Neodrill’s CAN-ductor reduces environmental impact by up to 44%
Neodrill has shared the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) report for its CAN-ductor technology. Analyzed and compiled by Asplan Viak, the report found that the environmental impact of the CAN-ductor is between 21-44% less than that of a conventionally drilled well.
The goal of the LCA study was to quantify the reduction in environmental impact associated with a well drilled using the CAN-ductor technology compared to that of a conventionally drilled well. The reference well used was the Cambo Well in the UK, which was drilled by Siccar Point Energy in 2018. The functional unit used for the purpose of the study was the drilling and casing operations for one production well.
The processes for both the CAN and conventional drilling were detailed and results were compared across eight environmental impact categories, including climate change and human toxicity. It was found that reduced rig time and need for materials, such as cement and steel in well casings, were the main reasons for the CAN’s strong environmental credentials. In total, the rig time was four days shorter for the CAN-ductor compared to that of the conventional technology. Advantages with respect to cost, logistics, transport, and HSE aspects were also found.
The conventional well drilling technology had higher environmental impact across all categories compared to the CAN-ductor well drilling technology. The key environmental impact results are as follows.
Table 1 – Total environmental impacts for conventional and CAN-ductor well drilling technologies
Impact Category |
Unit |
Conventional well |
CAN-ductor |
Reduced impact of CAN-ductor |
Climate change |
t CO2 eq |
1629 |
1112 |
32% |
Human toxicity |
t 1,4-DCB eq |
266 |
149 |
44% |
Particulate matter formation |
t PM10 eq |
8.8 |
6.0 |
32% |
Terrestrial acidification |
t SO2 eq |
16 |
11 |
32% |
Freshwater Eutropication |
t P eq |
0.21 |
0.12 |
43% |
Marnie Eutrophicaton |
t N eq |
1.01 |
0.69 |
32% |
NOx |
t NOx |
24 |
17 |
30% |
Sox |
t SOx |
2.5 |
1,9 |
24% |
“A reduction of between 21-44% in term of environmental impact is huge for any project from both an environmental and cost perspective and we are very pleased to be able to guarantee clients these results every time our CAN-ductor technology is used,” Jostein Aleksandersen, Neodrill’s Chief Executive Officer, said.
“Environmental impact is a concern that will only grow in importance and we are very proud to be playing a role in helping the industry transition to cleaner, safer and greener processes. We look forward to working with clients to further improve efficiencies and reduce their environmental impact using our patented technologies,” Mr Aleksandersen added.
The news of the LCA report for the CAN-ductor follows the launch of Neodrill’s first solutions for subsea templates that were launched in April this year. The patent-protected solutions include a BOP/X-mas tree soft landing and load support system, wellhead support frame and cementing system to control the flow of cement. The solutions build on the CAN technology and enable a potential rig time saving of 3-4 days per well. The reduction in rig time is estimated to result in savings in the range of $9-11 million per 4 slot template, as well as deliver a number of health, safety and environmental advantages.