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Vol. 225 No. 11 |
Paradigm, a provider of petroleum geoscience and drilling technology, and drillstring structural experts T H Hill will jointly develop advanced software for well planning and drilling engineering. The two companies will provide the industry with tools that support T H Hill's newly released DS-1 Third Edition Standard for Drill Stem Design and Operation, an innovation that allows the quantitative comparison of drillstring fatigue for different well designs. Paradigm will have exclusive rights to commercialize software that verifies compliance with the DS-1 design groups. The initial product is an integrated add-on module to Paradigm's Sysdrill product line, which enables drilling engineers to model all phases of wellbore construction. The addition of DS-1 technology allows the comparison of well designs from a drillstring fatigue perspective. In addition, T H Hill will transfer the technology in its Well Optimizer software to Paradigm, for incorporation into the Sysdrill suite, and T H Hill will adopt Sysdrill as its engineering system offering.
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Fugro has ordered a HUGIN 3000 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) from Kongsberg Maritime. The vehicle will be delivered and ready for service early in 2005. Along with the Echo Ranger, now being operated in the Gulf of Mexico, the company will be able to offer simultaneous deepwater AUV survey services in widely differing geographic areas. The 3000 is the latest AUV model in the HUGIN family. It is being supplied with improved navigation capabilities and has a depth capability of 3000 m. The vehicle can be equipped with a range of payload sensors, but will initially be supplied with EM 2000 200-kHz multibeam echo sounder, EdgeTech Full Spectrum Chirp seafloor mapping system with integrated side-scan sonar and sub-bottom profiler, and a conductivity-temperature-depth system The power source is a semi-fuel-cell battery providing 60+ hours endurance with a speed of 4 knots and all survey systems running.
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EV Offshore Ltd (EVO) has opened a base in Aberdeen, Scotland, in response to demand from Northern North Sea operators for its subsea and downhole inspection services and systems. EVO manufactures and operates downhole, subsea and topside video inspection camera systems, and has been involved in a number of major downhole inspection, maintenance and subsea construction projects in the northern, central and southern sectors of the North Sea.
Noble Corp. was named the first winner of the Robert W. Campbell Award by the National Safety Council. This new international award, co-sponsored by the National Safety Council and Exxon Mobil Corp., recognizes companies that demonstrate leadership and excellence in business performance by integrating safety, health and the environment within their operations systems.
Devon Energy Corp. plans to divest oil and gas properties in North America representing proved reserves of 145 to 165 MMbbl of oil equivalent. The properties are located principally in the offshore Gulf of Mexico and onshore in the US and Canada. Oil and gas production from these “non-core and mature” properties will average 90,000 to 100,000 boe per day in 2004. Devon expects its company-wide reserve life to lengthen as a result of the sales.
Baker Hughes Inc. completed the sale of Baker Hughes Mining Tools (BHMT), part of the Hughes Christensen division, to Atlas Copco. BHMT is a manufacturer of rotary drill bits used in the worldwide mining industry.
Grant Prideco, Inc., has agreed to acquire Diamond Products International (DPI) from NQL Drilling Tools, Inc. DPI is a designer and manufacturer of specialized polycrystalline diamond compact drill bits and coring equipment. Headquartered in Houston, DPI is the market leader in bi-center bits, with approximately 50% market share. The purchase price will be about $17 million before transaction costs and adjustments related to working capital. This business will be included in the company's ReedHycalog drillbit segment.
Stabil Drill has opened full-service facilities in Bridgeport, Texas, and Casper, Wyoming. Both facilities offer premium tools and service to the oil and gas industry, including stabilizers, hole openers, roller reamers and drill pipe. The locations will also refurbish equipment when necessary according to API specifications.
Baker Hughes INTEQ completed its first commercial application of a 3-1/8-in. rotary closed-loop drilling system in a 4-1/2-in. borehole. INTEQ's 3-1/8-in. AutoTrak RCLS was run through 5-1/2-in. casing to re-enter and drill a 4-1/2-in. hole for Luff Exploration in Bowman, North Dakota. Changes to well trajectory and other downhole programming are communicated from surface via mud pulse telemetry without interrupting the drilling process.
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