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Vol. 226 No. 5 |
Water injection corrosion protection
DuoLine Technologies provides two new products, DuoLine 10-PVC and 10-PE, both part of the DuoLine process of inserting liner tubes into steel pipe and filling the annular space with a special cement applied with pressure. Ends are flared back so that both ends are flat and can be protected in the collar. Thus, the interior of the pipe is essentially inert to common acids and corrosive fluids. DuoLine 10-PVC is designed primarily for shallow/ low-pressure water disposal and water-injection service and provides proven service in temperature ranges from 0°F to 150°F. DuoLine 10-PE is a lining system that utilizes a heavy-wall HDP liner and is especially suited for shallow-water injection well tubing where corrosive water is injected. It performs within a temperature range of – 20°F to 160°F.
OEM pressure transducer
 American Sensor Technologies, Inc., offers a low-cost, high-quality OEM pressure sensor built for tight space restrictions, high accuracy, low maintenance and long life. Measuring 0.875-in. in diameter, the AST4100 pressure sensor offers good performance within the confines of refrigeration systems, test stands and data loggers. The stainless steel header and housing make it suitable for corrosive environments. Each pressure sensor employs a thick one-piece diaphragm (free of internal O-rings, welds and fill fluids) that offers a strong hermetic seal against the media. Available in both 17-4PH and 316L stainless steel, units offer strong resistance to media corrosion as well as over-range and burst protection, and hold a UL/cUL 508 approval. Sensors provide gauge and compound gauge pressure measurement in 0 – 25 to 0 – 10,000 psi.
Caliper tool for 200°C
READ Well Services Ltd developed a specialist inspection instrument for Total E&P UK plc for use on its high-pressure, high-temperature wells. READ has completed the project to provide Total with a multi-finger caliper (MFC) tool that will record electronic measurements to high levels of accuracy at temperature up to 205°C and pressure up to 17,600 psi for extended periods. Forty highly sensitive “fingers” on these tools measure the diameter of the well, and the data is digitally transmitted to surface through an electric cable in real time. The company will operate the caliper in Total’s HPHT wells on Elgin and Franklin fields at depths over 5,000 m. The instrument’s 40 sensors are capable of measuring diameters to a few thousandths of an inch along the entire length of the well and transmitting the data to surface, where it is monitored and recorded for later analysis. The whole tool is encased in a thermally insulating housing, allowing it to operate at well over 200°C for at least 15 hr.
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Oil skimmer
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Abanaki Corp. has upgraded its Oil Grabber oil skimmer by introducing Model 82. The oil skimmer’s design is based on the Abanaki’s belt skimming process. The belt attracts oil and other hydrocarbon liquids from the fluid’s surface, where the contaminants are then scraped off the sides of the belt and discharged. The Model 82 features: large capacity for oil removal, up to 40 gallons per hour; optimal operation in fluctuating depths, up to 100 ft or more; single-unit design for fast installation and low maintenance; small footprint; and available options to accommodate turbulent liquids. The unit serves as an effective pretreatment before filtration and can be used in conjunction with coalescing systems. The endless belt is available in different lengths, and the tail pulley is free riding, so the skimmer can accommodate any height requirement. It is available in a heated model for conditions where low temperatures tend to solidify oily wastes.
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Extreme HPHT viscometer
Baker Hughes Drilling Fluids (BHDF) has introduced the XHPHT viscometer, designed to measure rheological properties of drilling fluids under extreme high-pressure, high-temperature conditions—up to 600°F and 40,000 psig. The instrument is a joint development effort between BHDF and Chandler Engineering. The equipment is being used at BHDF laboratories in Houston to provide viscosity profiles to be used in hydraulic modeling for ultra-deep gas projects currently under way on several Gulf of Mexico shelf wells. The viscometer is one of a suite of specialized equipment BHDF is designing to provide support for the oil and gas exploration industry’s extreme-condition wells.
3-D visualization system
 Fakespace Systems Inc. has launched the WorkZ visualization system, a real-time computing and active stereoscopic projection system bundle that provides all of the computing and hardware components for a large-screen, immersive display system, with image quality comparable to a 3-chip DLP projector at a price equivalent to a DLP projector alone. The system includes everything required to generate and display high-quality, real-time stereo images, and includes: a Fakespace Beacon SX+ projector with 1400 x 1050 resolution and 1,500 lumens-per-eye brightness; a 3-GHz Pentium 4 workstation with 1 GB RAM and dual DVi output high-resolution graphics card; a wall-mounted or free-standing rear projection screen with high gain to preserve brightness in ambient room light; and two active stereoscopic glasses and synchronization signal emitters. The system projects images with virtually no image ghosting (right eye – left eye cross-talk), superior contrast levels and reduced system footprint.
Pipeline camera with 360° view capability
 EV Offshore Ltd has introduced the Excalibur, a pipeline camera module that provides more flexibility to the CamScanEVO inspection system. The Excalibur camera has the ability to cope with low light situations and to rotate continuously. It offers high-quality images of pipeline interiors of a wide range of diameters. The core element of the system is its 360° rotation capability, which offers unrestricted view of the pipe wall. The camera can also be fitted with a down-view module, which allows simultaneous down view. Measuring 2-3/8 inches (60 mm) and weighing 2.2 kg, the Excalibur is compact, slim and lightweight. It can be used to negotiate 3-D radius bends in pipelines with diameters as small as 84 mm.
Remote-actuated drilling head
Smith Services introduces the HOLD 2500 Rotating Control Device (RCD), a rotating drilling head that utilizes 100% remote hydraulic actuation. This feature keeps rig personnel above the rig floor while installing or replacing stripper elements. The hydraulically operated lock-down system allows the driller to operate the stripper element locking system using a remote-control console on the rig floor, reducing element-replacement time. Remote actuation also expands riser stack design options, since the RCD does not need to be accessible during operation. Safety features and performance enhancements make the tool suitable for underbalanced and managed-pressure drilling operations. The RCD is rated for operating test pressures of 2,500 psi, and static test pressures of 3,000 or 5,000 psi. Flexibility for casing drilling and other techniques is provided by a bearing assembly that trips tools up to 12-1/2 in. in diameter.
Public education about the petroleum industry
The American Geological Institute (AGI) has produced a guide, Petroleum and the Environment, that helps the public, educators and policy-makers understand petroleum from its formation to its consumption, including the many environmental issues that develop along the way. The guide explains the environmental issues associated with petroleum exploration, production, transportation and consumption, and provides easy-to-understand and relevant information, about what petroleum is, how it is found, and the environmental solutions needed for its safe production and consumption. Petroleum and the Environment was produced with the cooperation of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, the Bureau of Land Management, Minerals Management Service, USDA Forest Service, the US Department of Energy and the US Geological Survey.
Acoustic data loggers
Sonardyne International Ltd’s new data loggers feature Fusion wideband technology, which allows large volumes of data to be rapidly and accurately retrieved at the surface via acoustic telemetry. The acoustic data logger systems are depth-rated to 3,000 m and can be deployed, connected to downhole instrumentation and then later recovered entirely by ROV. The system offers significant advantages for well-appraisal applications, where frequent downhole pressure and temperature readings need to be logged over a period of a few weeks so that reservoir characteristics can be evaluated. The system is also suitable for long-term deployments, where it will remain installed, logging data for several years without intervention. These data loggers operate at acoustic frequencies away from the crowded medium frequency navigation band, ensuring that there is no interference with drilling or survey vessels. The Fusion wideband technology incorporated within the acoustic data loggers uses a robust high-speed telemetry scheme specifically designed for efficient data transfer.
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