Professional Documents
Culture Documents
org/jpt
JUNE 2015
J U N E 2 0 1 5 V O L U M E 6 7, N U M B E R 6
EOR OPERATIONS
JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY
FEATURES
Drilling Automation
Industry Adapts to Low Prices
Wellbore Survey Management
Good Reservoir Stewardship
June15_JPT_Cover.indd 1
5/13/15 9:13 AM
Infinity
DISSOLVABLE
PLUG AND PERF SYSTEM
Before
After
The Infinity sytem is engineered to dissolve completely.
slb.com/innity
Volume 67 Number 6
Performance Indices
10
Regional Update
12
Company News
14
Presidents Column
20
Comments
24
Technology Applications
32
Technology Update
42
46
E&P Notes
123
SPE News
124
People
125
Professional Services
127
Advertisers Index
128
SPE Events
At the IHS CERAWeek conference, speakers said the transition will put
pressure on unconventional oil producers to reduce costs and bring in
new ways of operation.
Do you know where your wellbore is? The SPE Wellbore Positioning
Technical Section aims to make drilling safer, optimize production, and
maximize reserves recovery.
The chief technology officer says the company believes that being
competitive in technology is essential to the future of the oil and gas
industry.
Cflex
archerwell.com/qa
TECHNOLOGY
OptiDrill
REAL-TIME DRILLING
INTELLIGENCE SERVICE
90 Matrix Stimulation
Lee Morgenthaler, SPE, Senior Staff Production Chemist, Shell
Know what is
happening downhole.
Drill with confidence.
111 Pilot Steam Generator Uses Solar Energy Successfully for EOR
Operations in Oman
slb.com/OptiDrill
The complete SPE technical papers featured in this issue are available
free to SPE members for two months at www.spe.org/jpt.
IS REAL
Lets shine a light on
cased-hole well integrity.
His bite can be costly, but addressing him reduces his power.
Our SecureViewSM wireline cased-hole diagnostic service gives
the monster a name, location, and a path to banishment.
We deliver a clear and complete evaluation of your cement and
casing integrity. And should we fnd a problem, our comprehensive
remediation toolbox can fx the issue with a smaller bite of your
budget than you might expect.
Lets put the monster to bed.
Well Construction
Production
WIRELINE SERVICES
www.spe.org/jpt
OFFLINE ACCESS
Download PDF versions of 180+ issues dating back to 1997 for reading online
or when an Internet connection is not available.
WERE
WIRED.
Also Available on
JPT STAFF
Glenda Smith, Publisher
John Donnelly, Editor
Alex Asfar, Senior Manager Publishing Services
Pam Boschee, Senior Manager Magazines
Jack Betz, Staff Writer
Chris Carpenter, Technology Editor
Abdelghani Henni, Middle East Editor
Trent Jacobs, Senior Technology Writer
Anjana Sankara Narayanan, Editorial Manager
Joel Parshall, Features Editor
Stephen Rassenfoss, Emerging Technology Senior Editor
Adam Wilson, Special Publications Editor
Craig Moritz, Assistant Director Americas Sales & Exhibits
Mary Jane Touchstone, Print Publishing Manager
Stacey Maloney, Print Publishing Specialist
Laurie Sailsbury, Composition Specialist Supervisor
Allan Jones, Graphic Designer
Ngeng Choo Segalla, Copy Editor
Dennis Scharnberg, Proofreader
PERFORMANCE INDICES
WORLD CRUDE OIL PRODUCTION+
THOUSAND BOPD
OP EC
2014 JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
Algeria
1420
1420
1420
1420
1420
1420
Angola
1740
1813
1823
1848
1813
1733
558
558
551
557
563
561
Iran
3230
3230
3230
3230
3230
3230
Iraq
3195
3225
3515
3465
3425
3775
Kuwait*
2650
2650
2650
2575
2500
2500
435
530
785
950
615
500
Nigeria
2470
2520
2470
2320
2440
2440
Qatar
1553
1553
1513
1513
1503
1503
Saudi Arabia*
9840
9740
9640
9740
9640
9640
UAE
2820
2820
2820
2820
2820
2820
Venezuela
2500
2500
2500
2500
2500
2500
32411
32559
32917
32938
32469
32622
Ecuador
Libya
TOTAL
THOUSAND BOPD
NON-OPEC
Trouble
Zone
Depleted
Zone
MetalPatch
System
Shut Off
Perfs
2014 JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
Argentina
525
529
540
539
534
534
Australia
353
355
362
346
360
354
Azerbaijan
870
912
822
842
792
842
Brazil
2267
2326
2358
2393
2358
2497
Canada
3629
3547
3595
3717
3704
3678
China
4084
4118
4175
4224
4290
4315
Colombia
971
1002
996
1004
1004
1009
Denmark
159
173
165
175
190
182
Egypt
477
474
471
468
465
462
Eq. Guinea
248
248
248
248
248
248
Gabon
240
240
240
240
240
240
India
757
728
757
774
782
773
Indonesia
800
787
786
772
786
778
1641
1646
1559
1578
1716
1778
560
562
577
613
670
671
Mexico
2427
2455
2430
2402
2391
2290
Norway
Kazakhstan
Re-Frac
Zone
Malaysia
1605
1556
1519
1625
1610
1624
Oman
957
953
958
938
921
932
Russia
10003
10056
10079
10176
10173
10197
Sudan
258
257
257
257
257
257
23
23
22
21
21
21
Syria
UK
705
467
747
790
798
842
8716
8757
8923
9060
9039
9226
Vietnam
288
304
285
283
282
291
Yemen
129
128
126
125
125
113
2521
2473
2523
2449
2510
2524
Total
45213
45076
45520
46059
46266
46678
Total World
77624
77635
78437
78997
78735
79300
USA
Other
MULTI-STAGE COMPLETIONS
THE
NEW POWER IN
COILED TUBING
COMPLETIONS
Specially designed to complete an unlimited
number of stages, the Packers Plus Quadrant
coiled tubing completion system leaves the
wellbore with a full inside diameter and requires
no intervention following stimulation.
Contact us today for more information.
DO IT ONCE. DO IT RIGHT.
www.packersplus.com
More oil,
less Cost
PERFORMANCE INDICES
HENRY HUB GULF COAST NATURAL GAS SPOT PRICE*
6
5
4
3
Bbls.
USD/Mil. BTUs
1200
APR
MAR
FEB
2015
JAN
DEC
NOV
OCT
SEP
AUG
800
JUL
2014
MAY
JUN
1000
600
400
109.54
200
102.18
111.80
105.79
2014 MAY
JUN
103.59
101.61
JUL
96.54
AUG
1/1
1/8
1/15
1/22
1/29
2/5
2/12
2/19
2/26
3/4
3/11
3/18
3/25
4/1
4/8
4/15
4/22
4/29
5/6
5/13
5/20
5/27
6/3
6/10
6/17
6/24
7/1
7/8
106.77
97.09
93.21
87.43
84.40
SEP
47.76
79.44
OCT
47.22
58.10
62.34
NOV
50.58
2015 JAN
75.79
55.89
FEB
59.29
DEC
47.82
59.52
MAR
54.45
APR
Brent
WTI
2014
OCT
NOV
DEC
2015
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
US
1925
1925
1882
1683
1348
1110
976
Canada
424
421
375
368
363
196
90
Latin America
393
375
369
351
355
351
325
Europe
148
149
148
128
133
135
119
Middle East
390
403
403
415
415
407
410
Africa
125
142
138
132
132
125
120
Asia Pacific
252
255
255
232
240
233
228
3657
3670
3570
3309
2986
2557
2268
TOTAL
2014
2015
2nd
3rd
4th
1st
SUPPLY
92.42
93.53
94.62
94.00
DEMAND
91.40
92.86
92.84
92.38
INDICES KEY
+ Figures
SAVINGS THROUGH
CHALLENGING FEET
The AST is being used in an increasing number of applications:
STRINGERS
ENLARGEMENT
ROUGH SEAS
PERFORMANCE INTERVENTION
Contact us:
Aberdeen:
Houston:
Stavanger:
Rio de Janeiro:
20
Sections using 16 x
17 underreamer,
AST and rotary
steerable system
30
40
Time
Time(days)
(hours)
50
60
Sections drilled
using plain 16 bit
and rotary
steerable system
REGIONAL UPDATE
partners Kansai Electric Power Australia
(5%) and Tokyo Gas Pluto (5%).
SOUTH AMERICA
ASIA
AFRICA
Vaalco Energy started oil production
AUSTRALIA
AWE expanded its oil production in the
Tui area offshore New Zealand by bringing
the Pateke-4H development well on line in
PMP 38158. The tieback project involved
the installation of 1312 m of flexible
flowline, a gas lift umbilical, integrated
controls, and ancillary equipment at water
depths of approximately 124 m. The initial
flow rate was 34,000 BOPD. AWE (57.5%)
is the operator with partners New Zealand
Oil and Gas (27.5%) and Pan Pacific
Petroleum(15%).
10
EUROPE
production from its unmanned Tyra
Southeast-B platform, which sits 220 km
off Denmarks west coast in the North
Sea. Maersk plans to drill a total of 8 to 12
horizontal wells in the area over the next
2 years. The development is expected
to deliver approximately 50millionBOE
in resources, 20 million bbl of oil and
170Bcf of gas. The field is operated by
the Danish Underground Consortium,
which is madeup of Maersk (31.2%),
Shell (36.8%),Nordsfonden (20%),
andChevron (12%).
MIDDLE EAST
Qatargas sold its first cargo of liquefied
natural gas (LNG) to Pakistan State Oil.
The transaction is the first LNG agreement
between Qatar and Pakistan and the
first LNG import deal for any entity in
Pakistan. The delivery commissioned the
Excelerate Exquiste, which will be used as
a floating storage and regasification unit
when it is moored at Port Qasim, as part
of the Elengy terminal, Pakistans first LNG
importfacility.
NORTH AMERICA
Seismic_on_Demand-JPT.pdf
5/11/15
12:58 PM
COMPANY NEWS
MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
Royal Dutch Shell has offered to
acquire BG Group for approximately
USD70 billion in a deal made up of
common shares and cash. The transaction
will significantly expand Shells liquefied
natural gas (LNG) business and is
expected to close next year.
COMPANY MOVES
12
CONTRACTS
Hercules Offshore has signed a 5-year
contract with a subsidiary of Eni for the
use of its Hercules 260 jackup rig offshore
2015_CT-Flyer_Final_CMYK.pdf
5/12/15
8:04 AM
Elastomer : HR compound.
www.dyna-drill.com/coilTubing.asp
Copyright 2015 Dyna-Drill
ENERGY 360
Invited Perspective:
Another Worlds First From The
NCS: Subsea Gas Compression
Is Here
Helge Hove Haldorsen, 2015 SPE President
Questions posed by 2015 SPE President
Helge Hove Haldorsen
Answers provided by Rune Mode
Ramberg, Chief Engineer Subsea
Technology & Operations, Statoil
Steve Thurston, Chevrons vice president of deepwater exploration and projects compares developing US Gulf of Mexico oil fields like Jack and St. Malo in 7,000 ft to the
1969 moon landing: Except we are going to the moon every day! It really is impressive to see how offshore and subsea technology have evolved over the years. Of the
worlds current oil demand of approximately 93 million BOPD, some 27 million BOPD
or 30% comes from offshore fields and the offshore contribution is expected to continue to grow according to Douglas-Westwood World Drilling & Production Market
Forecast 2005-2021.
The Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) is among the front-runners in subsea
technology developments and applications. It is like a giant subsea and offshore 2.0
laboratory for the rest of the offshore world.
According to Statoil, it has more than 500 subsea wells and is the worlds
largest operator in water depths greater than 100 m.
The Troll-Oseberg Gas Injection subsea template installed in 1991 supplies
gas subsea from Troll to Oseberg, 48 km away, making a gravity drainage
recoverymechanism on Oseberg possible, resulting in a very high oil
recoveryfactor.
Through more than 150 multibranched subsea wells (two to six branches per
well), individual Troll oil province development wells can connect with nearly
45,000 ft of productive reservoir.
Subsea water separation and subsea reinjection units have been successfully
used on the Troll oil and Tordis field developments. At the Tyrihans 10%
additional recovery is achieved with injection of raw seawater from pumps on
the seafloor.
Snhvit and Ormen Lange are all-subsea offshore gas developments
and sendunprocessed wellstreams to shore 90 and 75 miles from
shore,respectively.
Efficient subsea gas compression is the next challenge that the industry must face
to continue subsea development. When an offshore gas field is developed 100% by a
subsea development and the pressure falls because of production, compression will
be needed at some point to maintain the production rate. But, there is no platform to
2014 President
Jeff Spath, Schlumberger
2016 President
Nathan Meehan, Baker Hughes
Vice President Finance
Janeen Judah, Chevron
REGIONAL DIRECTORS
AFRICA
Anthony Ogunkoya,
TBFF Upstream Oil and Gas Consulting
CANADIAN
Darcy Spady, Sanjel
EASTERN NORTH AMERICA
Bob Garland, Tetra Technologies
GULF COAST NORTH AMERICA
Bryant Mueller, Halliburton
MID-CONTINENT NORTH AMERICA
Michael Tunstall, Halliburton
MIDDLE EAST
Fareed Abdulla, Abu Dhabi Co. Onshore Oil Opn
NORTH SEA
Carlos Chalbaud, GDF Suez E&P UK
NORTHERN ASIA PACIFIC
Ron Morris, Roc Oil (Bohai)/Roc Oil (China)
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NORTH AMERICA
Mike Eberhard, Anadarko Petroleum
RUSSIA AND THE CASPIAN
Anton Ablaev, Schlumberger
SOUTH AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN
Anelise Quintao Lara, Petrobras
SOUTH ASIA
John Hoppe, Shell
SOUTH, CENTRAL, AND EAST EUROPE
Matthias Meister, Baker Hughes
SOUTHERN ASIA PACIFIC
Salis Aprilian, PT Pertamina
SOUTHWESTERN NORTH AMERICA
Libby Einhorn, Concho Oil & Gas
WESTERN NORTH AMERICA
Tom Walsh, Petrotechnical Resources of Alaska
TECHNICAL DIRECTORS
DRILLING AND COMPLETIONS
David Curry, Baker Hughes
HEALTH, SAFETY, SECURITY, ENVIRONMENT,
AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Trey Shaffer, Environmental Resources Management
MANAGEMENT AND INFORMATION
J.C. Cunha, Chevron
PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS
Shauna Noonan, ConocoPhillips
PROJECTS, FACILITIES, AND CONSTRUCTION
Howard Duhon, Gibson Applied Tech PF&C
RESERVOIR DESCRIPTION AND DYNAMICS
Olivier Houz, KAPPA Engineering
AT-LARGE DIRECTORS
Khaled Al-Buraik, Saudi Aramco
14
Statoil is developing a subsea wet gas compression project on the Gullfaks in the North Sea.
Subsea compression is one of the most important contributors to recovering additional oil and gas reserves, and provides
future opportunities for improved recovery from a number of
fields. Compression on the seabed also provides greater effect
than a conventional topside compressor. The closer the compressor is to the well, the more effective it is, making extraction more energy-efficient. In addition, the platform avoids
the extra weight and space required by a topside compression
module, which makes it more cost-effective as we cut capital
and operating costs. A compressor sited on the seabed can be
operated remotely from a land-based facility, also cutting support costs. In addition, a study for sgard subsea compression
shows that the carbon footprint of a subsea compressor is half
that of a platform compressor because a subsea compressor is
unmanned and improves personnel safety.
Why have so many subsea technologies come out of
Norway and the NCS?
Statoil is currently developing two subsea compression projects together with its partners: subsea dry gas compression on
sgard and subsea wet gas compression on Gullfaks, both vital
technology innovations to increase oil recovery.
At the 15-year-old sgard field on the NCS, we installed two
11.5-MW compressors expected to extend the life of the field by
up to 20 years, increasing the recovery rates by about a third,
and adding approximately 282 million BOE in reserves. That is
the size of a new medium-sized field. This spring, we are installing the compressor trains consisting of 22 modules on the seabed at approximately 300-m water depth.
We are also working on a smaller pair of compressors
(5MW each) to be installed at the same time in a field close to
15
ENERGY 360
the giant Gullfaks field, increasing recovery from the Gullfaks
South Brent reservoir by 22 million BOE. The recovery rate can
be increased from 62% to 74% on Gullfaks C using this solution combined with conventional low-pressure production in a
later phase. This is very good for a subsea field. Realizing subsea
compression is an important milestone to reach in our ambitious technology development strategy. With it, we will be able
to realize the subsea factory.
What were the key technical and other challenges to solve?
Natural pressure in large gas fields will become too low over
time to maintain a stable flow and a high production profile.
To compensate for this decline, the operator needs to invest
in a precompression system either on an existing platform, a
new platform, or a subsea compression factory. For the sgard
field, Statoil decided to install seabed compressors near the
wellheads to increase the pressure. At the moment, we are
working on several other business cases for subsea gas compression. It will take some time before we will see subsea compression spreading globally. But the combination of large gas
fields and long tiebacks of subsea wells will create additional
demands for subsea gas compression. So we should not be sur-
16
The future of the oil and gas industry is out at sea. It is farther from land, at greater depths, and in colder, harsher environments. The subsea factory will be vital to realize businessopportunities for Statoil in these areas. We have been in the
forefront of subsea technology for 25 years. We have the experience and the courage to take more brave steps subsea.
Conclusion
So there you have it. Another worlds subsea first has seen the
light of day on the NCS. And there is no reason why the subsea story should end there. What does it take? Head, heart,
guts,and collaboration! Think about it! JPT
AutoTrak rotary steerable systems have been drilling complex 3-D wells quickly
and accurately for nearly two decades. With numerous world records, and more than
100,000,000 feet drilled, the newest generations of the AutoTrak RSS family continue
to set the standard for drilling effciency and accurate wellbore placement.
And while others have tried to follow our path, there is simply no substitute for the
industry-leading automated, rotary steerable technology that continues to deliver
unprecedented value to our customers.
Call us or visit BakerHughes.com/AutoTrak to learn how the time weve invested
refning this technology can eliminate time drilling your next well.
+1 713-268-6218 or +44 2070 483646
2015 Baker Hughes Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. 42928 04/2015
SPE BRAND
*www.entrepreneur.com
**http://www.marriott.com/marriottbrands.mi
18
Robertson
Confidence
Reduce risk with geologic to economic workflows
Robertson offers an integrated geoscience, engineering and economic workow to tackle complex reservoir
development and production challenges:
Optimize cash ow and rate of return with our multi-disciplinary PREG asset valuations that integrate geophysics,
geology, engineering and economics
Gain greater subsurface understanding with the high-quality reservoir and geomechanical simulation and
engineering capabilities of Taurus ReservoirSolutions
Learn more about the Robertson portfolio of integrated technology and services
that span single-well to large eld-scale solutions, across the E&P lifecycle.
cgg.com/preg
cgg.com/taurus
15AD-GE-207-V1_PREG_Taurus_JPT_June.indd 1
07/05/15 11:00
COMMENTS
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
Syed AliChairperson, Technical Advisor,
Schlumberger
A Pivotal Month
John Donnelly, JPT Editor
This month should offer key clues to the direction of the oil
market over the next several months. OPEC countries will meet
on 5 June in Vienna in a regular meeting to discuss their current supply to the market and production quotas. And government figures released this month should begin to get a better
handle on the decline in US production.
OPECs last meeting, in November, contributed to the
steep drop in oil prices when Saudi Arabia decided it would no
longer play the role of swing producer and would instead defend market share.
Although many took this as provocative, several executives speaking at the recent
IHS CERA conference in Houston noted that OPEC fears prolonged high oil prices
could lead to faster development of alternative energy, and the cartel is engaged
in a price discovery exercise to determine the sustainability of US shale producers. I think its going to be very useful to the industry to have a clear understanding of the resilience of these resources, how robust the resources are, and how they
are able to withstand different price environments, said ExxonMobil Chief Executive Officer Rex Tillerson. Most of the executives at the conference agreed that the
current price downturn would last a while and that the current situation seemed
closer to the downturn that occurred in the mid-1980s, rather than more recent
price downturns.
The OPEC strategy is definitely having an impact on North American production. The US Energy Information Administration last month lowered its 2015 and
2016 crude oil production growth forecasts. Its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook
predicts that US crude production this year will increase 530,000 B/D (revised down
from 550,000 B/D) and that 2016 growth will be 20,000 B/D (revised down from
80,000 B/D). US producers have cut spending, idled more than half of the countrys
drilling rigs, and eliminated thousands of jobs. The number of active rigs working in
the US had fallen for 23 weeks in a row as of mid-May.
US oil production averaged 9.3 million B/D in March but is expected to
begin declining in June. In contrast, Saudi Arabia has been increasing production. It grew oil output to 10.31 million B/D in April, a slight increase from Marchs
total of 10.29 million B/D, the countrys highest oil production in three decades.
Saudi Arabia has increased output by 700,000 B/D since the fourth quarter
of 2014.
The price decline has had other repercussions. In a new industry survey by
Mercer, oil and gas industry employers have shifted from buying talent as their
core strategy to one of building talent instead. In a second survey, titled Inside
Employees Minds: What oil and Gas Employees Value, workers now rank job security and base pay as their top concerns. Compared with previous oil industry surveys
and surveys in other industries, ranking job security over base pay isatypical. JPT
WELL INTERVENTION
MATURE FIELDS
UNCONVENTIONALS
Solving challenges.
H039-15 JPT.indd 1
4/10/15 4:44 PM
GUEST EDITORIAL
22
The French term, dj vu, which means literally already seen, is the feeling that you
have previously experienced something you are currently experiencing. Two thirds of
adults claim to have sensed this phenomenon, but this figure rises to 100% when one
considers professionals in the oil and gas industry, which is undergoing yet another
boom-and-bust cycle.
Besides the real concern that the recently announced staff layoffs will only hasten the big crew change (as some golden oldies may decide to call it a day this time
around), one hopes that operators will maintain good stewardship of their wells and
fields and resist the temptation to cut back on essential data acquisition.
Reservoir stewardship, in which operators accept the responsibility to shepherd
and safeguard the assets of a company or a country, involves the periodic review of
asset performance to ensure productivity and recovery targets are met and maintained, and to guide future work plans. Continuous reservoir appraisal and surveillance are essential to minimize production losses from downtime in wells, facilities,
and export systems. Unfortunately, it is evident that some operators (and governments) pay only lip service to good reservoir stewardship, especially when oil and gas
prices are low.
Sometime ago, I read a student thesis that looked at options for reducing costs in
the unconventional factory drilling process. It concluded that significant time and
money could be saved if formation evaluation services were eliminated from the well
program. The project sponsor was happy with the result and the student graduated,
but I was appalled that this suggestion could ever be taken seriously. Unconventional
reservoirs have complex pore systems, very low interparticle permeability, contain
free and adsorbed gas, and exhibit variable water salinity, all of which make their characterization a major challenge for the geoscientist.
Therefore, more core data (not less) are needed to calibrate the responses of
logging suites, which also require enhanced measurement services as opposed to
standard tool strings. The taking of core permits subsequent rock typing to include
dynamic properties and fracturability and allows partitioning of the reservoir into
zones that reflect quartz content and producibility.
Conventional reservoir evaluation also comes under threat in a low oil price environment. The major cost overruns in wells are invariably due to drilling failures, not
data acquisition. Yet on being told to cut costs, the usual reaction of well engineers is
to challenge the need for coring and logging in the formation evaluation program. We
are constantly faced with the dilemma of short-term benefit vs. long-term worth when
acquiring data. However, the latter tends to be more subjective and is therefore harder
to quantify in value of information terms, which leads to myopic operators gathering only data required for the decisions in hand.
At the field level, daily accurate measurement of produced fluid volumes and
surface pressures and regular records of reservoir pressure are vital for sound reservoir management. Without these data, history matching is impossible and uncalibrated simulation models can lead to suboptimal investment decisions and poorer
resource estimates. Operators must regard adequate data acquisition as essential,
23
TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS
Chris Carpenter, JPT Technology Editor
Bore-Erosion Measurement
and Inspection System
LaserStream introduced its Bore-Erosion
Measurement and Inspection System (BEMIS) laser scanning technology
through an exclusive relationship with
Laser Techniques Company. The BEMIS
laser sensor rotates at high speed as it
is driven the length of a tubular, typically generating more than 2,500 data
points per revolution (Fig. 1). The result
is a high-resolution 3D map of the component inner surface. The linear resolution
can customize its equipment and software applications to meet specific needs,
varying sizes, or different applications
(risers, tubing, and casing).
For additional information, visit
www.laserstreamlp.com.
Formation-Pressure-Testing
Service
The FTeX advanced formation-pressuretesting service from Baker Hughes uses
downhole automation and real-time control of an intelligent packer-and-pump
configuration to deliver critical formation dataincluding pressure profiles,
fluid contacts, and mobility informationreliably, accurately, and efficiently
(Fig.2). The data offer an earlier and better understanding of the reserves in place
so operators can quickly identify the production potential of a well. Leveraging
adaptive software, the FTeX service automates the operation sequence downhole
to optimize tool controls and test parameters with minimal input from surface personnel, thereby reducing data inconsistencies and inaccuracies that often result
from manual testing. The service adapts
to the formation response encountered
during the initial drawdown to define the
optimal parameters for subsequent drawdowns, in real time, leading to increased
data accuracy and efficiency. Running the
FTeX service with other wireline technologies reduces the number of logging
runs, saving rig time and cost. The services combination of advanced technology, efficient operations, and downhole
automation delivers some of the fastest, most-accurate measurements in the
industry. The FTeX service is the latest
development in Baker Hughes strategy
to improve well efficiency, optimize production, and increase ultimate recovery.
For additional information, visit
www.bakerhughes.com.
24
TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS
it and make up a connection. The Shuttle Sub can further create new possibilities for lift-and-deployment techniques
that are not available to marine operators because all of these operations are
currently achieved by use of lift lines
from a vessel at surface. Salvage operations will be made significantly safer,
using a fully engineered, controlled, and
robust buoyancy system in conjunction
with multiple lift lines from the Shuttle
Sub to the load.
For additional information, visit
www.deepblueengineering.co.uk.
Ultrahigh-Temperature
Measurement-WhileDrilling Service
26
Stuck Pipe?
Chase to the cut.
HyPR HoleSaver
Fast and simple | User operated | Inherently safe | Full strength subs | Benign dormancy
The HyPR Hole Saver is a new method of hydraulic pipe recovery that
makes freeing stuck pipe quicker, easier and safer than ever before.
Just drop the dart and pump.
Churchill is the performance leader in dart activated solutions to downhole
challenges. For more than ten years we have been designing robust, simple tools
that send mechanical darts right where you need them. With no setup or
personnel required, and using no explosives, Churchills HyPR HoleSaver
gives you a low-cost contingency to solve downhole problems, rapidly.
Faster recovery means big savings.
DRILLING
Drift Catcher
COMPLETIONS
HyPR HoleSaver
WORKOVER
DAV MX CircSub
Self-Filling Float
P&A
01/05/2015 10:35
TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS
Asset-Management
Mobile Application
Fig. 5Screenshot from Retriever Communications Barking for Assets assetmanagement mobile application.
Drilling-Riser Elevator
28
INCREASED NPV
$
115K
PER STAGE BY
REDUCING
WELL MAINTENANCE
REDUCING COST PER BOE.
READ THE WHOLE STORY AT FMSA.COM/CURABLENPV.
TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS
metal tube over a solid filler to protect
the electrical conductor inside the cable.
In a metal-clad tube with a traditional
solid-core filler, quality testing is limited
to an eddy-current test to check for weld
defects. Though eddy-current testing is
capable of finding defects, this process
is not guaranteed to find all defects. The
PressureTEC cables design incorporates
a welded metal tube to protect the conductor, but the tube is first filled with an
expandable foam material and then is followed by a pressurized-gas test that can
detect a defect in the metal tube or weld.
When the tube passes 100% integrity, the
foam core is then expanded to surround
the conductor and also adhere to the
tube wall to create holding forces. RSCCs
new PressureTEC cables are available in
150 and 200C materials, depending on
operating-temperaturerequirements.
Join Us
30
go.otcbrasil.org/regOTCBrasil
TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
32
Impact of Delays
Because of the belief that letting a well
rest or soak after stimulation (shaking
and baking) is necessary or beneficial, it
has become a common practice to leave a
well shut in before putting it on production, i.e., to delay first production. This is
distinguished from putting a well immediately on production following stimulation (post-fracturing blowdown) and
then shutting it in.
Impact of Shut-ins
Despite the fact that shut-ins are an
inevitable part of well operations, very
little information is available on the
consequences of a wells subsequent performance. Fig. 2a shows a cumulative
frequency plot for the ratio of apparent
fracture length before and after one shutin. A value of +100% indicates that the
apparent fracture length doubled, 0%
indicates no change, and -100% indicates that a well behaved as if it had never
been stimulated.
Zonal isolation
cannseal.com
A norwegian based technology company
TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
12,000
Apparent fracture length
30-day BOE
900
9,000
600
6,000
300
3,000
0
0
10
(a)
100
1,000
1,200
0
10,000
100,000
Without pITM (54 wells)
With pITM (11 wells)
10,000
1,000
1
10
(b)
100
1,000
10,000
Fig. 1(a) The effect of production delay on normalized apparent fracture length and 30-day production is shown. The
heavy lines are the power trend line through all the data points for each metric. The thin lines are the upper limit trends.
(b) The result of persistent interfacial tension management (pITM) nanofluid use on production delay on normalized
30-day production is shown.
34
in wells that performed the same or better with it than without it. Even more telling is the decrease in the number of wells
that behaved as if they had never been
stimulated (wells on the -100% line on
the graphs far left)five wells without
and one with nanofluid.
Serving
Intervention Plugs from monobore
Every
through severe restrictions
Well
Barrier Verifcation System (BVS) ...
... P&T reading through well barriers
Well
Completion
Reservoir
Plug and
Intervention
Products
& Flow
Abandonment
Assurance
TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
400
The study makes clear that the industry not only needs to develop new, stepchange technologies such as nanomaterials, but also to question its assumptions
about current operational practices if it is
to meet the challenge of increasing recovery factors.
The best strategy is to minimize
the occurrence and length of production
delays and shut-ins, mitigate their nega-
36
300
200
100
100
0
(a)
Summary
25
50
100
75
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
(b)
References
Crafton, J.W. and Noe, S.L. 2013. Factors
Affecting Early Well Productivity in
Six Shale Plays. Presented at the SPE
Annual Technical Conference and
www.tamintl.com
WELL INTERVENTION
Metal-to-Metal Seal
Customizable
Expertise
UNCONVENTIONAL RESOURCES
RESERVOIR OPTIMIZATION
3/6/15 8:23 AM
TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
Of all the technologies that have propelled the unconventional boom in the
United States over the past 15 years,
plug and perf (P&P) remains the No. 1
method for stimulating multistage wells,
enabling operators to achieve significant
economic gains in previously inaccessible reservoirs.
Unconventional wells have become
longer, with laterals extending as far as
10,000 ft and beyond. When combined
with tighter spacing between stages,
this growing lateral length has dramatically increased stage counts. In North
American land activity, stages per lateral
have nearly doubled in most basins since
2008, thanks in part to increased efficiencies in P&P operations.
P&P relies on the use of a wireline or
electric line to convey perforating guns
and plugs to isolate sections of a reservoir
for hydraulic fracturing. After the well is
stimulated, the plugs are milled out with
some type of mechanical intervention,
such as the use of coiled tubing (CT).
Fig. 1The seat assembly and ball used in the new plugand-perf system dissolve completely and predictably
in temperatures of as low as 75F (24C), leaving no
diameter restrictions to impede future operations.
38
Blackoil
Compositional
Thermal
Compositional
TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
With no restrictions left in the wellbore, the well can immediately be put
on production with better cleanup and
increased production potential. The process improves extended-reach stimulation and the ability to conduct pre- and
post-stimulation operations throughout
the life of the well.
The new system follows the same
work flow and uses the same setting tool
and gun string as conventional P&P. The
design features a downhole receptacle,
installed as part of the casing string,
which provides an anchoring point
for the dissolvable seat. The same-size
receptacle is used repeatedly, facilitating
an unlimited number of stages.
From the surface, the system pumps
a dynamic dissolvable seat that is small
enough to fit through all the receptacles
(Fig. 2). Once it reaches the desired location for setting, the seat changes size
when actuated with the same setting tool
used for a conventional plug.
Upon actuation, the seat shifts to
form a top ring with an outer diameter
(OD) larger than the upset of the receptacle. Installed during wireline operations, the seat provides the landing point
for the dissolvable ball, which is dropped
after the guns have been pulled out of
the hole. The dissolvable ball and seat
and receptacle form a proppant-tolerant,
metal-on-metal seal, which allows the
casing to support the differential pressures generated during stimulation.
In designing the dissolvable P&P
system, Schlumberger worked from its
Elemental dissolvable alloy technology,
which it uses to design dissolvable fracturing balls. For the seats, the company
developed a next-generation composition, which was needed to address the
added complexities of seats related to
temperature, stress distribution, thermal
stability, and wellbore exposure time.
The industry has a good understanding of the wellbore environment
and length of well exposure time for fracturing balls. If a ball exceeds its operational life, another ball can easily be
dropped. However, there is not a definite
length of time from the point at which the
40
Summary
The dissolvable seat system offers
expanded opportunities for P&P completions, replacing the conventional plug
isolation. The new technology also can
operate in conjunction with other stimulation methods in a single well, integrating with openhole ball drop systems to
stimulate additional stages in the heel,
or with conventional P&P to stimulate
stages in the toe and heel.
Optimizing recovery and reducing
cost and risk remain key objectives in the
unconventional market. The new dissolvable P&P technology expands the capabilities of multistage stimulation, thus
eliminating the need for mechanical
intervention and optimizing production
in cemented and uncemented wellbores.
Wells can now be drilled and completed
with longer laterals with fewer risks and
improved economics.JPT
Introduction
Stuck pipe has traditionally been a challenge for the oil and gas industry; in
recent years, operators have become
even more determined to reduce the
effect of stuck-pipe issues. Even with the
best planning and practice, there is a significant probability in certain wells that
some of the string will not come back out
of the hole. While losing a bottomhole
assembly is never ideal, the time wasted
in trying to free it and in redrillingafterwards can be far worse.
HyPR HoleSaver
The results of Churchill Drilling Systems collaboration with drilling crews
in the North Sea and the Gulf of Mexico and extensive research and development resulted in the creation of the
HyPR HoleSaver, the first hydraulic piperecovery system. In March 2015, the system had its first major deployment, optimizing stuck-pipe contingency in zones
highly vulnerable to differential sticking. Although no stuck-pipe issues arose,
the tool significantly reduced the costoverrun risks. The tool is now being considered for imminent deployment by a
number of other major operators and
leading independents, to reduce costs
and risks in a wide range of upcoming
Fig. 1Full-strength and benign subs: full-strength (both in tension and compression) rotary API connections, and no
special weak points, are put into the string. Tool dormancy is also completely benign, with large IDs and fully compliant
and tapered lead-ins.
42
Unpredictable: plug-and-perf
ncsmultstage.com
2015, NCS Multistage, LLC. All rights reserved. Multistage Unlimited and The Technology are trademarks of NCS Multistage, LLC.
Fig. 2A HyPR 6-in. connection after 700800 gal/min at 1,500 psi with a 1%
sand content for 150 minutes. At this flow rate, the diameter cut rate started
at 0.6 in. for the first half hour, falling to 0.4 in. per half hour at the end. The
outer diameter is 5.422 in., with approximately 0.4 in. of the pin remaining
after the test.
Eddy
Cut
(Not to scale)
HyPR Jet
44
Since the tools launch, Churchill Drilling Systems has been approached to provide the technology for abandonment
operations, adding preplanned applications to its capabilities alongside contingency roles. The dormancy mode allows
it to turn abandonments into single-trip
operations, providing the potential for
on-demand pipe or casing cutting with
improved cutting performance.
Critical to the effective deployment
of the tool is the common pin, so often
considered to be the weak spot in string
design. Now, the pin has a new and central role to play, proving that innovative
thinking can change a traditionally perceived weak point into an actual strength
in solving stuck-pipeproblems.JPT
45
E&P NOTES
The US Department of the Interior encourages the practice of baseline groundwater sampling before
drilling, according to its recently
released hydraulic fracturing regulations. Although the practice will not
be legally required across all federal
lands, there are additional reasons to
conduct groundwater sampling, said
Ryan Leatherbury, client service manager at environmental engineering firm
WestonSolutions.
The most obvious reason for sampling is for use as a form of cheap
insurance against water contamination claims, said Leatherbury, who
spoke at a recent SPE Gulf Coast Section Waste Water Management Study
Groupmeeting.
The department started drawing
up regulations in 2010 in response to
public concern, during the same year
ments from citizens who support uniform groundwater testing requirements across federal lands, indicating
that voluntary sampling could be a way
for operators to make inroads with a
skepticalpublic.
Sampling can be used as a tool by
landmen to engage private property owners and other stakeholders. Its a great
way to get out in front of the message and
say to landowners that we are going to
try and be protective of the resources we
are exploiting, said Leatherbury.
Even in states that provide little
regulatory incentive, more companies
are developing their own sampling programs. I know of voluntary water sampling programs happening in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, North Dakota, and
Utah, said Leatherbury. Here, companies are saying, This is something smart,
lets protect our interests. JPT
46
Scientists conduct research on how bacteria interact with soils near oil fields
at Y-TECs Center for Applied Technology, near La Plata, Argentina. Photo
courtesy of Y-TEC.
By comparing properties of
composite structures using a
new design map, Rice University
researchers Rouzbeh Shahsavari, left,
and Navid Sakhavand say engineers
can better predict the strength,
stiffness, and toughness of composite
materials. Photo courtesy of Jeff
Fitlow, Rice University.
47
E&P NOTES
materials of any size, from the nanoscale
to the very large.
The new theory about how to make
composites may also help speed the
development and qualification of new
composite materials. This is something
that has been a challenge for the oil and
gas industry. While testing standards for
steel and other metals exist, it has been
much more difficult to establish them for
composite materials and hybrid composites that incorporate steel.
Rouzbeh said he hopes that engineers can use the map to design a new
material and then make a low-cost sample with a 3D printer. This is a fast
evolving technology sometimes called
additive manufacturing. The advantage of 3D printing is that it has a high
level of accuracy, down to the micrometer, which allows it to make composites in the laboratory. Going this route
provides technology developers with
a shortcut.
Rather than make 10 or more largescale composite systems to find the best
ones, the 3D printer can be used to
select the best two or three candidates
48
Automated Drilling
Technologies
Showing
Promise
Trent Jacobs, JPT Senior Technology Writer
50
A ConocoPhillips rig operating at dusk in the Eagle Ford Shale of Texas, where the operator completed six wells using
an automated drilling package developed by National Oilwell Varco. By the final well, the system reduced drilling time
by 43% compared with wells drilled without it. Image courtesy of ConocoPhillips.
51
DRILLING AUTOMATION
52
A downhole weight-on-bit
controller
An autodriller to visualize the
data for humans and minimize
vibrations
Days
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000
10,000
11,000
12,000
13,000
14,000
15,000
16,000
17,000
18,000
19,000
20,000
21,000
Well 1
Well 2
Well 3
Well 6
Well 5
Well 4
Avg.
Composite
Using an automated drilling system for the first time, a ConocoPhillips rig
showed marked improvements in drilling speeds. The sixth well drilled using
the system reached total depth in just over 4 days. Graph courtesy of National
Oilwell Varco.
53
DRILLING AUTOMATION
The Statfjord C is one of the oldest producing drilling and production platforms in the North Sea, offshore Norway. Last
year, Statoil installed DrillTronics on the platform in a first step toward intelligent systems to make drilling operations
automated, efficient, and predictable, the company said. Photo courtesy of Harald Pettersen, Statoil.
to learn quickly and perform at a higher standard than they would without
thistechnology.
One important thing that separates
NOVs automated control system from
others is that it was developed using an
open platform that enables clients and
other companies to build apps for it.
This approach takes a page from Apples
iPhone and iPad model, whereby anyone with the smarts to develop an app
that can make use of the drilling data to
interface with a rigs control system is
welcome to do so. The only apps available right now are ones that NOV has
developed, although it is working with
54
An Industry First
One of the latest milestones for automation based on modeling comes from
Sekal, which said last October that DrillTronics was the worlds first automated
Tripping/reaming
velocity control
Pump startup
Stick/slip prevention
Bit-load optimization
Automatic friction
test procedures
55
DRILLING AUTOMATION
56
example, de Wardt said different automated systems need a common protocol so they can talk to each other and a
control system, regardless of who made
them. For instance, the work that DSATS
is undertaking and the application developed by NOV using an openplatform.
On how automation creates value,
de Wardt offers an example from the
mining industry. When Rio Tinto, a London-based mining company, sought to
transform one of its largest mines in
Australia into a completely autonomous
operation, it was able to do so relatively
quickly, thanks to some inherent advantages of its businessstructure.
The company owns the mine along
with all of the equipment and vehicles
used to operate it. So it worked with the
equipment manufacturers to automate
each machine, developed a remote control center, and then automated the train
that takes the ore more than 800 miles
to its wharf facility. Trials to autonomous
operations took 5 years and as a result,
Description
The computer offers no assistance; the human must take all decisions
and actions.
10
57
CONFERENCE REVIEW
58
New Roles
Following the lead of Saudi Arabia, the
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting
Countries (OPEC) has abandoned its role
59
CONFERENCE REVIEW
At USD 70 [per
bbl] we can grow.
At USD 80 we
can grow more.
Scott Sheffield,
chairman and chief
executive officer,
Pioneer Natural
Resources
60
We will apply
the lean culture
we learned
onshore to our
offshore business.
Low oil prices will
impose more cost
discipline.
John Hess,
chief executive officer,
Hess Corp.
CONFERENCE REVIEW
Financial Support
A factor making this downturn different is that investors are more willing to
finance US oil companies, buying billions of dollars of stock and bonds in
recent months, Burkhard said. This will
help keep companies in business as they
work to cut costs and adjust to this
lower-priceenvironment.
In the 1980s, there was a mass failure of energy lending banks, and in
2008 the price crash was triggered by
the global financial meltdown, sharply limiting financial support. The main
62
The lower-price case is also supported by weak demand from China, which
had been the worlds swing consumer,
absorbing rising oil production in recent
years. Growth has slowed in China. It
has reported its gross domestic product (GDP) is growing 7% a year, which
is down from what it was during booming years and at the minimum that is
required to create the jobs needed by its
growing workforce. But even that number may overstate the real growth rate.
China will be lucky to get to 6%,
said Nariman Behravesh, chief econo-
OPEC is not
dead. It will
continue to
matter, but it is
not what it used
to be.
Jim Burkhard,
chief researcher,
global oil markets
and energy scenarios,
IHS
63
CONFERENCE REVIEW
64
What made
the difference is
production. It is still
a supply story.
[In the past year]
gas producers
added 6 Bcf/D in the
Lower 48. That is
astonishing.
Mary Lashley Barcella,
director of North American
natural gas, IHS
65
WELLBORE POSITIONING
Good survey practice helps to ensure optimum reservoir drainage, left, while
poor survey practice increases the likelihood that some reserves, shown by
gray areas, will be stranded between wells. Image courtesy of Angus Jamieson.
66
location and spaced closer together, accentuates the need for good wellbore survey
practice for safety and economicreasons.
If you dont know where your well
is, how do you know what your reserves
are? asked Robert Wylie, product line
director of Dynamic Drilling Solutions at
National Oilwell Varco.
Reflecting this theme, Wylie moderated a WPTS topical luncheon titled
Why Did Your Reservoir Just Move? at
the 2014 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE). Good survey
management drives increased value for
wells, reservoirs, and companies, he said.
One size does not fit all in the design
of a well survey. The operator must assess
its reservoir goals, safety needs, and risk
aversion in drilling the well, and the surveys potential for enhancing the well
value, and then design a survey program
to meet those needs, Wylie said.
The problem is that operators conducting MWD surveys often obtain data
only on the inclination, azimuth, and
measured depth of the wellbore. A full
MWD survey should include raw data
from individual sensor readings, from
which important wellbore survey accuracy information is obtained on magnetic field strength, total gravitational
field, and magnetic dip, Wylie said. And
the survey data should be confirmed for
quality control by two independent tool
types in every section of the well as a best
practice, he said.
The reason why some operators conduct an incomplete survey is to save rig
time and expense, Wylie said. Although
MWD tools obtain the needed raw data,
downloading and processing the information takes an additional 90 seconds or
so. Repeating that process for each section of the well as it is drilled could add
USD 10,000 to USD 30,000 to the cost.
Planned spacing
Uncertainty of position
with standard MWD
surveys.
The well planner determined that the positional uncertainty of the planned
wells created the risk of a wellbore collision.
Uncertainty of position
with a good survey plan.
The planner recommended spending additional funds for a better survey plan
that would reduce the uncertainty, ensure safe drilling paths, and improve
reservoir drainage. Images courtesy of Performance Drilling Technology.
67
WELLBORE POSITIONING
68
just how wrong your assumptions were about the right way
to preplan your contingency wells and the ability of modern
technology to achieve intercept goals when they are used
and applied correctly.
A second ATW, titled Surface and Wellbore Positioning
Errors Impact Subsurface Models and Reserves Estimates
How Much and How Serious? will be held from 9 a.m. to
5p.m. on 12 November at the San Luis conference center.
De Wardt and Jon Stigant, owner of the consultancy Stigant
Enterprises, are co-chairs of the program, which will feature
expert presentations followed by a panel debate.
Subsurface models contain potentially large errors
because of surface and wellbore position uncertainties
resulting from inadequate surveying practices, especially
through the cross correlation between wells, de Wardt said.
Such errors can lead to large impacts on these models
and on reserve estimates, impacts that have never been
fully assessed. The ATW will break new ground by assessing
the scale of the problem and developing cross-disciplinary
initiatives that interested parties can launch to tackle
theseissues.
Both workshops have been designed to accommodate
the itineraries of people visiting clients and head offices in
Houston as well as the convenience of industry professionals
based in the Houston area. Engineers responsible for drilling,
drilling management, and relief well contingency planning;
geoscientists responsible for operations and reservoirs; well
surveying specialists; asset managers; and risk managers
are encouraged to attend the workshops.
Additional program information on the first workshop
isavailable on http://www.spe.org/events/15aga4/
?utm_source=JPT+online+article&utm_medium=EmailLink&utm_content=15AGA4-Email-Link-15AGA4-JPT13APR15&utm_campaign=JPT-well-placement-article.
Additional program information on the second workshop
will be available online at a later date.
69
DATA MINING
(a)
Time 1
(b)
Time 2
Language Learning
BP is the first oil company to report using
these data-mining methods for drilling monitoring. Its goal is to increase
safety and efficiency. These techniques
have been previously used for analyzing
trends on the Internet and monitoring by
intelligence agencies.
In the field of business analytics, pulling data from reports, emails,
speeches or anything else that has been
written falls into the realm of natural
language systems. Finding useful information from technical papers, such as
the SPE papers on the OnePetro website,
is an area of interest for Currie Boyle, an
IBM distinguished engineer in business
analytics. In an industry where a new
generation is taking over, he said this
could be used by newcomers for knowledge capture.
How do I get someone new up
to speed? he said. He wants to use
unstructured data searches to teach newcomers faster and more successful-
(c)
Time 3
Words extracted from daily drilling reports were analyzed by BP using a program that identified frequently used
words and usage trends over time. These word clouds show how pump references become more prominent over time,
suggesting driller concerns that might otherwise go unnoticed.
70
Reports on how long it takes to perform each step of the drilling process
plus the time when drilling is not progressing, are compared to performance
indicators from similar wells.
For example, the Baker Hughes
paper found that a crew drilling an offshore well was taking 8 minutes for pipe
connections that normally would take
about 3.5 minutes, which could add more
than 93 hours if that time was the norm
for the project. The goal is to quickly
identify and solve problems before the
time lost grows large.
Tough Test
The Baker Hughes system pulled numbers from drilling reports. Pulling words
from the text of those daily reports is far
harder to do.
While numbers and standard measurement units are strictly defined,
words found in reports written by drillers have specific meanings that cannot
be found in an online search. To fill that
gap, BPs information experts talked with
drilling experts to build a dictionary of
words and acronyms used on the rig
inreports.
BPs test required setting up a program to extract useful text from the daily
drilling reports. The analysis weighted
the terms based on their frequency of use
and their relativeimportance.
The words in the report were analyzed using an algorithm that created a
term frequency matrix to show which
words were becoming more prominent
over time. In other words, those things
were trending. In a diagram showing the
words used, the mud pump grew larger
over time.
The same could be done by a regular reader, but these scattered references would have been easy to miss. Using
digital analysis to change how wells are
drilled requires convincing humans that
the machine is a useful member of a collaborative real-time environment.
A question facing the effort is how
to best present the results to workers in a
way that effectively gets the appropriate
level of attention.
RESOURCES
71
Q&A
Ahmad Al-Khowaiter
is the chief technology
officer of Saudi
Aramco. He was the
chief engineer from
2011 to 2014 and
executive director
of power systems
in 2014 before assuming his present
role. Al-Khowaiter joined Saudi Aramco
in 1983 and has held technical roles in
oil and gas production organizations,
including design, project management,
commissioning, and operations, and
supervisory, managerial, and general
management positions.
He led the commissioning and
startup of the Hawiyah and Haradh gas
plants, two of the largest natural gas
processing plants in the world, and
the planning and development of the
King Abdullah University of Science and
Technology (KAUST).
Al-Khowaiter holds a BS degree
in chemical engineering from the King
Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals,
an MS degree in chemical engineering
from the University of California at Santa
Barbara, and an MBA degree as a Sloan
Fellow from the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology.
72
oping competitive technologies to directly convert crude oil to chemicals via multiple routes to help provide additional
feedstock for petrochemicalexpansion.
Are the technologies being
developed in your research center
open to use or proprietary
technology?
Enter
www.spe.org/jpt
in browser
Tap Add to
Home Screen
73
SPE REPORT
74
Be a part of a tradition of
unrivaled technical content, exhibits,
and networking opportunities.
More than 12,000 E&P professionals from 70+ countries are expected to attend ATCE, SPEs
annual meeting of members and the leading event in E&P. Join your colleagues in Houston and
learn about the industrys latest technologies, best practices, and new product launches.
Vibrant vision
New perspectives
CONFERENCE PREVIEW
The biennial SPE Offshore Europe Conference and Exhibition will take place
in Aberdeen under the theme, How to
Inspire the Next Generation, to attract
talent into the industry. For the first
time, the conference will feature papers
on people-related challenges in addition
to technical ones, said Charles Woodburn, conference technical chairman
and chief executive officer of Expro.
To be held at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre on 811 September, Offshore Europe is the largest
upstream oil and gas conference outside
of North America.
Technical Program
The main categories for the more than
100 technical papers to be presented
during the conference are health, safety,
and environment; more efficient field
development; asset and well integrity;
well abandonment and decommissioning; maximizing recovery; developing
talent to meet demand; subsea operations; and unconventional resources.
Attendees will also have access to
the Deepwater Zone, an area of the exhibition floor devoted to deepwater exploration and production and the specific challenges that operators face in the
harsh environment. Exhibits and demonstrations will feature the latest technologies and updates on ongoing projects, and the Deepwater Zone Theatre
will host topical presentations throughout the conference.
Keynote Sessions
On Tuesday afternoon, Brian Sullivan
of the International Petroleum Industry
Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA) will moderate the confer-
76
ences first keynote session on Balancing Security of Energy Supply, Affordability, and Environmental Risk While
Meeting Demand. The panel will examine the role of the oil and gas industry in supplying future energy needs
while meeting high standards of social
and environmental responsibility. Panelists will act as stakeholders and pose
questions to industry members on how
they will uphold these standards. The
second half of the session will be held
onWednesday.
Also on Tuesday, Frano Mika,
health system manager at Eni Saipem,
will moderate a keynote session which
will discuss health management in the
industry, new technologies for remote
medical treatment, management of offshore emergencies, and medical personnel roles and competencies.
Wednesday morning will start with
the second half of Tuesdays panel on
meeting stakeholder expectations in
the areas of social and environmental
responsibility. Industry members will
respond to the issues raised by stakeholders and express ways to meet social
and environmental standards, and community expectations. The discussion
should serve as a call to arms for the
industry to reaffirm its commitment to
stakeholder needs.
A panel session on Security of Personnel and Assets will be moderated
by Jean-Louis Kibort, head of security at
Totals marketing and services segment.
Panelists will debate whether the state
of security offshore has improved and
how operators can better protect their
equipment and personnel.
On Wednesday afternoon, attendees will have a choice of two panel ses-
KIBORT
WOODBURN
77
TECHNOLOGY
COILED TUBING
APPLICATIONS
The oil industry has responded rapidly to the decline in oil prices of these last few
months. As in past downturns, the rig count has fallen quickly, with the US land rig
count having been particularly hard hit. The Baker Hughes rig count for US land rigs
shows a fall from 1,866 at the beginning of June 2014 to 1,028 at the start of April 2015,
a decrease of 45%. A large portion of this reduction has occurred in the shale plays.
In prior industry cycles, declines in rig activity have not affected the coiledtubing (CT) market immediately. In fact, an increase in the CT sector has been
observed in some past down cycles. CT had been predominantly an intervention
method used to aid or maintain existing production. However, the focus in the US CT
market has shifted to supporting completion operations in the shale plays. Anecdotal opinion at the Coiled Tubing and Well Intervention Conference and Exhibition in
Houston this year suggested that there is a greater and more immediate effect on the
CT market in the US. Opinion similarly suggested that activity outside of the US land
market is responding as it has in previous cycles.
The CT industry, like all other sectors in our industry, will respond to todays
new market conditions. Technical innovation, as evident at the CT conference, will
continue. The focus of this innovation may shift toward improving processes and
their efficiencynamely, doing more with less. This repurposing brings an opportunity to drive and recognize the value of these innovations. Perhaps this period in
the cycle will allow for a consolidation of knowledge and incremental development of
todaystechnologies.
The papers in this years feature represent innovation, the adaptation of existing
technologies, and overcoming operational problems. They demonstrate the transfer
of knowledge from other sectors of our industry. By using that knowledge, each paper
shows that technical innovation is still possible in this current climate and continues
to move the CT industry forward.JPT
78
Development of Improved
High-Strength Coiled Tubing
oday, there is a need for higherstrength coiled-tubing (CT)
grades with better resistance to severe
environments and better fatigue
performance in both the tube body and
the bias weld. A complete redesign of
CT technology and its manufacturing
process has recently been carried out.
Testing has shown that the fatigue life
of the new CT grades exceeds that of
currently available high-strength grades.
Additionally, the bias-weld fatigue life
has improved significantly. Sulfidestress-cracking (SSC) resistance of the
new CT grades is considerably better
than that of conventional CT grades with
the samestrength.
Introduction
170
160
150
140
Base Tube
130
Bias Weld
YS:UTS=0.98
120
110
YS:UTS=0.92
100
110
120
130
140
150
160
This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of
paper SPE 173639, The Development of High-Strength Coiled Tubing With Improved
Fatigue Performance and H2S Resistance, by M. Valdez, C. Morales, R. Rolovic,
SPE, and B. Reichert, SPE, Tenaris, prepared for the 2015 SPE Coiled Tubing and Well
Intervention Conference and Exhibition, The Woodlands, Texas, USA, 2425 March.
The paper has not been peer reviewed.
For a limited time, the complete paper is free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt.
JPT JUNE 2015
79
Base Tube
Elongation (%)
Bias Weld
API 5ST
Trend Line
CT Grade
Test Environment
Type
Material
Mild
Intermediate
Severe
HS-80
Passed (5/5)
Failed (6/6)
Conventional
HS-90
Failed (2/2)
N/T
Failed (2/2)
HS-110
Failed (2/2)
N/T
Failed (2/2)
HT-80
N/T
N/T
Passed (3/3)
HT-100
N/T
N/T
Passed (6/6)
HT-110
Passed (4/4)
Failed (2/2)
Failed (2/2)
HT-125
Failed (2/3)
N/T
N/T
Heat Treated
N/T=not tested
80
Environmental Performance. Summarized next are results from SSC C-ring tests
and hydrogen-
induced-cracking (HIC)
tests that show CT performance in sour
(wet H2S) environments under static-load
(C-ring) and no-load (HIC) conditions.
C-Ring-Test Results and SSC Performance. A summary of C-ring-test results for conventional and new CT grades
is shown in Table 1. In the table, N/T indicates material/test conditions that were
not tested because the other tests on that
grade failed at less-severe conditions or
passed at more-severe conditions. A test
is considered passed when no cracks or
crack-like features are observed and this
is verified following the 30-day exposure. The first number in parentheses indicates the number of individual samples
passed or failed, and the second number
is the total number of specimens tested at
that condition. The test results show the
improved SSC performance of new CT
grades in Cringtests.
These results imply that the improved SSC performance of the new CT
grades could allow the use of 20- to
30-ksi higher-strength grades in SSC
environments compared with the conventional CT grades. This observation
applies only to static-loading conditions
because the fatigue-damage mechanism
and CT-fatigue performance after CT exposure to sour environments are different. However, the improved SSC performance of the new CT grades is beneficial
in reducing the risk of catastrophic failures related to that phenomenon, and in
providing robustness to the product by
diminishing the possibility of formation
of small SSC-induced cracks.
HIC-Test Results. No cracks were
observed in the base metal, electric-
resistance weld, or bias weld of any CT
grade after sectioning the specimens and
following the analysis protocol.
Fatigue Performance. Extensive fatigue
testing of new CT grades has been performed in the fatigue machine. On average, the observed HT-110 fatigue life
is approximately 30% longer than the
HS110 fatigue life across the entire pressure range. This shows a clear fatigueperformance advantage of the new-CT
material microstructure for the same
tensile-strength level as the conventional CT. The HT-125 tests showed approximately 90% longer average fatigue life than HS110 across the entire
pressurerange.
Fatigue-test results show that the
bias-weld fatigue performance of the new
CT grades is similar to their base-tube
fatigue performance. The observed similarity of the bias-weld fatigue performance and the base-tube fatigue performance is expected. This is a welcome
departure from the conventional-CT
bias-weld performance, which progressively decreases as the CT yield strength
is increased, limiting the life of the entire
CT string. The new CT grades allow full
use of the entire CT string, in addition to
overall longer fatigue life.
CT undergoes plastic deformation
every time it is bent and straightened
during normal operations, resulting in
fatigue-damage accumulation inside
the CT material. When there is pressure inside CT during these bending and
straightening events, in addition to the
fatigue-damage accumulation, the CT diameter tends to increase gradually, a phenomenon called CT ballooning. To determine the ballooning performance of the new CT grades, the
final maximum CT outside diameter (OD) was measured at two
axes 90 from each other at the end of each fatigue test. The
maximum and minimum ODs were averaged, and the average
OD increase was divided by the number of cycles to failure to
determine the average OD growth per CT bend/straighten cycle.
HT-125 clearly showed much lower OD growth rates than the
other two CT grades for midrange and high CT pressures. HT110 showed somewhat lower OD-growth rates than HS-110, but
the difference was not as pronounced as in the case of HT-125.
In all current tests presented here, the sour-fatigue results
suggest nonoccurence of HIC, which is in agreement with what
was observed in the HIC-specific tests presented previously
under the same sour conditions.
Test results show that, for the conventional-CT grades, the
absolute sour-fatigue life decreases as the CT yield strength increases from 90 to 110 ksi, even for the higher pressure where
the higher yield strength is normally beneficial for better handling of the hoop stress. The opposite trend is observed for
the new-CT grades, which show an increase in the absolute
sour-fatigue life as the CT yield strength increases from 110 to
125ksi. The improved microstructure of the new-CT materials
makes possible this favorable reversal in the sour-fatigue trend
related to the yield strength of the CT material.
Another beneficial aspect of the new-CT material technology and manufacturing process is that the bias-weld performance in sour fatigue is very similar to the improved
base-tube performance in sour fatigue for the same conditions. This is not a surprise, considering that, for the new-CT
grades, the bias-weld microstructure is virtually identical to the
base-tubemicrostructure.
Conclusions
Metallurgical analysis of CT made with the new technology
shows a much-more-uniform and -homogeneous microstructure throughout the tube, and particularly in the bias weld, in
which conventional-CT technology and manufacturing are not
able to restore the microstructure after bias welding. Mechanical testing has established consistency between base tube and
bias welds in all tested properties, and, in general, the new CT
falls within current API and industry standards when available
(HT-110), or it is on trend with extensions of current standards
to the new higher-strength grades.
CT manufactured with the new technology showed significant performance improvements in sour environments under
static-load conditions. The results imply that the improved
SSC performance of the new-CT grades could allow the use
of 20- to 30-ksi higher-yield-strength grades in SSC environments compared with the conventional-CT grades. HIC tests
showed that all CT grades have good HIC resistance for the
sour conditions covered by thetests.JPT
Faculty Positions
The Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering at Texas Tech
University has three (3) immediate openings.
The successful candidate in Position #3536BR will be expected
to teach graduate and undergraduate courses and manage related
laboratories in Drilling (casing design, drilling fuids, directional/
horizontal, well control and borehole stability). The candidate should
have earned a doctorate in petroleum engineering or closely related
feld by September 1, 2015. This position is for tenure track or
tenured positions at the level of assistant, associate and full professor.
The successful candidate in Position #3537BR will be expected
to teach graduate and undergraduate courses in Production and
manage related laboratories (artifcial lift, completions, stimulation
and workovers.) The candidate should have earned a doctorate in
petroleum engineering or closely related feld by September 1, 2015.
This position is for tenure track or tenured positions at the level of
assistant, associate and full professor.
The successful candidate in Position #3720BR will be expected to
teach graduate and undergraduate courses Production and manage
related laboratories (artifcial lift, completions, stimulation and
workovers.) The candidate should have a minimum of bachelors
degree in petroleum engineering or closely related feld. This position
is for the level of assistant, associate and full professor of practice
and is not a tenure track or tenured position.
Candidates may apply to one, two, or all three positions. Duties include
teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, advising and mentoring
students, supervising graduate student research, developing sponsored
research projects, and actively participating in departmental, university
and professional service activities. Prior academic experience is
considered an asset and a mandatory minimum of 4 years of industry,
including feld experience, is required. The ideal candidates will have
teaching and research interests in either Drilling or Production Operations.
New faculty are expected to be engaged in scholarship or creative activity
that attracts outside funding in the form of fellowships, grants, exhibits,
etc. Candidates who have very strong records of scholarship supported by
extramural funding and who have the proven capacity or clear potential
to bring externally sponsored research to Texas Tech University are
encouraged to apply. Service duties include program-building, as well
as commitment to extra-curricular activities. Service to the department,
college, university, and community is expected.
Texas Tech University is a multipurpose state university with 32,000+
students in a metropolitan area of excess of 230,000 inhabitants. We
offer competitive salaries, a friendly and cooperative work environment
and excellent teaching and research facilities. We are proud of our
42,000 square foot Terry Fuller Petroleum Engineering Research
Building that opened in February, 2014. We have established an 8-acre
Oilfeld Technology Center with one of a kind, 4,000 foot test well.
Qualifed applicants are requested to submit an application letter with
their resume and three references at www.WorkAtTexasTech.com. Click
Faculty, then search for requisition 3536BR, 3537BR, and 3720BR.
As an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affrmative Action employer,
Texas Tech University is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally
diverse faculty committed to teaching and working in a multicultural
environment. We actively encourage applications from all those who
can contribute, through their research, teaching, and/or service, to the
diversity and excellence of the academic community at Texas Tech
University. The university welcomes applications from minorities,
women, veterans, persons with disabilities, and dual-career couples.
81
Microbial-Influenced-Corrosion-Related
Coiled-Tubing Failures and Equipment Damage
icrobial-influenced corrosion
(MIC) has been implicated in few
corrosion-related challenges in the wellservice industry in the past. Recently,
however, the industry is observing an
increase of MIC-related equipment
damage. This upsurge of MIC coincides
with a switch to unconventional water
sources, including recycled water. This
paper is an overview of premature
coiled-tubing and other-well-servicingequipment failures and pumpingequipment damage related to MIC.
Introduction
Recycled fracturing water has been found
to contain high levels of bacteria, typically
on the order of 106109 colony-forming
units (CFU) per mL. The bacteria can originate from essentially anywhere in the
water-handling system: the water source,
transportation, storage, pumps, or downhole. Tanks and pits used for storage of
flowback water are ideal habitats for bacteria; typically, these are sessile environments; the water temperature is commonly 1535C; and organic compounds
found in the water such as oil carryover, surfactants, or polymers can be
ideal carbon and energy sources for many
microbial species. Higher-than-normal
bacteria populations and clear evidence
of MIC have been identified from flowback water in the Eagle Ford, Marcellus,
Haynesville, and Horne River shaleplays.
MIC
Microbes do not have a significant impact on general metal corrosion. MIC,
This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of
paper SPE 173658, Microbial-Influenced-Corrosion-Related Coiled-Tubing Failures
and Equipment Damage, by Scott Sherman, SPE, Duane Brownlee, SPE, and Sarkis
Kakadjian, SPE, Trican Well Service, prepared for the 2014 SPE Coiled Tubing and
Well Intervention Conference and Exhibition, The Woodlands, Texas, USA, 2425
March. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Microbial-Control Methods
in Well Servicing
Current methods used to control microbes in the upstream industry are largely ad hoc and often ineffective. It is common for operators to hire third parties
to chemically or physically shock treat
fracturing-water pits with oxidizers such
as chlorine dioxide and sodium hypochlorite (bleach) or with ozone, ultraviolet radiation, or other alternatives and to
then use this water for extended periods.
Where water is stored for extended periods, it is commonplace to conduct bacteria counts (if performed at all) using only
the water and not including biofilm sampling. Resulting biocidal-treatment regimens are likely to have little effect on the
biofilm-based microbes and could possibly contribute to a developed communal
resistance to that biocide.
Of additional concern is that biocides used for fracturing and coiledtubing operations are not all created
equally and are often chosen for inappropriate reasons. Different biocides have,
unsurprisingly, different physical properties and hence behave differently (both
individually and from one another) in
different chemical environments.
Another common mistake is made
in the employment of biocides. Some biocides can easily take 4 or more hours for
an effective kill. Hence, injecting the biocide into the pumping stream on the fly
will serve little to no use in the surfacetreatment of iron or the well tubulars in
most slickwater operations, given that
typical fluid transport time for a molecule of water from the blender to the formation for this type of treatment is normally 30 minutes to 1 hour.
For a limited time, the complete paper is free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt.
82
Phased-Array Inspection
Phased-array-inspection techniques can
be used to quantify the effects of pitting. These methods are capable of rapidly scanning an entire length of treating
iron and providing the minimum wall
thickness at the root of the deepest pit.
The advantage of phased-array inspection over the current methods of taking
a single sample every 24 in. is that the
probability of locating a potentially troublesome pit is much greater given that a
larger area of the tubular is sampled in a
single run.
Fig. 1Pitting in 4-in. 1502 iron used in fracturing in the Haynesville shale.
Coiled-Tubing Failures
Associated With MIC
To date, the authors have investigated
only a few failures where definitive evidence exists that MIC played a role in
the failure. This is partly because the authors have increased their efforts to look
for and study MIC only over a period of a
year before writing the paper. They have
looked back at micrographs of previous
failures and, given the pit morphology
and other circumstances surrounding
the failures, believe MIC is likely to have
played a role. (Pumping-equipment fail-
83
SPE
Bookstore
NEW!
Contents
Reservoir Engineering
Drilling Engineering
Formation Evaluation
Production Engineering
Facilities
Petroleum Economics
Conversion Factors
Preview sample pages from this
new book and order your own copy by
visiting our online bookstore at
www.spe.org/go/books.
Rotating-Joint Corrosion
Pitting corrosion has also been observed in rotating-joint components. No
rotating-joint failures have been attributed to MIC; however, metallurgical analysis of the rotating-joint components has
confirmed that SRB led to accelerated
corrosion of this equipment.
Testing Results
The results of coiled-tubing MICmitigation testing are discussed in detail
in the complete paper.
Recommendations
Integrated with the OrionNet data acquisition software, the viewer streams live well data through a secure
satellite connection. Its diagnostic capabilities allow us to quickly identify and resolve issues. Customized
alarms and warning options on all channels alert operators to sudden changes in pressures or rates.
The Coiled Tubing Remote Viewer also delivers reliable telecommunication connectivity to eld operations,
especially in remote locations.
Introduction
Coiled-tubing work has a well-established
track record in North Slope of Alaska oil
fields involving several thousand interventions of various types. Fig. 1 is a photograph of a typical Arctic-winter coiledtubing operation.
Most of the approximately 1,700
wells in the Prudhoe Bay field penetrate
either an extensive gas cap or the aquifer
in the sandstone reservoir. Mechanisms
for excess free-gas or water production
can be related to poor primary-cement
jobs of production liners, fluid-contact
movements over time, coning, or corroded or damaged liners. In general, any
through-tubing-profile modification that
can be performed to reduce excess freegas and water rates and increase oil rate
or time on production is beneficial to
overall field production. With many candidate wells, there has been a continuous evolution in job design and execution
techniques over the years.
This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights
of paper SPE 173655, Coiled-Tubing-Deployed Gas and Water Shutoffs in Alaska
With a Polymer Gel and Microfine Cement, by D.B. Robertson, SPE, BP; M.A.
Brown, Petrotechnical Resources of Alaska; L.H. Duong, SPE, BP; O.V. Ivanova,
Schlumberger; and A. Tambe, SPE, BP, prepared for the 2015 SPE Coiled Tubing and
Well Intervention Conference and Exhibition, The Woodlands, Texas, USA, 2425
March. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Background Information
The initial objective for the first well or
job attempted was to shut off several
For a limited time, the complete paper is free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt.
86
If knowledge is power,
get ready to
be supercharged.
88
Results
Coiled-tubing-deployed gas and water
shutoffs using the polymer-gel-andmicrofine-cement technique have been
performed on approximately 30 wells
over the last few years. The majority of
these profile modifications have involved
shutting off gas-producing heel perforations in horizontal wells. Some of the
profile-modification interventions have
involved shutting off water from the heels
of horizontal wells.
The lengths of perforation intervals
squeezed or shut off have ranged from
roughly 25 to 1,790 ft, with an average
of 450 ft of perforations shut off. Six
shots per foot is a common perforation
density, so the average number of perforations shut off was on the order of
2,700 perforations per well. The maximum perforation length squeezed was
1,790 ft, with 6 shots/ft (i.e., 10,740 individual perforations in a single well).
Total cumulative perforation footage
squeezed among all wells is on the order
of 13,000 ft, or approximately 2.5 miles
of perforatedfootage.
Initial success rates on the first few
wells were near 100% at returning uncompetitive wells to sustained production. The good initial success rate was
likely a result, at least in part, of somewhat better candidates being treated
first. More-speculative candidates were
addressed over the next few years. As
anticipated, the success rate decreased
with poorer-quality candidates. Morerecent success rates are on the order of
60 to 70%. Candidate quality is primarily related to the ability to obtain definitive prejob surveillance or diagnostic logs for an accurate understanding of
where the excess gas or water is entering
thewellbore.
One of the more impressive aspects
of the technique is the longevity of the
shutoffs, considering that each job attempts to plug thousands of holes in the
liner in the form of perforations. Post-job
production logs were run on five wells 1
to 3 years after the gas-shutoff treatment.
All have shown little or no flow from
squeezed perforations.
Liner-corrosion leaks have historically had a very low probability of successful repair with conventional Class
G cement squeeze techniques used in
the past. With the current generation
of small-diameter liners, mechanicalpatch options are very limited because
of inside-diameter limitations. Two
liner-corrosion-leak repairs have been
performed with the polymer gel and microfine cement, one to shut off gas and
the other to shut off water, both toward
the heels of horizontal wells. Both were
very successful, likely because the fluid
shutoff is performed in the matrix so
liner condition is less critical.
limiting drawdown on the well and potentially reducing the oil rate, so a coiledtubing-conveyed production log was run
to diagnose the water-entry mechanism.
The production log indicated significant
water entry at the heel of the well, both
from the perforations and from unperforated intervals. A caliper survey confirmed liner-wall loss throughout the
heel portion of the liner. A coiled-tubingdeployed heel-water shutoff was performed with the polymer gel and microfine cement. The well was returned
to full-time production at significantly
lower water rates and increased oil rate.
No post-job production log has been run
because production trends indicate a
successful watershutoff. JPT
www.EnventureGT.com
1.281.552.2200
89
TECHNOLOGY
Lee Morgenthaler,
SPE, is senior staff
production chemist
at Shell. He has
been with Shell for
34 years, starting
as a research
chemist at the Bellaire Research Center.
Morgenthaler has had assignments as
a production engineer, research-anddevelopment team leader, research
manager, and production chemist on a
wide variety of projects. These include
technology development in completion
and stimulation fluids, flow assurance,
waterflooding, and field support for
completion and stimulation activities in
sandstone and carbonate reservoirs. He
is currently working in Shells Upstream
Americas Deepwater business, with
roles in technology deployment and
production-chemistry leadership.
Morgenthaler holds a BS degree from
Tufts University and a PhD degree
from the University of Florida, both in
chemistry. He is a member of the JPT
Editorial Committee.
90
MATRIX STIMULATION
The technical contributions highlighted this year focus on matrix stimulation of carbonate and unconventional reservoirs. Matrix stimulation encompasses pumping processes used to improve the connection between the wellbore and the reservoir. They
are effective in a wide range of lithologies and have been successful in most types of
completionscased and open hole, horizontal and vertical, simple and complex,
injectors and producers. Wells are matrix stimulated during completion and to remove
production- or injection-induced impairment. The defining characteristic of matrix
stimulation is the use of chemical systems to dissolve material in the near-wellbore
region pumped below pressures that propagate reservoir fractures. Three papers are
presented in this feature, and several others are referenced for the interested reader.
One of the papers, SPE 168198, The First Visualization of Acid Treatments on
Carbonates With 3D Nuclear-Magnetic-Resonance Imaging, provides a detailed
description of the application of cutting-edge technology to image acid-induced
wormholes in carbonates. While this technology is new, it offers the promise of quantifying the effect of wormholes on near-wellbore flow to a degree that has not been
possible until now. (See also SPE 171699, NMR as a Characterization Tool for Wormholes: The Complete Picture.)
While the industry has focused on fracture stimulation of unconventional reservoirs, SPE 173640, Monitoring Acid-Stimulation Treatments in Naturally Fractured
Reservoirs With Slickline Distributed-Temperature Sensing, demonstrates the value
of matrix stimulation in a shale reservoir. It is a good example with some excellent
data on distributed-temperature-sensing profile monitoring, and it shows how naturally fractured reservoirs, which have generally been a challenge for stimulation, can
be addressed. Distributed-temperature-sensing technology continues to develop, and
a number of papers have been presented in the past year describing new capabilities
and interpretation methods. (See, for example, SPE 173686, Optimization of Matrix
Acidizing With Fluids Diversion in Real Time Using Distributed-Temperature Sensing
and Coiled Tubing; SPE 172546, Setting a New Milestone in Carbonate Matrix Stimulation With Coiled Tubing; and SPE 171021, First Installation of Efficient and Accurate Multilaterals-Stimulation Technology in Carbonate Oil Application.)
The stimulation process can also be improved by applying classical concepts from
reaction engineering and other disciplines. Paper SPE 171766, Challenge of Acidizing Horizontal Wells in Tight Carbonate Reservoirs: Weak Acid and Nonacid Alternatives, is an excellent example. The lesson is to look in both directions, back to the
technical basics and forward to embrace new technologies.JPT
Introduction
The experiments described in the complete paper were conducted with different core samples such as Indiana limestone, Silurian dolomite, Winterset
limestone, and carbonate outcrops. The
core samples were selected according to
their properties, which greatly differ for
each type with respect to their origin.
The core-flow tests or acidizing tests performed in this study serve the purpose
of simulating field treatments at laboratory scale.
NMRI applies a gradient static magnetic field such that the strength of the
field decreases with increasing distance
away from the source. The Larmor frequency becomes dependent on the position of the nuclei, which will be associated with a single value of the gradient
magnetic field. Hence, it is possible to locate the nuclei in a region radially around
the source. More specifically, NMRI uses
mostly pulsed gradient magnetic fields
that belong to a group of linear gradient
fields in order to link acquired signals to
a specific volume element. Therefore, it is
possible to locate the nuclei more exactly
in the 3D space instead of only defining
a region. The gradient fields are used for
spatial encoding to acquire a locationdependent signal, and they are the sliceselection gradient, phase-encoding gradient, and frequency-encoding gradient.
X-ray microfocus computed tomography (CT) is another nondestructive
imaging technique based on conventional
X-ray CT technology. Essentially, all X-ray
systems consist of at least one energy
source, one detector, and a manipulation
system for the sample. X-ray CT is able
to distinguish materials by density and
atomic number. In addition, a manipulation system is needed for the sample in
order to visualize the whole object in two
dimensions. The energy source and detector remain in their fixed position, and
the sample will be turned on a central axis
in the middle between them. In the last
step, the detector registers the attenuated
radiation behind the sample and amplifies the X-ray radiation to gain an image.
This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of
paper SPE 168198, The First Visualization of Acid Treatments on Carbonates With
3D Nuclear-Magnetic-Resonance Imaging, by M. Krebs, SPE, Clausthal University of
Technology; B. Lungwitz, SPE, A. Souza, SPE, A. Ppin, SPE, S. Montoya, P. Schlicht,
and A. Boyd, SPE, Schlumberger; and E. Vidoto, R. Polli, and T. Bonagamba,
University of So Paulo, prepared for the 2014 SPE International Symposium and
Exhibition on Formation Damage Control, Lafayette, Louisiana, USA, 2628 February.
The paper has been peer reviewed and is scheduled to appear in SPE Journal.
For a limited time, the complete paper is free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt.
JPT JUNE 2015
91
2.25 cm
144
1.5 cm
96
1.5 cm
96
2.25 cm
144
92
Conclusions
The porosity results of the initially executed NMR measurements showed a very
good agreement with the automated permeameter/porosimeter results, which
verifies the assumption that NMR technology is capable of handling carbonate
core samples. However, the permeability results of the NMR measurements become increasingly inaccurate the bigger
the pores become. Hence, it can be stated
that true NMR permeability calculations
EUROPES LEADING
TECHNICAL E&P EVENT
8-11
SEPT
2015
ABERDEEN, UK
HOW TO INSPIRE
THE NEXT
GENERATION
PEOPLE TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS
MEET FACE-TO-FACE WITH
1,500 EXHIBITORS
FOCUS ON SUBSEA IN THE
DEEPWATER ZONE
UPDATE YOUR KNOWLEDGE WITH 100+
FREE TECHNICAL PRESENTATIONS
ACCESS 11 FREE KEYNOTE SESSIONS
REGISTER NOW AT
OFFSHORE-EUROPE.CO.UK/JPT
16/04/2015 10:44
echanical-diversion techniques
can ensure acid injection into the
various intervals of naturally fractured
reservoirs. With these methods, surface
pressure can be monitored to assess fluidplacement effectiveness for each zone
treated, but uncertainty of the friction
pressure in the pipe while pumping can
result in an incorrect interpretation
of fluid entry. A new technique using
fiber-optic distributed-temperaturesensing (DTS) measurements offers a
solution when bullheading by providing
an indication of where the acid has been
injected into the fractured reservoir.
Introduction
The variability of fracture density and
aperture along with fluid conductivity
poses challenges to the goal of achieving
uniformity of acid distribution to all fractures in a well. The optimum technique
would allow effective treatment of all
fractures, be operationally efficient, and
facilitate the determination of treatment
effectiveness in real time.
Diversion of the treatment fluid
helps ensure that the entire interval is
stimulated effectively on the basis of design objectives. When diversion is not
considered, there is a significant reduction in the ensurance of complete zonal
coverage. In the past, the rule of thumb
has been to recommend diversion when
attempting matrix stimulation of more
than 20 ft of zone.
Diverters can be separated into two
broad categories, mechanical and chemical.
This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of
paper SPE 173640, Monitoring Acid-Stimulation Treatments in Naturally Fractured
Reservoirs With Slickline Distributed-Temperature Sensing, by Stephen Grayson,
SPE, Yosmar Gonzalez, Kevin England, SPE, Ryan Bidyk, and S. Farrell Pitts,
SPE, Schlumberger, prepared for the 2015 SPE Coiled Tubing and Well Intervention
Conference and Exhibition, The Woodlands, Texas, USA, 2425 March. The paper has
not been peer reviewed.
Natural-Fracture Heterogeneity
Natural fractures are created when fracturable rock is stressed past its breaking
point. Variations in stress magnitudes
over time cause natural-fracture occurrences to be difficult to predict. Fracture
density is quite varied in the Miocene
Monterey shale in California. Wireline
resistivity images are typically used
for identification of natural or drillinginduced fractures and their orientation.
Resistivity-imaging tools use arrays of
microresistivity buttons to record the
texture of the rock through the variations
in current flow into the formation. Images are typically color scaled so that open
fractures are dark events compared with
the surrounding brighter-colored matrix. Images are often presented in three
dimensions to aid in the understanding
of fracture orientation and spacing and
fracture relationship to structural geologic events. Fracture intensity is typically higher near folding or faulting, as a
result of the increased stress associated
with these features.
Open fractures provide high-fluidconductivity pathways for petroleum
production under optimum conditions.
However, open fractures are also a source
of fluid loss during the drilling process.
Various techniques have been developed
to control fluid loss successfully in fractured reservoirs, but the typical result is
a reduction in fluid conductivity caused
by a concentration of drilling solids in
the fractures.
For a limited time, the complete paper is free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt.
94
DTS Box
Reference Coil
Fiber in Well
Laser
Incident
Raleigh Light
Analyzer
Anti-StokesRaman Band
StokesRaman Band
Wavelength
Backscattered Spectrum
Fig. 1Principle of DTS temperature measurement.
and sheaves with a 20-in. outside diameter (OD). The tool string consists of slickline weight bars and rollers and possibly
a swab mandrel to get pumped into place.
Field Operations
Running SL-DTS surveys in the California
wells presented operational challenges.
Several of the wells are highly deviated,
and some sections are almost horizontal, making it unfeasible to run the slickline into the well in the traditional man-
95
Health,
Safety, and
Environment
Information
When You
Need It
A new Web app from SPE
www.spe.org/hsenow
Scan this
code to
preview.
twitter.com/HSENow
Thermal Behavior
in Acidized Reservoirs
In naturally fractured formations, effective acid stimulation is critical to enhance
well productivity. It is expected that the
acid interactions significantly minimize
the near-wellbore formation skin by removing drilling damage. In addition, the
acid will dissolve carbonate rock, generating wormholes out from the wellbore
to efficiently connect the near-wellbore
region to the completion. During acid injection into the formation, when the acid
is creating the wormholes, exothermal
heat is generated at the tip of the wormhole. During this injection period, the
temperature measured in the borehole
will be the injection temperature of the
acid without exothermal effects. When
the acid injection is stopped, the live acid
remaining in the wormhole system surrounding the borehole will react with the
carbonate rock to create a heated ring
around the wellbore, and this will then
heat the liquid in the wellbore, which can
be observed with SL-DTS.
Understanding the effect of temperature transients during acid spending
provides important insights into stimulation effectiveness during pumping
or post-treatment. Acid spending and
wormhole growth constitute a dynamic process that involves competition between physical and chemical processes,
including acid/mineral reaction and mass
transport. For a given type of carbonate, the acid-reaction rate is a function
of acid concentration and temperature.
Acid mass transport depends on the injection flux and the molecular-diffusion
rate. Rock heterogeneity, including pore
structure and pore-size distribution, can
significantly affect wormhole propagation during carbonate matrix acidizing.
Depending on the reaction kinetics for
a given fluid and formation, the effect of
temperature on acid spending and wormhole formation varies.
The DTS data presented in this
paper show how continuous and accurate temperature measurements along
the wellbore provided a method to qualitatively infer the acid distribution during pumping or post-acid treatment.
For a discussion of case studies with SLDTS in naturally fractured Monterey
shale wells in California, please see the
completepaper.JPT
Introduction
In vertical wells, positive skin pertains
to reduction of effective wellbore radius,
thus sacrificing reservoir contact. It is
very important to note that, in long horizontal wells, wellbore radius does not
represent the reservoir contact; rather,
it is replaced by the horizontal length. It
can be said that the horizontal well itself
represents a limiting case of the finiteconductivity fracture. Thus, in the case
of a homogeneous reservoir, if vertical
permeability is sufficient, the horizontal
well is supposed to drain the reservoir.
The primary aim of stimulation in such
cases becomes removal of near-wellbore
formation damage.
The field development of this operators tight carbonate reservoirs was
envisaged as being performed by drilling 3,000- to 5,000-ft-long horizontal
wells. Although 15% HCl is the conventional acidization formulation for these
Acid-Stimulation Chemicals
Coreflood studies conducted by many
investigators established that, when
acid is injected into the rock, a breakthrough of acid is observed at the other
end. By manipulation of the injection rate, the pore volume required to
break through can be minimized. Injection rate obtained in such situations
is termed the optimum injection rate.
Computed-tomography scans of the
cores revealed formation of a dominant
flow channel in such situations (i.e., a
wormhole). Wormholing is the most desired mechanism of acid stimulation.
This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights
of paper SPE 171766, Challenge of Acidizing Horizontal Wells in Tight Carbonate
Reservoirs: Weak-Acid and Nonacid Alternatives, by Sameer Punnapala, SPE,
Maryam Abdul Rahman, SPE, and Sanjay Misra, SPE, Abu Dhabi Company for
Onshore Oil Operations, prepared for the 2014 Abu Dhabi International Petroleum
Exhibition and Conference, Abu Dhabi, 1013 November. The paper has not been
peerreviewed.
Description of Dissolution
Phenomenon
The process of carbonate dissolution
happens in three steps:
1.Transport of reactants to the
carbonate surface
2.Reversible reaction at the surface
3.Transport of reaction products
away from the surface
For a limited time, the complete paper is free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt.
JPT JUNE 2015
97
100
Permeability (md)
Permeability (md)
HCl
HCl
10
Acetic Acid
4
Acetic Acid
Chelants
Chelants
1
10
Chelants/Nano
With Segmentation
100
1,000
10,000
Chelants/Nano
With Segmentation
0.4
10
100
. . .(1)
Solving for qopt gives the optimal injection rate required for creating
wormholes as a function of the diffusion
coefficient:
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(2)
Eq. 2 is a very good tool to choose appropriate formulation for a subject-well
stimulation. It requires knowing only the
effective diffusion coefficient of the formulation to calculate the optimum injection rate for a coreflood. Any formulation will be applicable to the subject-well
stimulation only if a pumping rate akin
to optimal injection rate can be attained.
Tables 1 and 2 of the complete paper pro-
98
10,000
vide optimum injection rate for different chemical formulations by use of this
equation and a summary of choices of
stimulation formulation on the basis of
coreflood injection rate, respectively.
Coreflood results can be upscaled
to field conditions by the following
relationship:
. . . .(3)
1,000
Evaluating Efficiency of
Stimulation Jobs in Two Fields
Results of acid-stimulation jobs performed in two of the operators fields
were compared with the findings of this
study. Field A is a giant carbonate field
mainly producing from two reservoirs
at a depth of 8,000 ft. The upper, tighter
reservoir is characterized by a fracture
gradient of 0.70.8 psi/ft and permeability of 315 md. The lower, more-prolific
reservoir shows a fracture gradient of
0.60.65 psi/ft and permeability of
1080 md. Field B is a field of moderate size mainly producing from two reservoirs situated at a depth of approximately 9,500 ft. Fracture gradient in the
upper (tight) reservoir ranges from 0.7
to 0.9 psi/ft, while permeability is very
low (0.62 md). The lower reservoir is
the main producer, where fracture gradient is in the range of 0.65 to 0.7 psi/ft and
permeability is 210 md. Both fields are
completed with both vertical and horizontal wells. Horizontal wells are currently the preferred choice for increased
reservoir contact and recovery.
Permeability and treatment length
may vary in a field. On the basis of these
two parameters, qopt was calculated for
a wide range of wells in both fields. The
choice of the optimal formulation for
each kind of well was marked on a log-log
plot of permeability vs. treatment length.
It was observed that wells belonging to
one type of formulation were occupying
certain areas on the plot. Thus, envelopes
pertaining to various formulations were
plotted for the two fields.
A review of the stimulation jobs carried out in the two fields during 2005
2013 was conducted. Overall, 214 jobs
were conducted during the period. Out
of these, 165 jobs were the acid jobs,
which were conducted for post-drilling
acid wash where the history of the wells
Conclusions
Wormholing, which is the desired mechanism of stimulation, takes place when a
balance is achieved between the rate of
pose. Possible injection rates were calculated for vertical and horizontal wells
in the two fields, covering a wide range
of permeability distribution. By means
of upscaling, it was determined which
stimulation chemical would be suitable
for a well. When the permeability and
treatment lengths for these wells were
plotted on a log-log scale, distinct envelopes were obtained for suitability of
differentformulations.
Nomenclature
99
TECHNOLOGY
WELLBORE
TUBULARS
The roles of wellbore tubulars in delivering continued well integrity are diverse, critical, and congruent throughout the life of the well.
Well integrity has been defined by the NORSOK Standard document as the application of technical, operational, and organizational solutions to reduce risk of uncontrolled release of formation fluids throughout the life cycle of a well.
Wellbore tubulars are integral to providing these well-integrity barriers, whether
they form the conduit for the primary barrier (the fluid column) within the well, such
as the drillpipe, or comprise a well-barrier element such as casing or other tubulars
associated with drilling, completion, production, intervention, or even abandonment.
During the well-construction phase, the primary well barrier is typically the fluid
column and its tubular conduits. Secondary well-barrier elements can be the in-situ
formation, casing cement, casing, wellhead, high-pressure riser, or drilling blowout
preventer. Subsequently, as the well matures over the next 30 years or more, the elements within the wellbore-tubular realm vary, but each continues to play a significant
role in maintaining well integrity. Therefore, with more-complex high-pressure/hightemperature wells being drilled, the industry is adopting a more life of the well engineered approach in the area of wellbore-tubular design.
The papers summarized within this section are focused on the various roles
tubulars play during the life of the well, beginning with proactive application of innovative well monitoring during drilling operations to provide a dual role of the drillpipe by adding a layer of well-health surveillance during the drilling activities. The
sections focus continues with reviews of case histories outlining the application of
drillpipe intervention systems successfully applied in the offshore west Africa arena
and solutions to large-scale tubular failures within a mature field in Surinames
Tambaredjofield.
The additional-reading titles selected further explore various applications and
evaluation techniques with case-history references to assist in expanding the readers
wellbore-tubular knowledge toolbox.
We all strive to deliver quality well construction, production, intervention, and
abandonment to our industry. While evaluating papers for inclusion in these few short
pages encapsulating the extensive base of information published that surrounds the
application of wellbore tubulars, I was struck by the quality and diversity of information available. Therefore, the reader is encouraged to search further within the
industrys technical-paper and article archives to explore additional aspects of wellbore tubulars and the tools and techniques that are currently available and critique
theirapplicability.JPT
Downhole-Fluid-Level Analysis
Annular-pressure-while-drilling (PWD)
data are commonly available through
measurement-while-drilling (MWD) services and have the potential for fluid-level
detection. But until recently, mud-pulse
technology could provide data only during dynamic conditions when the circulation rate exceeded a minimum threshold.
Operationally, the pump rate would usually be reduced to below such a threshold in an attempt to reduce the severity of
the losses. Furthermore, PWD data measure pressure at only a single location, so
pressure gradients across particular sections are unknown for detecting the origin of gains or location of losses. Another
practical concern is that an effective fluiddensity estimate is required to compute
hydrostatic-column height if only one pressure measurement is available, and density
is likely unknown because the hole will
be filled with seawater. Finally, negativepulser technology functions in a very limited manner during severe losses, leaving
wellsite personnel deprived of downhole
data and short of meaningful surface data.
Technology Providing
Downhole Information
Along-string temperature and annular
pressure as well as the temperature and
pressure gradients are currently available
through wired or networked drillstrings.
These real-time data improve identification and analysis and, ultimately, the ability to regain well control by supplementing available surface data with downhole
information. The along-string evaluation services provide for pinpointing the
origin of the influx. In some instances,
the same downhole measurements help
identify where hydrocarbons may exit the
wellbore, which reveals the onset and development of an underground blowout.
Three sources of downhole information are described here.
Networked Drillstring for High-Speed
Transmission. Networked drillstrings
are similar to conventional premium
drillstrings in terms of functionality,
handling, and specifications, but their tubulars are outfitted with a stainless-steelarmored coaxial cable connecting the induction coils that are installed at the pin
end and the box end of eachconnection.
Along-String Evaluation of Temperature and Pressure. The 57,600-bps
bandwidth also transmits the alongstring annular-pressure, bore-pressure,
and temperature measurements that are
acquired at the same electronic elements
that provide signal boosting.
Measurement While Tripping (MWT).
Delivery of downhole information is usually achieved by connecting the topdrive.
This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights
of paper SPE 163417, Detect Kicks Prompted by Losses and Direct-Measurement
Well-Control Method Through Networked Drillstring With Along-String Pressure
Evaluation, by Daan Veeningen, SPE, NOV IntelliServ, prepared for the 2013 SPE/
IADC Drilling Conference and Exhibition, Amsterdam, 57 March.
For a limited time, the complete paper is free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt.
JPT JUNE 2015
101
(a)
(b)
Fig. 1MWT devices that (a) provide connection to the networked drillstring
in static conditions and during connections and (b) provide connection in
dynamic conditions while hoisting the string.
similar to the drillers method. One distinction, however, is that kill mud can be introduced once it becomes available, instead
of completing a full circulation as required
by the drillers method. This reduces risks
associated with periods without circulation. Third, kill mud can be circulated at
the density at which it becomes available
by mixing, and a homogeneous mud weight
is not required as it is with the wait-andweight method (also known as the engineers method). The swifter introduction
of heavier mud, and quicker circulation of
the influx, reduces the maximum pressure
at the shoe and BOPs. Fourth, the kill rate is
optimized, benefiting from direct pressure
readings taken near the casing shoe (or, alternatively, at the weakest known formation zone). The kill rate is therefore not necessarily constant (i.e., the rate may increase
as the kill advances and is not automatically equal to an earlier established slowcirculating rate, a measurement that becomes obsolete in deploying this method).
Finally, a major difference compared to the
wait-and-weight method is that no calculations are required because a direct measurement drives the operation of the (automatic) choke for the required backpressure.
Ofcial Supporter:
Register Now at
www.spe.org/events/eorc/2015
102
Why Tejas
TTNY?
Obviously, swab pressures can produce an influx and excessive surge pressures during a trip into the hole can
cause formation breakdown, whereby the subsequent losses could trigger
well-controlevents.
Managed-Pressure and Mud-Cap Drilling. Aerated mud and accurate application of the required backpressure are
crucial in managed-pressure drilling,
and downhole measurements allow one
to compensate for pressure fluctuations
caused by heave.
Lost-Circulation Management and
Fluid Placement. Lost-circulation material (LCM) and even cement are installed
routinely to recover from severe fluid
losses. Two challenges are encountered.
First, elevated LCM concentrations have
the potential to plug downhole tools and
drill-bit nozzles, and pumping through
tools is costly. Second, placement of fluids
at different densities leads to U-tubing
and complex computations for displacement volumes at (reduced) fluid density to
counter any increase in hydrostatic head
in the annulus or inside the drillstring.
While drilling engineers generally
prefer having the mud-pulse-telemetry
redundancy, there are applications in
which networked drillstring is the single source for downhole-data communication. In these instances, the tolerance
to LCM concentrations is increased and
limited to the bit nozzles.
Through use of the networks two-way
communication, it will be feasible to operate electromechanical fluid-bypass valves
through network activation. In this situation, the LCM or cement would then bypass
the downhole tools, and flow through the
entire drillstring would be restored once
the slug is positioned in theannulus. JPT
Because the
TTNY
connection:
e-mail:
sales@tejastubular.com
Web site:
www.tejastubular.com
Phone:1-800-469-7549
Fax: 281-822-3401
103
Development of Drillpipe-Riser-Intervention
Systems Offshore West Africa
Introduction
Well-completion and -intervention operations in offshore environments are
growing in complexity because of increasing water depths and working-pressure
requirements. These environmental factors are having a major effect on tubebody minimum-tensile-load capacity and
gas-tight-connection requirements. As
early as 1996, an operator accelerated
the development of a new type of completion and intervention system when it discovered the Roncador field in 1800 m of
water offshore Brazil. A dedicated project
team was created to develop the DPRIS.
The operator had already identified its
need for a mobile early-production riser
for use with a floating production unit
performing extended flow testing of
production wells. The new DPRIS could
be used for subsea tubing-hanger and
production-tree installations and as an
early-production riser.
This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights
of paper SPE 170308, Drillpipe-Riser-Intervention-System Successful Experience
in Offshore West Africa, by Henri de Fonvielle and Laurent Bordet, Vallourec
Drilling Products; William Campbell and Nenad Susak, Total; and Mitra Marajh,
FMC Kongsberg International, prepared for the 2014 SPE Deepwater Drilling and
Completions Conference, Galveston, Texas, USA, 1011 September. The paper has not
been peer reviewed.
Drillpipe-Riser Solutions
For a limited time, the complete paper is free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt.
104
to the seal contact. It also avoids gaspressure migration from the ID.
To achieve the stable behavior of the
metal-to-metal seal for the range of possible interferences caused by production
tolerances, the design has incorporated a
double radius, or wave effect, in the -in.
taper seal area. With two contact surfaces, the solution offers a better contactpressure distribution and reduces the
risk of galling without reducing the performance of the seal.
Another improvement of the second
generation is a new thread profile that
replaces the API thread form by a triangular thread with a reduced angle on the
loading flank. This leads to less sensitivity of the connection to high axial tension and provides better control of the
sealing zone. The root of the radius was
almost doubled to providebetter fatigue
resistance, and the number of threads
per inch was reduced to obtain a quicker makeup, thus reducing nonproductive
time on the rigfloor.
Other changes include a larger
pitch diameter to obtain a better balance between pin-and-box critical cross
Testing Results
The qualification program carried out
during the Usan project included a
resonant-fatigue test with mean ten-
Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ) (http://www.qatar.tamu.edu/) invites applications for a faculty position at the assistant, associate or
full professor level, with an anticipated starting date of August 1, 2015. Texas A&M at Qatar is a partnership with Qatar Foundation. The position
is in Doha and the successful applicant must relocate to Qatar.
TAMUQ offers Bachelor of Science degree programs in Electrical, Chemical, Mechanical, and Petroleum engineering. Each of these four
undergraduate programs is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org. The program benefts from state-ofthe-art facilities and instrumentation in support of its key educational and research missions. The Petroleum Engineering faculty have established
strong educational and research programs on a foundation of core engineering disciplines. There is signifcant support in Qatar for research
through funds from Qatar National Research Fund and Industry.
Applicants must have earned a doctorate in petroleum engineering or a closely related feld. Successful candidates are also expected to have a
strong commitment to teaching excellence, a demonstrated research capability that will enable the candidate to develop an externally funded,
independent research program and publish in leading scholarly journals.
The successful applicants will be required to teach undergraduate courses in support of the development of the undergraduate program; they will
teach at the graduate level and mentor graduate students; develop an independent, externally funded research program; participate in all aspects of
the departments activities; and serve the profession. Strong written and verbal communication skills are required. Applicants should consult the
departments website to review our academic and research programs (http://pete.qatar.tamu.edu/).
TAMUQ offers a competitive salary package commensurate with rank and experience. The package includes 12 month salary, housing allowance,
annual home leave allowances, dependent education, local transportation allowance, medical insurance, plus appropriate relocation and repatriation
expenses. Candidates should submit applications electronically at https://www.tamengineeringjobs.com/
Dr. Maria A. Barrufet
Petroleum Program Chair Search Committee
Texas A&M University
Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering
3116 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-3116
+979-845 0314
maria.barrufet@pe.tamu.edu
105
Enhance
Your Career.
Get Certifed.
Petroleum
Engineering
Certifcation
SPEs Petroleum Engineering
Certifcation program provides
you with an opportunity to
obtain an international credential
recognizing your petroleum
engineering knowledge.
Register now for an upcoming
certifcation exam to validate
your technical knowledge and
skills in engineering fundamentals
and problem solving. Or, sign up
to take a review course. Find out
about upcoming courses and
exams in your area at
www.spe.org/training/exams.
Atlantic Ocean
Tambaredjo Field
Calcutta Field
Introduction
Currently, Staatsolie Maatschappij Suriname produces from the Tambaredjo, Calcutta, and Tambaredjo Northwest
fields, as illustrated in Fig. 1. These oil
fields are located in a marshy area on the
coastal plain of Suriname approximately55 km west of Paramaribo.
The crude oil contains low sulfur content (0.65 wt%) and 1 wt% asphaltene and has an average viscosity
of 500 cp at reservoir conditions. The
water/oil ratio is 7 and the gas/oil
ratio is less than 50 scf/bbl as of December 2013. The average daily production from these fields reached
16,700 BOPD from 1,549 active producing wells completed in shallow
unconsolidated-sand reservoirs with
depths ranging from 700 to 1,500 ft.
The Tambaredjo oil field isthe oldest and
largest of these fields, with 1,130 active
producers contributingtwo-thirds of the
overallproduction.
This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of
paper SPE 169978, Case Study for Reducing Tubing Failures in Surinames Tambaredjo
Field, by D. Nurmohamed, SPE, H. Chin A Lien, SPE, and S. Kisoensingh, SPE,
Staatsolie Maatschappij Suriname, prepared for the 2014 SPE Trinidad and Tobago
Energy Resources Conference, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, 911 June. The
paper has not been peer reviewed.
For a limited time, the complete paper is free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt.
JPT JUNE 2015
107
108
Case 6F07. Well 6F07 had a failure history of 6 times per year recorded since
2010. In January of 2013, rod guides
were installed, with some extra guides
on the rod string leaving some sucker rods without any rod guides. After 7
months, this well went out of production, with leaking at the 17th tubing. As
in previous cases, a wear pattern was
observed on the rod coupling at the
depth corresponding to the leak.
The other selected wells were run in
with rod guides on every sucker rod, as
recommended. Since the installation of
these rod centralizers, no failures have
been registered.
Conclusions
The main cause of leaking tubing in the
wells is the rod/tubing abrasional wear
in combination with the corrosiveness of
the produced fluid.
Rod/tubing abrasional
wearis partly caused by
excessive vibration of the
rods, resultingfrom the
improper installation of the
rodconfiguration.
No correlation is observed
between tubing failures and highwater-cut areas.
After installing the recommended
rod string with a full length
of sucker rod above the pump
combined with rod centralizers
on the rod string in the selected
pilot wells with high failure rates,
a reduction of 40% is achieved
for four wells, and the other four
wells are still producing after the
recommended installation.
To minimize these failures, it is recommended to reduce the vibration of the
rod string and prevent rod/tubing contact by taking the following steps:
Install a full length of sucker rod
above the stator on all wells to
prevent increased tubing wear
above the pump.
Install rod centralizers in wells
with repetitive tubing failures to
prevent rod/tubing wear.
In cases where the produced fluids
are also corrosive, corrosion
inhibitors may be applied. JPT
109
TECHNOLOGY
Stephen Goodyear,
SPE, is EOR
deployment lead
for Shells Upstream
International
region. He has 29
years of experience
as a reservoir engineer, principally
working in EOR. Before joining Shell in
2002, Goodyear worked for an oil and
gas consultancy and, during his career,
has performed a wide variety of roles,
including roles in research and fielddevelopment planning. He is a Shell
subject-matter expert for gas injection
and has a particular interest in nextgeneration carbon dioxide EOR projects
and carbon capture and storage.
Goodyear holds an MMath degree
from Cambridge University and a PhD
degree in physics from the University
ofEdinburgh. He is a member of the
JPT EditorialCommittee.
110
EOR OPERATIONS
What a difference a year can make! Back in June 2014, when the EOR Operations feature last appeared in JPT, Brent was trading at more than USD 100/bbl. At the time of
writing this year, the oil price has halved to near USD 50/bbl. However, despite current prices, it is widely believed that the age of easy oil is over and that, as we seek
to replace reserves and meet growing energy demand, we will be driven to develop more-technically-difficult and -capital-intensive volumes. This will be through
exploration in ever-more-remote and -challenging environments, the development
of known but more-difficult reservoirs, or the development of brownfield projects
by applying improved-oil-recovery and enhanced-oil-recovery (EOR) techniques to
existingassets.
Worldwide, more oil is left behind in reservoirs than is recovered. The potential
of EOR is significant: A 1% increase in the efficiency of hydrocarbon recovery could
deliver 3 additional years of annual global production at todays level. EOR is about
monetizing known barrels in well-characterized formations through the application
of commercially proven recovery techniques such as miscible-gas and steam injection
and with an eye to the maturation of less-widely-applied or emerging EOR technologies such as alkaline/surfactant/polymer flooding or low-salinity flooding.
Developing these EOR plays requires the willingness to step beyond our comfort
zones and the commitment to longer-term project timelines, which may require a
piloting or demonstration phase before large-scale application. That is not very different from opening up a new exploration play, except that we know with certainty that
the hydrocarbons exist.
Successful implementation of more-complex recovery processes benefits from a
systems approach in which every aspect of the project is considered, from the injectant sourcing through to piloting, facilities design, project phasing, surveillance, and
reservoir management. Alongside this there is a need to develop and deepen skills to
move from primary- or secondary-recovery processes to EOR. SPE plays an important
role in this by sharing knowledge and experience of operating projects. The papers
summarized in this section and suggested in the recommended additional reading all
speak to different aspects of the EOR journey. I hope you will enjoy reading them and
be inspired to look for EOR opportunities in your fields.JPT
Introduction
Thermal-EOR projects require a massive long-term thermal energy supply to
heat the reservoir. Concentrating solar
power (CSP) could provide this energy
at a low cost after the initial capital investment; hence, the two processes are
well-matched, especially in locations
with high levels of solar radiation.
The Sultanate of Oman, in common
with many other countries in the region,
has large heavy-oil reserves, which are
best produced with thermal-EOR methods. Natural gas is traditionally used as
the fuel for these projects. However, concerns about future supply, carbon dioxide emissions, and future costs led
Petroleum Development Oman to investigate solar technology to power longterm EOR plans. The result was the
solar-steam-generation pilot (SSGP) built
at the Amal West field in southern Oman.
Potential
One cannot spend time in the deserts of
the Arabian Peninsula without appreci-
Technology
Enclosed trough represents a new
approach to the design and construction of concentrating solar collectors.
The enclosed-trough system is protected by a glass structure, an agricultural greenhouse (Fig. 3). The SSGP plant
has a solar field footprint of 17 280 m2
with a peak output of more than 7 MW
thermal. Lightweight parabolic mirrors
are hung within the glasshouse. The
glasshouse provides structural support
and isolates the solar collectors from
wind and moisture, substantially reducing the total cost of the solar-energy
system. These greenhouses are similar
to the design deployed at scale glob-
This article, written by Special Publications Editor Adam Wilson, contains highlights
of paper SPE 169745, Construction, Operations, and Performance of the First
Enclosed-Trough Solar-Steam-Generation Pilot for EOR Applications, by Daniel
Palmer, SPE, GlassPoint Solar Muscat, and John ODonnell, GlassPoint Solar,
prepared for the 2014 SPE EOR Conference at OGWA, Muscat, Oman, 31 March
2April. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
For a limited time, the complete paper is free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt.
JPT JUNE 2015
111
Location of
Amal pilot
8 kWh/m 2/day
112
Moist
Dirty
Air
3
4
Results
Health, Safety, and Environmental
Performance. The project to date has
been executed without a lost-time injury in more than 270,000 man-hours of
construction and operations. This is a
result of eliminating risks through engineering design and a high level of safety
focus at the site. For example, the mirrors can be installed without the use of
cranes and without working at height.
The main maintenance task, the cleaning of the roof, is completed nightly by
automated equipment, eliminating any
requirement for work at height.
System Performance. A model was
built to predict the ideal performance
Cumulative-Steam-Output
Results
The goal of the test laid out at the start
of the operations was exceeded by 2%.
Close to 14,000 tons of steam was generated during the first 12 months of operational days.
The solar-steam pilot operated
with extremely high uptime, averaging
98.6% for the full year and more than
99.5% for the final 3-month period. The
solar field uptime significantly exceeded expectations, although a number of
remedial actions were addressed. Most
of these could be addressed at night
when the plant was nonoperational and
cooledoff.JPT
PCM VulcainTM
All Metal Progressing Cavity
Pump System for Articial Lift
Boosts temperature limits
up to 350c/660f
Ideally suited for thermal
EOR conditions (SAGD, CSS,
Steam ood)
Stays efcient with any
water cut
No work over before and
after steaming
Introduction
The main reservoir unit in Mangala
field is the Fatehgarh group. Five reservoir units (FM1FM5) have been named
from the top down. Mangala contains
waxy sweet crude oil with gravity ranging
from 20API near the oil/water contact to
28API higher in the oil column. The crude
has an in-situ oil viscosity of 922cp, with
live-oil wax-appearance temperature approximately 6C lower than the average
reservoir temperature of 65C. The oil
also has a high pour point of 4045C,
which had a great influence on all aspects
of the project and processdesign.
The development plan involved implementing a hot waterflood from production startup to maintain reservoir
pressure and sweep reserves effectively.
On the basis of appraisal data, it was
realized from the start that Mangala was
a candidate for an enhanced-oil-recovery
(EOR) process. Detailed laboratory evaluations and simulation studies suggested chemical flooding as the appropriate
EOR process for the field.
Base
Waterflood
Polymer
Slug
ASP
Slug
Case
Polymer
Slug
Chase
Waterflood
This article, written by Special Publications Editor Adam Wilson, contains highlights
of paper SPE 169146, Pilot to Full-Field Polymer Application in One of the Largest
Onshore Fields in India, by Dhruva Prasad, Amitabh Pandey, SPE, M. Suresh
Kumar, and Nitish Koduru, SPE, Cairn India, prepared for the 2014 SPE Improved
Oil Recovery Symposium, Tulsa, 1216 April. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
For a limited time, the complete paper is free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt.
114
300
Oil Rate
80
60
40
Water Cut
20
Time
Full-Field Polymer-Flood
Concept
On the basis of the successful Mangala EOR polymer-flood pilot, a plan was
made to expand the polymer-flood process to the full-field scale in a staged
manner, starting with the FM1 layer.
The extrapolation of pilot results
from FM1 to the rest of the layers in the
field is based on simulation modeling
and coreflood studies. Polymer physics
is considered relatively simple; a polymer flood is simply a viscous waterflood.
Polymer-flood simulation parameters
derived from corefloods have been validated in the pilot modeling study.
Simulation studies to evaluate
polymer-flood performance have been
performed on the Mangala waterflood
history-matched model. The waterflood
forecast based on the history-matched
model has been in line with the actual
performance of the field. This gives confidence in terms of the capturing of geo-
115
Waterflood
Polymer Flood
Full-Field-Simulation Results
In the base case, water cut at the start
of the polymer flood was approximately 77%. Because of the polymer injection and the associated improved sweep,
water cut was reduced and production
was increased. A significant water-cut
reduction (down to approximately 67%)
is observed after 1 year of polymer injection in all layers. In the absence of
polymer injection, water cut would
have continued to increase to approximately 85%. Fig. 3 shows the recovery
factor vs. pore volume injected, clearly demonstrating the benefits of polymerinjection. JPT
Magnus Water-Alternating-Gas-Pattern
Optimization Through Data Integration
Introduction
The Magnus oil field was discovered in
1974 and is on the UK continental shelf
of the North Sea. The field started production in 1983 through seven predrilled
subsea wells by use of a fixed, steel-jacket
platform. The first of the 20 platform
well slots was drilled out in 1984, followed by water-injection startup in the
same year to provide pressure support
and sweep. The plateau production was
maintained until 1995 at 150,000 STB/D,
and, after 7 years of decline, miscible-gas
injection through a WAG scheme started
in 2002.
In the WAG enhanced-oil-recovery (EOR) scheme, lean hydrocarbon
gas is injected. The minimum miscibility pressure is 5,000 psi, which is the
current target operating pressure. The
average net-gas-use efficiency to date is
3,500 cf/STB. So far, EOR has been implemented in three panelsA3:B3, Central, and South (Fig. 1).
Determining
Remaining Potential
Given the dynamic and complex nature
of the WAG scheme in the Central panel,
it was recognized that no single data
source could be relied upon to inform
on sweep efficiency. Key to understanding further potential would be using all
available data in an integrated manner
to determine the remaining reserves and
how to unlock them. The data and tools
used to review WAG performance were
as follows:
Gas-use efficiencyproduction/
injection allocated volumes
based on well tests; waterflood
decline curves to determine EOR
increment; benchmarking
Sweep efficiency (areal and
vertical)4D seismic; PLT data
from producers and injectors;
production/injection allocated
volumes based on well tests;
repeat-formation-tester data to
check vertical barriers; reservoir
depositional element maps; well
correlations
Pore-scale displacement
corefloods
Remaining-oil habitatbehindwaterflood-front saturation logs
(open hole); surveillance maps
(flood-front/saturation maps)
Remaining-oil volumefullfield model (FFM) simulation
This article, written by Special Publications Editor Adam Wilson, contains highlights
of paper SPE 169167, Magnus WAG-Pattern Optimization Through Data Integration,
by Demet Erbas, SPE, Matthew Dunning, Timothy M. Nash, David Cox, SPE, John
A. Stripe, and Euan Duncan, BP, prepared for the 2014 SPE Improved Oil Recovery
Symposium, Tulsa, 1216 April. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Determining Optimal
Panel-Development Plan
Identifying Options. With the analysis concluding that MSM-E in particular was relatively immature and required
further development to access potential,
study turned to the best way to achieve
this. Given the large existing well count
in the area, analysis centered on whether reconfiguration of existing wells could
increase overall recovery. A number of
potential reconfigurations were considered, including
Shutting off/opening up lobes in
existing producers or injectors
Changing sweep direction by
recompleting producers as
injectors and vice versa
For a limited time, the complete paper is free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt.
JPT JUNE 2015
117
Phase 2 Targets
Producer
Injector
MSM Production
MSM Injection
LKCF Production
LKCF Injection
LKCF MSM Injection
Brant Production
Brant Injection
Fig. 1(a) Magnus-sandstone-member (MSM) map; (b) current and planned WAG EOR patterns. LKCF=lower
Kimmeridge clay formation.
history period. The model is a coarsescale (100100310 m) compositional model with a six-component equationof-state fluid description.
To arrive at the best development
option, the results from the simulator
were ranked with regard to
Incremental ratehigher value
placed on schemes that deliver
incremental oil earlier
Incremental volumehigher
value placed on highest
incremental schemes
Well-work costhigher value
placed on lower-cost schemes
Chance of well-work
successhigher value placed
on schemesthat are less
complexand have a greater
chance of success
Current
Patterns
Incremental-Oil Rate
Incremental-Oil Profile
Year
Proposed
Reconfiguration
Incremental-Gas Rate
Incremental-Gas Profile
Year
Fig. 2Current patterns, proposed reconfiguration, and incremental-oil and -gas production profiles.
118
Drilling
Uncertainty
Prediction
(DUP)
Technical
Section
SPE has formed a Technical Section
for sharing technical knowledge,
experiences, best practices, and
solutions in Drilling Uncertainty
Prediction. This section seeks to
promote awareness of key industry
challenges, work with relevant SPE
groups to develop necessary training
initiatives, identify areas for collaborative
problem-solving, and address gaps
between operators requirements and
available solutions.
Deepen your learning and share
your insights on the subject during
discussions at monthly virtual meetings,
forums, and workshops.
Enjoy the convenience of online
collaboration and the benets of at
least one face-to-face meeting a year.
Introduction
The Recetor area corresponds to the
northern extension of the larger Cupiagua field, which is 115 km northeast
of Bogot in the foothills of the Eastern Mountain chain in Colombia. The
main reservoir is the Mirador formation, a quartzarenite with matrix porosities between 3 and 9% and permeabilities in the range of 0.01 to 10 md,
located below 13,000-ft true vertical
depth subsea.
In the Recetor area, the fracture
corridors are confirmed to play an important role both in well productivity/
injectivity and in interwell connectivity and gas channeling between gas injectors and oil producers. This is confirmed by the high connectivity between
most of the wells and the observed levels
of gas recycling, which could not be ex-
plained by the low matrix permeabilities. Current condensate recovery factor is approximately 34%, and steep
evolution of gas production has been
observed in the wells influenced by the
two main gas injectors (LR YR-7 and LR
YZ-11) during the last 2 years, with gas/
oil ratios (GORs) ranging from 40,000
to 100,000 scf/STB.
The foam-EOR pilot projects in the
Mirador formation of the Recetor area
were aimed at controlling, or at least
mitigating, the high levels of gas recycling between the main gas injectors
and their respective oil producers. They
were engineered to improve both the
vertical conformance of the gas at the
injector wells and the sweep efficiency
deep into the reservoir, by use of limited slugs of liquid foaming solutions followed by gasinjection.
This article, written by Special Publications Editor Adam Wilson, contains highlights
of paper IPTC 17950, Foams Prove Effectiveness for Gas-Injection Conformance and
Sweep-Efficiency Improvement in a Low-Porosity Fractured ReservoirField Pilots,
by A. Ocampo, SPE, A. Restrepo, N. Rendn, J. Coronado, J. Correa, D. Ramirez,
M. Torres, and R. Sanabria, Equion Energia, and S. Lopera, National University
of Colombia, prepared for the 2014 International Petroleum Technology Conference,
Kuala Lumpur, 1012 December. The paper has not been peer reviewed.
Copyright 2014 International Petroleum Technology Conference. Reproduced by
permission.
For a limited time, the complete paper is free to SPE members at www.spe.org/jpt.
120
LR YR-6Z (PROD)
700
600
Producer Well
LR YR-6
Well-Testing Data
Baseline
500
Foam Behavior
Benefits:
25,00035,000 bbl
400
300
200
100
Injector Well
LR YR-7
0
Dec-11 Mar-12 Jun-12 Sep-12 Dec-12
Producer Well
LR YR-4
LR YR-4 (PROD)
1,200
Well-Testing Data
Baseline
Foam Behavior
1,100
1,000
Wells Legend
Producer Well
Gas-Injector Well
Suspended
Shut-in Well
2 km
900
800
Benefits:
35,000 bbl
700
600
Dec-11 Mar-12 Jun-12
Sep-12 Dec-12
Mar-13 Jun-13
Sep-13
Dec-13
Fig. 1LR YR-7 foam-pilot area and affected-oil-producers response, first pilot.
Field Deployment
Field Operations. The first pilot
was performed in June 2012, when
6,400 bbl of diluted PetroStep C1 was
pumped in the LR YR-7 well followed
by a small batch of nonfoaming lowinterfacial-tension (IFT) solution to guarantee placement of the whole foaming
treatment in the reservoir and to avoid
foam formation in the wellbore. Once the
liquid batch was pumped, the gas injectivity was reduced dramatically and there
was no chance to implement the planned
high-gas-injection-rate stage. The second
pilot was performed in September 2013 by
pumping approximately 8,500bbl of the
same diluted surfactant foamer in the LR
YZ-11 well, again followed by a small batch
of nonfoaming low-IFT solution to guarantee placement of the whole foaming
treatment in the reservoir. This time, the
gas injectivity of the well was not affected
strongly and high gas-injection rates were
possible after the foam treatment.
Monitoring Plan. The intensive monitoring plan included baseline well tests
in the oil producers, continuous well-
Double your
exchange rate.
Communicate. Collaborate. Connect.
Expand your network when you
join SPE Connectyour
virtual destination to meet,
collaborate, and discuss technical
challenges and resolutions
in the E&P industry.
www.spe.org/go/connect
121
Producer Well
LR YZ-10
Oil Rate (BOPD)
LR YZ-10
Injector Well
LR YZ-11
Base Case
Foam Treatment
Benefits:
37,200 bbl
Sep-13
Sep-13
Oct-13
Oct-13
Oct-13
Nov-13
Nov-13
Dec-13
Dec-13
Jan-14
Jan-14
Feb-14
Feb-14
Mar-14
Mar-14
Apr-14
Apr-14
Apr-14
May-14
May-14
Jun-14
Jun-14
Producer Well
LR YT-8Y
1,600
1,500
1,400
1,300
1,200
1,100
1,000
900
800
LR YT-8
Wells Legend
Producer Well
Gas-Injector Well
Suspended
Shut-in Well
2 km
2,000
Base Case
Foam Treatment
1,800
1,600
1,400
Benefits:
20,700 bbl
1,200
Jun-14
May-14
Apr-14
May-14
Feb-14
Mar-14
Feb-14
Jan-14
Dec-13
Dec-13
Oct-13
Nov-13
Oct-13
Sep-13
Aug-13
Aug-13
1,000
Fig. 2LR YZ-11 foam-pilot area and affected-oil-producers response, second pilot.
LR YT-8, to the south and with more evidence of natural fractures, presented
only a temporary flattening of the GOR
and a modest response in oil production
compared with its baseline. Nevertheless, the overall treatment was positive,
giving a current incremental production
of approximately 60,000 bbl. JPT
IADC/SPE
DRILLING
CONFERENCE
AND EXHIBITION
Fort Worth, Texas, USA
13 March 2016
Fort Worth Convention Center
www.spe.org/events/dc/2016
122
SPE NEWS
From left to right: Senior reservoir engineer Hamad Behzadi, geologist Jillian
Mallis, and production engineer Alexandra Joven competed on the winning
team at the SPE Gulf Coast Sections first annual OilSim Competition.
Americas Office
222 Palisades Creek Dr., Richardson, TX 75080-2040 USA
Tel: +1.972.952.9393 Fax: +1.972.952.9435
Email: spedal@spe.org
Book Sales
Phone: 1.800.456.6863 or 1.972.952.9393
books@spe.org
JPT
John Donnelly, jdonnelly@spe.org
Phone: 1.713.457.6816
Peer Review
Stacie Hughes, shughes@spe.org
Phone: 1.972.952.9343
eMentoring Program
Sandy Wilson, swilson@spe.org
Phone: 1.972.952.9394
Insurance Program
Sandy Wilson, swilson@spe.org
Phone: 1.972.952.9394
erated, but also for good corporate citizenship. Players had the option of conserving
money by forgoing necessary, real-world
safety measures, such as blowout preventers. However, with each safety measure
taken, teams earned credibility points,
which also figured into their final scores.
In addition to operational challenges, the teams participated in a round that
forced them to farm out a percentage of
their acreage to opposing teams in order
to simulate the collaborative aspects of oil
and gas ventures.
Alexandra Joven, who played on the
winning team, sponsored by Oxy, enjoyed
the exposure to all of the [operational] disciplines. Her teammate, Hamad
Behzadi, said that the competition was a
fast and furious approach to exercise all
aspects of asset development.
Last year, the GCS provided scholarships for 33 incoming freshmen and
renewed 70 scholarships for previously
sponsored students.
For additional training, mentored
experiences, and other learning opportunities, visit www.spegcs.org. JPT
Section Service
Phone: 1.972.952.9451
sections@spe.org
SPE Website
John Donnelly, jdonnelly@spe.org
Phone: 1.713.457.6816
Subscriptions
Phone: 1.800.456.6863 or 1.972.952.9393
service@spe.org
123
PEOPLE
NATHAN G. CLARK, SPE, was named senior vice president of perforating and technology at Geodynamics. He has more than
23 years of experience in the design and development of shaped charges, explosive devices, and completion tools used in the oil
and gas industry. Clark has developed perforating systems for Western Atlas/Baker Atlas, Halliburton,
and Geodynamics. He holds 21 US patents. He has completed
special and classified projects for the United States Army, Air
Force, Navy, Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos
National Laboratory, and the United Kingdom Ministry
ofDefense.
CAMERON KIRKPATRICK, SPE, was appointed vice president of US sales at Geodynamics. He joined the company as a junior
sales representative and held numerous
sales positions at the territory, regional,
and national levels before being named director of business development last year. In
his new position, Kirkpatrick manages the companys US sales
subscriptions available.
OnePetro brings together specialized technical libraries serving
the oil and gas industry into one, easy-to-use website
allowing you to search and download documents from multiple
professional societies in a single transaction. With more than
160,000 technical papers, one search can help you locate
the solutions you need. A range of subscription options make
accessing the results easy.
Member Deaths
Albert F. Balasch, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
David F. Bergman, Katy, Texas, USA
Bob Diggs Brown, Dallas, Texas, USA
Edward B. Carney, Houston, Texas, USA
Frank S. Cordiner, Casper, Wyoming, USA
Alvis Lee Dowell, Lindale, Texas, USA
Charles N. Hefner Jr., Lafayette, Louisiana, USA
Eddie J. Hudson, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
Homero G. Gracia, Sugar Land, Texas, USA
James Calvin Kromer, Spring, Texas, USA
C. Wayne Nance, Bullard, Texas, USA
Harold L. Siegele, Houston, Texas, USA
Kenneth Bernell Wisdom Sr., Metairie, Louisiana, USA
www.onepetro.org
124
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
AMERICAS
contact@AvasthiConsulting.com
www.AvasthiConsulting.com
AVASTHI
& ASSOCIATES, INC.
Worldwide Energy Consulting
Since 1990
CO2, N2, Chemical and Thermal EOR/ IOR, CCUS,
Reservoir Engineering and Simulation, IAM,
Geosciences, Static and Dynamic Modeling,
Geomechanics, Fracturing/ Stimulation,
Consulting and Training Services for
Development and Optimization of
Conventional/ Unconventional/ Shale,
Oil, Gas, Gas-condensate, and
Heavy Oil Fields around the World
INDIA
Praesagus RTPO
SPE Benefits
Discover the possibilities.
http://www.spe.org/members/benefits
www.TarekAhmedAssociates.com
KUWAIT
CANADA
International Reservoir
Technologies, Inc.
EUROPE
Worldwide Petroleum Consulting
HOT
Engineering
Exploration / Field Development / Training
Integrated Reservoir Studies Lead & Prospect
Generation Reservoir Characterisation Field
Development Planning Enhanced Oil Recovery
Underground Gas Storage Reserves Audits Training
& HR Development
www.hoteng.com
Parkstrasse 6, 8700 Leoben, Austria
Phone: +43 3842 430530 / Fax: +43 3842 430531
hot@hoteng.com, training@hoteng.com
RUSSIA
www.spe.org/members/update
UNITED STATES
&
CG A
CAWLEY, GILLESPIE & ASSOCIATES, INC.
PETROLEUM CONSULTANTS
SINCE 1960
Fort Worth
(817) 336-2461
Houston
(713) 651-9944
Austin
(512) 249-7000
www.cgaus.com info@cgaus.com
WILLIAM M. COBB
& ASSOCIATES, INC.
NORWAY
PERA
Curtis H. Whitson
& Associates
EOS Fluid Characterization
Design & Analysis of PVT Data
Gas Condensate Specialists
Compositional Simulation Expertise
Pipe-It Integrated-Model Optimization
Gransvei 1, 3rd floor 7048 Trondheim Norway
Phone 47 7384 8080 / Fax 47 7384 8081
whitson@pera.no / www.pera.no
125
International Reservoir
Technologies, Inc.
www.coutret.com
Estate Appraisals
Expert Witness
iReservoir.com, Inc.
lenandersen.com
www.hjgruy.com
800-428-4801
Prospect Screening
Property Acquisition
Litigation
Reservoir Engineering
Reserve Determinations
Economic Evaluations
Underground Storage
Engineering
Salt Cavern Engineering
Supply Studies
Mining Engineering
Denver, Colorado
475 17th Street, Suite 1400
Ph. (303) 292-9595
www.NITECLLC.com
www.larocheltd.com
Phone: 214-363-3337
Fax: 214-363-1608
Len Andersen
Market Valuations
Expert Testimony
Arbitration
Commercial Models
Risk Analysis
Acquisition Screening
SPE Training
Courses
LLC
Due Dilligence
Reserve Evaluation
Reservoir Studies
NITEC
Member FINRA/SIPC
LPL FINANCIAL
126
Ph. 303-713-1112
Fax. 303-713-1113
E-Mail: meng@iReservoir.com
www.iReservoir.com
662-404-3798
frank.givens@lpl.com
Reserve Determinations
Geologic Studies
Petrophysical Analysis
Seismic Interpretation
Reservoir Simulation
Stochastic Evaluations
FORREST A. GARB
& ASSOCIATES, INC.
Reservoir Engineering
Economic Evaluation
Geologic Studies
Forensic Engineering
MHA Petroleum
Consultants LLC
Reservoir Engineering
Reservoir Simulation
Reservoir Characterization
Oil and Gas Reserves Evaluation
Fair Market Value and Acquisition Valuation
Enhanced Oil Recovery
Economic Evaluation
Oil and Gas Production
Gas Storage Design and Screening
Regulatory Filings and Database Acquisition
Expert Petroleum Engineering Testimony
AUSTIN OFFICE
925-A Capital of Texas Highway S.
Austin, Texas 78746 U.S.A.
Telephone: (512) 327-6930
Facsimile: (512) 327-7069
Experts@PlattSparks.com
MIDLAND OFFICE
800 North Marienfeld, Ste. 100
Midland, Texas 79701 U.S.A.
Telephone: (432) 687-1939
Facsimile: (432) 687-1930
Dsparks@DiscoveryOperating.com
PRA
Praesagus RTPO
A Sierra Hamilton Company
SURTEK
TSA, Inc.
Consulting Petroleum and Environmental Engineers
Fluid Injection/Disposal, CO2-EOR and CO2-GS, FSI/CRI
Wells, Produced Water/Frac Fluid Management, Technical
Training, E&P Operations & Regulatory Compliance
6551 S. Revere Pkwy., Suite 215
Centennial, CO 80111
Talib Syed, P.E.
Tel: 303.969.0685
www.talibsyed-assoc.com
e-mail: talibs@ecentral.com
ULTIMATE EOR
SERVICES
World leader in chemical EOR and tracer
test design, field implementation and
training. Laboratory, reservoir simulation
and field support available.
Contact us for a Free Consultation.
www.ultimateeor.com
info@ultimateeor.com
Global Geophysical
Services, Inc.
Page 11
Halliburton
Page 21
Interwell
Page 35
LEUTERT
Page 71
London Business
Conferences Group
Page 41
TAM International
Page 37
Tejas Tubular Products, Inc.
Page 103
Mohawk Energy
Page 6
National Oilwell Varco
Page 49
Packers Plus
Page 7
Tomax AS
Page 9
University of Oklahoma
MPGE
Pages 65, 95
Petrolink
Page 45
Weatherford
Pages 4, 5
Rheonics, Inc.
Cover 3
Zaetric
Providing technical document development, business process support and printing/binding services
to the oil & gas industry since 2000.
DOCUMENTATION Drilling & Completion,
Rig Operations, QA/HSE, Equipment, Reports,
Instructions & Procedures
BUSINESS PROCESS Technical Contracts,
RFQs, Process Evaluation, Project & Vendor
Management
PRINTING/BINDING Turnkey, In-House,
Customizable, Quick Turnaround
www.zaetric.com The Woodlands, Texas
281-298-1878 inquiries@zaetric.com
CANADA
Mark Hoekstra
Sales Manager Canada
Tel: +1.403.930.5471 Fax: +1.403.930.5470
mhoekstra@spe.org
Craig W. Moritz
Assistant Director Americas Sales & Exhibits
Tel: +1.713.457.6888
cmoritz@spe.org
Evan Carthey (Companies A-L)
Sales Manager Advertising
Tel: +1.713.457.6828
ecarthey@spe.org
Dana Griffin (Companies M-Z)
Advertising Sales
Tel: +1.713.457.6857
dgriffin@spe.org
ADDRESS CHANGE: Contact Customer Services at 1.972.952.9393 to notify of address change or make
changes online at www.spe.org. Subscriptions are USD 15 per year (members). JPT JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM
TECHNOLOGY (ISSN 0149-2136) is published monthly by the Society of Petroleum Engineers, 222 Palisades
Creek Drive, Richardson, TX 75080 USA. Periodicals postage paid at Richardson, TX, and additional offices.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to JPT, P.O. Box 833836, Richardson, TX 75083-3836 USA.
127
SPE EVENTS
WORKSHOPS
710 June PenangAdvanced
Completion Technologies for Challenging
Fields
911 June IstanbulSPE Sand Control
New Frontiers and Current Challenges
1112 June BangaloreSPE Young
Professionals Workshop: The Future
isNow
30 June1 July Port of SpainSPE Oil
and Gas Effluent Discharge Management
911 August Kuala LumpurSPE Young
Professionals WorkshopOil and Gas
Digital World: The Rise of Generations
1113 August NapaSPE Distributed
Fiber-Optic Sensing for Well, Reservoir,
and Facilities Management
1314 August Kuala LumpurSPE A Call
to Action: Bringing Gender Diversity to the
Next Level
1619 August PerthIntegrated
Production ModelingMaximizing
AssetValue
1820 August Rio de JaneiroSPE
Managed Pressure Drilling and Well
Control
13 September GalvestonSPE From
Sensors to Solutions
25 September Putrajaya SPE
Reservoir Testing to Add Production Value
34 September LimaSPE Water
Management for Oil and Gas: Best
Practices and New Technologies
CONFERENCES
910 June LondonSPE London
Annual ConferenceMaximizing Value in
Upstream Oil and Gas
FORUMS
Find complete listings of upcoming SPE workshops, conferences, symposiums, and forums at www.spe.org/events.
128
inline process
density and viscosity
monitoring
(actual size)
Rheonics DVP:
Rock-solid inline
process density and
viscosity measurement
for pipes, tanks and
process systems.
Rheonics SRV:
Wide range viscosity
control. Equally at home in
Newtonian and non-Newtonian uids, slurries, gels,
dispersions and pastes.
440
435
437F
430
425
420
415
410
slb.com/Signature
Signature Xtreme is a mark of Schlumberger. 2015 Schlumberger. 15-TS-0049
Signature Xtreme
HIGH-TEMPERATURE QUARTZ GAUGE