Showcasing early-stage oil and gas applications

The 17 technologies presented at the 2014 showcase included water-soluble chemical treatment packaging (left), a video collaboration system and a mechanical variable-speed drive.

New ideas are emerging continually, in disciplines ranging from nanotechnologies to 3D printing and remote monitoring. How do these ideas percolate through the oil and gas industry, and transition into practical applications? An oilfield company could set up a team of technology scouts to scour new developments underway in a variety of industries, from computing to aerospace and biomedical engineering. An easier avenue is the Oil & Gas Innovation Center. Under the direction of CEO John Barratt, the Palo Alto, Calif.-based center addresses the specific technology needs of the petroleum industry. Technologies showcased by the center are either commercially available or close to this threshold.

A large cross-section of oilfield operators, service companies and equipment manufacturers has joined the Oil & Gas Innovation Center as either sponsors or members. “Subscribers receive detailed information about important new technologies without incurring the travel costs and substantial time commitments required to independently identify these promising breakthroughs,” explained Barratt. “The center is supported entirely by the annual fees paid by the subscribers, and does not participate in any commercial transactions between subscribers and profiled technology companies.”

The Oil & Gas Innovation Center’s 2014 Showcase was hosted by Anadarko Petroleum on April 22, 2014, at its Woodlands conference center in the Houston area. Jim Raney, director of engineering for Anadarko, welcomed the attendees. A total of 17 early-stage companies presented technologies during the one-day conference and exhibition. Several of these technologies are featured here.

NANOTECH GREEN CHEMISTRY

Based in Yadkinville, N. Car., NanoTechLabs specializes in nanomaterial and nanocomposite application development. Petroleum Applications expert Len Wall presented two green chemistry products based on nanotechnology. The first product is Petro-Prep, a synthetic acid that is designed to be a safe replacement for hydrochloric acid. Capable of releasing hydrogen in the presence of mineral salts, Petro-Prep does not cause chemical burns and is non-corrosive, non-fuming and low-foaming. According to Wall, Petro-Prep can be left for up to a month without damaging casing, packers, pumps or seals. Oilfield applications include downhole EOR, frac fluid treatments, tank or pipeline cleaning, and water treatment. Another product from NanoTechLabs is Opti-Floc, a silicon-based flocculating agent that is effective for removing a wide range of heavy metals from water streams. It can be used for treating flowback or produced water for re-use as frac water. It is, however, not effective on comingled water sources.

DROWSINESS DETECTION SYSTEM

James Gorry, President of Global Sales for Australia-based Optalert, made a presentation about the company’s early warning, drowsiness detection system. The Optalert system detects physiological warning signs of very early onset drowsiness, often well in advance of the operator feeling the effects. Optalert is based on the operator using a pair of glasses that is connected to a remote monitoring system. The glasses have a built-in LED detector, which measures the velocity of the operator’s eyelid 500 times a second. These measurements are translated into a score measured on the Johns Drowsiness Scale (JDS), which the operator sees displayed on an indicator positioned in the cab. As part of an effective fatigue management plan, Optalert’s fatigue risk profiling allows online and real-time monitoring of the alertness of an entire team of operators.

HT OPTOELECTRONIC DEVICES

Zephyr Photonics manufactures high-temperature (up to 175°C) optical sensors and associated devices capable of high-speed data transmission and operation in downhole applications. Based on VCSEL technology, these high-temperature components will allow more time for MWD tools to remain downhole for a longer duration. Duane Louderback, president & CTO, made the presentation.

ANTI-CORROSION ANOCOATINGS

Tesla Nanocoatings has developed a protective coating technology, based on the use of carbon nanocoatings, with sacrificial zinc dust for enhanced durability and superior corrosion protection. The carbon nanotubes self-assemble into rope structures, making them highly conductive, tough and flexible. President & Founder Todd Hawkins said the two-coat Tesla product replaces a traditional three-coat system, resulting in 30% reduced labor cost, 200% improved life and 900% ROI. Typical oilfield applications include drilling rigs and offshore platforms, storage tanks and pipelines.

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

Additive manufacturing is an alternative to the conventional methods of removing materials from a larger work piece, such as cutting or grinding. Ceralink has identified laminated object manufacturing, robocasting, and binder jetting as the most effective AM methods for ceramics. President Holly Shulman explained that the method of choice depends on the requirements of the final product, e.g., dense or porous, feature resolution, and surface roughness. For example, the ability to directly print ceramic molds for investment casting is of interest to foundries, as it would eliminate several costly steps.

CHEMICAL PACKAGING

The handling and application of chemical treatments can be a challenge in the oil and gas industry. Jon Gallagher, commercial marketing specialist, described the technology behind MonoDose water-soluble films from MonoSol. The chemical is packaged within the soluble film (similar to the dishwater detergent packs now available). The films can be designed to dissolve faster or slower for the desired activation. Potential oilfield applications include biocides, corrosion inhibitors, surfactants and proppants.

BIG DATA SOLUTION

Big data can mean massive, petabyte-level data sets. The SpaceCurve real-time platform is designed for organizations that want to quickly transform big data into value. SpaceCurve ingests, fuses and analyzes Internet of Things, Industrial Internet, spatial, sensor, weather, social media, historical and other data to deliver immediately actionable intelligence at petabyte scales. According to Susan Spencer, senior vice president of marketing, SpaceCurve allows large volumes, high velocities and wide varieties of data to be immediately fused to create real-time models of reality. Oilfield applications include geophysical and geological modeling and reservoir simulation.

REMOTE VIDEO COLLABORATION

Librestream’s Onsight video collaboration system provides a real-time solution that helps overcome the distance and time that separates field workers from subject matter experts. Onsight enables live collaboration by streaming video, sharing images, engaging in discussions and drawing onscreen. This full-collaboration experience is available, even during ultra-low bandwidth conditions. According to Marieke Wijtkamp, vice president of Marketing & Client Services, oilfield applications include remote offshore and onshore facilities, such as drilling rigs and production platforms, pipelines, and refineries and petrochemical plants.

FAULT DETECTION SYSTEM

The LiveWire SparkChaser is a portable wiring tester capable of identifying and pinpointing the location of wiring faults, including arc faults, on live and deactivated systems. Based on spread-spectrum, time domain reflectometry (SSTDR), the SparkChaser displays and records the type of fault, distance to fault, fault amplitude, and time of occurrence. Test results can also be downloaded for diagnostic purposes and trend analysis. According to James Stephenson, vice president of Technology & Innovation, the oilfield applications include subsea power cables.

MECHANICAL VARIABLE SPEED DRIVE

The Mechatronic VSD is an adjustable speed drive utilizing commercially available synchronous belts with unique toothed sprockets that alter the input–output speed ratio by changing the diameter during operation (under load). According to Paul Bottero, president, the Mechatronic VSD has a distinct advantage in applications that require high starting torque, and it opens the possibility for a smaller, lower-cost motor to be used instead of larger motors, to get difficult loads up to working speeds, quickly and reliably. Oilfield applications include rotating equipment on the drill floor and producing fields.