People, companies and products
H&P names John Lindsay president, COO
John Lindsay has been named president and chief operating officer of Helmerich & Payne Inc. The Board of Directors also appointed Mr Lindsay as a director of the company.
Mr Lindsay joined H&P in 1987 as a drilling engineer. He served as the 2008 IADC chairman and serves on the IADC Executive Committee. He graduated in 1986 from the University of Tulsa, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in petroleum engineering.
Parker Drilling selects Gary Rich as president, CEO
The Board of Directors of Parker Drilling has selected Gary Rich as president and chief executive officer. Mr Rich will also serve as a member of Parker Drilling’s board. Mr Rich brings international and domestic industry leadership experience to Parker, including a 25-year career with Baker Hughes.
He holds a BS in accounting from Brigham Young University and an MS in science and technology commercialization from the University of Texas.
Talisman Energy appoints Hal Kvisle president, CEO
Talisman Energy has appointed Hal Kvisle as president and chief executive officer. He most recently was director of Talisman and was previously president and CEO of TransCanada Corp. Mr Kvisle brings more than 35 years of experience in domestic and international oil and gas, midstream and pipeline operations from his tenures at TransCanada and Fletcher Challenge Energy.
PXP to acquire BP, Shell properties in US GOM
Plains Exploration & Production (PXP) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire from BP its interests in certain deepwater US Gulf of Mexico oil and gas properties for $5.55 billion. The properties include the BP-operated Marlin, Dorado and King fields (collectively the Marlin Hub, 100% working interest), BP-operated Horn Mountain Field (working interest 100%), BP-operated Holstein Field (working interest 50%), BP non-operated Diana-Hoover Field (33.33% working interest, operated by ExxonMobil) and BP non-operated Ram Powell Field (31% working interest, operated by Shell).
At the end of July, the BP properties were producing an estimated 59,500 barrels of oil equivalent net per day of which nearly 84% is oil and natural gas liquids with an average API gravity of 34°.
PXP also has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire from Shell its 50% working interest in the Holstein Field for $560 million. In July, the property was producing an estimated 7,400 barrels of oil equivalent net per day of which nearly 86% is oil and natural gas liquids with an average API gravity of 33°.
Sidewinder Drilling to acquire Union Drilling for $242 million
Union Drilling and Sidewinder Drilling have entered into a definitive agreement and plan of merger pursuant to which Sidewinder will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Union Drilling common stock in an all-cash tender offer valued at approximately $242 million.
“The acquisition of Union Drilling is strategically complementary for Sidewinder as it significantly increases our scale of operations, geographically broadens our exposure in the North American shale plays, meaningfully expands our customer base and provides substantial synergies,” Jon Cole, chairman and CEO of Sidewinder, said.
Bentec makes its biggest single sale of top drives
Bentec has sold 14 top drive systems to Algerian company Entreprise Nationale des Travaux aux Puits. The contract is the largest single sale of Bentec top drives in the company’s history.
All 14 TD-500-HT Top Drive Systems will be manufactured at Bentec’s Germany facility in Bad Bentheim, with delivery in 2012 and in the first half of 2013. Bentec has sold a total of 40 top drives since it began top drive production in late 2010.
Seadrill appoints new CEO, contemplates relocation
The Board of Seadrill Management has appointed Fredrik Halvorsen, currently CEO of Archer, to succeed Alf Thorkildsen as CEO. Mr Thorkildsen will remain on the Board of North Atlantic Drilling.
Seadrill plans to implement a new management structure and will explore establishing a new management service function in an alternative location to Stavanger. “Our decision to consider moving Seadrill’s central management function should be seen as a dynamic decision to adapt to a changing market,” John Fredriksen, chairman of the Board of Directors, said. London, Dubai, Singapore and Houston are under consideration.
Revere named Acteon VP to support Asia business
Acteon has appointed Kevin Revere as vice president. Based in Kuala Lumpur, Mr Revere will provide support to Asia-based CAPE, an Acteon company that focuses on project management for pipeline service.
Mr Revere has more than 20 years of experience in the oil and gas pipeline coating industry and joins Acteon from Wasco Energy’s pipe coating division, where he was vice president of operations. Mr Revere’s professional experience covers operations in Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas.
OI appoints Woolslayer to Oklahoma, Texas regions
Oilfield Instrumentation (OI) has appointed John Woolslayer to be responsible for business development in the regions of Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Weatherford, Okla., as well as parts of the Midland-Odessa areas of Texas.
With more than 20 years of experience in oilfield sales and management, Mr Woolslayer has serviced both drilling contractors and operators. His expertise has been instrumental in helping offshore service companies transition to land-based operations in areas ranging from north Louisiana to the Bakken.
Huisman building new production facility in Brazil
Huisman is building a production facility in Brazil, planned to commence operations in the second half of 2013. Located in Navegantes in south Brazil and bordering the Atlantic Ocean, the facility will manufacture construction equipment for the Brazilian offshore market.
It will include 15,000 sq meters of production facilities and a 200-meter-long quay side with an artificial bay to protect vessels from high currents.
Products
High-temp fluid system maintains stable profile
M-I SWACO, a Schlumberger company, has released the RHADIANT ultra-high-temperature non-aqueous drilling fluid system. The system eliminates drilling fluid product degradation, prevents wellbore control issues such as barite sag and provides a thin filter cake for enhanced logging conditions.
“With wellbores approaching the 500°F (260°C) threshold, there is a need for a drilling fluid that can remain stable and deliver consistent performance throughout the processes of well construction and open-hole logging,” said Joe Bacho, president, M-I SWACO.
The RHADIANT drilling fluid system is formulated to maintain a stable rheological profile with little maintenance required. The fluid system maintains extreme-temperature stability during prolonged static conditions. Stable rheologies in tandem with ultra-thin and slick filter cake deposits clear the path for logging, casing and cementing operations, which enable accurate perforation placement, optimized completions and quality reservoir characterization.
Baker Hughes service uses flowback water for fracturing fluids
Baker Hughes has launched a service that enables operators to design hydraulic fracturing fluids using produced and flowback water. The H2prO water management service integrates technical expertise with chemical and mobile mechanical treatment technologies to construct water that maximizes production, minimizes reservoir damage and reduces fresh water sourcing, storage and transportation costs.
Based on analysis and the operator’s operational requirements, application engineers choose the treatment from the H2prO service portfolio, which includes options to address major produced and flowback water contaminants, including total dissolved solids, heavy metals, total suspended solids, hydrogen sulfide and other organic compounds.
Halliburton launches Knoesis production enhancement services
Halliburton recently introduced a family of production enhancement engineering design and analysis services.
Knoesis provides an understanding of completion to optimize reservoir performance. In addition to design and analysis services, the Knoesis family includes Foray 3D microseismic fracture matching services, Delve technical data mining and analysis services. Future services will include Savvy complex fracture design and analysis services and Melt matrix acid design and analysis services.
Rescue device controls fall, brings users safely to ground
Latchways’ new Personal Rescue Device integrates into a full-body harness to arrest a fall and lower the user safely to the ground by the activation of a parachute-style release cord.
The device features a brake mechanism to lower the person to the ground in a controlled descent. Training is not required, as the unit is worn as part of everyday work wear. With a descent speed of between 0.5 to 2 meters (1.6 to 6.6 ft) per second, the rescue process is quick and simple.
