New products

Vol. 229 No. 12

Stuck pipe training

Well Control School has released a newly developed online training program. Called the Stuck Pipe Prevention Training Program, the course was developed to target rig personnel - derrick men, drillers, toolpushers and company representatives - as an aid in developing, implementing and utilizing a stuck pipe program. The online program offers easy and cost-effective training that is self-paced, with access anytime, anywhere.

US petroleum maps

Ventyx released its 2008 Oil and Gas Map Series for the US. These maps display detailed geographic information for three key oil, oil shale, natural gas and coalbed methane production areas in the US: the Rocky Mountains, Southwest/Gulf Coast and Mid-Continent regions. The three maps were rendered by Bolder Geographics on behalf of Ventyx. They are in full color and measure 36 × 55 in. Each of the three maps displays key market intelligence vital for making informed decisions regarding oil and gas production, including gas wells (active and plugged), gas pipelines (sized by diameter), oil wells (active and plugged), oil pipelines, oil shale deposits and coalbed methane wells. Also included are counties and states, highways, cities and towns, lakes and rivers, and satellite imagery with topography.

Exploration data management

Geotrace has introduced Tigress Live! E&P software that saves time and money for small and medium-sized oil companies. The data-management tool supports the entire exploration lifecycle with an integrated, real-time framework similar to those available to the majors. The software sifts data from the available sources such as existing physical and digital archives, interpretation systems and geo-streaming services, and loads it via the company’s drop box technology. Production reporting, well performance and analysis data is available, updated and distributed in real time. The software comes with its own tools covering all aspects of the exploration process from seismic survey through geology, petrophysics and mapping, to production and reservoir engineering. Recognizing that oil and gas companies prefer to view their data in terms of maps, the database includes a flexible graphical browser for reviewing and cataloging data. The same browser is used for describing the prospect in terms of images and infrastructure and selecting data from the database.

Machinery health monitor

Emerson Process Management has introduced the CSI 6500 Machinery Health Monitor, the latest of its Smart Machinery Health Management series. The new monitor allows users to combine protection modules from the CSI 6000 Machinery Health Monitor with new plug-in prediction modules to create a single rack for complete online monitoring. The system is a key component of the PlantWeb digital plant architecture. Like the CSI 6000, the CSI 6500 fully complies with the requirements for API 670 protection, the globally accepted definition of industry best practices for turbomachinery protection. The CSI 6500 leverages the predictive diagnostic capabilities of AMS Suite, a family of best-in-class diagnostic software applications that enable users to detect plant asset problems before they become critical issues. AMS Suite provides a simple graphical view of process parameters, machinery protection parameters, machinery health information and machine performance information.

Offshore wireless internet

CapRock Communications, a provider of satellite communications to remote environments, announced the launch of NetSpot, an on-demand wireless internet service designed for rigs in the Gulf of Mexico equipped with CapRock’s turnkey VSAT. NetSpot enables rig owners, rig operators and service companies to leverage the wireless hotspot found at the remote rig site for corporate requirements as well as the crew’s recreational use. Any laptop equipped with a wireless card can connect to NetSpot, adding flexibility for service companies that require short-term connectivity, from a few days up to several months, and do not want long-term contracts. The service also provides internet access for onboard crews without impacting the business network.

High-pressure venting plug

The Lee Company has designed a new version of it’s AFO (Axial Force Only) Plug to incorporate an O-ring for additional sealing in critical oil tool applications. This Dual Sealing AFO Plug is designed to vent air from a product when filling it with hydraulic oil or to release trapped high-pressure gas. The plug is designed to be both removable and reusable. It features a floating seal that self-aligns to allow for threaded holes that are not concentric with the through hole. As a result of the plug’s two-piece construction, the seal does not rotate during installation, thus preventing galling of the seat. Manufactured from corrosion-resistant 303 and 15-5 stainless steel, the plug is designed to withstand pressures up to 56,000 psi and temperatures to 600°F.

Formation evaluation tool

APS Technology Inc. has introduced the Wave Propagation Resistivity (WPR) tool, a compensated-geometry, dual-frequency (400 kHz and 2 MHz), dual-spacing formation evaluation tool designed for logging-while-drilling and measurements-after-drilling services in all well types. The tool operates in all mud types, including oil-based and salt-saturated, and provides real-time resistivity with flexible transmission formats. High-resolution data is stored in downhole memory. Downhole storage is 32 MB, with an additional 32 MB in the MWD tool. The memory fill rate of downhole WPR plus Gamma data is 8 MB or less in 120 hours, which can be downloaded in about 10 minutes during a trip. Applications include geosteering, correlation, pore pressure trend analysis, casing point selection, wireline replacement, logging while tripping and logging with and without the flow switch enabled (for air- and foam-drilled wells). Remote access capabilities include diagnostics, real-time and post-survey transfer of data via WISML and remote geosteering. The company also provides a complete set of software-enabled borehole corrections and applications with the tool.

Pipe-welding technology

Miller Electric Mfg. Co.’s Pipe Welding Technique videos are available for free download on the Miller website. These videos explain techniques and technology that increase pipe-welding productivity. Topics include new advances in pipe welding techniques, preparation of the pipe joint, Regulated Metal Deposition (RMD) on carbon steel pipe, RMD on stainless steel pipe and cap-and-fill passes with Pro-Pulse. A free CD containing these videos can also be ordered. The company’s RMD and Pro-Pulse technologies are optimized for pipe welding on steel and stainless steel. RMD creates an exceptionally calm, stable arc and weld puddle, making it ideal for root pass welding. It offers consistently good quality with fewer reworks. It is also easy to use, requiring less weld training time than other techniques, lays down more metal with one pass, eliminating the need for a hot pass, and has the potential to eliminate backing gas to qualify procedures on stainless steel. The Pro-Pulse welding process is a new pulsed welding method suited for fill-and-cap pass welding that provides a shorter arc length and narrow arc cone for out-of-position welding, improved fusion and fill at the toe of the weld, less heat input.