August 2000 Vol. 221 No. 8  Drilling

Robert E. Snyder,  Editor

People problems persist, spare parts get pricey

Two years of stagnation is proving hard to overcome in the U.S. drilling industry. June’s The Oilfield Appraiser newsletter had some interesting comments about "How bad is the people problem?" One example "big rig" in East Texas was moved onto a location and had no crew for over two weeks. In another case, a tool pusher was rigged up for 10 days without a crew before he went looking on a competitor’s nearby rig, where he got a better offer and took it.

Recruiting and job hopping has become as much of a problem as the people shortage itself. Higher pay is about the only incentive rig hands need. Unless they have been with a company over a year or two, "other" incentives don’t mean much; their loyalty is to the dollar. One story says rig hands are finding job offer flyers stuck in the ends of drill pipe or handed out with a free lunch at the Dairy Queen.

The Appraiser says the people shortage is serious and it can only get worse as contractors get additional drilling / service jobs. There are rigs available, there are jobs for rigs – but there are no crews. We are at "effective capacity" for all practical purposes.

Further, in the past year, there has been a total turnaround in prices of spare parts and supplies for rigs. In one year, the supply has gone from "excess" to "balanced" to early stages of "shortage." Good used rig spare / repair parts in inventory have dropped to the point that prices of some components have more than doubled. Larger contractors are using up inventory from salvage and incomplete rigs. Smaller contractors are running out of spare components. Rebuilt components (in stock) are becoming rare finds and prices are approaching new component prices.

New rig components, spare parts and supplies are available for most applications, but prices have increased. Off the shelf inventory has been depleted and lead time for new production has moved to months instead of weeks.

Lasers for borehole bubbles. A way of using laser beams to detect explosive gas bubbles in boreholes has been developed by researchers at Reading University in southern England. The technique could prevent dangerous blowouts, as the bubbles indicate that the bit is about to enter a high-pressure pocket. Experiments have so far been carried out only under lab conditions, but the University predicts that the technology could be developed for commercial use in under two years.

As the bit approaches the gas pocket, it relieves pressure, causing bubbles to form in the mud. Detection of the bubbles tells surface operators to increase mud weight. The detection technique illuminates the volume of slurry around the bit with sheets of laser light. As gas bubbles pass through the laser sheets, they light up like dust passing through a cinema projector beam. Measurement of the time interval between bubbles lighting adjacent sheets enables size and speed to be determined.

The technique devised at Reading goes beyond this and measures the amount of light which "bends" when passing through the gas bubbles. The degree of bending depends on optical properties of the bubbles, enabling them to be distinguished from bits of rock. A contact at Reading University is Dr. David Waterman; Fax: 44 118 931 0203; E-mail: d.r.waterman@reading.ac.uk.

Drilling Manual to go electronic. IADC is working to develop an electronic version of its Drilling Manual, an industry standard now in its Eleventh Edition as a printed reference. Widespread use of the Manual by rig managers and engineers makes an electronic version desirable. Users of the Eleventh Edition are encouraged to furnish ideas on the best way to present the printed version’s content in electronic form, and suggest features that would add value to the electronic edition.

The Manual has long been an industry benchmark. It includes descriptions, specs, characteristics, and maintenance / other information on most equipment and consumables. Bits, tubular goods, rig equipment, engines, pumps and other drilling products are discussed in detail. It also covers drilling fluids and lubricants. And it offers guidance on solving drilling problems such as hole deviation and stuck pipe. Send suggestions to: publications@iadc.org.

DEA(E) gets administrative help. The Drilling Engineering Association, Europe, DEA(E), has appointed Offshore Technology Management (OTM) to provide a range of administration services, including further development of the organization’s comprehensive Website. DEA(E) was founded more than 10 years ago as the leading drilling engineering association for Europe. It has more than 35 oil company members, plus an extensive associate membership of drilling services and equipment suppliers.

Its aim is to promote advances in drilling technology. Key activities include: collection / dissemination of technology across the industry, provision of a forum for suppliers to showcase R&D programs and new technologies, and facilitation of experience / knowledge sharing.

The group meets four times a year to: focus on specific priority drilling topics, engage in case history and new technology presentations, discuss particular technology needs and issues, and hear selected R&D proposals from the supply sector. Its Website is: http://www.dea-europe.com.

Drilling data management software. GeoQuest, an operating unit of Schlumberger Oilfield Services, announced that Drilling Office 2.0 – with the WellTRAK well tracking reporting and knowledge system – is commercially available. As part of the standard installation, WellTRAK allows drilling team members to post and review reports on the Web. Drilling Office 2.0 substantially expands the functionality of earlier releases. Major updates have been added, streamlining many workflow scenarios associated with drilling planning.

The system lets users design an activity-based well plan for drilling and compare actual operations against the plan to stay on track. This enables users to capture daily data, highlight operational anomalies and create reports at the touch of a button. Data from offset wells can be used.