People, Companies & Products

Saudi Aramco awards UB coiled tubing contract

Saudi Aramco has awarded Baker Hughes a two-year contract for two fit-for-purpose underbalanced coiled-tubing drilling packages designed to re-enter existing wells in the gas fields of southern Saudi Arabia. Baker Hughes will provide project management oversight and downhole drilling and completion services. The contract has an option for a one-year extension, and operations are set to begin in Q2 2010.

Saudi Aramco plans to re-enter existing wells and drill horizontally into untapped reservoir sections. The horizontal wells will be drilled underbalanced to minimize damage to the reservoir.

Separately, Baker Hughes has received two-year extensions on two contracts in Norway from Statoil. The contracts are for the provision of drill bits, directional drilling, formation evaluation and related services on 10 to 12 rigs operating in multiple fields. Valued at approximately $270 million, the award extends the contracts through October 2012.

GE gets 1st order for new-design SVXT subsea tree

GE Oil & Gas announced that it will supply its new VetcoGray SVXT S-series subsea tree to Shell UK, the first order for the new product. It will be delivered in Q4 2010 and installed in Q1 2011. The SVXT merges horizontal and vertical tree technology and is intended for harsh, shallow-water fields, predominantly in the North Sea. The streamlined design reduces tree weight by over 20%, significantly decreases height and delivers essential functionality in a pre-engineered, preconfigured modular approach.

Newman is Transocean CEO

Effective 1 March 2010, Steven L Newman succeeded Robert L Long as CEO of Transocean. Mr Long, who served as 2007 IADC chairman, is retiring from his CEO post, as well as the company’s Board of Directors. Mr Newman has served as president and chief operating officer since May 2008. He previously served in various senior management roles. He also has served in international field and operations management positions.

Schlumberger, Smith announce merger agreement

The Boards of Directors of Schlumberger and Smith International have jointly announced the approval of a merger agreement. Closing of the transaction is expected in the latter half of 2010.

Separately, Schlumberger said that its Board of Directors has appointed Paal Kibsgaard chief operating officer. Reporting to Andrew Gould, chairman and CEO, Mr Kibsgaard will be responsible for the day-to-day management of all worldwide operations in addition to the Schlumberger technology organization. Previously he was president of the Reservoir Characterization Product Group.

GL Noble Denton appoints executive VP

Richard Bailey is the new executive vice president for the Asia Pacific region at GL Noble Denton. He has over 30 years of experience in the oil and gas industry and has been based in Singapore for the past five years. He will report to GL Noble Denton president John Wishart.

Wärtsilä, Trojan to develop ballast water treatment

Driven by changing regulations in the marine industry, Wärtsilä Corp and Trojan Technologies have signed an agreement to jointly develop, market and distribute a ballast water treatment product for ships. The product is in pre-production and is expected to enter the market at the end of 2010.

VAM acquires Protools

VAM Drilling has announced the acquisition of Protools, a supplier of BHA products based in Abu Dhabi formerly owned by Hunt Oiltools.

Sperry gets contract to work in China’s Bohai Bay

Halliburton’s Sperry Drilling has been awarded a two-year contract, plus options, with ConocoPhillips China to provide directional-drilling and logging-while-drilling services on the Peng Lai Development in China’s Bohai Bay. Work began immediately.

Walker named Anadarko president, COO

Anadarko Petroleum Corp’s Board of Directors has promoted Al Walker to president and chief operating officer. Jim Hackett will remain as chairman and CEO. Mr Walker has more than 25 years of experience in the energy industry, with a focus on exploration and production. He joined Anadarko in 2005 as senior vice president, finance, and chief financial officer.

Boomerang Tube to build OCTG manufacturing facility

Boomerang Tube announced that it will build a 487,000-sq-ft manufacturing facility in Liberty, Texas, to produce wielded OCTG and line pipe. The facility will begin operations in August 2010 and could employ up to 350 people.

FMC to supply subsea equipment to Total Angola

FMC Technologies has signed an agreement with Total E&P Angola for the manufacture and supply of subsea production equipment, worth approximately $65 million in revenues. The equipment will support Total’s Block 17 development. Deliveries are scheduled to commence in Q1 2011.

Knight names new managers

Chris Rosson has been named business development manager and Pat Clark business manager for Knight Oil Tools.

SPT Group buys Neotec

Norway-based SPT Group has acquired Calgary-based Neotechnology Consultants (Neotec). The combined company will provide software tools for optimization of oil and gas production systems, including steady-state to dynamic simulation of multiphase flow, integrated operations, drilling wells, delivery systems and reservoir optimization.

BJ Services awarded contract for conductor-driving services in India

BJ Services has been awarded a contract to provide conductor-driving services for operations offshore India in the Panna-Mukta and Mid & South Tapti Fields (“PMT Fields”), jointly operated by BG E&P India, ONGC and Reliance Industries. BJ Services personnel will use hydraulic conductor installation hammers with a deliverable energy capacity of 90 kNm to drive the conductors in the PMT Fields.

PRODUCTS

Sysdrill update caters to Chinese, Russian users

Paradigm recently released Sysdrill 2009.1 at the 2010 IADC/SPE Drilling Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans, 2-4 February. This release supplies comprehensive Chinese and Russian translations, as well as integration with Paradigm Epos 4. “Sysdrill 2009.1 effectively eliminates previous language-based usage limitations,” said Robert Innes, director of well planning and drilling.

The Sysdrill 2009.1 update extends the range and accessibility of the suite, which offers well planning, survey management, anti-collision, torque and drag, hydraulics, casing design, cementing and well control in a single application.

Further integration with the Epos system offers users quick and more reliable access to E&P data for collaborative work on large multidisciplinary projects. Epos 4, released in July 2009, is an open data integration platform scalable from a laptop to a full enterprise solution.

IPD introduces one-piece steel piston for Caterpillar engines

IPD has released a one-piece steel piston for Caterpillar 3500 engines. In order to prevent the piston from experiencing extreme thermal loading, the one-piece design limits plate movement and secures the oil gallery retention plate in place. These new pistons will also use patent-pending technology for manufacturing one-piece steel pistons from a high-strength alloy and heat-treated steel casting.

Combo tools system gives caliper, metal loss, mapping info

BJ Services has introduced the GEMINI system, a range of combo tools that provides caliper, metal loss and mapping information in a single tool. Unlike conventional combo tools, the new system uses an active speed control with a gas bypass capability to run in high-speed gas pipelines to obtain corrosion and deformation information without restricting gas flow or line speed, a feature common to the VECTRA magnetic flux leakage (MFL) metal loss tools. The tool sensors detects cracks in dents and other mechanical damage, including wrinkles, gouging and metal loss within dents. The tool also sizes and detects dents in the pipeline.

New drilling motor features ultra-slow speed design

Mpact Downhole Motors has introduced a new drilling motor model, Model 775 7822 HTS, featuring the Mpact 114 stator elastomer. The 7 ¾ in. drilling motor is an ultra-slow speed design (.08 revolutions/gal) delivering 15,000-plus ft/lbs of torque at 489-psi differential pressure. With a maximum power rating of 192 hp, the new model has a flow range of 300 to 900 gpm.

Drilling valve gives LCM alternate circulating path

M-I SWACO’s WELL COMMANDER ball-activated drilling valve provides an alternate circulating path for placing lost-circulation material or boosting annular velocities during drilling operations, while bypassing sensitive downhole bottomhole assembly tools. Generally run in the hole, in the closed position, the tool remains inactive until needed. Then the operating ball is dropped and pumped down to the tool. Pressuring up on the ball activates the tool, and the increased pressure unseats the ball. It is expelled into the bypass ball catcher and the ports are locked opened. To close, another ball is dropped, pressure increased and the ports closed as the tool de-activates.

The tool uses the same size operating ball to open and close the ports. A smaller BHA shut-off ball can be dropped to prevent fluid flow or solids deposition at the top of the BHA. Up to seven complete cycles are possible on each trip due to the 14 ball capacity of the bypass catcher.

Unique ball-seat technology allows the same-size ball to open and close the tool, eliminating the risk of dropping the wrong size ball. No complicated ball/dart sequence or potentially problematic pump on/off hydraulic sequencing is required to open and close the tool. Additionally, high circulation rates will not cause the tool to function prematurely.

The tool can assist in removing cuttings beds in high-angle/horizontal wells and can efficiently displace fluids by boosting annular velocities. It also permits easy spotting of coarse LCM during drilling operations.