American Oil and Gas Reporter - June 2019 - 23

Getting Out In The Field
Continues To Be Good Advice
For All Kinds Of Tasks
When I first began working in oil and gas, I received some
good advice that I try and use to this day. The message was
simple but effective: "Get out into the field."
I hear it all the time at conferences and courses. Both
speakers and attendees agree, if you have a product or service
for the oil field, if you employ engineers or geologists, or if you
are an engineer or geologist, at any phase in your career, it is
critical to get out into the field. At a recent Society of Petroleum
Engineers event in Houston, I came across a company that is
not only getting out into the field, but providing valuable
services at the well site.
Working at the well site was the key theme for that day's
presenter, Tanhee Galindo from GeoKimika. Galindo and her
business partner, Kristin Hatch, founded GeoKimika in 2016
with a simple goal to optimize a client's chemical program. The
goal was to shift the focus from remediation to helping prevent
future issues. Starting with a rental truck to carry their gear and
a client willing to give them a chance, these two entrepreneurs
headed to West Texas, where their operation has continued to
expand. GeoKimika has managed to do what many oil field
labs and service companies talk about-provide third party, independent lab testing at the well site.
With water's critical role in upstream operations and
considering how water type and quality can be a key factor in a
successful completion, GeoKimika's services include water
analysis. These mobile labs can identify more than 20 properties-including total dissolved solids, hardness and iron-which
help operators discern compatible completion chemicals the
first time, without having to send samples to a traditional lab
for testing and analysis. Galindo's team also has the ability to
test rheology and viscosity as well as conduct kill-studies and
scale modeling. Perhaps one of the most astounding technologies
being used at the well site is the company's friction flow loop.
Typically found in the lab, these loops help evaluate product
compatibility with field waters and other additives during
fracturing operations. Having the ability to evaluate and make
decisions at the well site helps jobs become more economical
and improves results. In an example from GeoKimika's website,
an operator working in the Permian was conducting a field trial
of various high brine friction reducers. Pretreatment lab testing
sought to determine field trial candidates most compatible with
produced water. However, during fracturing operations, high
friction pressures limited the ability to use more than 25%
produced water. There was also some uncertainty about the
effect of the disinfection treatment on the friction reducer performance.
After well site testing, Galindo's team realized that only one
of the four products available on site was compatible with the
water in use. The team also analyzed the disinfection treatment
and found no impact on friction reducer performance.
"We give the operator the ability to make adjustments on the
fly," Galindo says. "This helps reduce nonproductive time and
increase overall success of the well."

"These mobile labs can identify more than 20
properties-including total dissolved solids,
hardness and iron-which help operators
discern compatible completion chemicals the
first time, without having to send samples to a
traditional lab for testing analysis.

In this case, the operator, fracturing company and Galindo's
team collaborated to come up with alternative options to reduce
the friction pressure by 1,000 psi at half the dosage.
GeoKimika is another great example of how creativity paired
with good science keeps the industry moving forward, finding
efficiencies and best practices that are increasing operators'
return and reduce their downtime. Additionally, by putting all
the analysis data on the cloud for clients to access, managers in
places such as Houston and Denver can import treatment data
into their simulators for additional in-house reference and
analysis. Putting traditional testing methods in the field allows
operators to not only make quick decisions, but quick decisions
that are also accurate.
In her presentation, Galindo highlighted her desire to build
things and told the industry to be on the lookout for a mobile
proppant slot-flow cell designed to measure proppant transport
in the field.
❒

JEREMY VISCOMI is a strategic

marketing expert for the oil and
gas industry. Among his many
roles, he serves as the MidContinent regional lead for the
Petroleum Technology Transfer
Council, providing independent
operators with access to emerging technology aimed at reducing
risk and growing profits.
JUNE 2019 23

American Oil and Gas Reporter - June 2019

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