EXPLORATION | DRILLING | PRODUCTION MAY 2018

Stories from the Past... told

by seismic for the Future
The Barents Sea Atoll
250 million years ago

Spectrum Multi-Client Seismic Data

3.3 million km of global coverage

spectrumgeo.com
TIME TO GET
PUMPED
Our well service customers work in the toughest, most
unforgiving environments. Out there, anything less than your
best won’t get the job done. But we know if we make products
reliable, service swift, and your operation more profitable then
we’ll make things easier.

Thanks to increased rod load, our pumps can handle any job,
anywhere, with the same trailer footprint. With similarly
high-performing, long-lasting fluid ends, valves and seats, all
secured by our PEMS real-time monitoring for performance
gains and savings. Not to mention our local knowledge, can-do
attitude, speedy service, and technical expertise on standby.

Give us a call and let’s talk.

cat.com/oilandgas
© 2018 Caterpillar. All Rights Reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, BUILT FOR IT, their respective logos, ”Caterpillar Yellow,” the ”Power Edge”
trade dress as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.
18 31

03 Comment
Contents May 2018
Volume 11 Issue 05

05 World news 25
This feature showcases technologies designed to
handle the harshest conditions faced by the global oil
10 A light at the end of the tunnel and gas industry. Contributions come from:
David Bizley, Oilfield Technology, discusses recent SA Equip – Taking back the power – Louise Green,
developments in the European oil and gas sector. UK, discusses the importance of understanding the
environment where operations are taking place and the
potential risks involved.
13 Streaming ahead
Subsea Technologies Limited – Unlocking subsea
Andrew Long, PGS, Australia, examines best practice 4D solutions – Drummond Lawson, UK, explores the
streamer survey lessons, principally repeated acquisition and importance of collaboration when developing new
increased 4D signal detection. technologies.

17 Creating a clearer picture 33 Let’s get this straight

Phillip Hargreaves, Spectrum GEO, UK, explores the process Alistair Blair, Merlin ERD Limited, UK, discusses wellbore
of examining source rock presence in frontier offshore basins quality issues in high angle drilling.
using satellite imagery and seismic cross sections.

37 Operating under pressure

21 Small solutions, big impact
Sudhendu Kashikar, Reveal Energy Services, USA, shows
Jeff Forsyth, Alex Borisov, and Hai Wang, nFluids, Canada, how pressure-based fracture maps allow for informed
explore working with nano based drilling fluids. decisions and increased efficiency.

Front cover 41 Maximising returns

OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY

Spectrum is a key player in the Travis Harris, Packers Plus Energy Services, USA,
seismic services market. The EXPLORATION | DRILLING | PRODUCTION MAY 2018
discusses improving reservoir stimulation efficiency in
company holds a global Multi-Client extended reach laterals.
library comprising over 3.3 million km
MAY 2018 | EXPLORATION | DRILLING | PRODUCTION

of high quality 2D marine seismic –

the largest in the world – alongside
45 Analysis of a digital revolution
more than 160 000 km2 of significant Mahesh Konduru, ProSep, USA, discusses how far
3D coverage in key basins. digitisation and digitalisation have come in creating
value within oilfield services.
Stories from the Past... told
The cover image is a seismic slice by seismic for the Future
extracted within the Carbonate of The Barents Sea Atoll
250 million years ago

the Tempelfjorden Group in the

Norwegian Barents Sea (Norsel
High Area) created using seismic
geomorphology. It represents a Spectrum Multi-Client Seismic Data
www.oilfieldtechnology.com

3.3 million km of global coverage

carbonate atoll from the Permian

age, approximately 252 million years spectrumgeo.com

ago, the blue tones are the reef and

the purples/greens are deeper areas,
like lagoons or basins. This Permian
Follow us on Twitter Join us on LinkedIn
environment may have a present day
analogy with present day carbonate
More from @OilfieldTechMag Oilfield Technology

reefs. Read on the go Connect on Google+ Like us on Facebook

App available on Apple/Android Oilfield Technology Oilfield Technology

ISSN 1757-2134
©
Copyright Palladian Publications Ltd 2018. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
Oilfield Technology is audited by the Audit Bureau in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner.
of Circulations (ABC). An audit certificate is
All views expressed in this journal are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily the opinions of the publisher, neither do the publishers
available on request from our sales department.
endorse any of the claims made in the articles or the advertisements. Printed in the UK. Images courtesy of www.shutterstock.com.
Looks Like Magic
Inspiring IOR / EOR Visualisation
Using a Rock-on-a-Chip Approach

HOT0LFURÀXLGLFV PLFURÀXLGLFV#KRWHQJFRP KRWHQJFRP

 Comment David Bizley, Editor
May 2018
Contact us
david.bizley@oilfieldtechnology.com
Editorial

R
ecent events have shown that we continue to live in Managing Editor: James Little
james.little@oilfieldtechnology.com
interesting times. Geopolitical disruption around the world
Editor: David Bizley
has thrown further impetus behind oil prices with Brent david.bizley@oilfieldtechnology.com
rising over US$77/bbl and even WTI rising over US$70/bbl for the Editorial Assistant: Laura Dean
first time in more than three years. laura.dean@oilfieldtechnology.com
Venezuela’s embattled national oil company, PDVSA continues
Design
to struggle under what has been described as a “lack of knowledge and experience”,
Production: Hayley Hamilton-Stewart
“political infighting” and “a lack of investment”1 as the country undergoes continued hayley.stewart@oilfieldtechnology.com
political upheaval.
According to Bloomburg, Rafael Ramirez (former Oil Minister and President of PDVSA Sales
for 10 years) has claimed that the company is now on the edge of collapse. Ramirez Advertisement Director: Rod Hardy
rod.hardy@oilfieldtechnology.com
argues that President Nicolas Maduro’s politically motivated purges of senior PDVSA staff
Advertisement Manager: Ben Macleod
have left the company with inexperienced and ineffective leadership. One key example ben.macleod@oilfieldtechnology.com
cited is the appointment of Major General Manuel Quevedo as the President of the
company and the recent legislation giving him “exorbitant, unprecedented powers”.2 The Website
situation is reportedly so bad that Ramirez expects the company to see output fall by Website Manager: Tom Fullerton
tom.fullerton@oilfieldtechnology.com
600 000 bpd a year from current levels of 1.5 million bpd – a figure that is roughly half of
Digital Editorial Assistant: Nicholas Woodroof
what it was 20 years ago. nicholas.woodroof@oilfieldtechnology.com
And then there is Iran. It had long been expected that President Trump would seek
to end US participation in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (a.k.a. the ‘Iran Deal’), Marketing
which he once referred to as “one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the Subscriptions: Laura White
laura.white@oilfieldtechnology.com
United States has ever entered into.”3 When US withdrawal was confirmed, it prompted an
Administration: Nicola Fuller
immediate surge in oil markets, which rallied around the news that the White House would nicola.fuller@oilfieldtechnology.com
immediately begin working to bring back sanctions on Iran. Aside from generally pushing Reprints:
up the price of oil, it’s difficult to predict how far things will go. Hussein Sayed, Chief reprints@oilfieldtechnology.com
Market Strategist at FXTM, was quoted by the Financial Times as saying “it’s challenging to
know the magnitude of re-imposing sanctions on oil exports from Iran. That’s why analysts’
Palladian Publications Ltd,
expectations varied widely on this front. But prices may remain elevated and even reach 15 South Street, Farnham, Surrey GU9 7QU, UK
US$80 a barrel in the short run.”4 Tel: +44 (0) 1252 718 999 Fax: +44 (0) 1252 718 992
Website: www.oilfieldtechnology.com
Regardless of what happens in Iran or Venezuela, one thing appears certain: US
production will continue to surge and will likely be the main factor preventing prices
soaring back up to 2014 levels. With breakevens as low as US$25/bbl,5 the US rig count
continues to rise. Driven by a booming shale industry, the Permian basin alone is expected
to account for roughly half of all new US production over the next few years, with total US
output expected to rise to more than 12 million bpd by 2020.6
Whether these political disruptions equate to long-term support for oil prices remains
to be seen, but for now at least, the news looks good for the upstream industry.
Subscription
Oilfield Technology subscription rates: Annual subscription
References £80 UK including postage/£95 overseas (postage airmail). Two
year discounted rate £128 UK including postage/£152 overseas
1. ‘Man Who Ran Venezuelan Oil Giant for Decade Predicts Fast Demise’ – https://www.bloomberg. (postage airmail).
com/news/articles/2018-05-04/man-who-ran-venezuelan-oil-giant-for-decade-predicts-fast-demise Subscription claims: Claims for non receipt of issues must be
2. Ibid. made within three months of publication of the issue or they will
3. ‘President Donald J. Trump is Ending United States Participation in an Unacceptable Iran Deal’ – not be honoured without charge.
Applicable only to USA & Canada: OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-ending-united-states- (ISSN No: 1757-2134, USPS No: 025-171) is published monthly
participation-unacceptable-iran-deal/ by Palladian Publications, GBR and is distributed in the USA
4. ‘Iran nuclear worries push crude oil to 4-year high’ – https://www.ft.com/content/1e0d86f6-51a8- by Asendia USA, 17B S Middlesex Ave, Monroe NJ 08831.
11e8-b3ee-41e0209208ec Periodicals postage paid New Brunswick, NJ and additional
mailing offices.
5. ‘Boom in West Texas oil patch lifts wages, prices’ – https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-oil- Postmaster: Send address changes to Oilfield Technology, 701C
record-economy-analysis/boom-time-comes-early-to-west-texas-oil-patch-idUSKBN1I22TF Ashland Ave, Folcroft PA 19032.
6. ‘The U.S. Oil Market Is Surging’ – https://www.forbes.com/sites/judeclemente/2018/05/02/u-s-oil-
market-update-early-may-2018/#62b4e01c7995

May 2018 Oilfield Technology | 3

4 | Oilfield Technology Month 2014
World news May 2018

Expro wins new technology award at OTC Houston In brief

International oilfield services company, Expro, has been recognised for its commitment to Italy
technological innovation after being awarded a Spotlight on New Technology™ award, at this Cabot Energy, the AIM quoted oil and
year’s OTC Houston conference. gas company focused on production
Scrutinised by a panel of industry experts, these awards highlight the best technological led growth balanced with high impact
innovations from businesses around the world, which Expro has received for its Next Generation exploration and appraisal opportunities,
Landing String (NGLS). Launched at last year’s OTC conference, this in-riser well intervention announces that the Environmental
technology meets the integrity, compliance and robustness required of landing strings under Impact Assessment (EIA), which was
the new upcoming API 17G 3rd edition, while also delivering the time and cost-efficiencies submitted to the Italian Ministry of
demanded in today’s energy industry. the Environment for the drilling of an
The NGLS comprises a five phase programme of work to deliver a complete landing string exploration well on the Vesta prospect,
package, including a range of new functionality across its 7 3/8 in. valves. It incorporates a high offshore Sicily, has been approved by the
debris tolerant ball mechanism and hydraulic latch mechanism, dual seal protection for both Italian regulatory authorities.
environment and control systems, increased cutting capability, and a fail ‘as is’ retainer valve With the receipt of the approval
with the ability to close after a blowout preventer shear scenario. of the EIA, the company will now seek
The new functionality is proven through extensive connector testing and analysis, a farm-in partner prior to drilling the
allowing the development of structural and fatigue capacities to increase the operating limits exploration well.
of the overall system. This is complemented by a comprehensive data and fatigue life cycle
management system, which increases overall safety and integrity – with the landing string
certified Safety Integrity Level (SIL) 2 compliant. Morocco
In-riser well intervention can also lower well commissioning and intervention costs by SDX Energy Inc., the North Africa focused
minimising rig times, often installing/completing in one run, thereby improving efficiencies oil and gas company, has spud its LMS-1
during operations. Ultimately, the system can save millions of dollars per well, compared to exploration well on the Lalla Mimouna
traditional methods. permit (SDX 75% working interest) in
Morocco.
LMS-1 is the final well in the
Bibby Offshore deploys Largest ever attendance at company’s nine well drilling campaign in
diving safety system FPSO Research Forum, UK Morocco. The well is anticipated to take
15 to 20 days to drill and if successful,
The company, a leading subsea services Over 140 senior executives from the oil majors,
it will be completed, flow tested and
provider to the oil and gas industry, operators, class societies, service companies,
connected to existing infrastructure.
provided its divers with the Compact Bailout academic and research establishments and
Rebreathing Apparatus (COBRA), during a regulators, met in Cumbria in April for the
recent contract with BP North Sea. 40th anniversary of the FPSO Forum, held for Nigeria
Working at depths of up to 110 m, the the first time in the UK. Ampelmann, a leader in the provision
Bibby divers using the COBRA system to The FPSO Forum objective is to share of safe offshore access to the global
deliver electrical umbilical installation, information and improve the FPSO industry. energy industries, has secured
subsea control module (SCM) change-out, The highlight of the week was the two contracts with vessel owner
and production and controls system integrity visit to EM&I’s Technology Centre to see L.A.T.C Marine Limited, on behalf of
testing, deisolation and commissioning demonstrations of some of the most ExxonMobil, for the supply of two L-type
services. successful innovations to come out of gangway systems, offshore Nigeria.
COBRA, developed by JFD, is a simple, the HITS (Hull Inspection Techniques and Following successful sea trials of the
highly reliable bailout system which offers Strategies) JIP (Joint Industry Project), which L-type gangway system, the integrated
divers up to 45 minutes of fully independent EM&I have been leading on behalf of the solution was approved for operations.
breathing gas in an emergency situation. Research Forum for the last 6 years. Vessel owner L.A.T.C Marine has installed
Bibby Offshore’s deployment of the system Oil majors such as Chevron, the personnel transfer system on its
is a first for the North Sea since its introduction ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Inpex, Damen FCS-5009 Fast Crew Suppliervessel
to market last year, with the company playing a Petrobras, Statoil & Total were in Dijama for infield operations with
key part in testing in 2017. attendance. ExxonMobil.

May 2018 Oilfield Technology | 5

 World news May 2018

Diary dates
20 - 23 May, 2018 Over US$9.9 billion to be iQx delivers first end of
AAPG ACE spent by operators well report
Salt Lake City, USA
E: convene@aapg.org Over US$9.9 billion in capital Aker BP recently delivered the first end
https://ace.aapg.org/2018 expenditure (Capex) will be spent of well report generated from AGR’s iQx
by Qatar-focused operators on gas system. This was done on the exploration
11 - 14 June, 2018 projects between 2018 and 2021 to wells Hyrokkin and Delta/Nordfjellet
ensure that country’s production will drilled with Maersk Interceptor.
EAGE
Copenhagen, Denmark remain around 18.1 billion ft3/d in With iQx End of Well Reporting,
E: annual2018@eage.org 2021, according to GlobalData. data in the iQx application is used to
www.eageannual2018.org Qatar Petroleum will drive Qatar’s auto-populate the end of well report,
gas production with 62.1% share of all thereby saving time and ensuring that
the production in 2021. Exxon Mobil the data in internal systems is correct.
12 - 14 June, 2018
Corporation and Total SA follow with Most of the data in the report is
Global Petroleum Show 2018 23.8 and 3.5%, respectively. transferred directly from Aker BP’s
Calgary, Canada Qatar has two key upcoming Daily Drilling Reporting system, while
E: gpssales@dmgevents.com
gas projects, Barzan, which will be experiences, section summaries and
https://globalpetroleumshow.com
producing by 2021 and North Field scanned PDFs are added directly into iQx
Expansion. in an intuitive way. As the application
25 - 29 June, 2018 Qatar Petroleum will lead is a web-based collaboration platform,
World Gas Conference 2018 in greenfield gas projects, with one can easily assign responsibilities for
Washington DC, USA participation in both the projects. chapters to both offshore team and/or
E: info@wgc2018.com Shallow water projects require a gas service companies, and with its work
https://wgc2018.com price of US$1 per thousand ft3 for the process standardise reports across
development to break even. project teams.
23 - 25 July, 2018
URTeC BP selects Nexans to supply umbilicals for
Houston, USA
E: urtec@urtec.org Mad Dog project
http://urtec.org/2018
BP has selected Nexans to supply umbilicals for the second stage development of the
Mad Dog offshore field in the Gulf of Mexico.
Web news The Mad Dog 2 project is a deepwater oil and gas production development located in
highlights the Southern Green Canyon area of Gulf of Mexico, approximately 320 km (200 miles) south
of New Orleans, Louisiana. BP discovered the Mad Dog Field in 1998 and it is still one of the
largest discoveries in the region.
Ì Comet Ridge ready to spud appraisal Within an existing five-year frame agreement, BP has ordered Nexans’ static
well in the Galilee Basin in May. and dynamic umbilicals and accessories that will be deployed in water depths from
Ì Barossa enters FEED providing pathway
approximately 1280 m to 2160 m (4200 ft to 7100 ft) to connect the field to the floating
production unit (FPU). The scope of work includes three different umbilical designs
to more than double Santos’ Northern
Australia production. integrating hydraulic, data and fibre optic services.

Ì Saipem awarded new contracts in

Offshore Drilling and Offshore E&C.
To read more about these articles
and for more event listings go to:
www.oilfieldtechnology.com
Winifred Patricia Johansen, Business Development Manager for the Subsea and Land
Systems business group at Nexans said: “We are committed to developing long-lasting
solutions in a strongly competitive environment and over the years we have delivered
many projects together with BP, including projects in the Gulf of Mexico. This contract
confirms the trust BP has in Nexans, and we look forward to a new successful collaboration
for the Mad Dog 2 project.”
The electrical and fibre optic elements will be manufactured at Nexans Norway plant
in Rognan, Norway and the umbilicals will be developed, manufactured and tested at
Nexans Norway specialised plant in Halden, Norway.

6 | Oilfield Technology May 2018

www.redlinepacking.gardnerdenverpumps.com

PRESSURE RINGS

HEADER RING

PERFORMANCE
UNDER PRESSURE.
IN T R O D U C I N G R E D L I N E PAC K I N G F R O M G A R D N E R D E N V E R
In Gardner Denver’s commitment to continuous innovation, we’ve reached another milestone —
packing that withstands today’s high pressure fracking environments. We’ve reinvented packing
by utilizing first principles in material chemistry and seal design. After extensive testing throughout
the most challenging shale plays in North America, we can say with confidence that Redline Packing
performs under pressure. Gardner Denver’s commitment to serve and dedication to partner with
customers has led to this breakthrough technology entering the market.

OUR FIELD TRIALS PROVED THAT REDLINE PACKING ACHIEVES

1 Improved performance 2 Significant reductions in 3 2x the product life versus

against heat, friction scheduled maintenance leading competitors according
and pressure time— as much as 50%— to customer reports
increasing fleet utilization
and profits
 World news May 2018

Ely and Associates Corp and Mosaic Petroleum Analytics LLC Attollo secures jack up
joint venture contracts
Ely and Associates Corp has formed a mutually beneficial Joint Venture with Mosaic Attollo Offshore has heralded Q2 by
Petroleum Analytics LLC. Ely and Associates Corp is the largest hydraulic fracturing consulting signing multiple multi-million jack up
company in the US. They work worldwide and their primary focus is the design and contracts within the oil and gas and
implementation of hydraulic fracturing treatments. Major customers include hundreds of renewable energy sectors.
independent, as well as major, oil companies. They have more than 90 service engineers in The contracts will see the
field operations worldwide. Ely, in its 27th year, is known for not only complex conventional Aberdeen-based company provide
and unconventional fracture design and quality assurance for E&Ps but also works closely in propelled and non-propelled
completion design and refracturing of previously stimulated reservoirs. accommodation jack up rigs to
Mosaic Petroleum Analytics LLC is a newly formed Texas-based company which uses operators until the end of 2018.
customer and public industry databases, proprietary algorithms, and workflows that quantify Explaining the benefits, Ben Moore,
how individual completion parameters and lateral spacing influence early production, Managing Director at Attollo Offshore,
ultimate reserves and investment economics. Mosaic blends empirical analysis with said: “A stable platform which
physics-based tools to quantify the value uplift of optimal and near-optimal completion eliminates personnel transfers improves
designs. Mosaic is staffed with recognised world-class experts that have more than 240 years any project’s risk profile, safety
of combined experience, almost all of which is in unconventional reservoirs. Their experience performance, operational output and
and insight into the technical, management and board perspectives for acquiring, evaluating, project costs.
developing and selling unconventional assets and companies provides a unique combination “These contracts see Attollo Offshore
of technical and business acumen. operating across sectors, asset classes
The combined talent of the two companies yields a joint venture with a significant array and jurisdictions; they truly represent
of experience, data and tools which can be brought to bear for exploration and development an important milestone in our mission
companies in either acquisitions or evaluating the short and long-term economics of to fundamentally move the needle in
completion strategies and reservoirs. improving offshore marine operations.”

BP and Petrobras form Siccar Point Energy confirms Total to develop AI

alliance
BP and state-owned Brazilian oil company
Petrobras have announced that they have
signed a memorandum of understanding
to form a strategic alliance to jointly
explore potential business opportunities
both in Brazil and beyond.
Petrobras is globally recognised as
the world’s leading deepwater company,
producing in excess of 2.6 million bpd.
The memorandum of understanding
will see the companies explore
cooperation in areas including upstream,
downstream, trading and across low
carbon initiatives.
The alliance is also expected to
include the transfer of technology, as well
as joint training and research.
President of Petrobras Pedro Parente
said: “Our partnership is based on
common values and business principles
that guide both companies.”
BP and Petrobras already have joint
interests in 16 exploration blocks in
Brazil.
Cambo well spud
Siccar Point Energy has started drilling a final
appraisal well on the Cambo field, north-west of
Shetland, with results expected this summer.
The Aberdeen based production,
development and exploration company, has also
confirmed the completion of a sale and purchase
agreement with Shell UK Limited, on 1 May 2018,
for a minority interest of the acreage, 125 km
north-west of Shetland.
Shell has acquired a 30% non-operated
working interest in UKCS licences P1028 and
P1189 (incorporating the Cambo discovery) and
a 22.5% non-operated working interest in P1830
(including the Blackrock prospect). An exploration
well is also planned on the nearby Blackrock
prospect in 2019.
Details of the consideration are not being
disclosed, but include a cost carry contribution on
both the wells and any subsequently approved
development on Cambo.
Cambo is a large basement high with
sedimentary sequences draped over the top
of the structure. The field contains at least
600 million bbls of oil in place.
solutions
Total and Google Cloud have signed an
agreement to jointly develop artificial
intelligence (A.I.) solutions applied to
subsurface data analysis for oil and gas
exploration and production.
The agreement focuses on the
development of AI programs that
will make it possible to interpret
subsurface images, notably from
seismic studies (using Computer Vision
technology) and automate the analysis
of technical documents (using Natural
Language Processing technology).
These programs will allow Total’s
geologists, geophysicists, reservoir and
geoinformation engineers to explore and
assess oil and gas fields faster and more
effectively.
Under this partnership, Total
geoscientists will work side-by-side with
Google Cloud’s machine learning experts
within the same project team based in
Google Cloud’s Advanced Solutions Lab in
California.

8 | Oilfield Technology May 2018

 Start from a place of safetty.

Since 1924, the American Petroleum Institute has been a cornerstone in establish-
ing and maintaining standards for the worldwide oil and natural gas industry. Our
work helps the industry invent and manufacture superior products consistently,
provide critical services, ensure fairness in the marketplace for businesses and
consumers alike, and promotes the acceptance of products and practices globally.
API Standards enhance the safety of industry operations, assure quality, help keep
costs down, reduce waste, and minimize confusion.
They help speed acceptance, bring products to market
quicker, and avoid having to reinvent the wheel every
time a product is manufactured. Start your project from
a place of safety. Start today at API.org/Compass.

Copyright 2018 – American Petroleum Institute, all rights reserved. API and the API logo are trademarks or registered trademarks
of API in the United States and/or other countries.
10 |
A Light at
the End of
the Tunnel
David Bizley, Oilfield Technology, discusses
recent developments in the European oil and gas
sector.

W
ith oil prices continuing to rise, supported by OPEC production cuts, the
global upstream industry is at last beginning to see something of a recovery.
Whilst a return to the heady days of US$100 oil might not be on the cards,
current prices (in the mid US$70s at the time of writing) coupled with a leaner, more
efficient industry, point to a light at the end of the tunnel; it would appear that the
worst has passed.
Whilst the impact of the downturn was felt globally, with even the most
cost-efficient regions undergoing financial hardship, the North Sea and, more
broadly, the entire European oil industry were amongst the worst affected anywhere.

The North Sea: reacting to ‘lower-for-longer’

The North Sea sector has had, to put it mildly, a particularly challenging few years.
Although hardly anyone predicted the precipitous downturn that began in the latter
half of 2014, the North Sea found itself particularly ill-prepared. The challenges that
had dogged the region prior to the downturn – maturing fields, ageing infrastructure,
cost inflation, high break-evens, and declining investment – suddenly represented a
truly existential threat. The region’s rapidly changing circumstances led to a wave of
disruption that included layoffs, project delays and cancellations, cost cutting and
company restructuring.

| 11
 PwC commissioned a review of 30 senior industry
stakeholders from the UK, Netherlands and Norway in order
to canvas their thoughts on the state of the sector and
highlight possible solutions.1 The review concluded that,
amongst other aspects, a strong focus on cost-efficiency with
capital availability, government support, and innovative new
technologies would be key to any recovery.
As the fourth anniversary of the downturn approaches, it
appears that this assessment was fairly accurate. Whilst it is
true that rising oil prices have been a major contributing factor
behind the sector’s gradual recovery, both government and the
industry itself have undergone significant changes in terms of
how they approach business in the North Sea. Deirdre Mitchie,
CEO of Oil & Gas UK, was quoted as saying that “Our sector is
leaner, more efficient and more optimistic than it has been in
recent years […] More projects are taking place and investment
is happening because of the sweeping changes made to adapt
to the challenging business climate. This has helped make the
UKCS one of the most attractive mature basins in the world
in which to do business and we will continue to work hard to
maintain our competitive advantage.”2
Further good news is on the horizon in the form of a
possible £1 trillion deal between the UK government and the
North Sea industry. Both the Scottish Secretary, David Mundell,
and Scottish Conservative Leader, Ruth Davidson, have hinted
that the highly lucrative deal had every possibility of coming
to fruition.3 Whilst precise details have yet to be confirmed,
the deal is expected to provide support worth £1 trillion over
17 years, and will likely be focused on extending the life of
North Sea operations and supporting investment in new
technology, particularly in areas such as decommissioning.4
E&P across Europe
To further put the impact of the downturn into perspective,
according to Oil and Gas UK, only 94 wells were drilled in the
North Sea in 2017. This was the first time since 1973 that the
sector saw fewer than 100 new wells in a year.5 However, rising
prices and returning investment have prompted fresh E&P
activity, not just in the North Sea, but across Europe as well.
According to a report by analysts at GlobalData, the
continent is now expected to see 81 new oil and gas projects
begin production by 2025, with E&P activity occurring in the
UK, Norway, Italy, Denmark, Cyprus, Greece, Romania, the
Netherlands, and Poland. As might be expected, the UK and
Norway will lead the field in terms of numbers, with 37 and 28
new projects respectively.6
The report goes into further detail in terms of expected
production numbers: “Offshore developments will be
responsible for over 84% of Europe’s new gas production in
2025, deepwater fields will bring 1.8 billion ft3/d, shallow
water and ultra-deepwater will contribute 1.6 billion and
452 million ft3/d respectively. New onshore gas projects will
add 764 million ft3/d to the region’s gas production by 2025.
Similarly to gas, close to 97% of new oil production in 2025 will
come from offshore fields. Shallow water fields will contribute
929 000 bpd, deepwater and ultra-deepwater developments
will bring on 515 and 1000 bpd respectively by 2025. The
remaining 3% of Europe’s oil and condensate production in
2025, or 51 000 bpd, will come from onshore fields.”7
Up to 16 of these new developments will begin
production this year in the UK North Sea. These include
12 | Oilfield Technology May 2018
Shell’s redevelopment of the Penguins field 150 miles north
of the Shetland Isles. First discovered in 1974 and initially
developed in 2002, the redevelopment will be conducted in
partnership with ExxonMobil and is expected to cost more
than US$1 billion.8 The redevelopment plan authorises the
construction of an FPSO and the first new manned platform
in the northern North Sea for nearly three decades. Shell
estimates that the prospect will be economically viable even
at prices below US$40/bbl and the FPSO is expected to have a
peak output of approximately 45 000 boe/d.
There is positive news from Premier Oil too, which
is looking to sanction the development of the Tolmount
gas field at some point in 2018. The field, located in the
Southern North Sea, is expected to provide the next phase of
growth for the business. The company envisages that the initial
phase, which will target the Tolmount main structure, will
recover 540 billion ft3 of gas from four wells, with production
expected to average 50 000 boe/d over the next five years.9
However, it is not just the North Sea where Europe is
seeing E&P activity. Eni recently made a lean gas discovery
offshore Cyprus. The Calypso 1 well, which was drilled in water
depths of over 2074 m. Early reports show that the reservoir
has excellent characteristics. Eni referred to the discovery as
“promising” and stated that it “confirms the extension of the
‘Zohr like’ play in the Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone.”10
Po Valley Energy also made a significant gas discovery
onshore Italy earlier this year at its Podere Gallina (Selva)
license. Situated in Northern Italy across the Ferrara and
Bologna provinces, strong gas flows from two reservoirs quickly
showed the find to be commercial. One reservoir reported a
peak flow of just under 150 000 Sm3/d and the other showed just
under 130 000 Sm3/d. Estimates show that the prospect is likely
to have resources of approximately 17 billion ft3.11
Looking ahead
With E&P activity returning to the North Sea and elsewhere in
Europe, a renewed sense of cautious optimism can be seen
across the sector. Major challenges remain, such as a need to
attract continued investment and prepare for an imminent
skills gap, but economic conditions are amongst the best the
sector has seen since 2014. With the support of improved oil
prices and an industry that is keen to take advantage of the
latest digital technologies, things are beginning to look up for
oil and gas across the region. 
References
1. ‘A Sea Change’ – https://www.pwc.co.uk/industries/oil-gas/insights/the-
future-of-the-north-sea.html
2. ‘Resilient and reshaping but greater activity needed to fully reboot
industry’ – https://oilandgasuk.co.uk/resilient-and-reshaping-but-
greater-activity-needed-to-fully-reboot-industry/
3. ‘UK Government ‘open’ to £1 trillion sector deal for oil industry’
– https://www.energyvoice.com/oilandgas/north-sea/168195/
uk-government-open-to-1trillion-sector-deal-for-oil-industry/
4. Ibid.
5. ‘North Sea oil and gas exploration ‘at lowest level since 1970s’ – http://
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-43461811
6. ‘81 new oil and gas projects in Europe to commence production by
2025, says GlobalData’ – GlobalData, (05 April, 2018).
7. Ibid.
8. ‘Shell gives green light to first big North Sea project in 6 years’ – https://
www.ft.com/content/f56ddfb2-f9f9-11e7-9b32-d7d59aace167
9. ‘Full Year Results for the year ended 31 December 2017’ – http://www.
premier-oil.com/sites/default/files/press/2017-full-year-results.pdf
10. ‘Eni announces a gas discovery Offshore Cyprus’ – https://www.eni.com/
en_IT/media/2018/02/eni-announces-a-gas-discovery-offshore-cyprus
11. ‘P.Gallina (Selva)’ – https://www.povalley.com/en/projects/selva
Streaming
Ahead
Andrew Long, PGS, Australia, examines
best practice 4D streamer survey lessons,
principally repeated acquisition and
increased 4D signal detection.

I
f the source and receiver positions used to acquire a 4D
baseline survey are exactly repeated in the 4D monitor
survey it follows that most of the difference observed in the
seismic response (the 4D seismic difference result) is related
to changes in the physical state of the reservoir during the
production interval between the acquisitions of each survey.
Alternatively, ‘4D noise’ increasingly contaminates the
4D difference result as the source and receiver
position increasingly deviate between
the 4D baseline and monitor surveys.
If no reservoir production occurred, the
‘non-repeatability’ of the seismic data
should be minimal when the source and
receiver positions are unchanged: any
seismic differences are likely to be
random.
The other sources of
‘non-repeatability’ in 4D data arise
from: dynamic sea state changes during
each 4D survey, changes in the water column that
affect the speed of sound (salinity, temperature, etc.)
between each survey, differences in the environmental noise,
changes in the acquisition systems, changes in the source and
receiver depths, and so on. In addition, as the individual air gun

| 13

Figure 1. Schematic illustration of the relationship between the NRMS amplitude
error and the combined source and receiver position error during 4D projects. The
detectability of weak 4D signals improves as the level of 4D noise is decreased for
a given source and receiver position error.
Figure 2. Automated source steering system (SSS) steering wings on each PGS
source sub-array enable ± 40 m lateral steering range for each source array –
translating to typical source position errors of less than ± 2 m during 4D survey
matching of previous source positions. Two GPS towers on each sub-array enable
precise positions to be computed for every air gun location during each shot.
Figure 3. 4D monitor survey shot positions colour-coded by the lateral source
position error from the 4D baseline shot positions.
14 | Oilfield Technology May 2018
elements suspended below each source array move around
in response to sea-surface and drag forces during towing, and
the bubble energy for each shot is dynamic as it rises to the
surface, shot-to-shot variations in the emitted source wavefield
also contribute to non-repeatability in the 4D signal.
Physical steering technologies applied to each towed
source sub-array and applied to densely-spaced dual-sensor
streamers can be collectively managed by accurate navigation
and acoustic positioning systems. When complemented by
‘overlap’ streamers to maximise receiver redundancy, the
combined high-density 4D (HD4D) steerable source and
streamer network demonstrably provides the most accurate
and robust 4D survey repeatability. In practice, good 4D survey
management minimises (dR + dS) for each offset class of each
common midpoint (CMP) seismic trace (the combined source
and receiver position error), where dR is the error between the
respective 4D baseline and monitor receiver positions, and dS
is the error between the respective 4D baseline and monitor
source positions.
It is demonstrated how dual-sensor streamers can be
towed deep in a low noise environment without being
affected by traditional ghost effects, and in a manner that
mitigates how variations in sea state affect the recorded
seismic wavefield at each receiver location. A signal
processing solution known as wavefield separation provides
the highest fidelity 4D data platform, as well as enabling
backward-compatibility to legacy hydrophone-only baseline
acquired with shallow streamer depths. Recent developments
in calibrated shot-by-shot source signature measurement also
mitigate how variations in sea state affect the emitted seismic
wavefield at each shot location.
Figure 1 schematically illustrates that as the combined
source and receiver position error for each offset class of
each CMP trace decreases, so will the normalised RMS (NRMS)
amplitude error observed between each respective 4D baseline
and monitor trace. This NRMS amplitude difference is regarded
as the ‘4D noise’ that is unrelated to physical changes in the
reservoir state due to depletion or enhanced recovery efforts.
Furthermore, the NRMS amplitude difference for a given
combined source and receiver position error will decrease as
various aforementioned dynamic noise sources decrease.
Solutions to acquisition geometry errors
The ability to accurately control all source and receiver
positions during towed streamer operations begins with
precise knowledge of all their positions during every shot.
In a modern seismic vessel fleet, such as that operated by
PGS, a dense acoustic network positioning system links the
precise locations of the vessel, each paravane, each source
sub-array, and locations along each streamer for every shot.
This acoustic positioning network is integrated with digital
global positioning system (DGPS) units mounted on the vessel,
each paravane, each source sub-array (two GPS towers per
sub-array), and the rear of each GeoStreamer. The collective
streamer positioning (SPOS) system is interfaced onboard
each PGS vessel with a navigation command and control
system, and is used to control both the depth and lateral
control devices mounted along each streamer (dual-sensor
GeoStreamers) and the source steering system (SSS) mounted
on each source sub-array.
PGS recognised that developing a steering capability for
every one of the six source sub-arrays towed several hundred
metres behind each Ramform vessel workhorse would provide Dynamic changes in sea-surface height and shape affect
the freedom for each sub-array to steer itself along survey each recorded shot gather: the ‘imprint’ of the sea-surface (the
pre-plot lines whilst the vessel steers to optimise the streamer down-going ‘ghost’ pressure wavefield) is embedded throughout
spread locations (a large object towing a far more massive
object with considerable towing forces involved: 18 000 kW
of thrust power and up to 303 t of bollard pull per Titan-class
vessel). The steering devices shown in Figure 2 enable fully
automated steering where each sub-array can move laterally
up to ± 40 m from the natural towing position: more than the
width of a regulation soccer pitch. In calibrated testing, the
mean lateral source position error from the target trajectory is
less than ± 2 m.
A streamer steering solution has also been developed
in partnership with Kongsberg for the dual-sensor
GeoStreamer platform; offering both depth and lateral
steering control. Attention was given to building a fully
integrated, low-diameter streamer system that does not
cause drag or turbulence effects at the bird location, and is Figure 4. Schematic illustration of dual-sensor wavefield separation.
low-noise even under vessel line turning conditions. Streamer Hydrophone-only streamers record total pressure wavefield (P-TOT) data that
feathering can typically be controlled in an automated is the summation of the ghost-free up-going pressure wavefield (P-UP) and the
manner within ± 3˚. The use of a very dense and large array ‘ghost’ down-going pressure wavefield (P-DWN). P-DWN contains the dynamic
of streamers, a Ramform vessel hallmark, also ensures the imprint of the free-surface of the ocean; introducing 4D noise and degrading
maximum availability of CMP offset class traces for matching signal resolution. Dual-sensor streamer data can isolate P-UP and remove
the source and receiver positions during 4D data processing. P-DWN, thereby providing the best platform for improving 4D signal detection.
Furthermore, the towing of additional ‘overlap’ streamers Refer also to Figure 5.
outside the nominal streamer spread ensures that CMP fold at
all offset classes is preserved whenever streamer feathering
affects the longer offsets.1
Figure 3 shows a real 4D monitor survey vessel pre-plot
where the colour scale represents the average lateral
source position error – controlled by the source steering
management. The inline source position error is influenced
by the source firing time error at each baseline shot position;
typically very small. PGS 4D surveys traditionally operate with
more than 90% of radial shot position errors being less than
2 m.
Working as an integrated system, the 4D position error for
each monitor survey is minimised for each CMP offset class
trace using the following strategy:
Ì The vessel steers in a manner that guides the front of
the streamer spread along the baseline trajectory, and
is complemented at longer offsets by dense streamer
spreads with automated streamer steering.
Ì Automated source array steering to match the baseline
source positions.

Solutions to sea-surface state variation

The use of flat streamer depth profiles ensures that the
seismic wavefield has consistent spatial and temporal signal
properties everywhere, which is important for any trace
interpolation fidelity during data regularisation, and for the
accuracy of trace matching during 4D binning in processing. By
the use of dual-sensor streamers, flexibility is introduced into
how the front end of streamers can be configured to reduce
drag, streamer tension and associated mechanical noise.
Carlson et al.2 discuss how wavefield separation enables Figure 5. (Top) When P-UP data is available for both the 4D baseline and monitor
dual-sensor streamers to be towed very deep where they are surveys the 4D difference result will reveal the 4D signal response to changes in
much less sensitive to noise from sea swell and environmental reservoir state with minimum 4D noise and maximum detectability. (Bottom)
forces, and how ghost-free data can be isolated in a manner When sea state variability affects one of both of the baseline and monitor surveys
that is AVO- and phase-compliant over all frequencies of (i.e. P-DWN is included in the data) the 4D difference result is contaminated by
interest, and in a manner that is insensitive to local streamer 4D noise, and the 4D signal response to changes in reservoir state has lower
depth variations or local sea-surface height variations. detectability.

May 2018 Oilfield Technology | 15

all two-way time (TWT) and cannot be removed using signal
processing of hydrophone-only streamers. In contrast, wavefield
separation of dual-sensor streamer data enable the ghost-free
up-going pressure wavefield (P-UP) to be isolated without any
imprint of the down-going pressure wavefield (P-DWN); as shown
in Figure 4. Correspondingly, Figure 5 shows that 4D differencing
of P-UP baseline and P-UP monitor data contains no 4D noise
associated with dynamic sea-surface effects, whereas 4D noise
will dominate the difference result, masking any reservoir signals
if either/both the baseline or monitor surveys contain P-DWN
wavefield effects. The use of P-UP for 4D differencing not only
recovers the frequencies in the receiver ghost notches but also
preserves the most repeatable part of the seismic signal.3
Of particular relevance where the 4D baseline survey has
been acquired with hydrophone-only streamers – typically with
shallow towing depth to reduce the free-surface ghost effects
upon higher frequencies – the P-UP ghost-free wavefield from
a 4D monitor survey with deep towing depth can be accurately
redatumed for backward compatibility.
Solutions to source wavefield variation
The methodology of Ziolkowski, et al.4 that uses near-field
hydrophone recordings during each shot to estimate the
‘notional source signature’ at each air gun location has been
known for more than two decades, but the implementation has
historically been overly-simplistic when attempting to derive
the far-field source signature for each shot. Approximations
made include assumptions that the sea-surface is flat, often
neglecting vessel and air bubble relative motion or making the
assumptions that air bubbles move through the water with
constant rise velocity, and no data is used about the true relative
spatial location of each air gun during the firing of each shot. In
fact, the sea-surface is rough and dynamic (as discussed earlier),
bubble movement is non-linear and highly dynamic, and drag
forces combined with sea-surface height changes may cause
the relative separation between the air guns to vary by tens of
centimetres between each shot.
Figure 6. 500 sequential shot-by-shot far-field signatures for mild sea
state (left), and rough sea state (right).
16 | Oilfield Technology May 2018
In addition, the ability to accurately model the viscoelastic
behaviour of bubbles and the emitted source wavefield is
essential for any source monitoring system where calibration
of recorded near-field hydrophone data is required. A decade
of ‘broadband’ seismic development by the oil industry has
revealed that the low frequency (2 - 6 Hz) accuracy of legacy
source modelling software was unacceptable for such pursuits.
Tabti et al.5 describe modern best practice air gun source
modelling and monitoring that include the following considerations:
Ì Developing and implementing new physical descriptions
of non-linear bubble behaviour and the emitted source
wavefield characteristics – notably at low frequencies.
Comparison of modelled far-field signatures to calibrated
measurements is now accurate over all frequencies.
Ì
Developing an entirely new source monitoring and QC
system that integrates a large number of complementary
systems (source sub-array separation and steering control,
positioning, and environmental monitoring), records
sophisticated source diagnostics, has unlimited fibre optic
telemetry bandwidth, and enables the independent firing
and recording of data from each individual air gun.
Figure 6 shows how the variability in estimated source
signatures for 500 consecutive shots increases with deteriorating
sea state. The use of accurate source signatures in signal
processing will reduce noise that masks the 4D signal.
Summary
A series of engineering solutions allow the towed streamer seismic
data acquired during any 4D monitor survey to be relatively
insensitive to the many dynamic forces that traditionally mask
subtle reservoir signals. Most notably, independent steering of
each source sub-array and the streamer spread, calibrated to
an integrated acoustic network and DGPS positioning system,
maximise the likelihood that all source and receiver positions in
a 4D baseline survey can be repeated in each 4D monitor survey
– particularly when a dense spread of dual-sensor streamers is
towed with additional overlap streamers. A direct correlation is
always observed between smaller combined source and receiver
position error versus 4D noise.
The level of 4D noise for a given combined source and
receiver position error can then be reduced by limiting the
exposure of the acquisition system to dynamic sea state
and environmental noise during survey acquisition, thereby
improving 4D signal detectability. Deep tow of dual-sensor
streamers enables the sea-state effects to be removed whilst
maximising signal bandwidth. Furthermore, variability in
the emitted source wavefield is removed using calibrated
shot-by-shot source signatures. 
References
1. Widmaier, M., Hegna, S., Smit, F., and Tijdens, E., ‘A strategy for optimal
marine 4D acquisition’, 73rd SEG Technical Program, Expanded Abstracts,
1533 - 1536. https://doi.org/10.1190/1.1817587, (2003).
2. Carlson, D.H., Long, A., Söllner, W., Tabti, H., Tenghamn, R., and Lunde,
N., ‘Increased resolution and penetration from a towed dual-sensor
streamer’, First Break, 25(12), 71 - 77, (2007).
3. Lecerf, D., Burren, J., Hodges, E., and Barros, C., ‘Repeatability measure
for broadband 4D seismic’, 85th SEG Technical Program, Expanded
Abstracts, 5483 - 5487. https://doi.org/10.1190/segam2015-5927745.1,
(2015).
4. Ziolkowski, A., Parkes, G., Hatton, L., and Haugland, T., ‘The signature
of an air gun array: Computation from near field measurements
including interactions’, Geophysics, 47(10), 1413 - 1421. https://doi.
org/10.1190/1.1441289, (1982).
5. Tabti, H., Høy, T., Wright, A., Barker, D., and Drossaert, F., ‘Shot by shot
source wave field estimation. EAGE Conference & Exhibition,’ Extended
Abstracts, Tu A4 07. https://doi.org/10.3997/2214-4609.201700844, (2017).
Creating
cover
stor y

a clearer
picture
Phillip Hargreaves,
Spectrum GEO, UK, explores
the process of examining source
rock presence in frontier offshore
basins using satellite imagery and
seismic cross sections.

T
hose who have ever traced a hydrocarbon source rock
interval across a long regional seismic line will have
likely experienced the challenge in tracking a deeply
buried source rock.
The source rock interval of a hydrocarbon play concept
can be a difficult sedimentary element to resolve using seismic
imaging. For a source rock to be sufficiently matured it is likely
to be quite deep in the section, sometimes much deeper than
the reservoir and trap components. Energy returned from these
deeper intervals is generally lower, so the clarity of the seismic
image can be less defined. Also, seismic survey design and image
processing is often tuned to maximise imaging at reservoir level
to better define prospects rather than source rocks. Historically,
the short cable lengths of most 1980 - 1990 seismic campaigns
significantly reduced the imaging power at source rock interval
depths. In a mature basin, with reasonably distributed well
control at source interval depth, it is possible to be more
confident of source rock interpretation. Understanding
the presence, distribution and maturity of a source rock in
frontier basins with little well control is risky; there is a big
difference between ‘mapping the source rock interval’ and
‘proving the presence of a mature hydrocarbon source.’
Technological principle
Clusters of persistent sea surface slicks (those that occur in the
same place over many different dates) can be direct hydrocarbon
indicators; their presence is indicative of a working subsurface
hydrocarbon system. This concept has been proven in many

| 17
areas around the world, including the Mexican Gulf of Mexico.
The observation of sea surface slicks by Mexican fishermen in the
1970s led to the discovery of one of the world’s largest oilfields:
Cantarell. Today, satellite imagery can be used to identify sea
Figure 1. Landsat 8 image showing a Sea surface slick detected offshore
Croatia. Slicks are persistently observed in this location. (Satellite
imagery courtesy of the US Geological Survey).
Figure 2. Seismic cross section beneath a strong cluster of sea surface
slicks in the Western Mediterranean.
Figure 3. Halite seal in the Western Mediterranean.
18 | Oilfield Technology May 2018
surface slicks and survey basin sized areas quickly, significantly
reducing the uncertainties associated with source rock mapping.
Recent growth in the availability of satellite imagery data
has been remarkable – some satellite providers are now capable
of delivering an image of any part of the world each day. The
principle of satellite imaging takes advantage of the difference
in surface texture between a natural sea surface and an oil slick
floating on top of the sea. In suitable conditions the sea surface
is slightly rougher than the oil slick; sunlight reflects off the slick
in a different direction than the sea and this is captured by the
satellite image (Figure 1).
However, the technique is weather dependant: if the sea is
too rough then any oil floating in the sea is dispersed too quickly
to form a large slick. On calm days, the sea surface will have a
smooth texture similar to an oil slick making detection difficult.
There is also the problem of pollution: the observation of
a single slick in an area with frequent passing vessel activity
could be the result of pollution rather than naturally occurring
oil seeps. Differentiation between the two is important, but their
appearance is similar. By comparing many images over the same
location from different dates, it is possible to identify locations
where surface oils appear regularly, reducing the likelihood of
false identification of an anthropogenic oil source.
The value of the sea surface slicks can only be confirmed
when these locations are correlated with seismic cross sections.
If they are found to be in association with major geologic events
such as faults or shallow gas/fluid features, the likelihood of
these slicks being the result of a naturally occurring hydrocarbon
system are significantly increased. In a frontier basin this may be
the first confident sign of an oil source.
Spectrum has deployed this technique in many frontier
basins with geological characteristics, which in turn has allowed
the company to spot shared common geologic traits that the
technique illuminates.
Seal termination and sea surface slicks
Sea surface slick trends can reveal as much about a source
rock as they do about basin wide seals. In Figure 2, from the
Western Mediterranean, several strong clusters of slicks can be
seen above a large fault that reaches from the sea floor to mark
the edge of a thick regional halite sea. The distribution of the
slicks and the seal reveal information about where the oil is
coming from. The oils are migrating through the section using
the fault to reach the seafloor. There is an absence of slicks on
the ocean above the area covered by the regional seal, so it
can be inferred that the oil source is located beneath the seal
and is migrating updip against the bottom of the seal until its
termination, where the sea surface slicks can be seen (Figure 3).
This inference has important consequences for the prospectivity
of the basin – any prospects located under the seal are likely to be
charged with oil.
This trait is repeated in other basins too. In the
Irish Porcupine basin, Spectrum collaborated with
Airbus Defence and Space to collect slick locations and found
that the underlying trend of slick clusters was the eastern
pinch out of a regional shale. Below this shale, in the centre
of the basin, a source rock similar to that of the conjugate
Jeanne d’Arc Basin (offshore Canada) is thought to be located
but as yet goes unproven. Evidence of oil slicks at the edge of
this shale again point to the presence of oils beneath the seal,
but as the slicks can only be seen on the eastern edge, it suggests
that oils migrating from the centre of the basin are migrating
 V I D E O
SECURITY
PRODUCTS
Made in Italy since 1986

MAXIMUS MMX
EXPROOF CAMERAS

W
With the MAXIMUS MMX cameras, a new world of
cost-effective
co video surveillance solutions for onshore,
offshore,
off marine, heavy industrial or hazardous
environments.
en

w w w.videotec.com
i n f o @ v i d e o t e c . c o m
preferentially eastwards. Clearly this is good for the operators
on the eastern side of the basin, but it could also point towards
a contributing reason behind the dry well drilled in 2017 at the
Dromberg Prospect on the Western side of the basin.
Basins without regional seals
A second trait that has been regularly encountered in
Spectrum’s studies is a correlation between slick clusters and
the edges of sedimentary basins. In Croatia, the Cretaceous shelf
Figure 4. Syn-rift graben offshore Somalia.
Figure 5. Bright amplitudes conforming to structure thought to be a
Cretaceous basin floor fan.
20 | Oilfield Technology May 2018
edge marks the edge of a deeper Mesozoic sedimentary basin
that runs the length of the Croatian Adriatic. The shelf edge
does not form a straight line or gently sweeping curve but a
sinuous boundary that revealed itself as seismic interpretations
in the basin were completed. It was not until the shelf edge
was mapped against the sea surface slick distributions that a
correlation was revealed – many slicks were located close to
the shelf edge in either point or linear clusters (Figure 1). When
examined closely, some linear clusters were found to imitate the
shape of a minor fault leading to the seafloor from the edge of
the shelf. Elsewhere point clusters were found above the shelf,
often with bright amplitude events observed in the seismic close
to the seafloor. This evidence suggests that hydrocarbons are
migrating from the centre of the basin towards the shelf edge
where they are finding their way to the surface along minor
faults. Hydrocarbon prospects are often found in association
with the edges of carbonate shelves and in Croatia this is
thought to be one of the key plays that explorers will follow.
Slicks were found in correlation with the shelf edge from the
south to the north of Croatia indicating that an oil prone source
rock is present across the central Adriatic and this play could be
viable across the province.
The distribution of some sea surface slicks offshore Somalia
were also hard to interpret before examining detailed seismic
interpretations. It was not until maps of the deeper syn-rift
grabens were overlain against them, was a strong correlation
between the two noticed – slicks were found almost exclusively
at the edges of Jurassic syn-rift grabens (Figure 4), corroborating
basin modelling studies that predict that these deeper Jurassic
sediments are oil prone. Several syn-rift grabens are mapped
across the Somalia offshore, each around half of the size of
Lake Malawi.
Correlation with leads
Bright amplitudes events observed in seismic sections can
be (but are not always) indicative of a hydrocarbon-filled
reservoirs. In Figure 5, also from Somalia, the bright
amplitudes conforming to structure are interpreted to be a
large Cretaceous basin floor fan located in deep water. An
isolated slick cluster is found to be located above the downdip
closure of the lead, suggesting that oil is spilling over the edge
of the structure and escaping to the seafloor and eventually
the surface of the sea, increasing the confidence that the lead
is charged with oil.
Conclusions
Proving the existence of a functioning hydrocarbon source rock
in frontier basins is risky. Without well control, identification of
a source interval is difficult; extrapolation over large distances
even more so. Satellite imagery allows an opportunity to make
direct observations of hydrocarbons on the sea surface. When
combined with seismic cross sections a picture can be built of
where these hydrocarbons have originated from, how they are
migrating through the section, the effectiveness of seals and
even to help diagnose prospects. It has been found that, where
oil is present in a basin, slicks are often found in correlation
with basin edges, particularly where basin bounding faults are
present. Cluster patterns may be found around a point focus
or may have a linear pattern, especially if associated with
faulting. The combined picture leads to a reduction in the risks
associated with the presence of a hydrocarbon source rock.
 Jeff Forsyth,
Alex Borisov, and
Small
Hai Wang, nFluids,
Canada, explore
working with nano
Solutions,
Big Impact
based drilling fluids.

D
rilling fluids provide many benefits, such as cooling and
lubricating the drill bit, removing cuttings, and sealing and
strengthening the wellbore whilst maintaining hydrostatic
pressure to prevent kicks or blowouts. In the competitive fluids market,
new technologies have to outperform conventional technologies and
more importantly, do so cost-effectively.
In pursuit of drilling the undrillable, and trying to move into
untapped horizons, especially in deepwater and unconventional
plays, companies are turning to advanced chemistry and material
science to bring about new solutions. One company embracing
this challenge with nanotechnology is nFluids, a Calgary based
start-up. The company’s first multi-functional nanoparticle additive
for drilling fluids is believed to form a new standard for the next
generation of high-tech drilling fluids. A license agreement was
recently signed with a global service company and the latest variant
of the technology is being applied in a complicated extended reach
well, with results to date showing the following improvements over
the wells baseline conditions:
Ì 30% improvement in fluid loss reduction.
Ì 58% reduction in filtercake thickness.
Ì 30% reduced oil on cuttings.
structures within the filtercake and effectively fill the gaps between the
micron-sized particles such as filtration control agents (LCM) and clays
that would otherwise permit fluid flow. Scanning electron microscopy
(SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) studies have
shown that the depth of penetration of nanoparticles under simulated
field conditions is shallow further supporting the hypothesis that
the utilisation of nanoparticles in drilling fluids reduces the potential
for formation damage. Figure 1 shows the relationship between
nanoparticle dose rate and filtercake thickness for an oil-based
mud (OBM) and it clearly shows the dramatic impact on filtercake
thickness and fluid loss reduction as the dose rate is increased from
0.25 - 0.5 Wt%. When viewed under a transmission electron microscope
(TEM), the surfaces incorporating nanoparticles appear extremely
smooth in comparison to traditional filtercake structures.
Figure 2 shows the results of a recent pilot in Alberta which
demonstrated a 50% improvement in the rate of penetration (ROP) set
against a baseline well, which demonstrated potential to reduce stuck
pipe or wellbore collapse.
Over several years, the company has tested drilling fluids from
many onshore and offshore environments and have consistently
shown high reductions in both fluid loss and friction. An example of

Ì 25% reduction to the coefficient of friction.
The value proposition is pretty simple: spend a little more on
advanced fluid technologies and a lot less time and cost on remediating
avoidable drilling-related issues.
this work is shown in Figure 3, which demonstrates the positive HTHP
fluid loss results for a variety of oil-based muds (OBM) treated with
nanoparticles. On average the fluid loss reduction using nanoparticles
is 60% which is typical of oil-based muds with water-based muds also
showing great reductions in spurt loss.

Fluid loss and friction reduction Wellbore strengthening

The flexibility of the manufacturing system enables the control of the An independent laboratory study conducted by the Missouri University
shape, size, and functionality of its nanoparticles making it compatible of Science and Technology showed positive fracture propagation
with a wide range of drilling fluids. Typical applications only require a tests with wellbore strengthening increases up to 60%, indicating
half-a-percent of the total weight of a well’s entire drilling fluid system
and are readily dispersed in oil or water under low shear conditions.
More importantly, nanoparticle addition does not impair the desired
drilling fluid properties such as viscosity, yield point or electrical
stability and are ideally suited to harsher HTHP conditions being stable
to temperatures greater than 200˚C, whilst also being acid soluble.
Nanoparticles rapidly work within the mud system by moving into
the small pores and fractures of the near-wellbore, quickly reducing
the effective permeability and making it less likely that drilling fluids
will migrate into the formation and cause formation damage. The
outcome of this process, is that the nanoparticles form a thinner, less
permeable filter cake around the inside of the wellbore, contributing
to fluid loss reduction, wellbore strengthening and friction reduction.
Due to their extremely small size (3 - 50 nm) and high surface area,
finely dispersed nanoparticles are able to form tighter packing

| 21

Figure 1. Relationship between filtercake thickness and nanoparticle
dose rate for an oil-based mud.
Figure 2. ROP improvement in an Albertan well using nanoparticles.
Figure 3. OBM HTHP fluid loss before and after the addition of
nanoparticles.
Figure 4. Total mud losses of offset wells versus pilot test wells.
22 | Oilfield Technology May 2018
that nanoparticles had the ability to plug up existing shale fractures
and could allow a re-stimulation of specific portions of an already
completed well. This bodes well for the use of nanoparticles as a
re-fracturing tool and the plan is to pilot the technology for the purpose
of wellbore strengthening in the shale plays of North America.
Field pilot case study
A total of nine full-scale pilot field tests were conducted with
nFluids first-generation technology in horizontal wells in Alberta,
Canada, in partnership with a local drilling fluids company. In
total twelve offset wells were compared to pilot test wells which
were 4000 m total depth. Historic data, including HPHT fluid
loss and mud losses from offset wells in the area, was provided
by the drilling fluids operator. Lithology in all test wells were
fine-grained to conglomeratic sandstone, shale, and coal, with
a pay zone in the Cardium Formation. Since the control and test
wells employed a similar drilling programme and invert emulsion
drilling fluid, it was assumed that any significant and consistently
reproducible deviation from the average control values was due
to the presence of the nanoparticle addition. A comparison of
baseline field data for the offset wells showed a 1% difference in
average values. The nanoparticles that were selected for the field
implementation demonstrated good performance in laboratory
fluid loss experiments, known compatibility with invert emulsion
drilling fluids, low toxicity and inexpensive and widely available
manufacturing precursors.
The application of nanoparticles from both lab and field results
suggested that HPHT fluid loss was reduced by 20 - 30% in the presence
of 0.5 Wt% nanoparticles in different virgin and field recycled drilling
fluids samples. The impact of the addition of nanoparticles on the
drilling fluid properties was within the range encountered by the
client under during drilling operations and key fluid parameters such
as viscosity, electrical stability and yield point were not affected. The
focus of these pilots was on fluid loss reduction. The oil-based mud
system deployed during these pilots was a Cutter-D system with an
oil to water ratio of between 90:10 to 85:15. Mud weight used was
1030 to 1150 kg/m3 (361 to 403 lb/bbl). The application of nanoparticles
was compatible with field operations and did not cause any disruptions
or drilling problems. All of these pilot wells operated normally during
the start-up and production phases. Field based HPHT fluid loss
displayed the same range of fluid loss reduction, 20 - 30%, as shown
during laboratory testing. Pilot data demonstrated total mud losses
were reduced by 22 - 34% in the presence of 0.5 Wt% nanoparticles,
which was deemed as being economically feasible. Post these pilots
and using feedback from clients and drilling operations, the company
has further developed their first-generation technology, enhancing
performance whilst reducing manufacturing costs by up to 50%.
Future developments
Recent work developing water-based mud (WBM) additives and
lubricant systems has shown great promise and the company is working
hard to bring these systems from the bench to the field with additional
pilots planned for 2018. To date, nFluids has collected data from 11 OBM
pilot wells, the results of which have been in line with laboratory studies.
Additionally, pilot field studies have consistently shown up to a 38%
reduction of oil on cuttings, a benefit which has the potential to lower
waste handling costs and improve environmental footprint. Beyond
drilling, the fundamental properties of these materials could open
up a variety of possibilities in zone shut-off, conformance control and
well integrity applications. Recent third party studies have also shown
potential benefits in both enhanced oil recovery (EOR), heat transfer and
corrosion control.
 multi-client seismic
ARGENTINA

Offshore Argentina
New
w Multi-
Multi-Client 2D Seismic For 2018 Licensing Rounds

A
Legend
C N
Argentina Deep Water: 37,800 km
Deep Water Permit: 443,800 km2
Q
UI EW
Austral-Malvinas: 13,900 km
SI
Austral-Malvinas Permit: 284,500 km2
E1Blocks TIO
N

Offshore Argentina presents some of the year’s most

promising exploration opportunities. Spectrum’s
Multi-Client library now includes over 50,000 km of
newly-acquired data over the Austral Malvinas and
Argentine basins

Our modern, premium, long-offset seismic data

is processed and ready to give explorers the
competitive advantage in unlocking these exciting
new areas. Both surveys are being acquired with
12,000 m offsets with continuous recording to enable
extended recording lengths and high fold data to
support full interpretation from Moho to water bottom.

The new data is already assisting the Ministry in block

placement and design for 2018/2019 licensing rounds.

spectrumgeo.com
mc-uk@spectrumgeo.com
+44 1483 730201
Aimed at showcasing technologies designed to
handle the harshest conditions faced by
the global oil and gas industry.

Read on to hear from SA Equip and

Subsea Technologies Limited.
TAKING BACK
THE POWER
LOUISE GREEN, SA EQUIP, UK, DISCUSSES THE IMPORTANCE OF
UNDERSTANDING THE ENVIRONMENT WHERE OPERATIONS ARE TAKING
PLACE AND THE POTENTIAL RISKS INVOLVED.

A
s the global demand for energy continues to increase, oil, gas and coal remain the dominant sources of
energy powering the world economy, and are predicted to account for more than three-quarters of
total energy supplies in 2035. The establishment and maintenance of reliable power transmission
and distribution is vital for daily life and is often overlooked in many cases. In heavy duty industries
and applications, requirements for dependable, uninterrupted and (most importantly) safe power
distribution are even more critical. A reliable power supply is essential in allowing companies
to conduct key processes and to power necessary production machinery. Therefore, operations
must be united to enable clear instruction on uses of necessary power for specific applications.

26 |
 Dependable and robust temporary electrical equipment
that complies with the latest safety and legislative requirements
is frequently sourced to protect against the risk of power supply
issues. In the oil and gas industry application failures can be
disastrous. Therefore, the highest quality of equipment is
required to safeguard companies’ personnel and processes.
UNDERSTANDING THE ENVIRONMENT
Potentially explosive atmospheres are defined as locations in
which gases, vapours, mists and dusts combined with air can
form flammable substances. Hazardous area zones in which a
wide range of companies operate in today are classified into
different ‘Ex zones’ depending on the degree of probability and
length of time in which a hazard exists. Increasingly rigorous
health and safety requirements throughout the oil and gas,
petrochemical, and aviation industry continually create demand
for advanced technology designed for use in these environments.
The approach taken in developing equipment intended for
use in potentially explosive areas must ensure it is designed
with integrated explosion safety in mind. Considerations
must be made to strengthen the longevity of the equipment;
materials should be selected that will retain their performance
and not degrade over time. A few of the key factors to focus on
when selecting materials include:
Ì Corrosion and wear resistance.
Ì Electrical conductivity.
Ì Impact strength.
Ì Effects of temperature variations.
The intended functional capability of the equipment must
be transferable across different environments and conditions
including different temperatures, voltages and additional
external effects as specified by the manufacturer and the known
operating scope.
Ex environments usually also present extreme conditions,
which can range from the icy temperatures of Siberia where
it can drop below -20˚C, to the sweltering heat of the middle
east where it can soar as high as 45˚C. Due to the conditions
present in these environments, initial considerations must
be focused on safeguarding the functionality of electrical
equipment and drawing a detailed plan to ensure the removal
of potential faulty equipment. Often the conditions of the work
environment do not receive the attention they deserve, which
can lead to downtime due to power or equipment failures. In
this case, risks need to be assessed, reduced or removed.
CAREFUL PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT
Some challenges faced with standard ATEX approved power
equipment is that end users often become frustrated with the
encounters presented by this type of equipment – heavy, bulky
kit that is highly prone to breakages. Companies are continually
looking for ways to reduce their operational costs whilst
maintaining the highest level of safety in work environments.
Practicality and efficiency of equipment should be addressed
at the earliest planning stage of projects; requirements should
be outlined, budgets set and desired equipment should be
purchased or hired early on. The earlier a company understands
their requirements and acts upon them, the longer they will
have to assess the capabilities of the Ex equipment available
and make calculated decisions to achieve the best value and
performance from their investments.
Shutdowns and turnaround operations in the oil and gas
industry are complex and highly expensive projects to conduct,
therefore extensive planning should be carried out to minimise
the potential of downtime being exceeded. One of the major
challenges faced by contractors during a shutdown operation
is the availability of suitable power in large sites classified as
hazardous areas. It is common that 440V power is available via
welding sockets and other supplies, however the ATEX tools and
lighting required for the jobs may require 230V, 110V or even
24V power. Portable Ex power equipment, including transformers
and splitter boxes, are regularly used across projects to provide
suitable power options to facilitate the use of Ex lighting, heating
and ventilation products across the working scope.
SUITABILITY
The correct selection of electrical equipment for use in hazardous
areas is dependent upon several factors. Firstly, the electrical
supply that is available within the hazardous environment
must be assessed to establish the appropriate apparatus that
can be used across the site. Secondly, the different apparatus
types which require selection for particular risks, and finally, the
availability of power sources and the connections made between
several kinds of electrical equipment.
One of the most important decisions in the process of
selecting Ex certified equipment is the knowledge of the
personnel involved. As with every decision that can have
serious consequences across the industry, education must play
an integral role in the development of employees. The ability to
identify electricity as a danger in some cases can occur too late
and result in serious incidents, therefore when conducting work
within a hazardous area whereby gas or combustible dust may
be present, there are increased risks in working with electrical
or mechanical equipment. A high level of skill, knowledge and
competencies across the industry should be maintained and
continually addressed to ensure personnel are trained to work
safely with equipment in an explosive atmosphere.
THE ‘INSIDE OUT’ PERSPECTIVE
Initially costs may appear to be sustainable, however often
the outright purchase of equipment is cheaper than on-going
maintenance costs. Taking the time to look at the true costs will
often highlight the potential savings which can be achieved by
investing in portable, fully Ex certified equipment.
The protection of personnel and equipment from explosions
and fire that could potentially occur due to the operation of hot
work throughout an operational site should be covered by a
hot work permit. The issue of a hot work permit can be a timely
May 2018 Oilfield Technology | 27
 process as it typically involves multiple individuals in order to
cover many areas of protection. Selecting Ex equipment that
does not require a hot work permit or stand-by man can help to
alleviate costs associated with some work processes. One major
advantage of not requiring a hot work permit is that there will
be a reduced chance of delays in a job as the project team will
Figure 1. SA LUMIN EX LED Floodlight onboard DP6 platform.
Figure 2. SA POWERNET 3.8 KVA transformer.
28 | Oilfield Technology May 2018
be able to position the required equipment exactly where it is
needed without having to arrange it well in advance.
CASE STUDY: TEMPORARY POWER
DISTRIBUTION MORECAMBE BAY
SA Equip provided efficient portable power distribution and
lighting onboard the operator’s normally unmanned platforms
to help reduce costs and increase the life of the Rhyl Field.
ATEX certified products were required as the platform was still
processing gas. Due to limited power supply capacity onboard,
this led to the requirement for portable power solutions.
The operator was looking to minimise operational costs
and extend the life of the platform, SA Equip were able to assess
the power supply available and create a bespoke package that
provided major cost savings. The first challenge was that the
power supply was limited to a small number of 440V sockets
which had not been used for years; these sockets were 63 amp
and in a state of disrepair.
ATEX certified SA POWERNET mains distribution units were
provided in many variations, 32 amp and 16 amp, which provided
usable power to supply welders, and the 3.8 KVA transformer.
This reduced the requirements for hot-work permits or standby
men, which lowered the costs and risks involved in monitoring the
installation.
Once a reliable source of power was established and the
configuration of equipment was decided, extension leads, and
splitter boxes were used extensively to take power to the work
sites to power the SA LUMIN floodlights, which were supplied
for temporary lighting throughout the installation. Due to the
lightweight and portable design this enabled easy transportation
of products around the deck using minimal manpower, reducing
costs which was a requirement as they had limited resources to
spare. The decision to buy the equipment was made because it
had been decided that expenditure would be spread over the five
year period, which equalled a low cost of ownership compared to
the original intention of renting the equipment.
CONCLUSION
The importance of understanding the environment where
operations are taking place, and the potential risks associated,
has never been more important. Time should be taken to
educate employees about the dangers present in potentially
explosive atmospheres in order to train them to select the correct
Ex equipment to identify hazards early and mitigate the risks
involved. Early planning and allocation of resources is integral to
ensuring that a reliable source of power will be present to allow
additional equipment and processes to continue.
REFERENCES
1. ‘ATEX equipment manufacturers and their responsibilities’ – https://www.gov.
uk/guidance/atex-equipment-manufacturers-and-their-responsibilities
2. ‘BP Energy Outlook’ – https://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/pdf/energy-
economics/energy-outlook-2017/bp-energy-outlook-2017.pdf
3. Eckhoff, R., ‘Explosion hazards in the process industries.’ 2nd ed., (2016).
4. Speegle, M., ‘Safety, health, and environmental concepts for the process
industry.’ Clifton Park, NY: Delmar, Cengage Learning., (2013).
 27 - 29 NOVEMBER
2018

www.osea-asia.com
OSEA is the largest oil & gas event for
Asia that has consistently attracted high
international participation. Join more than
1,000 leading exhibitors at OSEA2018
and make use of this well-established
platform to reach out to over 12,000
buyers from the region.

Contact our sales team at

osea@sesallworld.com to find out
more about exhibiting options.

THE GATEWAY TO
ASIA’S OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
Highlights
Digital Oil Field Engineering, Construction, Maintenance & Repair Exploration & Production
Housing, Health, Safety & Environment Instrumentation & Control Technology LNG
Marine Equipment & Services Oil and Gas Transportation, Pipelines & Storage Refining & Petrochemical Plant

Held alongside:

#OSEA2018

Organiser: Endorsed: Supported by: Held in:

Tel: +65 6233 6638

Fax: +65 6233 6633
SES Email: osea@sesallworld.com
UNLOCKING
SUBSEA SOLUTIONS
DRUMMOND LAWSON, SUBSEA TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED, UK,
EXPLORES THE IMPORTANCE OF COLLABORATION WHEN DEVELOPING
NEW TECHNOLOGIES.

T
he global energy sector puts a heavy emphasis on industry collaboration, with the Wood Review uncovering
just last year that 95% of operators and suppliers cite that it is an integral part of any successful oil and gas
business model.
As a key driver for collaboration, the development of new technologies for the industry – and those that
overcome the toughest of challenges in demanding offshore environments – are critical to maintaining
productive operations in the current US$70-plus oil market.
By working in close partnership with its customers, Subsea Technologies Limited (STL) has
launched a number of firsts to the sector, including the deployment of its Xtreme Release (XR)

30 |
Connector, and the company maintains that industry-changing This was carried out from a mono-hull vessel in 2002 and,
technology is key to unlocking further efficiencies in offshore although the downhole objectives of the project were achieved,
applications worldwide. an entirely bespoke system was ultimately required for this to
The XR Connector allows a vessel’s crew enough time to become a regular operation.
respond to challenging scenarios without the risk of getting stuck Following this realisation, the support of STL was enlisted to
to the wellhead or damaging the connector or riser if the crew do deliver a purpose-built, coiled tubing riser system to overcome
not react fast enough, a current danger that crews face. many of the challenges previously identified. As part of this, the
The connector aims to solve the challenge of safely company completed a front end engineering design (FEED) study
disconnecting a riser under a high bending moment, which can to develop detailed conceptual design.
occur in any water depth as a result of a drift or drive off. Without During the global analysis work on the riser, it was identified
the benefits of this technology, the resulting damage could cause that to get the system operating safely in North Sea water depths,
a significant financial burden, as well as a reputational crisis for no existing connector would be able to ensure the release of the
the operator, particularly if the damage results in a significant riser from the subsea Xmas tree with absolute assurance that it
spill, or worse, a well control incident. would not get stuck.
Along with the connector, a team of engineers have designed STL proposed the connector technology and secured its
a number of other products to cope with the demanding first launch customer for the XR. The first XR Connector (a
requirements of both constant operation in harsh conditions 10 ksi 7 ⅜ in. bore version) was delivered in 2009 following
and maximum operational uptime, which allows for minimum extensive qualification testing. 
maintenance downtime. The launch customer had designed their intervention system
to operate as a hybrid riser/riserless configuration, which meant
PUSHING TECHNOLOGY BOUNDARIES that in the riserless configuration the connector remained in the
The XR Connector has provided a safety critical solution to the stack, but its functionality was not required. 
longstanding industry issue of having confidence in being able to Although the client completed their first riserless
disconnect a riser in an emergency, whilst offering improvements intervention in 2009, it was some months later before they
in efficiency, productivity and, therefore, costs. deployed the coiled tubing riser system on a test well to prove
The face-to-face technology differs fundamentally from other the operation of the system. 
subsea connectors, which offer a conventional male into female This was the first time the XR Connector was disconnected
engagement. In an emergency scenario, it allows operators to subsea – initially
stay connected to a subsea well for longer in adverse weather and just with vertical
minimises pre-emptive disconnects when bad weather strikes. tension on the riser,
It also minimises the risk of damage to subsea infrastructure and then including
if the vessel has a position-keeping failure, whilst greatly reducing a bending load
the risk of damage to a vessel, failure of the riser pipe, and by intentionally
damage to the wellhead and/or loss of well containment. moving the vessel
The high-angle connector enables vessel operational off centre from the
continuity at significantly reduced risk to personnel, assets and test well, restricted
the environment, whilst guarding against the consequences of to approximately 5˚
dynamic positioning failure in DP vessels. from the vertical.
Originally designed and developed around 10 years ago, it is When STL
currently the only connector in the industry able to disconnect a subsequently
riser at 100% of its rated bending capacity. received the
It is designed to enhance safety and saves time and money connector back
by increasing a vessel’s operating window; ultimately increasing for its five year
productivity levels. recertification
The unique design ensures no damage is done to the in 2014, the
connector even after repeated release; with the ability to connector was
disconnect rapidly from the wellhead in an emergency fully refurbished,
situation. recertified and
returned to
TESTING THE WATERS operation.
The XR Connector’s inception into offshore operations came to Since completing
fruition following the first coiled tubing intervention using a rigid the offshore trials
riser, which was deployed for an oil major in the North Sea. on the test well, Figure 1. XR Connector.

May 2018 Oilfield Technology | 31

 the customer has completed a number of riser well intervention
operations, with more contracted for the future. STL also built
an XR Connector for a Houston-based operator, which has the
potential to be deployed in the coming months.
In a further example, the 10 ksi 7 3/8 in. version of the connector
was licensed in 2011 to a multi-national client who standardised on
the XR in their completion/workover riser (CWOR) systems.  in the market for a connector which is as high-performing as the XR
At the request of the customer, the company re-engineered the
XR in order to optimise the design and manufacture of the product
and meet their precise requirements; building a prototype of the
modified connector for re-qualification.
SUBSEA CHALLENGES AND NEW MARKETS
The proliferation of specifications and industry standards has
been part of the cost escalation that the subsea sector has suffered
and, with the driving force of relentless cost-cutting to address the
downturn, this has provided the industry with the opportunity to
rewrite the controlling standards to integrate better, particularly
across international boundaries, reducing costs as a result.
With continued focus on efficiency and driving down budgets,
STL maintains that its combination of an open mind when it comes
to technology, and the option of providing system integration for
turnkey packages, provides direct customer benefits.
Oil and gas operators are constantly seeking the optimal
balance of technology, integrity and quality, optimisation,
customisation, as well as product availability through shorter
manufacturing lead-times and value for money.
Moving away from purely price driven decision-making, to
those that consider total lifetime value of their subsea technology
investments, this will provide customers with more sustainable
operations and, ultimately, prevent project delays.
STL focuses on service delivery to enable operators to access
adaptable and customised products that require low maintenance,
saving valuable operational hours, and minimising risk and downtime.
Demand for technology specifically designed for highly complex
and critical applications have put pressure on the sector. However,
the company has launched multiple products with quantifiable
benefits.
ADAPTABLE FUTURE TECHNOLOGY
Incorporating the key benefits of the XR Connector, the company is
currently developing the HB Connector – like the XR Connector, but at
a reduced cost.
It was designed following a request by a Houston-based service
company for a lower cost version of the XR for use in deepwater
applications.
Similar to the XR, the HB Connector also allows the vessel’s crew
enough time to respond to challenging scenarios without the risk of
getting stuck to the wellhead or damaging the connector if the crew do
not react fast enough.
However, the HB Connector’s simplified design – which is in its
final stages – means the manufacturing cost has been reduced to
approximately half that of the XR.
32 | Oilfield Technology May 2018
The detailed design and finite element analysis of the connector
is complete, and the manufacture of the prototype is underway with
qualification testing scheduled to begin shortly. STL will deliver the
first two connectors to the launch client in Q4 of this year.
As a derivative of the XR Connector, the HB Connector was
developed after STL responded to customer demand and filled a gap
Connector – but at half the cost to the client.
This allows oil and gas businesses access to a connector that is
tailored to their needs and budget.
In an emergency situation, both the XR and HB connectors ensure
the vessel can safely disconnect from the wellhead without damage,
whatever the offset.
Critically, the connectors give the vessel the ability to move
further away from wellhead, hence the larger riser angle, before
disconnecting, with no risk of the riser becoming stuck after the
connector is released.
The HB Connector is well suited to operations in international
waters, for instance in the US and Gulf of Mexico, as it operates best at
water depths beyond 300 m, whereas the XR Connector remains the
preferred option in shallow water depths.
PROVIDING PARTNERSHIPS
The company does not sell solely from a ‘shopping list’, but instead
tailors its approach to offer products and cutting-edge innovations
that are entirely bespoke and client-led.
Its engineers can complement and enhance a range of
technologies to fit customer requirements – aiming to solve current
challenges and overcoming obstacles in order to reap the highest
reward from operations.
As new technologies push industry boundaries and force the
sector to come out of its comfort zone, the company has identified a
growing urgency for a range of high-pressure connectors, particularly
as deepwater field developments are once again on the rise.
As the oil price reaches more viable levels, operators are exploring
deepwater areas more and more in this climate.
With high pressure at the seabed, connectors that match this
criteria are critical for operations and STL is well-placed to explore
these opportunities further.
The XR Connector has laid the foundation in the pursuit of
technology that pushes boundaries, questions ingrained ways of
working and storms ahead; paving the way for an altered mind-set in
the well intervention sector and beyond.
CONCLUSION
Ultimately, collaborative working across the energy industry will allow
fledgling business partnerships the opportunity to bear fruit, whilst
also affording the sector an abundance of opportunities to design and
deliver products of the highest quality.
This is relevant not only in the development of new technologies,
but in a fresh approach to new ways of working and delivering
projects efficiently, on time and on budget, whilst enhancing the
expertise developed in the UKCS on the global stage.
 Let’s Get This
Straight
Alistair Blair, Merlin ERD Limited, UK, discusses wellbore quality issues in
high angle drilling.
W
ellbore quality has long been regarded as one of the key
requirements in the construction of a fit-for-purpose,
cost-effective well in the oil and gas industry. Moreover, it is
generally acknowledged that any deficiency in wellbore quality can pose
major cost implications for both the construction and production phases,
as well as potential limitations on future productivity.1
With respect to wellbore quality, the “perfect wellbore” has been
described as a “flawless, three-dimensional hollow cylinder with a
smooth, frictionless finish”.2 The main characteristics of this theoretical
wellbore of perfect quality would include the lack of any hindrance to:
Ì
Efficient drilling and hole cleaning.
Ì
The smooth running of drilling, casing and completion tubulars.
Ì Effective cementing or formation isolation.
Ì Effective logging or formation evaluation.
Ì The longevity of the well with respect to its intended purpose.
Excluding only well control considerations, the various factors with
the potential to oppose this perfect condition have been outlined below
under two broad categories.
Borehole gauge
If the hole does not have the intended diameter, or gauge, then
the ability to run the required tubulars into the hole can be at risk.
While tubular running problems would tend to be associated with a
reduction in borehole gauge, increased gauge situations such as with
washout/ledging can also be problematic, presenting a potential
hang-up point for the tubular being run in hole.
Prolonged irregularity of the borehole gauge, referred to as
rugosity, can be generated during the drilling process from the
mechanical interactions between the bit, bottom hole assembly
(BHA) and the formation. This is most common with steerable bent
motor assemblies drilling in rotary mode. These will tend to drill a
slightly over-gauge hole when the first contact stabiliser is in gauge
hole, followed by gauge hole when the stabiliser moves into the
over-gauge section.
Under-gauge hole can be caused by bit gauge wear or a deficiency
in the hole-enlargement system, such as hole-opener, under-reamer or
bi-centre bit. While an under-gauge bit is unlikely to go undetected for
long due to significant torque increases caused by near-gauge stabilisers,
| 33
the failure of an under-reamer to achieve the full target gauge may only
be identified if an appropriate borehole calliper log is run.
Effective gauge reduction, or annulus restriction, can occur due
to sub-optimal hole-cleaning. In high-inclination wellbores (>30˚),
cuttings beds or avalanche zones will form. While this situation can be
effectively managed with sufficient flow and pipe rotation rates along
with appropriate drilling fluid and practices, elevated drag levels or even
complete annulus restriction (pack-off) due to inefficient hole cleaning
are an ever-present risk.
Borehole cross-sectional shape, specifically ‘ovality’ can also be a
source of problems. Borehole ovality is characterised by the diameter in
one direction being different from that in another. For example, one of
the more common causes of ovality would be breakout in an inclined or
horizontal wellbore where the difference between vertical and horizontal
stresses with insufficient hydrostatic support (i.e. mud weight), is
sufficient to crush the borehole wall in the regions of maximum
compression. This ovality can lead to wedging of the tubular, inefficient
hole cleaning or poor cement coverage.
Borehole straightness/tortuosity
One of the key enemies of borehole quality is a lack of straightness or
smoothness of trajectory, otherwise generally termed as tortuosity.
Similar to the dictionary definition of tortuosity, which is the state of
having many twists and turns, wellbore tortuosity is generally defined
as any changes in inclination and/or azimuth over and above a straight
wellbore or planned curve of constant radius.
Wellbore tortuosity is often sub-classified as a combination of
macro-tortuosity and micro-tortuosity.3 While the former is normally
used to refer to the wellbore curvature as derived from standard
directional surveys at 94 ft intervals, the latter refers to any angular
changes on a much smaller scale. Included in the category of
micro-tortuosity is the phenomenon of borehole spiralling. This refers to
the natural tendency of many BHAs to drill in a helical path. Historically
referred to as crooked hole, this was the subject of some industry studies
as early as the 1950s, where the potential problems associated with
wellbores ‘following a tight spiral’ were first studied and documented.4
There are various methods of measuring and quantifying tortuosity
in all its forms, but it is generally accepted that its presence will lead
to greater resistance to running tubulars into and out of the hole.
Figure 1. Comparison of planned and actual tortuosity profiles.
34 | Oilfield Technology May 2018
Given this, it is often a key factor in determining the step-out limit for
horizontal drilling. Furthermore, the peaks and troughs characteristic of
micro-tortuosity or borehole rugosity can also serve as localised cuttings
bed traps, further exacerbating already challenging hole cleaning
conditions. Due to this, along with the fact that little can be done to
remove it once the hole is drilled, the likely presence of tortuosity needs
to be anticipated and planned for in advance.
Quantifying tortuosity and modelling its effects
While there have been many papers over the last two decades dealing
with improved methods of torque and drag prediction and tortuosity
quantification, the industry is still faced with two main problem areas
regarding this issue.
Torque and drag modelling
The first concerns the limitations of current torque and drag (T&D)
software models in accurately predicting and replicating increased
drag due to tortuosity and gauge effects. Most T&D modelling carried
out today still uses the soft-string model, developed in the early
1980s.5 In this model, only the side-forces due to the linear weight
and tension in the drill-string are considered when calculating the
resulting frictional drag. While this has proved to be the industry
standard, and adequate for most situations, it is not suited to
predicting elevated drag levels from the types of gauge-related and
micro-tortuosity issues outlined above. A pipe will be significantly
harder to push through a tight curve with an effective diameter of
less than the pipe and although there are various ‘stiff-string’ models
on the market which do take the tubular stiffness into account. Their
ability to adequately account for radial clearance is still in need of
development.6 Both types of model still calculate drag levels from
cumulative sidewall friction, while neither will recreate a scenario
whereby a drill-string will no longer pass through due to either a
borehole restriction or a single extreme dogleg. However, experience
demonstrates that both situations can, and do, occur.
Tortuosity detection and definition
The second problem concerns the knowledge of the existence of
tortuosity and a standard method of quantification. For instance, most
wells are surveyed while drilling, using a survey interval corresponding
to a ‘stand’ of drill pipe, which is normally around 95 ft (29 m). The
curvature of a well trajectory is commonly referred to as its ‘Dogleg
Severity’ (DLS) and is generally quantified in degrees of angular change
per unit length along-hole, typically ˚/100 ft or ˚/30 m. This is also
the most common method for quantifying tortuosity: both in terms
of instantaneous DLS (degrees per unit length) and cumulative DLS
(degrees). While this cumulative number does provide some means
of comparing different tortuosity levels for the same well or, to a
lesser extent, between different wells, it must be borne in mind that
its value will be largely dependent on the survey interval used. If the
survey interval is decreased (for example, to 5 or 10 ft spacings, as can
be obtained from continuous gyro or MWD systems), then typically
more cumulative tortuosity will be seen. This is because the level
of curvature over the course of a stand is rarely constant, with the
variability dependent on various factors, most notably the steering tool
type and the steering settings used. For example, if a steerable motor is
used to drill a 3˚/100 ft curve with 30 ft of sliding in a 94 ft stand, then
the BHA will actually deliver a 9.4˚/100 ft curve over the 30 ft interval,
assuming the other 64 ft is drilled straight. Rotary steerable systems
(RSS) generally drill more consistent curvatures, but with the numerous
different types of systems available, the level of curve consistency
can vary quite considerably, with some high-DLS RSS types capable of
producing micro-tortuosity levels similar to those of a motor.7
 Long journeys.
Hostile conditions.
Technological
challenges.

Volant rigid HydroFORM® centralizers will help you take your extended reach wells to new lengths and
;<GK?J J8=<CP8E;I<C@89CP
CF8K@E>FIrO<; K?<PnM<GIFM<E<OKI8KFL>?@EK?<DFJK;@=r:LCK:FE;@K@FEJ
N<CCJ:8EF==<I
0<nCCGIFM@;<PFLN@K?8:<EKI8C@Q<I:FD9@E8K@FEN@K?FGK@D@Q<;GC8:<D<EKKFD<<KK?<
E<<;JF=PFLI8GGC@:8K@FE
-?<I<JLCKJ8I<@DGIFM<;ILEE89@C@KP J?FIK<IILEK@D<J8E;CFE>K<IDN<CC
@EK<>I@KP
0?<E@K:FD<JKF:FJKJ8M@E>JFM<IK?<C@=<F=8N<CC /FC8EK;<C@M<IJ

volantproducts.ca
 Merlin ERD were recently involved in modelling the lower
completions T&D for a planned horizontal lateral. As the lateral
was to be drilled with an RSS, a typically moderate tortuosity
profile of +0.4˚/30 m was applied on top of the planned curve
profiles (red dotted line vs red solid line on the left of Figure 1). After
retrieving the survey data for an offset well, drilled using the same
high-DLS capable RSS scheduled to drill the planned well, it was
discovered that the micro-tortuosity, and resulting cumulative tortuosity,
was considerably higher than anticipated and previously modelled for
(green dotted and solid lines on the right of Figure 1).
The planned tortuosity was then re-simulated to match the
amplitude and frequency of the that of the offset well and the
T&D subsequently re-modelled. Figure 2 shows the difference in
drill-string tension profiles between the two tortuosity profiles.
While the rotating weight at TD is the same in both cases, the high
tortuosity increases the 0.35 friction-factor pickup tension from
384 000 lb to 419 000 lb and decreases the corresponding slack-off
tension from 152 000 lb to 102 000 lb. It can also be seen that with a
friction-factor greater than 0.35, the completion may not be able to make
it to bottom, due to buckling.
In summary, the main problems in preparing realistic T&D models to
account for tortuosity are:
Ì The T&D model will not always account for extra tortuosity,
particularly micro-tortuosity, realistically.
Ì Although it is known that any gauge restrictions, extreme
rugosity or single extreme doglegs could prevent tubulars being
run to depth, these effects cannot currently be modelled.
Ì The true level of micro tortuosity is often unknown, with wells
usually not surveyed with an interval of less than 94 ft (29 m).
Ì The commonly used DLS and cumulative DLS method of quantifying
tortuosity, while intuitive and easy to visualise with a chart, is
dependent on survey interval: usually the higher the survey
frequency, the higher the level of cumulative tortuosity will be.
The pragmatic approach
For complex and high lateral step-out wells, there is an increased
need to understand the likely levels of tortuosity/rugosity and their
consequences at the planning stage. While the development of more
sophisticated modelling software and semi-automated directional
drilling tools is ongoing, there are practical steps which can be taken
now to make best use of the technology and practices in common use.
Good results can be obtained from carefully recording and
analysing the drilling data before, during and after the well
Figure 2. Drill-string tension profiles for low and high tortuosity cases.
36 | Oilfield Technology May 2018
construction process to validate the T&D model specific to that well
and to improve upon it.
As the quality of field-acquired drill-string hookload data
can vary greatly, due not only to the human element but to the
usually unaccounted for hook-load measurement errors due to
friction in the hoisting system, great care must be taken in ensuring
consistency and optimising accuracy in this area.
It is important for the contribution of tortuosity to observed
elevated drag levels to be recognised and accounted for as much as
possible, rather simply assigning higher friction factor values to the
same model. This enables other main friction factor drivers, such as
cuttings bed height, to be monitored with greater reliability. Also,
the buckling characteristics of the drill-string can be significantly
influenced by curvature and so buckling limits could be unwittingly
exceeded if existing tortuosity is not included in the model.
‘Signature’ tortuosity profiles, obtained from high resolution
continuous gyro or MWD surveys should be built up for different
steering assembly types, from motors with different bends to
different RSS types. These should then be replicated and applied to
future well planning with the corresponding tool type.
Wherever possible, it is recommended to analyse T&D with both
a soft-string and stiff-string model. While the results would not be
expected to match in every case, the comparison of results should
provide a better understanding of the main drivers for drag in the
particular well and, with the aid of post well analysis, can give a
better idea of the true ‘clean-hole’ drag levels.
Conclusion
Borehole quality can play a significant role in the success, failure or
overall cost of high-angle well construction, and so its consideration
at the planning and modelling stage is key to adequately assessing
and managing the risk. While significant development is needed
in torque and drag modelling software, due to its inability to
adequately account for known issues such as borehole gauge
patterns and micro-tortuosity, practical steps can be taken to
improve the accuracy of the modelling and subsequent predictions.
Through a methodical approach to continuously updating
and recalibrating models with quality field data, along with
micro-tortuosity data from high resolution surveys, the gap between
planned and actual can be further minimised.
References
1. Chen, D., Gaynor, T. and Comeaux, B., ‘Hole quality: why
it matters’, Paper SPE 74403 presented at SPE International
Petroleum Conference and Exhibition, Villahermosa, Mexico,
(10 - 12 February, 2002).
2. Mason, C.J. and Chen, D., ‘The perfect wellbore!’, Paper SPE
95279 presented at SPE Annual Technical Conference and
Exhibition, Dallas, (9 - 12 October, 2005).
3. Gaynor, T.M., Chen, D., Stuart, D. and Comeaux, B., ‘Tortuosity
versus micro-tortuosity - why little things mean a lot’, Paper
SPE/IADC 67818 presented at SPE/IADC Drilling Conference,
Amsterdam, (27 February - 1 March, 2001).
4. MacDonald, G.C. and Lubinski, A., ‘Straight-hole drilling in crooked-
hole country’, Paper API-51-080 presented at the spring meeting of the
API Mid-Continent District, Amarillo, Texas, (March, 1951).
5. Mitchell, R.F. and Samuel, R., ‘How good is the torque/drag
model?’, SPE 105068-PA. SPE Drilling & Completion, 24(01), pp.
62 - 71. (2009).
6. Mason, C. and Chen, D. ‘Step changes needed to modernise T&D
software’, Paper SPE/IADC 104609 presented at SPE/IADC Drilling
Conference, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, (20 - 22 February, 2007).
7. Lowdon, R., Brands, S. and Alexander, G., ‘Analysis of the impact
of wellbore tortuosity on well construction using scaled tortuosity
index and high-resolution continuous surveys’, Paper SPE/
IADC-173110-MS presented at SPE/IADC Drilling Conference and
Exhibition, London, UK, (17 - 19 March, 2015).
 Operating
Under
Pressure

Sudhendu Kashikar, understanding and mapping of fracture growth remained

Reveal Energy Services, USA, shows
how pressure-based fracture maps allow
for informed decisions and increased
efficiency.
elusive, often preventing informed decisions about full-field
development. The reason was simple: the existing fracture map
technology could only be applied to a limited number of wells
because the cost was prohibitive.
The team went to work knowing a digital transformation
could address the cost issue that would, in turn, address the

E
arly in 2015, a Statoil R&D team decided to confront full-field necessity for a comprehensive insight into fracture
a decades-old challenge. Even though the industry growth and the mapping of the fracture network. If successful,
had been fraccing wells for nearly seven decades, the team would be able to offer the industry greater awareness

| 37
into why all of this is vital in the first place: the issue of
geologic variability that can cause wells even very close
together to produce vastly different amounts of oil.
The R&D work proceeded swiftly. By the second half of
2015, the team began internal validation studies of what
was called an integrated modelling approach for geometric
evaluation of fractures or IMAGE Frac™ technology. The
technology is based on a pressure gauge on a monitor well
to record the poroelastic pressure response from a nearby
treatment well that was hydraulically fractured. The purpose,
and the foundation of the new approach, was to create a
pressure-based fracture map, an industry first.
Early in 2016, the team began what turned out to be
successful pilot projects. Following this external technology
validation, the venture capital group, Statoil Technology Invest,
created a spin-out entity, Reveal Energy Services, in late 2016,
with IMAGE Frac technology as the foundation of the company.
This oilfield services company startup has an exclusive license
to the pressure-based fracture map technology and the
essential patents.
In addition to offering a 3D fracture map of half-length,
height, asymmetry, and azimuth, the pressure-based
fracture map data support four other applications that allow
operators to:
Ì Determine how far proppant has been placed within the
fracture.
Ì Understand whether a diversion design is working.
Ì Know if fluid is distributed equally between multiple
clusters.
Ì Identify the depletion boundary surrounding a parent well.
The simple, accurate, affordable pressure-based fracture
map is part of the oilfield’s digital transformation with data
analytics that is offering greater insight into the completion
parameters that affect production, ensuring informed
decisions that replace hydraulic fracturing efficiency.

How big is the fracture and how fast is it growing?

A simple pressure gauge, with rigorous R&D, is the source of this
Figure 1. Four-well pad, Bakken. This is the vertical view and map view of the new fracture map, which is based on principles of poroelastic
four wells on pad C in the Bakken case study. theory and fluid flow-through porous
media. The fraccing of at least two
wells on the pad proceeds in the
following sequence:
Ì Create a monitor well by setting a
bridge plug before fraccing a stage
on that well.
Ì Frac the stage.
Ì Shut in the well and install a
pressure gauge on the wellhead.
Ì Frac well 2, known as the
treatment well, using standard
operating procedures.
Ì Record the pressure data from the
Figure 2. Fracture geometry. This is a vertical view showing the heel stages’ average fracture geometry. monitor well as fraccing proceeds
Significant asymmetry observed on the pad’s four wells documents that the depletion zone extends into the on the treatment well.
lower horizon. Ì Transmit the real time data to
Reveal Energy Services.

The monitor well can be as far

away as 2500 ft, or nearly half a
mile, from the treatment well. The
continuous pressure-data stream
from the monitor well does not
interfere with normal hydraulic
fracturing in the treatment well nor
does it require downhole tools or
cause downtime.
Figure 3. Monitored well pressure data. The pressure recorded on wells 1H and 2H shows a pressure New fractures in the treatment
response 6000 ft from a stage being fractured on well 4H. The well 4H fractures are pressurising the depleted well generate a stress field pressure
zone. With this information, the operator can make treatment design changes to prevent fractures extending response in the monitor well. The
into the depleted zone. company uses that response to

38 | Oilfield Technology May 2018

 86 YEARS OF BRINGING THE
GAS INDUSTRY TOGETHER

27th WORLD GAS CONFERENCE

J U N E 25 -2 9, 2 018 | WA S H I N GTO N D C, U S A

FOR MORE WORLD-CLASS CONFIRMED SPEAKERS VISIT: WGC2018.COM

Rick Perry H.E. Dharmendra Pradhan Senior Level H.E. Ignasius Jonan Fatih Birol Darren Woods Michael K. Wirth
Secretary of Energy Minister of Petroleum Representative Minister of Energy Executive Director Chairman & CEO Chairman & CEO
United States Department & Natural Gas National Energy & Mineral Resources International Energy ExxonMobil Chevron Corporation
of Energy India Administration of China Republic of Indonesia Agency

H.E. Yury P. Sentyurin Seung-Il Cheong Bob Dudley Isabelle Kocher Omar Mithá Eldar Sætre Patrick Pouyanné
Secretary General President & CEO Group Chief Executive CEO Chairman & CEO President & CEO Chairman & CEO
Gas Exporting Countries Korea Gas Corporation BP ENGIE ENH Statoil Total
Forum

Kimberly J. Harris Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi Peter Coleman Maroš Šefčovič Rachel Kyte Luis Alberto Moreno
Chair of the Board President & CEO CEO & Vice President, CEO & Special President
of Directors Qatar Petroleum Managing Director Energy Union Representative of the Inter-American
American Gas Association Chairman Woodside European Commission UN Secretary-General Development Bank
President & CEO Qatargas SEforALL
Puget Sound Energy

REGISTER AS A DELEGATE AT WGC2018.COM

600 12,000 600 100 100+ 350

SPEAKERS ATTENDEES ORGANIZATIONS COUNTRIES SESSIONS EXHIBITORS

REGISTRATION INQUIRIES
Email registration@wgc2018.com or call +44 20 7978 0006

SPONSORSHIP OR EXHIBITION INQUIRIES

Email sponsorship@wgc2018.com or call +61 2 9556 7996

HOST PARTNERS PRINCIPAL SPONSORS

WGC2018.COM
compute the pressure-based fracture map, quantifying fracture
geometry growth for each stage being treated. An experienced
team of geoscientists and engineers overlay the observed
pressure response in the monitor well with the corresponding
modelled pressure response. The output, which is the fracture
map, is the fracture dimensions of half-length, height,
asymmetry, and azimuth and how fast those dimensions grew.
Within a short time frame and at a fraction of the cost, the
pressure-based fracture map diagnostic tool is supporting
well objectives with relevant data in relevant time. Older
fracture mapping methods, which rely on legacy technology,
are 10 - 20 times costlier and can take significantly longer to
generate.
Now, operators have affordable, expedited data analytics
that allow them to adjust their completion designs to
match a development’s varying geology. By confirming the
completion is producing the planned fracture dimensions,
the pressure-based fracture map allows operators to make
informed decisions that support their goal of working with
factory mode consistency to increase pad commercial value in
each unit.
Depletion map case study
As the industry moves into full field development, the
challenge is to drill and complete wells close to existing
producers. Because these wells have been on production for
several months to several years, there is a significant depletion
zone around each well. These depletion zones pose some
unique challenges to the hydraulic fracturing of nearby wells.
Some of the more common challenges are:
Ì Increased asymmetric fractures.
Ì Limited stimulation of the newly created fractured in child
wells.
Ì Reduced production from the original producer and newly
fractured wells.
The company’s pressure-based fracture map is a cost-effective
technology that can identify, in real time, when a newly created
fracture in the child well is affected by the depletion zone
challenges discussed above. With this knowledge, operators can
make an informed decision about their completion design, as is
discussed in the following case study.
An operator, completing a multiwell pad in the Bakken,
had four wells on pad C that were completed in two separate
horizons on either side of a depleted parent well, as shown
in Figure 1. Wells 1H and 4H are in the same horizon as the
depleted parent well while wells 2H and 3H are in the lower
horizon. Well 8H on pad A would be used as a monitor well
while zipper fraccing wells 1H, 2H, and 3H on pad C. The
operator’s objectives were understanding if wells 2H and 3H
would be affected by the parent well depletion; understanding
the extent of the depletion zone; and evaluating strategies
to protect the parent well and improving the effectiveness of
fracturing the child wells.
Depletion-induced fracture asymmetry
As part of the operator’s objectives, the first step was to
compute the fracture geometry and fracture asymmetry for
wells in the upper and lower horizon. Pressure data recorded
from the 8H monitor stage enabled Reveal Energy Services
to compute the fracture geometry growth on pad C. Figure 2
shows the results of the fracture geometry for the heel stages
of the four wells. The fracture growth rates were computed
40 | Oilfield Technology May 2018
independently in near real time. Significant asymmetry was
observed in the fracture growth towards the depleted well.
The asymmetry was not limited to the wells in the same
horizon as the depleted parent well, but was also observed in
the wells in the lower horizon. Wells 1H and 4H, in the same
horizon as the depleted parent well, demonstrated slightly
higher asymmetry while wells 2H and 3H, in the lower horizon,
demonstrated less asymmetry.
How does this information help the operator?
Understanding the timing of fracture growth and degree
of asymmetry lets the operator know about the changes
necessary in the treatment design to prevent fractures
extending into the depleted zone while also improving the
effectiveness of the fractures in the unstimulated region.
Asymmetric fracture growth is easily and quickly identified
before fracturing the next stage. Adjustments in the diversion
scheme, pumping rate, and proppant schedule are made while
fracturing the subsequent stage.
Depletion-induced pressure communication
The operator’s secondary objective was to understand the
extent of the depleted zone and its interaction with the newly
created fractures. Figure 3 shows the pressure response
recorded in the monitor stages of wells 1H and 2H while
fracturing well 4H. Pressure can be seen building up in the
monitor stages while fracturing the toe stages of the 4H, which
is more than 6000 ft away from the monitor stages. Based
on the poroelastic response simulation, pressure was not
expected to be seen at this distance away from the stage being
fractured, which is typically 2500 ft.
The asymmetric growth of the newly created fractures was
pressuring the entire depleted zone, resulting in the increased
pressure seen at the monitor stage. Comparing the pumping
schedule with the timing of pressure response at the monitor
stage suggested that most of the fracture growth was occurring
toward the depleted zone and not effectively creating new
fractures in the unstimulated region.
Near real time knowledge of depletion-induced pressure
communication and depletion-induced fracture asymmetry
enabled the operator to take timely corrective steps to modify
the completion design and achieve more effective fractures.
This enhanced fracture geometry can be achieved through
a combination of a protection refrac on the parent well and
a properly designed diversion schedule on the treatment
well. This strategy offers sufficient protection against wasting
fracturing fluid into the depleted zone, in addition to achieving
improved fracture geometry for the newly created fractures in
the child wells.
Conclusion
A pressure-based fracture map with fracture geometry of
half-length, height, asymmetry, and azimuth is a simple,
accurate, affordable diagnostic tool to understand the
interaction between a depleted parent well and the
neighbouring child wells. With this information about fracture
geometry, operators can also conduct properly designed tests
to rapidly determine how far proppant has been placed within
the fracture, understand whether a diversion design is working,
and know if fluid is distributed equally between multiple
clusters. All of this data is vital in order for an operator to
make informed decisions that increase hydraulic fracturing
efficiency. 
Maximising

Travis Harris, Packers Plus Energy Services,

Returns

USA, discusses improving reservoir stimulation

efficiency in extended reach laterals.

A
s the industry continues to drill longer extended reach laterals (ERLs)
and increase stage density while pumping more fluid and proppant
into the wellbore, it is important to ensure the casing integrity of the
completion system and that the toe stages of the wellbore can be effectively
isolated for stimulation and production.
In situations where wireline or coiled tubing are used during completion
operations, there is an operational risk associated with getting stuck
downhole, potentially resulting in lost stages and production. To effectively
stimulate the toe, especially in ERLs, operators have begun combining
multiple technologies in the same well.1,2 This has helped to minimise
non-productive time (NPT), reduce operational risk associated with the
conveyance of wireline or coiled tubing as well as reduce water usage and
associated costs. These improvements in stimulation efficiency have been
enabled by new developments in completions technology. This includes
using degradable tools, application of ball-activated sleeves in cemented
systems, specialty toe sleeves, and also completion monitoring devices.

Completion technology

Hybrid completions
By combining multiple completion technologies into one well, operators can
get the most out of their completion. This approach provides flexibility to
reduce operational risk and time for the toe stages, while benefiting from the
familiarity of plug-and-perf operations for the upper stages.

| 41
 Ball-activated completions provide an interventionless solution
at the toe, with no wireline or coiled tubing required during
stimulation. They provide a flexible option to use for open hole or
cemented liner completions, and single point entry or limited entry
solutions. Plug-and-perf and CT-activated sleeve completions are
typically used further uphole, after the maximum ball-activated seat
size has been reached or measured depths can be easily reached.
Typical hybrid combinations that are used include:
Ì CT-activated sleeve with ball-activated sleeves for single point entry.
Ì Plug-and-perf with ball-activated sleeves for limited entry.
Ì Hydraulic toe sleeve with any other method or combination.
Degradable technology
Conventional plug-and-perf completions are now employing
composite plugs with balls and seats that are degradable, eliminating
the need for intervention with wireline or coiled tubing for millout
operations, providing a full inside diameter wellbore for production.2
Similarly for ball-activated sleeve completions, degradable ball
technology eliminates the need to flowback the balls or milling out
post-stimulation. Used at the toe of the completion, this reduces the
operational risk associated with getting wireline or coiled tubing to
depth for milling operations.
Figure 1. Packers Plus QuickPORT IV sleeves are designed to facilitate even
stimulation fluid distribution in a cluster to maximise reservoir coverage.
Figure 2. Plug-and-perf/limited entry QuickPORT IV sleeves hybrid solution
reducing operational risk for the toe stages with no wireline or coiled tubing
intervention.
Figure 3. Capturing a ball launch event that is not visible on a pressure chart.
42 | Oilfield Technology May 2018
Cemented ball-activated sleeves
Ball-activated systems in the oil and gas industry have most
commonly been applied in open hole completions. Developments
in completion technology and the understanding of operator needs
have led to the implementation of ball-activated technology in
cemented completions. By using coatings that prevent cement
from sticking to the tool, ball-activated sleeve technology has been
re-purposed for cemented well completions, providing the same
time and cost advantages of continuous pumping operations seen
with open hole completions. This means that less time is required for
stimulation operations, while NPT is also reduced, enabling wells to
come online faster.
Hydraulic toe sleeves
Hydraulic toe sleeves are hydraulically activated tools run at the toe
of a well to allow communication between the liner and the reservoir
for stimulation operations. They are sometimes used as the first stage
of plug-and-perf operations to eliminate the first perforation gun
run to stimulate the toe. Used with a coiled tubing activated sleeve
system, a hydraulic toe sleeve provides the ability to stimulate the toe
at a high rate using the full inside diameter of the liner. Specialised
hydraulic toe sleeves also provide the ability to pressure test
casing for integrity prior to opening the sleeve, in order to meet
regulatory requirements and also ensuring the system is ready for
completion operations.
Downhole monitoring
Being able to verify downhole events at surface provides
additional feedback that the stimulation treatment is proceeding
as planned. Pressure signatures in a data van on location are
often used to verify specific pressure dependent events such as
packers setting, a ball landing on seat and sleeves shifting. These
signatures, however, may not always be captured and can also
be missed in real time, prompting the operator to make time and
cost-sensitive decisions without sufficient information.
Downhole monitoring tools like the Packers Plus
ePLUS Retina provide high frequency sampling of pressure and
a secondary acoustic-based method to verify downhole events
and also provide new information that would not be captured by
pressure signatures such as ball launch events.
Case studies
Overcoming extended reach challenges in the Permian Basin
An operator working in the Permian Basin was experiencing
difficulties using wireline and coiled tubing for plug setting and
perforating operations in laterals with measured depths greater
than 20 000 ft. There was a concern about being able to provide
sufficient weight on bit to mill out plugs, as wells as getting
wireline and coiled tubing to bottom to set plugs, millout and
clean out in longer laterals. Expensive perforating equipment was
also lost downhole on multiple occasions.
Using four stages of Packers Plus limited entry ball-activated
QuickPORT IV sleeves at the toe of a plug-and-perf well saved the
operator approximately 14 hrs on location, lowering expenses on
equipment rentals, as well as the time and cost of deploying and
milling plugs through long lateral distances.
Overcoming breakdown pressures at the toe
An operator working in the Montney formation in Canada
completed a 50 stage well with a cemented hybrid system
consisting of 11 stages of Packers Plus single point entry diffuser
 sleeves at the toe followed by CT-activated sleeves for the remaining
stages, in a combined lateral length of 9537 ft.
Pumping fluid directly through the liner versus CT for the toe
stages enabled higher pump rates to overcome high formation
breakdown pressures that were observed at the toe. Using single
point entry sleeves also enabled the flow rate through the ports to be
maximised for an effective treatment.
Pressure testing casing integrity
An operator working in the Permian Basin used the Toe-X Hydraulic
sleeve at the toe of a plug-and-perf well with a lateral length of
4342 ft. The dual-pressure cycle on the sleeve enabled the operator
to successfully pressure test the casing at 10 000 psi followed by
opening the sleeve at a lower pressure for stimulation. The pressure
testing was also independent of sleeve opening, meaning that the
operator could commence stimulation operations at a later date
following completion of the pressure test, if desired.
Improved timing of stimulation operations
An operator using the ePLUS Retina in a well in the Permian
Basin was able to use precise timings of completion events in a
hybrid system, consisting of 25 ball-activated sleeves followed by
ten plug-and-perf stages uphole, to calculate exact fluid volumes
during pumping operations. For each stage, the timing of the ball
launch was observed through the wellhead, enabling the operator to
time the pumps accurately to land the ball on seat.
The monitoring system also saved time for the operator when
balls were not detected due to a problem with the ball launcher in
one of the initial stages. Retina operators observed the ball launch,
but did not detect it travelling through the wellhead nor landing
on the seat. A second ball was launched with the same result,
Media planners and advertisers need reassurance too.
An ABC Certificate shows our figures have been
independently verified, giving you confidence
in our claim.
Ask to see our ABC Certificate.
See it, believe it, trust it.
For more information visit www.abc.org.uk
or email info@abc.org.uk
prompting the operator to immediately take the ball launcher
apart. Both balls were found trapped at the valve that should have
been released into the frac line. All subsequent balls were launched
manually thereafter.
Conclusion
A number of completions technology innovations and applications
of existing technology have enabled improved reservoir stimulation
efficiency. Being able to stimulate zones of interest without
intervention using ball-activated sleeves, degradable balls and
hydraulic toe sleeves reduces operational risk, while also saving on
time and cost with continuous pumping. Combined with a hybrid
completion for the toe stages of ERLs, these same benefits can be
further realised. Monitoring devices to verify downhole events in
real time are also enabling operators to make well-informed time-
and cost-sensitive decisions on location such as when to stop or
pause operations.
Operational improvements from technology developments,
combined with the flexibility provided by using a hybrid completion
methodology is enabling operators to maximise their returns and
reduce unplanned NPT on location. 
References
1. Govorushkina, A., Henderson, C., Castro, L., Allen R., and Nasir, E.,
‘Interventionless unconventional multi-stage hybrid completion: Fracturing
longer laterals in cemented applications,’ SPE paper 176838, – https://doi.
org/10.2118/176838-MS
2. Welch, M., Allen, R., ‘Case History: Hybrid Completion Method Employed for
Longest Horizontal Unconventional Well in Vaca Muerta, Argentina,’ SPE paper
180976, – https://doi.org/10.2118/180976-MS.
3. Schlumberger, ‘Infinity dissolvable plug-and-perf system saves 50 hours
by eliminating plug millout,’ – http://www.worldoil.com/conference-
news/2016/6/14/infinity-dissolvable-plug-and-perf-system-saves-50-hours-by-
eliminating-plug-millout
Global
OilfieldPublication
Technology app

Over 3000
professionals
have downloaded
the app already.
Have you?

www.oilfieldtechnology.com/app
 ANALYSIS OF A
DI ITAL
REVOLUTION

Mahesh Konduru, ProSep,

USA, discusses how far
digitisation and digitalisation
have come in creating value
within oilfield services.

G
lobal interest levels in automation of routine activities have
exponentially risen not only for everyday home use but also
for industrial use. Various terminology along the lines of
digitisation, big data, and the Internet of Things (IoT) are prevalent
today. The oil and gas industry, traditionally known to take on
technology later than other industries, is showing signs of being
open to efficiency in technology adoption. The oilfield services
(OFS) segment of the oil and gas industry has particularly seen an
interest and intent level spike in capturing various efficiencies from
digitisation. Top tier OFS companies have appointed chief data
scientists or digital officers.
This article focuses on how far the OFS segment has come along
with digitisation and digitalisation by examining each function
including sales, marketing, engineering, design, accounting/finance,
operations, and service. By examining these in such manner it
would be possible to realistically identify which realised efficiencies
can be passed on to clients in a digitised and digitalised economy in
the OFS segment.
Understanding the definition of buzzwords such as digitisation
and digitalisation is important in order to determine what new
tools are needed, how they can add value and how they can be
best deployed within the industry. Digitisation is the automation

| 45
of existing manual and paper-based processes, enabled by the
transformation of information from an analogue to a digital
format.1 Meanwhile, digitalisation means the use of digital
technologies and of data (digitised and natively digital) to create
revenue, improve business (not just processes) and create a
digital culture whereby digital information is at the core.2
The core message for this article is to determine how to
deploy these tools in order to create value to clients (VTC),
value to shareholders (VTS), and value to employees (VTE)
in OFS. Creating VTE will motivate employees to create
higher VTC and in the process drive VTS. VTE is created by
developing easy-to-use processes, providing best in class tools
and training. This improves productivity by lowering time
spent for deliverables – directly lowering sales, general, and
administrative costs (SG&A). However, the recommendations
made in this article are not one-size-fits all but address OFS
companies with revenues of up to US$300 million per year.
Sales
Digitisation of sales operations has gotten to critical mass with
the increased adoption of customer relationship management
(CRM) systems globally in the last 20 years.
Figure 1. Typical tasks and sales cycle time-lines of technology products at national oil companies/
majors and US onshore independents.
Figure 2. Pathways to a sale from supplier to client side: get to the decision maker as a soon as possible – hardest task.
46 | Oilfield Technology May 2018
Companies have deployed various tools including
Microsoft Excel, CRM software, and ‘trip reports’, but have not
achieved true ‘digitisation’ in that not all sales activities are
entered directly into a ‘digital’ system (mobile phone, tablet,
or laptop). Rigorous use of the same format companywide and
accountability should be developed through weekly review of
clearly set goals for detailed sales activities including phone
calls, in person visits, and decision maker meetings.
Historically and even in current times, sales cycles for securing
orders on technology products vary from 18 - 24 months for
national oil companies (NOCs), to 6 - 12 months for US onshore
operators (Figure 1). These sale cycle durations can be expected
to shorten within the same client once the product/system is sold.
Having a single sales coordinating tool alone does not lower sales
cycles. In addition to easy-to-share sales coordinating tools, which
can help all sales staff to focus on meeting decision makers, it is
important to be consistent on a simple sales strategy by region
and by product. The sales strategy for a ‘widget’ sale is not the
same as that for a ‘system’ sale. The best case sales scenario
would be that of a motivated sales person being (a) disciplined
in the use of a simple digital sales tool, (b) getting to a decision
maker fast, (c) understand the values of the decision maker, and
(d) succinctly communicating the value.
If the combination of digitalisation and
clear strategy can shorten sales cycles
by 15 - 25% it directly lowers the SG&A
allowing an almost linear lowering of
pricing to client, hence contributing to VTC.
Shorter sales cycles also mean more sales
in a year and thereby causing an increase
to VTS.
Marketing
Technology products in the OFS segment
need dedicated product and brand
awareness strategies to aid the shortening
of sales cycles. Tools to execute
these strategies range from website
enhancement, branding, brochures,
data sheets, social media presence while
channels would include press releases,
print advertising, digital advertising, newsletters, exhibitions,
thought article authorship, and search engine optimisation
(SEO). Often the key is to get to the decision maker as fast
as possible and this is not always easy considering all the
stakeholders to navigate at clients (Figure 2).
Utilisation of digital marketing tools are a boon to those OFS
companies that believe in metrics for all functions. Analytical
tools, including Google Analytics, allow companies to track the
effectiveness of a specific marketing tool deployed easily. These
tools also let companies adjust their strategy on a real time basis
– for example in Q2 of one fiscal year it was found that the key
sales orders for that year had come via clients using the search
engine. Even in the OFS segment, the use of ‘Googling’ is quite
common – therefore, the strategy was adjusted to focus on
SEO. It is anticipated that the dollar sales generated per dollar
marketing spend will improve in 2018 compared to 2017 – this is
a result of a combination of events including sharpening of the
digital marketing strategy and increased brand awareness. The
result is a lowering of SG&A, allowing the company to pass on
savings to clients, improving VTC.
Engineering
The two aspects of engineering that will be covered here are
design and process. Digitisation over the years has materially
improved the ability of designers to deliver drawings faster.
Various specialised tools available have allowed for the creation
of ‘plug and play’ drawings of components, which has provided
flexibility and ultimately led to material shortening of time
for supplying drawings. It is important to focus resources on
hiring the right design person and providing the right tools and
training from the very beginning, as engineering designs change
rapidly during the bid preparation stage and having the best
resources in terms of personnel and tools is a game changer
– this could often could determine winning or losing a bid. In
addition, having all key engineering managers communicate in
easy to understand metrics, for example US$/kg, US$/bbl, for
budgetary quotes to expedite ‘opt-in’ and ‘opt-out’ bid decision
making is key.
During proposal bids, submission time is short, while
pricing accuracy is in high demand. Historically, process
engineers are under a lot of pressure to not only to deliver
preliminary process flow diagrams (PFDs) for multiple
budgetary bids but also to constantly update them. Examples
of digital tools that can help process engineers to generate
preliminary PFDs faster and estimating/sales teams to arrive
at budgetary prices faster are ‘non expert’ design tools
readily available and plug and play module pricing in Excel
spreadsheets. Efficiency in both of these areas can: improve
VTC as clients can choose which bids to consider faster; and
improve VTS as proposal and sales managers can effectively
determine if a bid is worth bidding for.
Service
Utilisation of data analytics and digital tools can potentially have
their highest impact in the service function of the OFS segment,
especially if the business model is heavily slanted towards
rental/leases. There is an asymmetry between resource (personnel,
product, and asset) utilisation and amount of money spent in
the service industry. Several factors cause this including lack of
inter- and intra-company communication within the operator
network, personnel changes, expensive real time monitoring tools,
and few centralised sources of prior service data.
Advances in hardware components and software tools
will soon allow this asymmetry to wither away allowing for
efficient service to occur at lower prices. A key challenge for
companies is to overcome the traditional attitude as well as
spending upfront on tools and not focusing on short-term
effects. As an example, ProSep are in the process of deploying a
simple mechanical device that aims to distribute contaminant
removing chemicals more efficiently. Currently there is no
incentive for chemicals providers to add a measuring device
with a real time feedback loop to adjust the delivery of
chemicals – less chemicals means less revenue for them. The
company have begun working with a couple of their partners
that are chemicals suppliers, who understand the need to
generate value to clients (VTC). The problem the company
now faces is installing economical measuring devices that can
communicate ‘two-way.’ The answer could lie in combining
current simple data collection devices already in use with
easy-to-use software tools.
Finance
Finance and accounting have probably been the largest
beneficiaries of digitisation, from books to computers, over
the last 25 - 30 years. The use of Enterprise Resource Planning
(ERP) systems has further automated financial operations
worldwide. The challenge then is choosing the right ERP tool
based on the size and complexity of operations at an OFS
company. Choosing a simple tool is recommended to get the
best training for key personnel – VTE. OFS companies are better
off investing in a strong CFO and/or controller who has solid
experience with installing and configuring ERP systems from
scratch.
Information technology
Information technology (IT), in terms of hardware and
software, continues to be the backbone of most of companies
in the modern day. The OFS segment is no different. In fact,
digitisation and digitalisation in the OFS segment is heavily
reliant on access to IT infrastructure and resources. Agility
in responding to requests for quotation (RFQs) and speedy
collaboration between engineers during project execution
depends upon having the right IT tools and resources. The
rapid scaling up of storage resources and wireless network
speed and reliability has made cloud storage infrastructure
accessible at an affordable price to OFS companies of all sizes.
Cloud storage also comes with strong security tools as well. A
swift move to cloud storage with the right software tools and
training is critical in creating a facile work atmosphere for
employees, which leads to VTC.
Conclusion
The OFS segment of the oil and gas industry is showing great
signs of increased adoption of existing digital tools. In addition
management teams are investing resources in learning the value
of new digital tools, which is encouraging. The key then for
faster client adoption of technologies in OFS is mission-driven
communication from the top, adequate training, and
longer-term thinking for rate of investment returns.
References:
1. ‘Digitization, digitalization and digital transformation: the differences’ – https://
www.i-scoop.eu/digitization-digitalization-digital-transformation-disruption/
2. ‘Moving from digitization to digitalization’ – https://www.i-scoop.eu/information-
management/moving-digitization-digitalization/
May 2018 Oilfield Technology | 47
Coming up next month
June
Image from Parker Hannifin

- Regional Report:
South America

- Drill bits

- Drilling tools

- Compressor technology
Image from Shear Bits
- Riser systems
Image from TechnipFMC
Image from Schramm Inc.
- FPSO technology

- Well control

- Oilfield tubulars

Subsea
technology

Never miss an issue! Register online for free: www.oilfieldtechnology.com/magazine

Advertiser Index
ABC 43 OSEA 2018 29

API 09
OTTO FUCHS DRILLING SOLUTIONS IBC

CATERPILLAR IFC
PGS OBC
DOWNHOLE PRODUCTS 04
SPECTRUM OFC, 23
GARDNER DENVER 07

VIDEOTEC S.P.A. 19
HOT ENGINEERING GmbH 02

OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY 44 VOLANT PRODUCTS 35

ONS 24 WORLD GAS CONFERENCE 39

 FuchsRohr® AluDrill™
The aluminum drill pipe for all ERD challenges.

• High strength-to-weight pipes for demanding drilling

surroundings: subsea and downhole, horizontal and directional
• Up to 50% weight advantage compared with steel pipes
• Suitable for standard pipe-handle equipment (API connections)
• Higher buoyancy: More efficient weight transfer to bit
• Substantial ROP increase in sliding and rotary mode

OTTO-FUCHS-ds.com
ofds@otto-fuchs.com
 Celebrating
our 25th

GeoStreamer
Survey

Superior Images
with Reliable Attributes
20 000 sq. km of GeoStreamer 4D since 2012
All major oil companies across 4 continents
Visit our website to find out more about how Ramform and
GeoStreamer deliver quality, efficiency and repeatability.

A Clearer Image | www.pgs.com/4D