New products and services

Load monitoring for various applications, including offshore

Eilon Engineering, an industrial load monitoring solutions firm, manufactures high-quality crane scales, dynamometers, hanging scales and load cells for a variety of heavy industries. The company’s load monitoring products have a wide variety of applications, including weighing; proof load testing; overload prevention; force, load and tension measurement; and cable and wire tension monitoring and control. For offshore applications, marine versions of the Eilon load monitoring systems are available. Special IP67/IP68 sealing protects the load cells from the harmful effects of sea water, and enables load cells to be momentarily submersed in water (up to 0.5 m) without causing harm.

Mobile service rig built for European, Australian markets

Weight and dimension regulations are the focus of Weatherford’s new European Corig unit. This mobile service rig is fit-for-purpose, designed for COROD continuous rod and conventional sucker rod interventions. Based on the Corig design, the rig provides similar operating capabilities, while complying with the weight and dimension regulations in various European and Australian regions, as well as standards set forth by Conformité Européenne (CE), Atmosphére Explosible (ATEX) and API. The European Corig unit is compatible with vertical wellhead configurations for oil, gas and CBM wells. It includes a hydraulically-operated, continuous rod gripper, able to trip rod at a rate of up to 90 ft/min. The unit also can transport the Weatherford portable forge welder for on-site welding of COROD continuous rod strings. The unit features a BOP, an emergency clamp system and a full array of safety equipment. 

Additional sizes of drilling optimization tools added to line

Sperry Drilling, a Halliburton business line, has introduced two new sizes of its DrillDOC drilling optimization tools: 4¾-in. and 9½-in. collars. The new collars provide the measurements necessary to understand downhole drilling dynamics. They deliver real-time measurement of torsion, weight, bending and vibration. Combining multiple DrillDOC tools in a single string can provide full drillstring dynamics. Directly measuring torsion, weight, bending and vibration identifies the actual drilling parameters that are being applied to the BHA and the bit. These measurements give operators greater insight into the wellbore, to reduce uncertainty, minimize unplanned events and optimize drilling performance. 

Microseismic surface acquisition system introduced

Schlumberger has launched the MS Recon high-fidelity microseismic surface acquisition system. This new system, for surface and shallow-grid microseismic surveys, provides improved imaging of the hydraulic fracture geometry by optimizing the microseismic signal quality. The system features an industry-first proprietary geophone accelerometer, and ultra-low noise electronics, to produce a wide range of signal detectability. The nodal-based wireless acquisition system also provides increased flexibility in designing and deploying the surface and near-surface arrays. GPS-synchronized data are acquired continuously and transmitted to a real-time operations support center, providing customers with data processing and interpretation services.

Rig improves testing of subsea umbilical systems

RMI Pressure Systems has developed a new test rig, which allows for streamlined cleaning and pressure testing, in-situ, for umbilical systems. As offshore depths continue to increase, umbilicals face added stresses, while retaining the need to have clean hydraulic fluid running through subsea networks. Due to the size of the pump needed for the operation, tests on umbilical systems must, traditionally, be carried out onshore, which is logistically complex and inefficient. To improve the process, RMI developed a test rig suitable for offshore use. The company designed the rig’s steel frame around its Trimax S250 high-pressure pump. The pump is controlled by a Toshiba variable frequency drive (VFD) and Omron PLC (programmable logic controller), and is suitable for both flushing operations and high-pressure testing.

New line of lead-free instrumentation

Winters Instruments has introduced a line of lead-free products for drinking water. The company has launched new, lead-free pressure gauges, thermometers and accessories. The line has been manufactured to comply with the 2014 Safe Drinking Water Act. The act, which took effect Jan. 4, limits the amount of lead content of all products installed in potable/drinking water systems. 

Inhibitors solve flow assurance problems in offshore wells

Baker Hughes has announced the commercial release of Sorb Ultra solid inhibitors. Delivered and mixed with the proppant, as part of StimPlus stimulation treatment, the inhibitors can minimize the risk of expensive interventions and lost production in offshore wells. The solid substrate on which the inhibitor is applied is engineered to help ensure reliable applications in deepwater environments, and can be customized to treat a range of downhole conditions including scale, paraffin and asphaltene deposition. The treatment begins in the propped zone, as soon as produced fluids contact the Sorb Ultra inhibitors. This process occurs prior to the produced fluids reaching the near wellbore, where temperature or pressure changes commonly cause flow assurance problems.

System streamlines unconventional development drilling

Epex has created a business process, and supporting technology, to enable operators to more effectively manage unconventional development drilling, and avoid mistakes and minimize non-productive time. The system directs new well implementation to flow through a given organization in a timely, efficient manner, and differs from a more traditional one-rig-at-a-time approach. The process defines who is responsible for each critical step, making sure that they are aware when it is time for them to perform these steps. This format allows personnel to simply update the system with their task-specific data, and to easily identify wells that are not moving along as planned. Thus, it is easier to identify risks, such as lease expirations, permits without enough lead time, or locations that will not be ready in time for rig arrival.

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