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2 • DECEMBER 2017
Drilling digitization covers
crown to ground
A
cross industrial sectors, upstream
oil & gas industry has been one
of the more resistant to automa-
tion. This follows from the work’s
nature, but perhaps is also due to the
industry’s wildcatter heritage.
Be that as it may, drilling well complexity
is being automated. This is true for down-
hole control, but also for surface operations.
It’s part of a drive for efficiency, but also
addresses safety.
Nabors Industries owns and operates the
world’s largest land-based drilling rig fleet.
“To decrease times to first oil or gas, our
rigs need to be standardized and smarter,
including an integrated operating system that
takes many of the control elements out of
operators’ hands,” said Clint Ford, a Nabors
company vice president, during a tour of the
assembly yard where two of its most mod-
ern rigs were nearing commission.
Those responsible for assembling these
behemoths, which stood tall and stark
against the Houston sky, were justly proud
of their work.
All together now
“The global oil & gas industry spends about
$160 billion a year drilling wells,” said Gavin
Rennick, president, Software Integrated
Solutions, Schlumberger, at the recent
Rockwell Automation Perspectives event.
Schlumberger found that drilling a well
involved 4,000 discrete steps that mapped
into more than 200 workflows and engaged
20 to 30 separate companies.
847-624-8418
Fax 630-214-4504 Cloud-based planning solutions allow all
the companies to work in a single integrated
system. Ten operating companies have evalu-
ated Nabors’ system, Ford said, and found a
highly engineered plan is generated in weeks
rather than months.
With the emergence of these collaborative
solutions, said Scott G. Boone, vice presi-
dent, rig automation and downhole tools,
Nabors, “Services providers won’t install
OIL&GAS ENGINEERING
COMMENT
KEVIN PARKER
SENIOR CONTRIBUTING
EDITOR
their own sensors.
The key is to have
access to the con-
trols to make use of the information.”
Already, integrated automation, motor
control, and information technology is
available in real time at central locations.
Analytics and key performance indicators
(KPIs) lead to digital twins enabling closed-
loop control, including for directional drilling
and pressure management.
Surface operations will be transformed
by sophisticated robots, especially for pipe
handling, and incorporation of what was
formerly considered ancillary equipment
into the rig infrastructure.
Changed environments
“During the boom years, if a supplier had
drilling rigs available, that was enough to
ensure success. Today, providers must
strive to be the ‘performance driller of
choice’ based on quality results,” Ford said.
“Standardization and smartness is being
retrofitted onto existing rigs.”
Today’s operators look to drain wells
completely. With multi-pad wells, rigs are
capable of in-service movement. Longer
laterals are being drilled to exploit more of
a production zone.
A typical rig includes about 10,000 tags,
a controller, and data historian. Automated
drilling sequences, such as for the transi-
tion from vertical to horizontal drilling have
been added. The future lies with high-
fidelity models that incorporate operator
best practices into well programs.
“To get from 30-day wells to 8-day wells,
the key is no tool breakdowns downhole,
which happen if you go too fast or too hard.
Better to have all the rules in the system and
KPIs for every drilling step,” said Boone. OG
I NSIDE On the cover:A PACE M800 Rig in Nabors’ Crosby Yard just prior to mobilizing to
the Permian Basin. PACE M and PACE X designs include intelligent controls and
are standardized with Allen-Bradley controllers from Rockwell Automation.
Cover image courtesy: Nabors Industries

COVER STORY
6 Pattern recognition
illuminates the downstream
Case examples use search as starting point for identifying sample sets

FEATURES
8 Product of the Year Winners

11 Engineering analytics
can instill confidence
in innovative solutions
Quest for performance, simplicity, and affordability continues

16 Revitalize older pump

installations
A cartridge-style screw pump
may be the way forward

16
19 Collaborate with computers
to improve asset management
Smart data and your team’s intuitive grasp can shape the future

OIL&GAS ENGINEERING DECEMBER 2017 • 3

THE AGE OF ANALYTICS
Pattern recognition illuminates
the downstream
Case examples use search as starting point for identifying sample sets
W
By Bert Baeck e often forget how dif-
ficult it was navigating the
web earlier in the digital
age. Prior to introduction
of directories and search
engines like Alta Vista,
Yahoo, and Google, finding the information
you needed amongst the vast data stored on
the web was time-consuming and frustrating.
The same applies to companies looking to
leverage the data collected by their various
computer systems. Companies are good at
amassing data, but have lacked affordable,
effective tools to search for information.
Data historians, introduced in the 1980s,
for example, store process data and gener-
ate reports, but they were never meant to be
easily mined or include visualization for pre-
dictive analytics.
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is an
opportunity to improve business intelligence
and boost efficiencies using data-driven
analytics. IIoT introduces new types of data
and formats, increases data volume, and
transforms operational decision making from
reactive to proactive. However, traditional
architectures and processes may not deliver
the desired results.
It’s not about “seeing everything” any-
more. Enormous data amounts quickly over-
whelm any system without the means to
easily locate specific information. Given this
realization, early attempts to transform raw
data into actionable information relied on
data modeling. The problem is that modeling
usually requires complex IT projects staffed
with data scientists. Such projects may be
time-consuming and expensive.
The Google for Industry concept was invented
in 2008 by former process engineers from
Covestro, formerly known as Bayer Material
Science. The approach they developed, based
on process-industry experience, allows easy
access to historian information.
4 • DECEMBER 2017 OIL&GAS ENGINEERING
These engineers saw the limitations of
analytics models for scaling-up beyond pilot
projects. They, like many others, wanted indus-
trial search to work as Google does in our daily
lives.
Conceiving Google for Industry
Data modeling requires experts and is time-
consuming. Moreover, the resulting models
are sensitive to change and inflexible. In data
modeling, the following steps pertain:
• Preparation
• Modeling
• Validation
• Going live.
Each time a model is changed, the cycle is
repeated. Not only is data modeling time-
consuming, it’s not appropriate for dynamic
processes because it often is based on
assumptions about stationarity and data distri-
bution that do not hold in the real world.
In an early project, a chemical plant man-
ager struggled with significant variance among
operator teams, which had direct impact on
throughput. He looked to the data to learn
what the outstanding shift operator team was
doing differently. Laborious searches were
performed through the process-data history to
determine what “manual actions,” when taken
in appropriate circumstances, led to better or
worse plant performance.
The limitations native to this approach were
the impetus to creating a solution that replaced
labor-intensive data modeling with the applica-
tion of pattern recognition.
Ever wondered how Shazam, an applica-
tion that identifies songs from a small sample,
works? Shazam looks for patterns in the song
that match patterns in its database. What’s
interesting is that it ignores most of the song’s
millions of “data points” to focus on a few
intense moments or “high energy content.”
This approach might seem fraught, but Shazam
is accurate even in environments with lots of
background noise.
Shazam succeeds because it searches for
and recognizes distinctive patterns, rather than
seeking to match all aspects of a song, and
it does so quickly. In other words, the key to
enabling big analytics is to focus on patterns,
not to try and crunch all the data.
Like Shazam, but in a more complex environ-
ment, Google for Industry allows sophisticated
searches of process data in which advanced
pattern recognition algorithms find either simi-
lar or deviating behavior. Users choose a refer-
ence period pertaining to one or more tags. The
system finds similar behavior throughout the
entire data history.
For example, a chemical plant suffered
intermittent quality problems due to unclean
product. A predictive analytics search revealed
that a peak flow rate preceded a temperature
peak. The temperature peaks stressed the heat
exchanger seals. If those seals break, there
is leakage between sterilized and unsterilized
product, which causes quality problems.
The causal relationship between flow rate
and temperature was tested and confirmed
with a similarity search. Additionally, a monitor-
ing pattern was configured to alert the team
when similar patterns occurred, prompting con-
trol retuning to diminish seal degradation.
Viable patterns exampled
The Google for Industry concept grew quickly.
Search capabilities beyond looking for similar
past patterns were still wanted. Search
capabilities therefore were extended to all
relevant parameters: behavior patterns, slopes,
operator actions, certain switch patterns,
conditional or Boolean conditions based on
tags, drift, oscillations of a certain frequency,
anomalies, event frames, context, and more.
Thus, in the case example under discussion,
Google for Industry started with search as a
first step. Further analysis led process experts
to a hypothesis concerning a causal relationship
that explained the quality issues with the heat
exchanger seals.
Due to fouling, a batch may take longer than
the normal 12-13 hours. In the past, a switch
was made to a spare heat exchanger after two
to three days, but this could foul as well. Thus,
it could take two weeks or longer to clear a
fouling problem.
Data Modeling Difficulties
Data cleaning, filtering, modeling, validating,
Requires significant engineering
iterating on results/models
Sensitive to change Users needed continual training
Plants had to hire additional workers, or engineers
Requires data scientist
spent too much time trying to be data scientists
Installation and deployment required significant
Not plug and play
investments in time and money
Black Box Engineering User cannot see how results are determined
With predictive analytics, monitoring alerts Data modeling is a means to
come two to three weeks in advance, and process knowledge acquisi-
are confirmed by the operator. Detected in tion, but requires resources
advance, appropriate action is taken, avoiding that are often constrained.
Chart courtesy: TrendMiner
about 10 hours of production loss every two to
three months, plus extended turnaround time.
Moreover, heat exchanger fouling caused lon-
ger cooling times. Contextualized cooling time
patterns were monitored so as to generate
maintenance alerts.
The software application was developed
using a high-performance discovery analyt-
ics engine for process measurement data
to deliver the power and ease of Internet
search engines to industrial applications.
Through an intuitive web-based visualization,
users start searching for trends with patent-
pending pattern recognition and machine
learning technologies.
Using value or digital-step searches for filter-
ing or for finding something that looks similar is
just the start. Process engineers search for par-
ticular operating regimes, process drifts, opera-
tor actions, process instabilities, or oscillations.
Root cause analysis helps to keep operations
running as efficiently as possible. The causal
and influence factors that search algorithms
illuminate show users underlying reasons for
process anomalies or deviating batches.
Comparing behaviors with anomalies and
normal operating periods can be a painful
process. The software instead uses advanced
search and diagnostic capabilities that compare
large numbers of transitions, while focusing on
both equalities and differences. This is a fast,
accurate analysis of continuous production
process.
Live displays let users see process values
evolving and the application predicts the most
probable future evolution based on matching
historical values. In this real-world example,
impurity concentration can be predicted. Lab
analysis quantifies the resulting quality before
OIL&GAS ENGINEERING DECEMBER 2017 • 5
THE AGE OF ANALYTICS

product is released to an internal customer. historical transitions. The golden profile is

This lab analysis represents an additional cost
and delay. Using predictive analytics software, a
process expert can create and deploy a predic-
tor for an impurity concentration. Sensors give
an early indication. As a result, truck loading can
start earlier, lead time is shorter, and the prob-
ability of rejection due to off-specification condi-
tions is decreased. On-the-fly detection of early
indicators can spot process variations.
Analytics and decision making
It’s about optimizing operations through
proactive decision making, not just examining
past process behaviors. Primary is the means
to capture information from multiple users,
including process engineers, operators,
maintenance staff, and others, in a single
environment connected to relevant process
data that furnishes context.
The next step is creating a golden profile,
using search features to find the best transi-
tions or batches of a given type, from multiple
UEC_Vanguard Ad_Oil-GasEngin_09-17.pdf 1 9/12/17 9:34 AM
used for predictive monitoring. Users take a
live view of a process and apply it over the
golden profile to verify that recent changes
produce results as expected. This allows
users to adjust settings to reach optimal
performance or to test changes for the right
results before implementing them.
In addition, the application provides sophis-
ticated alarm capabilities. Instead of merely
sending an alert, it supports configuration of
meaningful alarms to prevent problems from
happening. A process engineer can review
the operator annotations pertaining to a prob-
lem by searching for comparable past anoma-
lies. The engineer can determine alarm limits
to prevent similar future occurrences.
In conclusion, advanced capabilities can
simplify making timely decisions based on
search capabilities supported by predictive
analytics. OG
Bert Baeck is the CEO at TrendMiner.

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PRODUCT OF THE YEAR WINNERS

Engineering disciplines
improve safety, contribute
to prosperity
Winners introduced in response to market demands, global needs

W
hat’s fascinating about innovation isn’t that it industry. A process control system said to be daringly different
sometimes arrives in a “Eureka!” moment and a suite of industrial software applications are both included
that fundamentally changes the world for- in the selection, as are a combustible gas detector and a buoy-
ever, but rather exactly the ancy module.
opposite. Most innovation Join us in congratulating these technological innovators, and
arises instead incrementally if you have the opportunity, mention you learned about their
and because of collective efforts. How does solutions in Oil & Gas Engineering
Engineering. Tell them what challenges
that happen, that we all conspire together you need solutions for next. Continuous, incre-
to come upon what we need or what’s mental improvement ensures that our
asked of us? industry innovators will achieve the
The winners of the very first Oil levels of agility, efficiency, and
& Gas Engineering Product of effectiveness necessary for all
the Year awards apparently have of us to compete—and win—
broken the code for doing just in today’s global economy.
that, as their products have been Oil & Gas Engineering staff
identified as among the best extends appreciation to all who
introduced between January 2016 nominated products and took the
and July 2017. Review the winners time to vote. The 2017 Product of the
to see if their innovative solutions Year awards will be presented to the winners at the
can help solve one of your most press- 2018 Engineering Awards in Manufacturing dinner on
ing problems. Monday, April 16, 2018. OG
While a dedication to excellence is something
our gold, silver, and bronze winners wear in common, their solu- Amanda Pelliccione is the project manager of events and
tions are a disparate lot, reflecting the wide scope of technolo- awards programs for CFE Media. Much thanks for her help
gies and many critical functions pertaining to the oil and gas and support.

Data & Analytics

Monitoring application family
Plantweb Insight is a collection of operational excellence applications for monitoring the health of plant
assets, such as steam traps, pumps, and heat exchangers. Leveraging Pervasive Sensing strategies,
Plantweb Insight strategically interprets plant data to provide personnel with actionable informa-
tion. The intuitive, browser-based user interface helps to ensure reliability, improve safety, and
reduce energy usage. The pre-built analytics and domain
expertise embedded in the applications minimize
required configuration, allowing the software to be
easily integrated with existing infrastructure. Abnormal
situations and predictive diagnostics are presented to
personnel in real-time, eliminating the need for manual
calculations or periodic data collection.
Emerson Automation Solutions
www2.emersonprocess.com

8 • DECEMBER 2017 OIL&GAS ENGINEERING

Data & Analytics
Real-time fatigue monitoring
The Real-time Fatigue Monitoring System (RFMS) pro-
vides field measurements of stress and fatigue on
drilling risers, wellheads, and other subsea systems
in near real time. The RFMS calculates stress and
fatigue at any location in a riser system/wellhead/con-
ductor casing via measurements from 5 to 10 acceler-
ometers and angular rate sensors placed at strategic
locations along the riser, along with analytical riser
mode shape information. Since the only required online
inputs are the dynamic riser response, top tension, and mud
weight, fatigue estimates may be calculated without knowledge of the impinging
currents or other forcing events.
Stress Engineering Services
www.stress.com

IIoT & Process Control Control system firmware

The Open Secure Automation
(OSA) system with Cybershield
Power supply tower 2.0 extends the benefits of
The 700-VA to 3-kVA tower- intrinsic cybersecurity to
configured SC on-line unin- networks, the Industrial
terruptible power supply Internet of Things (IIoT),
(UPS) protects information- and third-party appli-
technology and Internet of cations. The system
Things (IoT) equipment, enables authentica-
telecommunications, serv- tion and encryption of
ers, security systems, pro- I/O networks and field
grammable logic controllers, devices, and protects
and other power-sensitive compliant networks and user
electronic systems against power distruptions. The SC applications such as control-
UPS tower features advanced digital signal processors, ler configuration, process logic, and SCADA communications.
surface-mount device technology, multi-mode operation, OSA achieves this with an industrial-control-system certifica-
intelligent self-diagnostics, and innovative battery boost tion authority that draws on the power and
circuits. These technologies enable a more robust and flexibility of public-key infrastructure and
reliable UPS system by using fewer components. The SC transport-layer security, delivering
UPS tower includes 5-year long-life hot-swap secure integration of third-party
batteries. Optional external batter banks are software applications. This
available for applications requiring longer open and a secure platform is
backup times during a built for hardware, networks,
power outage. and software.
Falcon Electric Inc. Bedrock Automation
www.falconups.com www.bedrockautomation.com

Onshore & Offshore

Buoyancy module
The Standardized Buoyancy Module (SBM) is a modular redesign of the
Distributed Buoyancy Module (DBM). The SBM allows smaller elements to be stacked
together, enabling customized uplift requirements as specified for each project. The modular-buoyancy seg-
ments are designed to mechanically lock around the clamp, securely attaching the assembly to the desired
location on the riser. The SBM can be adjusted to operate in seawater depths from surface to 2,500 m by
adding or removing elements. The design includes synthetic feet to the bottom of the finished assembly to
prevent handling damage and reduce vessel installation time.
Trelleborg Offshore
www.trelleborg.com/offshore

OIL&GAS ENGINEERING DECEMBER 2017 • 9

 PRODUCT OF THE YEAR WINNERS

Onshore & Offshore

Gas detector
The Vanguard toxic and combustible gas
detector features an open WirelessHART
7.2 communication protocol and can be
used to detect the presence of meth-
ane or hydrogen sulfide. This detector
was developed in collaboration with
Chevron to meet the market need for
a cost-effective way to add multiple
gas measurement points. The Vanguard
detector can be easily mounted any-
where and painlessly incorporated
into any WirelessHART networks. Some
applications for the detector
include remote sites, plant
infrastructure, and emissions monitoring in
tank farms, oil & gas produc-
tion facilities, refineries,
pipelines, abandoned
wells, and waste
treatment plants.

CUSTOM-DESIGNED
The gas detector
boasts a 5-year

SENSOR SOLUTIONS.
battery life.
United Electric

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10 • DECEMBER 2017 OIL&GAS ENGINEERING

THE CHALLENGING OFFSHORE ENVIRONMENT

Engineering analytics
can instill confidence
in innovative solutions
Examine equipment and its functions within a system

O
By Collin Gaskill ffshore energy exploration and requirements and high entry barriers for new
production requires opera- equipment designs. Offshore operators must
tions supported by equipment have high, if not complete, confidence that
that succeeds in the earth’s new designs operate as expected and outper-
most complex and challenging form incumbent options.
environments. Like any high- Equipment suppliers are valued based on
technology industry, offshore energy continu- their ability to deliver with confidence innova-
ously explores new avenues to reduce costs tive solutions for advancing offshore capabili-
and increase safety through equipment per- ties. Relying on strong analytical and empirical
formance advances and system operational data presents a conclusive qualification basis
improvements. throughout equipment-design lifecycles. It can
However, given the challenges arising be the difference between failure and success
from the locations and conditions faced, an of new equipment design implementation in
industry-wide offshore energy projects.
conundrum
results. Innovative On certainty
efforts to improve Confidence is the quality or state of being
operational per- certain. For offshore equipment and systems
formance are engineering, being certain is a function
confronted with of several factors: design optimization,
strong and deep- performance qualification, solution
rooted resistance achievement, and capabilities advancement.
to deviating from Confidence of success means overcoming
current standard challenges related to high pressures, vast
operating proce- temperature swings, large magnitudes of
dures. complicated loading, corrosive environments,
This resistance extensive performance lives, and little-to-no
follows from the opportunity for maintenance.
high level of risk However, this certainty of success is achiev-
involved and the able through innovative collaboration amongst
fact there is little those that manufacture equipment and those
room for failure that operate it. Joint development projects
with respect to have a long history in the oil & gas industry,
offshore energy bringing together expertise from the engineer-
production. The ing disciplines, operations, materials science,
result is stringent and manufacturing.

Finite element analysis enables companies to investigate materials, design, size,

and potential location to optimize a solution’s performance. All images courtesy:
Trelleborg Offshore

OIL&GAS ENGINEERING DECEMBER 2017 • 11

THE CHALLENGING OFFSHORE ENVIRONMENT
Offshore technology advanc-
es almost always originate
in response to current
issues, calling for collab-
orative relationships among
operators, contractors, and
equipment designers.
12 • DECEMBER 2017
Offshore technology advances almost
always originate in response to current
issues. Day-to-day operations reveal improve-
ment areas in equipment design or systems
operation. Operators and contractors typi-
cally source equipment from original equip-
ment manufacturers (OEMs), relying on their
industry expertise. Collaborative relationships
amongst operators, contractors, and equip-
ment designers prove invaluable when they
can initiate a process that moves solutions
from concept to reality, and ultimately field
deployment.
An OEM’s ability to effectively communicate
technical detail to operators and contractors,
including material properties and manufactur-
ing processes and how these can be lever-
aged in improv-
ing equipment
designs and
applications,
sets the stage
for going from
field-identified
issues to fully-
qualified solu-
tions.
Equally valu-
able is the
equipment-
manufacturer’s experience of how its equip-
ment functions within an integrated holistic
system. Very rarely do pieces of equipment
operate in isolation. Changes to one area
inevitably result in overall-performance vari-
ances, internal and external loading changes,
and subsequent strain and stress.
By understanding root causes of operator-
identified issues and the impact of specific
equipment modifications on the overall sys-
tem’s success, OEMs contribute to solution
development targeted at real, current issues.
Concept solution feasibility
A development project’s early stages,
following issue identification and classification,
is an exploration for remedies. Communication
between OEM engineering/manufacturing
teams and client engineering/operation teams
is crucial.
All parties must ensure efforts are focused
on true underlying issues to construct and
deploy solutions that perform at expected
OIL&GAS ENGINEERING
levels throughout an installation’s life cycle.
Cross-company communication successfully
guides the feasibility stage, as performance
targets typically are fluid while the solution is
being defined.
Equipment manufacturer expertise in
numerical modelling analysis and operations
simulation alleviates the feasibility assess-
ment burden, allowing economic, accurate
identification of possible solutions. Local finite-
element analysis (FEA) enables companies to
investigate materials, design, size, and poten-
tial location to optimize solution performance.
Coupling local FEA design with computational
fluid dynamics (CFD) and global FEA, allows
engineering teams to examine the interaction
between the solution and its eventual offshore
environment.
An understanding is gained of how equip-
ment performance is influenced by: 1)
hydrodynamic current and wave loading; 2)
transferred dynamic strain from other areas
of the system; and 3) loading resulting from
installation, operation, and potential equip-
ment retrieval. Results arising from analysis
and simulation are easily understood by engi-
neering, operations, and contracting teams,
leading to effective decision making.
At this stage, analytical tools for structural
and hydrodynamic assessment instill confi-
dence that concept solutions are achievable,
and with further refinement will deliver an
optimized solution.
Detailed product engineering
The effectiveness of augmenting
manufacturing expertise with analytical
modelling becomes even clearer in the
detailed design phase. Understanding
the underlying physics driving equipment
and system performance, gained through
numerical modelling, supports targeted
modifications. Manipulating controlling design
parameters to refine original concepts defines
the optimization process.
Material selection, geometric configura-
tion, fastening mechanisms, loading paths,
and other equipment physical attributes are
investigated to create the right combination
of performance, simplicity, and cost. Study of
the fluid structure interaction delineates hydro-
dynamic performance in terms of lift, drag,
shielding, and resulting structure vibrations or
oscillations. This ensures introduction of new
equipment or technologies don’t exceed any
prior defined limits on system abilities.
When new technology developments are
executed without the control of numerical
modelling and detailed design, engineers run
risks of severely over-engineering compo-
nents. This can result in unnecessary cost,
excess weight, and unrefined geometries,
potentially rendering a solution ineffective.
Worst-case scenario, equipment is under-
engineered due to some critical aspect of
equipment/system/environment interaction
being overlooked during the design phase,
leading to potential failure in the field.
Equipment-design and preliminary-qualifica-
tion testing applications give OEMs a suite of
information required for a strong level of confi-
dence from operators and contractors that the
engineered design will perform as intended
and is worth a higher level of investment
to bring into production. The value of these
studies and refinements to design, being per-
formed internally and wholly by OEMs, is that
the proposed changes and optimizations are
grounded in reality.
Continuously throughout the front-end engi-
neering design cycle, changes and improve-
ments are scrutinized against the implications
they have to the efforts as a whole to bring
the solution to market. Consequences for
manufacturing ability, cost, material qualifica-
tion, transportation logistics, end usability, and
most importantly, system performance, are
examined at a level of detail reflecting the col-
lection of experiences in engineering design,
manufacturing, and project management
available to OEMs who invest in teams with
these integrated skills and knowledge. This
provides a high level of certainty to the joint
development team that the issues identified in
the field by product end users have been rem-
edied adequately by the equipment developer
in a manner that will pass the high barriers to
entry for new technologies typical of the off-
shore industry.
Qualifications wanted
Confidence in the newly designed technology
and the ability of the equipment to deliver
required performance is solidified in the
qualification stage of the joint technology
development project cycle. The ability to
deliver a correct and conclusive performance
qualification assessment is unique to OEMs
that have the internal capacity of constructing
testing methodologies that validate and verify
the previous design work performed by the
development team in the earlier stages of
the project. Consistency across the collection
of results and examination of performance
indicators is key, as the gap between the
existence of the design in analytical space
‘ For
and a physical prototype model for empirical
testing is bridged. offshore
An OEM’s ability to ensure all data acquisi-
tion requirements of an oil & gas operator or equipment
contractor are satisfied is equally important,
as well as necessary for their confidence in and systems
the new technology. Cross-company commu-
nication between engineering teams again
engineering,
plays a vital role, as the verification of design being certain
results is qualified by empirical data.
Another prominent difference in the is a function
development of new technologies in the
offshore energy industry compared to other of several
industries is the requirement for continued
involvement of the OEM after delivery and
factors: design
deployment of the new technology solution optimization,
to the field. This is a trend that is gaining
momentum as developments target reser- performance
voirs not only deeper below the surface of
the water but below the seafloor as well. qualification,
Differentiation is found again in OEMs who
provide lifecycle management of their prod-
solution
ucts not only through expert inspection achievement,
and repair, but through incorporating smart
technology and the integration of data into and capabilities
numerical modelling.
As monitoring technology rapidly progresses,
the current industry issues shift from the
advancement.
’
question of how is relevant data going to be
collected to what can companies accomplish
with the vast amounts of field measure-
ments being obtained. The obvious answer
to this question is for OEMs to collate these
field measurements and integrate what they
are revealing about equipment/system and
equipment/environment interactions to fur-
ther increase performance and longevity of
new and developed technologies.
The logical step is to implement the
same technical expertise and tools industry-
leading OEMs use in front end product opti-
mization and joint technology developments
for the management of equipment and the
OIL&GAS ENGINEERING DECEMBER 2017 • 13
THE CHALLENGING OFFSHORE ENVIRONMENT
monitoring of performance. This extension
of the collaborative relationship between
equipment manufacturers and operators
extends the life of equipment, assists in the
avoidance of costly and unnecessary inspec-
tions and repairs, and ensures the equip-
ment, truly in need of service, is identified
and addressed.
In increasingly challenging environments—
both physically and economically—of off-
shore energy production, the idea of close
OEM involvement and cooperation with
operators and contractors for equipment
management from “cradle to grave” is no
longer an exception but the standard. OEMs
who develop and evolve internal capabili-
ties to examine equipment performance and
move ahead with technological advances, uti-
lizing equally important analytical and empiri-
cal approaches, will continue to dominate
the market as development partners who
can supply the level of confidence required
for the qualification of the new generation of
offshore technology.
Capabilities advancement
Although the challenging industry conditions
over the last few years may have been
the catalyst for a number of recent joint
technology developments and a resurgence
of the appetite for offshore operators
and contractors to pursue and accept
new and better ways of doing things, a
continuation of this standard ultimately is
required moving into the future. The easy
14 • DECEMBER 2017 OIL&GAS ENGINEERING
Global finite element analysis of a
drilling riser.
access reservoirs of the
90s and early 2000s are
already developed, driving
exploration and production
companies to eye deeper
and more challenging crude
oil deposits.
Offshore renewables is a
developing technology that
utilizes offshore experience,
but with most equipment
developments being intrin-
sically new technologies,
extensive qualification and
performance studies to
ensure adequate operational function and
safety are required. Continued advancement
of capabilities on both fronts—something
most people believe mandatory to meet
future energy needs of the world—will be
accomplished through the collaborative
expertise between industry-leading equip-
ment manufacturers and companies produc-
ing and harvesting offshore energy both
from fossil fuels and renewables.
Closing thoughts
To eschew “business as usual,” and
equipment and system designs rooted in
habit but inadequate for the challenges of
the next generation of energy production,
collaboration between manufacturers
and operators will be the key. Equipment
manufacturers that react to field-identified
challenges, acting as true development
partners with operators and contractors
through development of technically sound
designs, certified by strong analytical and
empirical evidence, will push applications
into uncharted territory. It will be with the
confidence gained through cross-company
cooperation and the employment of
advanced engineering techniques such as
numerical modelling, detailed design, and
laboratory testing that optimized equipment
designs will be deployed in the energy
environments of the future. OG
Collin Gaskill is a riser analysis engineer with
Trelleborg Offshore U.S. Inc.

Challenge:
Enhancing the asset integrity
and operational efficiency of a
critical client asset through
improvements in the availability,
accuracy, and completeness of all
of their asset information.
Solution:
• Cleansing, enriching and
migrating 185,000 information
assets to the client’s
EDW platform
• Forging relationships between
all tags and document met
data to enable users to drill down
through the asset hierarchy
Result:
The onsite-offshore delivery model
enabled the client to customize
and implement EDW, enabling a
single source of high-quality
engineering information. 500,000
pages of physical documents
were digitized. Project costs and
schedules are optimized with
a robust accelerator-based
automated approach.
Streamlining information management
to enhance asset integrity and viability
Summary:
A global leader in the oil industry wanted to enhance asset
integrity and operational efficiency of a key Norwegian
platform by improving the availability, accuracy and
completeness of their asset information.
To meet this objective, the company leveraged L&T
Technology Services’ (LTTS) Integrated Asset Management
Services (IAMS) for the data migration exercise. The
project scope included cleansing, enrichment and
uploading of critical asset data into the company’s
Engineering Data Warehouse (EDW) platform.
The key task was to map the asset tags with the document metadata,
to enable users to ‘drill down’ through the overall asset hierarchy.
Following an initial two-week gap analysis and scoping study, LTTS
prepared a detailed approach plan and methodology to cleanse, enrich
and migrate 185,000 information assets (tags and documents) to the
EDW platform.
The documents and
drawings along with
associated metadata
information were made
available in multiple
systems such as
Document Management
System (DMS), Engineering
Data System (EDS) and
Enterprise Resource
Planning (ERP) tool.
LTTS implemented an onsite-offshore delivery model to facilitate rapid
resource ramp up, consistent execution, and cost containment. The
offshore team was supported by a dedicated onsite team to manage
inputs, escalations, reviews and risk management.
Tel: +91 80 6767 5173 • info@lnttechservices.com
www.lnttechservices.com
MAINTENANCE & REPAIR
Revitalize older pump installations
A cartridge-style screw pump may be the way forward
By Sven Olson
A charge pump in a refinery
will be replaced by this reen-
gineered pump. All images
courtesy: Leistritz
16 • DECEMBER 2017 OIL&GAS ENGINEERING
T
he capital costs of purchasing and
installing pumps for vintage oil fields
and process facilities have increased
steadily over the years. These costs
are often an obstacle to extending
the life or upgrading these plants.
Yet these stop-gap measures may be the
only alternative available as regulatory and
economic demands make new construction
hard to justify.
Pump component costs, however, as
shown in industry indices like the Nelson-
Farrar Cost Index, are not the driving fac-
tor behind the rising costs involved. The
fact is, competition among manufacturers,
along with moderate labor and material cost
increases, have kept pump prices stable over
the years.
The cost increases are related to the
installing and commissioning of pumps.
These costs have shown significant increases
as more third-party installation and service
contractors are tapped to perform the work.
These costs in turn are driven by the lack
of a skilled workforce and new regulatory
demands.
All these factors can combine to be espe-
cially challenging when upgrading or renew-
ing a pump installation in an existing facility
where the original pump is no longer available
in the market or the replacement parts are
excessively expensive.
This happens more than you might think.
The manufacturer of the original pump may
have stopped production of a given model or
replaced it with a new model that does not
fit the existing installations’ footprint. Even
worse, a pump manufacturer might have
been acquired and reorganized. In that case,
it may be that no one knows anymore what
the origins of a pump are, with no sure way
to recover the information.
An alternative suggestion
One alternative method for replacing a pump
in an existing installation is to do so with a
“reengineered” pump. Note that while a
“remanufactured” pump is an upgraded,
modified, or repaired older pump, the
reengineered pump is brand new.
The improved value proposition with a re-
engineered pump comes from avoiding modi-
fication of the original installation. The exist-
ing piping connections, locations, insulation,
and instrumentation, as well as the original
driver and mounting configuration, are main-
tained. The reengineered pump fits into the
original envelope, with the mounting pads,
nozzles, and drive shaft suited to the location
of the original pump installation. Thus, the
overall installed costs of a replacement pump
are significantly lower than they might have
otherwise been.
One type pump, typically well-suited to a
reengineering approach, is the screw pump,
a common type of positive displacement
pump. It is known for its good suction lift,
for use with viscous liquids, and for low fluid
pulsations.
A screw pump’s flow rate is directly
proportional to the speed of the pump.
Therefore, when speed control is realized
using a variable speed drive, flow can
be controlled closely, saving on power
consumption.
 Use of a direct drive from a synchronous
motor eliminates the need for speed reduc-
ers. With internal hydraulic rotor balancing,
the thrust load is compensated for without
using thrust bearings. It is a straightforward
design, which makes it easy to install, oper-
ate, and maintain.
One type of screw pump often reen-
gineered is a three-screw pump design.
The reengineered components come as a
standard pump element, called a cartridge,
which can be installed in a fabricated pump
casing.
The cartridge is sized based on the
hydraulic data of the installation and sepa-
rately tested in the factory. The casing,
most often made of fabricated steel, allows
for almost infinite variations of nozzle loca-
tions and mounting feet. A modern CAD
system can import dimensions and locations
of an existing pump installation and apply it
to a new casing design, customized to fit an
older installation.
Customized casings
The casing can be customized with a
pressure relief valve. This can be a great
help for any existing installation equipped
with a separate relief valve, if its function is
questionable or the operating data has been
modified. Installing the relief valve integral
to the pump saves the expense of piping
modifications and troubleshooting.
Uses for reengineered screw pumps
are typically in some form of mineral oil
service in refineries, pipelines, terminals,
or power plants. The original pump most
often is another positive displacement
pump, such as a gear, vane, piston, or
screw pump. Liquids that reengineered
pumps handle include everything from dis-
tillate to No. 6 oil, pitch, asphalt, crude oil,
diesel, or regular lubrication and hydraulic
oils. Applications can include charge and
transfer applications, pipeline and loading
service, as well as general lubrication of
turbines and reduction gears.
Besides positive displacement pumps,
a reengineered pump can also replace
centrifugal pumps. The need for replace-
ment may follow from pumps that were
incorrectly sized or misapplied for a certain
service. Other times, when the original
process conditions change, the pump no A reengineered pump trans-
longer works. ported to an oil field.
In one example, a vertical centrifugal
pump for lubrication oil service of major
rotating machinery was replaced because
of its difficulties maintaining the oil pres-
sure when air was present in the oil.
Matching the dimensions and nozzle loca-
tion of the original pump, a direct replace-
ment screw pump was dropped in the
original lube-oil tank without system
modifications.
The original centrifugal pump did not
require any pressure relief valve. The screw
pump, however, needed to have this valve,
which was installed on the pump mount-
ing plate and connected back to the tank.
The new installation doesn’t interfere with Three-screw pumps are
existing structures or expand outside the good candidates for reengi-
original pump envelope. neering.
How it’s done
A reengineered pump can
match an existing
pump’s
envelope,
eliminating
the need to
redo piping
or foundations.
Typically, when
users need a
reengineered pump,
they need it “yesterday.” The need
OIL&GAS ENGINEERING DECEMBER 2017 • 17
MAINTENANCE & REPAIR
A cartridge with customized
pump casing is shown.
This re-engineered pump is
equipped with an integral
pressure relief valve.
18 • DECEMBER 2017 OIL&GAS ENGINEERING
for a quick turnaround is a key feature in any
reengineered pump program.
Leistritz stocks cartridges for most flow
rates in the range between 50 and 400 GPM
and pressure up to 600 psi. Hardened and
finish ground carbon steel rotors, cast or
ductile iron liners, and use of mechanical
seals are standard. Full-flow cartridge test-
ing is done on a factory test stand, ensuring
a cartridge from inventory is ready to be
installed in the customized casing.
Pump casing specifications are based on
user input data, typically including the maker
and model number of the original pump.
Past operating data, motor information, and
existing instrumentation complete the pic-
ture. If an integral relief valve is needed, the
pressure setting and location on the pump
body must be decided.
Fabrication takes place in a certified shop,
where the rotor liner bore is machined;
mounting feet and flanges are installed; and
surface preparation and finish painting are
done. ASTM standard pipe material, flanges
and structural steel are used. The pump
service determines the pressure rating of
the casing, which is hydro tested per API
Standard 676, Third Edition. If necessary,
additional pipe spools with flanges and
instrument tabs are provided. Shims or a
pump bedplate can be offered, if the motor
or driver needs to be modified.
In times of constrained budgets, a reen-
gineered pump offers a competitive alterna-
tive that simplifies the change-out of old,
obsolete, and inefficient pumps. A cartridge
style screw pump is ideal for mating with
the customized casing for quick turnaround
and easy direct fit with a minimum of on-
site disruption and installation work. OG
Sven Olson is a senior consultant and former CEO of
Leistritz ATC.
A vertical centrifugal lube oil pump is being replaced.
DATA AND ITs UsERs
Collaborate with computers
to improve asset management
Smart data and your team’s intuitive grasp can shape the future
By Dave McCarthy
Digital technologies allow
management and control
of remote field assets from
a central location. Graphic
courtesy: Bsquare Corp.
F
ield production, transportation net-
works, and processing facilities gener-
ate large amounts of data across the oil
& gas industry. This data, on a day-to-
day basis, gives operators key insights
needed to maximize production.
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technol-
ogy solutions use this same valuable data
stream—even from remote production sites—
and combine and organize the data within a
cloud-based system. Advanced functionality,
like machine learning and data analytics, can
identify issues, trends, and patterns. You’ll
hear this described as “predictive analytics.”
Simply put, using historical and real-time oper-
ational data, the technology makes predictions
about future events. Supplying insights unique
to your equipment and operations, it can warn
about approaching critical issues before a failure
happens, and pinpoint root causes of a problem.
Money is saved by avoiding unexpected down-
time and related production loss, while simplify-
ing diagnostic and repair processes.
Production, maintenance, and engineering
teams know more about a facility than anyone
else, including the mechanical quirks or
unique equipment parameters. IIoT technology
harnesses this in-depth knowledge, com-
bined with machine-learning capabilities, to
create the rules that refine raw data into
meaningful insights.
Getting smart
Data doesn’t start out “smart.” At first, it’s
just a long stream of numbers. Interpreting it
requires identifying, gathering, and analyzing
relevant information, such as regular equipment
maintenance schedules, repair history,
manufacturer’s specifications, and expected
equipment life. IIoT software can learn the
equipment’s safe operating parameters, and
inform, through automatically triggered alerts,
when it is operating outside its safe range.
Moreover, a team’s unique understanding
of equipment issues and how to resolve them
can be recorded and integrated into the rules.
Take, for example, a compressor with a history
of breaking down. The team knows the prob-
lem and the solution. The steps they take, from
issue identification to its resolution, can be fed
into the IIoT system to accelerate the diagnosis
and repair process.
The right combination of human insight and
machine learning can transform raw data into
a digital analytics model,
or digital twin, for each
connected piece of equip-
ment. This digital model
can provide real-time status
information and historical
operating traits, as well
as compare equipment
performance against other
similar or peak-performing
equipment at a facility. The
digital model also can opti-
mize operational efficiency a
number of ways.
It can prioritize repair
work based on the urgency
of the equipment issues in
OIL&GAS ENGINEERING DECEMBER 2017 • 19
DATA AND ITS USERS
the queue. It can introduce prescriptive repair procedures to
streamline maintenance. And it can determine precisely the
replacement parts and expertise required to resolve upcom-
ing problems, improving your inventory management and
work scheduling.
Monitoring equipment operating conditions, such as tem-
perature, pressure, and power, provides an early warning of
critical issues that could lead to equipment failure or operat-
ing issues. The solution also provides actionable recommen-
dations to prevent or correct problems.
Of course, just because equipment briefly operates under
conditions that could lead to failure doesn’t mean it will fail.
However, by considering the unique operating states of all
connected equipment, operators can fine-tune equipment
service schedules based on actual conditions.
Uniform populations
To illustrate the use case for this level of tailored maintenance,
take a uniform population of compressors with the same
manufacturer-recommended maintenance schedules. Although
they’re all the same make and model, operating conditions
vary from one compressor to the next, causing oil lubrication
properties to break down at the different speeds.
If some compressors are exposed to operational or
environmental factors that accelerate this breakdown rate,
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those assets will need oil changes more frequently than
others. Identifying what pieces of equipment are thereby
impacted isn’t feasible for most people. Machine learning,
on the other hand, can sift through an enormous quantity of
information to pinpoint the patterns that lead to premature
breakdown.
In the oil & gas industry, using analytics to identify trends
and patterns in raw data, IIoT software can monitor operat-
ing conditions across an entire portfolio of connected equip-
ment. This can include field equipment, pipelines, trucks, and
refinery equipment. In a failure situation, it also shares data-
driven insights into the likely root cause so technicians fix the
issue faster.
IIoT solutions continue to learn, absorbing the diagnostic
steps taken, the issue detected, the solution found, and the
result. The recommendations it provides evolve and improve
over time, optimizing and adapting through machine learning.
An IIoT technology solution enables real-time monitoring
through dashboard visualizations that provide insights into
equipment performance, as well as leading indicators of
potential future issues. Dashboards can be integrated with
existing data management and control systems and, when
connected to the cloud, prove highly accessible. What’s
more, a dashboard allows comparison of insights taken from
multiple operations—be it production sites, pipelines or refin-
eries—to optimize equipment performance, efficiency, and
safety across the board.
By incorporating the team’s expertise, an IoT system can
act as a central depository for operating history and the
deep, unique technical knowledge the team has developed.
Combined with the ability to deliver precise data-driven
predictions, this can streamline workflows and enable more
informed business decision-making to enhance operations,
increase equipment uptime, and maximize production.
Scale and scope
Before implementing any technology solution, it’s important
to consider the scope, cost, and schedule risk. Oil & gas
companies are invested heavily in technology solutions. The
idea of ripping out existing systems and starting again is
unappealing.
To avoid unnecessarily disruptive, time-consuming, and
expensive technology upgrades, look for an IIoT solution
that doesn’t require excessive up-front costs, or invasive
application or hardware installations. Insist on a solution
that can integrate with existing systems, and avoid whole-
sale changes. Set defined, measurable business goals and
implement IIoT on a piece-by-piece basis. Focusing on a
small number of assets better manages costs and avoids
operational interference. OG
Dave McCarthy is senior director of products at Bsquare Corp. Dave
earned an MBA with honors from Northeastern University.
20 • DECEMBER 2017 OIL&GAS ENGINEERING
 Get accurate flare
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• Modbus/OPC communications
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© 2017 by AMETEK Inc. All rights reserved.

INTRINSICALLY SAFE I/O...
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Ex i System Highlights
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