The American Oil and Gas Reporter - January 2012 - (Page 182)

Production Technology New Technologies Optimize Production By Danny Boyd Special Correspondent Optimizing production economics is always a concern for oil and gas companies, but with robust demand and high activity levels creating upward pricing pressures on all types of equipment and field services, production optimization has become a top priority to maximize revenue streams in both conventional and unconventional fields. Consequently, operators are examining their oil and gas properties to determine how advanced technologies and services can help them improve production performance and better monetize the value of their assets. Equipment manufacturers and service companies are responding by rolling out new technologies in an effort to help operators meet their production goals while minimizing costs and staying ahead of increasingly stringent emissions regulations. Downhole technological advances in solids separators and electrical submersible pumps are helping operators get the most out of producing formations. On the surface, innovations are reducing fuel costs, enhancing safety and giving producers the ability to more efficiently monitor equipment on remote production sites to reduce downtime and bolster the bottom line. A case in point is a new type of tripping ball from Baker Hughes that is based on advanced nanotechnology to reduce nonproductive time during well completion. IN-Tallic™ tripping balls are used in place of metal and phenolic balls to seal zones in multistage fractures, according to Rustom Mody, vice president of technology. “Conventional balls can get stuck during frac jobs, requiring a coiled tubing rig to perform a drill out. However, INTallic balls do not get stuck. They disintegrate through an engineered corrosion process,” Mody relates. “This is a real game-changing technology.” IN-Tallic balls use a metallic powder with an applied nanocoating, he explains. The powder and applied coating are placed in a mold and forged using high pressure and temperature to create the bond. The balls are then machined from the resulting 4 x 8-inch billet. “The material is lighter than aluminum and as strong as many grades of steel,” Mody says. “It is light enough that balls can be pumped down long horizontal sections. At the same time, it is strong enough to apply high frac pressures. But the most impressive feature is that after fracturing operations are finished, the balls dissolve away completely in a controlled fashion.” Baker Hughes also has patented its GeoFORM™ conformable sand management system, which is designed to minimize workovers by reducing the chance of plugging or sand control loss from production cycles and reservoir or well bore compaction, Mody announces. The technology features improved sand filtration efficiency and includes Morphic™ shape-memory polymer (SMP) technology to conform to the exact shape of the bore hole after placement, he says. “Morphic SMP is made to a desired shape and size, packaged for deployment down hole and placed on the outside of the base pipe, similar to conventional screens,” Mody describes. “After it is run down hole, the Morphic material expands back to its original shape by changing its glass transmission temperature through external stimulation. It remembers the shape it used to be and swells to its original size.” The system adds a positive stress to the bore hole wall and improves sand control, and it can withstand compaction over time without risking sand control loss, he adds. “Plus, the GeoFORM conformable sand management system is more cost effective than conventional gravel packing technology because it requires less equipment, resources and time, and fewer personnel to install,” Mody offers. ESP Systems Baker Hughes is also deploying its new Centrilift CENtigrade™ extremetemperature ESP system, which is rated for downhole environments in excess of 250 degrees Celsius (482 degrees Fahrenheit) and is field proven for steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) wells, Mody notes. “The ESP system offers a corresponding reduction in the steam-to-oil ratio. As a result, the extended run life reduces downtime, intervention and operating cost,” he remarks. “To date, the extremetemperature ESP system has recorded more than 11,500 cumulative run days in the Canada Athabasca oil sands, with 575 days as the longest single run.” The system is also available with the SureView™ real-time compaction monitoring (RTCM) system. Also in the ESP area, Baker Hughes is launching an 8,000-volt, 2,800-horsepower, 8.80-inch outside diameter pumping system, according to Mody. This new product will help deepwater operators deal with wells located several miles from the producing platform, he says. On another technology development front, working collaboratively with Shell in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, Mody reports that Baker Hughes has connected hair-sized fibers in its fiber optic SureView RTCM system as part of a project to monitor well performance. “Reservoir compaction and other geological conditions can impart significant loads on casing strings. Monitoring casing deformation with multiple fiber optic Baker Hughes’ new IN-Tallic™ balls are used in place of metal balls to seal zones in multistage fracs. Constructed from a metallic powder and an advanced, applied nanocoating, the lightweight, yet strong balls dissolve in regular completion fluids after fracturing operations are finished, eliminating the risk of getting balls stuck down hole. 182 THE AMERICAN OIL & GAS REPORTER

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The American Oil and Gas Reporter - January 2012

The American Oil and Gas Reporter - January 2012
Contents
Calendar
Oil & Gas Counts
State Legislative
Industry Digest
Tech Connections
Washington Watch
Federal Legislation
EPA
Gulf of Mexico
Resource Plays Providing Wealth of Opportunities
Tight Plays Poised to Transform U.S. Crude Supply
El Paso Project Optimizes Eagle Ford Completion Design
Real-Time Forward Modeling Improves Bakken Horizontals
Cover Story
Financial Firms Expand Oil and Gas Divisions
Multicomponent 3-D Poised for Growth in Shale Plays
Cloud Computing Driving Business Step Changes
Advanced Attributes Improve 3-D Interpretation
3-D Data Improve Knowledge of Shale Heterogeneity
HBUR RSS Solves Granite Wash Drilling Challenges
Technologies Improve Production Consistency in Resource Plays
SaaS Helps Operator Streamline Data Management
Automation Enhances Operations in Challenging Applications
Dispersant Chemistry Combats Plugging in Low-Gravity Oil Wells
New Technologies Optimize Production
PIOGA
Drilling Regs
IOGAWV
The Presidential Papers
Energy Education
Conventions
Shale Gas
New Lits & Products
Computer Currents
Industry Focus
Classified Advertising
Advertisers Index

The American Oil and Gas Reporter - January 2012