potential of failures,
which could occur in pipelines. Why? There is an increased need to ensure
the integrity and safety of new and existing pipelines, especially considering that
many have been in operation for a number of years.
The overall integrity and long term reliability of a pipeline asset is directly
dependent upon the level of diligence introduced and applied during the various
phases of its design, manufacture and operational life cycle. Careful initial
consideration of the design aspects, material supply, fabrication and construction,
along with subsequent ongoing maintenance during its operational life, will ensure
timely delivery of the asset, safe and reliable transportation of its product and ease
of maintenance for long periods.
Front End Engineering Design (FEED) stage
As a part of an overall risk management approach, an intensive formal risk
assessment effort undertaken during the FEED phase of a proposed pipeline can
go far to avoid costly failures once the line is commissioned. The usual engineering
design approach uses established codes and standards, supplemented by
experience and established analysis routines to provide suffcient margins to
assure successful completion and performance. In addition to following both
available general and offshore codes and standards, performing a probabilistic risk
analysis is appropriate as a source of added insight for recognising and controlling
risks in design, specifcations, procurement and construction.
What has become clear from work on failed lines is that there are important
aspects of an integrity management plan that need to be considered in advance.
Some of these questions that should be considered include:

Condition assessment: is there a good understanding of the current condition
of the line?

Damage mechanism identification: are the threats to the line integrity known
and understood?

Inspection and maintenance: have the best inspection tools to track the
identified potential damage mechanisms been selected?

Data trending: what are the right software tools to track the rate of damage
accumulation so that timely decisions can be made about when to inspect
and when to intervene with repairs or replacements?
Early work on detailed quantitative risk assessments for newbuilds has found
that the most effective approach is one that is based on risk prioritisation. In these
programmes, the hazards to the pipeline (third-party impacts, soil movement,
damage mechanisms including corrosion, fatigue and othersj are identifed
by existing data or past experience and each ranked based on the product
of likelihood and consequence the risk. This then sets the prioritisation for
maintenance and inspection programmes.
The eight-step assessment process employed is as follows:

Identification of possible hazards. Table 1 (page 113) provides an example of
the range of hazard areas that might be considered.

Screening and ranking of identified hazards to define and quantify the
hazards and sequences that, if not corrected, could lead to significant
losses in terms of schedules and costs. A screening process similar to a
conventional HAZOPS evaluation can be used to screen out or to assign low
priority to further study those hazards or types of events that are routinely
found to be acceptable risks.

Development of failure scenario and consequence models to:
h
Determine which event or sequence of events would lead to
an undesirable event (e.g. construction delay, pipeline rupture or
blockage, anchor drag, etc.).
h
Determine the elements of the consequence of a given failure scenario.

Quantification of the failure scenario and consequence models though
development of frequency distributions based on a combination of industry
data, experience and expert opinion.
RennievanWyk,
GeoffEagan,
SteveHall,
JimPalmer and
GarethJohn,
Intertek,USA
and UK, discuss
comprehensive
pipeline integrity
programmes.
111
112
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013

Calculation of the risk (i.e., the probability of failure multiplied by
the consequence of the failure) using discrete event simulation
techniques to determine the most likely value of the risk and the
relative uncertainty surrounding that value.

Determine one or more mitigation strategies for the identified risks.

Calculate the cost/benefit of employing a given risk mitigation
strategy.

Implement the best strategy taking into account feasibility of
implementation, risk uncertainty and overall budget limitations.
For offshore pipelines, damage by anchor drags, storm borne
wrecks and intervention at-shore approaches are identifed hazards,
however, the incident rates are lower than for onshore lines and
confned to areas near platforms and shore approaches.
While signifcant resources may be required to undertake these
initial risk analyses, they are more than justifed when compared to the
preventable losses that have occurred in the industry.
Procurement phase
During the actual fabrication and supply, supply chain management
and relevant controls exercised will have a marked effect on the overall
integrity.
Selection of material and equipment supplied by reputable or
proven suppliers is extremely important in assuring that completely
assembled equipment eventually meets the design criteria. In light
of recent tendencies to shift towards low-cost country supply
philosophies, the application of third-party inspection oversight
provides an additional assurance that suppliers have achieved the
specifed requirements. Where new suppliers are considered, it is
recommended that an independent assessment be conducted on
behalf of the owner to determine capabilities and quality levels of such
potential new suppliers.
During the actual supply and manufacturing operations, it is
essential that suppliers maintain traceability of all materials, keep
accurate and complete records and that fnal functional tests are
conducted and proven to be acceptable. Various important key tests
and inspections should be identifed and monitored independently
Figure 1. Asset integrity management.
HSE philosophy & consulting
services
Project Quality Management
Design review
Development and review of
quality procedures
Developments of traceability
and documentation systems
Technical Quality Services
Supply chain risk management
Management if approved
supplier lists including technical
auditing
Corrosion risk assessment
Materials selection
Vendor Management
Pre-production meetings
ITP development
Ongoing vendor inspections
Monitor inspections and tests,
review and witness processes
Measurements and test
Sour service materials
corrosion testing
Cargo tracking & inspection
Non Destructive Testing
Construction Management
Incoming inspection onsite
Construction onsite
inspections
Supervision of EPCs: general
construction work, welding,
electrical, roads
Review of design and as-built
paperwork
Commissioning controls
Non Destructive Testing
Asset Integrity Management
Integrity consulting
Mechanical Integrity Program (MIP)
Mechanical integrity audit/evaluation
Implementation of RBI programs
Corrosion Management Strategy
Chemical selection and management
Maintenance Inspection Services
Ongoing maintenance inspection
Corrosion monitoring and
assessments
Approved Inspection Authority
Inspection and certification
of pressurised equipment to
international or national standards
Shutdown/turnaround activities
Non Destructive Testing
FEED Procurement Construction Operation
Planning & Management
End-to-End Processes
Highly Skilled People
Systems & Tools
by the owner. An important aspect to consider is the management
and control of sub-suppliers and their potential infuence on the fnal
equipment.
Construction phase
During the construction or pipelaying phase, intensive fabrication,
testing and repair operations are undertaken by various parties. It is
essential that suitably qualifed individuals using calibrated and
well-functioning equipment conduct all of these activities. The
sequence of manufacturing events, the planning of testing and
inspection activities in the correct sequence, control of ongoing test
results and maintenance of traceability throughout the entire phase
require that a robust quality control programme is strictly applied in
order to ensure the reliability and safety of the pipeline. The correct
installation of in-line or external corrosion-monitoring equipment
linked to a global positioning location is vital to the ongoing
maintenance of the pipeline.
Operation phase
There are three key factors involved in controlling corrosion
during the operational phase of a project. These factors involve
corrosion inhibition, corrosion monitoring and cathodic protection.
Corrosion inhibition
A reliable chemical treatment programme including injection of
corrosion inhibitors is critical to the prevention of failures in carbon
steel pipelines. The trend towards production of oil and gas from
deeper offshore locations that require transportation of multiphase
fuids, sometimes at elevated temperatures, with high levels of
CO
2
/H
2
S, places considerable emphasis on the selection of effective
corrosion inhibitors and implementation of rigorous chemical and
corrosion management systems.
The business need to increase production capacity without
compromising integrity has led to considerable efforts in
understanding the infuence of fow on inhibition of pipelines. The
selection of products that can withstand high wall shear stress
conditions is often an important factor in the inhibitor
selection process.
Another equally challenging trend has been
the requirement to extend the life of mature assets.
Sometimes, perhaps due to changes in ownership,
there may be limited historical data with regard to
system condition and treatment records. In some cases,
previous inhibitor treatments have been inadequate,
leading to signifcant metal loss, often including
propagation of localised corrosion. Increasing water
cuts and even changes in process conditions may not
have been matched by adjustments to the inhibitor
injection programme and reducing fow rates may have
led to increasing solids deposition, all of which can lead
to considerable diffculties in establishing effective corrosion control.
Laboratory tests have been developed that evaluate the ability
of corrosion inhibitors to protect against localised corrosion (e.g.
pitting, preferential weld attack and under deposit corrosion) to
provide increased confdence in the protection of ageing pipeline
infrastructure.
Corrosion monitoring and inspection
A correctly designed and installed corrosion monitoring system can
provide signifcant benefts in the control of corrosion in pipeline
systems. However, while new developments in both on-line
monitoring (using new generation electrical resistance (ER) insert
probes) and inspection technologies such as long line UT have had
a major impact relating to integrity assessment for onshore pipelines,
these techniques can only be applied to limited sections of offshore
pipelines.
However, specialist on-line monitoring systems have been
developed for subsea pipelines using tools such as
CEION

Ring Pair Corrosion Monitoring (RPCM) and

Subsea Field Signature Method (FSM), which measure the direct
metal loss (by corrosion and/or abrasion) of the pipeline. Whilst
these systems come with a very high Capex, the improved level of
data provided allows the performance of the corrosion inhibition
programme to be assessed directly.
The range and sensitivity of in-line inspection (ILI) tools, whether
'free-swimming' or 'tethered', covering magnetic fux leakage (MFLj,
or ultrasonic is now extensive and their use for pipeline inspection
is routine for many pipelines. Their success has been due to
improvements in digital technology and in automated data analysis.
However, for many older pipelines with tight bends and/or signifcant
changes in internal diameter, ILI tools cannot be deployed for most
(if not all of the pipeline). In these cases, increasing use is being
made of tethered tools for a limited down riser run and for short
Table 1. Hazards: typical sources of pipeline damage
Internal External Environmental Deficiencies
Internal corrosion
Internal erosion
Equipment failure
Operator error
Blockage
Dropped objects
Abrasion
Anchoring
Construction operations
Shipping operations
Fishing operations
Military activity
Sabotage
External corrosion
Anode depletion
Severe storms
Earthquakes
Seabed movement
Seabed instability
Liquefaction
Icebergs
Marine growth
Frost heave
Design fault
Inadequate
specifications
Material defect
Welding defect
Construction fault
www.vicinaymarine.com
Research and innovation is a core part of our company. It involves all of our
activities from the Engineering and Production Processes right the way through
to new products.
Our mission is to continually improve, upgrade and innovate to offer the very
best in mooring system technology.
Vicinay, pioneering mooring solutions.
in Mooring
Chain Systems
Innovating
Visit us at booth 4941
114
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
April 2013
pipeline lengths close to the platform. Data from these tools is
used in conjunction with topside monitoring and an assessment of
process conditions (with predictive models) to provide an estimate
of the pipeline integrity.
External protection
For offshore pipelines, external protection is provided by a
combination of protective coatings and cathodic protection.
For new pipelines, three-layer protective coatings comprise
a fusion bonded epoxy (as the main corrosion protection layer)
and an outer polypropylene or polyethylene wrap (to give
mechanical protection). However, while these factory-applied
systems generally provide a durable coating for the bulk of
the pipeline segments, the feld joint coatings (FJCj, applied
offshore during pipeline laying, often provide problems. In
addition, there are many cases where feld joints (especially
heat shrink wraps) are damaged as the pipeline is deployed
from the lay barge.
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CAMERON DRILLING & PRODUCTION 43
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CRC-EVANS 09
DELMAR SYSTEMS 12
DELTA RIGGING & TOOLS 109
DRILLMEC INC. 83
DYNA-DRILL 79
ENERGY GLOBAL 28, 94
EUROPIPE 99
FMC TECHNOLOGIES OFC, 77
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MCCOY DRILLING & COMPLETIONS 74
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OTC 72
PACKERS PLUS 04
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SHAWCOR 93
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TMK GROUP 107
TWITTER 78
U.S. TSUBAKI POWER 87
VICINAY MARINE SL 113
VOLANT PRODUCTS INC. 71, 73
WASCO ENERGY 25
WEIR OIL & GAS 17
Cathodic protection for pipelines is almost universally provided
by use of sacrifcial (galvanicj anodes of aluminium or zinc alloys.
The anodes are fxed directly onto the pipeline during installation
and, provided the cathodic protection system is correctly designed,
will provide protection for the required design life.
The condition of coatings and cathodic protection for subsea
pipelines are assessed using either ROV subsea surveys or towed
fsh' survey arrays. For ageing assets, where the coating has
deteriorated beyond the planned extent or where the anodes are
depleted, options exist to retroft anodes using a number of different
anode systems. Most utilise an 'anode sled' where a number of
anodes are ftted to the mounting frame and a heavy duty bonding
cable is connected to the pipeline - all deployed remotely.
A proactive and comprehensive quality approach to all aspects
of the expected lifecycle of a pipeline asset by an owner or
responsible engineering provider will result in the mitigation of risk
of damage or failure and will lead to longer useful utilisation of such
assets.
O T

- Treating Pressure
- Breakdown Pressure
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