People, Companies & Products
Organizational changes at National Oilwell Varco
Becky Byrd has been named vice president corporate marketing for National Oilwell Varco. She has served as corporate marketing manager and most recently as director of corporate marketing following the Varco merger in 2005.
Mark Reese has been named president of NOV’s Rig Solutions Group. He served as president of the Mission Products Group from 2000 to 2004, later named president of NOV’s Expendable Products Group from 2004 to 2007.
Jeremy Thigpen has been named president of Downhole and Pumping Solutions for NOV. He has held various positions for the Downhole Tools Group, including general manager of the Gulf Coast region and US sales manager.
Robert Workman is president of the Distribution Services Group for NOV. He has served in a broad range of leadership positions, including manager of international services, general manager of National Oilwell de Venezuela and vice president of operations.
Kirk Shelton has been named president of Mission/Mono Products for NOV. He was named global sales manager for the Mission Expendable business in 1998, then appointed vice president of sales and operations for Mission Expendable and Multiplex Pump businesses in 2000.
AlMansoori works with PTT, Pan Orient to expand in Thailand
AlMansoori Specialized Engineering (MSE) of the United Arab Emirates is acquiring additional logging assets in Thailand. MSE will take ownership of new electronic line, perforating and logging services and assets in the country. A new company, AlMansoori Logging Services (Thailand), has been formed, headed by managing director Martin Tilbrook.
As part of the deal, MSE is working with Thai national oil company PTT to provide perforating services for the onshore S1 field in the Pitt San Ulok region of central Thailand, and with Canadian E&P company Pan Orient Energy to deliver perforating and cased hole logging services in the onshore Wichian Bury area 260 km north of Bangkok.
Cameron to supply Schlumberger IPM with flow equipment
Cameron has signed a three-year worldwide preferred supplier agreement with Schlumberger Integrated Project Management (IPM) for the supply of flow equipment products and services. Cameron will provide Schlumberger IPM with all surface, subsea, drilling, measurement, compression and downstream equipment worldwide.
Separately, Schlumberger has acquired exclusive development and distribution rights to the oil and gas sector for ThinAnywhere, remote access high-end 3D graphics visualization technology from Mercury International Technology (MIT). Schlumberger will use the technology in its LiveQuest solution providing 3D thin client access and enabling centralized application support capabilities. LiveQuest provides single sign-on, one-click collaboration, remote management for all E&P applications and simplifies IT support through infrastructure consolidation.
New CEO at Precision Drilling
Precision Drilling has appointed Kevin A Neveu as CEO and director. He previously served as president of the Rig Solutions Group of National Oilwell Varco.
Varel Holdings acquired
Arcapita, a private equity investment firm, has signed an agreement to acquire Varel Holdings for approximately $369 million. The transaction is expected to close in 2007.
Long-term mooring contract
InterMoor has signed a long-term contract with a subsidiary of Diamond Offshore Drilling to store and maintain Diamond’s mooring hardware in InterMoor’s 22-acre facility at the Port of Fourchon in Louisiana.
Randy Smith Training acquired
Moody International has acquired Randy Smith Training Solutions and its parent company, Results in Learning. Moody, headquartered in Cuckfield in the south of England, provides technical inspection services to many industries.
New LTI facility in Louisiana
LeTourneau Technologies has opened a new facility in Lafayette, the first LTI branch in Louisiana. It will offer sales and support for the LTI Drilling Systems and LTI Power Systems’ product lines.
New team members at TAM
TAM International has named Jack Newberry as vice president, US, Latin America and Asia Pacific sales and operations. Additionally, Mark Jensen was named vice president, TAM International Oil Services.
Enventure expands in Europe
Wendy Simpson has joined Enventure Global Technology as senior technical sales advisor. Roy Campbell has joined as regional applications engineer. Hope Okhuoya and William Addie have also joined Enventure’s European team.
PRODUCTS
New production control system from VetcoGray
VetcoGray has introduced the PCS 1000, a production control system comprising both topside and subsea-located hardware, combined with the necessary software. It features VetcoGray’s deepwater ModPod technology.
Key components of the PCS 1000 include an electro-hydraulic subsea control module (SCM) to control and monitor subsea valves and sensors and a 19-in. rack-mounted master control station (MCS) that provides control for up to six subsea wells. The PCS 1000 is suitable for any subsea field development up to 300 m in water depth.
Baker Hughes fluid designed for low-salinity setting
Baker Hughes Drilling Fluids has introduced the TERRA-MAX system, a customizable, high-performance water-based mud designed to improve drilling and environmental performance in low-salinity environments. As a water-based fluid, TERRA-MAX presents no associated environmental liability issues, no waste management problems and minimal lost-circulation impact.
120-ton power swivel from Logan Oil Tools
The hydraulic, motor-driven Logan 120-ton Power Swivel with Offshore Package from Logan Oil Tools provides accurately controlled, shock-free rotary power suitable for use in fishing and workover operations. Suspending the swivel from a boom or crane reduces setup time. It is a rugged skid-mounted unit made of heavy-duty structural tubing with welded construction.
It’s equipped with a containment slip to eliminate fluid spills. Both ends are rounded for easy skidding. The lifting frame can be used to attach boom lines or hoist slings. The lifting frame is flush with the sides of the skid. Main runners, running the length of the skid, are strengthened by cross-members for additional rigidity. The entire frame is covered with a polyurea coating for corrosion resistance and has a diamond-patterned deck plate to provide a solid, skid-resistant floor.
HD monitor, sand control screens from Halliburton
Halliburton’s Landmark division has introduced Landmark M5600, a new quad full high-definition monitor for ultra-refined geoscience visualization and analysis. It features a 56-in. screen that’s four times the size and twice the pixel count of today’s highest-resolution 30-in. screens. The monitor also allows users to view multiple data sources together.
Additionally, Halliburton recently delivered three new screen solutions for sand control: the EquiFlow Oil Selector valve (significantly reducing unwanted water or gas production without wellbore intervention), EquiFlow inflow control devices (delay early water or gas coning, thereby increasing recoverable reserves); and PetroGuard Advanced Mesh screen (provides reliable sand control in heavy oil and poorly sorted sand environments).
VAM Express provides unique thread profile
VAM Drilling has developed VAM Express, a high-performance drill stem rotary shoulder connection. Designed to face difficult well conditions, it incorporates internal and external shoulders and a unique thread profile. It offers high torsional strength, mechanical safety margins, quick rig makeup, ease of use and an extended service life.
New Frog-6 accommodates more people
Reflex Marine has developed the Frog-6, a higher capacity version of the three-person Frog-3. The first Frog-6, which can move up to 6 people at a time, are in use in Indonesia, and Reflex Marine is contracted to supply four to China, one to Angola and three low-temperature versions to Sakhalin Island.
The new Frog retains the tetrahedral design of the original, but the frame and seating arrangement have been expanded to accommodate six people. The suspension system has been enhanced, comprising three peripheral springs, hydraulic dampers and larger feet to cushion impacts and protect passengers. New bench-style seating also speeds up the process of securing a stretcher into the Frog in the event of a MedEvac scenario.
R&M Energy package targets tubing wear
R&M Energy Systems has assembled a comprehensive set of Tubing Wear Prevention Solutions to improve efficiency, reduce operating costs and increase production. It includes RODEC Tubing Rotators, New Era Rod Guides and Hercules Rod Rotators. RODEC Tubing Rotators attach to the wellhead at surface and provide continuous, slow rotation of the production tubing to evenly distribute wear. New Era Rod Guides, manufactured from engineered plastics with performance additives, center the sucker rod string within the production tubing. Hercules Rod Rotators slowly rotate the rod string to evenly distribute sucker rod, rod guide and tubing wear.
Postle Industries offers casing-friendly hardbanding
Postle Industries introduces Duraband NC, an extreme-wear, casing-friendly hardbanding alloy that applies crack-free and is 100% rebuildable. Its microstructure consists of a hard tool steel matrix with a high volume of tightly packed metal carbides. This combination ensures high wear resistance in open-hole drilling. Typical hardness values of 57Rc can be expected when applied to new tools or properly built joints.