Baker Hughes Incorporated held an open house to celebrate the opening of Phase I of its new Center for Technology Innovation (CTI) in northwest Houston.
“The CTI is a world-class research and engineering center. This (US) $42 million investment demonstrates our company’s commitment to developing new completion and production technologies,” said Chad Deaton, Baker Hughes chairman, president and chief executive officer. “Innovations created and tested here will enable our customers to maximize recovery even in the most challenging environments.”
“The CTI is capable of testing full-size prototypes of the next generation of downhole completion tools in a test environment with pressures up to 40,000 psi and temperatures up to 700°F,” said Bennett Richard, director of product engineering. “While there are test facilities that can test individual components at higher ratings, none are capable of testing the full-sized systems with the volumes of gas required for such extreme high-pressure and high-temperature testing.”

Completion & Production research and engineering
The CTI is designed to enable Baker Hughes research and engineering teams to achieve breakthroughs in technologies focused on four important application areas:

  • Deepwater wells;
  • Extreme high-pressure, high-temperature (HP/HT) applications;
  • Production optimization; and
  • Large-diameter “big bore” completions.

The facility includes high pressure/high temperature test cells rated at 700°F and 40,000 psi; research labs for materials, fluids, elastomers, composites and electronics; and prototype manufacturing capabilities.

CTI campus
The CTI is located within a 14-acre campus that will advance Baker Hughes completion and production technologies by providing a synergistic environment for cross-collaboration between Baker Hughes divisions Baker Oil Tools, ProductionQuest, Baker Petrolite and Centrilift. Approximately 575 scientists, application engineers and laboratory technicians will conduct research, engineering, development and testing at the CTI. Phase II of the CTI campus, consisting of additional office buildings and research facilities, is expected to be completed by the end of 2008.

Research laboratories
The CTI has research facilities are dedicated to investigating latest developments in metallurgy, elastomers, fluids and composites for oilfield applications under challenging conditions.

Rapid prototyping capabilities
The CTI makes extensive use of Rapid Prototype (RP) equipment to develop plastic and powder deposition models for visualization and functional analysis.

Prototype machine shop
The latest machining technology and practices are available, including multi-axis capability and cutting technology for highly specialized prototyping needs.

Test cell monitoring
Customers, third-party inspectors and collaborating engineers will use a specially built work space while viewing their tests and monitoring the results in a safe environment.

Increased customer collaboration
The CTI supports enhanced Baker Hughes collaboration with our clients. Current projects include the development of a hostile-environment permanent packer, high hydrostatic packer setting module, real-time casing imaging technology and integration of fiber optics with sandface completions.

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