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Vol. 226 No. 1 |
Intelligent hydraulic choke
The HCM-A Multi-Position Adjustable Hydraulic Choke from Baker Oil Tools offers significant advantages in reliability, flow control and the ability to calibrate choke settings to match specific reservoir conditions. The choke incorporates incremental choking technology into the basic chassis from the HCM surface-controlled sliding sleeves. A balanced hydraulic piston opens and closes the choke, while a tungsten carbide choke assembly and J-mechanism selectively adjust the choke without the need for complex electronics downhole. A dual-stage choke configuration, with the seal system totally independent of the choke, prevents minor erosion from jeopardizing the choke’s ability to isolate a given zone. Regardless of the amount of solids that flow through the tool, seal integrity is never compromised. The HCM-A choke can be calibrated to match reservoir conditions on a just-in-time basis before system installation. While the choke is infinitely variable, it operates using six pre-determined choking settings, which can be established based on reservoir studies and nodal analysis to maximize oil production, reduce total water cut, improve final oil blend quality, control sand, avoid cross-flow and consequent production losses, comply with regulatory production restrictions, or produce above the bubble point to avoid gas at the pump intake.
Versatile solid centralizer
 The Blade Runner from Downhole Products of Aberdeen, Scotland, is a solid centralizer designed to significantly reduce drag and torque while running casing, liners and tubing in extreme wells. The new centralizer evolved from the company’s Spir-o-lizer, known for its rugged construction and ability to stay on the pipe while under extreme conditions such as window systems in multi-lateral wells, 1996. The Blade Runner features Teflon inserts moulded into Spir-o-lizer blades, which reduce sliding forces while running inside casing. Teflon was used because of its very low friction coefficient of just .04, the lowest available for any centralizer material. To virtually eliminate start-up torque during pipe rotation, the product can also be fitted with internal Teflon rings. The centralizer’s spiral blades make 360° cement placement a straightforward exercise, and the greater flow-by reduces surge pressure while running in-hole.
Flame/gas detection brochure
 A new bulletin from MSA Instrument Division called Flame and Gas Detection for the Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Industries highlights the company’s permanent and portable instruments for this market. MSA offers the only TUV-approved SIL3- and NFPA72-compliant control system, ensuring reliability and safety. Permanent instruments featured include:
- Suprema Control System – flame- and gas-detection technology.
- Flamegard Flame Detector – an extremely sensitive, self-contained detector featuring triple IR sensor technology.
- SafEye Open-Path Gas Detector – uses advanced Xenon Flash open path infrared technology for high sensitivity and fast response to hydrocarbon gases C1-C8.
- Ultima XE Gas Monitor – technologies for the continuous monitoring of toxic and combustible gases, and oxygen deficiency.
- Ultima XIR and Ultima XI Infrared Gas Monitors – microprocessor-based infrared-point gas detector for continuous monitoring of combustible and carbon dioxide gases and vapors.
Process management courses
Emerson Process Management has released their 2005 Emerson’s Educational Services course catalog, available in print or CD, describing more than 250 training courses to facilitate the engineering, operation, maintenance and optimization of industrial process automation systems and devices. Classes are available across North America at factory locations, regional training centers, locally in hotels or at customer sites, and as packaged programs. The catalog provides course descriptions, schedules and sites for classes on process control, including the PlantWeb digital plant architecture, Foundation fieldbus technology, and various PlantWeb components. Additional course offerings include Brooks Instrument and Daniel flow measurement, PROVO, RS3, and WDPF control systems, natural gas regulation and control, terminal automation, electrical systems and plant safety.
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Mud tank cleaning system
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Total Reclaim Systems, a provider of mud tank cleaning services, introduced the PitGun, a system that cleans and removes waste material from mud tanks remotely so that personnel are not required to manually break up compacted solids that build up on the floor, beneath pipework, and in tank corners during drilling. Although rotating-head automated cleaning head systems have been used to clean tank interiors, they cannot clear compacted solids on the floor or in corners, nor remove waste materials. Traditional cleaning systems use large volumes of fluid, creating waste material that must be removed. With the PitGun, a single operator manipulates the cleaning jets remotely while standing outside of the tank. With its incorporated Pump Unit to drive the system, the PitGun is self-sufficient, and operates without utilizing the rig’s pumping system, requiring only rig air or electricity. The PitGun, which is quickly rigged and de-rigged, is lightweight, portable and can be operated by rig-crew or service company personnel. Waste fluid is minimized by recovering the residual “dead volume” of oil-based mud via the pump’s high vertical suction capability. This fluid is then jetted through the pump and the specially designed nozzles. Solids are displaced from the pit walls, while any remaining solids are slurrified. Portable vacuum drum strainers then remove the waste material to a tote-tank, consolidation pit or vessel for removal.
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Fog detector for offshore platforms
EnviroTech Sensors has developed the EEx Sentry Visibility Sensor for use on offshore gas-drilling rigs. The EEx Sentry is used for automatic foghorn control as well as provide meteorological data for safe helicopter operations. Using the same measurement technology as the sensor used in non-hazardous locations, the EEx makes use of certified explosion-proof enclosures and is in compliance with ATEX Ex II 2GD EEx d IIB T5/T6 for use in areas of potentially explosive atmospheres. The sensor offers flexible power and output options, and the rugged design provides IP66 environmental protection and resistance to the conditions found on offshore platforms.
Crude oil blender
A crude oil blending system that can operate at up to 100,000 bbl/hour has been introduced by Jiskoot Autocontrol Ltd, and installed and commissioned by Ameriven through the Jose Terminal in Venezuela. The blender has two 36-in. feed-stock lines and a 48-in. blend header to blend 30°API and 16°API crude oils to produce a crude with an API gravity of 23 – 25° (at 60°F) directly to the export loading platforms 8 km away. With the feed-stocks supplied by four 2,500-hp fixed-output pumps with no re-circulation facilities, the blender was designed to operate at pressures of 100 – 400 psi and withstand pressures drops of between 1 and 300 psi across the control valves while still maintaining blend control and product quality. Two panel-mounted controllers using real-time closed-loop 3-term PID control to ensure the blended product remains as specified during the batch, and a power mixing loop fitted with a densitometer to continuously maintain batch quality. Controllers maintain blend specification even in the event of product starvation.
www.jiskoot.com
Fast-hookup riser connector
 The Gram Connector, A 7-1/6-in. connector produced in super duplex stainless steel grade SAF 2507, has been introduced by Sandvik Gram A/S. The connector is currently being tested for both sour and standard subsea use in accordance with ISO 13628-7. It is designed for service at 15,000 psi (1,035 bar) and temperatures up to 356°F (180°C) for deep and ultra deepwater operations. Simple hook-up enables subsea use with ROV. It is a bayonet-type, stab-in, self-centering coupling, so there is no rotation of the riser during make-up. Seal is guaranteed when locked, and its reusable metal-to-metal seal allows for multiple make and break. Fast hook-up capability, with no bolts involved, means that 25 to 30 joints per hour can be run, compared with 4 to 5 joints per hour for conventional riser connectors. It does not require a rig tong, and since it has no loose parts, the risks of falling objects are eliminated. For a 1500-m water depth riser, running time can be reduced from 30 hours to 5 hours.
Single-trip whipstock system
Baker Oil Tools introduces its WindowMaster G2 Whipstock System, a casing-exit system that combines the one-trip capability of the WindowMaster with a full-drift window mill, requiring less rathole to be drilled. The G2 can start, mill and ream a window without requiring a change in the bottomhole assembly. In one trip, it can be run in hole, oriented to the new hole direction and anchored in place to completely mill a window, eliminating at least two round tips with drill pipe, which other window-cutting systems would require. The system uses Baker Oil Tools’ METAL MUNCHER technology to mill a window without sacrificing window quality and with minimum weight and torque on the work string. The resulting cuttings are small and easily circulated out of the hole. For hard formations, the G2 is compatible with the PathMAKER Formation Mill. This is the result of a development program in conjunction with Hughes Christensen, utilizing technology from the Genesis bit series.
Drilling and well data software
Peloton introduced WellView 8, the newest version of its software for well operations and schematic visualization. New features and enhancements include: data verification to ensure consistent and accurate data is captured; and the data auditor, so that rules can be applied on specific fields to make certain that important data is not missed, or to require that entries meet minimum or maximum values. In addition, users can now run a spell check on individual fields to fix typographical errors. To assist in scheduling activities, a task system was added so that a “to do” list can be stored for a particular well. Reports can be filtered by date to show a list of outstanding tasks for an individual or a well. A multi-well reporting tool allows users to create ad hoc reports on any data in the database. Also, a “planned vs. actual” analysis of estimated costs and times by phase can be performed. A mud program allows detailed description of minimum and maximum values for all mud properties by interval.
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