ExxonMobil streamlining upstream organization

ExxonMobil announced it will streamline its upstream organization and centralize project delivery across the company to support previously announced plans to double operating cash flow and earnings by 2025.

The reorganization will be effective 1 April 2019 and involve the creation of three new upstream companies – ExxonMobil Upstream Oil & Gas Co, ExxonMobil Upstream Business Development Co and ExxonMobil Upstream Integrated Solutions Co.

Project-delivery capability will be enhanced through a single organization – ExxonMobil Global Projects Co – which will centralize major capital project planning and execution expertise into a single organization that will support all three business segments – upstream, downstream and chemical.

Deep Sea Mooring wins contract from Diamond Offshore

Vryhof and its mooring business, Deep Sea Mooring (DSM), have signed a multi-year agreement with Diamond Offshore. Under the terms of the agreement, DSM will provide mooring and related equipment to several of Diamond’s rigs, as well as work closely with Diamond in developing the Mooring Integrity Management System (MIMS) for offshore operations. Diamond’s MIMS covers procurement standards, inspection and maintenance standards, certification requirements, risk exposure and protocols, design and assessment standards, and operational practice.

Eni renews Lloyd’s Register contract for inspections

Eni has awarded Lloyd’s Register a new tender for global rig inspections. The latest contract is for coverage of rigs contracted by Eni globally for the next three years. Lloyd’s Register is experiencing increased demand for its rig inspection services, including rig surveys and crew competency management.

EM&I hired to scan, develop 3D model of drillship

EM&I has been awarded a contract by a major drilling contractor in the Gulf of Mexico to laser-scan the moonpool deck area on an ultra-deepwater drillship. EM&I will then produce 3D modeling of the area so that the client can utilize these models for the design of new pipework and equipment. The company has been developing laser scanning for many other aspects of asset integrity and expect this to become the “new norm” as part of its suite of robotic technologies.

Demand grows for drilling optimization platform

Corva plans to add up to 100 employees to its Houston headquarters in 2019 to keep pace with demand for the company’s drilling optimization platform, deployed on 110 rigs across the US and Canada. The platform harnesses real-time rig data and historical well information to drive data analytics that give drillers instant insight into rig conditions, increase rate of penetration and anticipate hazards.

Rockwell and Schlumberger enter joint venture

Rockwell Automation and Schlumberger have entered into an agreement to create a new joint venture, Sensia. It will be the first fully integrated provider of measurement solutions, domain expertise and automation to the oil and gas industry. It will offer scalable, cloud and edge-enabled process automation, including information and process safety solutions.

Wael Sawan appointed Shell Upstream Director

Shell has appointed Wael Sawan as Upstream Director, effective 1 July 2019. Mr Sawan will become a member of the executive committee and will take over from Andy Brown.

LORD Corporation receives API 16F certification

LORD Corporation is now certified to API 16F testing for telescopic joint packers. Testing was conducted to the second edition of API 16F, a harsher standard than the first edition in that the inner barrel must not be lubricated during testing.

3T Energy adds capability with new acquisition

3T Energy Group has acquired virtual reality and software specialist Neutron VR. Neutron will be enhance 3T Energy’s products and services portfolio, which includes advanced full-size and mobile simulators, v-learning and integrated software to manage training programs.

Nabors appoints Anthony Chase as a director

Nabors has expanded its board to seven members and appointed Anthony (“Tony”) Chase. Mr Chase is a tenured Professor of Law at the University of Houston Law Center, and Chairman and CEO of ChaseSource, a Houston-based staffing and real estate development firm.

Voestalpine Specialty Metals opens new facility

A new processing facility was recently opened in Houston by voestalpine Specialty Metals focusing on deep-hole drilling, honing and machining services of nickel, stainless and other specialty alloy products.

BP chooses Tenaris for OCTG and Rig Direct in Indonesia

BP recently signed a contract with Tenaris to provide oil country tubular goods (OCTG) products and accessories with Rig Direct service to support drilling activities in Indonesia’s Tangguh region. Tenaris’ Rig Direct model integrates the supply of pipes and accessories from the mill to the rig, operating under a single QHSE management system and focusing on process and operational efficiency, with the objective of lowering overall costs. Tenaris is bringing Rig Direct to Indonesia after implementation in Europe, Middle East, North and South America.

Enpro starts onshore testing of FIS technology

Enpro Subsea announced that a £1.5 million investment in its Flow Intervention Services (FIS) technology has begun onshore testing ahead of planned subsea field trials later this year. The company previously developed a 10kpsi version of the tool, and this investment allowed for the development of a 15kpsi version, extending operating capabilities to support high-pressure wells, common in Gulf of Mexico.

The system has been proven to improve production by stimulating the reservoir and increasing the ultimate recovery from existing subsea wells.

PRODUCTS

BHGE introduces MILLITE lightweight frac plug

Baker Hughes, a GE company, has introduced the MILLITE lightweight frac plug. Constructed of an engineered alloy material, the plug does not contain any heavy metal or ceramic parts. Its wear- and preset-resistant design virtually eliminates preset risks, enabling safe run-in rates in excess of 600 ft/min (183 m/min). At under 13-in. long, its compact design also contributes to lower overall volume of debris per plug.

On a recent job, an operator in Colorado performing plug-and-perf completions used MILLITE plugs to minimize intervention time and reduce coiled tubing cycling costs.

The well had a measured depth of 10,800 ft (3,292 m) and lateral of 4,400 ft (1,341 m), and the completion plan called for a total of 22 plugs to be set at regular intervals. The plugs were deployed at an average speed of 750 ft/min (229 m/min). After fracturing operations were complete, the MILLITE plugs were milled without any motor stalls or short trips, and the average millout time was only five minutes per plug. The plugs milled out with significantly smaller cuttings, leaving minimal debris, which easily circulated out of the wellbore, without the need for specialty chemicals.

NSI Technologies Unveils new version of Stimplan

NSI has announced its new “cloud-based” version of the 3D hydraulic fracturing design software, StimPlan, which is a complete and integrated software solution for hydraulic fracture design, analysis and optimization. With a comprehensive integrated toolkit and rigorous geometry models, StimPlan helps operators maximize their well performance, while lowering expenditure and reducing its environmental footprint. Taking advantage of cloud-based parallel processing allows StimPlan to decrease the time required to run multiple simulations.

Reveal Energy services commercializes FracEye

Reveal Energy Services has commercialized the FracEYE frac hit analysis service to expand the industry’s knowledge base about the critical issue of parent well/child well communication. The goal of Reveal Energy Services was to clearly define the effect of frac hits and allow operators to make timely adjustments to their completion designs. The service categorizes the type and severity of interwell communication by measuring the pressure response from a parent well as hydraulic fracturing proceeds normally in child wells.

Omron releases collaborative robot

Omron recently released an advanced solution for automating repetitive tasks in manufacturing. With built-in vision and a user-friendly, plug-and-play programming interface, the new TM Series Collaborative Robot works with humans to enhance productivity and ensure safety. Designed to enable an innovative manufacturing environment, the robot can be trained to perform repetitive tasks in any location due to a manual teaching function that allows users to teach the robot with hand guidance, without the need for software.

New 100-hp single-phase electric motor

SPPS has introduced its 100-hp single-phase electric motor. The Belle Single-Phase Motor uses written-pole technology to deliver a 100-hp single-phase motor that is compatible with readily available single-phase utility services. This eliminates the need for phase converters or complex variable frequency drive installations. It is ideal for powering equipment like pumps, compressors, and other equipment typically found in industrial, municipal, agricultural, mining and oil & gas installations.