New waste injection service launched
Because subsurface injection achieves zero discharge by returning drilled cuttings to their origin, it is becoming the preferred disposal solution in many areas as environmental regulations become more demanding. Although environmentally effective, prior subsurface injection operations experienced a high risk of failure because of limited process design and operational experience. Failure risks of subsurface solid and liquid waste injection include plugging of the tubing, annulus or perforations, unpredicted fracture propagation, and mechanical failure of surface equipment.
Mitigating these risks is the objective of a new service from M-I Swaco that has already proven successful in high-profile projects off Sakhalin Island, the Bay of Campeche, the Caspian Sea and elsewhere. It offers operators a cost-effective way to safely and permanently dispose of cuttings onshore and offshore. Under certain conditions, the service also can be used to dispose of excess drilling fluid, contaminated rainwater and cleanup waste. Collection and disposal are accomplished without costly downtime, and the service provides for total cuttings containment.
The service integrates front-end engineering, feasibility studies, project-specific injection procedures, unique equipment and specific training. Multi-discipline integration enables systematic acquisition, analysis and monitoring of complete and accurate data from all relevant elements before, during and after the project. Various disposal options are available for specific conditions. The service is the only one of its kind in operation, according to the company.
For more information, visit www.miswaco.com.
JIP to improve pressure prediction
Knowledge Systems has formed a joint industry project to develop an improved methodology for predicting subsalt geopressures. Using data from more than 50 subsalt wells in the Gulf of Mexico, this project will develop best practices for pressure analysis below salt while examining methods to improve subsalt imaging with seismic data.
The project will build on the success of the DEA 119 project completed in 2003, where an improved methodology for pre-drill pore pressure and fracture gradient prediction in deepwater wells was developed. Fugro Multi Client Services has agreed to provide geophysical data from its Deep Focus 2-D and 3-D coverage of the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. The project will use Fugro's new long-offset regional data currently being acquired with 10,000-m cables. Processing with wave-equation prestack depth migration techniques and Kirchhoff algorithms will enhance the quality and reliability of the deep data. Gravity-supported 3-D modeling will be used to improve the salt interpretations.
For more information, visit www.knowsys.com.
Nano-energy on horizon
Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU) have developed a source of energy using nano-scale particles that take only microseconds to create and can be developed on a surface as small as a microchip.
The technology creates energy using solid-state energetic material consisting of fuel and oxidizer. The nano-engineered energetic material generates a tremendous amount of mechanical and thermal energy when ignited. Electric power is generated using the thermoelectric effect. Microfabricated devices coated with this material can create large amounts of energy in the fraction of a second and can be used for pulsed power applications or stored in charge storage devices for later use in portable electronics.
Power is also generated by converting mechanical energy produced by shock waves into electrical energy utilizing piezoelectric materials, which are materials where the positive and negative electrical charges are separated but symmetrically distributed so that the material overall is electrically neutral. MU researchers are currently working on the process to couple the thermoelectric and piezoelectric effect to produce energy on a single chip.
For more information, visit www.missouri.edu.
New valve scores a clean sweep
The High-lift Injection Valve from Red Spider Technology of Aberdeen, Scotland, has solved a major problem on BP Norge's Valhall platform in the Norwegian North Sea. As with most North Sea drilling operations, cuttings are typically collected and transported to shore for disposal in approved landfills - the so-called "skip and ship" process. But when weather or other problem delays the schedule, the rig must have an alternative or it must curtail drilling. Often, the alternative is entraining cuttings in a slurry that can be safely injected into a disposal zone. Frequently, the method used involves deploying a water injection valve below a retrievable packer, but these have become clogged and cause more problems than they solve.
For a year, the Valhall A-25 well has benefited from the new High-lift Injection Valve, which has been used to inject cuttings at an average injection rate of 6 bbl/min to 8 bbl/min at wellhead pressures from 4,400 psi to 4,500 psi. During its first month of operation, the valve handled about 37,000 bbl of slurry. Key to the valve's success is its large flow area, afforded by the high-lift poppet, and a self-cleaning seat that ensures effective operation under the most extreme conditions. Neither flow rate nor depth-sensitive, the new valve can be installed anywhere in the well, greatly simplifying the operators' planning.
Experience has shown that previous methods have failed because debris accumulation inside the valves caused them to jam open. The Red Spider valve is designed to eliminate debris ingress, ensuring long-term operation, even if used infrequently.
For more information visit www.redspiders.com
Tiny monitors save lives
Introduced by Dräger Safety of Pittsburgh, Penn., the PAC 3000 and PAC 5000 single gas detectors can be comfortably worn by workers to monitor ambient air and warn the user about dangerous conditions of CO2, H2S or low O2. Once activated,
the small but rugged monitors operate for up to 2 years maintenance-free, during which time the sensors do not require replacement or recalibration. Ergonomically designed, the unit's small size makes wearing it almost imperceptible to the worker, so the device doesn't create an annoyance or distraction from his or her primary tasks.
Both the 3000 and 5000 models use Dräger's new, extra small XXS DrägerSensors, which provide the fastest response times, according to the company. The units feature a simple two-button operation and an infrared interface that facilitates configuration and calibration. The PAC 5000 model offers optional data downloading of up to 60 events using PC software. A large visual display shows current gas concentration levels and is backlit at the push of a button, or automatically in case of an alarm.
Three alarm modes attract the worker's attention. Besides the audible two-tone alarm, there are visual and vibrating signals, so even in a noisy or poorly lit workspace, the warning can be detected. In addition to warning workers when concentrations of gas exceed a pre-set limit, the alarm alerts the user of low battery levels, sensor life or of any malfunction of the instrument. Both units feature a "bump test" mode that permits easy periodic function testing. To ensure systematic tests are conducted, a reminder is posted on the visual display.
For more information, visit www.draeger-safety.com
Tight seals for hot wells
A new high pressure/high temperature (HP/ HT) flexible cementation system from Schlumberger has extended the range of applications for permanent zonal isolation of hydrocarbons behind pipe. Called FlexSTONE HT, the cement system is an extension of the company's CemCRETE technology that achieves its high strength and durability through the use of optimized particle-size distribution. This technique involves blending graded sizes of solid particles into a dense aggregate where the pores between the larger particles are filled with smaller particles and so on. The technique increases the solids content of the slurry without measurably increasing its volume, thereby ensuring excellent mechanical properties. This makes the cement particularly valuable in situations where post-cementation stresses from production, subsidence or hydraulic fracturing are encountered later in the life of the well.
Designed in synergy with downhole rock properties and with the aim to endure extreme dynamic downhole conditions such as variable pressures and temperatures, the FlexSTONE formulation is particularly good at achieving a seal with both the formation and the casing. While setting, its 2% volumetric expansion characteristic makes it possible to prestress the cement, enabling closures of microannuli up to several hundred microns wide, potentially sealing fluid leak paths. According to the company, deeper, hotter, more complex wells can be reliably sealed for life over a broad temperature spectrum ranging from 40°F to 482°F (4°C to 250°C). It is also possible to model the characteristics of FlexSTONE HT in advanced job design projects to ensure its long-term performance in the field matches expectations, even under variable dynamic conditions.
For more information, visit www.oilfield.slb.com/flexstone.

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