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Drilling-Solids Removal

            Derrick Equipment Co. Flo-Line Primer.

The Derrick Equipment Co. Flo-Line Primer maximizes solids removal capabilities by removing hydrated clays (gumbo) and large drilling cuttings. These solids are difficult to remove with any type of vibrating motion; thus, it is important to remove them before they reach the downstream shale shakers. This equipment enables use of finer screens in the shale shakers, leading to lower dilution of the drilling fluid. The cleaner uses a variable-speed conveyor system to transport solids off the machine without vibration. This method enables precise control of solids-conveyance speed as loading or pump rates increase. The inclined synthetic conveyor belt is available in 5-, 10-, 20-, and 30-mesh sizes, allowing control over cuttings dryness and conveyance capacity. A built-in by-pass enables diverting of fluid directly to the downstream shakers when sticky clays and gumbo are not present. A counterrotating brush effectively cleans the belt without adding any water to the system.

For additional information, e-mail derrick@derrickequipment.com.

Slimhole Formation Evaluation

Halliburton’s GeoTap slimhole
formation-pressure tester.

The Slimhole Reservoir Drilling and Formation Evaluation Solution from Halliburton’s Sperry Drilling Services provides wireline-equivalent data (both in terms of sensor type and data quality) including formation pressures, which can be acquired and delivered quickly, while ensuring that the interval is drilled efficiently. The solution uses the 4 3/4-in. GeoTap slimhole formation-pressure tester and Geo-Pilot 5200 Series rotary-steerable systems. The slimhole logging-while-drilling package provides formation-pressure testing while drilling, eliminating pipe-conveyed wireline-logging operations in high-angle wells. The service can conduct multiple tests at any point in the openhole interval by use of a multistage extending probe with a filter-cake-penetrating snorkel feature. By use of a downlinking system for tool control, the tester can be commanded to take multiple drawdowns at a single point to ensure accurate pressure measurements, while the rotary-steerable system can be controlled on the fly. Real-time transmission of the pressure profile to the surface allows operators to validate the test quickly. Pressures can be transmitted back to the reservoir engineer to verify the accuracy of the reservoir model and assist in real-time reservoir-exploitation decisions, such as sidetracking or extending the horizontal-section length. These real-time drilling decisions then are executed with the point-the-bit rotary-steerable system.

For additional information, e-mail sperry@halliburton.com.

Hardrock PDC Bit

The Hughes Christensen Genesis ZX polycrystalline-diamond-compact (PDC) bit is designed for extreme drilling. The bit is used for drilling hard and abrasive borehole sections. The cutters are designed for abrasion resistance. The hydraulics move the cuttings away from the bit efficiently, and the stability provides smooth drilling through interbedded formations. A secondary cutting element provides maximum cutter density. The Zenith cutters use layered-diamond technology for abrasion resistance and toughness. Areas of a PDC-bit cutting structure that engage hard and abrasive formations have a secondary cutter array with high cutter density. This secondary cutting element rides in the shadow of the primary cutters until wear or breakage of primary cutters initiates the secondary cutting element and a sharp, fresh cutting structure engages the formation. The depth-of-cut control technology minimizes cutter-damaging peak loads by balancing the cutter workload over more cutters. SmoothCut technology limits bit aggressiveness without limiting rate of penetration. The bits run with minimal vibration. The hydraulic configuration is optimized by use of a proprietary computational-fluid-dynamics process for balanced fluid flow, cutter cooling, and erosion resistance.

For additional information, visit www.hccbits.com.

Offshore Rig Tracking

Delta Wave Communications Inc. has introduced its RigTrac rig-tracking system. With this system, constant monitoring of an offshore rig is not required until the asset moves from its designated location. Once out of its designated location, alerts are sent by short-message service to cellular phones, e-mail, and the company’s online d-Trac monitoring facility, which includes the Gulf of Mexico block chart. The system is based on the Inmarsat constellation of satellites. The system was developed and beta tested during the 2005 hurricane season in the Gulf of Mexico and performed with zero errors. A shoebox-sized device is installed onboard the rig with a clear line of sight to the horizon. Once the unit is powered up, the global-positioning-system (GPS) coordinates are captured by the system. Those GPS coordinates then are used to geofence the rig. A geofence is a virtual boundary or fence set up around the rig. The tracking unit sends a position report every morning to verify that it is within its geofence and working properly. If the rig moves outside of its assigned geofence, an alarm signal is sent. That signal is immediately relayed to the online monitoring system. The alarm notification then is displayed on the website map, and notifications of the geofence breach are sent to e-mail addresses and cellular telephones. The unit continues to send position reports until the rig returns to its original position or a geofence is designated at the new position. The position-report intervals can be increased or decreased as needed. The standard report interval is one report per hour until the rig is back on location or geofenced at a new location. The system can be polled manually for an updated position at any time, which is useful during both hurricanes and rig moves.

For additional information, visit www.deltawavecomm.com.

Fluid-Flow Monitoring

FMC Technologies’ fluid-flow monitor SONARtrac.

The FMC Technologies SONARtrac surveillance technology provides monitoring of single and multiphase flows inherent to upstream oil and gas production processing. The modular surveillance platform enables acquisition of accurate well-performance data. It can enhance recovery by providing improved input for reservoir-simulation models. The module clamps onto the outside of existing pipes to provide real-time, continuous measurement of entrained gas in liquid-continuous streams (gas-void fraction) and the liquid content of a gas stream when used with a conventional differential-pressure flowmetering device. Alternatively, it can be used standalone to measure single-phase gas or liquid volumetric flow rate. The tool measures the volumetric flow rate by detection and correlation of naturally occurring turbulent-pressure fields existing in virtually all oil and gas production processes. In turn, the gas-void-fraction measurement is accomplished by exploiting the highly predictable and repeatable influence that entrained gas has on the speed at which sound propagates through liquid. These sonar-based flow measurements use an array of sensors aligned axially along the pipe to characterize and interpret naturally occurring, unsteady pressure fields within the process piping.

For additional information, e-mail sonartrac@fmcti.com.

Cable and Control-Line Protector

Downhole Products’ Grippy protector clamp.

Downhole Products LLC has introduced its Grippy line of cross-coupling electrical-submersible-pump (ESP) cable and control-line protector clamps. When thousands of feet of cable come loose from the tubing during running or pulling operations, a “bird’s nest” is created between the tubing and casing. Often, the tubing becomes stuck in the casing, and many days are lost to fishing operations. When a cable remains unprotected, compression-induced damage can deform and weaken conductors and control lines, rendering them useless. Therefore, it is critical to prevent these types of events. These new protectors convey and secure ESP cable and control lines in and out of wellbores quickly, safely, and efficiently. The cable protector’s contoured slick features prevent serious hang-ups downhole. The protectors can be configured for both round and flat ESP cables, subsurface-safety-valve control lines, chemical-injection lines, and optical fiber. They are engineered to eliminate compression-induced damage to ESP conductors and control-line cables.

For additional information, e-mail bill.barron@downhole.co.uk.

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