SPE ATCE TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE

New technology will shape the changing oil and gas landscape—in conventional and unconventional reservoirs around the world—for many years to come.

In this special section E&P has highlighted some of the latest products and technologies to be shown at the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE) in Dubai and looks at how they will benefit companies in their ongoing operations to find and produce new reserves.

Following SPE ATCE’s opening general session will be two plenary sessions focused on the state of the industry and its future. The “E&P 2.0 Shaping the Future” morning plenary session will address companies’ imperative transformation to operate and thrive both in a volatile lower-for-longer oil price band and in the coming low-carbon era. Panelists will share the impact of all of the changes made over the last 18 months on their operations and their view of the long-term future for the industry.

The “E&P 2.0 Transforming the Industry to Fit@50” afternoon plenary session will dive a little deeper into the changes that companies are making to survive in the low oil price environment and to restore competitiveness through more transformational changes.

With more than 200 exhibitors participating in SPE ATCE, there are many innovative products and solutions to be found on the show floor as well as in the technical sessions and workshops. These will touch on a variety of subjects.

The copy herein is contributed from service companies and does not reflect the opinions of Hart Energy.

System improves production, artificial lift reliability and reserve recovery

Baker Hughes CENesis PHASE multiphase encapsulated production system, designed to separate natural gas from the oil stream before it can enter an electrical submersible pumping (ESP) system, helps avoid production interruptions and potential ESP performance issues in unconventional wells. During production, more gas is released from the pay zone as reservoir pressure depletes. This gas accumulates on the high side of the lateral, creating gas slugs that cause low-flow/no-flow conditions in an ESP. The system mitigates this problem by encapsulating the ESP, allowing natural gas to continue flowing up the wellbore while production fluid flows into the shroud through the ESP. The shroud also provides a supply of production fluid so the ESP can continue operating when natural gas completely displaces fluid in the wellbore. bakerhughes.com

Enable efficient packer removal in ultraHP/HT wells

The Baker Hughes BASTILLE HP/HT removable production packer is the first packer designed to be fully removed after being deployed in harsh ultraHP/HT conditions. Traditional production packers might become permanent after being exposed to HP/HT conditions, requiring additional intervention services such as fishing or milling that can lead to more than $500,000 in additional costs. The company’s new packer, which provides a V0-rated gas-tight seal in conditions up to 232 C (450 F) and 20,000 psi, was engineered to reliably separate from the casing, even after years of exposure to harsh conditions. A unique slip design delivers 400% greater contact area over that of conventional removable packers to keep the packer firmly anchored while minimizing stress on the casing. And if intervention is needed, a simple cut-to-release operation allows the slips and packing element to disengage for efficient, reliable removal. bakerhughes.com

Wax inhibitors, PPDs deliver results

Water-based polymers are dispersed in water using a Dow proprietary dispersion technology. The products work as a crystal modifier technology for long chain and/or problematic waxes present in crude oil. The ACCENT products also provide high active concentrations to reduce logistical costs, no flammable organic solvents and an environmentally friendly profile to oilfield chemical treatment programs. These value-differentiated pour point depressant (PPD) products can provide excellent freeze protection stability, even at -40 C (-40 F), and can be easily pumped without clogging the injection lines, even in arctic-type environments. Dow understands that all crude systems are different and can provide an ACCENT PPD Test Kit to test and select the best product for a waxy crude. dowoilandgas.com

Ultraconductive ceramic proppant designed for harsh environments

KRYPTOSPHERE LD is an ultraconductive or low-density ceramic proppant technology that significantly exceeds the conductivity, compressive strength and durability of existing low-density proppant. It consists of precision-engineered strong durable round mono-sized and smoother proppant grains and is a single-mesh-sized product manufactured to any size required to suit well conditions. KRYPTOSPHERE LD creates a fracture with more uniform pore throats and more space for hydrocarbon flow. It maintains the highest flow rates and levels of conductivity for the productive life of the frack and reduces flow path tortuosity to reduce nonDarcy impacts and improve overall conductivity. KRYPTOSPHERE LD offers improved proppant transport and higher propped volume compared to intermediate-density proppant, significantly less erosion during pumping, and less wear and tear on equipment and tools. The higher flow rates and larger propped volume increases recovery and return on investment, lowering finding and development costs per barrel of oil equivalent. carboceramics.com

Proppant pack delivers enhanced flow

FUSION proppant pack consolidation technology creates a bonded, high-integrity proppant pack with or without closure stress. The technology provides well integrity critical to inject and produce at the ultrahigh rates required to improve well economics and increase EUR. With FUSION, E&P operators no longer need to limit water injection rates to protect the integrity of the annular pack and safeguard the well, removing unnecessary limitations that reduce production rates and EUR from the reservoir. FUSION offers durable high-conductivity ceramic proppant with proprietary resin coating, enabling controlled bonding of the proppant pack using a unique chemical activator. The bonding process forms a strong, flexible bond without compression even in low-temperature environments to create a high-integrity pack that withstands stress cycling to sustain long-term pack integrity. FUSION technology also bonds with closure stress, allowing a single resin-coated proppant to be used in a continuous frack and pack operation. carboceramics.com

Fluid loss cell offers improved capabilities, safety features

Fluid loss from muds and cement slurries to a permeable formation can significantly impact performance or damage the formation. If the cement slurry loses too much fluid, its strength can be compromised and require costly remedial intervention. The Model 4300 Fluid Loss Cell from Chandler Engineering measures the fluid loss properties of muds and cement slurries in accordance with American Petroleum Institute procedures. Chandler developed the Model 4300 Fluid Loss Cell to eliminate safety issues that have been associated with traditional fluid loss instrument designs. The cell is designed using threaded end caps that eliminate the dangers associated with set screwstyle cells and pop-off valves within the hardware design to prevent overpressure scenarios. chandlereng.com

Multilateral stimulation technology increases productivity by 30 times

Fishbones will showcase its field-proven multilateral stimulation technology (MST) at ATCE 2016. Installed in three continents, both onshore and offshore, the MST connects the reservoir in a short pumping job. Deployed with the liner in the open hole, numerous laterals are created simultaneously, resulting in a fishbone- style well completion. The MST increases productivity from tight, layered, compartmentalized and/ or naturally fractured formations and is designed to be a cost-effective solution compared to traditional stimulation technologies such as hydraulic fracturing. Fishbones will showcase technologies applicable to increase productivity from sandstone, carbonate, basement and coalbed methane reservoirs. Case histories also will be presented, including installation in a tight naturally fractured carbonate where the MST increased productivity by 30 times, the first installation in a subsea well in a tight layered sandstone reservoir and recent installations in Middle East carbonate formations. fishbones.as

Asset performance management software enables smarter, faster operations

At ATCE GE will be showcasing its suite of Asset Performance Management (APM) software products. APM software products are developed on Predix, GE’s operating system for the industrial Internet, connecting physical assets to the digital world and allowing industrial businesses to operate faster, smarter and more efficiently. APM is designed to increase asset and equipment reliability and availability while reducing unnecessary or unplanned maintenance downtime. APM software connects disparate data sources and uses advanced analytics to turn those data in actionable insights while fostering collaboration and knowledge management across the organization and minimizing the total cost of ownership. By monitoring and analyzing performance data, digital solutions can identify impending issues and eliminate unplanned downtime through a focus on analytics-based planned work management. geoilandgas.com

Tool takes guesswork out of leak detection

Previously, it was difficult to accurately locate and analyze leaks or flow behind pipe or around the wellbore. That is no longer the case with the release of the Halliburton Acoustic Conformance Xaminer (ACX) tool. The ACX tool helps reduce uncertainties so that engineers can address problems and mitigate operational risks. The tool contains an array of hydrophones and sensors for pinpointing wellbore leaks in real time and creating a 2-D flow map to help take the guesswork out of leak description. In addition, Halliburton’s SPECTRUM Real-time Coiled Tubing Services feature a modular bottomhole assembly, customizable to provide pressure, temperature, depth correlation with casing collar locator and gamma ray, localized forces via tension/ compression/torque and tool positioning with inclination and tool face. SPECTRUM services enable precision and accuracy to run safer and more efficient operations. Recently, an operator in the Middle East achieved its objective of accurate milling of a restriction, saving workover rig costs and delivering the entire operation via SPECTRUM services. halliburton.com

Software delivers cement plug placement model

Calculating balanced plug volumes is fairly complex and time-consuming for drilling and cementing engineers. The possibility of heavy contamination of the cement plug leads to long wait times to ensure that the cement will not be tagged until it has hardened. The uncertainty related to fluid settling after pumping adds quality and safety concerns, and most of the time field experience is used to determine the amount of displacement to combat the fluid settling. PlugPro was developed by Pegasus Vertex Inc. to quickly, easily and accurately determine volumes for balanced plug jobs. The hydrostatic settling and inevitable mixing of fluids while pumping and pulling the string out of the hole are calculated using sound engineering principles. PlugPro is not only a time saver but will also increase accuracy and depth when planning balanced plug operations. pvisoftware.com

Overcoming extreme downhole conditions

The ICE ultraHT technology portfolio from Schlumberger addresses the drilling and measurement needs of extreme downhole conditions and requires no special operating procedures. PowerDrive ICE ultraHT rotary steerable system (RSS) and TeleScope ICE ultraHT MWD operate at 200 C (392 F) owing to ultrahigh temperature- rated multichip modules mounted on a proprietary ceramic substrate that are hermetically sealed in inert gas. PowerDrive ICE is designed to bring the benefits of a durable, fully rotating RSS to high-temperature and ultrahigh-temperature reservoirs featuring a pad actuation system that uses metal-to-metal seals for improved directional control, delivering improved ROP. The TeleScope ICE service mitigates drilling risks using azimuthal gamma ray technology to provide continuous data about direction, inclination and annular pressure. Both PowerDrive ICE and Tele- Scope ICE improve well placement and reduce well construction time and costs. slb.com/PowerDriveICE

Subsurface ‘lighthouse’

Named after the Arabic word for lighthouse, the Manara production and reservoir management system is the result of an eight-year collaboration between Saudi Aramco and Schlumberger. It is an intelligent completion system that allows deployment of controlled producing compartments in multizone, multilateral, extended-reach and extreme reservoir contact wells. Combining 30 patented technologies, the Manara system provides permanent downhole pressure, temperature, water cut and flow rate monitoring as well as in-lateral flow control of zones in real time. Engineers can make production decisions in hours instead of the days or weeks required when using a conventional completion system. Reservoir workflows that commonly required three to six months can now be performed in one day thanks to integrated workflows from multiple disciplines in a collaborative work environment. By optimizing zone-by-zone cleanup, rig time is reduced along with exposure to HSE risks. One electric control line connects through the wellbore to the wellhead via a single penetration. slb.com/manara

System tackles challenging large-diameter casing applications

The TAM Duplex Inner-String Stage Cementing System is used to perform stage cementing operations in challenging large-diameter casing applications. The system comprises an ISO 14310-qualified inflatable casing annulus packer, an ISO 14998-qualified fullbore mechanical stage cementing tool, a TAM Combination Tool and a stab-in float system. This system enables the operator to perform an inner-string primary cement job through the stab-in float collar and subsequently inflate the packer and perform a second stage cement job in a single trip. The CAP serves as a secondary mechanical barrier and as a platform for the second-stage cement job. The Port Collar can be pressure-tested immediately after closure to confirm pressure integrity has been reestablished. The result is an enhanced primary cement job with minimal slurry contamination, shorter circulating/displacement times and a reduction in the amount of cement to be drilled out. tamintl.com

In-booth presentations to focus on transforming challenges, shaping solutions

At booth 4211 Weatherford will be focused on integrated solutions that leverage technologies and services from across the asset life cycle. The company has more than 30 in-booth presentations planned on reservoir solutions, drilling services, wireline and testing, well construction, well integrity, pressure pumping and artificial lift. Each presentation will touch on the themes of transforming challenges, shaping solutions and future vision. The company’s focus on integrated life-of-asset technologies is reflected in recent projects that combine varied capabilities to create a comprehensive set of services. For example, Weatherford is providing shunt-tube screens, TerraForm openhole packers and an efficient method of running and connecting the lower completion strings for a deepwater project in Russia. Additionally, Weatherford recently announced a partnership with IBM to combine Weatherford’s extensive production optimization software platform with IBM’s advanced analytics software and cloud infrastructure, forming an unprecedented stack of integrated technologies that are designed to increase production and reduce costs. weatherford.com

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