People, Companies and Products
Dickerson to retire after more than 30 years of service
Larry Dickerson, president and CEO of Diamond Offshore Drilling, will retire after more than 30 years of service, the company announced.
Mr Dickerson will remain CEO until his successor joins the company, which is expected to take place by 31 March 2014. In 2003, he served as IADC chairman, 2002 as vice chairman and 2001 as secretary-treasurer. In 2009, he was named IADC Contractor of the Year.
KCA Deutag celebrates 125 years of operations
KCA Deutag, with operations in 22 countries, including Norway, Russia and Oman, and more than 8,500 employees, celebrated 125 years of business in September.
“As we reach this milestone, we have a well-invested asset base and a proven track record of delivering safe, reliable and efficient drilling operations in harsh, challenging and international environments,” KCA Deutag CEO Norrie McKay said.
The company was founded in 1888 by Heinrich Lapp in Aschersleben, Germany.
Organizational changes strengthen Apache’s focus
Apache Corp is undergoing a transformation that “will position the company for many years of predictable and profitable growth,” CEO/chairman G. Steven Farris said.
Rod Eichler, president and COO, will transition to the newly created roles of executive adviser to the chairman of Apache and as the CEO of Kitimat (LNG and upstream), where he will focus on Apache’s LNG business, gas monetization and corporate HSE and emergency response.
John Christmann, region vice president for the Permian, will assume the role of executive vice president and COO, North America.
Tom Voytovich, executive vice president for international operations, is taking on the role of executive vice president and COO, international.
Express Energy releases H2S safety film
Express Energy Services has released an original film, “Left Undone,” based on a fictional incident from the point of view of an oilfield services supervisor working on a rig that has potential for hydrogen sulfide (H2S) exposure.
“Express created this film because we are committed to protecting the safety and well-being of our employees,” Darron Anderson, CEO of Express Energy, said.
The film aims to educate and inform oilfield workers on the hazards and safety procedures in the event of H2S exposure while working on a well site.
“The movie illustrates the importance of following safety procedures,” Frank Perry said. Mr Perry, chairman of the Committee for Hydrogen Sulfide Safety, part of the American National Standards Institute, added, “The movie should be widely used as an invaluable supplemental training tool for people who work in the oilfield.”
Click here to watch an exclusive video with Express Energy executive vice president Gary Childress.
Click here to register and watch the film “Left Undone.”
CAM OilServe Advisors opens second office in Las Vegas
CAM OilServe Advisors, headquartered in Plano, Texas, has opened a second office in Las Vegas. The company is headed by long-time IADC member Cary Moomjian, 1996 IADC Contractor of the Year. It provides consulting, advisory, expert witness, dispute resolution, training, mediation and related services to the oil service industry, oil and gas companies and law firms.
Encana appoints new execs to drive performance gains
Encana has appointed Mike McAllister as executive vice president and chief operating officer focused on driving the company’s operational performance.
David Hill has been appointed executive vice president, exploration & business development, focused on identifying and securing top-tier resources for Encana.
“The new organizational structure aligns with the core competencies needed to get Encana back to winning,” Doug Suttles, Encana president & CEO, said.
Commander Drilling targets turnkey drilling, completions
Newly established Commander Drilling Technologies will provide turnkey drilling and completion services in the Gulf of Mexico. The company aims to fill a niche, particularly for independent producers.
Management is led by Stephen Morrison, an experienced executive in the offshore turnkey industry. Mr Morrison previously served as president of Applied Drilling Technologies, a subsidiary of Transocean, from 2007 to 2012.
Scott Safety opens service, training facility near Houston
Scott Safety has opened a new service and training facility in Pasadena, Texas, to support its growing customer base in flame and gas detection. The 10,000-sq-ft facility will provide flame, fixed and portable gas detection partners and end users with technical and service support.
In early 2014, the facility will begin to serve as a regional training location and will provide demos and educational resources for Scott Safety products.
MudCubes to be installed on Statoil jackups
Two of Statoil’s Category J harsh-environment jackups in the North Sea will be equipped with 12 MudCubes, a solids control solution that uses vacuum conveyor technology. The agreement between Cubility and Samsung Heavy Industries also included prices and conditions for two additional Category J rigs.
The first six MudCubes will be delivered in Q4 2014.
The MudCube can improve efficiency and HSE and reduce costs associated with fluids dilution, waste reduction, nonproductive time, maintenance, filter belt replacements and personnel.
“The unique vacuum conveyor technology found only in the MudCube has proven to be a true difference maker in regards to solids control, cost reduction and HSE conditions improvement,” Ji-Soon Park, Samsung manager/project planning (Cat-J drilling equipment), said.
Collicutt Energy selects APG for drilling rig conversions
Collicutt Energy Services has awarded American Power Group (APG) orders totaling approximately $200,000 for the conversion of drilling rigs for two leading drilling and well service providers in Alberta, Canada.
APG’s Turbocharged Natural Gas System, a dual-fuel solution, has obtained the Canadian Standards Association Inspection and Acceptance approval.
Products
Ball-activated frac sleeve targets extended-reach wells
TEAM Oil Tools has developed the ORIO XL, a ball-activated frac sleeve for multistage completions.
Designed for 5 1/2-in. production casing, the technology allows operators the ability to frac extended-reach, horizontal wells in a more efficient manner by stimulating a single cluster at a time versus multiple times, ensuring that proppant is getting into every cluster and increasing the possibility for greater production.
Seismic-to-stimulation service optimizes productivity
Halliburton has launched its CYPHER seismic-to-stimulation service, a collaborative workflow that effectively integrates geoscience, reservoir, drilling and completion engineering to allow operators to better predict and produce unconventional reserves. In North Texas, results from a 26-well data set showed a 67% increase in production and 80% reduction in well standard deviation, according to the company.
Wärtsilä dual-fuel engine released to US market
Wärtsilä has released its medium-speed 20DF dual-fuel engine for the US market. The engine meets US EPA Tier 4 emissions compliance criteria. The 20DF power spans from 1,056 kW (1,415 hp) to 1,584 kW (2,122 hp) per engine. It is a lean-burn, low-pressure dual-fuel engine technology.
V0-rated storm plug designed for Gulf of Mexico
Archer has released STORMLOCK, an ISO 14310 V0-rated, gas-tight storm plug designed for suspension operations in the Gulf of Mexico and other deepwater markets.
STORMLOCK is the latest addition to Archer’s family of well suspension plugs, the LOCK series, which provides the assurance of an absolute seal independently certified as gas-tight under ISO 14310 V0. The technology includes 10,000-psi ball valve qualified in accordance with ISO 28281.
STORMLOCK “has been engineered to support up to 300 metric tons of pipe, and its enhanced seal technology provides a safe, gas-tight solution for short or long suspension periods, harsh conditions and, of course, storms,” Rolf Egil Håland, president of Archer’s well integrity products and Oil Tools Division, said.
CrushFree Landing String holds ultra-deepwater load weight
Vallourec Drilling Products has developed a heavy-duty landing system to set and run larger and heavier casing strings with hookloads approaching or exceeding 2.5 million lbs. The CrushFree Landing String is designed for ultra-deepwater operations.
The system consists of a pipe with a thick-walled material section to ensure slip crush resistance, a lightweight tube and rotary shouldered connections. The combination of an extended crush proof section and the absence of a heat-affected zone decreases running time while eliminating the risk of setting the slips on a weak point.
