Flow studies expanded

During a recent lunch conversation with a friend, the topic of how an oil well is drilled came up. My friend has a very rudimentary understanding of the process and was curious as to how it all worked because “it couldn’t be all that difficult to understand seeing as how we’re really just poking a big straw in the ground and sucking up the oil from underground pools, right?”

Clearly, there were many things wrong in his description of what is, in fact, a very complicated dance between man, metal, and Mother Nature. Of the many complexities operators face during the well construction process, the challenge of establishing contact with the reservoir for optimal well flow is one of the greatest. Researchers at Halliburton’s Advanced Perforating Flow Laboratory tackle these types of challenges and develop perforating solutions to optimize connectivity between the reservoir and wellbore and improve well performance.

The 25,000-psi advanced flow vessel can rotate 180° to simulate flow effects of perforating and fracturing in horizontal wells. (Image courtesy of Halliburton)

The lab is part of the 800-acre Jet Research Center campus, tucked away on a hidden patch of rolling Texas pastureland. The facility specializes in the design, testing, and manufacturing of products like perforating charges but also works with operators to understand the effects of perforations in different formations and in different environments to identify the optimal perforation program and completion design for their wells.

An example of this partnership recently occurred when an operator contacted the company seeking assistance in optimizing its gun system for use in a marginal gas condensate field in the North Sea. Testing at the flow lab led to the development of charges that, according to Halliburton, produced a 21% greater increase in rock penetration and a 12% increase in productivity in the field.

The flow lab recently underwent an extensive expansion to provide additional testing and analysis services to meet the needs of its clients. The expansion included increased lab space and the installation of a CT scanner that allows researchers to “see” inside the perforated core without needing to first split it open.

The crown jewels of the newly expanded lab are the specialized advanced flow vessels that can, according to Halliburton, “do more than any other facility in the industry.” The 50,000-psi vessel tests flow at high pressures, while the 25,000-psi, high-temperature vessel tests flow at temperatures reaching 204°C (400°F). For gravity-related studies, the lab’s third vessel can rotate up to 180° while conducting flow tests at pressures up to 25,000 psi.

Tests like those performed at the flow lab can help operators gain a better understanding of the complexities in well perforating and flow optimization. Knowing how costly a wrong assumption can be makes one more cautious, which isn’t a bad thing in today’s often misinformed world.