Defining Technology for Exploration, Drilling and Production September 2010

ADVANCES IN EXPLORATION
Fresnel zone binning
Reinterpreting missing sections
DEVELOPING BRAZIL’S PRE-SALT
REAL-TIME OPERATIONS

www.worldoil.com
Gulf Publishing Company

SEPTEMBER 2010, Vol. 231 No. 9
A Gulf Publishing Company Publication
COLUMNS
7 Editorial comment
—Pramod Kulkarni, Editor
What’s next for the deepwater
Gulf of Mexico
15 What’s new in exploration
—Christopher Liner,
Contributing Editor
Kinds of migration
17 Drilling advances
— Jim Redden, Contributing Editor
US could find some answers
at Ekofisk
19 What’s new in production
—Henry Terrell,
Contributing News Editor
Oil shale—a peak at
future technology
21 Innovative thinkers
— Nell Lukosavich, Associate Editor
Matt Simmons: The Elephant’s
Child of the energy industry
23 Oil and gas in the capitals
— Dayse Abrantes, Contributing
Editor, Latin America
Falkland Islands exploration pours
gasoline on UK-Argentina fire
NEWS & RESOURCES
9 World of oil and gas
— Nell Lukosavich, Associate Editor
25 Industry at a glance
91 People in industry
92 Companies in the news
92 Advertisers’ index
93 New products
94 World Oil Marketplace
94 Advertising sales offices
ABOUT THE COVER
The Geo Celtic, one
of the world’s largest
purpose-built seismic
vessels, is capable
of deploying up
to twelve 8,000-m
laterally steerable solid
streamers. Courtesy of
Fugro.
WorldOilcontents
SPECIAL FOCUS
ADVANCES IN EXPLORATION
29 Alternative coverage analysis method reduces infill shooting
P. Young and D. Monk
Combined with steerable streamer technology, the use of Fresnel zone
binning has reduced infill surveys to single-digit cost percentages.
35 Challenging the ‘missing section equals normal fault’ paradigm
J-Y. D. Chatellier and M. E. Rueda
Reinterpretation of missing sections has major monetary implications.
DRILLING
41 The current state of PDC bit technology
F. Bellin, A. Dourfaye, W. King and M. Thigpen
Part 1 of 3: Polycrystalline diamond compact bits have overcome challenges from
the difficulty of reliably mounting cutters in bit bodies to accelerated thermal wear.
AUTOMATION AND CONTROL
49 How to manage software risk
B. O’Grady
Software changes happen frequently, making this invisible risk an integral
part of an asset’s life that must be identified, quantified and mitigated.
DEEPWATER TECHNOLOGY
57 Accounting for active geohazards in deepwater facilities design
M. R. Horsnell, R. L. Little and K. J. Campbell
An assessment combining geology, geophysics and geotechnics can determine
the likely effect of geohazards on planned deepwater structures.
BRAZIL PRE-SALT: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
P-67 Pre-salt development gathers speed
J. L. Kennedy
Only four years after the first discovery, a lengthening list of new finds indicates a
long stretch of pre-salt reservoirs.
P-73 Master plan for the Santos Basin pre-salt cluster development
J. Formigli, M. Y. Hayashi, F. M. de Aquino Mendes,
M. de Souza Muniz Pinto and M. C. Sampaio
To bring online its most promising deepwater province, Petrobras is employing a
management model designed for integrated planning and execution.
REAL-TIME OPERATIONS
R-79 Use of predictive workflows improves performance assurance
K. Goy
Coupling real-time technologies with predictive decision making creates
potential for a step change in well construction and production.
R-85 Saudi Aramco’s intelligent fields: Real-time reservoir
management
T. A. Al-Dhubaib and H. F. Bence
Leveraging real-time data has increased production rates and
improved reservoir management and production operations.
2010 DRILL BIT CLASSIFIER
The annual comprehensive listing of the major manufacturers’ drill bits is now available on the
World Oil website. Please visit www.worldoil.com/drill-bit-classifier.html.
CORRECTION: In our June issue, the article “Recent advances in well logging and formation evaluation” incorrectly
stated that Halliburton’s GEM elemental analysis tool was the only recently introduced tool to provide elemental yield
for aluminum and magnesium. Baker Hughes’ FLeX instrument, introduced in 2006, also provides these values.
World Oil SEPTEMBER 2010 3
 *OEVTUSJBM
3VCCFS


$JSDVMBUJOH
&RVJQNFOU
*OEVTUSJBM
3VCCFS

*ODT
4XBHFT
BSF
MJHIU
BOE
FBTZ
UP
EDITORIAL
IBOEMF

ZFU
SPCVTU
FOPVHI
UP
XJUITUBOE
IJHI
QSFTTVSF
DJS
DVMBUJOH
ɨF

VOJPO
TVC
JT
FBTZ
UP
SFQMBDF
TIPVME
UIF

OFFE
BSJTF
4XBHFT
BSF
BWBJMBCMF
JO
BOZ
TJ[F
PS
TUZMF
PG
DBTJOH

UISFBE
o
KVTU
MFU
VT
LOPX
XIBU
ZPV
OFFE
'FBUVSFT
PG
UIF
*3*
4XBHF
*ODMVEF



t%JTIFE
5PQ
%FTJHO
3FEVDFT
8FJHIU
CZ
VQ
UP




t
6OJPO
&BTZ
UP
.BJOUBJO
PS
3FQMBDF




t"$.&
ɨSFBEFE
$POOFDUJPOT
o
/P
1JQF
ɨSFBET



t0OFQJFDF
%FTJHO
BMMPXT
GPS
)JHI1SFTTVSF
6TF



t"WBJMBCMF
GPS
BOZ
TJ[F
DBTJOH

XJUI
BOZ
TUZMF
UISFBET
*OEVTUSJBM
3VCCFS

*ODT
$JSDVMBUJOH
)FBET
DPNQMF Editorial Advisors
NFOU
UIF
*OEVTUSJBM
3VCCFS
MJOF
PG
$FNFOUJOH
)FBET
*3*

$JSDVMBUJOH
)FBET
BOE
$FNFOUJOH
)FBET
VUJMJ[F
B
DPNNPO

2VJDL
$POOFDU
TVC
UIBU
BMMPXT
RVJDL
DIBOHF
PVU
GSPN

$JSDVMBUJOH
)FBE
UP
$FNFOUJOH
)FBE
ɨJT
NBLFT
GPS
B

DPOWFOJFOU
DJSDVMBUJOH
UPPM
XIFO
VTFE
FJUIFS
JO
DPOKVODUJPO

XJUI
BO
*3*
$FNFOUJOH
)FBE
PS
BT
B
TUBOEBMPOF
VOJU
'FBUVSFT
PG
UIF
*3*
$JSDVMBUJOH

)FBE
*ODMVEF



t2VJDL
$PVQMJOH
6OJPO
BMMPXT



GBTU

FBTZ
DPOOFDUJPO



UP
$BTJOH
4USJOH



t1MVHT
DBO
CF
ESPQQFE
UISPVHI
UIF



$JSDVMBUJOH
)FBE
BTTFNCMZ



CZ
TJNQMF
SFNPWBM
PG
UIF



$JSDVMBUJOH
)FBE
$BQ



t"WBJMBCMF
GPS
BOZ
TJ[F
DBTJOH

XJUI

additional @ $175/year. Single copies: $25 each, prepaid. PAYMENT MUST ACCOMPANY

BOZ
TUZMF
UISFBET
0LMBIPNB
$JUZ

0, Pamela Harvey, Business Finance Manager
5PMM'SFF

t
'BY


 Part of Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC. Other energy group titles include:
XXXJSJPJMUPPMDPN
4 SEPTEMBER 2010 World Oil
Houston Office: Phone: +1 (713) 529-4301
Mailing Address: P. O. Box 2608 Fax: +1 (713) 520-4433
Houston, Texas 77252-2608, U.S.A.
Publisher Ron Higgins
www.worldoil.com
Editor Pramod Kulkarni
Managing Editor David Michael Cohen
Associate Editor Nell Lukosavich
Technology Editor Diane Langley
Director of Data Katie Hammon
Offshore Rig Data Editor Justin Smith
Contributing News Editor Henry D. Terrell
Contributing Editor Leonard V. Parent
Contributing Editor Dr. Christopher Liner
Contributing Editor Jim Redden
Contributing Editor Jerry Greenberg
Contributing Editor, Washington Dr. Roger Bezdek
Contributing Editor, Middle East Dr. A. F. Alhajji
Contributing Editor, North Sea Dr. Øystein Noreng
Contributing Editor, FSU Jacques Sapir
Contributing Editor, Latin America Dayse Abrantes
Contributing Editor, Asia-Pacific Jeffrey M. Moore
Contributing Editor, LNG Saeid Mokhatab
MAGAZINE PRODUCTION +1 (713) 525-4633
Director–Production and Operations Sheryl Stone
Manager–Advertising Production Cheryl Willis
Artist/Illustrator David Weeks
Contractor–Editorial Production Jessica Crowley
ADVERTISING SALES
see Advertisers’ index
CIRCULATION +1 (713) 520-4440
Director–Circulation Suzanne McGehee E-mail: circulation@gulfpub.com
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Chairman
Dr. William J. Pike, Consultant, National Interest Security Company
and National Energy Technology Laboratory
William Donald (Donnie) Harris III, President and CEO, Forrest A. Garb & Associates
Alexander G. Kemp, Schlumberger Professor, Petroleum Economics, University of Aberdeen
Dr. D. Nathan Meehan, Vice President, Reservoir Technologies, Baker Hughes
Bill Coates, President of Sales and Marketing, Schlumberger, and Chairman,
Petroleum Equipment Suppliers Association
Douglas C. Nester, COO, Prime Offshore LLC
David A. Pursell, Managing Director and Head of Macro Research, Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co.
Burt A. Adams, President and CEO, OGRS LLC, and Chairman, National Ocean Industries
Association
Robert E. (Bob) Warren, Vice President, Industry and Government Affairs, Pride International
Tom Price, Jr., Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Government Relations,
Chesapeake
World Oil is indexed by Business Periodicals Index, Engineering Index Inc., and Envi-
ronmental Periodicals Bibliography. Microfilm copies available through University
Microfilms, International, Ann Arbor, Mich. The full text of World Oil is also available in
electronic versions of the Business Periodicals Index.
World Oil (ISSN 0043-8790) (est. in 1916 as The Oil Weekly) is published monthly by
Gulf Publishing Company, 2 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1020, Houston, TX 77046. Periodicals
postage paid at Houston, TX, and at additional mailing offices. World Oil and The Oil
Weekly are registered trademarks of Gulf Publishing Company.
Subscriptions: World Oil is available on a complimentary Request Subscription basis to
persons actively engaged in the exploration/drilling/producing phase of the oil and gas
industry who are in a position to recommend, specify or approve the purchase or use
of equipment or services used in their operations. (When requesting subscription, state
title, company name and nature of business as initial qualifications.) Persons who do not
recommend, specify or approve the purchase or use of equipment or services (or persons
in a related field of service or industry) can order subscriptions at the following rates:
U.S. and Canada, one year $199, two years $349, 3 years $469. All other countries, one
year $239, two years $407, three years $530. AIRMAIL DELIVERY: Outside North America
ORDER (make checks payable to World Oil).
Postmaster: Send address changes to World Oil, P.O. Box 2608, Houston, TX 77252-2608.
Subscription services/address changes: World Oil, Circulation Dept., P.O. Box 2608,
Houston, TX 77252-2608. Phone: +1 713/520-4440. E-mail: circulation@gulfpub.com.
Article reprints: World Oil, Rhonda Brown, Foster Printing Company, Reprint Marketing
Manager. 4295 Ohio Street, Michigan City, IN 46360. Phone: 866/879-9144 Ext. 194. Fax:
219/561-2023. E-mail: rhondab@fosterprinting.com. Web site: www.fosterprinting.com.
Copyright © 2010 by Gulf Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
GULF PUBLISHING
COMPANY
John Royall, President/CEO
Ron Higgins, Vice President
Hydrocarbon Processing® and Petroleum Economist
Publication Agreement Number 40034765
Printed in U.S.A.
Control With Confidence

Cudd Well Control, a Qualified Third Party, is

providing our engineering expertise to all
GOM Operators seeking permit approval from
the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
(BOEM), Regulation and Enforcement which
is the old MMS.

NTL Focused Service Offerings:

BOP System Suitability Review
Shear Ram Verification
Relief Well Planning/Design
Blowout Contingency Planning
Drilling Plan Evaluations
Absolute Open Flow calculations

Engineered Prevention, Response & Results

Cudd Well Control is a licensed Professional Engineering Firm with years of experience providing Well Control Prevention
Services worldwide. CWC is providing the oversight necessary to meet the requirements of NTL-05 for BOP Suitability,
enabling our clients applications to be approved. CWC’s advanced computer modeling software coupled with our engineering
experience can help you meet the requirements in NTL-06 as well.

Cudd Well Control has a worldwide reputation of Oil Well Firefighters and Blowout Specialists
experience and efficiency, coupled with a proven Well Control & Kick Resolution
track record of success confronting blowouts and Underground Blowouts
problem wells onshore, offshore and underground. Dry Ice/Cryogenic Freeze Services
Hot Tap and Valve Drilling Services
CWC stands prepared 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week to aid with any of your engineering Engineering Services
and well control situations. Rig Inspections

Drilling Plan Enhancements

Blowout Contingency Planning

Specialized Training

Relief Wells

Kick Modeling

Gas Dispersion Modeling


16770 Imperial Valley Drive, Suite 100 z Houston, Texas 77060 (USA)

1-713-849-2769 z www.cuddwellcontrol.com

&XGG:HOO&RQWUROLVDVWUDWHJLFSDUWQHURI:HOO&RQWURO6FKRRO
Editorial
comment
Pramod.Kulkarni@worldoil.com
What’s next for the deepwater Gulf of Mexico
I don’t have a crystal ball to gaze
into the future. But I attended the
14th Annual Gulf of Mexico Deepwa-
ter Technical Symposium on Aug. 19
in New Orleans, and I think I have
seen the industry come to terms with
the Deepwater Horizon incident and
scope out a new scenario for safe deep-
water drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
This future relies on the management
of change that the industry’s consor-
tium of operators and service compa-
nies hopes to execute and—what may
be harder to manage—realistic expec-
tations from the US Department of the
Interior (DOI) and the US Congress.
Operator perspective. At the sympo-
sium luncheon session, John Hollowell,
Shell’s executive vice president for deep-
water, made the classic case of the con-
tinued importance of fossil fuels to satisfy
US energy demand to 2030 and beyond
and the fact that 70% of the oil and 36%
of gas from the Gulf of Mexico comes
from deepwater fields. Asked at what
point the operators might put on hold
their deepwater Gulf of Mexico projects
for opportunities in Brazil or West Africa,
Hollowell said that Shell is monitoring
the regulatory and legislative environ-
ment and, while he couldn’t speak for
all the oil companies, what the Gulf op-
erators will do depends on the extent and
the length of the moratorium.
Joint industry task forces. At the
symposium’s concluding plenary ses-
sion, a panel of industry experts pre-
sented the work of joint industry task
forces (JITFs) that the American Pe-
troleum Institute (API) has set up to
advise the DOI in the aftermath of the
Macondo well blowout. The five JITFs
are Deepwater Well Design Task Force,
represented by John Peters of Chevron;
Deepwater Well Operating Procedures
Task Force, represented by George
Coltrin of Nexen and Ron Sweatman
of Halliburton; Deepwater Well BOP/
Equipment Task Force, represented by
Moe Plaisiance of Diamond Offshore;
Subsea Well Control and Containment
Task Force, represented by Charlie Wil-
liams of Shell; and Oil Spill Response
Task Force, represented by Keith Rob-
son of Marathon.
Well
Spill containment
response and
capability intervention
Safe capacity
drilling
operations
Industry
drilling standards
Industry initiatives to restore confidence
in deepwater drilling. Courtesy of API
Joint Industry Task Force.
Changes to API RP 96. The Well
Design JITF is identifying best practices
associated with cementing, wellbore
loads and casing resistance, wellbore bar-
riers, and procedures for displacing wells
to lighter fluids. The changes would
be made to the API RP 96 standards.
Chevron’s John Peters said the JITF may
recommend the locking of the casing
hanger assembly into the subsea well-
head and a requirement of two or more
independent barriers for each well path.
When displacing wells to lighter fluids,
the JITF is likely to recommend closing
the subsea BOP and separate operations
for negative test, riser displacement and
casing displacement. The drilling con-
tractor and the operator would have
to monitor carefully the displacement
volumes in and out of the wellbore and
ensure the shearability of components
across the shear rams.
Well construction interface docu-
ment. George Coltrin of Nexen said
the Well Operating Procedures JITF is
recommending the creation of a specific
Well Construction Interface Document
(WCID) for each well prior to drilling.
The WCID will include detailed infor-
mation about the basis of design, the
drilling contractor’s safety case and the
lease operator’s safety management sys-
tem. In the Basis of Design section, there
would be specific details on geological
and geophysical conditions, well barriers,
casing design, well execution plan, criti-
cal well risk assessments and the drilling
PRAMOD KULKARNI, EDITOR
contractor and operator’s management-
of-change (MOC) procedures. In the
Safety Case section, there would be in-
formation on well control procedures,
risk management processes, emergency
response and procedures for well moni-
toring, auditing and review.
BOP/equipment changes. Moe Plai-
siance of Diamond Offshore said the
Well BOP/Equipment JITF is likely to
recommend a safety case regime for all
wells, a robust management-of-change
(MOC) process, addition of autoshear
or deadman switches for floating rigs,
the use of API Spec 17H ROV stabs to
enable remote vehicles to operate sub-
sea controls in case of a blowout, and
the evaluation of current technology for
acoustic BOP control systems.
Subsea well control. Charlie Wil-
liams of Shell presented the initial con-
cept of a Marine Well Containment
Co. (MWCC) project that would result
in the development of a flexible and
adaptable subsea containment system
consisting of equipment connected by
risers to vessels to safely capture, store
and offload the oil from a blowout. The
three subgroups within the JITF are
Well Containment at the Seafloor; In-
tervention and Containment within the
Subsea Well and Subsea Collection; and
Surface Processing and Storage.
Oil spill response. Marathon’s Keith
Robson explained how the Oil Spill Re-
sponse JITF will focus on oil spill plan-
ning, mechanical recovery and contain-
ment, shoreline protection and cleanup,
surface and subsurface dispersants, oil
sensing and tracking, in situ burning
and alternative spill control technologies.
The JITF made its initial report to con-
gressional committees in July and plans
to provide midterm suggestions in late
August and a long-term strategy at the
end of 2010 to the presidential commis-
sion, the US Coast Guard and the DOI.
Will the DOI listen? Plaisiance said
the DOI’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Man-
agement, Regulation and Enforcement
accepted 70% of the JITF recommenda-
tions when it issued its guidelines in June.
So I guess we’re still in the 30% zone of
uncertainty for the future of deepwater
drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. WO
World Oil SEPTEMBER 2010 7
 SWELL TECHNOLOGY TM SYSTEMS

The most reliable

zonal isolation
starts with the
industry’s most
rigorously tested
swellables.

To maximize production and realize significant well construction and

completion savings, optimal zonal isolation is a must. Tested by the
experts at Halliburton to precisely match the geometry of your well,
20,000+ Swellpacker® isolation systems span all phases throughout
the life of the well for a total zonal isolation solution.

What’s your zonal isolation challenge? For solutions,

go to halliburton.com/easywell.

Solving challenges.
TM
HALLIBURTON
© 2010 Halliburton. All rights reserved.
World of oil and gas
Nell Lukosavich, Associate Editor
Dong
OC sideEnergy
headreduces
stake in
sidebar
North Sea licenses
Dong Energy has sold 15% of the
Svane and Solsort licenses (4/98 and
3/09) in the Danish sector of the North
Sea to VNG Danmark. Dong retains
a 35% interest and operatorship of
the licenses. Appraisal drilling of
Svane Field in 2001 by then-operator
ConocoPhillips indicated the possible
presence of a large gas reservoir, but
technical problems raised uncertainty
about the findings. The detailed plan-
ning of follow-up appraisal drilling
will take place this year, as will initial
exploration drilling of Solsort Field.
Colombian oil routed
through Ecuador after blast
Ecopetrol is diverting an average
15,000 bpd of crude oil to market via
Ecuador because of the shutdown of
the Colombian state company’s Tran-
sandino Pipeline after a bombing Aug.
20. Security conditions have impeded
Ecopetrol’s ability to repair the 190-mi
pipeline. No group has been singled
out for the blast, but the Revolution-
ary Armed Force of Colombia (FARC)
has been blamed for past attacks on
the line.
Repsol makes 1-Tcf gas
discovery in Bolivia
Spanish oil firm Repsol made a
new gas discovery in southeastern
Bolivia while completing a project to
deepen existing wells for improved
production. The company estimated
the gas resource discovered at 1 Tcf
and said initial production tests flowed
6 MMcfd and 160 bpd of condensate.
The well is located in the Rio Grande
contract area, which has been in pro-
duction since 1968.
Poland’s shale gas sees
first hydraulic frac job
Halliburton recently performed the
first-ever shale hydraulic fracturing
operation in Poland for PGNiG, the
state-owned Polish oil and gas com-
pany. PGNiG contracted Halliburton
to fracture the Markowola-1 explora-
tion well near Kozienice, Lublin prov-
ince, to determine if the site contained
commercial gas deposits. Production
results have yet to be released.
US Interior tightens offshore permitting during review
Operators on the US Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) will find it more difficult
to obtain permits for exploration and drilling activities without environmental assess-
ments while the US Department of the Interior reviews its permitting process under
the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) of 1969. Specifically, the agency
is conducting a comprehensive review of its process for issuing categorical exclusions,
which the agency grants if it determines a proposed offshore activity to be routine and
to carry insignificant environmental risk. A company granted a categorical exclusion
can conduct the proposed activity without the requirement of an environmental assess-
ment or environmental impact statement. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Bureau
of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) Director
Michael R. Bromwich announced that the Interior Department will limit its use of cat-
egorical exclusions while the review is underway, in effect subjecting more decisions to
environmental assessments. When the review is completed, BOEMRE will announce a
new approach to NEPA compliance that takes into account the joint recommendations
included in US Council on Environmental Quality’s report, statutory and/or regulatory
constraints, and other appropriate factors.
Uganda tax dispute escalates with field repossession
Uganda’s government has withdrawn Tullow Oil’s license for Block 3a in the Al-
bertine Graben, which includes the Kingfisher oil field, following the expiration of
the block’s exploration license. Uganda’s oil minister Hillary Onek attributed the re-
possession to Tullow and former joint-venture partner Heritage Oil’s failure to apply
for a production license following the expiration of the earlier exploration license.
However, analysts have said the government’s action is in retribution for Heritage’s
refusal to pay a 30% capitals gains tax assessed on the sale of its 50% stake in Blocks
1 and 3a to Tullow in July. The sale, for up to $1.45 billion, has not been endorsed
by the Ugandan government.
Resolute, Marathon to develop N. Dakota Bakken acreage
Resolute Energy and Marathon Oil have agreed to develop about 19,000 gross
acres in McKenzie County, North Dakota. Under the terms of the agreement, Reso-
lute will earn interests in the acreage by drilling and completing two earning wells
in the Bakken trend. Resolute expects that both of these wells will be drilled early
in the fourth quarter of 2010. Marathon will serve as contract operator of the two
wells and as operator of the contract lands. Resolute first entered the trend in March
2010 through a joint venture with GeoResources. The first well in the GeoResources
joint venture is scheduled to spud in September 2010, and two additional wells are
expected to be drilled before year-end.
Total launches CLOV development offshore Angola
Total announced the launch of development of the CLOV project offshore An-
gola and the awards of the principal contracts. The project is the fourth development
pole in Angola’s deep offshore Block 17, after Girassol, Dalia and Pazflor. It will
develop four fields—Cravo, Lirio, Orquidea and Violeta—with proved and probable
reserves estimated at about 500 million bbl of oil. Drilling is scheduled to commence
in 2012, and first oil is expected in 2014. Located about 87 mi from Luanda and 25
mi northwest of Dalia in water depths ranging from 3,600 to 4,600 ft, the CLOV de-
velopment will use technologies that have already proven effective on Girassol, Dalia
and Pazflor. A total of 34 subsea wells will be tied back to the CLOV FPSO, which
will have a processing capacity of 160,000 bopd and a storage capacity of about 1.8
million bbl. Total operates Block 17 and holds a 40% interest, with partners Statoil
(23.33%), ExxonMobil subsidiary Esso Exploration Angola (20%) and BP Explora-
tion Angola (16.67%).
World Oil SEPTEMBER 2010 9
 P R O D U C E D W A T E R & S A N D M A N A G E M E N T

Your single source

for superior separation
From individual units to integrated systems, M-I SWACO provides the
greatest range of produced water and sand management solutions you’ll
find in one place.
M-I SWACO leads the industry in technologies that overcome the complex
challenges of treating produced water and sand.
The acquisition of CYCLOTECH* adds state-of-the-art wellhead desanders,
in-vessel desanding systems and hydrocyclone separation technologies to
our market-leading EPCON* CFU technology for produced water treatment.
We combine the latest technologies with our production chemicals expertise
and best-in-class monitoring capabilities to custom-engineer systems that
meet your precise requirements. The result is a more complete solution that
helps you maximize process continuity, ensure environmental compliance
and optimize productivity. www.miswaco.slb.com
With M-I SWACO there’s one source for any produced water and sand
management solution. PWSM Global Head Office
M-I SWACO, Armstrong Road
Basingstoke, Hampshire RG24 8NU
Drilling Wellbore Production Environmental United Kingdom
Solutions Productivity Technologies Solutions Tel: +44 1256 347450

*Mark of M-I L.L.C

World of oil and gas StethoScope
BrandNm
Internal report faults BP’s data interpretation aboard rig
BP’s soon-to-be released report on its investigation of the Deepwater Horizon
accident acknowledges fault for mistakes made in misinterpreting data when com-
pleting the Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico, according to sources close to the
internal review of the incident. According to Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal and
Productive
several other news services, these sources say the BP report details false assessments
made by BP managers regarding the pressure data aboard the rig, which indicated
Under
unusually high pressure levels sufficient to cause a blowout. Lighter drilling fluids
were pumped into the well instead of the heavier drilling muds typically used in
Pressure
completing a high-pressure well, and on April 20 a methane gas pocket perforated
the lighter drilling fluid and caused the rig to explode and sink. Aside from internal
investigations being conducted by BP and Halliburton, a federal investigative panel
consisting of US Coast Guard officers and Interior Department regulators is also
reviewing the incident and focusing on warning signs that employees aboard the rig
may have failed to address.

*Mark of Schlumberger. Welcome to productive drilling is a mark of Schlumberger. © 2010 Schlumberger. 10-DR-0091
Baker Hughes acquires Canadian artificial lift company Pressure, psi
Baker Hughes is increasing its Canadian presence through the acquisition, an-
6,000
nounced Aug. 17, of oilfield equipment and service supplier Tanroc, based in Lloyd-
minster, Alberta. Tanroc primarily supplies progressing cavity pumping (PCP) sys- 6,500
tems and surface production equipment, including variable-frequency drives for
downhole pumping systems and wellhead drives. Since 2006, Tanroc has provided 7,000
service, repair and distribution for PCP systems in Canada from its primary facility 7,500
in Lloydminster and smaller service centers in Bonnyville and Wabasca, Alberta.
Prior to its acquisition, Tanroc served as the Canadian distributor for Baker Hughes’ 7,600
Lifteq PCP systems.
3,600

4,000
Lebanon approves law to open waters for E&P
Lebanon’s Parliament has approved a law that will allow for oil and gas explora- 4,500
tion in the country’s offshore areas for the first time. For the past decade, Lebanese
politicians have been unable to agree on how to exploit the country’s hydrocarbon 5,000
resources. But the law was given impetus by two large gas discoveries offshore Israel
by US-based Noble Energy and Israeli companies in the past 18 months, at Tamar
and Leviathan Fields in the Eastern Mediterranean. Leviathan, estimated to hold 16 Welcome to productive drilling. An operator
Tcf of gas, may also contain up to 4.2 billion bbl of oil, according to recent tests. using the StethoScope* service increased
After its discovery, Nabih Berri, the speaker of Lebanon’s Parliament, and Hashem recoverable reserves in a North Sea well
Safieddine, executive council chief of the Islamic movement Hezbollah, told inter-
approximately 15% by optimizing well
national media that the area belongs to Lebanon and not Israel. But Israeli govern-
ment authorities denied this claim, saying Israel has the right to the maritime area placement in oil-filled channel sands.
where the field is located, and Israel’s Minister of National Infrastructures Uzi Lan-
StethoScope formation pressure-while-drilling
dau said June 23 that his government was willing to use force to protect its undersea
gas finds. service sends more real-time data and quality
indicators to surface faster with

Q accurate, quality-controlled measurements

Kosmos terminates ExxonMobil’s $4 billion Ghana deal
US oil explorer Kosmos terminated its agreement to sell its stake in the Jubilee Q automatic maximum bandwidth
oilfield project to ExxonMobil, ending a months-long standoff with the Ghanaian Q no tool orientation.
government, which opposed the sale. Kosmos entered into the sale and purchase
agreement with ExxonMobil in June before seeking the government’s ratification. www.slb.com/stethoscope
But the government declined on the grounds that Kosmos Energy should have
given the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) the first option to
purchase the company’s shares. The government also accused the oil company of
disclosing data on the oil fields to more than 17 potential buyers contrary to the
terms of its agreement with the government. Oil production from the Jubilee Field
Phase 1 development is on schedule to begin in the late fourth quarter of 2010 and
is expected to increase to a production plateau of 120,000 bopd during the first
half of 2011. The Jubilee FPSO is now in Ghana with final installation, hookup
and commissioning underway.
World Oil SEPTEMBER 2010 11
 Sea Change
Weatherford’s new SeaLance™ drilling-with-casing
(DwC™) system: Subsea drilling will never be the same

1 2

High-pressure wellhead High-pressure wellhead

before landing landed in low-pressure
© 2010 Weatherford. All rights reserved. Incorporates proprietary and patented Weatherford technology.

housing

1 2

Retractable shoe joint Retractable shoe joint

locked open activated and closed to
land high-pressure housing

No longer do you have to run the risks of tripping drillpipe and

BHAs. The SeaLance system runs casing while drilling to maintain
a steel barrier against trouble zones. Eliminate flat time, eliminate
setting depth uncertainty, enhance well integrity. Value? You decide.

We call it Tactical Technology.™ You’ll call it money in the bank.

The SeaLance System is Tactical Technology in action. To
learn how to make a sea change in your deepwater operations,
go to weatherford.com/sealance or contact a Weatherford
Drilling hazard mitigation representative for more details.
Drilling ‡ Drilling-with-casing (DwC™) systems
‡ Secure Drilling services
SM

‡ Solid expandable systems

The change will do you good

SM

Evaluation

Completion

Production

Intervention weatherford.com
World of oil and gas
Apache completes acquisition of BP Permian Basin assets
Apache Corp. has completed the acquisition of BP’s oil and gas operations, acre-
age and infrastructure in the Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico. Apache
acquired 10 Permian field areas with estimated proved reserves of 141 million boe Tactical Technology™
(65% liquids), first-half 2010 net production of 15,110 bpd of liquids and 81 in action:
MMcfd of gas, and two operated gas processing plants. The transaction also included
1.7 million gross acres—including 405,000 net mineral and fee acres—in prospective SeaLance™ subsea
areas of the basin with substantial opportunities for new drilling. Apache paid $3.1 drilling-with-casing (DwC™) system
billion for the Permian properties, including a $1.5 billion deposit paid July 30 and
the balance paid on closing. Some of the properties are subject to certain preferential
rights. BP will continue to operate the properties on Apache’s behalf through Nov.
30. The Permian transaction is one element of Apache’s agreement to acquire all Imagine not having to drill the
of BP’s oil and gas operations, acreage and infrastructure in the Permian Basin and
interval before running casing.
Egypt’s Western Desert and substantially all of BP’s upstream gas business in western
Alberta and British Columbia in Canada. Net production from the properties in the Imagine not having to trip drillpipe
first half of 2010 was about 28,000 bpd of liquid hydrocarbons and 331 MMcfd, or and BHAs and worrying about
a total of about 83,000 boepd. swab/surge and related hazards.
Imagine turning trouble
zones into comfort
Noble gets green light to develop Israel’s Tamar gas field zones. Drilling with casing
Noble Energy announced that it has received government approval for the develop-
puts up a steel shield against
ment of the 2009 Tamar gas discovery in the Mediterranean Sea offshore Israel. The
development plan, called Tamar South, will make use of existing infrastructure for the hazards of shallow gas, thief
the Mari-B gas development to supply natural gas to Israel by 2012. Tamar gas will zones, sloughing shales, etc.
be piped to a new offshore platform to be constructed next to the existing Mari-B
platform, and then redelivered to the existing pipeline that connects Mari-B to the
onshore terminal at Ashdod. Until recently, Noble Energy and its partners planned And the SeaLance DwC
to develop Tamar using an option called Tamar North that would flow gas from the system also provides a more
deepwater field to a new onshore receiving terminal to be constructed in the northern efficient well design with
half of the country. However, the selection and approval of the site for the onshore larger hole diameters and casing
terminal had been significantly delayed. The Tamar North development option was seats set at optimal depths for
designed to deliver gas to Israeli markets in 2012. Mari-B Field, located offshore Ash-
the fracture gradient. Shallow
kelon, which is currently the country’s only source of domestic gas, has been reli-
ably meeting gas needs since 2004, but its production is expected to begin declining casing can be set deeper and
sharply in late 2013. cemented, for a stronger well
foundation that enhances
the safety of personnel.
New OGX discovery could double Brazil’s gas reserves
Privately owned Brazilian company OGX’s onshore gas discovery in the country’s
northeastern state of Maranhao could double Brazil’s gas reserves, the company’s chair- Avoid downhole trouble time,
man and controlling shareholder said. During an earnings call, Eike Batista estimated tripping time and circulating
that gas reserves could reach 10–15 Tcf at the discovery, which is in Maranhao’s Par- hours and enhance well
naiba Basin. According to statistics from the National Petroleum Agency, Brazil had integrity while substantially
12.9 Tcf of proven natural gas reserves at the end of 2007, the majority of which was
reducing costs.
in the offshore Campos and Santos Basins. OGX said the gas was found at a depth
of 5,400 ft only about 10 months after Brazilian companies started exploration work.
The drilling of the well will continue until it reaches a depth of 11,320 ft. The well is
located in a block owned by OGX Maranhao and Petra Energia. OGX Maranhao, a
joint venture between OGX and MPX Energia, has a 70% stake in the business and is
the operator, while Petra Energia holds the remaining 30% interest. Visit weatherford.com/sealance or
contact a Weatherford representative.
Ask about our full range of Tactical
Chevron makes another gas find offshore Australia Technology that can change the way
Chevron Corp. made its ninth and largest discovery offshore Western Australia you look at all of your service needs.
of the last 12 months with its Acme-1 exploration well in the Carnarvon Basin. The
Acme discovery came one week after the company found gas in the basin’s Exmouth
The change will do you good
SM

Plateau area. Acme-1 is located in the WA-205-P permit area, about 93 mi offshore.
Drilled in 2,880 ft of water to a depth of 15,469 ft, the well encountered about 896 ft
of net gas pay. Chevron’s Australian subsidiary operates and holds a 67% interest in the weatherford.com
permit area, while Shell Development Australia holds the remaining interest. © 2010 Weatherford. All rights reserved.
Incorporates proprietary and patented Weatherford technology.
 The Power of Q
Q
Exploration

WesternGeco helps explorers reduce

survey costs, save time, and deliver
improved data quality.
„ Boost land crew productivity
*Mark of Schlumberger. The Power of Q is a mark of Schlumberger. © 2010 Schlumberger. 09-se-0252

100% with point-receiver

super-spreads and simultaneous
source techniques enabled by the
UniQ* system.
„ Increase vessel productivity up to
100% with the Continuous Line
Acquisition* technique enabled by
the Q-Marine* system.
„ Rank your prospects in areas
with limited well data using
CSEM inversion integrated with
structural models.
„ Improve resolution, image deep
targets, and deliver reliable sub-
surface properties using
broad-bandwidth seismic data.
Efficient and effective exploration
solutions are powered by Q-Technology*.
Contact us to discuss your
exploration plan.
We listen to your challenges.
We understand your needs.
We deliver value.
www.westerngeco.com/exq
What’s new in
cliner@uh.edu
exploration
Kinds of migration
In an earlier column (“The age of mi-
gration,” July 2010) we discussed the his-
tory of seismic migration. Here we con-
sider a related question: “What are the
different kinds of migration, and which
one should I choose?”
Migration is an important and expen-
sive process applied to reflection seismic
data before interpretation. It is the last
major process to hit the data, and is likely
to be blamed for everything from low res-
olution to inconsistent amplitudes, even
though these problems may arise from
acquisition or earlier processing steps.
To effectively discuss imaging, it helps
to know about kinds of migration. It is a
waste of time and money to re-migrate
data because an inappropriate migration
technique was recommended. Here we
develop a classification scheme to bring
order from apparent chaos and get every-
one speaking the same language.
Dimensionality is the first consider-
ation: Migration is either 2D or 3D. The
former is appropriate only for a pure dip-
line. Even then, out-of-plane energy re-
mains that can blur the data. The latter
(3D) is the right thing to do, but needs
data acquired in 3D. A close grid of 2D
lines can be merged into a 3D volume and
migrated, but this is not really 3D data
even if you have 100 sq mi of the stuff.
What makes data 3D is rich-azimuth
content; a 2D line has only one azimuth
(the compass direction along the line).
Next, we have to think about the form
of the data being input to the migration.
Poststack refers to migration of the stack
data volume—i.e., one trace per bin for
3D data. This is much less expensive
than prestack migration, but also less
accurate in structurally complex areas.
Prestack is migration of the prestack data
volume containing many traces per bin.
Every blip of amplitude on every prestack
trace is processed, requiring huge compu-
tational effort. This is much more expen-
sive than poststack migration.
Another consideration is the handling
of lateral velocity variation. Across faults,
salt boundaries and steep dips, velocity can
change dramatically over a short distance,
bending seismic rays. For small velocity
contrast (e.g., Gulf of Mexico above salt),
we can use shortcuts that save processing
CHRISTOPHER LINER, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
time and money. From the viewpoint of
physics, migration can be in time or depth.
Time migration gives the correct treatment
of constant and depth-dependent veloc-
ity. Time migration can be interpolated
for lateral velocity changes, but is inferior
to depth migration for strong variations.
Depth migration provides correct physics
treatment of strong lateral velocity varia-
tions, rays and wavefronts, accurately rep-
resenting their bending through the ve-
locity field. This tends to be much more
expensive than time migration.
Note that the migration terms time
and depth are unrelated to whether the
output data have a time or depth axis.
Any migration can be delivered in time
or depth. In current practice, it is com-
mon to interpret the migrated data in
time and depth-convert particular hori-
zons using sonic logs and vertical seismic
profiles. This makes depth conversion
part of the interpretation process, and
depths can be guaranteed to match log
tops at well locations. In areas of strong
velocity variation, depth migration is
used and output directly in depth. How-
ever, migration depth accuracy is limited,
and the depth section often needs final
adjustment based on well data.
In the jargon of migration, a given
method can be classified by concatenat-
ing the terms given above. For example,
we can say 2D poststack time migration or
3D prestack depth migration.
It is important to realize that data are
never migrated just once. Migration ve-
locity analysis involves iterating the mi-
gration many times. There are clever ways
of avoiding repeated migration of the en-
tire data volume, but iterating even part
of a large survey can add up. For a given
number of input traces, depth migration
will be more expensive and (we hope)
more accurate than time migration.
When should we request depth migra-
tion and when will time migration suf-
fice? What about prestack and poststack?
The controlling factors are dimensional-
ity of the data, structural complexity and
velocity variation. The migration should
be 2D or 3D depending on dimensional-
ity of the data. However, to hold down
costs, selected 2D lines are often extract-
ed from the 3D data for detailed prestack
depth migration. These 2D lines should
be extracted in the dip direction, if one
exists, to minimize out-of-plane effects.
If a migration with too many shortcuts
is used on properly acquired 3D data,
the clue will be lack of geological sense
in the final image volume. On the other
hand, you can always overkill a job with
prestack depth migration and incur un-
necessary costs.
Note that we have classified migration
at a rather abstract level; there is nothing
here about individual algorithms. Some-
thing like 3D prestack depth migration
can be accomplished by many methods:
Kirchhoff, beam, wave equation, reverse
time, etc. Choosing an optimum method
is the realm of the imaging specialist.
At first sight, prestack time migra-
tion seems curiously unwise. Much ex-
tra expense is incurred by working with
prestack data, but no improved image
can be expected because only time migra-
tion physics is going into the algorithm.
Prestack time migration’s main role is to
prepare data for prestack interpretation,
primarily AVO analysis. We want to mi-
grate before AVO work to improve lat-
eral resolution, but not spend big money
on depth migration and related veloc-
ity analysis—plus we have more faith in
time migration amplitude behavior.
In summary, two things make migra-
tion expensive: More data or more phys-
ics, or both. More data comes from 3D
versus 2D and prestack versus poststack.
The level of physics is implied by the
terms time migration (less physics) and
depth migration (more physics).
This column does not prepare you to
write, or even use, complex migration
software. But you might be able to deal
with contractors, processors and contrib-
ute to asset team discussions. By way of
analogy, we are not out to build a car, just
be a savvy, knowledgeable buyer who can
kick the tires, peek under the hood and
make informed decisions. WO
C. L. Liner, a professor at the University of Hous-
ton, researches petroleum seismology and CO2
sequestration. He is the former Editor of Geo-
physics, author of the textbook Elements of 3D
Seismology, and a member of SEG, AAPG, AGU
and the European Academy of Sciences. Read
his blog at http://seismosblog.blogspot.com.
World Oil SEPTEMBER 2010 15
Complex well paths call for a bit that navigates
through formations to pinpoint tight targets. Varel’s
Navigator series delivers. Equipped with top-quality PDC cutters
and system specific gage configurations, Navigator bits are designed for
optimal steerability for well paths that require longer extended reaches
and greater attention to well bore quality. For maximum performance and
maneuverability, go with a true Navigator — the trajectory control solution.

Learn more at www.varelintl.com/oilandgas.

Drilling
advances
jimredden@sbcglobal.net
US could find some answers at Ekofisk
Raise your hand if you ever rolled
your eyes when Grandpa Mort began
a conversation with “back in my day.”
Thought so. You’re certainly not alone,
as most of us tend to dismiss offhand any
historical footnote.
Yet, given all the rationalization and
head scratching in the Gulf of Mexico
these days, now may be as good a time
as any to reassess the lessons available
from bygone incidents. As regulators,
scientists and red-faced journalists try to
explain what happened to all the oil and
the wholesale environmental apocalypse
they had prophesied most of the summer,
they might begin looking for answers in
a quasi-precedent that was set more than
33 years ago and thousands of miles from
the ill-fated Macondo wellsite.
By April 22, 1977, Ekofisk Field in the
Norwegian North Sea had been produc-
ing for a mere six years. On that spring
day, the crew aboard the Ekofisk Bravo
platform was finishing what should have
been a routine workover on the B-14
production well. Media accounts at the
time reported that the crew had removed
the Christmas tree prior to pulling nearly
10,000 ft of production tubing out of
the hole when the well suddenly kicked
and began flowing uncontrollably. Here’s
where the predicament got a bit dicey.
The crew somehow had managed to in-
stall the surface BOP upside down—an
exercise that would seem to require more
than a little effort in itself.
Richard Hatteburg remembers pre-
cisely what he and colleague Asger
“Boots” Hansen of the then-legendary
Red Adair Co. found when they ar-
rived at the stricken Bravo platform the
next day. “Oil was spewing all over the
place,” remembers the senior well con-
trol specialist with what is now Boots &
Coots, which Hansen and the late E. O.
“Coots” Matthews formed the follow-
ing year. “They had put the BOP upside
down and tightened it up with a couple
of bolts. It was studded, so we couldn’t
pick it up. We couldn’t pump into it. We
couldn’t do anything with it at all.”
With a conventional well kill out of
the question and oil, gas and mud report-
edly shooting more than 180 ft through
the derrick and into the North Sea, the
JIM REDDEN, CONTRIBUTING
JIMEDITOR
REDDEN,
jimredden@sbcglobal.net
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
two proceeded to improvise. Fireboats
working nearby immediately rushed to
the location and began spraying water
on the platform, which amazingly never
ignited, and all 112 rig workers were
evacuated safely. Following a couple of
failed attempts and a bit of on-the-fly
engineering, seven days later they man-
aged to rework the BOP sufficiently to
enable kill-weight fluid to be bullheaded
into the wellbore and contain the flow,
but not before an estimated 202,380 bbl
of crude had discharged.
Despite still being regarded as the
largest oil spill ever in the North Sea, the
Ekofisk Bravo episode resulted in mini-
mal environmental impact. Post-incident
investigations by the Norwegian State Pol-
lution Board, the Norwegian Petroleum
Directorate, the then-fledgling US Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin-
istration (NOAA) and others determined
that 30–40% of the escaping oil literally
disappeared into thin air. The immediate
evaporation, up to 6-ft seas, higher than
average ambient air temperature and the
formation of small oil droplets fashioned
the perfect natural spill response. Follow-
ing an inspection the day after the well was
capped, invited US Coast Guard officials
even recommended against dispatching
oil spill equipment, saying it simply was
unnecessary. “Not one drop of oil ever hit
the beach,” Hatteburg recalls.
The incident, rightfully, was formally
attributed to human error, and drilling,
production and fishing carried on with-
out interruption. Of course, it’s impor-
tant to point out some striking distinc-
tions between the Ekofisk Bravo and the
Macondo affairs, other than the fact that
the former was a production platform.
Most importantly, in stark contrast, the
Deepwater Horizon blowout was a disas-
ter of the highest magnitude in that 11
rig workers lost their lives. Furthermore,
the uncontrollable flow from the Ma-
condo well persisted for more than three
months and liberated upward of 4.9 mil-
lion bbl of crude into the Gulf, whereas
Ekofisk Bravo was capped successfully in
a week. In addition, unlike the deepwa-
ter Macondo well, the Ekofisk Bravo spill
occurred in just over 200 ft of water. By
comparison, any oil remaining beneath
the surface in 5,000-ft water depths
would take considerably longer to de-
grade in the colder subsea temperatures.
While the NOAA Office of Response
and Restoration insists that as much as
79% of the spilled crude has evaporated
or been burned, skimmed, recovered or
otherwise dispersed, others contend it’s
what you don’t see that can hurt you. The
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute of
Massachusetts was the latest to weight in,
releasing a study contending that a con-
siderable plume of oil is still circulating
in the water column far below the sur-
face, but for now appears to be degrading
in the 40°F subsea temperature. Richard
Camilli, the study’s chief author, said the
plume is crystal clear and odorless: “The
water samples when we were right in the
plume look like spring water. You cer-
tainly didn’t see any oil droplets and you
certainly didn’t smell it.”
Consequently, it is unknown what
long-term impact the spill could have on
the benthic ecosystem or other marine
life. Then again, science is clear that the
Gulf of Mexico is one of the most resilient
marine ecosystems on Earth, having effec-
tively coped with enough natural seepage
over the years to fill a tanker or two.
For now, at least, save for the regula-
tory clamp on offshore drilling, life on the
Gulf Coast appears to be returning, ever
so gradually, to where it was pre-Macon-
do. The biggest obstacle aerial spotters
face today is locating any oil to skim, and
the Louisiana Department of Wildlife
and Fisheries has reopened areas to fishing
after preliminary tests showing that folks
aren’t going to end up in intensive care by
eating a plate of shrimp scampi.
In the meantime, the US Congress is
debating myriad regulatory changes, in-
cluding proposals that address the design
of both subsea and surface BOPs. How-
ever, at the risk of sounding flippant, if we
take away anything from history, perhaps
a good place to start would require only a
bit of paint on every BOP stack carrying
the directive “This End Up.” WO
Jim Redden, a Houston-based consultant and
a journalism graduate of Marshall University,
has more than 37 years’ experience as a writer,
editor and corporate communicator, primarily fo-
cused on the upstream oil and gas industry.
World Oil SEPTEMBER 2010 17
 ACTive
IN-WELL LIVE COILED
TUBING SERVICES
Mark of
**Mar
*M Scchlu
o SSch a able Impact is a ma
Measur
u erger. M
lumb m o Sch
a k of
mar mb
S luuum erger. © 2010 Sch
m erge er r. 10-CT-0075
Schlumberge

Monitor and analyze real-time data

to optimize CT treatments and maximize
reservoir performance in a single trip
■ Fiber-optic telemetry
■ Nonintrinsic fiber carrier, allowing ball-drop operations
■ Distributed temperature and vibration surveys
www.slb.com/ACTive

Global Expertise | Innovative Technology | Measurable Impact

What’s new in
Henry.Terrell@gulfpub.com
production
Oil shale—a peak at future technology
The untimely passing of Matt Sim-
mons last month brought an end to one
of the most original and controversial en-
ergy “insiders” (see “Innovative thinkers,”
p. 21). Simmons, a regular contributor
to this magazine since the early 1990s,
did not coin the term “peak oil”—that
distinction goes to visionary geologist M.
King Hubbert—but he brought the ex-
pression back into the journalistic main-
stream. It is a subject that certainly elicits
passion, but it is not controversial on its
face—there is a finite time in the future
(past?) when world oil production peaks.
The only questions are when and how
rapid the decline will be.
Since we have, and will continue to
have, a petroleum-based civilization, de-
mand will invariably rise, as will prices.
Mature oil from shale is commercially
attractive at today’s prices using today’s
technology. Oil shale, inorganic rock
embedded with immature deposits of
hydrocarbons, is a tougher nut to crack,
but will someday prove both economical
and irresistible. When it does, the tech-
nology to extract it efficiently had bet-
ter be there, because it’s coming out of
the ground anyway, either as mined and
cooked rock, or by some more exotic, in
situ method.
Retorted. Last month (see World Oil,
August 2010, p. 19), Pramod Kulkarni
discussed some of the history behind
attempts to commercialize oil from oil
shale (a misleading term, since the organ-
ic material isn’t technically crude oil, and
the rock isn’t necessarily shale). The most
ambitious plan to utilize oil shale was
the Colony Development joint venture
project in the Green River Formation of
northwestern Colorado, begun in 1964.
Exxon bought a controlling interest in
1980, during the second oil-price shock,
and planned to invest $5 billion (in 1980
dollars) in the project. It was a full-on
frontal assault. A commercial-scale plant
was begun, with the intention of employ-
ing a “rotating retort” process to extract
oil from the shale using six enormous sur-
face mines. The plan was to process thou-
sands of tons of shale per day to produce
about 47,000 bopd. Optimists predicted
that by 2010 as much as 8 million bopd
could be coming from the region.
HENRY TERRELL, CONTRIBUTING NEWS EDITOR
Of course, favorable price condi-
tions rapidly fell apart. After peaking
in December 1979, crude prices fell six
straight years, and Exxon pulled the plug
on the Colony in 1982, writing off over
a billion dollars. In its abbreviated life,
the project produced 270,000 bbl of oil.
Exxon’s exit from the scene made the en-
tire industry oil-shale shy.
Recently, however, research has con-
tinued, spurred by enormous potential
and a whole new round of price spikes. In
2005, the Bureau of Land Management
(BLM) received 20 proposals for R&D
programs to recover oil shale hydrocar-
bons from leased public lands. Each
nomination was judged on its potential
to advance the technology, its economic
viability and potential environmental ef-
fects. Six of these were accepted.
CRUSHed. One such proof-of-
concept program is being developed by
Chevron, in conjuction with the Los Ala-
mos National Laboratory. The Chevron
Recovery and Upgrading of Oil from
Shale technology, or CRUSH (almost),
involves the injection of heated CO2-rich
gases into a horizontally fractured forma-
tion. The hot CO2 circulates through the
fractured formation to another vertical
well and to the surface to be reheated and
reinjected. This heats the formation very
slowly to the temperature where kerogen
decomposes, at which point the gases, oil
and water are recovered and separated.
Fig. 1. Shell’s freeze wall test uses an
array of wells containing refrigerant to
create a frozen barrier. Courtesy of Shell.
In the next phase, air forced into the
formation causes the kerogen left behind
in previously depleted zones to combust
in situ and generate the heated gases re-
quired to produce from other intervals.
These gases would be forced from the
depleted zone into a newly fractured part
of the formation and the process would
repeat, decomposing kerogen into pro-
ducible oil and gas until, ideally, 90% of
hydrocarbons in place are recovered.
Isolated. To meet the goals of the
third (environmental) criterion, care is
taken to avoid permanently altering the
land surface and protect surface water
quality. Of greater importance, however,
is the potential effect production could
have on groundwater.
Fortunately (from an environmental
standpoint), the oil-rich interval, the Ma-
hogany zone, is relatively impermeable
and is expected to act as a confining layer
to prevent contact with aquifers above
and below it. Wells drilled through the
upper aquifer will utilize casing designed
to prevent contact between production
fluids and groundwater. The horizontal
fractures of the formation should not
extend into the lower aquifer. In case of
natural vertical fractures, cements and
polymers could be used to isolate the so-
called “rubblized” zone from the aqui-
fers. Groundwater would be monitored
through an array of wells.
Frozen. For Shell’s Mahogany research
project, another in-ground retort process
discussed in this column last month, pro-
tection of groundwater is to be achieved
through an underground barrier called a
“freeze wall.” This is made by drilling a
series of wells around the extraction zone
and pumping in refrigerated fluid, creat-
ing an impermeable wall of ice. Similar
techniques have been used in mining and
construction industries for decades. The
Shell freeze wall test began in 2007 and
continues today. To test the concept, Shell
drilled 157 holes about 1,800 ft deep and
spaced 8 ft apart to create a closed-loop
pipe system, and then circulated ammo-
nia as a refrigerant. The resulting wall
takes about 18 months to freeze and is
about 30 ft thick. Final testing includes
deliberate attempts to breach the barrier
with air and water pressure. WO
World Oil SEPTEMBER 2010 19
 WWW.INOVAGEO.COM

TOGETHER,
WE GET THE
F I R E F LY ®

JOB DONE.
INOVA. A COMPLETE LAND SEISMIC PRODUCT COMPREHENSIVE
PORTFOLIO. UNMATCHED SERVICE EXPERTISE. PORTFOLIO

INOVA brings together ION’s innovation in land seismic RECORDING SYSTEMS

product development with the practical operating expertise
of BGP, the world’s largest land seismic contractor. From SOURCE PRODUCTS

ARIES and Scorpion, our cable-based recording platforms, SENSORS

to FireFly, our cableless system, to our AHV-IV series of
vibroseis vehicles, source controllers and ground breaking
VectorSeis digital 3C sensors, we deliver the ingenuity,
experience and capabilities you need to get the job done.

Discover the experience and innovation of the land seismic

company of the 21st century at www.inovageo.com.
Innovative
thinkers
Nell.Benton@worldoil.com
Nell.Lukosavich@worldoil.com
Matt Simmons: The Elephant’s Child of the energy industry
There is no question Matt Simmons
was a man of many words, words spoken
with both conviction and fervor. Likened
to the curious main character of Rudyard
Kipling’s The Elephant’s Child, Simmons,
who passed away on Aug. 8 at the age of
67, leaves behind a legacy of asking ques-
tions and making his actions speak louder
than his words.
In his 1902 tale, Kipling chronicles
the adventures of a young elephant who,
while castigated for always question-
ing everything around him, kept asking
“questions about everything that he saw,
or heard, or felt, or smelt, or touched.”
The Elephant’s Child concludes: “I keep
six honest serving-men: (They taught me
all I knew). Their names are What and
Where and When and How and Why and
Who.” Simmons, a real-life Elephant’s
Child, began his journey of insatiable cu-
riosity as a young man in school.
After graduating cum laude from the
University of Utah, Simmons received
an MBA with distinction from Harvard
Business School. His professor, Wick-
ham Skinner, remembers his pupil vivid-
ly as a good student who spoke up a lot.
Simmons later became Skinner’s research
assistant and they wrote two case books,
one of which introduced Simmons to the
oil industry. Skinner said, “In research-
ing the case study, he would dig for facts,
[analyze] numbers, charts and trends. He
had an extraordinary way to put together
the big picture.” Skinner also introduced
Simmons to Maine, a place for which he
would develop a great passion through-
out his life.
After being deeply moved by the en-
ergy crisis of 1974, Simmons co-found-
ed Simmons & Company Internation-
al, a small energy investment group.
By 1981, the company grew from a
four-person operation to a burgeoning
13-employee business. While the com-
pany continued to grow and diversify
into upstream, downstream and alterna-
tive energy ventures, Simmons served as
energy adviser to George W. Bush dur-
ing his 2000 presidential campaign and
began researching data about the state of
the world’s energy reserves.
In 2005, Simmons published Twi-
light in the Desert, which claimed that
NELL
NELL
Matt Simmons in Camden, Maine, on
July 2, 2010, during an interview by a
German film crew about the BP spill.
Middle Eastern oil fields had hit peak
production. He dedicated the book
to his Harvard professor, Wick Skin-
ner. Sadad Al Husseini, former Saudi
Aramco executive VP and member of
the board, remembers, “I was fortunate
to meet Matt in Arabia years before he
issued [Twilight] and we became great
friends even though we sometimes
agreed to disagree ... I was very im-
pressed by Matt’s determination to mas-
ter all aspects of the energy industry and
his diligent research where it mattered.”
Simmons, an avid watercolorist, was
involved in numerous global and lo-
cal humanitarian and cultural projects.
In 2005, Simmons restored The Strand
Theatre in Rockland, Maine, thereby
creating a new cultural platform in the
community. “He really had a vision
when he bought [The Strand]. It was so
beautiful—even featured in Architectural
Digest. He had an astonishing range and
depth of interests,” acclaimed photogra-
pher Peter Ralston remembers.
Believing that it was a crucial time to
implement an alternative energy solu-
tion, Simmons founded the Ocean En-
ergy Institute (OEI) in 2007 as a venture
capital fund and a brain trust of global
energy experts. After studying the op-
portunities of wind energy with his col-
LUKOSAVICH,
L. BENTON, ASSOCIATE EDITOR
leagues, Simmons worked to establish a
commercially viable offshore wind farm
that could be used as the model for a
global offshore energy infrastructure.
The project caught the attention of the
local universities, state legislature and
governor of Maine. “Matt was passion-
ate about OEI and truly believed that
wind energy was the answer,” said Her-
man Franssen, president of International
Energy Associates.
It was clear to all who knew Simmons
that he was deeply saddened and frustrat-
ed by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
While he courageously voiced his disdain
over the cause of the spill and its long-
term impact on the environment, Sim-
mons established a scholarship fund for
the children of the 11 men who lost their
lives on the Deepwater Horizon.
While Simmons’ passion for renewable
offshore resources will continue to live on
through OEI, by all accounts, his great-
est source of inspiration came from his
five daughters. Each of them has pursued
different careers in social work, entrepre-
neurial business, photojournalism and
education, memorializing their father’s
hard work, relentless quest for knowledge
and compassion for others. “Dad was a gi-
ant in all of our lives ... Yes, [I] was always
aware of his career, but he was always just
my loving, cheery and warm dad first,”
said Simmons’ daughter Abby.
Kipling concludes the The Elephant’s
Child with the words, “One million
Hows, two million Wheres, and seven
million Whys!” While Simmons will
never know the answers to the many
questions he raised, he has taught a
whole new generation to embrace its
insatiable curiosity.
“He saw things in the world that oth-
ers could not see, and built businesses
around them and educated people about
them. He saw things in people that the
individuals might not see for them-
selves, and valued them and gave them
opportunities to excel,” said Bob West,
managing director of OEI. “He so often
expressed joy and exuberance in life, in
people, in opportunity, in any situation.
In his own words, that I heard so often
after some meeting or event, ‘Wasn’t that
just fabulous?’” WO
World Oil SEPTEMBER 2010 21
 emirates.com/usa

I like to be taken to the

airport by a

QComplimentary chauffeur.

QChatty cab driver.

Complimentary Chauffeur-drive.
That’s Business Class without compromise.
From the moment you walk out your door to the time you arrive at whatever incredible destination
we’re taking you to*, you’ll enjoy award-winning service unlike anything else in the sky. Or on the
road, for that matter. Discover more at emirates.com/usa or contact your travel professional.

Fly Emirates. Keep discovering.

*At select locations. Over 400 international awards and over 100 destinations worldwide.
For more details contact Emirates at 800-777-3999. Discover frequent flyer benefits at skywards.com
Oil and gas in the
daysew@frionline.com.br
capitals
Falkland Islands exploration pours gasoline on UK-Argentina fire
Four British oil companies continue
to drill offshore the Falkland Islands and
are now scheduled to drill eight new wells
before the year is out, despite an escalat-
ing war of words between Argentina and
the UK over the self-governing British
territory. The companies currently in-
volved are all small explorers, either pri-
vately owned or listed on London’s junior
AIM market. Their exploration projects
are taking place in two separate basins:
Rockhopper Exploration and Desire Pe-
troleum have been drilling their inter-
ests in the North Basin, and Borders &
Southern and Falkland Oil & Gas have
prospective interests in the South Basin.
Tensions rose again after Rockhopper
Exploration, a British drilling company,
announced a discovery in May. Rock-
hopper hit a 175-ft-thick band of layered
oil deposits, the thickest layer being 75
ft, after 20 days of drilling to a depth of
9,000 ft. That well, Sea Lion, has so far
been the sole success of the widely an-
ticipated and closely followed Falklands
drilling campaign. Analysis performed
on the well in June showed that it had
discovered medium-gravity oil in a “high
quality reservoir interval with very good
porosity and permeability,” according to
a press release. Also, the initial recover-
able resource estimate of 170 million bbl
was boosted to 242 million bbl. Based on
the optimistic results, the company is set
to sink four more wells in the area.
However, the enthusiasm about the
Falklands that Rockhopper kindled with
Sea Lion was doused last month at the
company’s Ernest 26/6-1 well, 75 miles
away, which failed to find oil and was
plugged and abandoned. Falkland Oil &
Gas and Desire Petroleum have also seen
recent setbacks: Falkland abandoned its
Toroa well in July, while Desire said it
found “poor” reservoir quality at its Liz
prospect earlier in the year.
The Ocean Guardian rig, which drilled
Ernest, will now proceed to the Sea Lion
location, where Rockhopper will carry
out a flow test on the discovery well
14/10-2 after submitting the final design
of the test program to the Falkland Is-
lands government representative.
Recently, another company, Argos
Resources, joined the exploration effort
DAYSE ABRANTES, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, LATIN AMERICA
by acquiring a number of prospective in-
terests in the North Basin, where a 3D
seismic acquisition planned for 2011,
worth £22 million, will help to identify
drill targets.
A conservative estimate of reserves
across the Falklands North and South
Basins suggests a minimum recovery of
3.5 billion bbl of oil. Up to now discover-
ies have not justified the kind of invest-
ment that would make the Falklands
another North Sea, but early this year,
the British Geographical Society sparked
new enthusiasm for the Falklands with
an estimate placing the territory’s reserves
around 60 billion bbl, comparable to the
UK’s offshore deposits.
Some oil executives and many analysts
consider this to be an overblown figure.
Even so, with an additional assessment of
9 Tcf of gas deposits, the resources could
cause a major positive impact on Britain’s
long-term debt problem and simultane-
ously bring a windfall to the 3,000 or so
residents of the islands.
Since the 10-week Falklands War in
1982, when Argentina’s military dicta-
torship invaded the Falklands and was
resoundingly defeated by the British,
Argentina has continued to claim sover-
eignty over the islands, which it officially
refers to as “Las Malvinas.”
Although the UN considers the is-
lands under dispute, the Ocean Guard-
ian drilling rig continues to work 100
miles north of the islands under explo-
ration licenses PL032 and PL033 issued
by the Falkland Islands government. The
Islanders are entitled to issue licenses
under the terms of the Joint Declara-
tion over Oil issued by the Argentine
and British governments in 1995, Sukey
Cameron, the Falklands government
representative in London, wrote in a let-
ter printed by the UK newspaper The
Times in February.
The letter states: “The declaration
stated the full claim by each side to the
territory involved and was to allow Falk-
lands’ oil exploration to go ahead in Falk-
lands waters as defined by the fishing
zones—effectively with the agreement of
the Argentine Government and without
interference or government involvement
by it. The first round of exploration duly
went ahead in 1998 on these terms. The
agreement also designated an area strad-
dling the border of the Falklands’ desig-
nated area as a special co-operation area
to be exploited jointly.”
In March 2007, the Argentine gov-
ernment unilaterally repudiated the 1995
agreement. The country’s Ministry of
Foreign Relations has called the oil and
gas exploration activities in the area illegal
and is appealing to international organi-
zations to bring the UK government to
the negotiating table. Meanwhile, UK
Prime Minister David Cameron has very
strongly restated Britain’s claim of sover-
eignty over the Falklands and refuses to
negotiate. It is no secret that UK oil re-
serves are declining and that the country
has become a net importer. Thus, there
is an economic imperative behind the
prime minister’s words and actions.
Argentina appears to be at least hold-
ing its own in the diplomatic war against
the UK over the Falklands. While the UK
has the Commonwealth nations, Europe
and the US on its side, heavy hitters to
be sure, Argentina has received the back-
ing of 32 Caribbean and Latin American
countries that carry the advantage of be-
ing right in the Falklands’ back yard. From
the point of view of influence with the
US and Europe, perhaps the most impor-
tant of these is Brazil, which has histori-
cally supported Argentina’s claim for sov-
ereignty over the archipelago. During the
war, Brazil lent military equipment to Ar-
gentina, and since then Brazilian govern-
ments have signed countless declarations
in favor of Argentina’s sovereignty over
the islands, the most recent on Aug. 3,
during the Mercosur economic summit
in San Juan, Argentina.
Despite this support, with British oil
companies drilling ahead offshore Falk-
lands and growing enthusiasm for ex-
ploration bolstered by the new resource
estimates, investors are anxious to see the
oil eventually start to flow. Thus, Argen-
tina is likely losing the more important
“war”—the economic one. WO
Dayse Abrantes is an independent journal-
ist based in Rio de Janeiro. She has traveled
widely in Latin America, and has written on the
region’s energy sector for two decades.
World Oil SEPTEMBER 2010 23
 TM

The latest industry breakthrough from

Newpark Drilling Fluids is what you’d
expect from the leaders in specialized
and innovative drilling fluids solutions.

Evolution™ was built from the

ground up, using entirely new water-
based chemistry and components to
create a unique, clean, and rugged
fluid developed specifically for
unconventional shale gas applications.

Better technology, more value…

everyday

Find out more at www.newparkdf.com

Industry at a glance
Global oil supply rose by 810,000 bpd to 85.38 million, as months, before retreating to near $80/bbl in mid-August on
Norwegian maintenance ended and OPEC boosted supplies. more comfortable supplies and concerns over global econom-
While BP has plugged the leaking Macondo well in the Gulf ic recovery. The international rotary rig count rose by 9% to
of Mexico, the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates 1,554 between June and July, with the largest increase, 122
60,000 bpd in potential lost output due to regional project rigs, in Canada. The US rig count remained relatively un-
delays in 2010, rising to 100,000 bpd in 2011. While av- changed. International geophysical activity dropped slightly
eraging around $75/bbl in July, WTI and Brent Blend rose from July to August, with three fewer crews working in the
to near $85/bbl by early August, their highest level in three US and five fewer outside the US. WO

U.S. OIL PRODUCTION1 Thousand barrels per day WORLD OIL & NGL PRODUCTION Million barrels per day
DAILY AVERAGE FOR MONTH July 2010 June 2010 Avg. 2009 Avg. 2008
OPEC–Crude Oil1
July July June
Saudi Arabia 8.01 7.98 7.92 8.90
State 2010* 2009** % diff. 2010* Iran 3.65 3.72 3.74 3.90
Alabama 18 16 12.5 19 Iraq 2.38 2.35 2.45 2.38
Alaska 550 551 –0.2 556 United Arab Emirates 2.36 2.29 2.59 2.27
Arkansas 16 17 –5.9 19 Kuwait 2.04 2.04 2.31 2.01
California 630 629 0.2 625 Neutral Zone 0.54 0.54 0.54 0.57
Colorado 64 64 0.0 69 Qatar 0.80 0.78 0.77 0.85
Florida 3 2 50.0 2 Angola 1.74 1.78 1.77 1.85
Illinois 24 25 –4.0 24 Nigeria 2.16 1.98 1.82 1.95
Kansas 107 106 0.9 106 Libya 1.58 1.58 1.55 1.72
Kentucky 8 10 –20.0 9 Algeria 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.36
Louisiana 1,520 1,428 6.4 1,532 Ecuador 0.45 0.45 0.47 0.50
Michigan 19 16 18.8 18 Venezuela 2.23 2.23 2.16 2.35
Mississippi 72 63 14.3 70 NGLs & condensate 5.35 5.08 4.65 4.40
Total OPEC 34.55 34.05 33.99 35.01
Montana 72 75 –4.0 61
Nebraska 6 6 0.0 6 OECD2
New Mexico 164 160 2.5 167 US 7.59 7.65 8.07 7.52
North Dakota 275 227 21.1 265 Mexico 2.93 2.93 2.97 3.16
Ohio 16 16 0.0 16 Canada 3.15 3.15 3.22 3.25
United Kingdom 1.45 1.44 4.52 4.75
Oklahoma 187 187 0.0 177
Norway 2.28 1.88 1.47 1.56
Texas 1,395 1,397 –0.1 1,391
Europe-others 0.65 0.64 0.66 0.72
Utah 65 62 4.8 60
Australia 0.58 0.59 0.55 0.55
Wyoming 142 138 2.9 137
Pacific-others 0.11 0.11 0.10 0.10
Others2 26 22 18.2 25 Total OECD 18.75 18.39 21.56 21.61
Total US 5,379 5,217 3.1 5,354
Non–OECD1
Lower 48 4,829 4,666 3.5 4,798
1
Former USSR 13.61 13.59 13.27 12.82
Includes lease condensate.
China 4.09 4.17 3.79 3.79
* API’s current estimate.
Malaysia 0.68 0.70 0.74 0.77
** DOE’s revision as of 10 months from current issue date.
India 0.89 0.89 0.80 0.81
2 Includes Arizona, Indiana, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
Indonesia 0.98 0.99 1.00 0.98
Asia-others 1.07 1.06 1.10 1.08
Europe 0.14 0.14 0.13 0.14
WORKOVER RIG COUNT Brazil 2.15 2.13 2.49 2.37
Argentina 0.72 0.71 0.72 0.75
Colombia 0.79 0.78 0.67 0.59
July June May July % chng % chng
Latin America-others 0.45 0.45 0.43 0.42
Region 2010 2010 2010 2009 mo ago yr ago
Oman 0.88 0.87 0.81 0.75
Texas Gulf Coast 150 147 144 131 2.0 14.5 Syria 0.37 0.37 0.38 0.39
ArkLaTex 109 112 111 111 –2.7 –1.8 Yemen 0.28 0.28 0.30 0.30
Eastern USA 77 80 76 51 –3.8 51.0 Egypt 0.74 0.74 0.69 0.70
South Louisiana 41 37 37 35 10.8 17.1 Gabon 0.25 0.25 0.23 0.21
Mid-Continent 333 339 340 359 –1.8 –7.2 Africa/Middle East-others 1.80 1.81 1.64 1.68
Total Non-OECD 29.89 29.93 29.19 28.55
West Texas / Permian 517 532 505 401 –2.8 28.9
Processing gains3 2.20 2.20 2.29 2.24
Rocky Mountain 294 277 276 254 6.1 15.7
Total supply 85.38 84.57 87.03 87.41
West Coast / Alaska 331 333 329 306 1.2 8.2
Source: International Energy Agency Note: Totals and subtotals may not add, due to rounding.
Total US 1,852 1,857 1,818 1,648 –0.3 12.4 1 Indonesian production has been reclassified within non–OECD and excluded from OPEC.
Canada 481 421 372 384 14.3 25.3 2 Comprises crude oil, condensates, NGLs and oil from unconventional sources.
3 Net of volumetric gains and losses in refining (excludes net gain/loss in China and non–OECD Europe) and marine

Source: Cameron transportation losses.

MONTHLY U.S. GAS PRICES & TRENDS ($/Mcf) SELECTED WORLD OIL PRICES ($/bbl)
13.0 155
11.5 12-month W. Texas Inter.
Actual monthly 135 Brent Blend
10.0 Source: The Gas Price Report Arabian Light
8.5 115 Source: DOE

7.0 95
5.5 75
4.0
55
2.5
1.0 35
A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J
2008 2009 2010 2008 2009 2010
World Oil SEPTEMBER 2010 25
 Industry at a glance
INTERNATIONAL ROTARY U.S. ROTARY
U.S. WORKOVER RIGS DRILLING RIGS DRILLING RIGS
2,700 1,800 2,300

2,500 1,700 2,050

1,600
2,300 2010 1,800
1,500 2010
2,100 1,550
1,400
1,900 2010 1,300
1,300 2009
1,700 2009 1,050 2009
1,200

1,500 1,100 800

J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D

Source: Cameron Sources: Baker Hughes & M-I Swaco

INTERNATIONAL ROTARY RIG COUNT ROTARY RIGS RUNNING IN U.S. Monthly average
Monthly average % diff.
July 2010 June 2010 July 2009 STATE July June July July ‘09
Region Land Offshore Land Offshore Land Offshore and AREA 2010 2010 2009 July ‘10

CANADA 348 2 226 2 174 1 Alabama - Total 7 4 4 75.0

EUROPE 38 49 45 51 31 37 Land 7 4 3 133.3
Germany 4 1 4 1 6 0 Inland water 0 0 0 ...
Italy 5 1 4 1 2 0 Offshore 0 0 0 ...
Netherlands 2 6 2 6 1 3 Alaska - Total 6 8 5 20.0
Norway 0 15 0 17 0 17 Land 6 8 5 20.0
Poland 2 0 2 0 3 0 Offshore 0 0 0 ...
United Kingdom 2 21 2 20 1 15 Arkansas 39 39 45 –13.3
Others 19 6 21 6 19 3 California - Total 37 35 21 76.2
MIDDLE EAST* 240 44 228 45 226 33 Land 37 34 21 76.2
Abu Dhabi 8 3 8 3 8 4 Offshore 0 1 0 ...
Iran 55 19 55 19 57 10 Colorado 60 53 44 36.4
Oman 45 0 43 0 47 0 Florida 1 1 1 ...
Saudi Arabia 55 10 54 13 57 10 Kansas 16 17 19 –15.8
Syria 30 0 30 0 24 0 Kentucky 5 6 9 –44.4
Turkey 10 1 10 1 5 0 Louisiana - Total 180 185 133 35.3
Others 37 11 28 9 28 9 North - Land 138 139 81 70.4
AFRICA 120 46 125 35 104 21 South - Inl. water 13 13 8 62.5
Algeria 23 0 25 0 28 0 South - Land 16 17 11 45.5
Egypt 44 13 42 11 32 9 Offshore 13 16 34 –61.8
Libya 13 1 15 1 12 1 Michigan 0 0 0 ...
Nigeria 6 11 7 9 1 4 Mississippi 11 15 11 ...
Sudan 20 1 22 1 26 0 Montana 5 5 0 ...
Others 14 11 14 12 4 6 Nebraska 0 2 0 ...
LATIN AMERICA 309 78 314 74 268 83 Nevada 7 6 1 600.0
Argentina 81 0 80 0 46 1 New Mexico 69 65 41 68.3
Brazil 32 38 32 32 29 34 New York 1 1 2 –50.0
Colombia 43 0 40 0 28 0 North Dakota 123 115 41 200.0
Mexico 62 24 73 29 100 35 Ohio 6 6 8 –25.0
Venezuela 60 10 56 9 43 11 Oklahoma 128 125 80 60.0
Others 31 6 33 4 22 2 Pennsylvania 87 82 45 93.3
FAR EAST 166 123 162 127 156 109 South Dakota 1 1 1 ...
Australia 5 10 3 8 8 10 Tennessee 0 0 0 ...
China, offshore 0 26 0 28 0 26 Texas - Total 676 663 342 97.7
Offshore 2 3 2 ...
India 81 28 81 28 58 27
Inland water 0 0 0 ...
Indonesia 43 14 44 14 48 14
District 1 52 41 12 333.3
Malaysia 0 14 0 15 0 12 District 2 30 28 15 ...
Myanmar 1 0 2 0 3 1 District 3 46 53 29 58.6
Pakistan 17 0 18 0 21 0 District 4 44 48 29 51.7
Thailand 3 10 3 10 5 9 District 5 81 86 78 3.8
Vietnam 0 14 0 14 0 4 District 6 75 75 42 78.6
Others 16 7 9 10 13 6 District 7B 10 10 13 -23.1
Total 1,221 333 1,100 334 875 274 District 7C 53 52 16 231.3
*No data available for Iraq. Sources: Baker Hughes Inc. & M-I Swaco District 8 160 150 53 201.9
District 8A 26 25 9 188.9
District 9 33 31 18 83.3
INTERNATIONAL OFFSHORE RIGS District 10 65 62 25 160.0
Utah 27 26 16 68.8
US Gulf of Mexico Europe/Mediterranean Worldwide W. Virginia 25 25 21 19.0
July 2010 Mobile Platform* Mobile Platform* Mobile Platform* Wyoming 43 38 31 38.7
Others 12 4 10 20.0
Total rigs in fleet 122 51 106 108 762 298
year ago 114 54 107 107 731 296 US offshore total 15 20 36 –58.3
US grand total 1,572 1,527 918 71.2
Contracted rigs, 69 19 93 105 586 237
year ago 52 32 99 104 558 252 Source: Baker Hughes Inc. Note: Totals and subtotals may not add, due to rounding.
Rig utilization, %, 56.4 37.3 88.2 97.2 76.9 79.5
year ago 46.0 59.3 92.1 97.2 76.4 85.1
Source: Offshore Data Services’ Weekly Mobile Offshore Rig Count
*Updated quarterly. INTERNATIONAL GEOPHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Seismic crews working
U.S. GEOPHYSICAL ACTIVITY Regions Aug. 2010 July 2010 Aug. 2009 Regions Aug. 2010 July 2010 Aug. 2009
Seismic crews working Africa 69 70 70 Far East* 65 67 67
Canada 5 2 3 Middle East 33 33 32
Regions Aug. 2010 July 2010 Aug. 2009 Regions Aug. 2010 July 2010 Aug. 2009
CIS 47 47 46 Latin America 36 38 35
Rocky Mountains 8 9 6 Gulf Coast 10 11 10
Europe 29 29 33 United States 63 66 59
Mid-Continent 9 11 12 Offshore 13 12 9
Southwest 6 7 9 Others 17 16 13 Total 347 352 345
Source: IHS Energy
Total 63 66 59 *Includes China
Source: IHS Energy

26 SEPTEMBER 2010 World Oil

 When Purchasing Artificial Lift Systems

COMPARE PERFORMANCE
For oil and gas well operators, the gold standard of artificial
lift systems is extending equipment run life and optimizing YOU’LL DISCOVER THAT
production. For equipment manufacturers like us, achieving IT’S MORE THAN A
this standard requires attention to detail in every phase of PRODUCT SPECIFICATION.
design, engineering, manufacturing and service.
Some companies call this quality assurance. We call it
commitment.
When you compare the performance of our artificial lift
systems and service capabilities to the competition, you’ll
discover why operators all over the world are entrusting
their production assets to Wood Group ESP.
Put us to the performance test. Specify Wood Group ESP
for your artificial lift systems.
Call us at +1 405.670.1431.
Or e-mail esp@woodgroup-esp.com.

Wood Group ESP

The ESP Specialists® www.woodgroup-esp.com
 ADVANCES IN
SPECIAL FOCUS: EXPLORATION

Alternative coverage analysis

method reduces infill shooting
Combined with steerable streamer technology, the use of Fresnel zone
binning has reduced infill surveys to single-digit cost percentages.
Paul Young, Fugro-Geoteam; and David Monk, Apache Corporation

Most marine 3D seismic surveys are acquired with infill to be generated at any desired location. The number of traces
ensure adequate subsurface coverage, especially in areas where contributing to a particular output location from pre-stack
seismic surveys are affected by adverse currents or suboptimal migration will vary with offset and time.
streamer feather angle matching. For a typical 3D seismic sur- Simple inspection of the migration impulse response for a
vey, infill shooting may account for 25% or more of the cost zero-offset trace shows that the sampling requirement chang-
of prime line seismic acquisition. Combining an alternative es with time. Furthermore, the size of the Fresnel zone also
method for assessing subsurface coverage with the use of the
latest lateral-control steerable streamer systems has allowed a
reduction of infill survey costs to less than 10% for a number
of recent surveys.
Fugro has incorporated steerable streamer technology
throughout its 3D seismic fleet, first on 3D vessels Geo At-
lantic and Geo Celtic and then on all other vessels in the com-
pany’s fleet. This technology has been used together with an
alternative coverage analysis method developed with Apache
Energy to reduce the cost of 3D seismic surveys without ad-
versely impacting seismic quality.
Over the last two years, the two companies have been
working closely on a number of proprietary surveys and a
large multiclient survey, which has led to the development of
software designed to minimize infill costs using the combina- Fig. 1. Fresnel zone comparison for different offsets.
tion of steerable streamers and Fresnel zone binning fold and
coverage assessment techniques.

ASSESSING ADEQUATE COVERAGE

Historically, it has become accepted that the adequacy of
the fold coverage in a 3D survey is assessed by sampling the
survey in “bins” and then examining how many traces (with
what offset distribution) fall into each of the bins. In marine
3D surveys, such binning analysis is commonly used in the
field to assess whether infill data is required.
The advent of steerable streamer systems has helped by
allowing deviation of streamers back toward their intended
position, but current systems cannot compensate for sig-
nificant feather variations. However, the dimensions of the
conventional bins are based on the assumption that the
traces within these bins will be stacked together. Large bins
may therefore lead to smearing of data and are not desirable.
Bins may be overlapped, or “flexed,” to accommodate miss-
ing traces within a bin. But such flex is generally small, as
large bins will lead to a greater smear of data associated with
dipping events.
Using today’s processing methods, it is unusual to stack
the traces within a specific bin and then perform a post-stack
Fig. 2. Bin coverage for a single offset, using a conventional
migration. The traces that are stacked are the traces from pre- bin approach (left) and Fresnel approach (right) for real data.
stack migration—either time or depth—and these traces can
World Oil SEPTEMBER 2010 29
SPECIAL FOCUS ADVANCES IN EXPLORATION

changes with offset for the far trace in

and with the band- the figure spans
width of the seis- nearly 2 km in the
mic signal. Figure inline direction and
1 shows the Fresnel over 0.5 km in the
zone for a single crossline direction.
horizon at different Pre-stack migra-
offsets. The size dif- tion will take the
ferences show that data from all the
use of a constant traces in this area
bin dimension with and combine these
only a small “flex” to form an out-
would not be the put at the desired
best decision. location. The cri-
In the past, teria for sampling
Fresnel zones have are now different
occasionally been from the common
used in seismic flex “binning” cri-
survey planning to teria. Conversely,
develop required the Fresnel zone
apertures or sam- defines the area of
pling relationships. the subsurface that
Fresnel zones are has been sampled
often computed us- by a single seis-
ing a zero-offset as- mic trace. If all
sumption and con- parts of a surface
stant velocity, but Fig. 3. The amplitude map when a) only prime data is processed, b) all available data are covered by the
in a practical sense, are processed (prime plus infill), and c) only prime data is processed but with a special Fresnel zones of
this is a poor rep- processing flow involving wavefield-consistent interpolation; and d) the difference multiple traces,
resentation of the plot. A common amplitude plot scale has been used for all four figures. then the surface
“area of influence” has been examined
of the Fresnel zone. everywhere. If the
The Fresnel zone concept has been well understood, but no Fresnel zones do not overlap on the surface, then there are
practical way had been identified to use this concept to guide some parts of the reflector that have not been sampled, and
seismic acquisition. they cannot be imaged correctly.
The concept of the Fresnel zone suggests an “area of influ- It is important that the Fresnel zone (and not the output
ence” around a ray; this area of influence can be described in bin) at any location has been adequately sampled. This sug-
terms of the travel time to a point in the subsurface and the gests several improvements that can be implemented in the
change in this travel time associated with one-fourth of the way that marine seismic is acquired. One of these would
wavelength. For a given reflection event in the subsurface, be to address coverage needs for shallow targets, or high-
seismic traces—which have reflection ray “points” within the resolution surveys. If the Fresnel zone for a certain offset
Fresnel zone—will contribute constructively to the output is smaller than the bin dimension (remember that the size
seismic trace at the center of the Fresnel zone when data is of the Fresnel zone decreases with higher seismic frequency
migrated. And, conversely, a trace with a ray “point” at the bandwidth), the subsurface will not be fully illuminated by
center of the Fresnel zone has actually sampled all points that offset. Furthermore, if that small Fresnel zone does not
on the reflection event within the Fresnel zone. Therefore, extend to the actual bin center, it will not be possible to
understanding the shape of Fresnel zones is required when interpolate toward the bin center, and it is well known that
assessing the adequacy of coverage in the 3D survey. In pre- imaging will suffer if pre-stack migration is performed using
stack migration, all of the traces within this area affect the an irregular input grid.
output trace at the center. If a second trace of that particular offset would be present
The shape of the first Fresnel zone is not a circle, but an in the bin, for instance from the acquisition of infill lines, cur-
ellipse that can be defined by its dimensions parallel and per- rent binning practice may select the trace nearest to the bin
pendicular to the shot receiver axis. For finite offsets, both center. However, as this trace may have been acquired with a
dimensions are larger than the zero-offset circle, and the el- different azimuth and under different conditions, the imaging
lipse is elongated along the shot receiver axis. For realistic ve- results for this offset often show some degradation.
locity regimes (e.g., where velocity increases with depth), the It follows that the best method of ensuring good shallow
ellipse gets bigger, and in some cases much bigger, than in the imaging is to acquire data such that a nearest-offset trace falls
constant-velocity situation. at the center of the bin. However, as mentioned above, this
Figure 1 shows Fresnel zones computed for an event at does not guarantee that the illumination is complete. Shooting
3,000-m depth for offsets of 150 m (bottom right), 2,550 m, along pre-plot source positions is more commonly associated
5,150 m and 7,550 m (top left). In the presence of a velocity with requirements for 4D or wide-azimuth 3D, where the in-
gradient, the finite offset Fresnel zone is considerably larger tent is to be able to repeat shot locations. In fact, it is likely to
than the straight ray equivalent. Note that the area of influence improve conventional 3D acquisition as well.
30 SEPTEMBER 2010 World Oil
 We See Drilling
. . . Do You?

TESCO is a technology driven company who prides itself on pushing the industry to having better service, more
advanced tools and the most capable people in the industry.

Go to getscanlife.com from your mobile browser to scan this code and find out the latest on TESCO or download the free
scanning application to your phone by texting “SCAN” to 43588.
*Standard data rates may apply.

T H E D R I L L I N G I N N O VAT I O N C O M PA N Y ™
Top Drives Sales & Rental / Tubular Services Proprietary & Conventional / CASING DRILLING™ / Completions / Accessories
©Tesco Corporation / August 2010
SPECIAL FOCUS ADVANCES IN EXPLORATION
Fig. 4. Fresnel zone binning compared to traditional coverage
analysis. FZB analysis is shown for a) prime lines only, b)
prime lines with suggested infill, and c) prime lines plus infill.
Conventional binning analysis is shown for d) prime lines only
and e) prime lines plus infill as suggested by FZB analysis.
Sampling requirements for longer offsets or conventional
target depths should be determined by adequate sampling of
the Fresnel zone (i.e., the trace requirements for input to mi-
gration), and not by the dimensions of the bins’ output from
migration. In fact, relatively large holes in long-offset coverage
can be accommodated if the Fresnel zones are still well sampled.
This leads to the concept of Fresnel zone binning (FZB).
FRESNEL ZONE BINNING
If the 3D seismic survey targets are relatively well under-
stood before the start of a survey, it is possible to determine
the shape and size of the Fresnel zone for every trace as it is
acquired for particular target depths, as well as the change of
the shape of the Fresnel zone with offset and the tolerance to
streamer position with offset. For a single trace, rather than
simply entering a “1” as the fold contribution to a single bin at
32 SEPTEMBER 2010 World Oil
the midpoint, we can enter the weight values associated with
the contributions that this trace will make to the output bins
from migration, since the trace energy will be spread across
many bins as part of the migration step. Figure 2 shows the
difference between conventional binning, based on simple
trace count, and Fresnel zone binning using the true am-
plitude contribution of the acquired traces according to the
Fresnel zone weights.
FZB software performs this analysis for all traces, concur-
rent with the acquisition, and the effective contribution to
each bin at each offset is computed and assessed for adequacy
of coverage. This can take into account specific target depths,
offsets used, frequency content of the seismic signal and angle
of incidence selection.
Figure 3 shows a comparison of amplitude maps along one
horizon for the different processing results. Figure 3a shows the
amplitudes for the conventionally processed volume of prime
data only. Stripes of amplitude anomalies are clearly visible,
mainly caused by low or zero folds for longer offsets (missing
infill). Figure 3b shows that the problems are resolved if all in-
fill lines are used. However, an almost identical result, shown
in Fig. 3c, can be achieved by using the prime data alone and
a wavefield-consistent processing route. The amplitudes in the
difference plot in Fig. 3d are at their largest around 18 dB
down on the horizon amplitude, and significantly smaller in
most places. As it is impossible to replicate the exact noise
conditions during acquisition by means of interpolation, it is
not surprising that the largest differences seem to be random
and concentrated around the areas where infill was acquired.
Evaluation of the amplitude difference map (equivalent to
evaluating FZB plots) shows that none of the acquired infill
lines, based on traditional fold-based coverage analysis, were
actually required. Reprocessing of the data set with various
combinations of infill lines shows that the optimal result was
achieved when the input data met the FZB threshold criteria
and the data were processed through a wavefield-consistent
processing route.
In this example, the infill assessment based on the FZB cri-
teria would have greatly reduced infill requirements (in fact,
no infill would have been necessary), demonstrating the FZB
method’s potential to reduce acquisition costs.
FZB IMPLEMENTATION
The FZB analysis has been implemented in a user-friendly,
powerful application that allows for the selection of param-
eters prior to commencement of the survey, such as depths of
the objective horizons, range of offsets, frequency spectra and
velocity functions. Then, concurrent with its acquisition, the
acquired seismic data is analyzed and aggregate Fresnel zone
contributions of the traces acquired are created.
Based on set criteria for allowable attenuation from the full
Fresnel zone contribution, an infill program is devised. Of
course, the targeted effect of the planned infill program can
be analyzed immediately by including the P1/90 data of the
proposed infill into the integrated analysis.
An example of infill planning with FZB is provided in
Fig. 4. Figure 4a shows the FZB analysis (longest offset) for
a section of the survey with only prime line acquisition. The
proposed infill tracks are illustrated in Fig. 4b, and Fig. 4c
shows the updated FZB plot after infill acquisition. Figures
4d and 4e show conventional flex binning coverage plots
before and after infill. Note that further infill would be re-
quired to satisfy conventional binning specifications.
SPECIAL FOCUS ADVANCES IN EXPLORATION
ADDED VALUE OF STREAMER STEERING
Combined with the FZB analysis, steerable streamers can be
positioned in a manner to optimize subsurface seismic cover-
age. After calculating the coverage tolerances for all offsets us-
ing the Fresnel zone analysis, the maximum lateral distance be-
tween adjacent streamers can be calculated along each streamer,
and the lateral steering can assist in positioning the streamers to
maximize coverage. Separation variations at longer offsets are
less critical than variations at shorter offsets, and the streamers
are steered to minimize the impact of position changes. This
can be utilized as part of the pre-planning for a survey, but ad-
ditionally the ability to steer the streamers during acquisition
can further reduce infill based on Fresnel zone criteria.
Utilization of steerable birds has also proven successful for
4D purposes, and when applying new acquisition techniques.
Lateral steering has been used when shooting in turns, and
two surveys of fan-mode acquisition have been executed. In
the latter case, the devices are used to create a larger separation
in the tail of the streamers, which helps reduce the infill rate.
This technique can be used in conjunction with Fresnel zone
binning as previously discussed.
Other benefits of the lateral controllers include more ef-
ficient equipment deployment and recovery, and safer work
boat operations because of improved streamer control. En-
hanced streamer control also mitigates risks when working in
obstructed areas.
INTERPOLATION
Prior to pre-stack migration, interpolation techniques are
used to construct a regular grid from traces within every Fresnel
34 SEPTEMBER 2010 World Oil
zone. As the Fresnel zones may be large for deeper targets, it
is essential that high-quality algorithms, including the ability
to interpolate multiple and conflicting dips, are used. Newly
developed software based on the frequency reconstruction
technique known as matching pursuit is used to construct the
regular seismic data in three or more dimensions.
The principle is similar to Fourier-based regularization
methods such as anti-leakage Fourier transform (ALFT) or
projections onto convex sets (POCS), in which the seismic
data is iteratively projected to local Fourier function. The
method assumes that in a small data window, seismic data
contains mainly linear events. Therefore, each slice of tempo-
ral frequency in the frequency-wavenumber (f-k) domain is
relatively sparse. In each analysis window, the probability of
linear seismic events within a certain range of dip from avail-
able seismic data in that window is determined first.
A Fourier spectrum is constructed to fit with existing data
and pre-calculated dip preferences. The method is capable of
interpolation across large gaps in coverage and may also inter-
polate events with conflicting dip. The anti-aliasing procedure
permits interpolation of steeply dipping seismic events such as
diffraction curves.
CONCLUSION
Once the size of the Fresnel zone is understood, the re-
quirements for coverage as a function of offset, angle of in-
cidence, frequency content and depth can be evaluated accu-
rately, assuming that pre-stack migration will form part of the
processing sequence for data. The same criteria can be used
to set steering tolerances for streamers during acquisition, to
further minimize the amount of infill required in a marine
streamer survey.
At longer offsets and later times, the common binning pa-
rameters may be inappropriately small. It is relatively easy to
establish criteria for adequate distribution of sampling within
the Fresnel zone, and this can be used to guide acquisition,
particularly the requirement to acquire infill data in a marine
environment. With different tolerances resulting between
near and far offsets, steerable streamer technology can be used
to position the streamers in a manner to optimize coverage.
Finally, the use of high-quality interpolation algorithms is es-
sential to obtain the desired results. WO
THE AUTHORS
Paul Young has over 20 years of experience in ma-
rine seismic acquisition and has filled management
positions in both oil companies and seismic service
companies. After spending seven years in field po-
sitions throughout Southeast Asia, Mr. Young spent
four years in Singapore in business development
roles. In 2000 he moved to Perth, Australia, where he
has worked in numerous business development, op-
erational and HSE roles. Mr. Young is Vice President
in the Asia-Pacific region for Fugro-Geoteam.
David Monk is the Director of Geophysics at
Apache Corp., with responsibility for worldwide
seismic activity. Having completed a PhD in physics,
he worked on seismic crews in Nigeria for two years
and has subsequently been involved in seismic pro-
cessing and acquisition in most parts of the world.
Dr. Monk has received “best paper” awards from
the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) and
the Canadian Society of Exploration Geophysicists,
he was the first Vice President of SEG in 2006.
 ADVANCES IN
SPECIAL FOCUS: EXPLORATION

Challenging the ‘missing section

equals normal fault’ paradigm
Reinterpretation of missing sections has resulted in downward reserve
revision, location of a bypassed pay zone, a new pressure support scheme
and a major discovery—each with significant monetary implications.
Jean-Yves D. Chatellier, Talisman; and Maria Eugenia Rueda, Statoil

In structurally complex areas, seismic interpretation can be
misled by well data wrongly interpreted. A common approach
in the oil industry privileges well data in a seismic interpreta-
tion. A major problem arises when an interpretation is treated
as data, such as when a normal fault is assumed to account for
any missing section observed in the data.
This article will present a series of examples, mostly in Vene-
zuela, from various structural settings in which missing sections
cannot be attributed to normal faulting. Tools and key observa-
tions will be presented that can easily and quickly demonstrate
the inadequacy of some normal fault interpretations.
A first step before any hypothetical geological model should
be to make sure that the missing section is not linked to a
simple case of geometry between a fault and the borehole tra-
jectory, Fig. 1. The remainder of the article will focus on four
main types of geological occurrences where missing sections
are not associated with normal faulting.
During the drilling and development of the block, miss-
ing sections were observed in nine wells and interpreted as
normal faults. (One questionable repeat section was neverthe-
less found in one well in the northeastern part of the field.)
A water injection scheme was then designed to maintain the
reservoir pressure, and wells were drilled to the west, downdip
from the producing wells, Fig. 3.
Reservoir pressure had been declining despite water injec-
tion, which therefore seemed to be totally inefficient. At the
time, there was no 3D seismic on the VLA-31 Block. The ge-
ology was revisited in great detail; the positions of all of the
previously interpreted faults were confirmed, and no new
Well Well
Hanging wall

SAME LEVEL IN NEIGHBORING WELLS Footwall

Probably the most common and most easily recognizable
normal fault misinterpretation is when there has been some
synsedimentary tectonic activity; one key observation in such Hanging wall
cases is the existence of missing sections laterally equivalent to Footwall
massive blocky sands. Log facies maps are very effective at iden-
tifying such occurrences because large-scale rhombic patterns
are commonly observed; however, a fairly large number of wells
are needed to make a meaningful map. The missing sections Fig. 1. Examples of cases in which the geometry of the
are found on horst blocks, whereas the thickest and best sands borehole with respect to a fault could be responsible
for misinterpretation of the fault type: a missing section
are found at the very edges of these blocks. The sands are com- associated with a reverse fault (left) and a repeat section
monly blocky (identical gamma ray values), indicating a rapid associated with a normal fault (right).
aggrading sedimentation. Paleosoils are sometimes associated
with this kind of missing sections. Figure 2 shows an example
from the Oligocene in Venezuela’s El Furrial Field.1
The same pattern of missing sections and massive blocky
sands is commonly found in neighboring fields. Misinterpre-
tation of this type of missing section often leads to an inad-
equate development scheme aimed at sand units that do not
exist and to overestimation of hydrocarbon reserves, as the
sands are thin or not present on the horst blocks.

STRIKE-SLIP SETTINGS
Missing sections in strike-slip settings will be illustrated by a
historical review of the VLA-31 Block from Venezuela’s Lama Fig. 2. Cross-section of Oligocene sands in El Furrial Field
showing a missing section associated with synsedimentary
Field. The block is limited to the east by the famous Icotea Fault, tectonic activity.
a major strike-slip fault in the middle of Lake Maracaibo.
World Oil SEPTEMBER 2010 35
SPECIAL FOCUS ADVANCES IN EXPLORATION

found in every well and was repeated in

N
Icotea fault
Fig. 3. Map view showing 41 producing
and six injection wells, along with
the original interpretation of missing
sections in the strike-slip setting of the
VLA-31 Block in Lama Field.
Fig. 5. Map view of the new
interpretation of the missing sections
in the VLA-31 Block, with Misoa C4
sands. The newly interpreted faults are
roughly north–south, a 90° shift from
the original interpretation.
each well where missing sections had
been previously interpreted. This ubiqui-
tous unit had been interpreted as a tem-
pestite (storm deposit). The second piece
of the puzzle was the realization that the
sequence overlying this storm deposit was
either coarsening upward or fining up-
ward and corresponded to either a bar or
a channel; both facies are nearly coeval,
having bars locally cut by the channels.
Geological and sedimentological stud-
ies indicated an average displacement of
1 km along the newly identified faults.
The geostatistical modeling confirmed
the relative size of the lateral shift of fa-
cies.5 These faults were thus reinterpreted
as reverse faults with some oblique slip
component. The interpretation of a Rie-
del shear system was confirmed by a new-
ly acquired 3D seismic survey.
The repeated units had not been rec-
ognized until this study because the facies
of the repeated section (above and below
the fault) were from different sedimen-
tary environments and had very different
gamma-ray characteristics (coarsening up
versus fining up).
The newly interpreted faults are now
more or less north–south, a 90° shift
from the original interpretation, Fig. 5.
As a consequence, the pressure support
scheme had to be revised, because the
original water injection wells were sepa-
rated from the producing reservoirs by
large sealing faults.

Fig. 4. Contour maps of three major reverse faults constructed with abnormal well
termination data only.
repeat section was found. However, a multiple Bischke plot
analysis (MBPA) on all the wells indicated that these cutouts
could not be attributed to normal faults.2–3
The first step toward finding a solution came from the ob-
servation that 29 out of 53 wells were stopped short because
of drilling mechanical problems. A 3D display of all of these
abnormal total depths revealed the existence of three well-
defined planes, Fig. 4. A further integration of all the data
indicated that all of the fault cutouts observed in the wells
were on these three newly interpreted planes. The geometry
of these planes with respect to the Icotea fault (to the east) is
indicative of synthetic Riedel shear-type faults associated with
a major strike-slip fault.
The new interpretation was validated by sedimentology4
and by geostatistical methods.5 The crucial first piece of the
puzzle was the identification of a thin, blocky sand that was
36 SEPTEMBER 2010 World Oil
AVERAGE-ANGLE FAULTS
Paucity of wells can lead to mistakes in
fault interpretations. Whereas any three
fault cutout points will create a perfect
fault plane, the link between these points
is totally hypothetical; however, the map
that is generated using the fault throw
values may indicate if these points are
indeed on a single fault plane. Thus, at
least four wells are needed to define a reli-
able plane, but in order to propose such a plane, the geolo-
gist would need to have good 3D seismic and 3D visualiza-
tion software, or would need to have spent time studying the
contour maps. In an example from Venezuela’s Santa Barbara
Field, the simple analysis of the fault cutouts from a contour
map can provide the solution. (Contour maps are in every ge-
ologist’s tool box.)
A problem identified in the hydrocarbon mapping of one
area of Santa Barbara Field required a revisitation of the ex-
isting fault interpretation, which consisted of five individual
normal faults in five neighboring wells.
Each well had only one interpreted fault; the contour map
of the fault cutout revealed a perfect plane passing through
these points, Fig. 6. The dip of the fault was 43°, an unusual
angle for either a normal fault or a reverse fault. The fault dip
direction was in line with the regional compressive stress of the
Lqil`ksjpeiakqpkbukqnklan]pekjo*

@n]ckj`aherano*

=iXZN\cc
J\im`Z\Gldgj

;iX^fegldgjnfibXe[nfibXe[nfib%Jfpflifg\iXk`feZXekff%
FlijkXk\$f]$k_\$XikL%J%dXel]XZkli`e^]XZ`c`kpkliejflkXn`[\iXe^\f]gldgj#]ifd]iXZ
JXe[;\c`m\ip Xe[Z\eki`]l^Xcgldgj#kfmXZlldXe[dl[gldgj%@kXccY\^`ejn`k_fli_`^_cp\og\i`\eZ\[
DfY`c\9c\e[`e^ k\Xdf]gldg\og\ikj%K_\p\dgcfpX[mXeZ\[\e^`e\\i`e^Xe[b\\gZcfj\Zfekifcfm\i
dXel]XZkli`e^kf\ejli\;iX^fegldgjXi\[\j`^e\[Xe[Yl`ckkfY\_`^_$hlXc`kp#cfe^$k\id
g\i]fid\ij%<m\ipgif[lZkf]]flic`e\`j]lccpk\jk\[%K_\e#n_\eXgldg`jglkkfnfib`e
:\eki`]l^Xc#MXZlld pflifg\iXk`fe#n\Zfek`el\kfjkXe[Y\_`e[`kÆXe[pfl%Pfl^\k\okiXjlggfik#`eZcl[`e^
Dl[Gldgj \hl`gd\eki\Zfdd\e[Xk`fej#nXiiXekpXjj`jkXeZ\#)+&.XZZ\jjkfgXikj#Xe[j\im`Z\k\Xdj
n_fZXe_\cgpflfej`k\fi`efli]flij\im`Z\Z\ek\ij%N_Xk\m\ipfle\\[kfÔ^_k[fnek`d\
Xe[gldglgpfliYlj`e\jj#
Gldg8ZZ\jjfi`\j n\Ëi\n`k_pfl%DXb\`k_Xgg\e%

($/--$/.,$)--,

GXikjJ\im`Z\ nnn%[iX^fegif[lZkjck[%Zfd
DXb\`k_Xgg\e%

L%J%fne\[Xe[fg\iXk\[%=fle[\[`e(0-*%

Ÿ:fgpi`^_k)'('Df[\ie>iflg@eZ%8cci`^_kji\j\im\[%
SPECIAL FOCUS ADVANCES IN EXPLORATION
Fig. 6. Missing sections on a reactivated reverse fault in Santa
Barbara Block 1: a) projected cross-section showing a fault
plane connecting various fault cutouts; b) fault plane contour
map of the same plane (note the 43° dip and the obliquity with
the overlying strata).
Fig. 7. Simple model based on the Santa Barbara example.
The dip of the fault is 43° and the dip of the overlying beds is
14° to the northeast.
area, but it was oblique with respect to all of the sedimentary
layers of the hanging wall. That discrepancy is commonly in-
dicative of a reactivation of a pre-existing fault invoking some
oblique slip. Figure 7 summarizes the existence of missing sec-
tions associated with oblique slip (simple strike-slip motion
has been used in the diagram for simplicity’s sake).
Whereas each of the previous infill wells had been produc-
ing oil at a rate of about 2,500 bpd, a new infill well (SBC-116)
was proposed and drilled based on the new geological model.
This new well matched exactly the prognosis for all of the lay-
ers from either the hanging wall or the footwall; more impor-
tantly, it produced 8,000 bopd, since it was tapping a virgin
reservoir compartment.
Such faults with “in-between” dip angles are commonly
missed in a seismic interpretation, but they may exhibit an in-
teresting seismic signature: High amplitude that is sometimes
found below such reactivated fault planes is a feature of trapped
hydrocarbons below a sealing fault. The same kind of fault has
been identified in the eastern part of all three main fields of the
El Furrial trend (Furrial, Carito and Santa Barbara).
SIMILAR SUBSEA DEPTH
The most commonly overlooked structural pattern linked
to missing sections relates to detachment faults and very low-
38 SEPTEMBER 2010 World Oil
angle thrust faults (mostly low-angle backthrusts). They are
not commonly identified, though they arguably should be the
easiest to spot since they invoke stratigraphic problems at very
similar subsea depths and even sometimes at the exact same
subsea depth.
This type of missing section will be discussed using an ex-
ample from the northwestern part of Santa Barbara Field. The
most obvious and most important geological observation in
this case was the enormous missing section that was seen in
two wells: up to 2,000 ft of missing stratigraphy. In fact, be-
cause the dipmeter in well SBC-90 indicated a 60° dip in the
footwall, the missing section (fault throw) could have been
close to 4,000 ft in length.
Figure 8 provides various bird’s-eye views of the major fault
that was interpreted. Note that all the stratigraphy was done
by the same geologist for consistency’s sake; he identified one
fault in every well except for one. Prior to this study, no fault
planes of any kind had been proposed despite the numerous
studies and interpretations by internal and external structural
geology groups.
The wells and their respective faults can be grouped into three
categories: the ones with very large missing sections (north of
the dotted line in the large lower map of Fig. 8), the ones with
small missing sections (blue dots on the map with a fault throw
between 50 and 250 ft), and the ones with repeat sections (red
dots). Whereas the hydrocarbon column in Santa Barbara Field
starts at 12,500 ft and locally can be found down to 20,000 ft,
the major faults in the area of interest are all around 15,000 ft
subsea. This narrow depth range led to the hypothesis of one
single fault plane; the idea was further supported by repeat for-
mation test (RFT) pressure data, Fig. 9a. The abnormally high
pressure values and the backward trend below these indicate a
structurally damaged zone that would have been induced by a
backthrusting/detachment mechanism.
The cross-section in Fig. 9b summarizes some of the most
relevant geometric elements and the lateral variation in fault
throws. The following elements have been crucial in the de-
velopment of the proposed solution. First, there were enough
wells to understand the complexity of the footwall below the
hypothetical fault plane (bird’s-eye view). The second element
was the gradual change from 260 ft to 50 ft missing; the well
with no apparent fault is in line with this gradual change in
fault throw. Third, the two wells with the same amount of
repeated section (250 ft) offered some support for the fault-
throw contour exercise. Finally, the well with a repeated sec-
tion of 510 ft was a troublesome outlier, and it had been sug-
gested that this well should be omitted from the study. In fact,
this well provided the final clue pointing to a well-behaved
fold with a massive flank exhibiting the same geometry above
and below the backthrust plane. The reason for the nearly
constant fault throw relates to the lack of dip change between
the footwall and the hanging wall.
Early in the study, it was determined that a large part of
the field was missing, and the search was focused toward the
south of Santa Barbara Field because the thrusting came from
the north. The new interpretation of the fault as a single fault
plane indicated that the missing klippe had moved to the
north—against the thrusting direction. This is in line with
the new vision of the area that locates the field near a major
triangle zone—Tacata Field to the west. A very large hydro-
carbon-filled extension of Santa Barbara Field has, thus, been
discovered. A seismic anomaly that was previously thought to
be due to a velocity artifact was in fact real.
 How much subsea flexibility
do you need?

Scan the QR
code with the
camera of your
mobile phone to
find out more.

Siemens Subsea Power Grid.

Enabling large-scale processing.
The increasing difficulty to access oil and gas reserves has led to a rapid growth of the subsea
sector. With the Subsea Power Grid, Siemens has now created a milestone on the road to large-scale
processing. Enabling highly reliable and cost-efficient development of marginal and dispersed fields
over very long step-outs, the Siemens Subsea Power Grid marks a new era in subsea production.
For more information, visit www.siemens.com/energy/subsea-power-grid

Answers for energy.

SPECIAL FOCUS ADVANCES IN EXPLORATION

1,067,600 16,415.5 ft
Fault cut-out map
15,235.4 ft
15,362.5 ft
1,067,200
13,987.3 ft 15,368 ft

15,223 ft
14,960.8 ft
1,066,800 14,972 ft
Top Naricual 15,170 ft
at 14,970 ft

416,250 417,500 418,750 420,000

1,067,600
Repetitions

1,067,200
250 SBC-90
-2,000 -1,600
-50 Missings sections
1,066,800
0 -135
-260 1 km
No fault recognized

416,250 417,500 418,750 420,000

Fig. 8. A series of maps providing bird’s-eye views of a
major fault plane linking all of the faults observed in the
northwestern part of Santa Barbara Field. In the top map, note
the very high similarity of depth of fault cutouts: All points are
close to 14,970 ft or between 15,100 and 15,300 ft, with the
only variant being the fault in PIC-01.
Fig. 9. Engineering evidence of a detachment plane and
the final geological model: a) repeat formation test data
characteristic of isolated compartments created by a
detachment at a vertical depth of 14,850 ft; b) a northeast-
to-southeast cross-section outlining the tectonic klippe that
was transported toward the northwest (note the fault throw
gradual change within the klippe).

CONCLUSIONS
Missing sections are usually associated with normal fault-
ing, but well-defined counterexamples do exist, and in fact are
much more common than thought. Four types of such occur-
rences have been described, three of which invoke lateral glid-
ing along a reverse fault, a low-angle thrust or a detachment.
Visualization in 3D of the fault cutouts of a few wells is
the most effective and quickest way to identify problematic
structural interpretations, especially when the fault plane cor-
2
Sanchez, R., Chatellier, J-Y., de Sifontes, R., Parra, N. and P. Muñoz, “Multiple Bischke Plots Analysis, a
powerful method to distinguish between tectonic or sedimentary complexity and miscorrelations; method-
ology and examples from Venezuelan oil fields,” Memorias del Primer Congreso Latinoamericano de Sedimen-
tología, Tomo II, Venezuelan Society of Geologists, November 1997, pp. 257–264.
3 Chatellier, J-Y and C. Porras, “The multiple Bischke plot analysis, a simple and powerful graphic tool for
4
integrated stratigraphic studies,” AAPG Search and Discovery Article 40110, 2004.
Chatellier, J-Y., de Sifontes, R., Mijares, O. and P. Muñoz, “Geological and production problems
solved by recognizing the strike slip component on reverse faults, VLA-31, Lake Maracaibo, Venezu-
ela,” SPE 56558 presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Houston, Oct.
3–6, 1999.
5 Porjesz, R., Chatellier, J-Y., Sanchez, R., Sifontes R. and P. Muñoz P., “Geostatistical methods to validate
and choose between sedimentological and structural interpretations in VLA-31 of Block 1, Lake Mara-
caibo,” Memorias del Primer Congreso Latinoamericano de Sedimentología, Tomo II, Venezuelan Society of
Geologists, November 1997, pp. 181–190.

responds to a detachment or to a low-angle backthrust. Some

of the flags that need to be kept in mind in any structural
interpretation are fault cutouts at the same stratigraphic level THE AUTHORS
and fault cutouts at similar subsea depths. Hydrocarbon col-
Jean-Yves Chatellier has been in the oil industry
umn problems or enigmatic pressures are secondary types of since 1980, with a focus on multidisciplinary inte-
evidence that can help confirm or reject any proposed inter- gration and data mining. He holds a PhD in tecton-
pretation. They can also push the geologist to a review of a ics from Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris,
structural model. which he earned after receiving degrees at the
University of Lille and the University of Calgary. Dr.
The examples described here have been linked to a re- Chatellier worked for Elf Aquitaine, Petroconsult-
serve revision, a large bypassed pay zone, a new pressure ants and Shell, and was Senior Geology Advisor for
support scheme and a new major discovery. The monetary PDVSA in Venezuela for seven years before mov-
implication in each of these cases is big, highlighting the ing to Canada to work as a consultant. He is now a
Senior Geoscientist for Talisman Energy.
importance of challenging the “missing section equals nor-
mal fault” paradigm. WO Maria Eugenia Rueda has 12 years of experience
in the oil industry. She earned a BSc degree in geo-
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS physics from Simon Bolivar University in Venezuela
This article was prepared in part from AAPG 727472 presented at the AAPG and an MSc degree in petroleum geology from the
Annual Convention held in New Orleans, April 11–15, 2010. The authors thank University of Aberdeen in Scotland. She began
PDVSA Oriente and PDVSA Intevep for permission to present these findings. working for PDVSA in 1998 as a Seismic Interpret-
er and spent the next five years working on differ-
ent oil production fields. She has been working for
LITERATURE CITED
1
Statoil for the last six years, first as a Production
Uroza, C., “The stratigraphical significance of the paleosoil levels in the Oligocene of the Furrial Field,
Northern Monagas, Maturin sub-basin, Venezuela,” core workshop presented at the Virtual Sedimentol- Geophysicist in the North Sea and now in geomo-
ogy Congress, February 2002. deling focused on Statoil international assets.

40 SEPTEMBER 2010 World Oil


The current state of PDC bit technology
Part 1 of 3: Development and application of polycrystalline diamond compact
bits have overcome complex challenges from the difficulty of reliably mounting
PDC cutters in bit bodies to accelerated thermal wear.
Federico Bellin, Alfazazi Dourfaye, William King and Mike Thigpen, Varel International
Polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutters and bits
have been a significant contributor to the greatly improved
efficiencies and economics of oil and gas drilling over the last
30 years. This article—the first of a series of three on the evo-
lution, current state of the art and long-term outlook for this
technology that has revolutionized the drilling industry—will
cover the technology’s early commercial history and technical
challenges, and will address the major issues encountered in
PDC cutter manufacturing.
ADVENT OF PDC TECHNOLOGY
Polycrystalline diamond compact cutters, referred to at
the time by the trade name Stratapax, were first developed by
General Electric in 1973. They utilized GE’s earlier invention,
monocrystalline manmade diamond, which was reloaded into
a pressure cell with a tungsten carbide substrate and re-pressed
to produce a compact of 13-mm diameter and 3.3-mm length
that incorporated a 0.5-mm-thick diamond table. In the press
cycle, cobalt in the substrate would sweep into the diamond
crystals and act as a catalyst to produce diamond-to-diamond
bonds resulting in the creation of a polycrystalline diamond
table bonded to the tungsten carbide substrate. GE mounted
the new cutting elements onto longer tungsten carbide cyl-
inders, or alternatively onto tungsten carbide posts, and set
about marketing the capabilities of PDC through the commis-
sioning of test bit production for lab and field testing.
PDC drill bits first found very limited commercial applica-
tions in oil and gas drilling in the late 1970s. Early areas of suc-
cess included South Texas and the North Sea. Dr. William C.
Maurer’s 1980 text Advanced Drilling Techniques included an
entire chapter titled “Stratapax bits” on PDC cutters and bits
that summarized the state of the art for this new cutting element
and its potential for drilling. The concluding paragraph of the
chapter reads as follows: “Tests to date indicate that STRATA-
PAX bits have potential for significantly reducing drilling costs
in the mining, geothermal, and petroleum industries. Improved
STRATAPAX bits would allow increased use of high speed drill-
ing motors which would further increase drilling rate and re-
duce drilling costs. Because of this high potential payout, R&D
on STRATAPAX bits should be significantly increased.”
Research and development expenditures indeed followed,
including further efforts by GE. In addition, the traditional
natural diamond and roller-cone drill bit companies increas-
ingly devoted efforts to the commercial application of PDC
in drilling. They were joined by startup PDC bit companies
including Davis & Hicks and Stratabit. Even with all the early
focus given to PDC bits, by 1982 they still were responsible
for less than 2% of all footage drilled.
DRILLING
EARLY TECHNICAL CHALLENGES
In the three decades since 1980, the development and ap-
plication of PDC bits has moved forward in steps that sequen-
tially overcame the most immediate challenges of the time.
The first difficulty was reliably mounting PDC cutters in bit
bodies. Brazing techniques and practice of the day frequent-
ly led to debilitating cutter loss and failed runs. Post-mount
press-fit cutters that were deployed in steel-body bits were
prone to fracture breakage of the post at the mounting point
and to loss through erosion of the steel bit body. Improved
brazing and mounting pockets provided solutions.
Early PDC application guidelines required oil-based drill-
ing fluids, especially in shales, limiting the products’ mar-
ket potential. Bladed bit designs with deeper junk slots and
greater open face volume combined with improved jet nozzle
hydraulics experience opened up economic applications in
water-based fluids as well.
Mitigation of bit whirl. The next major hurdle was over-
coming the effects of impact damage to the PDC cutter. This
type of damage was typically manifested by diamond table de-
lamination from the cutter substrate, escalating to cracking or
breakage of cutter substrates, and frequently culminating in
gross breakage of cutter pockets and bit blades.
The initial solution to this problem was the develop-
ment of non-planar diamond-to-substrate interfaces. These
consisted of grooves and other patterns on the face of the
tungsten carbide substrate that allowed for a transition zone
between the extremely stiff diamond table and the somewhat
more flexible substrate. These interfaces resulted in reduced
diamond table delamination.
At this stage of development, PDC bits had increased
their market presence to about 15% of all footage drilled
and were considered by many to have neared the peak of
their potential development. A major advancement, however,
was made by Amoco’s recognition of the phenomenon of “bit
whirl” in the late 1980s. This self-regenerating off-center rota-
tion condition caused PDC drill bits to experience high lateral
forces that were responsible for much of the run-ending impact
damage seen on many dull bits, especially where harder tran-
sitional layers were encountered in otherwise PDC-drillable
rock columns. Over the next several years, the PDC bit design
community developed technologies and methods to mitigate
bit whirl, including force balancing, blade asymmetry, blade
and gage spiraling, cutter tracking, smooth gage configura-
tions and penetration limiters.
These developments increased the potential for the econom-
ic application of PDC bits and drove the next development:
World Oil SEPTEMBER 2010 41
DRILLING
improved rock analysis tools to better program and apply PDC
bits. Predictive lithology analysis coupled with prescriptive op-
erating parameter plans increased the efficiency and economic
success rate of PDC bits. By the late 1990s, PDC bits account-
ed for about 45% of all footage drilled in the oil field.
Resistance to abrasive wear. With earlier challenges in-
cluding bit balling, cutter loss, impact damage and improper
programing all mitigated, the next challenge was to improve
the attribute most sought after in diamond, the resistance to
abrasive wear. PDC cutters were subject to thermal damage
and accelerated wear at the cutting tip, due in large part to the
residual cobalt catalyst remaining in the interstitial matrix of
the cutters’ polycrystalline diamond face. By reducing the co-
balt content in the outermost layer of the diamond table, the
cutters’ abrasion resistance and thermal stability were signifi-
cantly improved, allowing PDC bits to compete economically
with roller-cone bits in even more applications.
In 2010, PDC bits account for an astounding 65% of foot-
age drilled in oil and gas applications and still do not appear to
have peaked in their development. More research than ever is
going into PDC bits, and especially into PDC cutters.
PDC MATERIALS AND PROCESSING
Polycrystalline diamond compacts are produced by sinter-
ing diamond grit with a catalyst in an ultra-high-pressure and
high-temperature process. PDCs are among the most rigid of
all diamond tool materials. They exist in various structures and
shapes, but generally for oilfield drill bits, a layer of polycrystal-
line diamond is atop a cylindrical tungsten carbide substrate.
Making the diamond. Since GE manufactured the first
manmade diamond in 1954, the technology has spread around
the world. Increasingly large high-pressure/high-temperature
(HPHT) tools have been developed. Even so, the concepts and
even the materials used to make the HPHT cells are basically
the same. The two main press technologies currently used to
produce virtually all synthetic diamond powder and sintered
polycrystalline diamond (PCD) are the belt press and the cubic
Fig. 1. The cutaway diagram of the original GE belt press.
42 SEPTEMBER 2010 World Oil
press. Other technologies exist, but their use is limited to re-
search and development, where very high pressures and temper-
atures are achieved on tiny samples mainly for geology studies.
The belt press concept was the first, developed in the 1950s
when GE managed to grow diamond crystals for the first time
in history, Fig. 1. Modern systems are not too different from
the initial 1954 design; the main improvements consist of
changes in the cell size increment and the development of
HPHT cell materials with better properties and consistency.
Usually, the two conical anvils and the die are made of hard
metal such as tungsten carbide-cobalt (WC-Co), while the
binding rings, which are mounted with increasing mechanical
interference, are made of high-strength steel.
A load is applied axially to the top and bottom anvils, which
are pushed inward against the high-pressure cell placed inside
the die. The cell’s ceramic material is squeezed out into the gap
between the die and the anvil flank surfaces, providing a seal
against the increased pressure within the cell. An electric current
is then flowed through a graphite heater to raise the temperature
of the inner portion of the cell to begin the sintering process.
Cubic press technology was originally developed as an al-
ternative method of generating the diamond synthesis condi-
tions. The cell has a cubic shape, and six hard metal anvils are
pushed against the six cube faces, Fig. 2. In this type of press,
also, the edges of the ceramic material are squeezed out into
the gaps between the anvil faces, providing the sealing effect
in the same way the belt press does. Again, force is applied and
the temperature altered to begin diamond sintering.
When designing and operating an HPHT system, the chal-
lenge is to reach the 800,000 psi and 2,600°F required for sin-
tering while maximizing the life expectancy of the expensive
hard metal tools used as anvils and dies. PCD and synthetic
diamond manufacturers are constantly striving to improve
the performance and the cost-effectiveness of their HPHT
systems, so more extreme sintering conditions can deliver the
next generation of high-performance drilling products.
Pressure. In traditional PCD manufacturing, pressure and
temperature are two critical variables due to their importance
Fig. 2. A modern cubic press. Courtesy of US Synthetic.
 TA K E A R I G H T T U R N AT 6 , 0 0 0 F E E T.

P R O C E E D 3 5 , 0 0 0 F E E T TO PAY ZON E .

Alcoa aluminum alloy drill pipe makes extreme ERD drilling a reality.

It’s up to 40% lighter, dry weight, and more than 50% lighter, wet weight, than steel.

Its inherent high strength-to-weight advantage may increase drilling reach 20% or more,

accommodating the demands of the most extreme extended reach drilling applications.

Drill deeper. Drill faster. Reach your destination sooner. For more information on how

Alcoa aluminum alloy drill pipe can work for you, including in mixed string applications,

just follow the directions to Alcoa.

Problem solved.

alcoaoilandgas.com • 281-292-6172 • 888-379-1455

DRILLING

in determining the final properties of the sintered diamond
product and also for the technical challenges involved in de-
signing the HPHT apparatus.
At atmospheric pressure, diamond is not in a thermodynam-
ically stable phase, but graphite is. The fact that diamonds are
not spontaneously converting to black carbon at room pressure
and temperature is due to the fact that the speed of the reaction
is virtually zero. If the temperature surpasses 2,200°F, however,
the reaction pace will increase, leading to the spontaneous con-
version of diamond to graphite. To make diamond, or to sinter
it, it is necessary for the conditions to support the thermody-
namically stable phase of diamond rather than graphite. In other
words, we need to increase pressure together with temperature
to speed up the synthesis, or bonding, process. Figure 3 shows
the graphite-diamond equilibrium curve, according to which
100
90
80
Diamond
70
Extrapolated
60
Pressure, katm
every 100°F temperature increase requires a pressure increase of
14,500 psi to remain in the diamond stable range. It is also clear
that the need for a fast reaction (and, thus, high temperature)
is in conflict with the manufacturing necessity of working at
lower pressures to extend the life of the high-pressure tools.
Usually the diamond powder sintering process consists of
two steps. First, pressure is raised to its nominal level with little
or no heating. During this stage, all the crystals are being pushed
against each other with increasing force. Many diamond par-
ticles are sliding relative to each other and many are cracking
into two or more fragments with the overall effect of increasing
the powder apparent density. The powder crushing caused by
the pressure increase can be easily quantified by measuring the
particle size distribution before and after a full-pressure cold
run, Fig. 4. Interestingly, a coarser powder presents a higher
degree of crushing than a finer one. This fact can be easily ex-
plained in terms of average number of contact points per unit
volume (much higher for fine powders), thus lower contact
stress and lower probability for a small particle to fail.
Second, when the crushed and compacted powder is under
full pressure, the temperature is raised to its nominal value.
The diamond powder is usually packed against a cobalt (WC-
Co) substrate, which is the source of the catalyst metal that
promotes the sintering process. When the cobalt reaches its
melting temperature of 2,615°F at 841,200 psi, it’s instanta-
neously squeezed into the open porosity left in the layer of

compacted diamond powder. At this point, the sintering pro-

50 cess takes place through a mechanism of carbon dissolution
Graphite and precipitation—the driving force being the reduction of
40 the overall internal energy. Technically, this process is defined
as a pressure-assisted liquid-phase sintering. The driving force
30 for the densification under an external pressure is determined
Calculated by the pressure itself and also by the contact area relative to
20 the cross-sectional area of the particles. The reaction speed is
proportional to the temperature and to the average effective
10 pressure P*, which is the actual contact pressure between par-
ticles, as expressed in the equation:
0
0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 log(d / dt) 
Dl P * /(RT )
Temperature, K
where  is the powder apparent density, Dl is the carbon dif-
Fig. 3. The graphite-diamond equilibrium curve. fusivity in the molten metal catalyst, R is the ideal gas constant
and T is the temperature. As the equation shows, the sintering
process is faster if we increase both the contact pressure and
the temperature. The contact pressure P* can be expressed as:
40–60
P*
(4a 2 / (Zx 2 ))  Pappl

3–6 where a is the average particle size, x is the radius of the con-
tact area between two spherical particles, Z is the number of
surrounding particles and Pappl is the external pressure applied
Grade, μm

4–8
to the system. Clearly, smaller grain size and better packing
Sintered diamond compact result in lower contact pressure; thus, when sintering PCD
10–15 grades with small average grain sizes, higher pressures and
Started diamond powder
temperatures are usually required.
22–36
Grain size. A single diamond crystal is extremely hard and has
40–60 a very high wear abrasion resistance and thermal stability, but it
is a highly anisotropic material: Its properties are different de-
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 pending on the plane in which they are measured. This allows
Grain size, μm the natural gemstones to be cut along specific “cleavage” planes
Adapted from Uehara, K. and S. Yamaya, “High pressure sintering
of diamond by cobalt infiltration,” in Science and Technology of where the energy required to split the crystal is at its minimum.
New Diamond, 1990, pp. 203–209. In a diamond sintered compound, all the weak planes are ran-
Fig. 4. Grade-to-grain size chart.
domly oriented so, at a macroscopic scale, the material will be-
have isotropically with improved impact strength.
44 SEPTEMBER 2010 World Oil
 LOGGING WHILE DRILLING

In deep water,
now you can
get samples in
hours, not days.
And all on LWD.

Until now, retrieving formation fluid samples during drilling couldn’t be

done. Perfect for deep water, the GeoTap® IDS sensor not only provides
truly representative fluid identification and sampling on LWD, it can save
you millions in hidden NPT costs routinely incurred with wireline sampling.

What’s your deepwater sampling challenge? For solutions go to

Halliburton.com/geotap.

Solving challenges.
TM
HALLIBURTON
© 2010 Halliburton. All rights reserved.
DRILLING
When designing a novel PCD grade for drilling applica-
tions, it is possible to mix together diamond powders with
different average particle sizes and dimensional statistical
distributions. As a rule of thumb, it can be assumed that the
smaller the size of the crystals sintered together, the higher
the wear abrasion resistance—at the expense of lower impact
strength. The opposite is true when the diamond powder
recipe includes coarser starting powders even if, according to
some studies, increasing the average grain size above 50 μm
doesn’t significantly improve PCD toughness. The lower limit
in terms of powder size is set by manufacturing issues that can
be summarized as a) increasingly high pressures required to
consistently sinter the tiny diamond crystals and b) difficulties
in controlling the grain growth during the process.
It is worth mentioning the importance of the particle
size distribution besides the crystals’ average grain size. Mix-
ing particles with a wide range of dimensions is important
to achieve a good degree of powder packing: Minimizing the
empty spaces between crystals favors a good sintering pro-
cess during the HPHT cycle, delivering a PCD with superior
toughness and wear abrasion resistance. A lot of research and
development resources are dedicated to the development of
new diamond powder recipes with the objective of maximiz-
ing both wear abrasion and impact strength.
Carbide interface. The interface between the sintered dia-
mond table (PCD) and the WC-Co substrate is a critical fea-
ture of a shear cutter: Not only does it have to provide the nec-
essary strength so the insert can manage the static and dynamic
shear loads that otherwise would cause the diamond table to
delaminate, but it also has to handle the residual stresses that
arise within both the substrate and the PCD as a consequence
of the HPHT sintering process. To accomplish this objective,
it is a common practice to design special non-planar interfaces
(NPIs) that increase the amount of available carbide surface to
which the diamond table can attach. Residual stresses are gen-
erated during the sintering process—more specifically, during
the cooling stage when the PCD is already fully sintered. The
thermal expansion coefficient mismatch between the PCD
layer and the substrate causes the carbide to shrink more than
the top diamond table, forcing it to bend outward.
The tensile state of stress within the diamond becomes
worse as its thickness increases, leading in some instances to
a spontaneous delamination of the top layer. Extensive use
of finite-element analysis tools is required to simulate the re-
sidual stresses’ field distribution for different combinations of
diamond layer thicknesses and different interface geometries.
It is a good practice to avoid the repetition of regular geomet-
ric patterns, and instead to resort to a random distribution of
geometric features with varying shapes and dimensions. Many
NPI designs have been tested over the years, and many varia-
tions are available.
Grit quality. Commercially available PCD material composi-
tion is up to 98% diamond in volume, the balance being the
catalyst metal that has infiltrated from the substrate. For this
reason, the quality of the feedstock diamond powder quality
is of utmost importance in determining the final properties
and consistency of the sintered product. Usually, the micron-
ized diamond powder used in PCD manufacturing is a by-
product of the industrial diamond powder synthesis process,
where crystals of at least 100-μm size are produced mainly for
the stone cutting market (e.g., diamond saw blades, diamond
46 SEPTEMBER 2010 World Oil
wheels, loose diamond powder). The two main catalytic sys-
tems used for the diamond synthesis are based on cobalt and
on an iron-nickel alloy.
The industrial diamond powder available on the market has
an extremely wide quality range. The micronized powders used
in the sintering process are usually made by crushing coarser
ones, so the quality of the initial industrial powder affects that
of the shear cutter feedstock crystals. Depending on the press
cycle parameters (mainly pressure and temperature), crystals
can be grown with different shapes (e.g., cubic rather than octa-
hedral). Furthermore, if the crystals are growing too fast within
the molten catalyst bath, it is possible to find metal inclusions
buried deep inside the crystal at the end of the cycle.
Other quality issues concern the diamond powder extrac-
tion and cleaning process from the solidified alloy catalyst in
which synthesis took place. Usually this is done by dissolving
the metal in a hot bath of hydrochloric and nitric acid, then
rinsing and cleaning to remove any residue left by the previous
acid dissolution step. If this process is not performed thor-
oughly, the diamond powder surface will be contaminated and
the sintering process will not be as effective, leading to PCD
performance and quality issues.
NEXT INSTALLMENT
Part 2 of this series will present an extensive discussion of
PDC cutter leaching, including the advantages of leaching and
how the effects of a leached diamond layer can be modeled.
Also, the testing and qualification processes for PDC cutters
will be reviewed in depth, including both destructive and non-
destructive testing methods. WO
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors would like to thank Varel International for permission to publish
this article series. Thanks also to Diamond Innovations, US Synthetic, Dennis
Tool, the Paris School of Mines, the University of Trento, Mike Reese, Crystal
Montanez and Brandi Williamson for their efforts in developing the series.
THE AUTHORS
Federico Bellin is a Senior Technology Engineer for Varel International.
He has 12 years’ experience in PDC cutter and insert design and is highly
experienced in HPHT technology. Mr. Bellin has worked both in Europe
and the US cooperating with R&D institutions worldwide to develop
new materials and new designs for ultra-HPHT systems. He earned
a master’s degree in materials science in 1997 from the University of
Trento, Italy.
Alfazazi Dourfaye is the Manager of Technology Development for
Varel International. He has 20 years of experience in PDC cutter and
bit technology including testing development, bit applications and en-
gineering, and software development. Dr. Dourfaye has developed a
thermal mechanical model of PDC cutter wear and a simulator of PDC
bit performance monitoring with cutter wear. He graduated from the
Alès School of Mines in 1990 and earned his PhD at the Paris School
of Mines in 1995.
William King is the Director of Marketing and Intellectual Property for
Varel International. He has 29 years of experience in the drill bit industry,
including roles in design, product development, bit applications, interna-
tional sales, software development, marketing and intellectual property
management. Mr. King is the inventor or co-inventor of 15 issued and
five pending US patents. He attended the University of Illinois and the
University of Utah.
Mike Thigpen is a Senior Technology Engineer for Varel International.
He has 26 years of experience in the oilfield service industry including
roles in design, product development, bit applications and engineering
management. Mr. Thigpen is the inventor or co-inventor of nine issued
and two pending US patents. He earned a BS degree in mechanical en-
gineering from the University of Houston in 1983.
Last minute project changes?
Forget the pain. Calculate the gain.
The DeltaV™ system’s breakthrough I/O on Demand takes the time, expense and risk out of last
minute project changes. Wireless, FOUNDATION fieldbus, Electronically Marshalled or traditional I/O–
the choice is yours. I/O on Demand eliminates steps and gives you the flexibility to easily handle
unforeseen changes. Prove it to yourself. Plug in your project’s parameters and see the savings
possible across the life of the project at: IOonDemandCalculator.com

The Emerson logo is a trademark and a service mark of Emerson Electric Co. ©2010 Emerson Electric Company

How to manage software risk
Software changes happen frequently, making this invisible risk an integral
part of an asset’s life that must be identified, quantified and mitigated.
Bill O’Grady, Athens Group
Mission-critical processes now rely
heavily on automated and highly inte-
grated control systems software. This
increased reliance on automation intro-
duces invisible, but very real, software
risks during the building, operation and
refurbishment of high-specification off-
shore assets. Lack of standard software
engineering practices, inadequate soft-
ware specification at the contract phase,
insufficient tracking of requirements
and design, incomplete testing and un-
monitored vendors leave offshore assets
highly vulnerable to risks associated with
software failure.
The process for managing these risks
is very different from that used to mini-
mize hardware-related risks. This is both
because software is invisible and because
it is dependent on other systems—it does
nothing until connected to one or more
pieces of hardware.
Because of these characteristics, soft-
ware needs to be made “visible” through
software-specific contractual language.
This sets the stage for software risk as-
sessment and mitigation efforts to be-
gin in the design phase and continue
throughout the asset lifecycle. This ap-
proach ultimately leads to safer drilling
operations and higher-performing, more
reliable assets as compared to risk miti-
gation where software-specific audit and
test requirements are not stated and soft-
ware risk is an afterthought.
VISIBLE FAILURE RESULTS
When software risk is not properly
managed, software-related issues can in-
crease project costs significantly. In the
worst-case scenario, they can cause seri-
ous safety issues.
Loss of life. A control system failure
occurred on a large, offshore construc-
tion vessel. In an attempt to correct the
failure, two control units were restarted
twice, unsuccessfully. A blinking red
lamp on the programmable logic con-
troller (PLC) indicated that a memo-
ry reset was required, even though a
memory reset had never been requested
by control system diagnostics during
equipment operations.
As soon as the hydraulic power packs
started, a loud bang was heard. A qua-
druple joint of pipe had dropped about
1 m to the welding deck below. Then,
all clamps in the pipe elevator released
and the hydraulic safety stop swung
away, resulting in the discharge of a
second quadruple joint of pipe. This
second pipe joint fell through the full
length of the tower, smashing through a
crowded access platform to the deck be-
low. The impact threw several person-
nel overboard, killing four workers and
injuring four more.
Investigation revealed that the inci-
dent occurred because the initialization
instruction to open all clamps had been
incorrectly pre-loaded in the PLC eras-
able programmable read-only memory.
Reduced software quality. A series
of vendor software process assessments
(VSPAs) over the past several months
identified hundreds of issues in the soft-
TABLE 1. Control systems software expectations
and corresponding standards and guidance
Expectations
The system is produced using a traceable, consis-
tent, well documented, repeatable process.
The supplier is capable of consistently supplying
a product that has the performance, quality and
safety levels required for the application.
The delivered system performs the functions at the
performance, quality, health, safety and environ-
ment (PQHSE) levels expected.
The system fails safely, without causing injury
to people, harming the equipment or damaging
other systems.
The supplier has a maintenance process that
ensures continued operation at PQHSE levels,
provides preventative maintenance and addresses
replacement schedules.
AUTOMATION
AND CONTROL
ware development, testing and quality
processes that could impact project qual-
ity, schedule or performance. Seventeen
percent of these issues were related to
project management, 12% were in the
area of customer involvement, 1% were
related to supplier management and 9%
dealt with other activities. The majority
of issues (61%) were related to vendors’
inability to provide thorough, require-
ments-based testing and auditing of the
control system. Since the typical vendor
contract does not require specific audit-
ing and testing activities (or include an
issue-correction mechanism), the ven-
dors were under no obligation to address
any of these issues.
Increased project costs. Software-
related issues can also increase construc-
tion costs. When multiple assets are be-
ing built in sequence, failing to identify
and mitigate risks early in the lifecycle
causes the problem to be replicated on
each asset in the fleet. For example, if
discovered late in the newbuild cycle, an
anti-collision system omission on a pipe
racker can cost up to US$32 million to
correct across four assets.
Standards and guidance
Process quality
ISO 9000, IEEE 1074
Software development
ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288
ISO/IEC/IEEE 12207
Software verification and validation
IEEE 1012, IEEE 830, IEC 62381
Risk management and failure mode,
effects and criticality analysis
IEC 60812, Mil-Std-1629A
Software configuration management
IEEE 828, MIL-HDBK-61A
World Oil SEPTEMBER 2010 49
AUTOMATION AND CONTROL

Factors that can be used to quantify PRACTICES TO REDUCE RISK ware-related risks. The methods outlined
the cost of discovering and correcting The following factors are key contrib- here are designed to be implemented as
software-related issues after acceptance utors to software-related safety incidents part of a lifecycle approach in which the
include the costs associated with remain- and project delays: 1) not starting risk output of one step serves as input for
ing in the yard after the contract end/ assessment and mitigation soon enough the following steps; this approach can be
sail date, as well as the projected day rate in the project lifecycle; 2) incomplete utilized throughout the entire asset life-
while drilling and the spread rate. Other factory acceptance testing (FAT), com- cycle. Effective software risk assessment
factors are day rate for equipment ven- missioning and other testing; 3) lack of and mitigation plans should include all
dors to fix problems after acceptance; proper software configuration manage- of the following practices.
day rate for third-party contractors; lift ment (SCM) and alarm management;
ship day rate; minimum number of days 4) insufficient auditing processes; and 5) Evaluate your contract. As men-
needed to transport replacement equip- lack of follow-through. tioned above, a series of VSPAs revealed
ment; and minimum number of days This section includes practices proven that the vendor processes were not suffi-
needed for commissioning. to help identify, track and mitigate soft- cient to ensure adequate software testing
and auditing. However, because software
standards are not typically specified in
contracts, the vendors were not required
to address the issues that were identified
during the assessments. It is crucial that
All the right pieces in all the contracts contain clear language regard-
ing system requirements, audit and test
right places...a perfect fit. activities, and performance expectations.
Incomplete testing can lead to seri-
ous issues being overlooked, potentially
resulting in equipment failures or HSE
incidents. During FAT, testing was con-
ducted on a series of automatic control
sequences for a piece of stand-building
equipment. The test was simply to get
one length of pipe from the rack and do
one make-up. The test scripts did not
address most of the designed sequences
and did not address error handling at all.
The racker was bringing pipe from the
fingerboards over to a safe area. While it
was doing this, one of the FAT partici-
pants pressed the emergency stop, just to
make sure that it worked. The pipe racker
stopped as expected, but when the test
Fugro Gravity & Magnetic Services. started up again, the racker had forgot-
World’s leading provider of potential fields geologic solutions. ten that it was supposed to be going to
the safe area. Instead it went straight to
the well center, which would have killed
At Fugro Gravity & Magnetic Services, we ensure that all the pieces of anyone standing in the way.
your oil and gas exploration program fit perfectly together with the most Luckily, this issue was discovered dur-
experienced staff and the best solutions, such as: ing FAT but, because design sequences
s FALCON™ - the world’s highest resolution gravity data.
and error handling were not sufficiently
addressed in the test scripts, it could have
s MagCUBE™ - a new twist on directional drilling accuracy.
easily been overlooked. Contractually
s LCT SOFTWARE™ - 3D earth model simultaneous joint inversion.
specified audit and test procedures would
s DATA RICH - non-exclusive data and interpretations. have required the supplier to test for this
issue. However, most contracts are hard-
ware-focused, and do not adequately de-
The difference is clear - enhancing the value of your scribe the processes for effective auditing
seismic by providing a better geologic solution and and testing of control systems software.
ultimately reducing risk. A perfect fit.
The generally accepted best practice,
backed by cross-industry standards, is
!CQUISITIONs0ROCESSINGs)NTERPRETATIONs3OFTWAREs.ON %XCLUSIVE$ATA that control systems software perfor-
mance quality and HSE levels are validat-
ed through a combination of third-party
Gravity Inspired. Magnetically Inclined. www.fugro-gravmag.com/solutions
G auditing of the process by which the soft-
ware is developed, tested and integrated;
and directed and witnessed testing of the
50 SEPTEMBER 2010 World Oil
 Bringing energy and the environment into harmony.®

UPSTREAM SOLUTIONS
THAT LEAD TO AN IMPRESSIVE DROP
IN FUEL CONSUMPTION AND EMISSIONS.
We’ve packaged technology, efficiency and reliability all into one to help lessen your impact
on the environment and lower the total cost of ownership for your upstream applications.
Our products—centrifugal and reciprocating compressors, steam and gas turbines for mechanical
drives and gen sets, IRIS ™ separators, control systems —help you reduce fuel consumption and
lower emissions. And they can be applied to all segments of the upstream market, including
re-injection, gas lift, gas processing, gas gathering, CO2 /N2 injection, gas treatment, export gas,
LNG, liquefaction, and boil-off gas. For example, our DATUM ® I integrated compression system
(ICS), shown at right , is capable of serving all oil and gas applications while using half the space
and weight of traditional compression modules.
Find out today how Dresser-Rand’s solutions can help your cash flow.

The Americas: (Int’l +1) 713-354-6100 / EMEA: (Int’l +33) 2-35-25-5225

Asia-Pacific: (Int’l +60) 3-2093-6633 / info@dresser-rand.com » www.dresser-rand.com
AUTOMATION AND CONTROL
control systems software both prior to
acceptance and then in the integrated
control application. Because software
on drilling assets is relatively new, the oil
and gas industry has not yet incorporat-
ed these and other software-related best
practices into contractual language.
A strong software contract should in-
clude language that allows verification of
the five critical expectations that drive
system performance (Table 1); highlight
the fact that systems are developed, de-
ployed and operated on a lifecycle and
then describe auditing and testing ac-
TABLE 2. Maturity levels for control systems software contracts
Maturity level Basis for contract
Low Single event
Medium Benchmarks
High Continuous quality
improvement
www.lufkin.com
B E A M P U M P I N G U N I T S | G A S L I F T | P L U N G E R L I F T | AU T O M AT I O N | C O M P L E T I O N P R O D U C T S | A F T E R M A R K E T S E R V I C E S
52 SEPTEMBER 2010 World Oil
tivities in relation to that lifecycle; and
specify industry standards and guidance
that will be used to set and confirm ex-
pectations for ongoing performance,
quality, health, safety and environmental
(PQHSE) levels. Table 2 illustrates the
maturity levels at which contracts can be
written to achieve this goal.
Review requirements and design.
It is not enough to make sure that sys-
tem requirements are called out in the
contract. Comprehensive requirements
validation and design verification should
Description
The contract is written to allow audit and test activi-
ties, but advanced objective expectations are not set
for the results of the audit or test. The contract stipu-
lates auditing and testing, but not the expected results.
The contract provides the minimum levels of results
expected, and penalties for not meeting the levels.
An expectation for continually improving the benchmark
is set. This can go on outside the specific asset relation-
ship or be triggered by each asset relationship. The goal
here is to raise the expectation for PQHSE each time.
The Energy Flows Through Us TM
INCREASE OR DECREASE SPEED
ON EVERY STROKE
Variable Speed Drive for Beam Pumping Units
to Optimize Production
be performed to help ensure that system
requirements have been developed using
a sound process. This analysis also verifies
that the design does in fact implement all
of the requirements. Additionally, it pro-
vides the basis for tracking those require-
ments through the rest of the software
lifecycle. Properly analyzed requirements
and design documents and well-articu-
lated contractual software standards ulti-
mately help improve FAT and commis-
sioning testing by helping to ensure that
there are no errors in the requirements
and design documents and that vendors
are contractually bound to correct any is-
sues that are identified.
During requirements validation and
design verification, all pertinent project
documentation (such as vendor func-
tional and interface design specifications)
should be collected and thoroughly re-
viewed to ensure accuracy. This review
should also include end user manuals,
maintenance and support manuals spe-
cific to the project and vendor software
development processes related to the re-
quirements and design phases. To help
fill in any missing or unstated require-
ments, interviews should be conducted
with all vendor and company operational
SAM Well Manager
SA
www.lufkinautomation.com
AUTOMATION AND CONTROL
experts. Then, each requirement should
be reviewed to make sure it has been in-
cluded in the FAT and in the commis-
sioning and acceptance test plans.
A comprehensive, organized log of
control requirements for all equipment in
scope should also be developed. This will
help to ensure that the output of the re-
quirements and design validation and ver-
ification exercise can be easily referenced
throughout the asset lifecycle. For each
control requirement, this tracking system
should contain a detailed definition, the
original source record (e.g., contract, user
documentation), test plans/results of FAT,
commissioning and other testing, and the
status of any related issues.
Evaluate potential failures. Thor-
ough FAT and commissioning testing
should be accompanied by an opera-
tional failure modes, effects and criti-
cality analysis (FMECA). The tragic
safety incident involving four fatalities
described could have been prevented by
an FMECA of the equipment covering
operational states and message flow.
The purpose of an operational FME-
CA is to help eliminate failures that oc-
cur during operations by taking into ac-
count all types of failures that could occur
throughout the lifespan of each piece of
equipment. Performing an FMECA be-
fore acceptance helps to ensure that all
software-related risks are identified, facili-
tating the development of comprehensive
risk mitigation and failure remediation
plans. If the FMECA identifies risks that
can be reduced or prevented by correcting
an issue, again, contractual software stan-
dards ensure that vendors are contractu-
ally bound to implement the changes.
FMECA steps should include analyz-
ing requirements and design specifica-
tions related to control systems and the
drilling control network; reviewing the
equipment and listing the effect and im-
pact of potential failures; identifying how
a failure would be detected; evaluating
failure probability; evaluating and pri-
oritizing the severity of the failure and its
impact on safety and operations; calculat-
ing the criticality of the failure; identify-
ing potential corrective actions; and as-
signing ownership of recommendations.
Assess software development pro-
cesses. A VSPA helps to further reduce
risk by validating the process by which
software is developed. This includes the
software itself, as well as any patches or
upgrades that are issued. A VSPA should
be conducted early in the asset lifecycle
54 SEPTEMBER 2010 World Oil
so that any software process gaps that
may affect the project can be identified
and resolved before asset delivery or sys-
tems performance is compromised. As
part of the VSPA process, the vendor’s
high-level software engineering policies
and processes should be extracted via
informal presentations from, and inter-
views with, the engineering manager,
software development manager and
quality assurance manager.
Software development lifecycle pro-
cesses should be thoroughly examined,
and available documentation should be
reviewed. The application of the defined
processes should be mapped to the cur-
rent project development. Project artifacts
should be reviewed to see how the process-
es covered above have been (or are being)
applied to the project. Control systems
requirements and design specifications
should be modified based on the findings,
and all resulting punch list items should
be tracked to ensure that equipment will
be delivered drill-ready and on time.
Plan for configuration changes.
The above practices reduce the risk of
software-related incidents caused by im-
proper testing, and they set the stage for
correction of any future software-related
issues. To identify and mitigate ongoing
software risks, a software configuration
management (SCM) plan should also be
implemented. Information logged during
requirements and design validation and
verification helps to establish a baseline
for comparison after software patches are
installed, software is upgraded or configu-
rations are changed. This baseline should
be included in the SCM plan.
SCM plans should include policies
that ensure that vendor technicians
follow a check-in process, provide no-
tification before installing any software
upgrades, and document all changes in
system functionality that are expected
as a result of those upgrades. SCM
plans should also ensure that software
changes are properly reviewed and un-
derstood before being approved; re-
quire that upgrades occur when the risk
of impact on operations is minimized;
and employ a standard format for docu-
menting software changes.
The policies should also compel ven-
dors to properly test all affected systems
once the software modifications have
been implemented; require a demonstra-
tion by the vendor that the previous ver-
sion of the software can be re-installed in
case an upgrade fails integration tests or
causes other problems; and specify that
backup copies of the software must be
created, stored on the rig and refreshed
when software is updated.
Pay attention to alarms. One of the
most important ways to proactively re-
duce software-related risk is to assess
the alarm system, including alarms that
correspond with known software-related
risks. Many times, critical issues are in-
dicated by alarms that are improperly
prioritized, improperly mapped or not
mapped at all. As a result, they are not
acted upon. A detailed alarm manage-
ment process helps ensure that alarms
are unambiguously annunciated at the
right workstation and under the appro-
priate circumstances.
Alarm management processes should
include: 1) defining the requirements for
alarm systems and reviewing the alarm
database for accuracy; 2) creating a mas-
ter alarm document outlining the tag,
text, priority, significance and annun-
ciation point for each alarm, any related
equipment, detailed action required of
the operator, remediation and mitiga-
tion plans, and emergency and main-
tenance contacts; 3) choosing system
benchmarking methods and tools; and
4) conducting alarm systems training for
all crew members.
Continually review. Software-related
risks are ongoing. To help maintain safe,
reliable and highly functioning control
systems software, software configuration
and alarm management audits must be
performed whenever there are changes to
equipment, software version or configu-
ration, operating requirements or stan-
dards, and crew members.
Follow up. Assessment, testing and
auditing all result in a list of issues that
require resolution. All too often, these
lists are shelved due to other priorities.
There are many instances where we have
seen an accident, fire or equipment fail-
ure that would have been prevented if an
existing issue had been remediated in a
timely manner. WO
THE AUTHOR
Bill O’Grady has been a major contributor to
the Athens Group Proven Practices Method-
ology in his role as VP of Engineering. Prior
to joining Athens Group, he was Manager of
the Global Applications Development Center
for Verigy Ltd., where he led the development
of new process control and optimization tech-
nologies for the semiconductor test industry.
Mr. O’Grady can be reached at bill.ogrady@
athensgroup.com.
.21* Š

.21**ORYHŒ7HVWLQJSHUIRUPHGE\
WKH8QLYHUVLW\RI:LVFRQVLQ0LOZDXNHH(UJRQRPLFV'HSDUWPHQW
,Q-XO\RI2556DIHW\&RUSRUDWLRQDQG,URQFODG3HUIRUPDQFH
:HDUHPEDUNHGRQDSURMHFWZLWK([[RQ0RELO&RQRFR3KLOOLSV6XSHULRU
(QHUJ\DQG&KHYURQWRGHVLJQDJORYHWRUHGXFHKDQGLQMXULHV7KHUHVXOWLVWKH
.21**ORYHŒZKLFKVHWVDQHZEHQFKPDUNIRUKDQGSURWHFWLRQ:HOORYHU
SDLUVRI.21*KDYHEHHQVROGZRUOGZLGHVLQFH2FWREHU
DQGZHKDYHVHHQQXPHURXVVXFFHVVVWRULHVZKHUH.21*KDVUHGXFHG
RUFRPSOHWHO\SUHYHQWHGKDQGLQMXU\7REXLOGRQWKHLQLWLDOVXFFHVVRI
.21*2556DIHW\DQG,URQFODGFRQWUDFWHGWKHVHUYLFHVRIWKH8QLYHUVLW\RI
:LVFRQVLQ0LOZDXNHHWRTXDQWLILDEO\SURYHWKH.21**ORYH·VHIIHFWLYHQHVVLQ
UHGXFLQJOLNHOLKRRGRILQMXU\IURPIRUFHIXOLPSDFWV
7KH8QLYHUVLW\RI:LVFRQVLQ0LOZDXNHHSHUIRUPHGDQH[WHQVLYHPRQWKVWXG\RI
WKH.21**ORYHŒWRPHDVXUHLW·VSURWHFWLYHDELOLWLHV7KHUHVXOWVSURYHZLWKRXWDVKDGRZ
RIDGRXEWWKDW.21**ORYHVDUHDQH[FHOOHQWODVWOLQHRIGHIHQVHIRUZRUNHUVZKRKDYH
H[SRVXUHWRKDQGLQMXU\%HORZDUHVRPHRIWKHILQGLQJVRIWKHVWXG\²WROHDUQPRUHSOHDVH
YLVLWZZZRUUVDIHW\FRPNRQJ

7KDQN\RXIRU\RXUFRQWLQXHGVXSSRUWRI.21**ORYHV,WLVWKURXJK\RXUVXSSRUWWKDWZH
DUHDEOHWRIXQGVWXGLHVVXFKDVWKLVDQGGHYHORSLPSURYHGSURGXFWV²DOOZLWKWKHJRDORI 7KUHHYHUVLRQV
KHOSLQJSHRSOHZRUNVDIHO\DQGSURGXFWLYHO\
QRZDYDLODEOH
6LQFHUHO\

.21*
&ODUN2UU-U
&ODUN2UU-U93.21*


RULJLQDO

 OEV

 .21*
3RXQGVRI)RUFH

 FROGZHDWKHU
G ZH
ZHDWK
 
OEV

3($.

1(: .21*


  VXSHU
HUU GH[WHU
H GH[WHULW\
GH
H[W
[WH
WH
HU
 OEV
 OEV  
OEV

OEV

3($.,03$&7)RUFHWR 3($.,03$&7)RUFHWR 3($.,03$&7)RUFHWR

)LQJHUV .QXFNOHV %DFNRI+DQG
ZZZRUUVDIHW\FRPNRQJ
WORK
HORSES.
Introducing Hornbeck Offshore’s new fleet of Multi-Purpose Support
Vessels (MPSVs). The HOS 430 MPSVs provide a large, stable, DP-3
platform and are equipped with deck cranes, deepwater winches and
large working moonpools designed to accommodate a range of
inspection, maintenance, repair, diving and construction activities.

The HOS 370 MPSVs are the largest, most flexible DP-2 class offshore HOS
430
supply vessels available today, and the only vessels in the world to have
U.S. Coast Guard certificates allowing operations as a supply vessel,
industrial / construction vessel, and as a petroleum and chemical tanker.
DP-3 MPSV

370 DP-2 MPSV

HOS Centerline HOS Achiever

370 DP-2 MPSV 430 DP-3 MPSV

Learn more about our 370 MPSVs (HOS Centerline and

HOS Strongline) and 430 MPSVs (HOS Achiever and HOS
Iron Horse) by visiting us online at www.hornbeckoffshore.com
or calling us at (985) 727-2000.

HORNBECK OFFSHORE
Service with Energy ® ®
 DEEPWATER
TECHNOLOGY

Accounting for active geohazards

in deepwater facilities design
An assessment combining geology, geophysics and geotechnics can aid
design decisions by determining the likely effect of geohazards such
as active faults and seafloor erosion on planned deepwater structures.
Michael R. Horsnell, Robert L. Little and Kerry J. Campbell, Fugro GeoConsulting

Modern offshore site investigation

techniques provide data sets that enable
geoscientists to combine their geophysi-
cal and geological expertise to accurately
identify and characterize geohazards,
both at the seafloor and over the forma-
tion depths, which will influence design
decisions within the development pro-
cess. During the design life of offshore
facilities, identified geohazards can be
categorized as either dormant—i.e., re-
sulting from unique, relic geological
events or features, with no reactivation
mechanism—or active, when associated
with transient phenomena or features
that have a defined trigger.
Typical potentially active geohazards
encountered in deepwater locations in-
clude active faults, turbidity flows, debris
flows, seafloor slope failures, seafloor ero-
sion, over-pressured soils, gas hydrates,
fluid venting and mud volcanoes. In Fig. 1. Combined seafloor and subsurface models.
conventional foundation design, the geo-
technical engineer is concerned with the
influence of soil-structure interaction— at best, result in over-conservative design Active faults. To determine if faults
i.e., how loads applied to the structure or, at worst, catastrophic failure. With are active or not and to what degree,
will be transferred into the soil to mobi- respect to active geohazards, the geotech- both geophysical and geotechnical data
lize resistance to support the loads and to nical design process for deepwater facili- should be used and integrated. For ex-
minimize associated movements. Where ties must identify the activity potential ample, geophysical survey data allows
active geohazards are present, an addi- of the geohazard from current conditions fault characterization—i.e., mapping
tional concern will be the effect of loads and use that data to provide geotechnical and determination of associated seafloor
imposed on the structure due to relative characteristics for design. condition (seafloor scarp, burial by un-
movement of the soil through, around disturbed strata, etc.)—indicates the
and past the structure. ANALYZING ACTIVITY character of past fault offset (sudden
The integrated assessment of the geo- POTENTIAL episodic or creep offset based on strata
mechanical properties and behavior asso- By combining the results of geophysi- offset patterns with depth), and allows
ciated with active geohazards poses one cal and geotechnical surveys, a combined measurement of strata offset.
of the greatest challenges in the design seafloor model can be generated from Soil samples from key strata can then
process for deepwater developments. Ac- which geohazards can be identified, Fig. 1. be age-dated and, by making some as-
tive geohazards can result in large-scale Dependent upon the data available and sumptions, average rates of fault offset
effects such as seafloor instability over a the type of geohazard, some assessment or offset recurrence intervals can be es-
wide area, or microscopic effects giving can be made of its activity history as a timated. The reliability of fault activity
rise to time-dependent changes in soil first step in understanding the risk of oc- prediction will vary from case to case,
structure. In both cases, the inability to currence during the lifetime of the facil- depending on the details of the geology
identify these problems in design could, ity under design. and the data available.
World Oil SEPTEMBER 2010 57
DEEPWATER TECHNOLOGY

also be a factor in triggering some fail-

TABLE 1. Methods appropriate for analyzing geohazards in deep ures, although this is yet to be conclu-
water dependent upon geological setting sively demonstrated.
Active geohazard type Assessment technique Assessing seafloor stability requires
Active faults Numerical models of fault zone using the results of qualitative an integrated approach. Various types of
fault displacement analysis to calibrate the model; near geophysical survey data are used to char-
seafloor bearing capacity; evaluation of soil-structure acterize past failures, both recent ones
interaction (e.g., load transfer along a surface-laid pipeline) with seafloor expression and ancient ones
Turbidity flows 2D and 3D numerical modeling with hydrodynamic now represented by buried mass trans-
and sediment transport components
port deposits. This allows development
Debris flows 2D and 3D numerical modeling as a deforming liquid
with distinct rheological properties
of a model of past failures. If soil boring
data is available, dating of key strata can
Seafloor slope failures 1D and 2D limit equilibrium slope stability assessments; 2D
and 3D finite element analyses; seismic response modeling; help calibrate the model and allow the
liquefaction analyses; dynamic slope stability modeling age of the most recent failure and average
Seafloor erosion Sediment erosion, suspension, transport and deposition recurrence intervals for repeated failure
numerical modeling based on seabed hydrodynamics episodes to be estimated.
Gas hydrates 1D, 2D and 3D heat transfer modeling and gas hydrate Seafloor erosion. Review of geo-
dissociation modeling; cavity expansion/fracture modeling; physical survey data is the first step in
analytical or finite element modeling of resulting sediment
strains and soil-structure interaction
determining if episodic, recent or ongo-
ing erosion and sediment transport are
Over-pressured soils Hydraulic fracture modeling; slope stability modeling
or have been occurring. The presence of
Fluid venting and mud volcanoes Mud flow modeling; slope stability modeling
an undisturbed sediment drape coupled
with the lack of seafloor erosion/transport
SW NE
features (e.g., sediment waves or scour
Seafloor fault location 371.5 ft 19 ft
276 ft 5-ft installation
flutes) suggests that present-day seafloor
43 ft
Seafloor 59 ft 129.3 ft positioning uncertainty 38 ft 38 ft 5 ft currents are weak and non-erosive under
elev. Seafloor
Horizontal reference line
natural conditions. If unburied current
5,545 ft Seafloor Anchor
BSS
41 ft
51 ft
41 ft
(assumed sound velocity eleva. pile 2 features are present on the seafloor, their
61 ft in sediments = 5,000 ft/sec) 5,535.8
BSS
size and orientation can provide clues as
Fa
ult
pla Exclusion zone
to the current magnitude and direction
Possible Possible
ne (downthrown) soil soil 116 ft of flow that formed them. The presence
mo
Fau e than

(10
Fa

BVL
°l disturbance disturbance of buried current features over a range
ult
r
lt p tru

es zone zone
pla

st
lan e d

ha of stratigraphic intervals as seen on geo-

ne

Exclusion
e (1 ip)

nt
(tr

zone ru physical survey data can indicate that

ue

ed 35.2 ft
0°

(upthrown)
dip

ip)
strong seafloor currents have been acting
)

118 ft below seafloor

Fault 3 38 ft for thousands of years or did so episodi-
0 20 ft Total width of exclusion zone cally over geologic time.
at 115 ft BML–231.3 ft
Scale 10 ft
5 ft Sediment scour analysis based on soil
geotechnical properties is performed to
Fig. 2. Cross-section showing exclusion zone relative to fault and anchor pile. estimate current speeds that would be re-
quired to erode the seafloor soils. If there
is no geophysical evidence for seafloor
Turbidity flows. The potential engi- Seafloor instability. Failure trigger erosion, this would provide an upper
neering significance of turbidity flows is mechanisms range from the obvious, limit of modern seafloor current speed. If
assessed based on geophysical and geolog- such as spontaneous failure of rapidly geophysical evidence for erosion is pres-
ical evidence. For example, the presence deposited sediments and earthquake ent, the analysis would suggest that maxi-
of a drape of undisturbed sediment as shaking, to less obvious and generally mum currents are above the minimum
seen on geophysical survey data indicates less common mechanisms. These in- calculated current speed at which erosion
that turbidity currents have not occurred clude erosive under-cutting and slope would occur. However, long-term (at least
recently. Geophysical survey data can also over-steepening in submarine canyons one year) seafloor current monitoring
help to characterize turbidity current de- and other areas subject to strong seafloor would be required to confirm actual flow
posits (turbidites). However, in most cas- currents, slope over-steepening due to directions and current speeds at any given
es, detailed stratigraphic examination of seafloor uplift caused by local salt or site. ROV or other video observation of
cores is required to characterize turbidites shale tectonics, and over-pressure in the the details of seafloor micro-features can
because individual turbidites are below shallow section resulting in a layer of low also provide confirmation of the degree
the resolution of geophysical survey data. shear strength. Storm-wave loading does of present-day current activity.
The geological evidence is then used not initiate failures in deep water but Over-pressured soils. As with other
as a framework to help estimate turbid- may trigger failures in shallower waters natural phenomena, the first step in as-
ity current speed and thickness. Age dates that then move downslope into deep sessing the potential engineering signifi-
from cores are used to determine recency water. Certain kinds of intensified ocean cance of over-pressures is to develop a
of turbidity current activity (age of any currents may trigger some deepwater geologic model to explain their origin.
undisturbed drape) and to estimate recur- failures. Dissociation of gas hydrates and Interpretation of seismic reflection data
rence intervals in sequences of turbidites. the resulting pore pressure buildup may provides the stratigraphic and structural
58 SEPTEMBER 2010 World Oil
DEEPWATER TECHNOLOGY
framework for the model. This model
then needs to be calibrated with boreholes
to confirm material types and properties
and in situ pressures. Once the model is
calibrated, then it can be used to predict
pressures away from the boreholes.
Shallow over-pressures can cause dif-
ficulty for drilling, foundation design
and installation and can lead to seafloor
instability and slope failures. They have
been the single most expensive deepwa-
ter drilling hazard in the northern Gulf of
Mexico, and have resulted in significant
drilling delays and loss of many wells.
MODERNIZING
Level Measurement
Complete Tank Battery Solutions
The VEGAFLEX 61 guided wave radar sensor
is ideal for measuring the level of crude oil at
Fluid venting and mud volcanoes.
The key to assessing the significance of
pockmarks and mud volcanoes is to de-
termine the degree of ongoing and likely
future activity. Assessment begins with
detailed mapping and characterization of
both seafloor and buried features based
on interpretation of high-resolution
seismic reflection data. Sizes, shapes,
stratigraphic (temporal) and positional
evolution, extent of sediment expulsion
aprons, and other details are important
to developing a valid geologic model.
Age dating of “normal” sediments sand-
t
SIL2 qualified
t
3FBM
UJNF
JOWFOUPSZ
NBOBHFNFOU
wiched between expulsion deposits can
sometimes be undertaken to determine
recency of activity or to estimate expul-
sion recurrence intervals, and thereby
“calibrate” the model. Direct observation
of pockmarks and mud volcanoes using
ROVs can sometimes help to confirm re-
cency and degree of expulsion activity.
The model can then be used to help
develop reasonable standoff distances.
Because details are important to assess-
ing these features but data collection
requirements (both time and costs) may
be prohibitive in areas with numerous
expulsion features, “model” studies are
sometimes performed. In these, a limited
number of representative features are
studied in some detail (e.g., using very
closely spaced survey lines by autono-
mous underwater vehicles, or AUVs) as
a model for characterizing other similar
features in the area.
Gas hydrates. There are three mech-
anisms by which gas hydrates form in
deepwater environments:
1) Low-concentration, widespread ac-
cumulations of methane hydrates (most-
ly of shallow biogenic origin)
2) Localized high-concentration de-
posits of heavier, petrogenic hydrates
(formed from gas that has leaked up-
ward into the stability zone from reser-
voir depths along pre-existing faults and
around vent features)
3) Medium-concentration combina-
tions of the two types.
This last type of hydrate formation re-
sults from migration of pore fluids con-
taining petrogenic hydrocarbon gases in
solution from reservoir depth into the
shallow section.
Widespread methane hydrate accu-
mulations are sometimes accompanied
by a bottom-simulating reflector (BSR)
on seismic reflection data. The BSR
can represent the accumulation of small
amounts of free gas trapped at the base
of the methane hydrate stability zone.
In some areas, a second and often more
localized BSR is seen below the regional
tank battery locations. The length of the cable
can easily be shortened, allowing the user to
quickly adapt a single instrument to a variety
of tank sizes. When used in conjunction with
the VEGASWING 61 vibration switch, a truly
redundant system can be developed.
www.ohmartvega.com
info@ohmartvega.com
800.FOR.LEVEL
60 SEPTEMBER 2010 World Oil
t
"DDVSBDZ
PG

NN
t
"CMF
UP
NFBTVSF
CPUI
UPUBM
MFWFM
and interface
t
.JOJNBM
NBJOUFOBODF
DPNQBSFE


to mechanical float measurements
methane hydrate BSR. This deeper BSR
can be interpreted to represent the base
of the stability zone for the petrogenic
hydrates that result from upward-leaking
heavier hydrocarbons.
Seismic data alone are not adequate to
identify and map the distribution or con-
centration of hydrates. To date, a combi-
nation of downhole geophysical logging,
in situ testing, pressure coring and labo-
ratory testing of host sediments has been
the only reliable methodology for hydrate
identification and characterization.
T W O C O M P R E S S O R B O D I E S I N S T E A D O F T H R E E.

Elliott has
the answer.
One supplier’s bid required three sales gas compressors for a new gas separation plant. Elliott’s
answer needed only two, resulting in major savings in capital costs, installation, and operating
and maintenance expenses. All of Elliott’s equipment in the new plant, including pressure
maintenance, low pressure and nitrogen compressors, provide the reliability, availability, and
flexibility that oil and gas producers require for uninterrupted operation in even the most
challenging environments. For 50 years, the oil and gas industry has turned to Elliott for
precision engineering, extraordinary reliability, and unparalleled service. Any questions?

T H E W O R L D T U R N S T O E L L I O T T

C O M P R E S S O R S ■ T U R B I N E S ■ G L O B A L S E R V I C E www.elliott-turbo.com
DEEPWATER TECHNOLOGY

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS In some locations, the cost of routing bilize the underlying seabed sediments
Dependent on the type of geohazard pipelines around existing faults may also through shear transfer, they can over-
and its activity potential, it may be ad- be prohibitive or result in flow assurance load the seabed and cause bearing fail-
visable to avoid the area of seafloor con- difficulties. In these cases, integrated ures, they can erode and entrain seabed
cerned altogether. However, if activity po- modeling of fault displacements with sediments along the flow path, and they
tential is considered marginal or there are soil-pipeline interaction studies may be can leave thick deposits along the length
economic benefits to designing around used to determine the stresses induced of their route and at their termination.
the influence of the geohazard, then anal- in the pipeline as a result of fault move- Buried deposits may consist of materials
yses need to be undertaken to understand ment. Results from these studies may al- with highly variable geotechnical prop-
the present-day condition, to provide a low the pipeline to be designed to toler- erties, including rafted blocks of much
springboard to the facilities design. Tech- ate the anticipated stress. stronger, intact strata compared to the
niques available will depend upon the Turbidity flows. Turbidity currents enclosing matrix.
geohazard under consideration. Having a may achieve velocities sufficient to dis- Such heterogeneity can complicate
method for analyzing the geotechnics of a place and damage surface-laid pipelines soil characterization and, ultimately,
potentially active geohazard requires that and umbilicals and induce scour around foundation design and installation plans.
one also have a reliable set of parameters foundation elements. Quantitative en- Active flows can impose prohibitive
to use within that analysis. Most of the gineering analyses can be undertaken to loads on seabed structures and pipelines.
analytical techniques outlined in Table 1 evaluate the potential effects of turbid- Often, locating facilities outside the path
have a proven track record for more tradi- ity currents on the development facilities of potential debris flows is the preferred
tional soil conditions encountered on the after establishing the geologic model for design solution.
continental shelf (e.g., clays, silica sands), past events. Details gathered in the field With a detailed geologic model of
but their application to soils encountered investigation are used as input, includ- past debris flow events and knowledge of
in deep water and their geological setting ing the seabed morphology, the distri- the geotechnical properties, quantitative
may need to be calibrated. bution, grain-size character and thick- debris flow modeling can be preformed
Active faults. Considering potential ness of deposits from past turbidity flow to predict probable flow paths of future
damage to wells and the potential effects events, erosivity and settling velocity of events. As with the turbidity currents, the
on foundation reliability, development the source sediments, and probable trig- diagnostic models are performed on past
plans are typically designed to avoid ac- gering events (seabed instability, canyon events to determine the most appropriate
tive faults. In many instances, however, flows from off the shelf, etc.). These in- flow parameters. Prognostic modeling of
significant benefits to the development puts are used, through parametric stud- future events then provides estimates of
plan can be realized by knowing how ies, to calibrate quantitative numerical flow paths and flow characteristics (such
close foundations or pipelines can be models in order to predict the character as thickness, velocity and acceleration),
safely placed to these faults. This is nor- of potential future turbidity flows.2 and how they vary in time and location.
mally achieved by establishing an exclu- These models can provide the en- This information can then be employed
sion zone around the fault, Fig. 2.1 gineer with predictions of the average to estimate potential loads induced by the
The width of this zone is defined by the velocity and density of flows in time flow on seabed facilities.6,7 However, de-
uncertainty in the seafloor location of the and space, which can, in turn, be used signers should be aware of the limitations
fault, the dip angle of the fault, the pen- to derive loads imposed on surface-laid of the models, particularly in their ability
etration depth of the foundation element, pipelines and structures.3–5 This infor- to capture all aspects of the potential ef-
the positioning uncertainty in locating mation allows the designer to consider fects of the debris flows on the seabed. To
the foundation element, and the extent of mitigation schemes, such as increasing fully account for the potentially hazardous
soil that will be relied upon in the foun- pipeline weight, trenching and shelter- effects of future debris flows, the geologic
dation design (the foundation load influ- ing of facilities. record should be carefully investigated.
ence zone). Numerical or analytical mod- Debris flows. Debris flows have the Seafloor slope failures. Seafloor slope
eling can be preformed to determine the potential to reshape the seabed. As the failures can result in prohibitive loads on
foundation load influence zone. flows travel downslope, they can mo- seabed facilities located within the failure

For the venting vertical fracture case, the volume losses are For the non-venting horizontal fracture case, the volume increases
considered to occur where the hydrates existed before dissociation. within each discrete layer are used to define volume increases of
fractures forming atop each layer.
Surface subsidence Surface heave
Seafloor Seafloor Seafloor
0 Venting 0
Tension forces
Penetration below seafloor, m

Penetration below seafloor, m

gas on well
40 40
Gas is
Dispersed Zone of trapped in
80 hydrate contraction Well 80
overstress expansion
zone zone Well
overstress
120 120

160 Discrete layer 160 Discrete layer

volume losses volume
200 200 increase
Hot production well Hot production well

Fig. 3. Gas hydrate dissociation and soil response: Conceptual models for volumetric seabed strains.

62 SEPTEMBER 2010 World Oil

zone, can be the source for debris flows
and turbidity currents affecting facilities
downslope, and can destabilize upslope
areas. The most obvious hazards presented
by these failures, depending on facility lo-
cation with respect to the failure, include
catastrophic lateral loading and loss of
support that can be applied to structures
during failure events. Mitigation mea-
sures may be achievable for smaller-scale
failures, but often avoidance of potential
failure areas is the preferred solution.
Quantitative slope stability studies
can be approached in a variety of ways,
including equilibrium-based 1D or 2D
analytical modeling, 2D or 3D finite ele-
ment modeling, total stress or effective
stress parameters, and static, pseudostatic
or dynamic loading. Qualitative geologic
assessment of past slope failures and their
recurrence intervals provides a basis for
selection of the most appropriate analy-
ses and offers the engineer the opportu-
nity to investigate how well the selected
engineering parameters and methods
model past events.
When the geologic assessment and
diagnostic geotechnical analyses are mu-
tually supportive, the results of prognos-
tic modeling will have greater reliability.
The quantitative results provide a basis
for evaluating the probability of future
slope instability and the impact area in-
fluenced by events of different scale. This
information can be used to determine
safe standoff distances or to derive pa-
rameters for input into models for evalu-
ation of effects for mitigation designs.
Seafloor erosion. Seafloor erosion
and sediment scouring can result in the
loss of support around foundation mem-
bers and beneath pipelines. Conversely,
in areas of high sediment transport, large,
unexpected amounts of sediment can
build up around or bury facilities, or can
quickly fill excavated pipeline trenches
before pipe laying is carried out. Local
scour around seabed structures is usually
the result of the intensified vortices in
the current as it flows across the foun-
dation elements. Local scour degrades
foundation performance.
Numerical simulations can be con-
structed to model the shear stress in-
duced in the seabed sediments around
the foundation elements under an ap-
plied current. Current parameters may
be supplied from metocean studies, for
long-term currents, or possibly from
turbidity current modeling results. The
scour rate can then be evaluated based on
sample test results in an erosion function
apparatus.8 The effects of the predicted
scour can then be examined analytically
to determine what level of mitigation
may need to be considered.
Gas hydrates. Although the potential
for naturally occurring gas hydrates to
cause seabed and sub-seabed deforma-
tions and stability problems for wells
and seabed-founded structures has long
been a concern, the only reported case
histories we are aware of are limited to
Arctic permafrost regions with sand and
gravel hydrate-bearing layers. Little has
been published in terms of detailing the
risks to facilities in hydrate-bearing sedi-
ments; however, to quantitatively assess
the risks requires analytical estimates of
the effects of gas hydrate dissociation on
the soils and structures.
Analytical assessment of the effects of
producing wells passing through natu-
rally occurring gas hydrate zones is diffi-
cult, as many variables affect gas hydrate
dissociation. These variables include:
1) The geochemistry of gas hydrate
present in the soil column, the physical
form of the gas hydrates, their distribu-
tion, and their volumetric percentage
2) The physical characteristics of the
soils overlying, within and vertically ad-
jacent to the gas hydrate-bearing zones,
the thermal properties of the soil, and
the in situ state of stress in the soil
3) The design and installation details
of the wells, thermo-conductivity of the
well components, and thermal charac-
teristics of the product pumped through
the wells.
Given the complexity of the prob-
lem, lack of an empirical database and
the potential range of responses depend-
ing upon the variables above, exacting
analytical methods may be in excess of
what is required or suitable at this time.
However, the effects of gas hydrate dis-
sociation related to hydrocarbon produc-
tion can be estimated using simplified
geologic/geochemical models of the gas
hydrate and its distribution and approxi-
mate numerical models of heat transfer,
gas hydrate dissociation, fracture propa-
gation and seabed deformation.
The results of these models can be
used to estimate the areal extent of sea-
bed where warming of the soil will lead
to hydrate dissociation, the volume of gas
expected to be released due to hydrate
dissociation, the stability of proposed
production wells subjected to subsurface
sediment movements and induced stress
through load transfer from the soil to the
well casing elements, the potential influ-
ence on seafloor foundations within the
vicinity of the production wells, and the
World Oil SEPTEMBER 2010 63
DEEPWATER TECHNOLOGY
potential relative vertical and horizontal seafloor surface mo-
tions within the vicinity of the production wells, Fig. 3. With
the estimated soil response and the effects explored in these
models, risks to foundations and wells can be better understood
and quantified, and mitigation measures can be evaluated.
Over-pressured soils. Over-pressured soils may pose a
drilling hazard, can result in unconservative foundation design,
and lead to an underestimation of geologic hazards. In terms of
over-pressured soils as a drilling hazard, shallow water flow in a
well poses one of the greatest concerns to drillers. Mitigation is
usually based on 1) avoidance of zones of shallow water flow-
prone sand layers identified in the geologic model, 2) well and
casing design, and/or 3) precautionary drilling practices.
When shallow water flow occurs, accumulated sands around
the wells can make placement of seabed facilities difficult, forc-
ing changes to development plans. Over-pressured soils in the
shallow section can also be a factor in seabed stability evaluations
and in foundation design. Most often, offshore foundation de-
sign and evaluation methods are based on the assumption that
the in situ pore pressure is equal to the hydrostatic pressure.
Formations with pore pressure in excess of hydrostatic pressure,
however, will have lower soil strengths than similar formations
with no over-pressure. While analyses can be performed using
effective stress methods, direct in situ measurements to deter-
mine the pore pressure are not commonly obtained. If uniden-
tified over-pressured formations exist, foundation capacities
and response could be overestimated and the threat posed by
geohazards, such as slope instability, could be underestimated.
It is recommended that geotechnical laboratory and in situ
testing programs be designed to assist in the identification of
www.rmotc.doe.gov
888.599.2200
Casper, Wyoming
64 SEPTEMBER 2010 World Oil
over-pressured soils and that the geologic model be consulted
during the selection of engineering parameters for foundation
design or geohazard modeling.
Fluid venting and mud volcanoes. Avoidance is the rec-
ommended mitigation where active vent features are encoun-
tered. Safe standoff distances should be based on an evalua-
tion of the degree of activity, the areal extent of surface effects,
and the subsurface conditions. Soil conditions around extinct
or dormant features should be determined if foundations or
pipelines are to be placed nearby in order to ascertain the soil
strength and stability of the sidewall slopes. High fluid intru-
sion in the soil and mud flows during periods of active expul-
sion could have had long-lasting effects on the soil, making
local conditions much different from those at sites located well
away from the features.
CONCLUSIONS
Despite the challenges of active geohazards, an assessment
combining geology, geophysics and geotechnics can be made
of the effect that any identified geohazard will have on the
design of the facility under consideration. This may confirm
that the geohazard can be incorporated within the design or
has to be avoided altogether. WO
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This article was prepared from “The geotechnical challenges of active geohaz-
ards in the design of deepwater facilities,” presented at the Society for Underwater
Technology Annual Subsea Technical Conference held in Perth, Australia, Feb.
17–19, 2010.
LITERATURE CITED
For the complete literature cited, visit www.worldoil.com.
THE AUTHORS
Mike Horsnell has over 30 years of experience in
offshore geotechnical design, including pile design
and pile group behavior, the response of offshore
foundations to cyclic and dynamic loading, and pipe-
line-soil interaction. In 1983, he was appointed Man-
ager of Engineering of Fugro Intl., where he gained
experience in offshore soils in the Gulf of Mexico,
offshore California and Alaska. He was appointed
Managing Director of Fugro Ltd. in 2005, and sub-
sequently of Fugro GeoConsulting Ltd. In 2008, he
was appointed President of Fugro GeoConsulting Inc., where he also
holds the responsibility of Fugro’s Worldwide Director of GeoConsulting.
Rob Little has 21 years of experience in the off-
shore geotechnical field. As Senior Consultant with
Fugro Geoconsulting, he has been responsible for
directing geotechnical design projects, integrated
site characterizations and geohazards assessments.
These projects have included the analysis of gravity-
based structures, tension leg platforms, underwater
slope instability, wave-seabed interaction, pile driv-
ing in difficult soil conditions, production-induced
subsidence and cyclic degradation under both wave
and earthquake loading.
Kerry J. Campbell began his career in 1968 as a
Research Geologist with the US Geological Survey.
Subsequently, he carried out sea-ice and permafrost
surveys in the Arctic using radar profilers followed
by site assessments for coal mine development in
West Virginia. For the past 34 years, he has been
a Marine Engineering Geoscientist with Fugro and
predecessor companies. Mr. Campbell has been
responsible for consulting, project supervision, field
mapping and data acquisition, data analysis, techni-
cal reporting, and business development for various types of offshore
and onshore geologic and geophysical projects worldwide. He is current-
ly Principal Geoscientist in the Houston office of Fugro GeoConsulting.
 BRAZIL PRE-SALT:
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
Special Section in

CONTENTS
P-67 Pre-salt development gathers speed
P-73 Master plan for the Santos Basin pre-salt cluster development plan

Web Exclusive—Safety and local-content regulations and technology for Brazil’s deep water
www.worldoil.com/brazil-presalt-safety-regulations.html

ABOUT THE COVER: The Sevan Driller ultra-deepwater drilling unit with the city of Rio de Janeiro in the background.
The cylindrical floater arrived in Brazil in March and is operating for Petrobras in the pre-salt area on a six-year contract.
Courtesy of Sevan Marine.
Petrobras’ Marlim field will soon feature a major FMC breakthrough: The world’s first subsea system to separate
heavy oil from gas, sand and water in a mature deepwater field. Marlim – our fifth subsea separation project –
also polishes the water and reinjects it into the reservoir. Benefits: Easier lifting of oil and gas, and increased
reservoir pressure that boosts production. In subsea separation, we’re taking on bigger challenges every day.
What can we do for you? For detailed Marlim specs and the inside scoop on our history-making
subsea separation capabilities, visit www.fmctechnologies.com/subseaseparation

We put you first.

st.
And keep you ahead.

© 2010 FMC Technologies. All rights reserved.

 BRAZIL PRE-SALT:
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

Pre-salt development gathers speed

Only four years after the first discovery below the thick salt layer in Brazil’s deep
water, a lengthening list of new finds indicates a long stretch of pre-salt reservoirs
where three early successes may contain a total of as much as 14 billion boe.
John L. Kennedy, 21st Century Energy Advisors Inc.

Often, what is first consid- Espírito Santo—contain 85%

ered a frustrating obstacle is of the country’s oil reserves.
later recognized as having an The Campos Basin accounts
important function. So it has for 80% of current production,
been with thick subsurface lay- but the Santos Basin and its
ers of salt. Long dreaded by ex- pre-salt prospects are the “new
plorers and drillers as hazards, exploratory frontier.”1
salt formations are nonetheless
very effective traps for oil and PRE-SALT’S PROMISE
gas. And advancing technology Even at this early stage, with
has made it possible to drill and data from only a few wells,
case thick salt sections safely indications are that pre-salt
and effectively. discoveries could more than
There are still challenges double Brazil’s recoverable oil
when drilling through salt— and gas reserves. According to
low penetration rates, the risk Petrobras’ 2009–2013 Strate-
of stuck pipe, potential hole- gic Plan, pre-salt output could
stability problems. But over be the biggest source of domes-
the last couple of decades, ac- tic production growth, add-
cumulating experience and ev- ing 1.24 million bpd between
er-better tools have resulted in 2013 and 2020. “Development
major discoveries below thick of the Santos Basin subsalt
salt layers in several regions. play will drive long term pro-
Brazil’s Petrobras has made duction growth,” the strategic
a string of deepwater pre-salt report states. It also states that
discoveries in the past few Brazil’s deepwater and ultra-
years (Fig. 1), and a significant deepwater production can be
share of the company’s current developed at a “relatively low
E&P capital budget—17% cost” of about US$60/bbl.
during the 2009–2013 plan Most of Brazil’s current
period—will go to developing crude oil production is heavier
those discoveries. grades from its deepwater fields;
Petrobras discovered its first Fig. 1. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva holds up a Marlim Field, a main source,
giant offshore field, Albacora, sample of the first pre-salt oil produced at Baleia Franca Field.
Courtesy of Petrobras.
produces 19.6°API oil, for ex-
in more than 2,000 m of water ample. But as more pre-salt
in 1985. The discoveries in the production comes onstream,
Campos Basin that led Petrobras into ever According to the BP Statistical Review heavy oil’s share of the country’s output
deeper water typically produced heavy oil of World Energy 2010, Brazil’s oil reserves will drop dramatically. The Santos Ba-
from sandstones. The basin, spreading at the end of 2009 totaled about 12.9 bil- sin pre-salt discoveries have uncovered
over 100,000 sq km, gave up its first com- lion bbl; natural gas reserves were 12.7 large reserves of light oil between 28 and
mercial field, Garoupa, in 100 m of water. Tcf. The country consumed about 2.4 30°API—with high gas content.
Currently, the company operates 23% of million bpd of oil and 2 Bcfd of gas. Bra- The Santos Basin is the largest off-
the world’s deepwater production. zil’s offshore basins—Santos, Campos and shore sedimentary basin in Brazil. The
World Oil BRAZIL PRE-SALT 2010 P-67
BRAZIL PRE-SALT OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
area currently under concession is about
41,000 sq km, and the area with Petro-
bras interest is about 35,000 sq km.
About half of the explored area is in wa-
ter depths surpassing 1,500 m. Petrobras
considers the total area of the pre-salt
province to be about 112,000 sq km.
Areas involved in prospective pre-salt
blocks are large; Tupi alone comprises
2,000 sq km, compared with the 150-sq-
km extent of giant Marlim Field. Areas
identified to date in the Santos Basin
pre-salt “cluster” include Tupi, Jupiter,
Iara, Carioca, Bem-Ti-Ve, Guará, Paroti,
Caramba and Azulão. The first discov-
ery, Tupi, is still the largest to date.
Three pre-salt discoveries—Tupi, Iara
and Parque das Conchas—have estimated
recoverable reserves of 9.5–14 billion boe,
according to Petrobras data. Announced
recoverable resources in Tupi are 5–8 bil-
lion boe; 3–4 billion boe recoverable is
the estimate for Iara. Petrobras plans call
for spending $28 billion on pre-salt ex-
ploration and development during 2009–
2013; total E&P spending will be $105
billion. The total capital budget during
that period is expected to be $174 billion.
Looking further out, the company has
said it plans to spend $111 billion on pre-
salt capex between 2009 and 2020—$99
billion in the Santos Basin and $12 bil-
lion in the Espírito Santo Basin.
Water depths in the pre-salt area can
exceed 2,200 m, and drilling depths can
be more than 5,000 m. Initial pre-salt
production is via FPSOs for oil and pipe-
line for gas. Petrobras’ strategic plan calls
for six production units in the Campos
and Espírito Santo pre-salt to start up by
2014, excluding the facilities involved
in extended well tests. By 2013, pre-salt
production is expected to be 219,000
bopd and 250 MMcfd. Oil production
in 2015 will be 582,000 bpd and by 2020
is scheduled to reach 1.815 million bpd,
according to the strategic plan. At that
time, gas production will be 1.40 Bcfd.
In the Espírito Santo area, where in-
frastructure is in place, the first pre-salt
production is from the P-34 well in
Jubarte Field—up to 18,000 bpd. The
FPSO Seillean began producing in late
2008 as a pilot system for Cachalote
Field. The FPSO Capixaba was expected
to move to Cachalote/Baleia Franca this
year, and the FPSO Pipa II will be part
of the Baleia Azul pilot system, with first
production expected in mid-2012.
TUPI LEADS THE WAY
The pre-salt exploration age in Brazil’s
offshore could be said to have begun with
P-68 BRAZIL PRE-SALT 2010 World Oil
well RJS-628A, drilled in 2006 in the Tupi
area in 2,126 m of water by a consortium
of Petrobras, BG Group and Petrogal. A
1,000-m section above the salt was fol-
lowed by about 2,000 m of salt, with the
carbonate reservoir just below the salt at
about 5,200 m from the rig floor.
According to the US Energy Informa-
tion Administration, Tupi was the largest
oil find since the supergiant Kashagan
Field in Kazakhstan in 2000. The Tupi
well certainly was a milestone, but Petro-
bras’ efforts to identify the potential of
this area were already underway in the
1990s, when it began assessing what
might be under the Santos Basin’s mas-
sive salt layers. In 2000 and 2001, in bid-
ding for the acreage that the National Pe-
troleum Agency (ANP) tendered in two
bidding rounds, Petrobras became opera-
tor for six of the seven blocks and part-
nered with Esso in the seventh. In 2001
and 2002, Petrobras conducted a large
deepwater seismic acquisition program,
then geophysicists and geologists worked
on developing processing algorithms
to make what might be beneath the
2 km of salt more visible.
The first wildcat, in the Parati area,
cost $240 million and had two ob-
jectives, according to a report by José
Miranda Formigli, Petrobras executive
manager for pre-salt: to prove the geolog-
ic model and to practice the theories that
had been developed to drill the pre-salt.
In 2006, with proof of hydrocarbons in
the Parati area, Petrobras started drilling
other wells, which led to new discoveries.
With knowledge and experience, drilling
costs came down to $70–$80 million.
In general, the Tupi area is character-
ized by heterogeneous layered carbon-
ates with variable reservoir quality and
by salt layers with thickness to 2,000 m.
Well tests indicate potential flowrates of
15,000–20,000 bopd per well. Tupi oil is
light, ranging 28–30°API, with viscosity
of about 1 cP. The gas/oil ratio is between
790 and 1,240 (cu ft/bbl), acid content
is low, and carbon dioxide content in the
associated gas is 8–18%. There is some
concern regarding flow assurance due to
paraffin deposition in pipes.
TESTS AND PILOTS
Much was learned from an extended
well test (EWT) in Well RJS-646 in the
Tupi Block that completed one year of
testing in May. According to a discus-
sion of the EWT by Formigli published
on Petrobras’ website in late April, the
reservoir’s behavior in the microbiolite,
the carbonate from which the well pro-
duces, was substantially the same as pre-
dicted by simulations. This significantly
reduces uncertainty surrounding field
development. The EWT also indicated
good communication with other wells
in the reservoir, which bodes well for the
effectiveness of planned water and water-
alternating-with-gas (WAG) injection.
A planned pilot will have producing
wells, water injection wells and WAG
injectors, in addition to CO2 injectors.
The pilot project platforms and equip-
ment are designed to last for the entire
concession period, but the pilot phase
will last the first two years, according
to Formigli. At first, there will be eight
wells, five producers and three injectors.
This first phase of the Santos Basin
pre-salt development, which is expected
to extend to 2017, includes EWTs, the
Tupi pilot and exploratory wells still being
drilled.2 Then there will be larger pilots
in Guará and in Tupi Northeast, which
have similar characteristics to Tupi.
Since testing indicated that the res-
ervoir behaved well, Petrobras boosted
planned production from 100,000
bopd to 120,000 bopd, along with 180
MMcfd. It is expected that production
will reach 100,000 bopd by the end of
second-half 2011.
Petrobras plans to install eight FPSOs
in Blocks B-MS-9 and B-MS-11. Cur-
rently, the focus is on the design of pro-
duction facilities and early bidding for a
few critical devices. First oil from Guará
will be produced to a dynamically posi-
tioned FPSO owned by Brazilian com-
pany Petroserv. Converted in Singapore,
it was scheduled to begin production in
August or September. The wet Christ-
mas tree is connected to the platform by
a rigid completion riser. The unit has a
plant that can process up to 20,000 bpd;
it consumes gas for energy and burns the
remaining gas.
Other production operations in the
Tupi area will treat the produced gas and
transport it through an 18-in. pipeline to
the existing Mexilhão platform. A 34-in.
pipeline will connect this platform to an
onshore terminal in Caraguatatuba. At
first, the Tupi, Guará and Tupi North-
east gas will flow through this pipeline,
designed for an initial capacity of 350
MMcfd, according to Formigli.
In June, the seventh well in the Tupi
area helped confirm the light oil poten-
tial in the pre-salt reservoirs of the Santos
Basin and reinforced the estimate of 5–8
billion bbl of recoverable oil reserves in
the area. Well 3-BRSA-821-RJS—known
as Tupi Alto—is in the Tupi Evaluation
 Worldwide
Solution
Partner
Acergy is proud to have tied-in
the first well in the Tupi Field
using the PLSV Pertinacia.

Throughout the last 37 years,

Acergy has been an active
participant in all major
PETROBRAS projects.

VISIT US AT RIO OIL & GAS

13 - 16 September, 2010
PAVILHÃO 4 - Q33

seabed-to-surface www.acergy-group.com
BRAZIL PRE-SALT OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
Plan area in 2,111 m of water, about 275 OTHER DISCOVERIES in Cachalote’s pre-salt layer from well
km off the coast of Rio de Janeiro. It is 12 AND PLANS 7-CHT-5HA-7-ESS, 5 km from Baleia
km northeast of the Tupi discovery well. Though Tupi has led the pre-salt revo- Franca, and from well 7-CHT-7HP-ESS.
Tupi Alto was drilled into a higher lution in Brazil’s deep water, other wells By the end of the year, Petrobras expects
structural position than the other wells in have contributed to the momentum. In to connect the platform to a total of nine
Tupi. Tests indicate that it tapped lighter July, Petrobras produced first oil from the wells. There will be three producing and
oil (about 30°API) than the average found pre-salt layer of Baleia Franca Field in the two injection wells in Cachalote, and
in the other area wells. Campos Basin. Discovered in late 2008, three producing wells—two of which are
Earlier Tupi area wells include ap- it is “the first permanent commercial pro- in the pre-salt layer—and one injector in
praisal well 3-RJS-666, designed to test duction from the Brazilian pre-salt layer, Baleia Franca. Production is scheduled to
the outer limits of the Tupi reservoir. It which already uses materials that were peak in December 2010 at 100,000 bopd
confirmed the presence of hydrocarbons, adapted and prepared to meet the specif- and 48 MMcfd.
according to consortium partner BG ic needs involved in producing oil in the The FPSO has a production capac-
Group. The well is 12.5 km north of the pre-salt,” according to Petrobras. ity of 100,000 bpd, gas compression
original Tupi discovery well in capacity of 110 MMcfd and
2,115 m of water. storage capacity of 1.6 million
Late last year, another well, bbl. Water injection capacity is
Tupi Northeast 3-RJS-662A, 140,000 bpd.
also encountered pre-salt hy-
drocarbons. The well, 18 km PRE-SALT/POST-SALT
northeast of the Tupi discov- Not all pre-salt potential is
ery well, penetrated a 250-m- in virgin pre-salt territory. A
thick carbonate reservoir, ac- recent well found a new reser-
cording to BG Group. This voir below the sandstone layer
March, well tests indicated producer in Albacora Leste
potential for 30,000-bpd out- Field’s concession area in the
put of 28°API oil. Campos Basin. Well 6-ABL-
The consortium formed 57D-RJS, 130 km off the coast
by Petrobras (65%, operator), of Rio de Janeiro, is in 1,956
BG Group (25%) and Galp m of water and was drilled
Energia (10%) to explore Fig. 2. The FPSO Capixaba’s process plant is designed to fit to a total depth of 4,536 m.
Block BM-S-11 will continue the needs of pre-salt production from the Parque das Baleias Petrobras plans more drilling
to execute the evaluation plan complex. Courtesy of Petrobras. to assess the productivity of
approved by ANP and expects the light oil reservoirs and the
the field to be declared com- possibility of using the existing
mercial by late this year. production and offloading in-
frastructure. Albacora Leste is
IARA operated by Petrobras (90%)
In August 2008, BG Group and developed in partnership
announced the discovery of a with Repsol (10%).
thick reservoir section with Recently, Petrobras also an-
excellent porosity at Iara Field nounced a light oil discovery in
in the BM-S-11 appraisal area the pre-salt layer in the Marlim
of the Santos Basin. The well Field production concession in
is in 2,230 m of water about the Campos Basin in 648 m of
230 km from the coast. Late water, Fig. 3. The Brava pros-
last year, a formation test on pect well 6-MRL-199D-RJS
Iara well 1-BRSA-618-RJS Fig. 3. A well in the Marlim Field concession found a new pre- found carbonate reservoirs at
confirmed estimated recover- salt accumulation of 29°API oil. Courtesy of Petrobras. a depth of 4,460 m. The well
able reserves in Iara of 3–4 bil- encountered about 1,000 m
lion bbl of light oil and natural of salt. Petrobras estimates po-
gas, according to BG Group. Production from the Baleia Fran- tential recoverable reserves at about 380
Iara was the third well to encounter ca pre-salt well is expected to peak at million boe. Because the discovery is only
hydrocarbons within the BM-S-11 con- 20,000 bpd of 29°API oil later this year. 4.5 km from existing platform P-27, part
cession area, following the Tupi discovery The well, 6-BFR-1-ESS, produces via of the infrastructure for Marlim and Voa-
and Tupi Sul, drilled in late 2007. Petro- the FPSO Capixaba, Fig. 2. The pro- dor Fields, field development cost could
bras plans to drill appraisal wells and con- cess plant aboard the platform has been be reduced. An assessment plan for the
duct extended well tests through 2011. adapted to fit the needs of the pre-salt field will be submitted to ANP soon.
Production by FPSO is set for 2014. The production from fields in the Parque das Earlier this year, Petrobras announced
consortium of Petrobras, BG Group and Baleias complex. two discoveries in the Campos Basin’s
Galp will continue exploration and ap- The FPSO Capixaba is part of the post- and pre-salt areas with well 6-CRT-
praisal of the field in accordance with the development plan for Cachalote and Ba- 43-RJS, known as Carimbé. The discov-
evaluation plan approved by ANP. leia Franca Fields. It has been producing eries are in Caratinga Field in 1,027 m
P-70 BRAZIL PRE-SALT 2010 World Oil
 OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES BRAZIL PRE-SALT
of water, about 106 km from shore. The
post-salt reservoirs are 3,950 m below
the seabed and contain an estimated re-
coverable reserve of about 105 million
boe. The pre-salt reservoir, found in the
same well at 4,275 m, appears to be an
extension of the accumulation discovered
previously by well BR-63A 6-RJS in the
Barracuda Field area, announced early
this year. The new find could contain
recoverable reserves of 40 million boe; if
the “extension” assumption is confirmed,
total recoverable reserves could be 360
million boe.
The new well could be connected to
the P-48 platform that now serves Car-
atinga Field, making use of existing pro-
duction and offloading infrastructure.
An evaluation plan for these accumula-
tions will soon be submitted to ANP.
Late last year, well 4-SPS-66C, known
as Abare West, found oil and gas in a sep-
arate pre-salt structure within the 1-SPS-
50 evaluation plan area on BM-S-9 in the
Santos Basin. The area also includes the
Iguaçu well 4-BRSA-709, announced in
April 2009, and Carioca discoveries an-
nounced in September 2007. Abare West
is 30 km from the Iguaçu discovery, 40
km from the Carioca discovery, and 50
km to the west of the Guará discovery.
Abare West, in 2,163 m of water, en-
countered oil, gas and CO2 in pre-salt
reservoir sections.
In late 2009, the consortium of Petro-
bras (45%, operator), BG Group (30%)
and Repsol (25%) announced that the
Guará discovery in the Santos Basin pre-
salt holds estimated recoverable reserves
of 1.1–2.0 billion boe. During a drill
stem test, Guará flowed at a facilities-
constrained 7,200 boepd. It is expected
that a permanent production well could
initially produce up to 50,000 boepd.
According to BG Group, the develop-
ment will use a 120,000-bpd FPSO
when production begins in 2012.
are increasing penetration rates to reduce
drilling cost and developing stimulation
techniques appropriate for high-volume
wells in heterogeneous reservoirs.
Petrobras is focusing its pre-salt
R&D on several key areas, including:3
• Well technology, including casing
stability, well cost and productivity
• Complex reservoirs that are verti-
cally heterogeneous and cover large areas
• Wettability concerns that can affect
the performance of waterflooding and
EOR
• Wax deposition that complicates
subsea design, caused by low seafloor
temperatures
• Gas processing and exporting tech-
nologies to deal with high CO2 content
and high gas-to-oil ratios.
Petrobras established its pre-salt tech-
nological program in 2007 to develop
and disseminate technologies to incor-
porate reserves and to develop the pro-
duction of the new pre-salt discoveries.
An important goal of the project was
to focus on well construction for the
pre-salt section—drilling fluids, cement
resistance, stimulation techniques, geo-
mechanical model, liner drilling, well
control in the salt zone, and multilat-
*XVWR06&
'ULOOLQJXQLWVIRUGHHSZDWHURSHUDWLRQV
'ULOO'HHS'6
35'4GULOO
erals. It also aimed to develop geosci-
ence toolboxes—chemical stratigraphy,
core log test integration, geomechanical
model and fracture distribution, pre-salt
imaging and seismic attributes. And its
reservoir engineering focus was to be on
recovery optimization.
Development of the pre-salt area is
also complicated by its long distance
from shore. Tupi, for example, is about
300 km from the coast, in a harsh ocean
environment. WO
For information on new projects in Brazil by Petro-
bras’ pre-salt technology partners, see the extended
version of this article at www.worldoil.com.
1
LITERATURE CITED
Carmanatti, M., Dias, J. L. B. and Wolff, “From turbidites to carbon-
ates: breaking paradigms in deep waters,” OTC 20124 presented at the
2
Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), Houston, May 4–7, 2009.
Filho, F. J. M., Pinto, A. C. C. and A. S. de Ameida, “Santos Basin’s
pre-salt reservoirs development: The way ahead,” OTC 19953 pre-
3
sented at OTC, Houston, May 4–7, 2009.
Beltrão, R. L. C., Sombra, C. L., Lage, A. C. V. M., Fagundes Netto,
J. R. and C. C. D. Henriques, “Challenges and new technologies for
the development of the pre-salt cluster, Santos Basin, Brazil,” OTC
19880 presented at OTC, Houston, May 4–7, 2009.
THE AUTHOR
John Kennedy, president of 21st Century En-
ergy Advisors Inc., analyzes oil and gas technol-
ogy, markets and issues for a variety of clients.
He has an engineering degree and has covered
global petroleum activity for several decades.
'HHSZDWHU&KDPSLRQ
*XVWR06&.HSSHO'7* 3
OPERATING CHALLENGES
In the Tupi area, drilling is complicat-
ed by the presence of different types of
salt with different creep rates. But tem-
peratures are lower than in some other ar-
eas, meaning creep rates are significantly
lower. Though Petrobras’ experience in-
dicates that wellbore closure in the salt is
not fast enough to cause severe operating
problems, the company considers casing '66(
/RQH6WDU7'6 *ROG6WDU'66
collapse a main concern in the pre-salt. *XVWR06&.HSSHO'7*
Concerns about well integrity are ampli-
ZZZ*XVWR06&FRPZZZVEPRIIVKRUHFRP
fied in the case of deviated wells.
*XVWR06&LVDPHPEHURIWKH6%02IIVKRUH*URXS
Production of significant CO2 volumes
will require special materials. Other issues
World Oil BRAZIL PRE-SALT 2010 P-71
 TM
Introducing—

RIGSTAROFFSHORE RIG DATABASE

ABASE
World Oil’s Offshore Rig Database
An online information system providing access to over 300 data points
for more than 750 mobile offshore rigs and their equipment.

TM
*Launching October 2010
RIGSTAR
OFFSHORE RIG DATABASE

Everything you need to Recognize Opportunities

and Plan Strategically from One Convenient Source

Accurate, Hard-to-Get Information

Site
S e Features:
atu
• Advanced
dva search functionality that
ha all
allows
l ow you to search by criteria including
n ngg Location,
t
Contract
ont Dates, Day Rates, Drilling
ll n DDepths,
ep Water Depths, Operating ing Status,
us and m more
• Save
ave your search criteria to use
e ffor fu
future
utu searches
• Export
xpo results to Excel to sort an
and mamanipulate
ani the data to fit your needs
n e
• Constellation:
onn World Oil’s Of
Offshore
s eR Report,
e a weekly e-newslettere providing
ing up-to-date
to
o
details
e a for new and updated co contracts,
ctts buildings, conversions and n field operations.
per s

Get a FREE trial at www.WorldOil.com/RigStar

 BRAZIL PRE-SALT:
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

Master plan for the Santos Basin

pre-salt cluster development
To bring online its most promising deepwater province, Petrobras is employing a
management model designed for integrated and harmonious planning and execution.
Jose Formigli, Mauro Yuji Hayashi, Fernando Mauricio de Aquino Mendes and Mariana de Souza Muniz
Pinto, Petrobras; and Michèlle Correia Sampaio, Deloitte Consulting

Petrobras has designated a team to build its Master Plan for

Santos Basin’s Pre-Salt Cluster Development, also known as TABLE 1. Blocks and consortia in Santos Basin
PLANSAL, a guide to the exploration and production of oil pre-salt cluster
and gas of this new frontier. At this point, Petrobras is increas- Block Companies Shares Discovery/ year
ing the managerial focus in all technical expertise, as well as Petrobras* 66%
encouraging tight integration and teamwork among all people BM-S-8 Shell 20% Bern-te-vi/2008
involved. The key characteristics associated with pre-salt, such Petrogal 14%
as relatively low exploratory risk, relevant volume discoveries Petrobras* 45%
BG 30% Carioca/2007
even in the early phase of exploration, and high-productivity BM-S-9
Guará/2008
reservoirs associated with an environment of intensive techni- Repsol 25%
cal and managerial interaction, allow Petrobras to adopt bold Petrobras* 65%
BM-S-10 BG 25% Parati/2006
and challenging strategies for development of the area.
Partex 10%
Petrobras* 65%
BACKGROUND Tupi/2006
BM-S-11 BG 25%
Over its 56 years of existence, Petrobras has undertaken many Iara/2008
Petrogal 10%
challenges. To explore and produce the petroleum accumula- Petrobras* 80%
BM-S-21 Caramba/2008
tions under the salt layer might be one of the biggest of them all. Petrogal 20%
It was only some 10 years ago that the decisions were made that Petrobras* 80%
BM-S-24 Jupiter/2008
are now expected to more than double the company’s offshore Petrogal 20%
production. After the opening of Brazil’s E&P sector to private * Operator
companies under the Petroleum Law of 1997, yearly rounds
of bids for exploration acreage took place. With more interna-
tional oil companies coming to Brazil in 2000 and 2001 to seek
opportunities in the second and third bid rounds, Petrobras
acquired licenses for seven large offshore blocks (six of them as
operator) in a new portion of the relatively unexplored Santos
Basin. This collection of blocks gave origin to what is now be-
ing called the “Santos Basin pre-salt cluster,” Table 1.
Having collected the biggest 3D seismic acquisition of the
world up to then, by 2002 and 2003, Petrobras was able to
find targets with potential oil-bearing reservoirs. But to make
things even more complex than the 300-km distance to shore
and water depths up to 2.5 km, those targets were located un-
der a salt layer that could be more than 2 km thick and in
reservoir rocks that were unknown, Fig. 1.
Drilling efforts began in 2005. The very first well drilled
that crossed the salt layer, in BM-S-10, had to overcome all
kinds of technical problems, and the question of aborting the
drilling project was raised. However, these technical problems Fig. 1. Post-salt and pre-salt layers.
were overcome one at a time. It took 15 months and US$240
World Oil BRAZIL PRE-SALT 2010 P-73
BRAZIL PRE-SALT OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
million from spud for Petrobras and its partners to find a field
of gas and condensate reservoirs 7,600 m below the ocean sur-
face. This discovery, called Parati, proved the existence of petro-
leum accumulations under the salt layer. Before that time, all
exploratory efforts had targeted the post-salt layer.
This result thrilled the team and reinforced Petrobras’ de-
cision to keep drilling other blocks in the pre-salt area. The
next well, in Block BM-S-11, had estimated costs of about
$100 million and found light oil before the end of 2006 in a
discovery called Tupi.
LOW RISKS BUT STILL A CHALLENGE
After Parati and Tupi and until 2009, Petrobras drilled 41
exploratory wells targeting pre-salt with a success rate of 85%
in the pre-salt province that extends from south of the Santos
Basin up to the north of the Campos Basin, Fig. 2. This far
exceeds the industry benchmark of about 30% for an excellent
success rate.
In the Santos Basin, Petrobras experienced a 100% success
rate, and preliminary resource estimates suggested accumula-
tions comparable to all the proved reserves ever discovered by
the company—some 27 billion boe since 1953, 13 billion boe
of which has been produced to date. The company’s remain-
ing proved reserves are 14.17 billion boe. Announced expec-
tations of recoverable volumes for pre-salt fields with only
four discoveries indicate a potential of 10.6–16 billion boe
from Tupi/BM-S-11 (5–8 billion boe), Iara/BM-S-11 (3–4
billion boe), Guará/BM-S-9 (1.1–2 billion boe) and Espírito
Santo’s Parque das Conchas (1.5–2 billion boe). Taking into
account the transfer of E&P rights with compensation that
the Brazilian government intends to make to the company,
pre-salt resources to be incorporated in the years to come may
reach an expected upper limit of 21 billion boe, or more than
75% of what has ever been discovered in Brazil.
The Santos Basin pre-salt discoveries all occurred within
just four years (2006–2009). The post-salt exploratory pro-
cess in the central area of the Campos Basin was very differ-
ent: it took 42 discoveries over 28 years to obtain original
volumes of oil and gas in place similar to those that are cur-
rently estimated to exist in Santos Basin’s pre-salt. The better
visibility of pre-salt
potential extension
allows for a more
integrated and lon-
ger-term planning
effort and gives rise
to an aggressive
production and
infrastructure de-
ployment strategy.
The Campos
Basin reached daily
production of 1
million bbl after
27 years, while
the Gulf of Mex-
ico achieved it in
24 years and the
North Sea in 11
years. The pre-salt
has potential to
achieve the same Fig. 2. Pre-salt province.
level in 12 years.
P-74 BRAZIL PRE-SALT 2010 World Oil
Despite the high success rate and, consequently, lower ex-
ploratory risk, the production development of pre-salt in the
Santos Basin would be very different from Campos Basin de-
velopment, not only because of the geological issues involved
but also because of the very high potential volumes of oil and
gas expected.
For example, Marlim, the giant Campos Basin post-salt
field, has an area of 150 sq km and was developed with seven
production units. A similar ratio of production units to area
at Tupi (1,974 sq km) would indicate a need for about 90
production units. Basing the comparison on recoverable vol-
umes instead, between 12 and 19 production units would
be necessary for only one pre-salt field development. Thus,
the development concepts used in the Campos Basin cannot
be relied upon for the pre-salt, especially given the unique
characteristics of the Tupi area (ultradeep water, remote loca-
tion, deep reservoirs, contaminants in the producing fluids,
higher GOR, etc.).
Even though current forecasts already point to the pos-
sibility of exploiting Tupi with much fewer units than pre-
dicted above, those simple comparisons demonstrate that this
new E&P frontier, even though it has lower exploratory risk
than usually accepted by the industry, needs a new and in-
novative approach to production development to ensure its
economic viability.
SANTOS BASIN PRE-SALT STRATEGY
The fact that all six blocks operated by Petrobras were ac-
quired during the same period, are located in the same geo-
graphic area, and have similar characteristics allowed Petro-
bras to build up an integrated strategy for the Santos Basin
pre-salt cluster area E&P development to optimize physical
and financial resources.
The first step of the integrated planning effort was to dedi-
cate experienced technicians and managers to develop the
Master Plan for Santos Basin’s Pre-Salt Cluster Development
(PLANSAL), which contains the set of strategies and projects
that guide the area’s development from exploration to oil and
gas transportation. The first version of this plan was developed
in 2008, and its third edition is being elaborated.
After thorough
analysis, the com-
pany’s executive
group concluded
that it was better to
seek a phased devel-
opment strategy for
the cluster. Such an
approach, already a
tradition in Petro-
bras, in four phases
would provide the
cash flow needed
to support subse-
quent projects and
allow for the explo-
ration effort to be
carried out parallel
to development.
In the short
term, acceleration
of the technical in-
formation gather-
 OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES BRAZIL PRE-SALT
ing is essential for the reduction of uncertainties related to
Phase 0 1IBTF
" 1IBTF
#
the characteristics of the reservoir rock, mainly carbonates of
microbial origin with few analogs worldwide. Information Information acquisition TU
QIBTF
PG
EFmOJUJWF OE
QIBTF
PG
EFmOJUJWF
EFWFMPQNFOU EFWFMPQNFOU
must be acquired to optimize the solutions to technological t
6OUJM

challenges related to the geological model characterization, t
&YUFOEFE
XFMM t
o t
o

UFTUT
&85T
t
-BSHF
TDBMF t
4JHOJmDBOU
QSPEVDUJPO
maximization of hydrocarbons recovery, definition of a more t
&YQMPSBUPSZ
XFMMT
QSPEVDUJPO
VQ
UP
 increase
economical and suitable well geometry, flow assurance, CO2 t
5VQJ
QJMPU
NJMMJPO
CQE
JO

t
i9w
OFX
QSPEVDUJPO
separation and disposal, prediction of processing plant com- t

BOUJDJQBUFE
QJMPUT units

(VBSÈ

5VQJ
/&


ponents, and design of risers and mooring systems. In the
JOGSBTUSVDUVSF
BOE

long term, the strategy is to complete the area’s development
iSFQMJDBOUw
'140T
through implementation of projects with massive use of new
technologies specially tailored for pre-salt conditions. Fig. 3. PLANSAL phased development strategy.
To achieve these goals, the Santos Basin pre-salt cluster
development was divided into what is called “Phase 0” and
“Phase 1,” Fig. 3. Phase 0 aims to acquire geological and Exploration Production Infrastructure Oil Gas
development evacuation evacuation
production information that supports better specification of and
Investment optimization
the definitive production systems to be installed. It will con- commercial-
ization
sist of a series of extended well tests (EWTs) to be performed Regulatory aspects
through two relatively small FPSO vessels (BW São Vicente JV management
and Dynamic Producer), a number of exploratory wells, and
HSSE
a production pilot in the Tupi accumulation scheduled to
start in the last quarter of 2010 using the FPSO Cidade de Critical resources
Angra dos Reis. Technology development
Phase 1 is dedicated to definitive production systems instal- Competencies
lation and is subdivided into two sub-phases. Phase 1A aims to
exceed production of 1 million bopd operated by Petrobras in Planning
2017, using consolidated or rapidly consolidating technologies
from the Campos Basin adapted to Santos Basin conditions. Fig. 4. PLANSAL structure: subprograms and functional plans.
These are two anticipated pilots (in Guará and Tupi Northeast)
and eight production systems (which share the same engineer-
ing project) and will be installed to generate cash flow for the HoA directory
subsequent projects, getting the benefit of flexibility provided Level 0
strategic
board
Annual
by the combination of subsea completions, flexible flowlines
Level 1
and FPSOs. Phase 1B will complement the definitive develop- Corporative
HoA corporative
integration
Planning

ment and begin in 2017. Further production systems will be integration Monthly

required for the optimal exploitation of the fields using new Level 2 HoA E&P
E&P integration
technology solutions specially developed for the conditions of integration Monthly
the Santos Basin pre-salt cluster.
To ensure that all needed capabilities were in place to de- HoA E&P
HoA E&P
HoA E&P HoA E&P
Execution

production critical technology

sign and execute the integrated planning, the PLANSAL pro- Level 3 development
infrastructure
resources development
gram was structured in subprograms and functional plans, tactical Monthly

Fig. 4. The subprograms cover the company’s entire value HoA E&P
HoA E&P HoA technology
production
chain and are held responsible for asset construction and Level 4 development
infrastructure development
tactical
planning of appraisal drilling, well tests, production units,
logistics facilities to enable cargo and passengers’ transporta- Fig. 5. PLANSAL governance model.
tion, storage and all infrastructures for oil and gas evacuation
that will allow the Santos Basin pre-salt cluster development
and operation. The main disciplines that support several of dinating structure, to seek focus toward the same objective.
these subprograms, and are responsible for designing strate- To support it, a governance model was defined to integrate
gies to deliver all resources needed to the projects in a timely planning and execution, and also to preserve the links between
manner, are: critical equipment, environmental licensing, Petrobras’ corporate processes and project approval activities
operational safety procedures and emergency plans, skilled of each consortium.
professionals, and others. The decision-making events of the PLANSAL governance
All these entities working together in tight integration en- model (Fig. 5) are called “HoAs,” after heads of agreement,
sure that the most updated feedback coming from project ex- as they represent the commitment each group has in relation
ecution is incorporated as input whenever necessary, following to the results of the program. Each governance level has its
the guidelines provided by the Pre-Salt Corporate Integration defined objective and agenda: HoA Levels 4 and 3 are those
Committee, which is coordinated by the executive managers where project execution is monitored and the feedback to
of Corporate Strategy/Performance as well as E&P pre-salt de- strategy starts; HoA Levels 2 and 1 have the main focus to dis-
partments within the company. cuss strategy and planning, with highlights of projects’ status
The central concept of PLANSAL is intensive communica- whenever needed. And as a final point, HoA Level 0 marks the
tion and collaboration, as it concentrates the work of hundreds delivery of the most updated version of the master plan to the
of people and several disciplines, under a cross-function coor- company’s executive board.
World Oil BRAZIL PRE-SALT 2010 P-75
BRAZIL PRE-SALT OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
Conventional project development
Oil production
Pre-salt planned
Years
70
Revenue improvement, %
60
50
40
30
20
10
0 totalling 72 months. According to PLANSAL, anticipating
6 8 10 12 14
Discount rate, %
Fig. 6. Oil production and revenue improvement of pre-salt.
Those meetings allow the relevant information to be dif-
fused in a timely manner among all hierarchical levels of the
organization in a structured process, and the decision-making
process to occur in the proper level of the organization.
AGGRESSIVE STRATEGIES
This collaborative and integrated environment provides an
overview of all projects and commits all company stakehold-
ers. Such an approach led to the understanding that the low
exploratory risk of the area, coupled with the high potential
reservoirs and high reserves estimated, allowed the adoption
of an aggressive and innovative development strategy. Antici-
pation of commercial production is one of the drivers of this
strategy, which includes contracts for batch production units
with accelerated delivery. The so-called “FPSO factory” is just
one realistic example of initiative never experienced in the Bra-
zilian oil and gas industry.
Also to anticipate production, most drilling activities
would start much earlier than the expected first-oil date of a
specific production unit. Considering that, on average, each of
the first 11 production systems (Phases 0 and 1A) could have
about 20 wells, there could be more than 200 wells drilled
in the next few years—a big challenge considering that drill-
ing rigs are the most critical and expensive equipment in the
industry. Consequently, a bold strategy had to be designed to
assure that Petrobras will have all rigs in place in the timeframe
needed. For that matter, the company had already contracted
26 ultra-deepwater rigs in the last few years, and a bid process
is ongoing to acquire up to 28 more newbuilds.
Both the FPSO factory approach and drilling rigs acquisi-
tion, among others, are strategies that will also improve local
content by providing scale to promote Brazilian industry ex-
pansion in competitive terms. This will be accomplished by
expanding capacity of already existent suppliers, creating new
local players through the installation of foreign suppliers in
Brazil and establishing partnerships with local companies.
As previously mentioned, the pre-salt’s combination of
positive characteristics is allowing Petrobras and its partners
to adopt aggressive strategies to accelerate the acquisition
of information and the definitive development of the area.
P-76 BRAZIL PRE-SALT 2010 World Oil
One of the most emblematic efforts being made to imple-
ment it, in accordance with Petrobras’ policy of developing
competitive domestic production of goods and services, is the
construction of eight FPSOs known as “replicants” for shar-
ing the same engineering projects. This solution provides the
scale needed to ensure the competitiveness of local produc-
tion with reduction of the average time of construction for
the first units. It also supports the rapid ramp-up of the clus-
ter oil output. The combined schedule of the area appraisal
with this FPSO factory will permit reduction of the time
from the end of the exploratory appraisal phase to first oil by
an average of 54%.
Traditionally, major offshore production project imple-
mentation considers six months for the basic studies of a field,
with another semester for concept selection, around one year
of detailed engineering design and up to four additional years
for execution before the project is completely implemented,
the engineering and construction in batches of highly flexible
standardized FPSOs in parallel with the appraisal will lead to
an average delay of 33 months between the end of delimita-
tion and production startup.
Figure 6 shows the gains in production with a higher and
earlier production peak and in revenue, in terms of present
value, depending on the discount rate. Taking a 10% discount
rate as an example, the strategy of production acceleration
improves the present value of the revenue by more than 40%.
The quantification of benefits and risks of some of these strat-
egies was the drive for the Petrobras executive board’s decision
to make continued investments in pre-salt development even
during the global financial crisis of 2008–2009. WO
THE AUTHORS
Jose Formigli is the Executive Manager of Petrobras E&P-Presal, Co-
ordinator of the Master Plan for Santos Basin’s Pre-Salt Cluster Devel-
opment (PLANSAL) and Executive Manager of Petrobras’ strategy. He
has 27 years of professional experience within Petrobras, where he
also served as Production Manager of the Campos Basin, Asset Man-
ager of Marlim Field, Executive Manager of E&P Services and Executive
Manager of E&P Production Engineering. Mr. Formigli has a degree in
civil engineering and is specialized in petroleum engineering.
Mauro Yuji Hayashi is the Planning Manager of Petrobras E&P-Presal,
responsible for coordinating the elaboration of PLANSAL. He has a de-
gree in mechanical engineering from the Federal University of Paraná,
Brazil, and is specialized in petroleum and reservoir engineering, busi-
ness management and risk management. He has 25 years of profes-
sional experience within Petrobras.
Fernando Mendes is an Industrial Engineer working within Petrobras
E&P-Presal to manage the Santos Basin Pre-Salt portfolio, including
long-term production, resource demand planning and economic and
financial evaluation. Mr. Mendes has a degree in industrial engineering
from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and is specialized
in upstream.
Mariana Muniz is a Consultant of Petrobras E&P-Presal Planning sup-
porting PLANSAL coordination. Ms. Muniz has a degree in industrial
engineering from the Federal Center of Technological Education, Brazil,
and is specialized in project management. She has four years of profes-
sional experience within Petrobras.
Michèlle Sampaio is Senior Manager of Deloitte Consulting, respon-
sible for Petrobras Upstream. She leads Deloitte’s multidisciplinary
team in support of planning, joint venture management and production
development projects. Mrs. Sampaio has a degree in systems analysis
from the Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and is specialized
in software process improvement and strategic management.
REAL-TIME
OPERATIONS
Special Section in

Real-time well data enables experts at an interactive

center to assist rigsite engineers in making better
decisions. Photo courtesy of Baker Hughes.

Use of predictive workflows improves
performance assurance
Coupling real-time technologies with predictive decision making creates
potential for a step change in well construction and production.
Kevin Goy, Schlumberger
The first data transmission from a remote oilfield loca-
tion was initiated in 1964 using microwave radios. In the
early 1980s, the use of satellite technology (VSAT) for wellsite
data transmission created a new industry standard. Today, re-
mote access to an increasing number of real-time wellsite data
sources combines with powerful analytical software, enabling
experts and stakeholders to address challenges, regardless of
their physical locations.
Within the oil and gas industry, being “real-time enabled”
has a variety of meanings depending on the audience. Asset
managers, IT professionals, petrophysists, geologists and drill-
ing engineers will use real-time data differently, and therefore
will place different values on this data.
In its simplest form, the use of real-time data in the oil and
gas industry resembles many of the real-time processes utilized
in peoples’ daily lives. Checking stock market activity online
is analogous to receiving well logging data in one’s office just
seconds after acquisition downhole. Finding the way to a pre-
viously unvisited destination with a GPS device in an auto-
mobile is much like well placement with the latest subsurface
information to guide the user. Glancing at a “real-time” traffic
map before leaving the home or office allows one to make de-
cisions on how to reach one’s destination in the shortest time
based on the most up-to-date information, similar to identify-
ing drilling hazards during the well construction process.
Domain experts are able to remotely monitor, model and
manage well construction and production operations 24/7.
With a focus on performance and safety assurance, remote
operations traditionally managed by well-trained field crews
now have the added benefit of senior experts providing a
cross-check in real time. Using advanced workflows, inter-
ventions by these expert teams working at information cen-
ters far from the wellsite (known within Schlumberger as
operation support centers, or OSCs) have steadily increased,
yielding significant service quality gains.
BENEFITS OF USING A PREDICTIVE APPROACH
While some have seen success placing remote data monitor-
ing at the core of operation support, the potential for a step
change in operational efficiency is yet to be realized by most
of the industry. The value of real-time operations is not just
in accessing data or viewing it with software, but primarily in
modeling of the data to analyze and predict problems. Shifting
emphasis from real-time monitoring to a dynamic real-time
predictive approach enables an informed decision process to
mitigate or eliminate problems while improving performance.
REAL-TIME
OPERATIONS
Taking an example from our daily lives, websites provid-
ing weather information are used extensively today. Recent
advances enable even mobile device owners to view the latest
weather radar maps, which identify approaching storm cells
and provide a time-lapse view of movement. We make men-
tal deductions as to the potential future movement of those
storms and the time at which they may impact us. These men-
tal deductions form the very basis for prediction, enabling
powerful, unprecedented decision-making capability. Refresh
the screen and an even newer set of data arrives, further en-
hancing our forecasting ability.
Regardless of how far an operator has progressed along the real-
time adoption path, new technologies and services are available
across the well construction and production spectrum, the use of
which is improving the efficiency of operations and enhancing the
value of assets, while lowering total system costs substantially.
PREDICTIVE MODELING TO AID DRILLING
One of the key contributions that an OSC can make is
to gather the real-time data streaming in from the wellsite
and contextualize it within the well design and fieldwide
reservoir knowledge—something difficult to do on the rig.
This centralized view paves the way for highly informed ap-
proaches to problem solving.
An OSC was established in Colorado to support operators
drilling in the Pinedale Anticline in Wyoming. In this region,
operators planned to drill several hundred wells per year. The
time to drill and complete a typical well stood at 35 days through
2007, and a target was set to reduce this to 15 days. Achieving
this target would result in a savings of about 2,190 combined
rig days a year, thus saving the operator over $100 million.
A strategy with two main elements was developed: 1) a
powered rotary steerable service for vertical drilling and 2)
remote optimization via the OSC using real-time drilling
data acquired on all rigs.1 This approach allowed for no ro-
tary steerable operations personnel to be based at the wellsite
during drilling. Newly developed OSC-centric processes and
procedures increased efficiency while allowing for fast deploy-
ment across a fleet of rigs. The process included a rig-up crew
that moved from rig to rig for BHA pickup or laydown.
The remote operations team then monitored operations
in real time and began analysis to optimize performance. Us-
ing offset data and mean-specific-energy (MSE) techniques,
drilling performance targets were set for each depth interval.
OSC-based drilling engineers communicated observations
of drilling mechanics trends to the driller aided by advanced
World Oil REAL-TIME OPERATIONS 2010 R–79
REAL-TIME OPERATIONS
0 daily updates, or more frequently as needed. The real-time
X,000
X,000
X,000
X,000
X,000
Depth
X,000
X,000
117⁄8-in.
X,000 casing depth
X,000
X,000 95⁄8-in. casing depth
X,000
0 20 40 60 80 100
Days
Fig. 1. Real-time drilling geomechanics helped exceed the
operator’s expected technical limit, reducing time to TD.
modeling/prediction software and recommended changes in
the drilling setup to mitigate problems and improve perfor-
mance. Additionally, OSC personnel alerted the rig when pen-
etration rates were compromised by adverse drilling dynamics,
or when input energy needed to be reduced to preserve bit life
and minimize trips.
This method of challenging the target was complemented
by the operator’s ongoing optimization initiatives and resulted
in an increased average rate of penetration (ROP) of 36%,
with the average time to drill and complete these wells sub-
stantially reduced from the original benchmark.
HAZARD MITIGATION USING GEOMECHANICS
Many drilling-related failures are caused by unstable bore-
holes resulting from lost circulation, packoff or stuck BHAs or
casing. Methodologies to model and forecast borehole stability
and to use this predrill knowledge in real time enable opera-
tors to minimize formation-related drilling problems.
The operator of a Gulf of Mexico field had a history of
NPT related to wellbore stability problems. The most recent
well had experienced losses, influx, stuck pipe and cement-
ing challenges. The operator decided to use real-time drilling
geomechanics services to make more informed decisions dur-
ing drilling operations. Geomechanics experts used offset well
information to build a temperature-dependent predrill pore
pressure model. Engineers in the OSC continued real-time
monitoring of drilling operations to update and recalibrate the
pressure model using all available data, including gas infor-
mation, leakoff tests, formation integration tests and logging-
while-drilling resistivity and gamma ray data.
The OSC provided drilling risk forecasts and recommen-
dations to the offshore and onshore drilling team through
R–80 REAL-TIME OPERATIONS 2010 World Oil
geomechanics workflow and modeling predicted and miti-
Offset well 1
Offset well 2 gated wellbore stability issues during drilling. This process
Offset well 3 calculated a pore pressure ramp that was shallower and of
Plan
Actual
greater magnitude than was anticipated from offset well in-
formation. This resulted in an informed decision to set the
11⅞-in. casing early. The 9⅝-in. casing was then pushed
1,700 ft deeper than planned, as further real-time modeling
indicated that no stability issues would be encountered. The
operator therefore had the flexibility to save a liner string or
finish the well in a 7½-in. hole.
As the 9⅞-in. hole was drilled below the 9⅝-in. casing,
real-time geomechanics modeling predicted a severe tighten-
ing of the mud weight window, requiring an unplanned 7¾-
in. casing string. Although the well was landed using a 6½ ×
7½-in. bit, a slimhole section was avoided because the 9⅝-in.
casing had been pushed much deeper than expected, Fig. 1.
High-quality real-time data and timely predictions en-
abled each hole section to be completed ahead of schedule
with no losses, stuck pipe incidents or influx—reducing
the risk of NPT. Additionally, the improved drilling process
helped eliminate remedial cementing work as hole cleaning
issues were minimized.
RESERVOIR CHARACTERIZATION
120 140 160 Understanding reservoir architecture and complexity means
understanding the reservoir fluid (its type and distribution) as
well as the rock. Conventional methods of fluid evaluation
such as drill stem testing and production testing do not allow
for point-by-point evaluation of the fluid column. This task
has fallen to families of wireline formation testers and associ-
ated downhole fluid analyzers (DFAs). A case in point is the
recent evaluation of a complex reservoir in the North Sea.2 An
exploration well into the reservoir had determined that the
fluid column was quite complex. A compositional gradient
combined with possible reservoir compartmentalization was
identified, and an appraisal well was planned to allow evalu-
ation of the fluid type and distribution upon which the eco-
nomic success of the project would depend.
The evaluation plan consisted of using an equation-of-state
(EOS) model to predict the fluid analyzer response at vari-
ous locations in the reservoir penetrated by the appraisal well.3
The fluid analyzer would then be run and actual responses
measured. Real-time comparisons would be made of predicted
and measured data obtained from the wireline formation tes-
ter logging run. Agreement of predicted and measured log data
would indicate that fluid properties and reservoir connectiv-
ity used for the modeling were correct. If the predictions dis-
agreed with the measurements, then the acquisition program
could be altered in real time to ensure acquisition of sufficient
data to understand the reservoir model inaccuracies.
This highly interactive operation would require input from
engineers well versed in both fluid analyzer interpretation and
EOS modeling. This type of knowledge is not typically avail-
able at the wellsite, so an interactive real-time link is required.
With this link, the same engineers that built the EOS model
can have access to the real-time data from the fluid analyses in
the appraisal well, as well as drive the acquisition process for
further fluid analysis.
This example is demonstrative of the increasing complexity
of formation tester interpretation, which means that the field
engineers tasked with maintaining and running the formation
testers cannot also be expected to be fully conversant in the
 Your preferred E&P applications no
longer need to stand alone.
Link Up

The DecisionSpace® Environment Enables New Levels of Integration

Landmark’s DecisionSpace® environment, delivered through the R5000 release, has the most
open architecture in the industry. It enables seamless integration of your preferred software –
whether it’s ours, yours or someone else’s – into efficient, cross-disciplinary workflows.
Build stronger, more collaborative business processes and more comprehensive asset
understanding using the best software for your needs. Learn how at halliburton.com/landmark.

High Science Simplified

TM

©2009 Halliburton. All rights reserved.

REAL-TIME OPERATIONS
300
250
Average production rate, Mcmd
200
150
100
50 Real-time optimized treatment (average for first
6 months)
Previous techniques (average for first 6 months)
0 fied through inconsistent production results across the field.
0 10 20
Average cumulative production, MMc
Fig. 2. Average daily and cumulative production observed
using real-time stimulation optimized treatment versus
traditional techniques.
Well performance
15,000
12,000
Production, bpd
9,000
6,000
3,000
0 0
1 2 3 4
Year
Fig. 3. When surveillance indicated that the well was
underperforming as compared to modeled predictions using
real-time data, a new ESP system was installed, nearly
doubling production while decreasing watercut.
interpretation and modeling of the acquired data. This task
must be left to experienced reservoir engineers equipped with
knowledge of the reservoir and the required software tools to
properly integrate the measurements. A functional real-time
network with sufficient capacity and bandwidth is the only way
to efficiently bring these two together.
OPTIMIZATION OF STIMULATION TREATMENTS
Adequately acid stimulating long horizontal openhole sec-
tions in naturally fractured reservoirs has long been challenging.
Higher-permeability zones are more successfully treated due to
the tendency for stimulation fluids to migrate toward these easi-
er flow paths, leaving low-permeability zones nearly untouched.
While many products and techniques have been developed to
improve wellbore coverage and reservoir drainage, adequate
evaluation of their effectiveness has been difficult at best.
A new diverting technique designed to improve placement
while also providing in situ evaluation of the treatment in real
time has been developed in Western Canada.4 State-of-the-art
viscoelastic acid diversion combined with fiber optic technol-
ogy has proven effective in the placement of stimulation flu-
ids. Distributed temperature surveys (DTS) and single-point
downhole pressure and temperature measurements are ana-
R–82 REAL-TIME OPERATIONS 2010 World Oil
lyzed in real time and modeled with available petrophysical
information to provide an in situ identification of all dominant
thief zones. This real-time analysis allows for on-the-fly modi-
fication of the treatment schedule, with the objective of fully
homogeneous stimulation of the pay zone.
In a Southern Alberta field, several wells were stimulated us-
ing this technique, with horizontal sections as long as 2,500 m
with a fieldwide average of 1,800 m. Previous treatments
pumped 20% or 28% HCl at a rate of 150−200 L per meter
of wellbore. The volume of acid was increased over previously
determined high-grade reservoir sections during a single pass
with coiled tubing. While best practices were used to distribute
the acid where required, highly conductive fractures through-
out the wellbore resulted in ineffective stimulation, as quanti-
30 40 50 An effective chemical diversion was needed to distribute the
treatment fluids more evenly across the pay zone. Successful di-
version across a long openhole section employing a blind place-
ment schedule is very reliant on log interpretation to identify
potential thief zones, which may or may not be real. The real-
time matrix stimulation process uses petrophysical data, real-
time intelligent coiled tubing parameters, and the real-time
DTS information. The real-time modeling evaluation of all
100
three data sets allows for reliable identification of intake points,
80
and the pumping schedule is modified accordingly to focus di-
version materials at determined take points.
Total fluid produced
The matrix stimulation treatment procedure involves us-
Watercut, %
Oil produced 60
Watercut ing this technology to complete eight coiled tubing passes
40
across the pay zone. A DTS is acquired and analyzed upon
reaching the toe after each inward pass. The first openhole
New ESP
30
pass is performed while circulating jetted fresh water in an
effort to remove residual drilling fluid. The DTS information
from this pass may indicate take points and captures the ther-
5 6 7 mal response of the reservoir rock to a nonreactive fluid.
Acid is squeezed while making the second and third passes.
Typically, a pressure breakdown is noted during the initial acid
squeeze. At the end of the third pass, when the end of the
coiled tubing is back at the toe of the well, a second DTS
acquisition and analysis is performed to qualitatively identify
intake points previously created.
The fourth pass targets diversion placement on take points
identified from the second DTS while pulling back to the heel
of the well. The fifth pass targets treatment acid placement
across the areas of high-graded reservoir that do not appear to
have been broken down by previous acid passes. At the end of
the fifth pass, the third DTS acquisition and analysis is per-
formed to identify changes.
The next two passes are a repetition of the previous two,
in which diversion fluid is spotted across take points on the
way out and treatment acid squeezed on the way in to the
toe. The fourth and final DTS acquisition and analysis is then
performed. The information from the final DTS may or may
not be used to determine placement of further acid. The final
pull from the toe is a squeeze of overflush fluid.
In this example, wells using this real-time modeling and
diversion approach showed a 49% improvement in gas pro-
duction compared with traditional stimulation techniques
previously used, Fig. 2.
SUBMERSIBLE PUMPS PERFORMANCE
Real-time surveillance and control of electrical submersible
pumps (ESPs) enable a single surveillance engineer in an OSC
to proactively monitor relevant lift system and reservoir pa-
 upstream / downstream
A Supplement to
The following companies are display advertisers in the Fall 2010 edition of the Upstream/Downstream
Software Reference Guide. You can access the entire guide online at www.gulfpub.com/gpc/.
This edition will also be available at many key industry meetings, trade shows and conferences.
Chemstations is a leading global supplier of pro-
cess simulation software for the following process
industries: oil & gas, petrochemicals, chemicals and
fine chemicals, including pharmaceuticals. We currently offer several in-
dividually licensed, and tightly integrated, technologies to address the
needs of the chemical engineer, whether doing new process design or
working in the plant.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-410
Codeware is the leading provider of software for the
design and analysis of ASME Section VIII pressure
vessels and heat exchangers. Since 1985, Codeware’s
Engineers have focused exclusively on meeting the engineering software
needs of designers and users of vessels and exchangers. Over 1,000 com-
panies currently rely on Codeware products.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-406
The Equity Engineering Group, Inc. is a recog-
nized leader on aging infrastructure fixed equipment
service and support for the oil and gas industry. Eq-
uity helps plants manage risk and improve profitability with cutting-edge
software and consulting strategies that maximize equipment operational
availability, control inspection costs and avoid costly shutdowns.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-407
geoLOGIC systems ltd. provides well data and integrated
software solutions to the energy and production industry.
The company is an innovator in supplying data in more
accessible and usable forms so clients can make better decisions - from
the well head to senior levels of accounting and administration.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-404
Haverly Systems Inc. is an independent software company
specializing in developing optimization-related products
and services for over four decades. Their systems are used
in over 50 countries by international and independent oil companies as well
as petrochemical companies. The effectiveness of their work has long been
recognized in the continued patronage and goodwill of our clients.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-415
Heat Transfer Research Inc. (HTRI) is an international
consortium founded in 1962 that conducts industrially
relevant research and provides software tools for design,
rating and simulation of process heat transfer equipment. HTRI also produces
a wide range of technical publications and provides other services including
contract research, software development, consulting and training.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-411
m:pro IT Consult is a project services and software prod-
ucts company which enables petroleum refining, petro-
chemical and other industries to achieve total integration
of information sources and applications, from business systems, ERP
and supply chain management through to plant information, produc-
tion planning, scheduling and operations decision support.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-402
SHOWCASE
&
M3 Technoloy is a leading provider of ad-
vanced asset scheduling and optimization so-
lutions for oil refining, petrochemical, natural
gas-LNG and terminal operating industries. M3’s SIMTO™ software captures
eco-nomic opportunities and reduces the cost of managing complex facilities
at the plant level, regional operating level and global enterprise level.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-416
Merrick Systems provides integrated software
solutions for oil and gas production opera-
tions. Since 1989, Merrick’s product suite has
grown to include Best-of-Class applications for field data capture, pro-
duction hydrocarbon accounting, plant allocations, regulatory reporting,
production data management and production monitoring.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-418
PAS improves the automation and operation-
al effectiveness of process plants worldwide
through innovative software products and ex-
pert consulting services. Our solutions ensure
safe running operations, maximize situation awareness, and reduce plant
vulnerabilities. Our comprehensive portfolio includes Alarm Manage-
ment, Automation Genome Mapping, Control Loop Performance Opti-
mization, and High-Performance Human Machine Interfaces.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-408
Quest Integrity Group provides highly accu-
rate, technology-enabled inspection and as-
sessment solutions that help companies in
the process, pipeline and power industries
increase profitability, reduce operational and safety risks, and improve
operational planning. The company is built upon a foundation of lead-
ing-edge science and technology that has innovated and shaped indus-
tries for nearly forty years.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-405
Yokogawa Corporation of America is the
North America unit of US $4 billion Yokogawa
Electric Corporation, a global leader in the
manufacture and supply of instrumentation,
process control, and automation solutions. Headquaretered in Newnan,
GA., Yokogawa Corporation of America services a diverse customer base
with market-leading products including analyzers, flow meters, transmit-
ters, controllers, recorders, data acquistion products, meters, instrumented
systems, distributed control systems and more.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-409
REAL-TIME OPERATIONS
rameters on several hundred wells. Recommendations based
on performance analysis can be implemented remotely, often
resulting in immediate production increases. Surveillance en-
gineers are also able to initiate remote pump startup and speed
control, along with remote resolution of certain pump prob-
lems. The result: a step change in production and lift system
performance with lower operating costs.
When production from a naturally producing well in
Egypt’s Western Desert dropped from 2,300 bpd to 980 bpd
because of high watercut, the operator installed an ESP system
to improve production. The system was designed to produce
5,000−6,000 bpd, based on an initial productivity index (PI)
of 32 bpd/psi. After installing the ESP, the well began steadily
producing at 6,250 bpd with an 89% average watercut. After
a few months, the well failed electrically because of chemi-
cal corrosion of the power cable. During workover, an ESP
surveillance and control system was installed along with a
variable-speed drive to further optimize the well.
Continuous real-time monitoring and matching showed
a PI of 102 bpd/psi, well inflow capabilities that were much
higher than expected. Production rate and downhole flowing
pressure data points were collected and plotted against time,
and an inflow performance relationship (IPR) curve was con-
structed. It was decided to adjust the targeted production rate
to 10,000−12,000 bpd, and a recommendation was made
to install a higher-capacity ESP with a flowrate capacity of
8,000−14,000 bpd to cover the range of uncertainty, Fig. 3.
After the new ESP system was installed, production from
the well increased as expected, to 11,200 bpd, and watercut fell
by 3%. The success of this well and the ESP redesign prompted
the operator to repeat the same process in similar wells.
C
Introducing
OFFSHORE REPORT
Be the FIRST to know of NEW rig activity
and opportunities in the global offshore
oil & gas industry
Each weekly issue of World Oil's Constellation provides
coverage of the latest news and developments related to:
· Existing and upcoming contracts
· Day rates
· Newbuilds
· Conversions
· Field operations.
Stay connected to the offshore with the upstream
industry’s most reliable and timely source of offshore
drilling and productions news.
Gulf Publishing Company l 2 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1020 l Houston, TX 77046
www.WorldOil.com Tel: +1 (713) 529-4301 l Fax: +1 (713) 520-4433 l Email: Ron.Higgins@WorldOil.com
R–84 REAL-TIME OPERATIONS 2010 World Oil
CONCLUSION
Enhancing the use of real-time data monitoring systems
with a dynamic real-time predictive approach—coupled with
a clear strategy, defined goals and close collaboration between
field crews and OSC domain experts—is demonstrating the
potential for a step change in well construction and production
performance. The analysis/modeling of real-time data provides
improved decision-making processes proven to significantly
improve operational efficiency and make a measurable impact
on overall system costs. WO
LITERATURE CITED
1 Estep, N., Parsons, B., Middleton, R. and A. Ahsan Alvi, “Remote optimization improves drilling per-
formance in US land,” SPE 128614 presented at the SPE Intelligent Energy Conference and Exhibition,
Utrecht, the Netherlands, March 23–25, 2010.
2
Weinheber, P., Gisolf, A. and V. Achourov, “Wireline formation testing: Networking a globally distribut-
ed team for optimal reservoir characterization,” SPE 128661 presented at SPE Intelligent Energy, March
3
23–25, 2010.
Gisolf, A. et al., “Real-time integration of reservoir modeling and formation testing,” SPE 121275 pre-
sented at the 2009 SPE EUROPEC/EAGE Annual Exhibition, Amsterdam, June 8–11, 2009.
4 Cantaloube, F., Spickett, R., Yekta, K. and M. Anderson, “Optimization of stimulation treatments in
naturally fractured carbonate formations through effective diversion and real-time analysis,” SPE 126136
presented at SPE Intelligent Energy, March 23–25, 2010.
THE AUTHOR
Kevin Goy is the global real-time business develop-
ment manager for Schlumberger. Based in Houston,
he oversees the development, implementation and
evaluation of the company’s strategic growth of real-
time technologies and services. In his 22 years of
industry experience, Mr. Goy has developed a vision
for the future of Schlumberger real-time applica-
tions through various positions in operations, sales
management, strategic marketing management
and marketing communications management. He
earned a BS degree in mechanical engineering from the Rose-Hulman
Institute of Technology in 1988 and attended the Columbia University
Graduate School of Business in 2001.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY AND SAVE!

Saudi Aramco’s intelligent fields:
Real-time reservoir management
Leveraging real-time data has increased production rates and improved
reservoir management and production operations.
Tofig A. Al-Dhubaib and Heather F. Bence, Saudi Aramco
Recent advancements in well technologies, communications
and field instrumentation have made it possible to achieve to-
tal asset awareness and optimize operations over a field’s devel-
opment lifecycle. By leveraging and integrating real-time data
from surface and subsurface technologies, continuous moni-
toring and right-time response are achieved throughout the
development processes of Saudi Aramco’s hydrocarbon fields.
This integration has led to optimized drilling operations and
well placements, increased production rates, and improved
reservoir management and production operations.
Saudi Aramco has capitalized on digital surface and sub-
surface well technologies to optimize fields’ development and
operation strategies. This is being done through four major
projects: real-time drilling, real-time geosteering, intelligent
fields and event solution field development optimization.1
One of the major objectives of these projects is to integrate
and leverage multidisciplinary team collaboration and real-
time field data through all the phases of a field’s development
and management lifecycle—from drilling and geosteering, in-
telligent completions, production and reservoir management
all the way to initiating development plans and building and
updating the static, dynamic and business models. The over-
all objective is to optimize intra- and interbusiness processes,
since these phases are interdependent, and the knowledge and
process improvement gained at any one phase significantly
influences the overall process. This, in turn, provides an op-
portunity to further enhance practices and strategies in the
entire field development and management cycles.
This article focuses on the development and implementa-
tion of Saudi Aramco’s “intelligent fields” capabilities, which
are among the company’s key strategic imperatives aimed at
optimizing field development and operation strategies. The
intelligent-fields program’s objectives include enhancing hy-
drocarbon recovery through in-time intervention and full-field
optimization; enhancing HSE through remote monitoring
and intervention; and reducing operating costs by minimizing
manual supervision and intervention.
To achieve these objectives, the intelligent-fields program
is being implemented on two parallel paths. One involves
installing fit-for-purpose instrumentation, sensors and actua-
tors in new and old fields. The objectives of this path are to
evaluate and exploit available intelligent-field technologies to
address reservoir management and production objectives and
to further the development of field instrumentation and data
acquisition technologies. The second path is a structured de-
velopment approach that captures the challenges and lessons
REAL-TIME
OPERATIONS
learned and integrates required systems, specifications, pro-
cesses and procedures for an overall solution that lays out an
architecture for large-scale implementation and a company-
wide rollout.
The intelligent-fields effort integrates processes, systems
and organizations to achieve real-time and/or semi-automat-
ed field management. The systems to be integrated are diverse
and span various technologies including measurement, data
acquisition, control, communication, data management and
applications, visualization systems and collaboration environ-
ments. These systems are managed and supported by differ-
ent organizations within Saudi Aramco, each with its own
business skill sets, mandate, processes and priorities. High-
level management championship and close coordination with
the various involved entities were essential in the successful
development and implementation of such capabilities.
TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
To increase real-time data acquisition and operational capa-
bilities throughout the reservoir, Saudi Aramco pursues research
and development of cutting-edge technologies that provide ad-
ditional capabilities for more complete reservoir surveillance
and management. Novel technologies are increasing real-time
actual readings and deep sensing between wells for better real-
time reservoir management. In addition, developments in com-
munications, network platforms and visualization are leading
to more seamless and stronger intelligent-field systems.
Over the years, the intelligent field has developed the
ability to monitor pressure, temperature and other param-
eters, such as oil, water and gas production, and to operate
and monitor electrical submersible pumps and downhole
and surface control valves. Near-wellbore technologies, such
as the typical electric, acoustic and nuclear magnetic reso-
nance logs, are widely used; however, with all the monitor-
ing available, only data at discrete points at or near wells
within the reservoir are measurable. In the interwell spacing,
data has been inferred through various means from straight
interpolation to reservoir simulation. To reduce the uncer-
tainty inherent in reservoir surveillance, Saudi Aramco’s
Exploration and Petroleum Engineering Center Advanced
Research Center (EXPEC ARC) has embarked upon a long-
term R&D program that moves from near-wellbore mea-
surements toward measurements that are further from the
wells and are deeper sensing. This includes electromagnetic
(EM) technologies, borehole gravity meters, reservoir nano-
agents and giga-cell simulation.
World Oil REAL-TIME OPERATIONS 2010 R–85
REAL-TIME OPERATIONS
Fig. 1. Resbots traveling through the reservoir from injector to
producer. Insert: SEM photo with illustrated Resbots moving
through rock pore.
TABLE 1. Reservoir management workflows
Reservoir performance Technical planning
workflows workflows
Injection/production ratio New well planning
monitoring
Pressure maintenance Workover and remediation planning
Sweep efficiency Reservoir depletion planning
Water and gas entry detection Master plan surveillance
and diagnostics
Electromagnetic technologies map resistivity and, in turn,
fluid saturation. Two approaches have been making solid mile-
stones: surface-to-borehole EM and crosswell EM. With sur-
face-to-borehole EM, an EM source is placed in the borehole
and receivers at the surface. This approach provides an areal
picture of fluid migration and movement over time by con-
ducting repetitive EM surveys and measuring their respons-
es. Crosswell EM provides a cross-sectional resistivity image
between two wells to provide fluid distribution mapping at
interwell scale. Such advancements are beneficial in monitor-
ing macroscopic sweep efficiency, planning infill drilling and
improving reservoir simulation.
Borehole gravity meters measure density at a significant
distance from a well through the casing. This leads to numer-
ous applications throughout the lifecycle of a field, including
time-lapse oil production monitoring. Collaborative research
is underway to overcome limitations, such as size, stability and
reliability of the hardware.
Reservoir nano-robots (Saudi Aramco’s proprietary Resbots)
will be sent through the reservoir to gather in situ data for en-
hanced reservoir mapping and characterization, Fig. 1. Resbots
R–86 REAL-TIME OPERATIONS 2010 World Oil
will sense the environment (pressure, pH, salinity, saturation,
etc.) during their journey through the underground. A reactive
version will be able to rectify unfavorable conditions, for exam-
ple, by target-delivering chemicals where most needed. In the
future, some Resbots may communicate data to the surface for
real-time reservoir management. EXPEC ARC has conducted
the first industry field experiment demonstrating the surviv-
ability of nanoagents in harsh reservoir conditions and their
suitability as carriers for in situ sensing.
GigaPOWERS, Saudi Aramco’s giga-cell reservoir simula-
tor, already provides full-field billion-cell models at seismic
scale with minimal upscaling. As a next step, it will be con-
verted to a live interactive simulation model that predicts and
optimizes reservoir performance.2,3 Since modern reservoir
monitoring provides continuous online measurements of well
pressures, temperatures, flowrates and, if available, additional
measurements such as continuous seismic monitoring, the res-
ervoir simulator is able to model these changes via petro-elastic
modeling and can issue proactive voice or sound warnings and
recommendations during live simulation to assist intelligent-
field operations and reservoir monitoring.4 Such simulation-
assisted intelligent field technologies can integrate and provide
real-time information in an evolving cycle that “closes the loop”
in the iterative process of improving reservoir models. Further-
more, new computational capabilities are being introduced in
the reservoir simulator to increase performance by an order of
magnitude or more to pursue the goal of true “interactive simu-
lation” fast enough to accompany intelligent-field real-time op-
erations for even the largest reservoirs. All these elements com-
bined could lead eventually to autonomously operating fields.
DEVELOPMENT AND ARCHITECTURE
The intelligent-fields development architecture consists of
four consecutive layers: surveillance, integration, optimization
and innovation.5
The surveillance layer provides continuous upkeep and
monitoring of all real-time data as collected by downhole,
wellhead and surface sensors. This layer provides real-time
data acquisition, communication, data management, basic
visualization, event detection and alerts and is the founda-
tion and key enabler for the intelligent field. The surveillance
layer development is elaborate and complex, as most of its
components require the integration of diverse systems: mea-
surement, data acquisition, control, communication, data
management and applications, visualization systems and col-
laboration environments. Due to the scale of Saudi Aramco’s
operations, these systems are managed and supported by dif-
ferent organizations, Fig. 2.
The integration layer continuously monitors reservoir
behavior patterns, such as higher than expected watercuts or
pressure declines. Reservoir regions or groups of wells are ex-
amined to study behaviors such as injection efficiencies and
interwell pressure communication. In addition, pressure-tran-
sient behaviors are triggered and examined in real time. Incon-
sistencies between observed data and static reservoir models
can be detected to trigger model updates. Systems will be pro-
vided to analyze reservoir behavior anomalies, examine causes
and provide actionable information to the optimization layer.
The optimization layer provides a streamlined environ-
ment with full-system optimization covering the entire pro-
duction system, including reservoir, well and surface facili-
ties. A key component of this layer is an environment that
allows for plug-and-play of all applications used within the
 Now available on WorldOil.com

2010 Drill Bit

Classifier

Published in September 2010

World Oill is pleased offer a comprehensive listing of

major
ajor manufacturers’ drill bits to aid drilling supervisors
and engineersrs in field selection. While this listing has been
published annually for many years, changes from year
to year are significant. Companies nies were asked to list bit
data by IADC code, readily available sizes, recommended
WOB in lb/in. diameter, and codes for special features es and
usage. The bits are classified according to six formation
categories from soft and sticky to extremely hard.

To view the Drill Bit Classifier, go to

www.WorldOil.com/Drill-Bit-Classifier.html
REAL-TIME OPERATIONS
optimization cycle. This cycle includes geology, integration matters or to resolve related issues. By doing so, the company
of data to be used in simulation, upscaling, simulation, post- is able to transform critical high-collaboration elements of
simulation and optimization recommendation analysis. reservoir management decision making and realize material
The innovation layer is where maximum advantage improvements in reservoir and personnel productivity. The
can be achieved, through efficient transformation of data IFCs can also access the expertise of Saudi Aramco’s other
to knowledge, capture of experiences, efficient workflow real-time collaboration centers for comprehensive knowledge
processes, timely intervention and optimization in strategic of the reservoir.
planning and field management practices. In this layer, col-
lective expert thinking and dialogue are promoted to pro- BENEFITS AND BUSINESS IMPACT
duce frontier solutions. Saudi Aramco is achieving tangible and intangible ben-
An assessment study resulted in the identification and pri- efits from the implementation of the intelligent-fields capa-
oritization of key reservoir management business processes bilities. Better understanding of reservoir pressure communi-
for focused development in the integration, optimization and cation during the pre-injection stages is resulting in in-time
innovation layers. Initiatives launched through this effort in- optimum water injection management in new increments.7
clude two intelligent field centers (IFCs) dedicated to real- Intelligent-fields processes helped to reduce planned AFK
time reservoir management as a pilot and nuclei for a grow- (Abu Hadriyah, Fadhili and Khursaniyah Fields) pre-injec-
ing contemporary practice in managing company assets; an tion requirements by 14% from the planned volume over
integrated surface and subsurface model system; a reservoir three months by adjusting the injection rates in the three
management portal that integrates the reservoir management fields in 11 reservoirs.8
applications, tools and workflows and facilitates data loading; Other benefits have included the full evaluation of early
eight high-priority key reservoir management workflows6 for inter-reservoir communication in a giant field in a matter of
automation in the area of reservoir performance and technical weeks rather than years (Arab-D and Hanifa communication
planning (Table 1); software development of the eight work- in Khurais Field) and minimized well interventions for en-
flows and their implementation in existing fields.7 hanced work efficiency and timely response to production de-
viations.9 Intelligent field capabilities in Haradh III resulted
COLLABORATION CENTERS in a fourfold annual reduction in wireline jobs to collect static
In addition to rapid advancements in surface and subsur- bottomhole pressure data. Other benefits are assurance in
face technologies, critical elements in achieving the corporate meeting the crude properties of a blend mixture from 11 AFK
objective of expanding real-time reservoir management and reservoirs’ crude grades at all times8; a balanced approach in
production operations are the integration of multidisciplinary generating data acquisition programs as the planned require-
experts and enhanced reservoir management strategies and ments and producing strategies are checked against each other
processes. Subsequently, there was a need for the development in a quick and comprehensive fashion (field strategic surveil-
and implementation of a new business environment specifi- lance master plan); and rapid training for young professionals
cally designed to accommodate current and future reservoir through exposure to well performance, reservoir performance
management business processes and facilitate collaborative and facilities network behavior.
decision making around reservoir management processes
and tasks. The IFC planning included collaboration, visu- CONCLUSION
alization, software, hardware, architectural, ergonomics and As Saudi Aramco moves its operations to more proactive
workflow aspects. As the intelligent-fields implementation field management and toward a future vision of self-governing
unfolds, petroleum engineers will be dealing with more and and autonomous fields, the intelligent-fields processes and
more actionable overall field and reservoir data that require technologies will continue to expand as one of the strategic di-
integration, visu- rections for its up-
alization and col- Dhahran PI stream businesses.
laboration between cluster server The next stage
multidisciplinary is to focus efforts
teams for optimal on furthering the
assessment and de- Distributed
intelligent-fields
cision making. control system utilization in pro-
Instrument E&P
The IFCs are ex- duction operations
database
pert centers where and to move to-
Downhole
multidisciplinary sensor ward creating in-
groups come to- Remote PI node
teractions among
gether (physically Multiphase terminal SCADA at gas-oil three levels of in-
unit
and virtually) in a flowmeter separation terventions: fast
point
central facility— interventions (e.g.,
with the necessary Area central open/close offend-
PI servers
data, applications E&P applications ing wells), strategic
and physical sys- Drilling project management; IT communication Petroleum engineering; interventions (e.g.,
tems—to efficiently production process and control and application petroleum applications; minimize watercut
collaborate in order support data to increase recov-
management
to address reservoir ery) and portfolio
performance and Fig. 2. Intelligent-fields data flow. interventions (e.g.,
technical planning optimize reservoir
R–88 REAL-TIME OPERATIONS 2010 World Oil
 7 Al-Malki, S., Al-Buraikan, M. M., Abdulmohsin, R. A., Ahyed, R. and H. Al-Hamzani, “I-field capa-
rates to enhance fields’ production oil blends). These three bilities enable optimizing water injection strategies in Saudi Arabian newly developed oil fields,” SPE
levels of interventions require three levels of models, which 120835 presented at SPE Saudi Arabia Section Technical Symposium, al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia, May
10–12, 2008.
are linked to create one synergized decision system that 8 Al-Khamis, M. N., Al-Hamzani, H. J. and M. F. Al-Adel, “Revamping old fields using I-field technolo-
gies,” SPE 123540 presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, Oct.
accommodates all decision levels without contradiction. 4–7, 2009.
This environment will trigger real-time actions to benefit 9 Al-Arnaout, I. H., Al-Dirweesh, S. M. and R. M. Al-Zahrani, “Production engineering experience with
the first I-field implemented in Saudi Aramco at Haradh-III: Transforming vision to reality,” SPE 112216
both short-cycle and long-cycle/strategic intervention time- presented at the Intelligent Energy Conference and Exhibition, Amsterdam, Feb. 25–27, 2008.
frames, and to ensure that both action sets remain in har-
mony. This system is the future of real-time data resulting
in right-time decisions. THE AUTHORS
The necessary elements that would allow this are mostly Tofig A. Al-Dhubaib leads the development of Sau-
here today. The ability to control wells is proven. The intel- di Aramco’s intelligent-fields initiative. He has over
27 years’ work experience, 22 of which have been
ligent field is also successful. The development of future deep in computer applications and systems support for
sensing technologies such as EM, gravity, nanotechnology exploration and production. He has led, managed,
and others will increase the accuracy of reservoir surveillance supported and contributed to the development of
programs. And finally, the ability to connect the extraordi- several key IT exploration and producing applica-
tions, systems and projects including application
narily high volume of streaming data to a giga-cell simulator technology development, geophysical, geological,
is just around the corner. WO producing, reservoir engineering and drilling applica-
tions, and E&P data management. Mr. Al-Dubaib earned his BS degree in
electrical engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Miner-
LITERATURE CITED als, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, and an MS degree in electrical engineering
1 AbdulKarim, A., Al-Dhubaib, T. A., Elrafie, E. and M. O. Alamoudi, “Overview of Saudi Aramco’s intel- from Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pa., and completed his post-gradu-
ligent field program,” SPE 129706 presented at the SPE Intelligent Energy Conference and Exhibition, ate studies in computer and electrical engineering.
Jaarbeurs, Utrecht, The Netherlands, March 23–25, 2010.
2 Dogru, A. H. et al., “A next-generation parallel reservoir simulator for giant reservoirs,” SPE 119272
presented at the SPE Reservoir Simulation Symposium, The Woodlands, Texas, Feb. 2–4, 2009.
Heather F. Bence conducts strategic planning and
3 Pita, J. A., Dogru, A. H. and N. M. Al-Zamel, “Automated event monitoring system for online reservoir communications for Saudi Aramco’s Exploration and
simulation,” US Patent 7,660,711 issued Feb. 9, 2010. Petroleum Engineering Center Advanced Research
4 Pita J. A., Dogru, A. H. and N. M. Al-Zamel, “Sound enabling computerized system for real-time reser- Center. Prior to joining Saudi Aramco, she led R&D
voir model calibration using field surveillance data,” US Patent 7,620,534 issued Nov. 17, 2009.
5 Al-Dhubaib, T. A. et al., “Saudi Aramco intelligent field development approach: Building the surveillance and marketing for a startup technology company in
layer,” SPE 112106 presented at the SPE Intelligent Energy Conference and Exhibition, Amsterdam, Feb. Virginia, consulted on Middle East economic develop-
6
25–27, 2008. ment issues, and worked with a defense contractor
Barghouty, M. F., Al-Dhubaib, T. A., Jama, A. A. and O. Jaimes, “Intelligent field centers (IFCs):
integrating people, process and technologies to optimally manage giant fields,” SPE 128469 presented
on IT systems architecture for the US Department of
at the SPE Intelligent Energy Conference and Exhibition, Jaarbeurs, Utrecht, The Netherlands, March Homeland Security. She has over 20 years of experi-
23–25, 2010. ence in strategic analysis, marketing and consulting.

EXPLORE A UNIVERSE
OF KNOWLEDGE

Get the technical information you need, at the largest online technical library serving the oil and gas industry.
t
4FBSDI
NPSF
UIBO
 
UFDIOJDBM
EPDVNFOUT
t
%JTDPWFS
TQFDJBMJ[FE
DPOUFOU
DPWFSJOH
IJTUPSJDBM
BOE
FNFSHJOH
UFDIOPMPHZ

t
'JOE
GVMMUFYU
QBQFST
BOE
BSUJDMFT
GSPN
KPVSOBMT
BOE
DPOGFSFODFT

www.onepetro.org
t
1VSDIBTF
QBQFST
GSPN
NVMUJQMF
QSPGFTTJPOBM
TPDJFUJFT
t
4VCTDSJQUJPO
PQUJPOT
BWBJMBCMF

A constellation of libraries. An astronomical number of papers. Stellar search results.

World Oil REAL-TIME OPERATIONS 2010 R–89

 process

PCI control &

instrumentation
conference

Calling all process control

and instrumentation experts!
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
Gulf Publishing Company’s publications Hydrocarbon Processing and
World Oil will host the Process Control & Instrumentation Conference
for the process industries. In March of 2011 in Galveston, Texas. This
technical conference will be devoted to advancing process control and
instrumentation in the oil and gas industry.
You are invited to submit an abstract to present at the conference.
Abstracts submitted for consideration should be approximately 250 words
and should include all authors, affiliations, pertinent contact information
and proposed speaker(s).
Please submit abstracts by October 1, 2010 to Events@GulfPub.com,
re: PCI Abstracts.
Topics for consideration include, but are not limited to:
• Fieldbus • Advanced regulatory control
• Advanced process control • Planning and scheduling
• Six Sigma • Process and laboratory analyzers
• Safety-instrumented systems • Wireless networks
• Real-time optimization • Topsides automation
• Production metering

For additional information on the technical program, please

contact Les Kane at: Les.Kane@GulfPub.com
For additional information on sponsorship and exhibition
opportunities, please contact your Hydrocarbon Processing
or World Oil account manager or Hadley McClellan at
+1 (713) 520-4475 or Hadley.McClellan@GulfPub.com

Hosts:

EVENT

Iris Yuen has
been hired by World
Oil’s parent compa-
ny, Gulf Publishing
Company, as a Sales
Representative for
China and Hong
Kong. She worked
for seven years as an
advertising represen- Yuen
tative with ACT be-
fore starting her own agency, with offices
in Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Previously,
she was a Sales Representative with CSL
Electronic Ltd. Yuen is fluent in Manda-
rin, Cantonese and English.
Red Spider Technology, a remote
open-close technology specialist serving
the oil and gas industry, has appointed
Gary Connel as CFO. He has over 17
years of experience in the global oil and
gas industry.
Baker Hughes Inc. announced the
promotion of Martin Craighead to the
position of President and COO. Since
May 2009, Craighead has served as Se-
9th Annual World Oil Awards
The Pinnacle of Our Global Industry
Reserve Your Table
14 October 2010
Houstonian Hotel, Houston TX
On October 14, the 9th Annual World Oil Awards will recognize the industry’s
leading innovators and innovations that represent the best technological
achievements or contributions of July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2010.
Be a part of this prestigious event to congratulate your industry peers and
colleagues.
www.Awards.WorldOil.com
People in industry
nior VP and COO. During his career at
Baker Hughes, he has served as President
of the Drilling & Evaluation Group and
as President of Baker Atlas and Inteq.
Steven H. Davis has been named
Executive Director of the Society of
Exploration Geophysicists (SEG). He
succeeds Mary Fleming, who retired
in June 2010 after serving as SEG’s Ex-
ecutive Director since 2002. Davis has
spent his entire career with professional,
science-based associations, most recently
as Executive Director of the American
Industrial Hygiene Association.
A. T. (Tim) Cejka, President of
ExxonMobil Exploration Co. and VP
of Exxon Mobil Corp., will retire after
more than 34 years of service. The board
of directors will appoint S. M. (Steve)
Greenlee as President of ExxonMobil
Exploration Co. and a VP of the corpo-
ration. Greenlee is currently President,
ExxonMobil Upstream Research Co.,
which will elect S. N. (Sara) Ortwein as
President. Ortwein is currently VP, Engi-
neering, ExxonMobil Development Co.
The Spectrum Group has appointed
Richie Miller as President of its wholly
owned subsidiary Spectrum Geo Inc.
in Houston. Miller has over 22 years
of experience within the seismic sector.
He joined Spectrum from CGGVeritas,
where he held the position of Director of
Marketing and Business Development.
Atwood Oceanics Inc. elected Mark
L. Mey as Senior VP and CFO. From
August 2005 to July 2010, Mey was Se-
nior VP and CFO of Scorpion Offshore
Ltd. Prior to joining Scorpion, he spent
12 years with Noble Corp.
BPZ Resources Inc. named Richard
J. Spies as COO and Cesar Ortega as
VP of Operations. Spies has over 34 years
of oil and gas experience, including as
President of Amoco Argentina, CEO of
Pan American Energy (an Amoco joint
venture) and most recently as President
of BP Russia. Ortega will lead the opera-
tions team in Peru, bringing 25 years of
oil and gas experience. Also, Frederic J.
L. Briens has assumed the role of Chief
of Strategy and Technology.
Companies in the news
CRC-Evans Pipeline Interna-
tional has been acquired by Stanley
Black & Decker for $445 million in
cash. The acquisition is a step in Stan-
ley Black & Decker’s ongoing strategy
to diversify its revenue base and build
its infrastructure through acquisitions.
CRC-Evans provides pipeline construc-
tion equipment, automatic welding
systems, managed subsea services, field
joint coating and heat treatment as well
as non-destructive testing.

Nabors Industries and Superior Marine Subsea UK has completed a $1.0 million (£656,000) contract for operator Rep-
Well Services Inc. have entered into sol for work near the Casablanca platform, offshore Spain. Marine Subsea deployed
a definitive merger agreement. Nabors the Sarah, its multipurpose offshore intervention vessel, to prepare three platform J-
will commence a tender offer for all out- tubes for installation work scheduled for 2011, and also to modify existing trawl-protec-
tion structures at two wellsites. The J-tube work included relocation of an existing but
standing shares of Superior Well Services abandoned 6-in. flexible pipe.
common stock in a transaction valued at
about $900 million. Superior Well Ser-
vices has one of the newest fleets in the and Dutch-based design and construc- where Huisman will oversee the installa-
industry with over 430,000 hydraulic tion firm Huisman Equipment B.V. tion and commissioning of the topside
fracturing horsepower. The Noble Globetrotter II drillship is the equipment. Operations are expected to
second unit to be constructed for the commence on the first Noble Globetrotter
A Noble Corp. subsidiary will con- company utilizing a two-phase process in late 2011, and on the second unit in
struct a new, dynamically positioned wherein the hull will be built by STX at 2013. The delivered cost of Noble Globe-
ultra-deepwater drillship with South Ko- its facility in Dalian, China, and then the trotter II, excluding capitalized interest, is
rea’s STX Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. unit will be delivered to the Netherlands estimated at $550 million.

Advertisers in this issue

Advertiser Page Advertiser Page Advertiser Page
Website Website Website
Acergy ..................................................................................... 69 Events - PCI ......................................................................... 90 Newpark Drilling Fluids LP ................................................... 24
www.acergy-group.com www.GulfPub.com www.newparkdf.com
Alcoa....................................................................................... 43 Events - World Oil Awards ................................................... 91 Ohmart/Vega .......................................................................... 60
www.alcoaoilandgas.com www.Awards.WorldOil.com www.ohmartvega.com
BJ Services .............................................................................. 96 Rig Star ................................................................................. 72 Oilfield Improvements Inc. .................................................... 63
www.bjservices.com www.worldoil.com/RigStar www.rodguides.com
Cameron................................................................................... 5 Software Reference Showcase ............................................... 83 ORR Safety Corporation........................................................ 55
www.c-a-m.com www.gulfpub.com www.orrsafety.com/kong
CNPC GWDC ...................................................................... 53 Halliburton............................................................................. 45 Pegasus Vertex, Inc.................................................................. 34
www.cnlc.cn www.halliburton.com/geotap www.pvicom.com
Cudd Well Control................................................................... 6 Halliburton............................................................................... 8
www.cuddwellcontrol.com RMOTC ................................................................................ 64
www.halliburton.com/easywell
Dragon Products, Ltd ............................................................. 37 www.rmotc.doe.gov
Halliburton............................................................................. 81
www.dragonproductsltd.com Saudi Aramco ......................................................................... 78
www.halliburton.com/landmark
Dresser-Rand .......................................................................... 51 www.jobsataramco.com/expecarc
Hornbeck Offshore ................................................................ 56
www.dresser-rand.com Schlumberger Technology Corporation.................................. 11
www.hornbeckoffshore.com
Elliott Company ..................................................................... 61 www.slb.com/stethoscope
Industrial Rubber ..................................................................... 4
www.elliott-turbo.com Schlumberger Technology Corporation.................................. 18
www.iri-oiltool.com
Emerson Process Management (DeltaV) ................................ 48 www.schlumberger.com/ACTive
INOVA Geophysical Equipment Limited.............................. 20
www.IOonDemandCalculator.com Siemens................................................................................... 39
www.inovageo.com
Emirates.................................................................................. 22 www.siemens.com/energy/subsea-power-grid
www.emirates.com/usa
LeTourneau Technologies Drilling Systems, Inc..................... 95
www.letourneautechnologies.com SPE ......................................................................................... 89
Expotim International Fair Org. Inc. ..................................... 27 www.onepetro.org
www.basraoilgas.com Lufkin Automation ................................................................ 52
www.lufkinautomation.com Tesco Corporation .................................................................. 31
FMC Technologies ................................................................. 66
M-I Swaco .............................................................................. 10 www.tescocorp.com
www.fmctechnologies.com/subseaseparation
www.miswaco.slb.com Varel International .................................................................. 16
Fugro Gravity and Magnetic Services ..................................... 50
Magnum Oil Tools International, LLC .................................. 47 www.varelintl.com/oilandgas
www.fugro-gravmag.com/solutions
Gusto MSC ............................................................................ 71 www.magnumoiltools.com Weatherford.......................................................................12-13
www.GustoMSC.com National Oilwell Varco ............................................................. 2 www.weatherford.com
Gulf Publishing Company www.nov.com/downhole WesternGeco Limited............................................................. 14
Constellation ........................................................................ 84 National Oilwell Varco ........................................................... 33 www.westerngeco.com/exq
www.WorldOil.com www.nov.com/rigms Wood Group ESP................................................................... 28
Drill Bit Classifier ................................................................. 87 National Oilwell Varco ........................................................... 59 www.woodgroup-esp.com
www.gulfpub.com www.nov.com/xlsystems World Oil Marketplace............................................................ 94
This Advertisers’ Index and procedure for securing additional information is provided as a service to World Oil advertisers and a convenience to our readers. Gulf Publishing Company is not
responsible for omissions or errors.

92 SEPTEMBER 2010 World Oil

 New Products
Company press releases

Water-based drilling Continuous circulation system

fluids for shale gas
Newpark Drilling Fluids has intro-
duced its Evolution water-based drilling
fluids system for Haynesville Shale op-
erators who require a clean, robust alter-
native to the diesel-based fluids histori-
cally required in that area’s harsh drilling
environment. In Haynesville Shale ap-
plications to date, the new drilling fluid
system provided improved penetration
rates, wellbore protection and lubricity
while standing up to the requirements of
temperature, containments and drilled
solids. While the new system was origi-
nally conceived as a Haynesville-specific
drilling fluid, the design concept may
provide operational advantages in many
other unconventional shale gas applica-
tions worldwide. The Evolution system
features a clay-free combination of two
central components: EvoVis, a polymeric
viscosifier; and EvoLube, a high-pressure/
high-temperature lubricant that delivers
coefficient-of-friction values similar to
oil-based mud. Both components, and
the system itself, have proven stable to
wellbore temperatures of 400°F—even in
the presence of CO2, which is common
to Haynesville geology. Its thermal stabil-
ity, contaminant resistance and overall
performance differentiate it from other
water-based systems. The EvoLube lu-
bricant is credited with penetration rates
exceeding those of offset wells where oil-
based mud was used.
www.newparkdf.com
The ability to maintain continuous, uninterrupted circulation can be of direct
benefit while drilling the pressure-sensitive formations encountered in deepwa-
ter wells. The Continuous Circulation System (CCS) was developed for this
purpose over the last decade as the result of a joint industry project based in
the UK and supported by BG, BP, Eni, Shell UK, Statoil and Total, managed
by Maris International, and with the detailed
engineering and manufacture carried out by
National Oilwell Varco (NOV). The system
is rig-floor based, can be deployed on any rig
with a top drive and requires no change to the
drillstring. It can be introduced at any stage
in the well. Once positioned on the rig floor,
drilling continues through the main unit, a
pressure vessel constructed from three single-
ram BOP bodies. With the drill pipe tool
joints isolated between two sets of pipe rams,
the connection can be safely broken and a
new drill pipe added or removed without in-
terrupting circulation to the wellbore. This
eliminates the negative and positive pressure
surges associated with stop/start circulation
when making connections in conventional
drilling, which in turn minimizes “wellbore
ballooning” and the possibility of flows from, or losses to, the wellbore. Since
circulation is continuous, pressure-sensitive formations can be drilled with mini-
mum mud weight—i.e, no static overbalance—using the equivalent circulating
density to control the well. The CCS is self contained and computer controlled.
www.nov.com
performance under a range of drilling systems are desired. OpenFRAC WF is
conditions, verified that the Mpact 114 the linear gel variant, offering improved
can effectively handle greater differential proppant transport characteristics. For
pressure than standard NBR and HNBR crosslinking, OpenFRAC XL offers the
elastomers, developing 62% more horse- characteristics of the other two fluids,
power and increasing life expectancy by a while creating wider fractures to enable
factor of four. Drilling motor designs are high proppant concentrations and gen-
available for maximum performance in erate high fracture conductivity.
extremely difficult drilling applications. www.slb.com/openfrac
www.mpactmotors.com

Tool to melt hydrates

Extended-life drill motors
Mpact Downhole Motors has intro-
duced drilling motors with a stator elasto-
mer material designated Mpact 114 that
delivers increased performance, reliability
and extended service life. Laboratory test-
ing using a dynamometer, along with field
Fluid additive systems
Schlumberger has released its new
OpenFRAC family of hydraulic frac-
turing fluid additive systems. They can
be used for fracturing stimulation treat-
ments, including applications in low-
permeability formations such as shale
and tight gas sands. The additives are
fully functional and disclosable, provid-
ing comparable technical performance
to conventional systems. Three variants
are available, all water-based, viscosified
fluids. OpenFRAC SW formulation is
used for slickwater fracturing, where
drag reduction and less complex fluid
The international energy services
company Wood Group has launched a
new hydrate-liquefying tool to melt ice
and paraffin blockages that occur in the
production pipes of oil and gas wells.
The Thermal Moderator Tool (TMT),
designed by Wood Group Logging Ser-
vices, can be used in pipes with inside
diameters as small as 1 in. The tool was
developed as a non-chemical solution to
eliminate hydrate blockages. It is rated
to 15,000 psi, is portable and can be
run in coiled tubing, flowlines and other
small-channel systems.
www.woodgroup.com

World Oil SEPTEMBER 2010 93

World Oil Marketplace To place
To place
an ad,ancall
ad,+1call
(713)
713/525-4658
520-4426 or
oremail:
email:classified@worldoil.com
classifed@worldoil.com

EQUIPMENT EQUIPMENT EMPLOYMENT

Alpha Seismic Compressors, LLC

Worldwide. Lease rentals.
888-800-2232 Call 713/520-4426
Lease@AlphaSeismicCompressors.com
for details about

World Oil’s
Custom Article Marketplace
Reprints Recruitment
Gulf Publishing Company’s
low-cost reprint program
makes it easy and affordable Advertising
to receive additional copies
of advertisements, news Program
releases and articles appearing
in WORLD OIL® magazine
and its supplements. Use a combination of
print, recruitment
For samples and
a price quote, contact: e-newsletter, plus
Foster Printing Company, Website to reach our total
Attn: Rhonda Brown
rhondab@fosterprinting.com audience circulation of
866.879.9144 ext 194 more than 100,000!

World Oil advertising sales offices

Ron Higgins, Publisher
Houston Office:
2 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1020,
Houston, Texas, 77046 USA
Phone: +1 (713) 529-4301, Fax: +1 (713) 520-4433
E-mail: ron.higgins@worldoil.com
www.worldoil.com
North America Advertising Sales
LA, MS, TX
Don DePugh
2 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1020, Houston, TX 77046
Phone: +1 (713) 520-4435, Fax: +1 (713) 520-4495
E-mail: don.depugh@gulfpub.com
AR, KS, MO, OK, TX
Morgan Mascio
2 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1020, Houston, TX 77046
Phone: +1 (713) 525-4660, Fax: +1 (713) 525-4655
E-mail: morgan.mascio@gulfpub.com
AK, AL, AZ, CA, CO, DC, DE, FL, IA, ID, IL, IN, GA,
KY, MD, MI, MN, MT, NC, ND, NE, NM, NV, OH,
OR, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WV, WY and
WESTERN CANADA
Andy McDowell
2 Greenway Plaza, Suite 1020, Houston, TX 77046
Phone: +1 (713) 520-4463, Fax: +1 (713) 525-4655
E-mail: andy.mcdowell@gulfpub.com
CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT and EASTERN
CANADA
Merrie Lynch
20 Park Plaza, Suite 517, Boston, MA 02116
Phone: +1 (617) 357-8190, Fax: +1 (617) 357-8194
E-mail: merrie.lynch@gulfpub.com
RUSSIA, FSU
Lilia Fedotova
Anik International & Co., Ltd.
Outside North America 10/2, Build.1, Bolshoy Kharitonyevskii Lane
Advertising Sales 103062 Moscow, Russia
AUSTRALIA Phone/Fax: +7 (495) 628-10-33
Brian Arnold E-mail: lilia.fedotova@gulfpub.com
4 Peggs Place, Leeming 6149
JAPAN
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Phone: +61 (8) 9332-9839, Fax: +61 (8) 9313-6442 Yoshinori Ikeda
E-mail: australia@gulfpub.com Pacific Business Inc.
Matsuda Bldg., 2-4-6, Nihonbashi Kayabacho
BRAZIL Chuo-Ku, Tokyo 103-0025, Japan
Alfred Bilyk Phone: +81 (3) 3661-6138, Fax: +81 (3) 3661-6139
Brazmedia E-mail: japan@gulfpub.com
Rua Brasilio Machado, 371 - 601
01230 010 São Paulo SP, Brazil INDONESIA, MALAYSIA, SINGAPORE, THAILAND
Phone/Fax: +55 (11) 23 37 42 40 Peggy Thay
Cell: +55 (11) 85 86 52 59 Publicitas Singapore Pte Ltd
E-mail: brazil@gulfpub.com 72 Bendemeer Road
CHINA, HONG KONG #02-20 The Luzerne
Iris Yuen Singapore 339941
Gulf Publishing Company Phone: +65 6836 2272, Fax: +65 6297 7302
E-mail: singapore@gulfpub.com
7G4, 7F 201 Bldg. CheGongMiao Industry Park
Futian District, Shenzhen, China, 518000
PAKISTAN
Phone: 86-13802701367 (China)
S. E. Ahmed
Cell: 852 69185500 (Hong Kong)
Email: Iris.Yuen@gulfpub.com Intermedia Communications
G.P.O. Box 18020, B-138 Block D North Nazimabad
ITALY, EASTERN EUROPE Karachi-74700, Pakistan
Fabio Potesta Phone: +92 (21) 663-4795, Fax: +92 (21) 663-4795
Mediapoint & Communications SRL
Corte Lambruschini-Corso Buenos Aires, 8 UNITED KINGDOM, NETHERLANDS, NORTHERN
5˚ Piano-Interno 7, 16129 Genova, Italy BELGIUM, SCANDINAVIA
Phone: +39 (010) 570-4948, Fax: +39 (010) 553-0088 Peter Gilmore
E-mail: fabio.potesta@gulfpub.com 57 Keyes House, Dolphin Square, London, SW1V 3NA
United Kingdom
FRANCE, GREECE, NORTH AFRICA, SPAIN,
PORTUGAL, SOUTHERN BELGIUM, AUSTRIA, Phone: +44 (0)20 7834 5559, Fax: +44 (0)20 7834 0600
LUXEMBOURG, SWITZERLAND, GERMANY E-mail: peter.gilmore@gulfpub.com
Catherine Watkins
Ohana, 30 rue Paul Vaillant Couturier Classified Sales
78114 Magny-les-Hameaux, France J’Nette Davis-Nichols
Phone: +33 (0) 1 30 47 92 51, Fax: +33 (0) 1 30 47 92 40 Phone: +1 (713) 520-4426, Fax: +1 (713) 525-4655
E-mail: catherine.watkins@gulfpub.com E-mail: jnette.davis@gulfpub.com

94 AUGUST 2010 World Oil

LeTourneau ®

CUSTOM CONTROLS
BETTER SYSTEM
LeTourneau® Power Systems Digital Drilling Control System™ (DDCS)
incorporates management, monitoring and control, which combines Top
Drive and Rotary Table Management, Mud Pump Control, Drawworks
Control and optional Auxiliary Controls.

LeTourneau offers integrated controls for the complete rig or individual

stand alone controls customizable to each piece of equipment. As a
result, the customer is in control from beginning to end.

www.letourneautechnologies.com

LeTourneau Technologies Drilling Systems, Inc.

 Take control of your
subsurface safety valve.

Avoid safety and

environmental risks.

The BJ Services
Reconnect™ system
is your solution to protect
personnel, the environment
and your assets.
Damage to the hydraulic system of a surface-
controlled subsurface safety valve (SCSSV)
can compromise the operation of this critical
safety and environmental protection system.
BJ Services’ Reconnect™ technology restores
surface control to subsurface safety valves
without a workover rig.

The field-proven Reconnect system

economically and safely restores control and
reliable operation to your well, while leaving
maximum wellbore area for flow. The system
includes a wireline-retrievable SCSSV, a
through-tubing replacement control line that
stings into the new valve assembly and a
wellhead adapter. It also eliminates the need
for velocity valves or storm chokes that cannot
be controlled from the surface and are less
reliable than SCSSVs.

Ask your BJ Services representative how you

can restore control safely and easily with the
regulatory agency approved Reconnect system.

Real world. World class. Worldwide.

www.bjservices.com
 FA L L

G u l f P u b l i s h i n g C o m p a n y ’s
10

upstream / downstream

A Supplement to:

&
 CA
Co PE-O
mp PE
lian N
t!

Design • Rate • Simulate

Shell and Tube The best software available for
designing, rating, and simulating
heat transfer equipment

Fired Heater Integrated and easy-to-use

Backed by proprietary data from

industrial-scale research rigs
Cross Flow

Comprehensive help and

documentation just a click away
Compact
Interfaces with
• leading process simulators
• mechanical design programs
Spiral • physical property databanks
• integrated engineering software
• Microsoft Excel
Analysis
Select 411 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS

Heat Transfer Research, Inc.

www.HTRI.net
 Fall 2010
A SUPPLEMENT TO

Publisher Advertising Sales

upstream / downstream Bill Wageneck Laura Kane
Production Manager Phone: +1 (713) 520-4449
Angela Bathe Gulf Publishing Company
Cover Design P.O. Box 2608
Amy Dodd Houston, Texas 77252-2608
Advertising Production Manager Phone: +1 (713) 529-4301
Cheryl Willis Fax: +1 (713) 520-4433

CONTENTS Visit the Software Reference Website: www.gulfpub.com/gpc/

Advertising Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Predictive Maintenance and Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Process Control and Information Systems . . . . . . . . . . .18

Process Engineering and Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Budgeting, Capital Allocation & Planning . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Refining, Petrochemical and Gas Processing . . . . . . . . . .20
Business Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Enterprise Operations Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 SIS/Safety Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Land and Leasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Plant Lifecycle and Performance Monitoring . . . . . . . . . .5

Regulatory Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
UPSTREAM
Alarm Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Risk Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Asset Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
DOWNSTREAM Data Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Alarm Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Data Visualization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Asset Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Design, Construction and Engineering. . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Collaboration and Knowledge Capture . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Exploration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Configuration Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Field Data Capture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Design, Construction and Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Dynamic Simulation and Optimization . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Process Control and Information Systems . . . . . . . . . . .28
Energy Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Process Engineering and Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Enterprise Portal Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Online Monitoring & Optimization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Production Accounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Planning, Scheduling and Blending . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Regulatory Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Plant Lifecycle and Performance Monitoring . . . . . . . . .16 Well Log Data Access and Management . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

F A L L 2010 SOFTWARE REFERENCE 3

Business Management
BUDGETING, CAPITAL
ALLOCATION AND PLANNING
3esi
#200, 1601 Westmount Road N.W.
Calgary, Alberta T2N 3M2
Canada
Phone: 403-270-3270
Fax: 403-270-3343
E-mail: info@3esi.com
www.3esi.com
Company Bio:
3esi is an international E&P, Software and Ser-
vices Company committed to serving the Oil
and Gas industry by creating Integrated Busi-
ness Planning and Capital Management Soft-
ware Solutions designed to increase efficiency
by streamlining all of the processes associated
with the Oil and Gas Value Chain.
Products:
esi.manage™ is an Integrated Business Planning
and Capital Management solution that sup-
ports the E&P processes focused on managing
the portfolio of opportunities (projects) from
the planning stages through execution and look-
backs. esi.manage™ allows companies to collect
and analyze opportunities, perform portfolio
analysis in order to create Long Term Plans and
Budgets. esi.manage™ offers the capability of
importing actuals from 3rd party applications
to allow companies to prepare variance reports
and perform look-backs analysis.
esi.manage™ improves an E&P companies busi-
ness results through superior decision making
due to enhanced corporate agility and improved
data quality; by entrenching best practices and
key business processes and by improving work-
force effectiveness.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-401
BUSINESS INTEGRATION
m:pro IT Consult GmbH
Kirchgasse 47
65183 Wiesbaden
Germany
Phone: +49 611 39843 0
Fax: +49 611 39843 12
E-mail: info@mpro-it.com
www.mpro-it.com
4 SOFTWARE REFERENCE FALL 2010
U PSTREA M / D OWN STREA M SOFTWA RE REFERENCE
Company Bio
m:pro IT Consult is a project services and soft-
ENTERPRISE OPERATIONS
ware products company which enables petro-
leum refining, petrochemical and other indus-
MANAGEMENT
tries to achieve total integration of information
sources and applications, from business systems,
ERP and supply chain management through to
plant information, production planning, sched-
uling and operations decision support.
Products: Oildex
m:pro delivers enterprise wide or point solu- 1999 Broadway, Suite 1900
tions - easy and fast to implement - which truly Denver, Colorado 80202
Phone: 303-863-8600
integrate the production and business applica-
Toll Free: 888-922-1222
tions required to manage the overall assets.
Fax: 303-863-0505
E-mail: info@oildex.com
m:pro enables, consult and assists business
www.oildex.com
process improvements, especially for refining
supply chain management (SCM). Other Oildex Office Locations:
11777 Katy Freeway, Suite 350
The m:pro Integration Platform (m:ip) provides Houston, Texas 77079
the total integration of information sources and
Phone: 281-741-6300
applications including ERP, planning, schedul- Fax: 281-741-6296
ing, functional databases, plant information
systems, forecasting in a phased justified ap-
proach. The m:ip enables and improves the use
Company Bio:
Oildex is the energy industry’s leading Software
of best-in-class software, plant and business ap-
as a Service (SaaS) provider of ePayables, digital
plications = asset maximization.
data, workflow, and spend analysis solutions.
With Oildex, companies can do more in less time,
The m:pro object warehouse (m:owh) is our
and managers can get up-to-the-minute data to
integration, data storage/management, and
help them make well-informed decisions. That’s
business intelligence back-end. The m:owh is
why today, more than 8,400 companies depend
based on standard and open relational data-
on Oildex to receive and process their electronic
base technology.
invoices, check stubs, and joint interest bills.
The m:pro explorer (m:exp) is our feature rich,
fully web-enabled common graphical user in-
Service products and descriptions:
Oildex provides software solutions to companies
terface including build and administration
looking to get the most out of their resources, so
tools. The m:exp can run as the portal or can
they can quickly and accurately process, track,
seamlessly be embedded in popular web portal
and manage critical business information. Oil-
environments.
dex is the energy industry leader when it comes
to supplying digital data, workflow, and spend
m:pro provides standard applications/inter-
analysis solutions to companies that want to
faces for:
boost productivity and cut costs.
• Production planning, scheduling and blending
• Performance monitoring and dashboards
Proven Technology to Transform the Business
• Data and process quality
of Energy:
• Information analysis, visualization, flow-
sheeting, trending and reporting
Spendworks™—Oildex’s ePayables (EIPP) sys-
Featured applications/interfaces are:
tem for simplifying the way companies manage
• Analyzer Monitoring
invoices and track spending.
• Blend Monitoring and Reporting
• Crude Composition Tracking
Checkstub Connect™ (CDEX)—The industry’s
• Crude Scheduling
• GRTMPS Planning Interface
largest eRevenue data exchange which speeds-
up the processing of check stub data.
• Heat Exchanger Monitoring
• KPIs, Operating Envelops, Plan vs Actual
JIB Connect™—Oildex’s ePayables, joint inter-
• Lab Interface and Reporting
est bill exchange for automating JIB processing
• LP Data Collector
and eliminating routine monthly data entry.
• Oil Movement Logging
• ORION Scheduling Interface
CDEX Complete™—The industry’s only eRev-
• PIMS Planning Interface
enue solution to address time-consuming check
• Quality Tracking
stub detail. It eliminates hand-keying and con-
• Tank Calculation System
verts paper check stub data into a digital, up-
loadable format.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-402
Owner Relations Connect™—Oildex’s eIn-
formation, owner-relations tool for providing
secure web access to monthly statements of rev-
UPS TR EAM / DOW N S T R E A M S OF T WA RE R E FE REN CE
enue, production, gas balance, JIBs, frequently
asked questions, and more.
Oildex Helps Energy Companies:
• Save time & work smart
• Spot opportunities
• Cut up to 70% of processing costs
• Track revenue & expenses
• Collaborate via the Internet
www.info.hotims.com/33224-403
LAND AND LEASING
geoLOGIC systems ltd.
900, 703 6 Avenue SW
Calgary, AB
Canada T2P 0T9
Phone: 403 262-1992
Fax: 403-262-1987
E-mail: sales@geologic.com
www.geologic.com
Andrea Hood, VP Business Development & Sales
Company Bio:
geoLOGIC systems ltd. is a widely recognized
developer of high quality databases and premi-
um software products that offer more compre-
hensive, relevant solutions to the Oil and Gas
industry. geoLOGIC has provided Oil and Gas
professionals with industry-leading, integrated
software and value-added data coupled with
unsurpassed customer support for 27 years. The
company is an innovator in supplying data in
more accessible and usable forms so clients can
make better decisions—from the well head to
senior levels of accounting and administration.
Products:
geoSCOUTTM is a fully integrated, Windows-
based exploratory system that combines presen-
tation-quality mapping and cross-section tools
with data handling and analysis software. It
integrates public and proprietary data on wells,
well logs (Raster and LAS), land, pipelines and
facilities, fields and pools, and seismic stud-
ies. It includes powerful, easy-to-use tools for
searching, viewing, mapping, reporting, graph-
ing, analysis and managing information.
The gDC™ (geoLOGIC Data Center) is a com-
prehensive online solution that integrates pub-
lic wells and land data across Western Canada.
Designed on a PPDM 3.8 model, geoLOGIC
value-added data is accessible through virtually
any petroleum industry software application.
The gDC offers spatial data in an industry stan-
dard GIS format that is accessible through most
mapping applications.
TM
petroCUBE is an innovative suite of prod-
ucts that provide unbiased, consistent statis-
Business Management
tical insights that can help you make more
profitable decisions about petroleum plays.
From reserve and production data through to
full-cycle economics, petroCUBE gives you
immediate access to a full spectrum of current
geostatistical, technical and financial informa-
tion and comprehensive analytical tools. pet-
roCUBE instantly delivers the data engineers
and geologists need to accurately assess risk
and justify exploration and development pro-
posals before wells are drilled.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-404
PLANT LIFECYCLE AND
PERFORMANCE MONITORING
m:pro IT Consult GmbH
Kirchgasse 47
65183 Wiesbaden
Germany
Phone: +49 611 39843 0
Fax: +49 611 39843 12
E-mail: info@mpro-it.com
www.mpro-it.com
Company Bio:
m:pro IT Consult is a project services and soft-
ware products company which enables petro-
leum refining, petrochemical and other indus-
tries to achieve total integration of information
sources and applications, from business systems,
ERP and supply chain management through to
plant information, production planning, sched-
uling and operations decision support.
Products:
m:pro delivers enterprise wide or point solutions -
easy and fast to implement - which truly integrate
the production and business applications required
to manage the overall assets.
m:pro enables, consult and assists business pro-
cess improvements, especially for refining sup-
ply chain management (SCM).
The m:pro Integration Platform (m:ip) provides
the total integration of information sources and
applications including ERP, planning, schedul-
ing, functional databases, plant information
systems, forecasting in a phased justified ap-
proach. The m:ip enables and improves the use
of best-in-class software, plant and business ap-
plications = asset maximization.
The m:pro object warehouse (m:owh) is our in-
tegration, data storage/management, and business
intelligence back-end. The m:owh is based on
standard and open relational database technology.
The m:pro explorer (m:exp) is our feature rich,
fully web-enabled common graphical user in-
terface including build and administration
tools. The m:exp can run as the portal or can
seamlessly be embedded in popular web portal
environments.
m:pro provides standard applications/inter-
faces for:
• Production planning, scheduling and blending
• Performance monitoring and dashboards
• Data and process quality
• Information analysis, visualization, flowsheeting,
trending and reporting
Featured applications/interfaces are:
• Analyzer Monitoring
• Blend Monitoring and Reporting
• Crude Composition Tracking
• Crude Scheduling
• GRTMPS Planning Interface
• Heat Exchanger Monitoring
• KPIs, Operating Envelops, Plan vs Actual
• Lab Interface and Reporting
• LP Data Collector
• Oil Movement Logging
• ORION Scheduling Interface
• PIMS Planning Interface
• Quality Tracking
• Tank Calculation System
www.info.hotims.com/33224-402
Quest Integrity Group, LLC
2465 Central Avenue, Suite 110
Boulder, CO 80301
Phone: 303-415-1475
Fax: 303-415-1847
Email: Info@QuestIntegrity.com
www.QuestIntegrity.com
Company Bio:
Quest Integrity Group provides highly accurate,
technology-enabled inspection and assessment
solutions that help companies in the process,
pipeline and power industries increase profit-
ability, reduce operational and safety risks, and
improve operational planning. The company is
built upon a foundation of leading-edge science
and technology that has innovated and shaped
industries for nearly forty years.
Products:
Signal™ FFS software performs Fitness-for-
Service and fracture mechanics analyses on
fixed and rotating equipment. It implements
the API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 2007 standard
and performs crack assessments in accordance
with the BS 7910 procedure. Users can per-
form Level 1 and 2 assessments on many flaw
and equipment types. An advanced fracture
mechanics module allows users to also per-
form limited Level 3 assessments.
FEACrack™ is finite element analysis software
that rapidly generates 3D crack meshes utiliz-
ing an intuitive interface. Users can perform
F A L L 2010 SOFTWARE REFERENCE 5
Business Management
PLANT LIFECYCLE AND
PERFORMANCE MONITORING, CONT.
detailed fracture and fatigue analyses with un-
limited levels of crack mesh refinement.
LifeQuest™ Heater software provides com-
plete analysis and remnant life assessment of
fired heater tubes on a foot-by-foot basis uti-
lizing API 579. The final output is a system
risk curve displaying remaining life in hours
versus probability of failure. It combines with
heater performance monitoring and process
modeling for extensive heater reliability man-
agement.
LifeQuest™ Pipeline software delivers inspec-
tion and Fitness-for-Service assessment results
through a powerful data viewer. Analysis and
assessment capabilities include standard cal-
culation methods B31G, B31G Modified and
API 579.
RMS™ software facilitates the implementation
of risk-based assessment programs in a wide
range of industries. It addresses the needs
of pressure systems not met by existing reli-
ability management programs and eliminates
the high data and manpower demands of fully
quantitative systems.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-405
REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
Codeware, Inc.
Codeware, Inc.
5224 Station Way
Sarasota, FL 34233
United States
Phone: (941) 927-2670
Fax: (941) 927-2459
E-mail: inquiries@codeware.com
www.codeware.com
Company Bio:
Since 1985, Codeware has focused exclu-
sively on providing the most comprehensive
software for the design and analysis of ASME
vessels and exchangers. Codeware’s Austin,
Texas based development team has the exper-
tise needed to understand the complexities of
the Code rules and the practical experience re-
quired to implement an effective solution.
Products:
Let COMPRESS be your expert assistant.
From individual components to complex mul-
tiple diameter towers, COMPRESS can model
virtually any geometry.
6 SOFTWARE REFERENCE FALL 2010
U PSTREA M / D OWN STREA M SOFTWARE REFER
The standard functionality of COMPRESS
includes everything needed to perform ASME
Section VIII, Division 1 pressure vessel calcu-
lations. This includes the U.S. Customary and
Metric Editions of Section II, Part D as well
as a selection of Building Codes and related
Engineering Standards.
To tailor COMPRESS to your needs, the fol-
lowing optional modules are available:
• ASME Section VIII, Division 2
• Heat Exchangers (includes TEMA
Standard, ASME UHX rules, tube field layout
capability and bi-directional interface with
HTRI’s Xchanger Suite)
• Drafter (converts COMPRESS files into
AutoCAD drawings)
• Coster (creates Excel compatible vessel
cost estimates)
COMPRESS generates both detailed and ab-
breviated reports, the former suitable for use
as a calculation audit trail. COMPRESS also
generates ASME U forms and NBIC R forms.
Once finalized, forms can be saved in PDF
or EDT compliant format. EDT compliant
files can be directly submitted to the National
Board electronically. To simplify document
management, a new “Project” feature allows
users to organize, view and backup files of any
type from within COMPRESS.
Visit www.codeware.com to download your
complimentary COMPRESS trial software
today.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-406
RISK MANAGEMENT
The Equity Engineering Group,
Inc.
20600 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 1200
Shaker Heights, OH 44122
Phone: 216-283-9519
Fax: 216-283-6022
E-mail: gcalvarado@eng.com
www.equityeng.com
Greg Alvarado, VP Sales and Client Service
Company Bio:
The Equity Engineering Group, Inc. is a recog-
nized leader on aging infrastructure fixed equip-
ment service and support for the oil and gas
industry. Equity helps plants manage risk and
improve profitability with cutting-edge soft-
ware and consulting strategies that maximize
equipment operational availability, control in-
spection costs and avoid costly shutdowns.
REFERENCE
ENC E
Products:
VCEPlant ManagerTM is a fully-integrated
software tool for the lifecycle management of
plant assets. It offers equipment and data man-
agement in one application and database on a
universal .net standard platform that encom-
passes all modules with a single IT installation
procedure.
Plant Manager takes advantage of the integra-
tion of design and in-service codes and stan-
dards that is now becoming a focal point in the
industry, and can be used for the design and
subsequent management of a plant’s reliability
program. The design features in Plant Manager
are provided in VCESage and cover pressure
vessel, heat exchanger, piping, and tankage de-
sign in accordance with ASME and API codes
and standards. The fixed equipment reliability
tools include:
• VCESage for performing Fitness-For-
Service assessments
• API RBI for inspection planning
• CMLWise for tracking and analyzing
thickness reading data from inspections
• IMS for developing equipment-specific,
detailed inspection plans and reports
• VCEDamage for identifying and under-
standing your plant’s potential damage mecha-
nisms
• VCEIntelliJoint for troubleshooting and
eliminating flange joint leakage problems.
To find out more about how Plant Manager can
benefit your plant’s reliability program, contact
plantmanager@equityeng.com or check our
website at www.equityeng.com.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-407
UPS TR EAM / DOW N S T R E A M S OF T WA RE R E FE REN CE
ALARM MANAGEMENT
PAS
16055 Space Center Blvd. Ste. 600
Houston, TX 77062
Phone: +1.281.286.6565
Fax: +1.281.286.6767
Email: info@pas.com
www.pas.com
Company Bio:
PAS improves the automation and operation-
al effectiveness of process plants worldwide
through innovative software products and ex-
pert consulting services. Our solutions ensure
safe running operations, maximize situation
awareness, and reduce plant vulnerabilities.
Our comprehensive portfolio includes Alarm
Management, Automation Genome Mapping,
Control Loop Performance Optimization, and
High-Performance Human Machine Interfaces.
Products:
PAS pioneered the first commercially available
alarm management software in 1996, which
is still the most widely used in the industry.
PlantState Suite (PSS) software from PAS is
recognized as the only comprehensive solution
in the market addressing all requirements out-
lined in EEMUA 191 guidelines and ISA 18.2
standards. PSS is system and vendor neutral.
Yokogawa Electric Corporation
World Headquarters
9-32, Nakacho 2-chrome,
Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-8750, Japan
www.yokogawa.com
Yokogawa Corp. of America
12530 West Airport Blvd,
Sugar Land, TX 77478
www.yokogawa.com/us
Yokogawa Europe B.V.
Databankweg 20 3821 AL Amersfoort,
The Netherlands
www.yokogawa.com/eu
Yokogawa Engineering Asia
PTE. LTD.
5 Bedok South Road, Singapore 469270,
Singapore
www.yokogawa.com/sg
Yokogawa Electric China Co., LTD.
22nd Floor Shanghai Oriental Centre
31 Wujiang Road (699 Nanjing West Road)
Jing’an District, Shanghai 200041, China
Phone: 86-21-5211-0877
Fax: 86-21-5211-0299
Downstream
Company Bio:
Yokogawa Corporation of America is the North
American unit of US $4 billion Yokogawa Electric
Corporation, a global leader in the manufacture
and supply of instrumentation, process control,
and automation solutions. Headquartered in
Newnan, GA., Yokogawa Corporation of America
serves a diverse customer base with market-leading
products including analyzers, flow meters, trans-
mitters, controllers, recorders, data acquisition
products, meters, instruments, safety instrument-
ed systems, distributed control systems and more.
Products:
CAMS—Yokogawa’s Consolidated Alarm Man-
agement System (CAMS) is an alarm manage-
ment software designed on the innovative concept
of acquiring real-time alarms and events from a
variety of various automation systems - not only
from Distributed Control Systems (DCS) but
also Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS), Super-
visory and Data Acquisition Systems (SCADA
and DAQ) and Plant Asset Management Sys-
tems (PAM); then to sort and deliver only essen-
tial alarms to the right person at the right time.
Important information such as the root cause of
alarm occurrence and role-based guidance are
also added to the displayed message.
AAASuite—AAASuite is a comprehensive alarm
management system that optimizes and enhances
process alarms issued by control systems. AAA-
Suite improves operator performance by minimiz-
ing nuisance alarms and providing timely notifica-

PSS aggregates and stores all alarm-related in-

formation and provides a broad set of analyses,
reports, and metrics that help identify the state
of the alarm system, discover improvement
opportunities, and provide powerful visualiza-
tion.

PSS Alarm Advanced Elements ensures that

plant alarm systems are equally as effective
during abnormal situations, when operators
need them the most, as they are during normal
conditions. PSS Alarm Advanced Elements
includes Alarm Shelving, Documentation and
Rationalization, Dynamic Alarming, and Audit
and Enforce applications.

PAS also developed the first Six Sigma alarm

improvement methodology and authored the
first comprehensive “how to” book for improv-
ing an alarm system. The seven-step alarm im-
provement methodology outlined in The Alarm
Management Handbook has become a best prac-
tice for alarm management practitioners world-
wide. This best practice is fully embodied in
PlantState Suite software.

www.info.hotims.com/33224-408

Select 408 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS

7
Downstream
ALARM MANAGEMENT, CONT.
tion of only necessary alarms, thereby preventing
alarm flooding and enabling safe, stable and cost
effective plant operations.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-409
ASSET MANAGEMENT
The Equity Engineering Group,
Inc.
20600 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 1200
Shaker Heights, OH 44122
Phone: 216-283-9519
Fax: 216-283-6022
E-mail: gcalvarado@eng.com
www.equityeng.com
Greg Alvarado, VP Sales and Client Service
Company Bio:
The Equity Engineering Group, Inc. is a recog-
nized leader on aging infrastructure fixed equip-
ment service and support for the oil and gas
industry. Equity helps plants manage risk and
improve profitability with cutting-edge soft-
ware and consulting strategies that maximize
equipment operational availability, control in-
spection costs and avoid costly shutdowns.
Products:
VCEPlant ManagerTM is a fully-integrated
software tool for the lifecycle management of
plant assets. It offers equipment and data man-
agement in one application and database on a
universal .net standard platform that encom-
passes all modules with a single IT installation
procedure.
Plant Manager takes advantage of the integra-
tion of design and in-service codes and stan-
dards that is now becoming a focal point in the
industry, and can be used for the design and
subsequent management of a plant’s reliability
program. The design features in Plant Manager
are provided in VCESage and cover pressure
vessel, heat exchanger, piping, and tankage de-
sign in accordance with ASME and API codes
and standards. The fixed equipment reliability
tools include:
• VCESage for performing Fitness-For-
Service assessments
• API RBI for inspection planning
• CMLWise for tracking and analyzing
thickness reading data from inspections
• IMS for developing equipment-specific,
detailed inspection plans and reports
• VCEDamage for identifying and under-
standing your plant’s potential damage mecha-
nisms
• VCEIntelliJoint for troubleshooting and
eliminating flange joint leakage problems.
8 SOFTWARE REFERENCE FALL 2010
U PSTREA M / D O WN STREA M SOFTWARE REFERENCE
To find out more about how Plant Manager can
benefit your plant’s reliability program, contact
plantmanager@equityeng.com or check our
website at www.equityeng.com.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-407
Quest Integrity Group, LLC
2465 Central Avenue, Suite 110
Boulder, CO 80301
Phone: 303-415-1475
Fax: 303-415-1847
Email: Info@QuestIntegrity.com
www.QuestIntegrity.com
Company Bio:
Quest Integrity Group provides highly accurate,
technology-enabled inspection and assessment
solutions that help companies in the process,
pipeline and power industries increase profit-
ability, reduce operational and safety risks, and
improve operational planning. The company is
built upon a foundation of leading-edge science
and technology that has innovated and shaped
industries for nearly forty years.
Products:
Signal™ FFS software performs Fitness-for-Ser-
vice and fracture mechanics analyses on fixed
and rotating equipment. It implements the
API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 2007 standard and
performs crack assessments in accordance with
the BS 7910 procedure. Users can perform Lev-
el 1 and 2 assessments on many flaw and equip-
ment types. An advanced fracture mechanics
module allows users to also perform limited
Level 3 assessments.
FEACrack™ is finite element analysis software
that rapidly generates 3D crack meshes utiliz-
ing an intuitive interface. Users can perform
detailed fracture and fatigue analyses with un-
limited levels of crack mesh refinement.
LifeQuest™ Heater software provides complete
analysis and remnant life assessment of fired
heater tubes on a foot-by-foot basis utilizing
API 579. The final output is a system risk curve
displaying remaining life in hours versus prob-
ability of failure. It combines with heater per-
formance monitoring and process modeling for
extensive heater reliability management.
LifeQuest™ Pipeline software delivers inspec-
tion and Fitness-for-Service assessment results
through a powerful data viewer. Analysis and
assessment capabilities include standard cal-
culation methods B31G, B31G Modified and
API 579.
RMS™ software facilitates the implementation
of risk-based assessment programs in a wide
range of industries. It addresses the needs of
pressure systems not met by existing reliability
management programs and eliminates the high
data and manpower demands of fully quantita-
tive systems.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-405
Yokogawa Electric Corporation
World Headquarters
9-32, Nakacho 2-chrome,
Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-8750, Japan
www.yokogawa.com
Yokogawa Corp. of America
12530 West Airport Blvd,
Sugar Land, TX 77478
www.yokogawa.com/us
Yokogawa Europe B.V.
Databankweg 20 3821 AL Amersfoort,
The Netherlands
www.yokogawa.com/eu
Yokogawa Engineering Asia
PTE. LTD.
5 Bedok South Road, Singapore 469270,
Singapore
www.yokogawa.com/sg
Yokogawa Electric China Co.,
LTD.
22nd Floor Shanghai Oriental Centre
31 Wujiang Road (699 Nanjing West Road)
Jing’an District, Shanghai 200041, China
Phone: 86-21-5211-0877
Fax: 86-21-5211-0299
Company Bio:
Yokogawa Corporation of America is the North
American unit of US $4 billion Yokogawa Electric
Corporation, a global leader in the manufacture
and supply of instrumentation, process control, and
automation solutions. Headquartered in Newnan,
GA., Yokogawa Corporation of America serves a
diverse customer base with market-leading products
including analyzers, flow meters, transmitters, con-
trollers, recorders, data acquisition products, meters,
instruments, safety instrumented systems, distrib-
uted control systems and more.
Products:
PRM™—Plant Resource Manager (PRM) is a
real-time instrument device maintenance and
management software package that provides
a platform for advanced instrument diagnos-
tics. PRM is an integrated software solution
that unifies the monitored data from intelli-
gent and non-intelligent field devices running
within Yokogawa’s CENTUM VP and STAR-
DOM control systems or as a stand-alone
solution. The key feature of PRM is that it
provides easy access to automatically collected
data from field networks such as Foundation
Fieldbus, and HART allowing integration,
management and maintenance these devices
using a common database.
UPS TR EAM / DOW N S T R E A M S OF T WA RE R E FE REN CE
PRM provides integrated plant and device
performance data, maintenance records, audit
trails, device configuration with auto-device
detection, historic data management, param-
eter comparison, advanced device diagnostics
information, and access to on-line documen-
tation such as device drawings, parts list and
manuals in a client server architecture that
provides information to multiple users within
a plant facility. It provides the ability to adjust
the parameters of intelligent devices online
and allows comparison of the current data to
historical data of a device.
Fieldmate™—FieldMate™ is an asset manage-
ment software developed for portable laptop
computers that provides configuration and
maintenance of intelligent field devices. Field-
mate™ supports the use of open interface Field
Device Tool (FDT) technology to facilitate
the configuration and adjustment of field de-
vices such as sensors and valves at production
sites, regardless of the manufacturer or the
communication protocols. Fieldmate™ also
supports Electronic Device Description Lan-
guage (EDDL) interface technology.
With its device navigation and device mainte-
nance information management features, this
software relieves users of the difficulties with
dealing with a variety of communication proto-
cols and configuration methods from multiple
manufacturers which used different configura-
tors and/or multiple configuration procedures.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-409
Jing’an District, Shanghai 200041, China
Phone: 86-21-5211-0877
Fax: 86-21-5211-0299
Company Bio:
Yokogawa Corporation of America is the North
American unit of US $4 billion Yokogawa Elec-
tric Corporation, a global leader in the manu-
facture and supply of instrumentation, process
control, and automation solutions. Headquar-
tered in Newnan, GA., Yokogawa Corporation
of America serves a diverse customer base with
market-leading products including analyzers,
flow meters, transmitters, controllers, record-
ers, data acquisition products, meters, instru-
ments, safety instrumented systems, distributed
control systems and more.
Products:
Exapilot—Exapilot is a patented Advanced
Operation Efficiency Improvement software
package that plant operators use to develop a
structured methodology of operating certain
standard procedures. Exapilot makes it pos-
sible to incorporate the know-how and plant
operation expertise of experienced operators in
automated plant operation procedures that en-
sure standard and uniform plant operation. By
enforcing a common and structured operating
methodology, Exapilot helps plants run more
efficiently and safely.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-409
Downstream
CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT
PAS
16055 Space Center Blvd. Ste. 600
Houston, TX 77062
Phone: +1.281.286.6565
Fax: +1.281.286.6767
Email: info@pas.com
www.pas.com
Company Bio:
PAS improves the automation and operation-
al effectiveness of process plants worldwide
through innovative software products and ex-
pert consulting services. Our solutions ensure
safe running operations, maximize situation
awareness, and reduce plant vulnerabilities.
Our comprehensive portfolio includes Alarm
Management, Automation Genome Mapping,
Control Loop Performance Optimization, and
High-Performance Human Machine Interfaces.
Products:
Manage, leverage and make sense of the com-
plex configurations in, and interactions among,

COLLABORATION
AND KNOWLEDGE CAPTURE

Yokogawa Electric Corporation

World Headquarters
9-32, Nakacho 2-chrome,
Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-8750, Japan
www.yokogawa.com

Yokogawa Corp. of America

12530 West Airport Blvd,
Sugar Land, TX 77478
www.yokogawa.com/us

Yokogawa Europe B.V.

Databankweg 20 3821 AL Amersfoort,
The Netherlands
www.yokogawa.com/eu

Yokogawa Engineering Asia

PTE. LTD.
5 Bedok South Road, Singapore 469270,
Singapore
www.yokogawa.com/sg

Yokogawa Electric China Co.,

LTD.
22nd Floor Shanghai Oriental Centre
31 Wujiang Road (699 Nanjing West Road)
Select 408 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
9
Downstream
CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT, CONT.
your automation systems. Gain quick access to
the large and continually changing automation
systems configuration databases and provide
comprehensive management of change (MOC)
for them. Dramatically improve the productiv-
ity of plant personnel by significantly reducing
the time required to find accurate and up to
date plant information.
PAS’ Integrity™ Software maps the Automation
Genome™, which is the collective configura-
tions within and among all automation systems
in a plant. It aggregates and contextualizes plant
automation configuration databases, programs,
and user interfaces, and simplifies the visualiza-
tion of their information in context with work
being performed.
Additional layered applications for Integrity are
available to improve the productivity of plant
personnel. Integrity Loop Sheets automatically
generates, on demand, a single loop sheet con-
taining the full signal genealogy from instru-
mentation, wiring, marshalling, and through
the entire automation system configuration.
Integrity Recon™ monitors and reports vital
information and vulnerabilities about critical
automation infrastructure. It provides an effec-
tive means for defining and managing common
operating environments (COE) within the au-
tomation firewall.
Integrity currently supports over 40 different au-
tomation systems from a multitude of vendors.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-408
DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION
AND ENGINEERING
Chemstations, Inc.
2901 Wilcrest, Suite 305
Houston, TX 77042
Toll Free: 800-243-6223
Phone: 713-978-7700
Fax: 713-978-7727
E-mail: sales@chemstations.net
www.Chemstations.net
Steve Brown, V.P. Sales/Marketing
Company Bio:
With offices worldwide, Chemstations is a lead-
ing global supplier of process simulation soft-
ware for the following process industries; Oil
& Gas, Petrochemicals, Chemicals, and Fine
Chemicals, including Pharmaceuticals. We
currently offer several individually licensed, and
tightly integrated, technologies to address the
needs of the chemical engineer, whether doing
new process design or working in the plant.
10 SOFTWARE REFERENCE FALL 2010
U PSTREA M / D O WN STREA M SOFTWARE REFERENCE
Products:
CC-STEADY STATE Chemical Process Simu-
lation Software - Includes database of chemical
components, thermodynamic methods, and
unit operations to allow steady state simulation
of continuous chemical processes from lab scale
to full scale.
CC-DYNAMICS Dynamic Process Simulation
Software—Takes your steady state simulations
to the next level of fidelity to allow dynamic
analysis of your flowsheet. The combination of
two pieces of software, CC-ReACS and CC-
DCOLUMN make CC-DYNAMICS the dy-
namic simulator of choice.
CC-BATCH Batch Distillation Simulation
Software—As an add-on or stand alone pro-
gram, CC-BATCH makes batch distillation
simulation and design easy with intuitive, op-
eration step based input.
CC-THERM Heat Exchanger Design & Rat-
ing Software—As an add-on or stand alone
program, CC-THERM makes use of multiple
international standards for design and materials
to make sizing your next heat exchanger faster
and more accurate.
CC-SAFETY NET Piping & safety relief Net-
work Simulation Software—A subset of CC-
STEADY STATE, this program allows rigorous
analysis of any piping network.
CC-FLASH Physical Propertieis & Phase
Equilibria Calculation Software—A subset of
the CHEMCAD Suite (all of the CHEMCAD
Suite products include CC-FLASH capabili-
ties), this program allows rigorous calculation
of pure component and mixture physical prop-
erties and phase equilibria (VLE, LLE, VLLE).
www.info.hotims.com/33224-410
Codeware, Inc.
Codeware, Inc.
5224 Station Way
Sarasota, FL 34233
United States
Phone: (941) 927-2670
Fax: (941) 927-2459
E-mail: inquiries@codeware.com
www.codeware.com
Company Bio:
Since 1985, Codeware has focused exclu-
sively on providing the most comprehensive
software for the design and analysis of ASME
vessels and exchangers. Codeware’s Austin,
Texas based development team has the exper-
tise needed to understand the complexities of
the Code rules and the practical experience re-
quired to implement an effective solution.
Products:
Let COMPRESS be your expert assistant.
From individual components to complex mul-
tiple diameter towers, COMPRESS can model
virtually any geometry.
The standard functionality of COMPRESS
includes everything needed to perform ASME
Section VIII, Division 1 pressure vessel calcu-
lations. This includes the U.S. Customary and
Metric Editions of Section II, Part D as well
as a selection of Building Codes and related
Engineering Standards.
To tailor COMPRESS to your needs, the fol-
lowing optional modules are available:
• ASME Section VIII, Division 2
• Heat Exchangers (includes TEMA Stan-
dard, ASME UHX rules, tube field layout
capability and bi-directional interface with
HTRI’s Xchanger Suite)
• Drafter (converts COMPRESS files into
AutoCAD drawings)
• Coster (creates Excel compatible vessel
cost estimates)
COMPRESS generates both detailed and ab-
breviated reports, the former suitable for use
as a calculation audit trail. COMPRESS also
generates ASME U forms and NBIC R forms.
Once finalized, forms can be saved in PDF
or EDT compliant format. EDT compliant
files can be directly submitted to the National
Board electronically. To simplify document
management, a new “Project” feature allows
users to organize, view and backup files of any
type from within COMPRESS.
Visit www.codeware.com to download your com-
plimentary COMPRESS trial software today.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-406
Heat Transfer Research, Inc.
Worldwide
150 Venture Drive
College Station, TX 77845 USA
Phone: 979-690-5050
Fax: 979-690-3250
E-mail: HTRI@HTRI.net
www.HTRI.net
Claudette D. Beyer, President and CEO
Fernando J. Aguirre, VP, Sales and Business
Development
Asia - Pacific
World Business Garden Marive East 14F
Nakase 2-6, Mihamaku
Chiba 261-7114 Japan
Phone: 81-43-297-0353
Fax: 81-43-297-0354
E-mail: HTRI.Asia@HTRI.net
Hirohisa Uozu, Regional Manager
EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa)
The Surrey Technology Centre
40 Occam Road
Guildford, Surrey GU2 7YG U.K.
Phone: 44-(0)1483-685100
Fax: 44-(0)1483-685101
HTRI.Europe@HTRI.net
Hans U. Zettler, Regional Manager
UPS TR EAM / DOW N S T R E A M S OF T WA RE R E FE REN CE Downstream
India Design programs:
C-1, First Floor, Tower-B, “Indraprasth • Shell and tube heat exchangers
Complex” • Waste heat boilers
Near Inox Multiplex, Race Course (North) • Cooling towers
Vadodara 390007, Gujarat, India
KRC Technologies • Steam heaters
6637 Covoy Ct.
Phone: +91 (982) 514-7775 • Heat recovery steam generators
San Diego, CA 92111
HTRI.India@HTRI.net • Fluid mixers and atmospheric tanks
Toll Free: 888-467-2127
Rajan Desai, International Coordinator • Mixer designs in vertical tanks
Phone: 858-490-0028
• Vertical and horizontal storage tanks
Fax: 858-777-5462
Company Bio: • Plate-fin heat exchangers
E-mail: support@engineering-software.com
HTRI operates an international consortium • Compact heat exchangers
www.engineering-software.com
founded in 1962 that conducts industrially • Heat transfer in process vessels and
Mike Stephenson, President
relevant research and provides software tools fermenters
for design, rating, and simulation of process heat Physical properties:
Company Bio: • Steam tables (IFC-97)
transfer equipment. HTRI also produces a wide
KRC Technologies provides engineering soft- • Gas compressibility calculators (AGA-8)
range of technical publications and provides oth-
ware solutions. The company sells hundreds of • Psychrometrics
er services including contract research, software
commercial engineering software applications • Combustion analysis
development, consulting, and training.
from the company’s website. KRC Technolo- • Thermodynamic and transport properties of
Products: gies also develops custom engineering solu- over 600 common organic and inorganic com-
HTRI Xchanger Suite—Integrated graphical tions and has delivered software for the design pounds
user environment for the design, rating, and and analysis of heat exchangers, on-line six Economic evaluation:
simulation of heat transfer equipment. sigma, factory automation and valve tray de- • Cogeneration
Xace—Designs, rates, and simulates the per- sign software. • Flash tanks
formance of air-cooled heat exchangers, heat Products: • Insulation
recovery units, and air preheaters. KRC Technologies develops, sells and distributes Transport:
Xfh—Simulates the behavior of fired heaters. software to engineers. Our mission is to provide • Piping pressure loss
Calculates the radiant section of cylindrical and software solutions to increase the productivity • Pipe Networks
box heaters and the convection section of fired of engineers. For this reason, our products tran- • Duct design
heaters. It also designs process heater tubes and scend most engineering disciplines. You can find • Flow calculation (nozzle, orifice, venturi)
performs combustion calculations. software on our website to solve a multitude of Structural:
engineering tasks. Some of these include: • Wind Load analysis
Xhpe—Designs, rates, and simulates the per-
• Snow load analysis
formance of hairpin heat exchangers.
Xist—Designs, rates, and simulates single- and
two-phase shell-and-tube heat exchangers, in-
cluding kettle and thermosiphon reboilers, fall-
ing film evaporators, and reflux condensers.
Xjpe—Designs, rates, and simulates jacketed-
pipe (double-pipe) heat exchangers. COMPRESS ™
Xphe—Designs, rates, and simulates plate-and-
frame heat exchangers. A fully incremental pro-
gram, each plate channel is calculated individu-
Simplify ASME VIII Code Calculations
ally using local physical properties and process
conditions.
Xspe—Rates and simulates single-phase spiral
plate heat exchangers. We have the expertise needed to understand
Xtlo—Graphical standalone rigorous tube lay-
out software; also integrated with Xist. the complexities of the Code rules and the
Xvib—Performs flow-induced vibration analy- practical experience required to implement
sis of a single tube in a heat exchanger bundle.
It uses a rigorous structural analysis approach to an effective solution. Let COMPRESS be
calculate the tube natural frequencies for vari- your expert assistant.
ous modes and offers flexibility in the geom-
etries it can handle.
Xchanger Suite Educational—Customized ver- x Intuitive interface
sion of Xchanger Suite with the capability to x Code rule reminders during input
design, rate, and simulate shell-and-tube heat
exchangers, air-coolers, economizers, and plate- x ASME U and NBIC R form generation
and-frame heat exchangers. Available to educa-
tional institutions only. x New “Project” view
R-trend—Calculates and trends fouling resis-
tances for shell-and-tube heat exchangers in sin-
gle-phase service. Uses Microsoft Excel as work-
ing environment with optional link to Xist. DOWNLOAD YOUR TRIAL SOFTWARE TODAY
www.info.hotims.com/33224-411 www.codeware.com

Select 406 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS

11
Downstream
DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION
AND ENGINEERING, CONT.
• Single or multiple span beams
• Rods
• Self supported stacks
• Guy wire supported stack
• Analysis of horizontal vessels supported on
two saddles
KRC Technologies also creates custom software
to various industries, including oil and gas.
These have included:
• Factory automation
• On-line leak testing with six-sigma on-line
analysis
• Mist eliminator design
• Valve tray design
• Compact heat exchanger design
Many products have demo versions that
can be downloaded from the website,
www.engineering-software.com.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-412
DYNAMIC SIMULATION
AND OPTIMIZATION
Chemstations, Inc.
2901 Wilcrest, Suite 305
Houston, TX 77042
Toll Free: 800-243-6223
Phone: 713-978-7700
Fax: 713-978-7727
E-mail: sales@chemstations.net
www.Chemstations.net
Steve Brown, V.P. Sales/Marketing
Company Bio:
With offices worldwide, Chemstations is a lead-
ing global supplier of process simulation soft-
ware for the following process industries; Oil
& Gas, Petrochemicals, Chemicals, and Fine
Chemicals, including Pharmaceuticals. We
currently offer several individually licensed, and
tightly integrated, technologies to address the
needs of the chemical engineer, whether doing
new process design or working in the plant.
Products:
CC-STEADY STATE Chemical Process Simu-
lation Software—Includes database of chemical
components, thermodynamic methods, and
unit operations to allow steady state simulation
of continuous chemical processes from lab scale
to full scale.
CC-DYNAMICS Dynamic Process Simulation
Software—Takes your steady state simulations
to the next level of fidelity to allow dynamic
analysis of your flowsheet. The combination of
two pieces of software, CC-ReACS and CC-
DCOLUMN make CC-DYNAMICS the dy-
namic simulator of choice.
12 SOFTWARE REFERENCE FALL 2010
U PSTREA M / D O WN STREA M SOFTWARE REFERENCE
CC-BATCH Batch Distillation Simulation
Software—As an add-on or stand alone pro-
gram, CC-BATCH makes batch distillation
simulation and design easy with intuitive, op-
eration step based input.
CC-THERM Heat Exchanger Design & Rat-
ing Software—As an add-on or stand alone
program, CC-THERM makes use of multiple
international standards for design and materials
to make sizing your next heat exchanger faster
and more accurate.
CC-SAFETY NET Piping & safety relief Net-
work Simulation Software—A subset of CC-
STEADY STATE, this program allows rigorous
analysis of any piping network.
CC-FLASH Physical Properties & Phase Equi-
libria Calculation Software—A subset of the
CHEMCAD Suite (all of the CHEMCAD
Suite products include CC-FLASH capabili-
ties), this program allows rigorous calculation
of pure component and mixture physical prop-
erties and phase equilibria (VLE, LLE, VLLE).
www.info.hotims.com/33224-410
ENERGY MANAGEMENT
Heat Transfer Research, Inc.
Worldwide
150 Venture Drive
College Station, TX 77845 USA
Phone: 979-690-5050
Fax: 979-690-3250
E-mail: HTRI@HTRI.net
www.HTRI.net
Claudette D. Beyer, President and CEO
Fernando J. Aguirre, VP, Sales and Business
Development
Asia—Pacific
World Business Garden Marive East 14F
Nakase 2-6, Mihamaku
Chiba 261-7114 Japan
Phone: 81-43-297-0353
Fax: 81-43-297-0354
E-mail: HTRI.Asia@HTRI.net
Hirohisa Uozu, Regional Mgr.
EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa)
The Surrey Technology Centre
40 Occam Road
Guildford, Surrey GU2 7YG U.K.
Phone: 44-(0)1483-685100
Fax: 44-(0)1483-685101
HTRI.Europe@HTRI.net
Hans U. Zettler, Regional Manager
India
C-1, First Floor, Tower-B, “Indraprasth Complex”
Near Inox Multiplex, Race Course (North)
Vadodara 390007, Gujarat, India
Phone: +91 (982) 514-7775
HTRI.India@HTRI.net
Rajan Desai, International Coordinator
Company Bio:
HTRI operates an international consortium
founded in 1962 that conducts industrially rel-
evant research and provides software tools for
design, rating, and simulation of process heat
transfer equipment. HTRI also produces a wide
range of technical publications and provides
other services including contract research, soft-
ware development, consulting, and training.
Products:
HTRI Xchanger Suite—Integrated graphical
user environment for the design, rating, and
simulation of heat transfer equipment.
Xace—Designs, rates, and simulates the per-
formance of air-cooled heat exchangers, heat
recovery units, and air preheaters.
Xfh—Simulates the behavior of fired heaters.
Calculates the radiant section of cylindrical and
box heaters and the convection section of fired
heaters. It also designs process heater tubes and
performs combustion calculations.
Xhpe—Designs, rates, and simulates the per-
formance of hairpin heat exchangers.
Xist—Designs, rates, and simulates single- and
two-phase shell-and-tube heat exchangers, in-
cluding kettle and thermosiphon reboilers, fall-
ing film evaporators, and reflux condensers.
Xjpe—Designs, rates, and simulates jacketed-
pipe (double-pipe) heat exchangers.
Xphe—Designs, rates, and simulates plate-and-
frame heat exchangers. A fully incremental pro-
gram, each plate channel is calculated individu-
ally using local physical properties and process
conditions.
Xspe—Rates and simulates single-phase spiral
plate heat exchangers.
Xtlo—Graphical standalone rigorous tube lay-
out software; also integrated with Xist.
Xvib—Performs flow-induced vibration analy-
sis of a single tube in a heat exchanger bundle.
It uses a rigorous structural analysis approach to
calculate the tube natural frequencies for vari-
ous modes and offers flexibility in the geom-
etries it can handle.
Xchanger Suite Educational—Customized ver-
sion of Xchanger Suite with the capability to
design, rate, and simulate shell-and-tube heat
exchangers, air-coolers, economizers, and plate-
and-frame heat exchangers. Available to educa-
tional institutions only.
R-trend—Calculates and trends fouling resis-
tances for shell-and-tube heat exchangers in sin-
gle-phase service. Uses Microsoft Excel as work-
ing environment with optional link to Xist.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-411
UPS TR EAM / DOW N S T R E A M S OF T WA RE R E FE REN CE Downstream
ENTERPRISE PORTAL SYSTEMS • Crude Composition Tracking
• Crude Scheduling
Company Bio:
With offices worldwide, Chemstations is a
• GRTMPS Planning Interface leading global supplier of process simulation
• Heat Exchanger Monitoring software for the following process industries;
• KPIs, Operating Envelops, Plan vs Actual Oil & Gas, Petrochemicals, Chemicals, and
• Lab Interface and Reporting Fine Chemicals, including Pharmaceuticals.
• LP Data Collector We currently offer several individually li-
• Oil Movement Logging censed, and tightly integrated, technologies
m:pro IT Consult GmbH • ORION Scheduling Interface to address the needs of the chemical engineer,
Kirchgasse 47 • PIMS Planning Interface whether doing new process design or working
65183 Wiesbaden • Quality Tracking in the plant.
Germany • Tank Calculation System
www.info.hotims.com/33224-402 Products:
Phone: +49 611 39843 0 CC-STEADY STATE Chemical Process Simu-
Fax: +49 611 39843 12 lation Software—Includes database of chemical
E-mail: info@mpro-it.com
www.mpro-it.com ONLINE MONITORING components, thermodynamic methods, and
unit operations to allow steady state simulation
AND OPTIMIZATION of continuous chemical processes from lab scale
Company Bio to full scale.
m:pro IT Consult is a project services and
software products company which enables CC-DYNAMICS Dynamic Process Simulation
petroleum refining, petrochemical and other Software—Takes your steady state simulations
industries to achieve total integration of in- to the next level of fidelity to allow dynamic
formation sources and applications, from analysis of your flowsheet. The combination of
business systems, ERP and supply chain man- Chemstations, Inc. two pieces of software, CC-ReACS and CC-
agement through to plant information, pro- 2901 Wilcrest, Suite 305 DCOLUMN make CC-DYNAMICS the dy-
duction planning, scheduling and operations Houston, TX 77042 namic simulator of choice.
decision support. Toll Free: 800-243-6223 CC-BATCH Batch Distillation Simulation
Products: Phone: 713-978-7700 Software—As an add-on or stand alone pro-
m:pro delivers enterprise wide or point solu- Fax: 713-978-7727 gram, CC-BATCH makes batch distillation
tions - easy and fast to implement - which truly E-mail: sales@chemstations.net simulation and design easy with intuitive, op-
integrate the production and business applica- www.Chemstations.net eration step based input.
tions required to manage the overall assets. Steve Brown, V.P. Sales/Marketing

m:pro enables, consult and assists business pro-

cess improvements, especially for refining sup-
ply chain management (SCM).
The m:pro Integration Platform (m:ip) provides
the total integration of information sources and
applications including ERP, planning, schedul-
ing, functional databases, plant information
systems, forecasting in a phased justified ap-
proach. The m:ip enables and improves the use
of best-in-class software, plant and business ap-
plications = asset maximization.
The m:pro object warehouse (m:owh) is our
integration, data storage/management, and
business intelligence back-end. The m:owh is
based on standard and open relational database
technology.
The m:pro explorer (m:exp) is our feature rich,
fully web-enabled common graphical user in-
terface including build and administration
tools. The m:exp can run as the portal or can
seamlessly be embedded in popular web portal
environments.
m:pro provides standard applications/inter-
faces for:
• Production planning, scheduling and blending
• Performance monitoring and dashboards
• Data and process quality
• Information analysis, visualization, flowsheeting,
trending and reporting
Featured applications/interfaces are:
• Analyzer Monitoring
• Blend Monitoring and Reporting
Select 402 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
13
Downstream
ONLINE MONITORING
AND OPTIMIZATION, CONT.
CC-THERM Heat Exchanger Design & Rat-
ing Software—As an add-on or stand alone
program, CC-THERM makes use of multiple
international standards for design and mate-
rials to make sizing your next heat exchanger
faster and more accurate.
CC-SAFETY NET Piping & safety relief Net-
work Simulation Software—A subset of CC-
STEADY STATE, this program allows rigorous
analysis of any piping network.
CC-FLASH Physical Propertieis & Phase
Equilibria Calculation Software—A subset
of the CHEMCAD Suite (all of the CHEM-
CAD Suite products include CC-FLASH
capabilities), this program allows rigorous
calculation of pure component and mix-
ture physical properties and phase equilibria
(VLE, LLE, VLLE).
www.info.hotims.com/33224-410
Flexware, Inc.
PO Box 110
Grapeville, PA 15634-0110
Phone: 724-527-3911
Fax: 724-527-5701
E-mail: sales@flexwareinc.com
www.flexwareinc.com
Company Bio:
Flexware® is focused on servicing compa-
nies interested in monitoring and improv-
ing turbomachinery performance for energy
conservation and capacity improvements.
Central to this is software development to
assist the rotating equipment engineer in as-
sessing the operating equipment along with
training programs and supporting consult-
ing services.
Products:
Gas Flex®, first developed as a DOS program
in 1990, does gas compressor performance
calculations using BWR (Benedict, Webb
& Rubin) equations of state. In it’s present
form, Gas Flex® “Live Analysis” will auto-
matically process compressor data. Gas Flex®
will read raw data, process it and store results
for trending purposes while you watch the
results displayed on the OEM performance
curve. The trending, including transients like
hard startups aid troubleshooting efforts.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-413
Select 414 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
14
U PSTREA M / D OWN STREA M SOFTWARE REFERENCE
PLANNING, SCHEDULING
AND BLENDING
AMI Consultants, Inc.
4102 Tremont Ct.
Sugar Land, TX 77479
Phone: 281-565-4745
Fax: 281-565-1196
Email: Info@AmiConsultants.com
www.AmiConsultants.com
Company Bio:
AMI Consultant develops and markets software
for Petroleum refinery planning and economics.
Since the introduction of the PetroPlanSM soft-
ware in 1996, AMI’s customer base has grown
with installations now at over 50 sites world-
wide. Licensees include operating and E&C
companies as well as educational institutions.
Products:
PetroPlanSM is a software to simulate the whole
refinery using a truly user-friendly graphic in-
terface. Applications include: evaluation of re-
vamp/expansion options, planning of grassroots
facilities, evaluation of alternative feedstocks,
changed product specifications and optimiza-
tion of plant operations.
In the simulation each refinery unit is repre-
sented by a block (e.g. FCC). For each block,
the prediction of product yields and properties
is based on feed characteristics and user speci-
fied parameters (e.g. conversion). The equa-
tions for predicting a block’s performance are
visible to the user and are editable. Crude oil
cutting and specification product blending are
integrated into the main simulation.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-414
Haverly Systems, Inc.
12 Hinchman Avenue
Denville, NJ 07834
Phone: 973-627-1424
Fax: 973-625-2296
E-mail: newjersey@haverly.com
www.haverly.com
Other Haverly Office Locations
Ventura, CA: 805-653-5355
Houston, TX: 713-776-3161
St. Albans, U.K.: +44 1727 826321
Singapore: +65 9630 6364
Company Bio:
Haverly Systems Inc. is an independent soft-
ware company that has specialized in the devel-
opment and use of optimization-related prod-
ucts and services for over four decades. Their
systems are used in more than 50 countries
worldwide by international and independent
oil companies, chemical companies, and many
other industrial and government entities. The
effectivenss of their products has long been rec-
ognized in the continued patronage and good-
will of their clients. The ownership has been
unchanged since the company’s founding, and
most senior management and technical staff
has been with the company for more than 15
years. This continuity in ownership, manage-
ment, and business specializaiton is reflected in
the corporate stability, continued profitability,
and very personal pride found in satisfying each
client’s need for technically excellent products
and services.
Products:
H/CAMS: a software system for the manage-
ment, development, analysis, and application of
crude assay data. H/CAMS determines and relates
the effects associated with mixing and distilling
crude oils, as well as other virgin hydrocarbons.
Hundreds of varying whole crude, distillate, and
residue properties are accepted, reported, corre-
lated, or otherwise calculated. Raw assay data is
easily entered and results displayed through vivid
graphs. These can be readily smoothed, augment-
ed, and contraasted against other properties and
known references to provide the very best repre-
sentation of crude behavior to applications that
depend on good assay data. Correlations and
calculations-based sound engineering principles
provide users additional intelligence in determin-
ing data quality and best data interpretation. H/
CAMS features several useful utilities that allow
easy updating of existing assays with refinery labo-
ratory or current operating data and assure accu-
rate representations. H/CAMS may be supplied
with one or more high quality, industry developed
crude assay libraries to supplement a user’s local
library and extend the application of the system.
H/COMET: the on-line version of H/CAMS
which allows for the quick access and evaluation
of crude oils from a large, on-line crude assay da-
tabase. Crudes may be easily cut, blended, com-
pared, and analyzed using advanced graphical
and computational techniques. LP optimization
technology is used to calculate netback value for
selected crude or blends of crude. Crude netback
values may readily be determined for a user cus-
tomized set of refinery configurations.
GRTMPS: Haverly’s premier economic opti-
mization planning system. GRTMPS is used
to model individual refinery and petrochemical
plant operations, as well as entire business enter-
prises, of any size and complexity, and over any
time horizon. It employs both advanced linear
and non-linear modeling techniques. Its non-lin-
ear modeling abilities extend to cut-point optimi-
zation, reformulated gasoline modeling, rigorous
process simulation interfacing, and investment
UPS TR EAM / DOW N S T R E A M S OF T WA RE R E FE REN CE
opportunity studies. Haverly also offers an ad-
vance refinery modeling platform in GRTMPS
structure and developed by the industry consult-
ing firm: Turner, Mason & Company -- to assist
in the development and execution of models.
H/Sched: advanced operations scheduling tools.
Each H/Sched system couples superior schedule
simulation and generation technology with state-
of-the-art graphics to provide tools with unsur-
passed scheduling optimization abilities. Schedules
are automatically generated and optimized, using
Haverly’s own Progressional LP technology. After
reviewing informative Gantt charts, flow diagrams,
inventory profiles and detail windows - schedulers
may directly modify these mediums to alter their
schedules and obtain more desirable results.
H/Gal-XE: an expert H/Sched application
specifically designed for the optimization of
gasoline blend scheduling. Allow for fast con-
struction and execution of models constrained
by operational parameters typically found in
gasoline blending and distribution operations.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-415
m:pro IT Consult GmbH
Kirchgasse 47
65183 Wiesbaden
Germany
Phone: +49 611 39843 0
Fax: +49 611 39843 12
E-mail: info@mpro-it.com
intelligence back-end. The m:owh is based on
standard and open relational database technology.
The m:pro explorer (m:exp) is our feature rich,
fully web-enabled common graphical user inter-
face including build and administration tools. The
m:exp can run as the portal or can seamlessly be
embedded in popular web portal environments.
m:pro provides standard applications/interfaces
for:
• Production planning, scheduling and blending
• Performance monitoring and dashboards
• Data and process quality
• Information analysis, visualization, flowsheeting,
trending and reporting
Featured applications/interfaces are:
• Analyzer Monitoring
• Blend Monitoring and Reporting
• Crude Composition Tracking
• Crude Scheduling
• GRTMPS Planning Interface
• Heat Exchanger Monitoring
• KPIs, Operating Envelops, Plan vs Actual
• Lab Interface and Reporting
• LP Data Collector
• Oil Movement Logging
• ORION Scheduling Interface
• PIMS Planning Interface
• Quality Tracking
• Tank Calculation System
www.info.hotims.com/33224-402
(AVERLY3YSTEMS)NC
Downstream
M3 Technology, Inc
10375 Richmond Ave., Suite 380
Houston, TX 77042
Phone: +1-713-784-8285
Fax: +1-832-553-1893
E-mail: m3.sales@m3tch.com
www.m3tch.com
Company Bio
M3 Technology is the premier supplier of supply
chain management solutions focused on enterprise
planning, advanced asset scheduling and optimiza-
tion solutions for the petroleum, petrochemical &
LNG industries. M3’s solutions capture economic
oppor-tunities and reduce the cost of managing
complex facilities at the plant level, regional operat-
ing level and global enterprise level. M3 has a global
network of implementation partners to provide lo-
cal consulting expertise and customer support.
Products:
SIMTO™ Scheduling

(#/-%4
www.mpro-it.com

Company Bio
m:pro IT Consult is a project services and soft-
ware products company which enables petro-
leum refining, petrochemical and other indus-
tries to achieve total integration of information
sources and applications, from business systems,
Crude Oil Management Evaluation Tool
ERP and supply chain management through to
plant information, production planning, sched-
uling and operations decision support.
Revolutionary Web-Based Application
Products: With H/COMET you can:
m:pro delivers enterprise wide or point solutions -
easy and fast to implement - which truly integrate • Quickly access & evaluate crudes from a large assay database
the production and business applications required • Select crudes based on user-defined criteria
to manage the overall assets. • Compare crudes side-by-side for any desired qualities
m:pro enables, consult and assists business pro- • Re-cut and blend crudes using Haverlyʼs H/CAMS technology
cess improvements, especially for refining sup-
ply chain management (SCM).
• Determine netback values of crudes or blends for a variety of
refinery configurations.
The m:pro Integration Platform (m:ip) provides
the total integration of information sources and
applications including ERP, planning, schedul-
ing, functional databases, plant information
systems, forecasting in a phased justified ap-
proach. The m:ip enables and improves the use
of best-in-class software, plant and business ap-
plications = asset maximization.
The m:pro object warehouse (m:owh) is our in- Visit www.haverly.com to learn more or call us at (973) 627-1424
tegration, data storage/management, and business
Select 415 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
15
Downstream
PLANNING, SCHEDULING
AND BLENDING, CONT.
SIMTO™ Scheduling is the next generation
plant scheduling technology
Powerful comprehensive flowsheet modeling
• Models facility connections
• Easy to create multiple modes of unit opera-
tion
• Models pipeline and jetty operations
• Handles imperfect tank mixing
Flexible Plant Simulator
• Predicts plant inventories, compositions,
properties, and unit yields
• Runs multi-month simulations in seconds
• Friendly and easy to use interfaces
• Interactive, dynamic process flowsheet
• User configurable Gantt charts, trends and
tabular view, all are fully synchronized
• Custom scheduling logic without programming
Quick and low cost implementation
• Many customers self implement
• Easy to maintain; saves manpower
Scalable Enterprise Workflow/Collaboration
• Users are notified of data changes detailing
who changed what, when
• Easy to integrate with plant and enterprise
systems using standard web services.
• Standardized reports
Profitable:
Today it is not enough to drive cost out of your
supply chain. SIMTO Scheduling pro-vides
you the agility to take full advantage of profit
opportunities.
SIMTO™ Blending
SIMTO™ M-Blend is a multi-period, multi-
blend optimization technology for blending
crude oil, gasoline, distillate, fuel oil, asphalt,
petrochemical feedstock and more.
M-Blend is part of the native construct of SIM-
TO Scheduling and inherits the rich capability
and robustness of the parent.
Powerful blend modeling
• Models rundown streams, component tanks
and group blending
• Respects logistic and running gage con-
straints
• Models multiple blenders operating separate-
ly or in parallel
• Supports non-linear blend correlations such
as CARBOB
Flexible blend recipe optimization
• Predicts non-linear, linear and index based
properties
• Optimizes single blend and multiple blends
• Allows priority for near term blends
• Issues component buy/sell signals
16 SOFTWARE REFERENCE FALL 2010
U PSTREA M / D O WN STREA M SOFTWARE REFERENCE
Intuitive and easy to use interfaces
• Provides blend performance analysis for
comparing schedule vs. actual, and adjusting
blend correlations
• Blend operators can customize and configure
Gantt charts, trends and tabular view, to fully
meet individual needs
• Visualization of inventories and specification
violations improves understanding of blend-
ing effects
Fast and low cost implementation
• Outputs standard blend recipes or transfers to
an advanced blend control system
• Easy to maintain; saves manpower
Leverageable blend knowledge base builds
competitive advantage
• Blend Knowledge Base contains data about
product specifications, property bonuses and
interactions, and blending methods used in
blending optimization.
• Easy to update blend methods to assure com-
pliance with government regulations.
Profitable, high ROI, fast time-to-cash
Reduces quality giveaway, maximizes profit
across the planning horizon, able to capture
profit opportunities, assures timely comple-tion
of blends to minimize demurrage, effi-cient use
of human resources, empowers per-sonnel to
quickly troubleshoot profit stealing problems.
SIMTO™ Distribution
SIMTO™ Distribution is a supply and distri-
bution optimizer designed specifically for the
petroleum downstream industry. It is built with
the latest software systems such as .NET and
SQL Server along with integration via industry
standard web services. SIMTO Distribution de-
livers sustainable benefits today and in the fu-
ture. It is part of M3’s ongoing commitment to
our customers to develop best-in-class solutions.
Powerful supply chain modeling system
Inventory and location modeling
• Buy—supply locations and materials
• Sell—demand locations and materials
• Trade/exchange—locations and materials
• Locations—inventory/material constraints
• Point-to-point network
• Logistics for point-to-point movements
Material blend modeling
• Recipes for material blending
• Quality specification for blending
• Components used for blending
• Material qualities used in blending
Route modeling
• pipeline and vessel routes
Commercial modeling
• All cost and contract matters including tiered
pricing
Versatile supply and distribution optimization
• Trade Management— make/buy/exchange
• Cost Management—Transportation pricing,
availability and routing
• Inventory Management—safety stock, sea-
sonal changeover, turnarounds
• Terminal Management—right product, place,
price and time
• Product Mix—material blending
Flexible, user advantage
• Provides customizable presentations of the
supply and distribution environment
• Provides optimized solution for decision
support
• Empowers the planner/scheduler/trader to
make fast, accurate and profitable decisions
• Easy to maintain; saves manpower
Profitable: low cost, very short payback
Bottom-line reduction in distribution cost,
right sizing terminal inventory and safety stock,
maximizes profit across the planning horizon,
able to assure timely completion of transactions
and transfers; empowers people to seize profit
opportunities.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-416
PLANT LIFECYCLE AND
PERFORMANCE MONITORING
Quest Integrity Group, LLC
2465 Central Avenue, Suite 110
Boulder, CO 80301
Phone: 303-415-1475
Fax: 303-415-1847
Email: Info@QuestIntegrity.com
www.QuestIntegrity.com
Company Bio:
Quest Integrity Group provides highly accurate,
technology-enabled inspection and assessment
solutions that help companies in the process,
pipeline and power industries increase profit-
ability, reduce operational and safety risks, and
improve operational planning. The company is
built upon a foundation of leading-edge science
and technology that has innovated and shaped
industries for nearly forty years.
Products:
Signal™ FFS software performs Fitness-for-
Service and fracture mechanics analyses on
fixed and rotating equipment. It implements
the API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 2007 standard
and performs crack assessments in accordance
with the BS 7910 procedure. Users can per-
form Level 1 and 2 assessments on many flaw
and equipment types. An advanced fracture
UPS TR EAM / DOW N S T R E A M S OF T WA RE R E FE REN CE
mechanics module allows users to also per-
form limited Level 3 assessments.
FEACrack™ is finite element analysis software
that rapidly generates 3D crack meshes utiliz-
ing an intuitive interface. Users can perform
detailed fracture and fatigue analyses with un-
limited levels of crack mesh refinement.
LifeQuest™ Heater software provides complete
analysis and remnant life assessment of fired
heater tubes on a foot-by-foot basis utilizing
API 579. The final output is a system risk curve
displaying remaining life in hours versus prob-
ability of failure. It combines with heater per-
formance monitoring and process modeling for
extensive heater reliability management.
LifeQuest™ Pipeline software delivers inspec-
tion and Fitness-for-Service assessment results
through a powerful data viewer. Analysis and
assessment capabilities include standard cal-
culation methods B31G, B31G Modified and
API 579.
RMS™ software facilitates the implementation
of risk-based assessment programs in a wide
range of industries. It addresses the needs of
pressure systems not met by existing reliability
management programs and eliminates the high
data and manpower demands of fully quantita-
tive systems.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-405
PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE
AND REPAIR
Codeware, Inc.
Codeware, Inc.
5224 Station Way
Sarasota, FL 34233
United States
Phone: (941) 927-2670
Fax: (941) 927-2459
E-mail: inquiries@codeware.com
www.codeware.com
Company Bio:
Since 1985, Codeware has focused exclu-
sively on providing the most comprehensive
software for the design and analysis of ASME
vessels and exchangers. Codeware’s Austin,
Texas based development team has the exper-
tise needed to understand the complexities of
the Code rules and the practical experience re-
quired to implement an effective solution.
Products:
Let COMPRESS be your expert assistant.
From individual components to complex mul-
tiple diameter towers, COMPRESS can model
virtually any geometry.
The standard functionality of COMPRESS
includes everything needed to perform ASME
Section VIII, Division 1 pressure vessel calcu-
lations. This includes the U.S. Customary and
Metric Editions of Section II, Part D as well
as a selection of Building Codes and related
Engineering Standards.
To tailor COMPRESS to your needs, the fol-
lowing optional modules are available:
• ASME Section VIII, Division 2
• Heat Exchangers (includes TEMA Stan-
dard, ASME UHX rules, tube field layout
capability and bi-directional interface with
HTRI’s Xchanger Suite)
• Drafter (converts COMPRESS files into
AutoCAD drawings)
• Coster (creates Excel compatible vessel
cost estimates)
COMPRESS generates both detailed and ab-
breviated reports, the former suitable for use
as a calculation audit trail. COMPRESS also
generates ASME U forms and NBIC R forms.
Once finalized, forms can be saved in PDF
or EDT compliant format. EDT compliant
files can be directly submitted to the National
Board electronically. To simplify document
management, a new “Project” feature allows
users to organize, view and backup files of any
type from within COMPRESS.
Visit www.codeware.com to download your com-
plimentary COMPRESS trial software today.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-406
Select 416 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
Downstream
The Equity Engineering Group,
Inc.
20600 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 1200
Shaker Heights, OH 44122
Phone: 216-283-9519
Fax: 216-283-6022
E-mail: gcalvarado@eng.com
www.equityeng.com
Greg Alvarado, VP Sales and Client Service
Company Bio:
The Equity Engineering Group, Inc. is a rec-
ognized leader on aging infrastructure fixed
equipment service and support for the oil
and gas industry. Equity helps plants manage
risk and improve profitability with cutting-
edge software and consulting strategies that
maximize equipment operational availabil-
ity, control inspection costs and avoid costly
shutdowns.
Products:
VCEPlant ManagerTM is a fully-integrated
software tool for the lifecycle management
of plant assets. It offers equipment and data
management in one application and database
on a universal .net standard platform that en-
compasses all modules with a single IT instal-
17
Downstream
PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE
AND REPAIR, CONT.
lation procedure.
Plant Manager takes advantage of the integra-
tion of design and in-service codes and stan-
dards that is now becoming a focal point in the
industry, and can be used for the design and
subsequent management of a plant’s reliability
program. The design features in Plant Manager
are provided in VCESage and cover pressure
vessel, heat exchanger, piping, and tankage de-
sign in accordance with ASME and API codes
and standards. The fixed equipment reliability
tools include:
• VCESage for performing Fitness-For-
Service assessments
• API RBI for inspection planning
• CMLWise for tracking and analyzing
thickness reading data from inspections
• IMS for developing equipment-specific,
detailed inspection plans and reports
• VCEDamage for identifying and under-
standing your plant’s potential damage mecha-
nisms
• VCEIntelliJoint for troubleshooting and
eliminating flange joint leakage problems.
To find out more about how Plant Manager can
benefit your plant’s reliability program, contact
plantmanager@equityeng.com or check our
website at www.equityeng.com.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-407
PROCESS CONTROL AND
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Yokogawa Electric Corporation
World Headquarters
9-32, Nakacho 2-chrome,
Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-8750, Japan
www.yokogawa.com
Yokogawa Corp. of America
12530 West Airport Blvd,
Sugar Land, TX 77478
www.yokogawa.com/us
Yokogawa Europe B.V.
Databankweg 20 3821 AL Amersfoort,
The Netherlands
www.yokogawa.com/eu
Yokogawa Engineering Asia
PTE. LTD.
5 Bedok South Road, Singapore 469270,
Singapore
www.yokogawa.com/sg
18
U PSTREA M / D OWN STREA M SOFTWARE REFERENCE
Yokogawa Electric China Co.,
LTD.
22nd Floor Shanghai Oriental Centre
31 Wujiang Road (699 Nanjing West Road)
Jing’an District, Shanghai 200041, China
Phone: 86-21-5211-0877
Fax: 86-21-5211-0299
Company Bio:
Yokogawa Corporation of America is the
North American unit of US $4 billion Yokoga-
wa Electric Corporation, a global leader in the
manufacture and supply of instrumentation,
process control, and automation solutions.
Headquartered in Newnan, GA., Yokogawa
Corporation of America serves a diverse cus-
tomer base with market-leading products
including analyzers, flow meters, transmit-
ters, controllers, recorders, data acquisition
products, meters, instruments, safety instru-
mented systems, distributed control systems
and more.
Products:
CENTUM VP™—CENTUM VP is an inte-
grated production control system used to man-
age and control the operation of plants. The
highly acclaimed, extremely reliable integrated
production control system combines rugged
control station and remote I/O hardware with
a scalable Windows XP/VISTA-based op-
eration. Designed to handle information and
control from small-scale facilities to the very
largest of plants, the CENTUM VP provides
a highly scalable, easy to operate, engineer,
and maintain, high performance automation
platform. The system architecture includes a
1 GB control and information highway utiliz-
ing Yokogawa’s deterministic VNet protocol
over Ethernet that provides built-in security
for critical communications. CENTUM VP is
an open platform for control and information
providing high performance with low cost of
ownership and a seamless technology migra-
tion to its installed base.
ExaQuantum™—Exaquantum is an intelligent
and scaleable Plant Information Management
System that provides a platform for collecting,
storing and displaying current and historical
data from production equipment. It’s histo-
rian software processes and stores process data,
alarms and events acquired from the produc-
tion control system through a standard OPC
interface. Plant operational performance can
be monitored and analyzed using this data as
it is an enabling platform for production man-
agement applications like data reconciliation,
production accounting, performance monitor-
ing, environmental monitoring, and operations
electronic logbook. Exaquantum also enables
supervisory enterprise applications to be able to
share this data.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-409
PROCESS ENGINEERING
AND SIMULATION
Chemstations, Inc.
2901 Wilcrest, Suite 305
Houston, TX 77042
Toll Free: 800-243-6223
Phone: 713-978-7700
Fax: 713-978-7727
E-mail: sales@chemstations.net
www.Chemstations.net
Steve Brown, V.P. Sales/Marketing
Company Bio:
With offices worldwide, Chemstations is a lead-
ing global supplier of process simulation soft-
ware for the following process industries; Oil
& Gas, Petrochemicals, Chemicals, and Fine
Chemicals, including Pharmaceuticals. We
currently offer several individually licensed, and
tightly integrated, technologies to address the
needs of the chemical engineer, whether doing
new process design or working in the plant.
Products:
CC-STEADY STATE Chemical Process Simula-
tion Software - Includes database of chemical com-
ponents, thermodynamic methods, and unit opera-
tions to allow steady state simulation of continuous
chemical processes from lab scale to full scale.
CC-DYNAMICS Dynamic Process Simulation
Software - Takes your steady state simulations
to the next level of fidelity to allow dynamic
analysis of your flowsheet. The combination of
two pieces of software, CC-ReACS and CC-
DCOLUMN make CC-DYNAMICS the dy-
namic simulator of choice.
CC-BATCH Batch Distillation Simulation
Software - As an add-on or stand alone pro-
gram, CC-BATCH makes batch distillation
simulation and design easy with intuitive, op-
eration step based input.
CC-THERM Heat Exchanger Design & Rat-
ing Software - As an add-on or stand alone
program, CC-THERM makes use of multiple
international standards for design and materials
to make sizing your next heat exchanger faster
and more accurate.
CC-SAFETY NET Piping & safety relief Net-
work Simulation Software - A subset of CC-
STEADY STATE, this program allows rigorous
analysis of any piping network.
CC-FLASH Physical Propertieis & Phase
Equilibria Calculation Software - A subset of
the CHEMCAD Suite (all of the CHEMCAD
Suite products include CC-FLASH capabili-
ties), this program allows rigorous calculation
of pure component and mixture physical prop-
erties and phase equilibria (VLE, LLE, VLLE).
www.info.hotims.com/33224-410
UPS TR EAM / DOW N S T R E A M S OF T WA RE R E FE REN CE Downstream
Phone: 44-(0)1483-685100
Fax: 44-(0)1483-685101
HTRI.Europe@HTRI.net
Hans U. Zettler, Regional Manager
Codeware, Inc. India
Codeware, Inc. C-1, First Floor, Tower-B
5224 Station Way “Indraprasth Complex”
Sarasota, FL 34233 Heat Transfer Research, Inc. Near Inox Multiplex, Race Course (North)
United States Worldwide Vadodara 390007, Gujarat, India
Phone: (941) 927-2670 150 Venture Drive Phone: +91 (982) 514-7775
Fax: (941) 927-2459 College Station, TX 77845 USA HTRI.India@HTRI.net
E-mail: inquiries@codeware.com Phone: 979-690-5050 Rajan Desai, International Coordinator
www.codeware.com Fax: 979-690-3250
E-mail: HTRI@HTRI.net
www.HTRI.net Company Bio:
Company Bio: HTRI operates an international consortium
Since 1985, Codeware has focused exclu- Claudette D. Beyer, President and CEO
Fernando J. Aguirre, VP, Sales and Business founded in 1962 that conducts industrially rel-
sively on providing the most comprehensive evant research and provides software tools for
software for the design and analysis of ASME Development
design, rating, and simulation of process heat
vessels and exchangers. Codeware’s Austin, transfer equipment. HTRI also produces a wide
Texas based development team has the exper-
Asia—Pacific
Heat Transfer Research, Inc. range of technical publications and provides
tise needed to understand the complexities of other services including contract research, soft-
World Business Garden Marive East 14F
the Code rules and the practical experience re- ware development, consulting, and training.
Nakase 2-6, Mihamaku
quired to implement an effective solution.
Chiba 261-7114 Japan Products:
Products: Phone: 81-43-297-0353 HTRI Xchanger Suite—Integrated graphical
Let COMPRESS be your expert assistant. Fax: 81-43-297-0354 user environment for the design, rating, and
From individual components to complex mul- E-mail: HTRI.Asia@HTRI.net simulation of heat transfer equipment.
tiple diameter towers, COMPRESS can model Hirohisa Uozu, Regional Mgr.
Xace—Designs, rates, and simulates the per-
virtually any geometry.
EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) formance of air-cooled heat exchangers, heat
The standard functionality of COMPRESS The Surrey Technology Centre recovery units, and air preheaters.
includes everything needed to perform ASME 40 Occam Road Xfh—Simulates the behavior of fired heaters.
Section VIII, Division 1 pressure vessel calcu- Guildford, Surrey GU2 7YG U.K. Calculates the radiant section of cylindrical and
lations. This includes the U.S. Customary and
Metric Editions of Section II, Part D as well
as a selection of Building Codes and related
Engineering Standards.
To tailor COMPRESS to your needs, the fol-
lowing optional modules are available:
• ASME Section VIII, Division 2
• Heat Exchangers (includes TEMA Standard,
ASME UHX rules, tube field layout capabil-
ity and bi-directional interface with HTRI’s
Xchanger Suite)
• Drafter (converts COMPRESS files into Au-
toCAD drawings)
• Coster (creates Excel compatible vessel cost
estimates)
COMPRESS generates both detailed and ab-
breviated reports, the former suitable for use
as a calculation audit trail. COMPRESS also
generates ASME U forms and NBIC R forms.
Once finalized, forms can be saved in PDF
or EDT compliant format. EDT compliant
files can be directly submitted to the National
Board electronically. To simplify document
management, a new “Project” feature allows
users to organize, view and backup files of any
type from within COMPRESS.
Visit www.codeware.com to download your com-
plimentary COMPRESS trial software today.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-406

Select 410 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS

19
Downstream
PROCESS ENGINEERING
AND SIMULATION, CONT.
box heaters and the convection section of fired
heaters. It also designs process heater tubes and
performs combustion calculations.
Xhpe—Designs, rates, and simulates the per-
formance of hairpin heat exchangers.
Xist—Designs, rates, and simulates single- and
two-phase shell-and-tube heat exchangers, in-
cluding kettle and thermosiphon reboilers, fall-
ing film evaporators, and reflux condensers.
Xjpe—Designs, rates, and simulates jacketed-
pipe (double-pipe) heat exchangers.
Xphe—Designs, rates, and simulates plate-and-
frame heat exchangers. A fully incremental pro-
gram, each plate channel is calculated individu-
ally using local physical properties and process
conditions.
Xspe—Rates and simulates single-phase spiral
plate heat exchangers.
Xtlo—Graphical standalone rigorous tube lay-
out software; also integrated with Xist.
Xvib—Performs flow-induced vibration analy-
sis of a single tube in a heat exchanger bundle.
It uses a rigorous structural analysis approach to
calculate the tube natural frequencies for vari-
ous modes and offers flexibility in the geom-
etries it can handle.
Xchanger Suite Educational—Customized ver-
sion of Xchanger Suite with the capability to
design, rate, and simulate shell-and-tube heat
exchangers, air-coolers, economizers, and plate-
and-frame heat exchangers. Available to educa-
tional institutions only.
R-trend—Calculates and trends fouling resis-
tances for shell-and-tube heat exchangers in sin-
gle-phase service. Uses Microsoft Excel as work-
ing environment with optional link to Xist.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-411
REFINING, PETROCHEMICAL
AND GAS PROCESSING
The Equity Engineering Group,
Inc.
20600 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 1200
Shaker Heights, OH 44122
Phone: 216-283-9519
Fax: 216-283-6022
E-mail: gcalvarado@eng.com
www.equityeng.com
Greg Alvarado, VP Sales and Client Service
Company Bio:
The Equity Engineering Group, Inc. is a recog-
nized leader on aging infrastructure fixed equip-
20 SOFTWARE REFERENCE FALL 2010
U PSTREA M / D OWN STREA M SOFTWARE REFER ENC E
ment service and support for the oil and gas
industry. Equity helps plants manage risk and
improve profitability with cutting-edge soft-
ware and consulting strategies that maximize
equipment operational availability, control in-
spection costs and avoid costly shutdowns.
Products:
VCEPlant ManagerTM is a fully-integrated
software tool for the lifecycle management of
plant assets. It offers equipment and data man-
agement in one application and database on a
universal .net standard platform that encom-
passes all modules with a single IT installation
procedure.
Plant Manager takes advantage of the integra-
tion of design and in-service codes and stan-
dards that is now becoming a focal point in the
industry, and can be used for the design and
subsequent management of a plant’s reliability
program. The design features in Plant Manager
are provided in VCESage and cover pressure
vessel, heat exchanger, piping, and tankage de-
sign in accordance with ASME and API codes
and standards. The fixed equipment reliability
tools include:
• VCESage for performing Fitness-For-
Service assessments
• API RBI for inspection planning
• CMLWise for tracking and analyzing
thickness reading data from inspections
• IMS for developing equipment-specific,
detailed inspection plans and reports
• VCEDamage for identifying and under-
standing your plant’s potential damage mecha-
nisms
• VCEIntelliJoint for troubleshooting and
eliminating flange joint leakage problems.
To find out more about how Plant Manager can
benefit your plant’s reliability program, contact
plantmanager@equityeng.com or check our
website at www.equityeng.com.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-407
Heat Transfer Research, Inc.
Worldwide
150 Venture Drive
College Station, TX 77845 USA
Phone: 979-690-5050
Fax: 979-690-3250
E-mail: HTRI@HTRI.net
www.HTRI.net
Claudette D. Beyer, President and CEO
Fernando J. Aguirre, VP, Sales and Business
Development
Asia—Pacific
Heat Transfer Research, Inc.
World Business Garden Marive East 14F
Nakase 2-6, Mihamaku
Chiba 261-7114 Japan
Phone: 81-43-297-0353
Fax: 81-43-297-0354
E-mail: HTRI.Asia@HTRI.net
Hirohisa Uozu, Regional Mgr.
EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa)
The Surrey Technology Centre
40 Occam Road
Guildford, Surrey GU2 7YG U.K.
Phone: 44-(0)1483-685100
Fax: 44-(0)1483-685101
HTRI.Europe@HTRI.net
Hans U. Zettler, Regional Manager
India
C-1, First Floor, Tower-B
“Indraprasth Complex”
Near Inox Multiplex, Race Course (North)
Vadodara 390007, Gujarat, India
Phone: +91 (982) 514-7775
HTRI.India@HTRI.net
Rajan Desai, International Coordinator
Company Bio:
HTRI operates an international consortium
founded in 1962 that conducts industrially
relevant research and provides software tools
for design, rating, and simulation of process
heat transfer equipment. HTRI also produc-
es a wide range of technical publications and
provides other services including contract
research, software development, consulting,
and training.
Products:
HTRI Xchanger Suite—Integrated graphical
user environment for the design, rating, and
simulation of heat transfer equipment.
Xace—Designs, rates, and simulates the per-
formance of air-cooled heat exchangers, heat
recovery units, and air preheaters.
Xfh—Simulates the behavior of fired heaters.
Calculates the radiant section of cylindrical and
box heaters and the convection section of fired
heaters. It also designs process heater tubes and
performs combustion calculations.
Xhpe—Designs, rates, and simulates the per-
formance of hairpin heat exchangers.
Xist—Designs, rates, and simulates single- and
two-phase shell-and-tube heat exchangers, in-
cluding kettle and thermosiphon reboilers, fall-
ing film evaporators, and reflux condensers.
Xjpe—Designs, rates, and simulates jacketed-
pipe (double-pipe) heat exchangers.
Xphe—Designs, rates, and simulates plate-and-
frame heat exchangers. A fully incremental pro-
gram, each plate channel is calculated individu-
ally using local physical properties and process
conditions.
Xspe—Rates and simulates single-phase spiral
plate heat exchangers.
Xtlo—Graphical standalone rigorous tube lay-
out software; also integrated with Xist.
Xvib—Performs flow-induced vibration analy-
sis of a single tube in a heat exchanger bundle.
UPS TR EAM / DOW N S T R E A M S OF T WA RE R E FE REN CE
It uses a rigorous structural analysis approach to
calculate the tube natural frequencies for vari-
ous modes and offers flexibility in the geom-
etries it can handle.
Xchanger Suite Educational—Customized ver-
sion of Xchanger Suite with the capability to
design, rate, and simulate shell-and-tube heat
exchangers, air-coolers, economizers, and plate-
and-frame heat exchangers. Available to educa-
tional institutions only.
R-trend—Calculates and trends fouling resis-
tances for shell-and-tube heat exchangers in sin-
gle-phase service. Uses Microsoft Excel as work-
ing environment with optional link to Xist.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-411
assets and inventories, inherits and synchro-
nizes with multi-plant scheduling models
SIMTO Integration Depot provides integra-
tion with the plant information system, LIMS,
oil movements, plant LP planning, advanced
optimization process models, crude assay sys-
tem, and ERP for crude nominations, and is
made easy and robust through the use of web
services standards and a multitier architecture.
User Experience:
SIMTO Refining is used by planning, schedu-
ing and operating personnel. The soft-ware’s
Downstream
Service Oriented Architecture enables collabo-
ration across the entire enterprise. Recently a
SIMTO user said, “Thanks for this GREAT
tool. We are in preparation for a turnaround and
without this amazing software I would be totally
lost.”
Benefits:
SIMTO Refining produces benefits of over
$11–18 million for a 200,000 bpd high-con-
version refinery or about 15–25¢/bbl.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-416

M3 Technology, Inc
Introducing
VCEPlant
10375 Richmond Ave., Suite 380
Houston, TX 77042
Phone: +1-713-784-8285
Fax: +1-832-553-1893
E-mail: m3.sales@m3tch.com
www.m3tch.com

Manager
Company Bio
M3 Technology is the premier supplier of sup-
ply chain management solutions focused on
enterprise planning, advanced asset schedul-
ing and optimization solutions for the petro-
leum, petrochemical & LNG industries. M3’s
solutions capture economic oppor-tunities and
reduce the cost of managing complex facilities
at the plant level, regional operating level and
global enterprise level. M3 has a global network
of implementation partners to provide local
consulting expertise and customer support. Life Cycle
Products:
Management
SIMTO™ Refining
on a
Single Platform
SIMTO Refining is a comprehensive solution
for refinery planning, scheduling and blending
that includes:
SIMTO Scheduling schedules all pipeline and
tank transfers, crude oil receipts, process unit
operation, product run downs, product single
For more information, contact
blend optimization and shipment plantmanager@equityeng.com
SIMTO M-Blend™ provides multi-period
blend optimization including rundown blend- www.equityeng.com
ing for gasoline, distillates, fuel oil, other refin-
ing products, crude oil that blends from vessels,
pipelines & tanks with or without a separate
crude feed tank
SIMTO Dock Manager calculates and visual-
izes demurrage, automatically schedules vessels
and berths/jetties
SIMTO Global manages distributed refining
Select 407 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
21
Downstream
SIS / SAFETY SYSTEMS
exida
64 North Main Street
Sellersville, PA 18960
Phone: 215-453-1720
Fax: 215-257-1657
E-mail: Info@exida.com
www.exida.com
Iwan van Beurden, Senior Safety Engineer,
Iwan.vanbeurden@exida.com
Company Bio:
exida is an engineering consulting firm special-
izing in safety critical / high availability auto-
mation systems, control system security, and
alarm management. Core competencies in de-
sign, analysis, implementation, operation, and
maintenance of critical automation systems,
along with expertise in the application of the
IEC 61508 and IEC 61511 / ISA 84 functional
safety standards, has allowed exida to develop
an extensive suite of software tools that assist in
the implementation of the Safety Lifecycle.
Products:
exSILentia® Integrated Safety Lifecycle Suite:
The exSILentia® integrated toolset helps tackle
three of the most important steps in the safety
lifecycle: Safety Integrity Level (SIL) selection,
Safety Requirements Specification, and SIL
verification. exSILentia lets the user define a
project consisting of one or more Safety In-
strumented Functions. It helps you manage
project documentation through easy report
generation and viewing of reports in Microsoft
Word. Sharing data for multi-person projects,
for independent review, or for input into other
lifecycle tools (e.g. PHA), is easy with the built-
in exSILentia import/ export functionality.
exSILentia provides fully customizable SIL se-
lection options like risk graph, hazard matrix,
and frequency based targets. In addition, a com-
plete SIF SRS template ensures completeness
in requirements definition. exSILentia contains
the most comprehensive SIL verification pro-
gram on the market, SILver, allowing extensive
Safety Instrumented Function definition, and
an IEC 61508-approved calculation engine
based on the Markov Modeling technique. Fi-
nally exSILentia includes a built-in reliability
database from the best-selling Safety Equip-
ment Reliability Handbook (SERH), speeding
up the process of SIL verification by allowing
users to select equipment items directly from
the database without having to manually enter
reliability data. For more information, please
visit www.exSILentia.com.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-417
22 SOFTWARE REFERENCE FALL 2010
U PSTREA M / D O WN STREA M SOFTWARE REFERENCE
Yokogawa Electric Corporation
World Headquarters
9-32, Nakacho 2-chrome,
Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-8750, Japan
www.yokogawa.com
Yokogawa Corp. of America
12530 West Airport Blvd,
Sugar Land, TX 77478
www.yokogawa.com/us
Yokogawa Europe B.V.
Databankweg 20 3821 AL Amersfoort,
The Netherlands
www.yokogawa.com/eu
Yokogawa Engineering Asia
PTE. LTD.
5 Bedok South Road, Singapore 469270,
Singapore
www.yokogawa.com/sg
Yokogawa Electric China Co.,
LTD.
22nd Floor Shanghai Oriental Centre
31 Wujiang Road (699 Nanjing West Road)
Jing’an District, Shanghai 200041, China
Phone: 86-21-5211-0877
Fax: 86-21-5211-0299
Company Bio:
Yokogawa Corporation of America is the North
American unit of US $4 billion Yokogawa Elec-
tric Corporation, a global leader in the manu-
facture and supply of instrumentation, process
control, and automation solutions. Headquar-
tered in Newnan, GA., Yokogawa Corporation
of America serves a diverse customer base with
market-leading products including analyzers,
flow meters, transmitters, controllers, record-
ers, data acquisition products, meters, instru-
ments, safety instrumented systems, distributed
control systems and more.
Products:
ProSafe-RS™—ProSafe-RS is an integrated
safety instrumented system (SIS) designed
for such applications as emergency shutdown
(ESD), Fire and Gas (F&G), Boiler manage-
ment (BMS). It provides safe, reliable and avail-
able control without compromise and is certi-
fied by the German certification organization,
Technische Üeberwachungs-Verein (TÜV) to
meet Safety Integrity Level (SIL) 3 as specified
in IEC 61508. An integral feature is that it
can be combined with Yokogawa’s CENTUM
VP DCS system that allows all information to
be combined into one screen integrating alarms
and events, tag data onto graphics and trends.
With ProSafe-RS, the safety-instrumented sys-
tem uses the common DCS network for safety
communications—with absolute integrity.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-409
TRAINING
The Equity Engineering Group,
Inc.
20600 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 1200
Shaker Heights, OH 44122
Phone: 216-283-9519
Fax: 216-283-6022
E-mail: gcalvarado@eng.com
www.equityeng.com
Greg Alvarado, VP Sales and Client Service
Company Bio:
The Equity Engineering Group, Inc. is a recog-
nized leader on aging infrastructure fixed equip-
ment service and support for the oil and gas
industry. Equity helps plants manage risk and
improve profitability with cutting-edge soft-
ware and consulting strategies that maximize
equipment operational availability, control in-
spection costs and avoid costly shutdowns.
Products:
VCEPlant ManagerTM is a fully-integrated
software tool for the lifecycle management of
plant assets. It offers equipment and data man-
agement in one application and database on a
universal .net standard platform that encom-
passes all modules with a single IT installation
procedure.
Plant Manager takes advantage of the integra-
tion of design and in-service codes and stan-
dards that is now becoming a focal point in the
industry, and can be used for the design and
subsequent management of a plant’s reliability
program. The design features in Plant Manager
are provided in VCESage and cover pressure
vessel, heat exchanger, piping, and tankage de-
sign in accordance with ASME and API codes
and standards. The fixed equipment reliability
tools include:
• VCESage for performing Fitness-For-
Service assessments
• API RBI for inspection planning
• CMLWise for tracking and analyzing
thickness reading data from inspections
• IMS for developing equipment-specific,
detailed inspection plans and reports
• VCEDamage for identifying and under-
standing your plant’s potential damage mecha-
nisms
• VCEIntelliJoint for troubleshooting and
eliminating flange joint leakage problems.
To find out more about how Plant Manager can
benefit your plant’s reliability program, contact
plantmanager@equityeng.com or check our
website at www.equityeng.com.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-407
UPS TR EAM / DOW N S T R E A M S OF T WA RE R E FE REN CE
ALARM MANAGEMENT
Yokogawa Electric Corporation
World Headquarters
9-32, Nakacho 2-chrome,
Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-8750, Japan
www.yokogawa.com
Yokogawa Corp. of America
12530 West Airport Blvd,
Sugar Land, TX 77478
www.yokogawa.com/us
Yokogawa Europe B.V.
Databankweg 20 3821 AL Amersfoort,
The Netherlands
www.yokogawa.com/eu
Yokogawa Engineering Asia
PTE. LTD.
5 Bedok South Road, Singapore 469270,
Singapore
www.yokogawa.com/sg
Yokogawa Electric China Co.,
LTD.
22nd Floor Shanghai Oriental Centre
31 Wujiang Road (699 Nanjing West Road)
Jing’an District, Shanghai 200041, China
Phone: 86-21-5211-0877
Fax: 86-21-5211-0299
Company Bio:
Yokogawa Corporation of America is the North
American unit of US $4 billion Yokogawa Electric
Corporation, a global leader in the manufacture
and supply of instrumentation, process control,
and automation solutions. Headquartered in
Newnan, GA., Yokogawa Corporation of America
serves a diverse customer base with market-leading
products including analyzers, flow meters, trans-
mitters, controllers, recorders, data acquisition
products, meters, instruments, safety instrument-
ed systems, distributed control systems and more.
Products:
CAMS—Yokogawa’s Consolidated Alarm Man-
agement System (CAMS) is an alarm manage-
ment software designed on the innovative concept
of acquiring real-time alarms and events from a
variety of various automation systems - not only
from Distributed Control Systems (DCS) but
also Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS), Super-
visory and Data Acquisition Systems (SCADA
and DAQ) and Plant Asset Management Sys-
tems (PAM); then to sort and deliver only essen-
tial alarms to the right person at the right time.
Important information such as the root cause of
alarm occurrence and role-based guidance are
also added to the displayed message.
AAASuite—AAASuite is a comprehensive alarm
management system that optimizes and enhances
process alarms issued by control systems. AAA-
Suite improves operator performance by mini-
mizing nuisance alarms and providing timely
notification of only necessary alarms, thereby
preventing alarm flooding and enabling safe,
stable and cost effective plant operations.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-409
ASSET MANAGEMENT
Merrick Systems, Inc.
4801 Woodway, Suite 200E
Houston, TX 77056
Toll Free: 800-842-8389
Phone: 713-579-3400
Fax: 713-579-3499
E-mail: sales@MerrickSystems.com
www.MerrickSystems.com
Faisal Kidwai, V.P. Sales,
Faisal.Kidwai@MerrickSystems.com
Company Bio:
Merrick Systems provides the industry’s most
robust software and hardware solutions ad-
dressing production operations, engineering
and asset tracking. Recognized for its industry
expertise and innovative technologies, Merrick
is committed to delivering best of breed solu-
tions to improve production operations, help-
ing companies extend oil and gas producing as-
set life, lower lifting costs, increase production
and optimize operations. Merrick’s integrated
applications, installed or hosted (Software as a
Service), include real-time surveillance and op-
timization; field operations management; field
data capture; hydrocarbon production account-
ing; mobile computing for field and drilling
operations and ruggedized RFID for drilling
and asset management.
Products:
RFID Diamond Tags: Industrial, rugged, pat-
ented Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
tags that survive extreme environmental condi-
tions including high impact, vibration, corro-
sion, sustained temperatures up to 200C (400F)
and pressures up to 2070 bar (30,000 psi) and
are readable through thick layers of drilling
mud, for tracking surface, subsurface and sub-
sea drilling and industrial assets. The tag suite
includes various durable and rugged tags and
mounting methods for different components
including drill pipe, HWDP, subs, drill collars,
bits, risers, flow iron, casing, production tub-
ing, safety equipment and more. The tags al-
low to uniquely identify, trace and document
high-value assets for location, measurements,
maintenance, use, inspection history and certi-
fications. The RFID Diamond Tags are part of
Merrick’s Asset Tracking system which includes
the DynaCap software, rugged mobile or fixed
Upstream
readers and additional Automatic Identifica-
tion and Data Capture (AIDC) technologies
and consulting services to provide a complete
solution for all asset tracking needs even under
the harsh conditions of drilling, subsea and in-
dustrial operations.
DynaCap Asset Tracking Software: Configu-
rable asset tracking system manages operational
assets for increased efficiency, risk mitigation
and regulatory compliance. DynaCap captures
any type of data that may be needed, includ-
ing asset location, dimension, manufacturer
specifications, maintenance and inspections.
The System can serve as an enterprise system
or can interface with in-house or leading 3rd
party ERP/EAM systems such as Maximo, SAP
and others. Providing access in near-real time to
vital asset information across the organization,
DynaCap allows companies to make informed
decisions on asset use and re-use, manage as-
sets efficiently, reduce inventory, downtime and
operational cost and reduce the risk of cata-
strophic failure, improving the safety of both
operations and people.
RFID features include:
• Asset tracking solution includes rugged
RFID tags, intrinsically safe (I.S.) or non-I.S.
mobile or fixed readers, software, complementa-
ry technologies and consulting services for proj-
ect scoping, management and implementation
• A suite of fit-for-purpose, durable and
rugged RFID tags and mounting methods
for different components including drill pipe,
HWDP, subs, drill collars, bits, risers, flow
irons, casing, production tubing, safety equip-
ment and any other downhole, sub-sea and
surface equipment components that requires
tracking
• Tags are rated for sustained temperatures
up to 200C (400F) and pressures up to 2070
bar (30,000 psi), expected under harsh drilling
and operating conditions
• Tags can be installed during the compo-
nent manufacturing process or retrofitted in the
field
• RFID data is linked to corporate-wide
asset management, maintenance management
and ERP/EAM systems including Merrick’s
DynaCap software or any in-house asset track-
ing system.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-418
Yokogawa Electric Corporation
World Headquarters
9-32, Nakacho 2-chrome,
Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-8750, Japan
www.yokogawa.com
Yokogawa Corp. of America
12530 West Airport Blvd,
Sugar Land, TX 77478
www.yokogawa.com/us
F A L L 2010 SOFTWARE REFERENCE 23
Upstream
ASSET MANAGEMENT, CONT.
Yokogawa Europe B.V.
Databankweg 20 3821 AL Amersfoort,
The Netherlands
www.yokogawa.com/eu
Yokogawa Engineering Asia
PTE. LTD.
5 Bedok South Road, Singapore 469270,
Singapore
www.yokogawa.com/sg
Yokogawa Electric China Co.,
LTD.
22nd Floor Shanghai Oriental Centre
31 Wujiang Road (699 Nanjing West Road)
Jing’an District, Shanghai 200041, China
Phone: 86-21-5211-0877
Fax: 86-21-5211-0299
Company Bio:
Yokogawa Corporation of America is the North
American unit of US $4 billion Yokogawa Electric
Corporation, a global leader in the manufacture
and supply of instrumentation, process control,
and automation solutions. Headquartered in
Newnan, GA., Yokogawa Corporation of America
serves a diverse customer base with market-leading
products including analyzers, flow meters, trans-
mitters, controllers, recorders, data acquisition
products, meters, instruments, safety instrument-
ed systems, distributed control systems and more.
Products:
PRM—Plant Resource Manager (PRM) is a
real-time instrument device maintenance and
management software package that provides a
platform for advanced instrument diagnostics.
PRM is an integrated software solution that
unifies the monitored data from intelligent and
non-intelligent field devices running within
Yokogawa’s CENTUM VP and STARDOM
control systems or as a stand-alone solution. The
key feature of PRM is that it provides easy access
to automatically collected data from field net-
works such as Foundation Fieldbus, and HART
allowing integration, management and mainte-
nance these devices using a common database.
PRM provides integrated plant and device
performance data, maintenance records,
audit trails, device configuration with auto-
device detection, historic data management,
parameter comparison, advanced device di-
agnostics information, and access to on-line
documentation such as device drawings,
parts list and manuals in a client server archi-
tecture that provides information to multiple
users within a plant facility. It provides the
ability to adjust the parameters of intelligent
devices online and allows comparison of the
current data to historical data of a device.
Fieldmate™—FieldMate™ is an asset manage-
ment software developed for portable lap-
top computers that provides configuration
and maintenance of intelligent field devices.
Fieldmate™ supports the use of open inter-
24 SOFTWARE REFERENCE FALL 2010
U PSTREA M / D OWN STREA M SOFTWARE REFER ENC E
face Field Device Tool (FDT) technology to
facilitate the configuration and adjustment of
field devices such as sensors and valves at pro-
duction sites, regardless of the manufacturer
or the communication protocols. Fieldmate™
also supports Electronic Device Description
Language (EDDL) interface technology.
With its device navigation and device mainte-
nance information management features, this
software relieves users of the difficulties with
dealing with a variety of communication proto-
cols and configuration methods from multiple
manufacturers which used different configura-
tors and/or multiple configuration procedures.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-409
DATA MANAGEMENT
geoLOGIC systems ltd.
900, 703 6 Avenue SW
Calgary, AB
Canada T2P 0T9
Phone: 403 262-1992
Fax: 403-262-1987
E-mail: sales@geologic.com
www.geologic.com
Andrea Hood, VP Business Development & Sales
Company Bio:
geoLOGIC systems ltd. is a widely recognized
developer of high quality databases and premi-
um software products that offer more compre-
hensive, relevant solutions to the Oil and Gas
industry. geoLOGIC has provided Oil and Gas
professionals with industry-leading, integrated
software and value-added data coupled with
unsurpassed customer support for 27 years. The
company is an innovator in supplying data in
more accessible and usable forms so clients can
make better decisions—from the well head to
senior levels of accounting and administration.
Products:
geoSCOUTTM is a fully integrated, Windows-
based exploratory system that combines presen-
tation-quality mapping and cross-section tools
with data handling and analysis software. It
integrates public and proprietary data on wells,
well logs (Raster and LAS), land, pipelines and
facilities, fields and pools, and seismic stud-
ies. It includes powerful, easy-to-use tools for
searching, viewing, mapping, reporting, graph-
ing, analysis and managing information.
The gDC™ (geoLOGIC Data Center) is a com-
prehensive online solution that integrates pub-
lic wells and land data across Western Canada.
Designed on a PPDM 3.8 model, geoLOGIC
value-added data is accessible through virtually
any petroleum industry software application.
The gDC offers spatial data in an industry stan-
dard GIS format that is accessible through most
mapping applications.
petroCUBETM is an innovative suite of products
that provide unbiased, consistent statistical in-
sights that can help you make more profitable
decisions about petroleum plays. From reserve
and production data through to full-cycle eco-
nomics, petroCUBE gives you immediate access
to a full spectrum of current geostatistical, tech-
nical and financial information and comprehen-
sive analytical tools. petroCUBE instantly deliv-
ers the data engineers and geologists need to
accurately assess risk and justify exploration and
development proposals before wells are drilled.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-404
DATA VISUALIZATION
geoLOGIC systems ltd.
900, 703 6 Avenue SW
Calgary, AB
Canada T2P 0T9
Phone: 403 262-1992
Fax: 403-262-1987
E-mail: sales@geologic.com
www.geologic.com
Andrea Hood, VP Business Development & Sales
Company Bio:
geoLOGIC systems ltd. is a widely recognized
developer of high quality databases and premi-
um software products that offer more compre-
hensive, relevant solutions to the Oil and Gas
industry. geoLOGIC has provided Oil and Gas
professionals with industry-leading, integrated
software and value-added data coupled with
unsurpassed customer support for 27 years. The
company is an innovator in supplying data in
more accessible and usable forms so clients can
make better decisions—from the well head to
senior levels of accounting and administration.
Products:
geoSCOUTTM is a fully integrated, Windows-
based exploratory system that combines presen-
tation-quality mapping and cross-section tools
with data handling and analysis software. It
integrates public and proprietary data on wells,
well logs (Raster and LAS), land, pipelines and
facilities, fields and pools, and seismic stud-
ies. It includes powerful, easy-to-use tools for
searching, viewing, mapping, reporting, graph-
ing, analysis and managing information.
The gDC™ (geoLOGIC Data Center) is a com-
prehensive online solution that integrates pub-
lic wells and land data across Western Canada.
Designed on a PPDM 3.8 model, geoLOGIC
value-added data is accessible through virtually
UPS TR EAM / DOW N S T R E A M S OF T WA RE R E FE REN CE
any petroleum industry software application.
The gDC offers spatial data in an industry stan-
dard GIS format that is accessible through most
mapping applications.
petroCUBETM is an innovative suite of products
that provide unbiased, consistent statistical in-
sights that can help you make more profitable
decisions about petroleum plays. From reserve
and production data through to full-cycle eco-
nomics, petroCUBE gives you immediate access
to a full spectrum of current geostatistical, tech-
nical and financial information and comprehen-
sive analytical tools. petroCUBE instantly deliv-
ers the data engineers and geologists need to
accurately assess risk and justify exploration and
development proposals before wells are drilled.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-404
PIXOTEC, LLC
15917 SE Fairwood Blvd.
Renton, WA 98058 US
Phone: 425-255-0789
Fax: 425-917-0104
E-mail: info@slicerdicer.com
www.slicerdicer.com
Skip Echert, Director of Marketing
0M`V\RUV^^OH[`V\»YLKVPUN
¶`V\VUS`ULLKVUL
PUK\Z[Y`SLHKPUN LHZ`
LMÄJPLU[ OLSWPUNJSPLU[Z
J\Z[VTLYZLY]PJL TPNYH[PVUVML_PZ[PUNKH[H
Select 404 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
Company Bio:
PIXOTEC, LLC specializes in the develop-
ment of software for the analysis of com-
plex data in three or more dimensions. Dr.
David Lucas, the originator of Slicer Dicer,
heads the software development efforts and
is co-owner of PIXOTEC. Slicer Dicer® and
its precursors have been under development
since the late 80s.
Products:
Slicer Dicer—Volumetric Data Visualization
Software for Windows, is designed for geosci-
entists and engineers involved with complex
data defined in three or more dimensions. This
easy-to-use tool is employed for the analysis
of seismic data and geological model outputs.
It has users in over 50 countries. The latest
version of Slicer Dicer, v5, includes 3VOTM
Slicer Dicer’s powerful new 3D viewer. It
simplifies rotating, zooming, and other ma-
nipulations of your data scene, all by simply
moving your mouse.
With Slicer Dicer, you can explore your mul-
tidimensional volume data visually by “slicing
and dicing” to create arbitrary orthogonal and
oblique slices, rectilinear blocks and cutouts,
isosurfaces, and projected volumes. You can
generate animation sequences featuring contin-
uous rotation, moving slices, blocks, paramet-
ric variation (time animation), oblique slice ro-
tation, and varying transparency. Use the new
3VOTM viewer to easily rotate, zoom, control
PUJYLHZLWYVK\J[P]P[`
Upstream
lighting and light reflection, and change the
center of rotation of your data image.
Pricing for Slicer Dicer starts at only $495. Go
to our web site, SlicerDicer.com, to download
a full-featured demo that is limited only by a
15-day trial period. Low-cost upgrades from
previous versions of Slicer Dicer are also avail-
able from the SlicerDicer.com web site.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-419
DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION
AND ENGINEERING
Heat Transfer Research, Inc.
Worldwide
150 Venture Drive
College Station, TX 77845 USA
Phone: 979-690-5050
Fax: 979-690-3250
E-mail: HTRI@HTRI.net
www.HTRI.net
Claudette D. Beyer, President and CEO
Fernando J. Aguirre, VP, Sales and Business
Development
/H]PUNL]LY`[OPUN`V\ULLKPU
VULZVM[^HYLZVS\[PVUZH]LZ`V\Y
JVTWHU`[PTLHUKTVUL`
0[»ZHSZVLHZ`[V\ZL^P[OV\Y
>PUKV^ZIHZLKWSH[MVYT
;OV\ZHUKZVMSHUKTLULUNPULLYZ
HUKNLVSVNPZ[Z\ZLNLV:*6<;
VPSHUKNHZTHWWPUNHUKHUHS`ZPZ
ZVM[^HYLL]LY`KH`[VTHRLTVYL
LMÄJPLU[PUMVYTLKKLJPZPVUZ
.P]L\ZHUOV\YMVYHKLTV¶
^LRUV^`V\»SSZLL[OL]HS\L
*HSS 
,THPSPUMV'NLVZJV\[JVT
6USPUL^^^NLVZJV\[JVT
FROM
25
Upstream
DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION
AND ENGINEERING, CONT.
Asia—Pacific
Heat Transfer Research, Inc.
World Business Garden Marive East 14F
Nakase 2-6, Mihamaku
Chiba 261-7114 Japan
Phone: 81-43-297-0353
Fax: 81-43-297-0354
E-mail: HTRI.Asia@HTRI.net
Hirohisa Uozu, Regional Mgr.
EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa)
The Surrey Technology Centre
40 Occam Road
Guildford, Surrey GU2 7YG U.K.
Phone: 44-(0)1483-685100
Fax: 44-(0)1483-685101
HTRI.Europe@HTRI.net
Hans U. Zettler, Regional Manager
India
C-1, First Floor, Tower-B
“Indraprasth Complex”
Near Inox Multiplex, Race Course (North)
Vadodara 390007, Gujarat, India
Phone: +91 (982) 514-7775
HTRI.India@HTRI.net
Rajan Desai, International Coordinator
Company Bio:
HTRI operates an international consortium
founded in 1962 that conducts industrially rel-
evant research and provides software tools for
design, rating, and simulation of process heat
transfer equipment. HTRI also produces a wide
range of technical publications and provides
other services including contract research, soft-
ware development, consulting, and training.
Products:
HTRI Xchanger Suite—Integrated graphical
user environment for the design, rating, and
simulation of heat transfer equipment.
Xace—Designs, rates, and simulates the per-
formance of air-cooled heat exchangers, heat
recovery units, and air preheaters.
Xfh—Simulates the behavior of fired heaters.
Calculates the radiant section of cylindrical and
box heaters and the convection section of fired
heaters. It also designs process heater tubes and
performs combustion calculations.
Xhpe—Designs, rates, and simulates the per-
formance of hairpin heat exchangers.
Xist—Designs, rates, and simulates single- and
two-phase shell-and-tube heat exchangers, in-
cluding kettle and thermosiphon reboilers, fall-
ing film evaporators, and reflux condensers.
Xjpe—Designs, rates, and simulates jacketed-
pipe (double-pipe) heat exchangers.
Xphe—Designs, rates, and simulates plate-and-
frame heat exchangers. A fully incremental pro-
gram, each plate channel is calculated individu-
ally using local physical properties and process
conditions.
26 SOFTWARE REFERENCE FALL 2010
U PSTREA M / D OWN STREA M SOFTWARE REFER ENC E
Xspe—Rates and simulates single-phase spiral
plate heat exchangers.
Xtlo—Graphical standalone rigorous tube lay-
out software; also integrated with Xist.
Xvib—Performs flow-induced vibration analy-
sis of a single tube in a heat exchanger bundle.
It uses a rigorous structural analysis approach to
calculate the tube natural frequencies for vari-
ous modes and offers flexibility in the geom-
etries it can handle.
Xchanger Suite Educational—Customized ver-
sion of Xchanger Suite with the capability to
design, rate, and simulate shell-and-tube heat
exchangers, air-coolers, economizers, and plate-
and-frame heat exchangers. Available to educa-
tional institutions only.
R-trend—Calculates and trends fouling resis-
tances for shell-and-tube heat exchangers in sin-
gle-phase service. Uses Microsoft Excel as work-
ing environment with optional link to Xist.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-411
EXPLORATION
geoLOGIC systems ltd.
900, 703 6 Avenue SW
Calgary, AB
Canada T2P 0T9
Phone: 403 262-1992
Fax: 403-262-1987
E-mail: sales@geologic.com
www.geologic.com
Andrea Hood, VP Business Development & Sales
Company Bio:
geoLOGIC systems ltd. is a widely recognized
developer of high quality databases and premi-
um software products that offer more compre-
hensive, relevant solutions to the Oil and Gas
industry. geoLOGIC has provided Oil and Gas
professionals with industry-leading, integrated
software and value-added data coupled with
unsurpassed customer support for 27 years. The
company is an innovator in supplying data in
more accessible and usable forms so clients can
make better decisions—from the well head to
senior levels of accounting and administration.
Products:
geoSCOUTTM is a fully integrated, Windows-
based exploratory system that combines presen-
tation-quality mapping and cross-section tools
with data handling and analysis software. It
integrates public and proprietary data on wells,
well logs (Raster and LAS), land, pipelines and
facilities, fields and pools, and seismic stud-
ies. It includes powerful, easy-to-use tools for
searching, viewing, mapping, reporting, graph-
ing, analysis and managing information.
The gDC™ (geoLOGIC Data Center) is a com-
prehensive online solution that integrates pub-
lic wells and land data across Western Canada.
Designed on a PPDM 3.8 model, geoLOGIC
value-added data is accessible through virtually
any petroleum industry software application.
The gDC offers spatial data in an industry stan-
dard GIS format that is accessible through most
mapping applications.
petroCUBETM is an innovative suite of products
that provide unbiased, consistent statistical in-
sights that can help you make more profitable
decisions about petroleum plays. From reserve
and production data through to full-cycle eco-
nomics, petroCUBE gives you immediate access
to a full spectrum of current geostatistical, tech-
nical and financial information and comprehen-
sive analytical tools. petroCUBE instantly deliv-
ers the data engineers and geologists need to
accurately assess risk and justify exploration and
development proposals before wells are drilled.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-404
FIELD DATA CAPTURE
Merrick Systems, Inc.
4801 Woodway, Suite 200E
Houston, TX 77056
Toll Free: 800-842-8389
Phone: 713-579-3400
Fax: 713-579-3499
E-mail: sales@MerrickSystems.com
www.MerrickSystems.com
Faisal Kidwai, V.P. Sales,
Faisal.Kidwai@MerrickSystems.com
Company Bio:
Merrick Systems provides the industry’s most
robust software and hardware solutions address-
ing production operations, engineering and
asset tracking. Recognized for its industry ex-
pertise and innovative technologies, Merrick is
committed to delivering best of breed solutions
to improve production operations, helping
companies extend oil and gas producing asset
life, lower lifting costs, increase production and
optimize operations. Merrick’s integrated ap-
plications, installed or hosted, include real-time
surveillance and optimization; field operations
management; field data capture; hydrocarbon
production accounting; mobile computing for
field and drilling operations and ruggedized
RFID for drilling and asset management.
Products:
eVIN—Used in 20% of all oil & gas wells in
the US and multiple global locations, eVIN en-
ables data capture from oil and gas fields using
handhelds and PCs. Designed to meet field op-
eration needs anywhere in the world, including
the unique complexities of difficult environ-
UPS TR EAM / DOW N S T R E A M S OF T WA RE R E FE REN CE Upstream
ou or
n acc FID f or
ments and products such as coal bed methane, DynaCap allows companies to make informed
a r b o
r shi p R
e O ffs h
water floods and CO2, eVIN handls mixed decisions on asset use and re-use, manage as- n e l a n c
of Ow r ve i l ss
units of measure and multiple languages. sets efficiently, reduce inventory, downtime and
operational cost and reduce the risk of cata-
C o st Industrial IT
re s e r v o ir su
ld D
a t a Acce
and
for the Digital Oil Field O i l fi e ana
Field operators use eVIN to easily enter data strophic failure, improving the safety of both We l l D ig i t a l
k i n g&m
from the field with automated field calculations operations and people. a c
ng et tr ng
of different gas metering devices and oil tick- coun o r ass oun
ets. eVIN provides error validation and reliable www.info.hotims.com/33224-418 hydrocarbon
R F I D f production
on a c c
nt c a r baccounting re s
transfer of the data to the company’s central geme H yd ro e ll and
ce W
offices 24/7 where production supervisors, ac- illan ent m p ro
v
counting personnel and engineers can access it OPERATIONS u r ve a n agem c ess I
m r o
in near real time. It also allows SCADA and cking
& g P ance
H
other automated readings and information to t ramobility R e p or n
solutions for
m p l ifield
lato r
y Co
Re g u and drilling e m e operations ship
nt
wner
be transmitted to field personnel for review and g
a n a o f O
action. eVIN’s configurability enables captur- M
r vo i r C o st an
ing any desired data, allowing it to be used for Re s e u c vity We l l
ro d e
asset tracking, environmental and safety com-
ved P field lianc
o m poperations arbo
pliance and much more. Merrick Systems, Inc. m p ro o r y C y d ro c
4801 Woodway, Suite 200E management
egu l a t
ells
and fieldO p
H
t R a r t Wdata capture Field
Designed for use in remote locations, eVIN Houston, TX 77056 men S m n s
s o
can be deployed in areas of low bandwidth and Toll Free: 800-842-8389 a on ty so
lu ra
Oper obili l Ope
manages interruptions in connectivity without Phone: 713-579-3400
s s M G loba
disruption to the data capture process. Easy to ce ent bility
ta A c
Fax: 713-579-3499
deploy, eVIN can manage updates via a simple E-mail: sales@MerrickSystems.com ruggedized
a n agem n
RFID
g M ofor
g & m drilling o u n and asset re s e
set-up, a single point of deployment and stan- www.MerrickSystems.com ackin b o n acc e l l and
dard TCP/IP protocol. The software can be Faisal Kidwai, V.P. Sales,
yd ro
ca r management
t W ro c e
used on multiple devices including desktop, Faisal.Kidwai@MerrickSystems.com e H a g e men n g P
m a n o r
y Re p
Pocket PC or TabletPC.
ng & aris
Company Bio: ra c k i e g u l ator t a C omp
real o n stime surveillance
R Da and
RFID Diamond Tags—Industrial, rugged, Merrick Systems provides the industry’s most ime oun
patented Radio Frequency Identification robust software and hardware solutions ad- p e ra R e a l Toptimization b o n acc
CO 2 c a r
(RFID) tags that survive extreme environmen- dressing production operations, engineering nt yd ro wner
sh
tal conditions including high impact, vibration, eme i a n c e H o f O
and asset tracking. Recognized for its indus- pl C o st
corrosion, sustained temperatures up to 200°C Com vity plian
try expertise and innovative technologies, ent o d u c r y Com
(400°F) and pressures up to 2070 bar (30,000 P r t o
egula
Merrick is committed to delivering best of
ove d Smar
tW
psi) and are readable through thick layers of breed solutions to improve production op- Impr e n t R n s
drilling mud, for tracking surface, subsurface erations, helping companies extend oil and agem e ra
o
man e Op ss M
ob
and subsea drilling and industrial assets. The gas producing asset life, lower lifting costs, ng & O ff s h o r
A c c e
tag suite includes various durable and rugged nce ata
increase production and optimize operations.
ve i l l a ld D & ma
tags and mounting methods for different com- Merrick’s integrated applications, installed or a l O i l fi e
t r a c king
Digi t et o
ponents including drill pipe, HWDP, subs, drill hosted, include real-time surveillance and
ng r ass H yd r
collars, bits, risers, flow iron, casing, production optimization; field operations management; R F I D fo la n c e
tubing, safety equipment and more. The tags men
t r ve i l ing &
field data capture; hydrocarbon production
nage r v o ir su t ra c k
allow to uniquely identify, trace and document accounting; mobile computing for field and r e s e s e t
and or as ons
high-value assets for location, measurements, drilling operations and ruggedized RFID for We l l R FID f p e ra
maintenance, use, inspection history and certi- drilling and asset management. i a n c e e a O
omp
l Subs pari
fications. The RFID Diamond Tags are part of s C c e C O2
a t a Com
Merrick’s Asset Tracking system which includes illan D
We Understand
Products: ime ac
u r ve eal T rbon
the DynaCap software, rugged mobile or fixed Merrick’s suite of products provides a complete oir s R o c a
readers and additional Automatic Identifica- production and drilling management solution. CO2 H yd r fO
tion and Data Capture (AIDC) technologies eme
nt p l i ance C o st o
From the field to the back office, all of your o m y
and consulting services to provide a complete ent
C c vit to r y
data is integrated into a single system:
age m ro d u
solution for all asset tracking needs even under • eVIN—Mobile and PC-based field data r o v e d P
R egula
the harsh conditions of drilling, subsea and in- Imp men
t o
dustrial operations.
capture system designed for simple, fast and ef- ons m a nage r e O p e ra
ficient entry of daily readings with field valida- g& o
ackin O ffs h A
tion and AGA calculations built in. et tr i l l a n ce l d D ata
DynaCap Asset Tracking Software—Configu- v e l fi e
• ProCount—Comprehensive hydrocar- sur al Oi t ra
vo i r Digit sset
rable asset tracking system manages operational bon accounting solution to manage simple and eser g 4801 Woodway
f o r a
assets for increased efficiency, risk mitigation complex daily and monthly production allo- un n FID
and regulatory compliance. DynaCap captures bon
acco m e n t R Suites u200E r veil
la
cations, including full component allocations
n a g e v o i r
a
any type of data that may be needed, includ- with over 100 standard reports included. ons M re s e r TX 77056
Houston,
r ass
e
ing asset location, dimension, manufacturer • Carte—Web based production monitor- e ra e l l a n d +1.713.579.3400 I D fo
s W R F
a on e
specifications, maintenance and inspections. ing and reporting tool for viewing, graphing,
Oper l i a n c 800.842.8389 Subs
ea
The System can serve as an enterprise system analyzing and exporting daily and monthly oil C omp O 2
ns nce C
or can interface with in-house or leading 3rd lu o ve i l l a e Da
party ERP/EAM systems such as Maximo, SAP
& gas production trends. Catch potential pro-
t y s owww.MerrickSystems.com
r s u r e al Tim
duction areas before they become problems. v o i R
and others. Providing access in near-real time to re s e r CO2
ce H
yd
• PetroRegs—Complete regulatory com- and m e nt l i a n
vital asset information across the organization, ove p
pliance modules for state and MMS reporting.
Impr Com vity
cess m e nt r oduc
n a g e d P
Select 418 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS
Upstream
OPERATIONS, CONT.
• RIO—Petro technical data store for ex-
ploitation, exploration, property evaluation,
reservoir analysis, and field operations. Used to
manage and analyze production, reservoir, geo-
logical, and petrophysical data, allowing mul-
tiple applications to utilize and benefit from the
same data.
• RFID-Based Asset Tracking System
for tracking down-hole, subsea and surface
equipment onshore and offshore. The system
includes a portfolio of fit-for-purpose rugged
RFID Diamond tags, DynaCap software for
drill-site and corporate-wide asset tracking,
rugged readers and consulting services.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-418
PROCESS CONTROL AND
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Yokogawa Electric Corporation
World Headquarters
9-32, Nakacho 2-chrome,
Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-8750, Japan
www.yokogawa.com
Yokogawa Corp. of America
12530 West Airport Blvd,
Sugar Land, TX 77478
www.yokogawa.com/us
Yokogawa Europe B.V.
Databankweg 20 3821 AL Amersfoort,
The Netherlands
www.yokogawa.com/eu
Yokogawa Engineering Asia
PTE. LTD.
5 Bedok South Road, Singapore 469270,
Singapore
www.yokogawa.com/sg
Yokogawa Electric China Co.,
LTD.
22nd Floor Shanghai Oriental Centre
31 Wujiang Road (699 Nanjing West Road)
Jing’an District, Shanghai 200041, China
Phone: 86-21-5211-0877
Fax: 86-21-5211-0299
Company Bio:
Yokogawa Corporation of America is the North
American unit of US $4 billion Yokogawa Elec-
tric Corporation, a global leader in the manu-
facture and supply of instrumentation, process
control, and automation solutions. Headquar-
tered in Newnan, GA., Yokogawa Corporation
of America serves a diverse customer base with
market-leading products including analyzers,
28 SOFTWARE REFERENCE FALL 2010
U PSTREA M / D OWN STREA M SOFTWARE REFER ENC E
flow meters, transmitters, controllers, record-
ers, data acquisition products, meters, instru-
PROCESS ENGINEERING
ments, safety instrumented systems, distrib- AND SIMULATION
uted control systems and more.
Products:
FAST/TOOLSTM (Advance Process Control
Management software) is a powerful, state-
of-the-art, flexible, distributed Supervisory
Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)
system. It is a client/server based open archi-
tecture that provides support for standards
such as XML, HTML, Java, ODBC and Heat Transfer Research, Inc.
OPC ensures uniform and standard inter-
faces to other packages and applications.. It Worldwide
has been developed and evolved over a period 150 Venture Drive
of three decades to span a wide range of op- College Station, TX 77845 USA
erating platforms such that it offers stability Phone: 979-690-5050
and scalability during the lifetime of the pro- Fax: 979-690-3250
cess. It has a proven track-record, guaranteed
‘best-of-class’ availability, data integrity, high
E-mail: HTRI@HTRI.net
www.HTRI.net
levels of performance and on-line configura-
tion capabilities. FAST/TOOLS is scalable
Claudette D. Beyer, President and CEO
Fernando J. Aguirre, VP, Sales and Business
from less than a hundred to more than a Development
million I/O points, and supports multiple
architectures from single node solutions to Asia—Pacific
multi-node client/server systems and is used Heat Transfer Research, Inc.
in many application areas, such as: World Business Garden Marive East 14F
• Oil & Gas exploration, production and dis- Nakase 2-6, Mihamaku
tribution supervision Chiba 261-7114 Japan
• Pipeline Management Phone: 81-43-297-0353
• Ship monitoring and control Fax: 81-43-297-0354
• Production control supervision E-mail: HTRI.Asia@HTRI.net
• Utilities like water, waste-water treatment, gas Hirohisa Uozu, Regional Mgr.
and electricity distribution and management
• Embedded applications in advanced produc- EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa)
tion equipment. The Surrey Technology Centre
40 Occam Road
STARDOMTM, network based control system, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7YG U.K.
is coupled with FAST/TOOLS to provide the Phone: 44-(0)1483-685100
remote terminal units (RTU). STARDOM
Fax: 44-(0)1483-685101
consists of a family of highly functional auton- HTRI.Europe@HTRI.net
omous controller RTUs and application port- Hans U. Zettler, Regional Manager
folios. It features small, scalable architecture
which is capable of being highly distributed, India
both within a facility and also geographically. C-1, First Floor, Tower-B
STARDOM family of controllers include a “Indraprasth Complex”
Field control node (FCN)– a modular control- Near Inox Multiplex, Race Course (North)
ler with a wide range of I/O modules and two Vadodara 390007, Gujarat, India
expansion units suitable for mid-size applica- Phone: +91 (982) 514-7775
tions, a Field Control Junction – an all-in-one HTRI.India@HTRI.net
compact controller with built-in I/O suitable Rajan Desai, International Coordinator
for direct installation on equipment or utilities
and a FCN-RTU suitable for low power ap- Company Bio:
plications. STARDOM enables operation and HTRI operates an international consortium
monitoring of the process anywhere, anytime founded in 1962 that conducts industrially rel-
using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) com- evant research and provides software tools for
ponents. STARDOM autonomous controllers design, rating, and simulation of process heat
are FOUNDATION fieldbus certified and can transfer equipment. HTRI also produces a wide
be adapted to any infrastructure to integrate range of technical publications and provides
all process information. STARDOM autono- other services including contract research, soft-
mous controllers have great remote manage- ware development, consulting, and training.
ment and stand-alone capability, and reduce Products:
running costs by making flexible use of e-mail, HTRI Xchanger Suite—Integrated graphi-
the Web, and SCADA technology. cal user environment for the design, rating,
and simulation of heat transfer equipment.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-409
Xace—Designs, rates, and simulates the per-
UPS TR EAM / DOW N S T R E A M S OF T WA RE R E FE REN CE
formance of air-cooled heat exchangers, heat
recovery units, and air preheaters.
Xfh—Simulates the behavior of fired heaters.
Calculates the radiant section of cylindrical and
box heaters and the convection section of fired
heaters. It also designs process heater tubes and
performs combustion calculations.
Xhpe—Designs, rates, and simulates the per-
formance of hairpin heat exchangers.
Xist—Designs, rates, and simulates single- and
two-phase shell-and-tube heat exchangers, in-
cluding kettle and thermosiphon reboilers, fall-
ing film evaporators, and reflux condensers.
Xjpe—Designs, rates, and simulates jacketed-
pipe (double-pipe) heat exchangers.
Xphe—Designs, rates, and simulates plate-and-
frame heat exchangers. A fully incremental program,
each plate channel is calculated individually using
local physical properties and process conditions.
Xspe—Rates and simulates single-phase spiral
plate heat exchangers.
Xtlo—Graphical standalone rigorous tube lay-
out software; also integrated with Xist.
Xvib—Performs flow-induced vibration analy-
sis of a single tube in a heat exchanger bundle.
It uses a rigorous structural analysis approach to
calculate the tube natural frequencies for vari-
ous modes and offers flexibility in the geom-
etries it can handle.
Xchanger Suite Educational—Customized ver-
sion of Xchanger Suite with the capability to
design, rate, and simulate shell-and-tube heat
exchangers, air-coolers, economizers, and plate-
and-frame heat exchangers. Available to educa-
tional institutions only.
R-trend—Calculates and trends fouling resis-
tances for shell-and-tube heat exchangers in sin-
gle-phase service. Uses Microsoft Excel as work-
ing environment with optional link to Xist.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-411
PRODUCTION ACCOUNTING
Merrick Systems, Inc.
4801 Woodway, Suite 200E
Houston, TX 77056
Toll Free: 800-842-8389
Phone: 713-579-3400
Fax: 713-579-3499
E-mail: sales@MerrickSystems.com
www.MerrickSystems.com
Faisal Kidwai, V.P. Sales,
Faisal.Kidwai@MerrickSystems.com
Company Bio:
Merrick Systems provides the industry’s most
robust software and hardware solutions ad-
dressing production operations, engineering
and asset tracking. Recognized for its industry
expertise and innovative technologies, Mer-
rick is committed to delivering best of breed
solutions to improve production operations,
helping companies extend oil and gas produc-
ing asset life, lower lifting costs, increase pro-
duction and optimize operations. Merrick’s
integrated applications, installed or hosted,
include real-time surveillance and optimiza-
tion; field operations management; field data
capture; hydrocarbon production accounting;
mobile computing for field and drilling opera-
tions and ruggedized RFID for drilling and as-
set management.
Products:
ProCount—ProCount is a comprehensive hy-
drocarbon accounting solution for daily and
monthly volumetric allocations, management
and partner reporting. Used onshore, offshore,
domestically and globally, ProCount helps
meet allocation needs in both operated and
non-operated properties and handles simple
to complex allocations by mass, energy and
volume, with plant and pipeline, meter, tank
and fuel wellhead allocations. ProCount has
a proven track record working in unconven-
tional oil and gas operations in shale plays.
The software is available both installed or as a
hosted solution.
Providing daily and monthly volume reconcil-
iations that are used to minimize month-end
operational surprises and operational discrep-
ancies, ProCount also supports allocations
for production sharing agreements and other
contractual needs. Handling multiple units of
measure, ProCount has built-in integration
with several standard ERP accounting and fi-
nancial systems as well as third-party engineer-
ing and economic analysis software packages.
With over a hundred standard reports and ad-
hoc reporting capabilities, ProCount is highly
scalable, configurable and built to integrate
well with other software packages. In addi-
tion, It has a built-in auditability and trace-
ability which are required for financial regula-
tory compliance.
ProCount features include:
• Simple drag and drop tool that allows us-
ers to create simple to complex multi-tiered
connections for allocation networks
• Quick setup of daily and monthly allo-
cations using templates for multiple objects
(meters, tanks, equipment and completions)
• Allocate by volume, energy based – BTU
and analysis, including component allocation
of plant products and liquids/NGL
• User defined error checking and valida-
tion, custom formulas for allocation require-
ments and user configurable data fields and
screens
• Handles requirements for mixed units of
measurement (Imperial and Metric) within
one data store
• Scalable to handle daily allocations for
20,000+ wells (with related equipment in a
network)
Upstream
• Integrates with revenue/financial systems
like Artesia, Excalibur, SAP as well as Aries for
Petroleum Economics
• Regulatory filing of production for all key
states and MMS either in electronic format or
printed
• 100+ reports included for daily opera-
tions, daily and monthly accounting/alloca-
tions and management/partner reporting.
• Available installed or hosted as a service
from Merrick
Carte—Carte is a web-based production
management dashboard and monthly oil &
gas production reporting system that allows
access to information by a single well, field or
entire asset, viewed graphically or in tabular
form. Carte reads data from Merrick’s Pro-
Count software or other standard third-party
production databases and provides KPI and
variance reports. It allows operations staff and
executives to easily access production data at
varying levels, including corporate division
and asset summaries, or drill down to comple-
tion levels. As a web –based solution it offers
simple deployment from a central location
to field and office personnel at multiple loca-
tions. It can also be used to share information
with partners.
Carte features include:
• View allocated production data to spot
early trends and potential problem areas
• Drill down to the completion level and ac-
cess critical information for decision making
• Activate Excel from within Carte to gen-
erate user spreadsheets
• Annotate with ‘sticky notes’ on well pro-
duction graphs
• Print one or all production graphs with a
single mouse click
• Graph the forecasted economic model
versus actual production on a daily basis
PetroRegs—From production form filings
with state and federal agencies to gas allowable
computations and well test calculations, these
modules help ensure regulatory compliance.
Regulatory features include:
• Flexible filing options with hard copy re-
ports, electronic filing and PDF format
• Automatic handling of prior period ad-
justments (PPA)
• Each module generates state-approved
digital filings
• Generate error reports for identifying po-
tential problems before filing with the state
www.info.hotims.com/33224-418
F A L L 2010 SOFTWARE REFERENCE 29
Upstream U PSTREA M / D OWN STREA M SOFTWARE REFERENCE

REGULATORY COMPLIANCE the BS 7910 procedure. Users can perform Lev-

el 1 and 2 assessments on many flaw and equip-
WELL LOG DATA ACCESS
ment types. An advanced fracture mechanics AND MANAGEMENT
module allows users to also perform limited
Level 3 assessments.
FEACrack™ is finite element analysis software
that rapidly generates 3D crack meshes utiliz-
Quest Integrity Group, LLC ing an intuitive interface. Users can perform
2465 Central Avenue, Suite 110 detailed fracture and fatigue analyses with un-
Boulder, CO 80301 limited levels of crack mesh refinement.
geoLOGIC systems ltd.
Phone: 303-415-1475 LifeQuest™ Heater software provides complete 900, 703 6 Avenue SW
Fax: 303-415-1847 analysis and remnant life assessment of fired Calgary, AB
Email: Info@QuestIntegrity.com heater tubes on a foot-by-foot basis utilizing Canada T2P 0T9
www.QuestIntegrity.com API 579. The final output is a system risk curve Phone: 403 262-1992
displaying remaining life in hours versus prob- Fax: 403-262-1987
Company Bio: ability of failure. It combines with heater per- E-mail: sales@geologic.com
Quest Integrity Group provides highly accurate, formance monitoring and process modeling for www.geologic.com
technology-enabled inspection and assessment extensive heater reliability management. Andrea Hood, VP Business Development & Sales
solutions that help companies in the process,
pipeline and power industries increase profit- LifeQuest™ Pipeline software delivers inspection
and Fitness-for-Service assessment results through
Company Bio:
ability, reduce operational and safety risks, and geoLOGIC systems ltd. is a widely recognized
improve operational planning. The company is a powerful data viewer. Analysis and assessment
developer of high quality databases and premi-
built upon a foundation of leading-edge science capabilities include standard calculation methods
um software products that offer more compre-
and technology that has innovated and shaped B31G, B31G Modified and API 579.
hensive, relevant solutions to the Oil and Gas
industries for nearly forty years. RMS™ software facilitates the implementation of industry. geoLOGIC has provided Oil and Gas
risk-based assessment programs in a wide range of professionals with industry-leading, integrated
Products: software and value-added data coupled with
Signal™ FFS software performs Fitness-for-Ser- industries. It addresses the needs of pressure sys-
tems not met by existing reliability management unsurpassed customer support for 27 years. The
vice and fracture mechanics analyses on fixed
programs and eliminates the high data and man- company is an innovator in supplying data in
and rotating equipment. It implements the
power demands of fully quantitative systems. more accessible and usable forms so clients can
API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 2007 standard and
www.info.hotims.com/33224-405 make better decisions—from the well head to
performs crack assessments in accordance with
senior levels of accounting and administration.
Products:
Asset Longevity geoSCOUTTM is a fully integrated, Windows-
based exploratory system that combines presen-
Plant & Pipeline Performance tation-quality mapping and cross-section tools
with data handling and analysis software. It
integrates public and proprietary data on wells,
well logs (Raster and LAS), land, pipelines and
facilities, fields and pools, and seismic stud-
ies. It includes powerful, easy-to-use tools for
searching, viewing, mapping, reporting, graph-
ing, analysis and managing information.
The gDC™ (geoLOGIC Data Center) is a com-
We provide highly accurate, technology-enabled prehensive online solution that integrates pub-
inspection and assessment solutions that help companies lic wells and land data across Western Canada.
in the process, pipeline and power industries increase Designed on a PPDM 3.8 model, geoLOGIC
profitability, reduce operational and safety risks and value-added data is accessible through virtually
improve operational planning. any petroleum industry software application.
The gDC offers spatial data in an industry stan-
Quest Integrity Group is built on a foundation of leading dard GIS format that is accessible through most
mapping applications.
edge science and technology that has innovated and
shaped industries for nearly forty years. As a private petroCUBETM is an innovative suite of products
business with a global presence, we are responsive to that provide unbiased, consistent statistical in-
your needs and focused on empowering your operating sights that can help you make more profitable
and maintenance decisions. decisions about petroleum plays. From reserve
and production data through to full-cycle eco-
nomics, petroCUBE gives you immediate ac-
(281) 557-2255 cess to a full spectrum of current geostatistical,
(253) 893-7070 technical and financial information and compre-
hensive analytical tools. petroCUBE instantly
www.QuestIntegrity.com delivers the data engineers and geologists need to
Sales@QuestIntegrity.com accurately assess risk and justify exploration and
development proposals before wells are drilled.
www.info.hotims.com/33224-404

Select 405 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS

30
 Software Reference Index
UPSTREAM / DOWNSTREAM SOFTWARE REF ERENCE
How to use this index:
1. Learn more about the display advertisers by visiting the pages provided in the first column under “Display Advertisers.”
For more information, go to www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS and follow the instructions.
2. The companies shown in bold-faced type have product listings on the page numbers provided.

Equity Engineering Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Training

DISPLAY ADVERTISERS Lloyd’s Register
Expertune
Equity Engineering Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
ICONICS
Chemstations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
www.info.hotims.com/33224-410 Intergraph UPSTREAM
KBC Advanced Technologies
Codeware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Quest Integrity Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Alarm Management
www.info.hotims.com/33224-406
Yokogawa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Yokogawa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Equity Engineering Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Collaboration and Knowledge Capture Asset Management
www.info.hotims.com/33224-407
Yokogawa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 IHS Energy Group
geoLOGIC systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Configuration Management Landmark (Halliburton)
www.info.hotims.com/33224-404 Merrick Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
PAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Haverly Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Yokogawa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
www.info.hotims.com/33224-415
Design, Construction and Engineering
AVEVA Data Management
Heat Transfer Research Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Chemstations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Decision Dynamics Technology
www.info.hotims.com/33224-411 Codeware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Enertia Software
Heat Transfer Research, Inc. (HTRI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 geoLOGIC systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
M3 Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
www.info.hotims.com/33224-416 KRC Technologies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Open Spirit
Peng Engineering Paradigm
Merrick Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
www.info.hotims.com/33224-418 Dynamic Simulation and Optimization Data Visualization
Chemstations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 geoLOGIC systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
m:pro IT Consult. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Slicer/Dicer (PIXOTEC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
www.info.hotims.com/33224-402 Invensys
Kinesix Software Design, Construction and Engineering
PAS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 9 RSI Simcon BlueCielo ECM Solutions
www.info.hotims.com/33224-408 COADE
Economic Evaluation
Quest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Spiral Software Heat Transfer Research, Inc. (HTRI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
www.info.hotims.com/33224-405 Drilling Engineering
Energy Management
Yokogawa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Knowledge Systems
Heat Transfer Research, Inc. (HTRI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
www.info.hotims.com/33224-409 Pegasus Vertex
Enterprise Portal Systems
m:pro IT Consult. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Exploration
Digital Formation
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Fluid Flow Analysis geoLOGIC systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
ABZ Knowledge Systems
Budgeting, Capital Allocation and Planning CPFD-Software
Engineered Software
Field Data Capture
3esi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Merrick Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Schlumberger Information Solutions Online Monitoring and Optimization
Operations
Business Integration Chemstations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Merrick Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Baker and O’Brien Flexware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Ensyte Energy Software Process Control and Information Systems
Planning, Scheduling and Blending
IBM Solutions Yokogawa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
AMI Consultants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
m:pro IT Consult. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Haverly Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Process Engineering and Simulation
Enterprise Operations Management m:pro IT Consult. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Heat Transfer Research, Inc. (HTRI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Oildex. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 M3 Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Softbits
OSIsoft Sun Microsystems
Plant Lifecycle and Performance Monitoring
P2 Energy Solutions Dassault Systemes Production Accounting
Land and Leasing innotec Merrick Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
geoLOGIC systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Quest Integrity Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Production Engineering
Ventyx Well Flow Dynamics
Plant Lifecycle and Performance Monitoring
ABB Predictive Maintenance and Repair Production Optimization
Emerson Process Management Codeware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Fekete Associates
m:pro IT Consult. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Equity Engineering Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Joshi Technologies
Quest Integrity Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Metegrity OVS Group, Inc.
Siemens Energy and Automation Pavilion Technologies
Production Yield/Accounting
Bolo Systems Process Control and Information Systems Regulatory Compliance
CGI Solutions and Technologies Yokogawa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Quest Integrity Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Data Scavenger Process Engineering and Simulation Reserves Management
Regulatory Compliance Ansys Geomechanics International
Codeware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Bryan Research and Engineering Petro-Soft Systems
Chemstations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Roxar
Risk Management Codeware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Sitelark
Equity Engineering Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Farris Engineering Services Reservoir Modeling
Decisioneering
Heat Transfer Research, Inc. (HTRI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 CMG
Dyadem Total Systems Resources Geomodeling
Production/Yield Accounting
DOWNSTREAM Soteica
Seismic Data Interpretation and Analysis
Earth Decision
Refining, Petrochemical and Gas Processing Fugro-Jason
Alarm Management Equity Engineering Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 I/O
PAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Heat Transfer Research, Inc. (HTRI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Seismic Processing
Yokogawa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 M3 Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 CGGVeritas
Asset Management SIS/Safety Systems TGS
Aspen Technology exida . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Well Log Data Access and Management
Asset Performance Networks Yokogawa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 geoLOGIC systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Your company can be listed under a single category in this index at no charge. For information, please contact Laura Kane at 1-713-520-4449 or laura.kane@gulfpub.com
 Select 409 at www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com/RS

32
32 SOFTWARE REFERENCE F A L L 2 0 10
10