NELL LUKOSAVICH, Senior Editor
Treatment system sustains small footprint in stable water cycle
Select Energy’s water treatment offerings decrease operator costs while maintaining and expanding water sources through the treatment of flowback and produced water to support an environmentally stable water cycle. Right-sized treatment assures minimal expenses on water and best profitability for the operator. Select partners with a spectrum of technologies including: Water Rescue Services’ electrocoagulation units and the Fountain Quail mobile clarification system (ROVER) to perform microbial control (i.e. bug kill), turbidity control and iron control in slick-water fracs as well as most gel-fracs. For hardness sensitive gel-fracs, the Omni technologies platform utilizes an oil-field tolerant filtration and membrane system to remove hardness and provide reusable water quality. For mid-level salinity waters, Omni can also provide RO quality fresh water. And for maximum water consistency and risk management, pure water distillate can be chosen, using the Fountain Quail NOMAD.
www.selectenergyservices.com
Pumps reduce HSE risks while optimizing stimulation performance
Baker Hughes has introduced its Rhino Bifuel equipment, a solution that combines the reliability and performance of its standard Rhino units, with a pump that runs on a blend of diesel and cleaner-burning natural gas, without reducing hydraulic fracturing performance. The new converted pumps can reduce diesel consumption and emissions while running on substitution rates as high as 65%/35% (natural gas/diesel), with no loss of horsepower. Used in hydraulic fracturing, acidizing, workovers and remediation operations throughout the U.S. States and Canada, these pumps minimize the impact on the environment, without affecting the efficiency of the fracturing program. The pumps meet all U.S. Environmental Protection Agency emissions standards and can help reduce nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and particulate matter emissions.
www.bakerhughes.com
Flow-channel fracing system
Schlumberger’s HiWAY flow-channel hydraulic fracturing significantly increases fracture conductivity, while reducing water and proppant consumption. This means higher short and long-term production, simpler logistics and a smaller operational footprint. The system changes the way proppant fractures generate conductivity. The first technique of its kind, HiWAY fracturing creates open pathways inside the fracture, enabling hydrocarbons to flow through the stable channels, rather than the proppant. This optimizes connectivity between the reservoir and the wellbore—resulting in infinite fracture conductivity. The fracturing technique has improved time to sales, fluid recovery, initial production rate and average-well estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) in more than 4,000 jobs worldwide.
www.slb.com
Weatherford debuts new openhole packer, composite plug and multi-zone fracing sleeve
Using conventional technology for isolation and fracturing operations typically requires two or more trips, resulting in an increase of rig time and the associated costs. Weatherford’s ComboFrac openhole packer provides both mechanical and swelling elastomer isolation that enables operators to achieve zonal isolation and fracturing in a single trip. The packer combines a conventional compression-set element with a conforming swellable elastomer. The compression-set element is operated hydraulically to provide the operator with instant pack-off capabilities, and the conforming swellable element is longer and more compliant to allow more pressure support.
Weatherford’s FracGuard Micro Series composite plug is designed to isolate the formation above the plug, when fracturing in both single and multiple-zone applications, while allowing flowback through the body for pressure equalization or production. The plugs are also proven to work extremely well in underbalanced applications and in highly deviated, horizontal or multilateral wellbores. At temperatures up to 300°F (149°C), these plugs can withstand differential pressures up to 10,000 psi (69 MPa). Combined with engineering techniques, the plugs are capable of reaching stacked pressures higher than 20,000 psi (138 MPa).
The i-ball Multizone Fracturing Sleeve, which can be run as part of the ZoneSelect system, eliminates downhole pressure build-up and associated logistics and storage concerns, by using one ball-and-seat size. The near-tubing diameter of the system enables an unlimited amount of zones to be stimulated, which are fractured one at a time. The sleeves then retract back to a size that is close to the ID of the host tubing. This feature reduces frictional force, enables a more efficient fracture at each zone, allows for a smaller ID fracturing string, and, in some cases, facilitates fracturing operations through the completion. The technology has been tested in openhole and cemented wellbores, and is rated to 10,000 psi (690 bar) and has a temperature envelope of 32°F to 350°F (0°C to 175°C). It is also highly tolerant of downhole debris, such as loss-control material, frac sands and proppant.
www.weatherford.com
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