People, Companies and Products
Noble, Maersk Drilling announce merger agreement
In November, Noble Corp and Maersk Drilling announced that they entered into a definitive business combination agreement to combine in a primarily all-stock transaction. The combined company will be named Noble Corp and will have a modern, high-end fleet consisting of 20 floaters and 19 jackup rigs.
The Board of Directors of the combined company will have balanced representation from Noble and Maersk Drilling. Initially, it will have three directors appointed by Noble and three directors appointed by Maersk Drilling, one of whom will be Maersk’s current Chairman of the Board, Claus V. Hemmingsen. Noble and Maersk Drilling will jointly appoint Charles M. (Chuck) Sledge the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the combined company. Upon the closing of the transaction, Robert W. Eifler, Noble’s President and CEO, will become President and CEO of the combined company and will be a member of the Board of Directors.
Anton Dibowitz appointed President, CEO of Valaris
In early December, Valaris named Anton Dibowitz as President and CEO, effective immediately. Mr Dibowitz, who had been serving as interim President and CEO of Valaris since 3 September, is also a member of the company’s Board of Directors. Mr Dibowitz served as an advisor of Seadrill from November 2020 until March 2021, and as Seadrill’s CEO from July 2017 until October 2020.
Parker to acquire H&P’s tubular and casing running assets
Parker Wellbore and Helmerich & Payne (H&P) have entered into a strategic partnership agreement for Parker to acquire all of H&P’s tubular and casing running assets. The agreement allows Parker to be the sole preferred provider of tubular running services on H&P US land-based rigs. Additionally, it provides instant scale for the growth of Parker’s tubular and casing running business. Parker will now be able to conduct tubular and casing running operations in most key US land basins.
ADNOC awards nearly $1 billion contract for Umm Shaif field
ADNOC recently awarded a $946 million engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the long-term development of its Umm Shaif field. The investment supports ADNOC’s oil production capacity plans of 5 million bbl/day by 2030. Phase 1 was awarded to National Petroleum Construction Co. The scope includes engineering, procurement, fabrication, installation and commissioning activities required to maintain Umm Shaif’s 275,000 bbl/day crude oil production capacity, increase efficiencies and enhance the field’s long-term potential.
Aker BP, KDI extend data utilization collaboration deal
Kongsberg Digital (KDI) signed a contract extension with Aker BP to further strengthen the operator’s digital solutions. Building on an existing collaboration that has been ongoing since Aker BP was established, KDI will continue to contribute to accelerating Aker BP’s digitalization process by enabling real-time cloud-based data access, supporting decision making and improving efficiency.
Wood, FutureOn to collaborate on integrated technical service
FutureOn and Wood have formed a strategic collaboration. Wood’s technical services, specializing in early field development studies for subsea and ocean-based energy systems, will integrate with FutureOn’s field design applications and API-centric collaboration platforms. The latest agreement will see Wood provide technical and integration services to operators using FutureOn’s software.
Aquaterra names Barber as Australian Country Manager
Aquaterra Energy appointed David Barber as Australian Country Manager. Mr Barber has more than 20 years’ experience in the oil and gas industry, including seven years working for Aquaterra in the UK. In his new role, he will support the company’s expansion into the Asia Pacific region, with a focus on growing demand for its riser systems and Well Start solutions.
ONGC names interim Chair, Managing Director
Alka Mittal was appointed Interim Chairman and Managing Director of Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC). Dr Mittal is the first woman to head India’s largest oil and gas producer. Her appointment was approved for a period of six months, with effect from 1 January 2022.
Talos creates new Chief Sustainability Officer role
Talos Energy named Robin Fielder as the company’s first Executive VP, Low Carbon Strategy and Chief Sustainability Officer. Under the newly created executive leadership role, Ms Fielder will serve as the lead executive for Talos’s carbon capture and sequestration business.
GD Energy Products (GDEP) has opened a new international sales facility in Dubai. Sales, customer service, technical support, field service and operations will all operate from the new facility.
Supply chain alliance supports 1st oil at Buzzard
A supply chain alliance including Baker Hughes, AGR Well Management, COSL Drilling Europe, Subsea 7 and Worley worked together to deliver CNOOC Petroleum Europe’s Buzzard Phase II development, which started up in November. The supply chain alliance was formed to offer an integrated and outcome-focused approach for the development.
PRODUCTS
Expro launches autonomous well intervention system
Expro has introduced what it believes is the world’s first fully autonomous well intervention system. In full autonomous mode, the Galea system deploys a tool string into the well either at regular intervals or as defined by well conditions. In semi-autonomous mode, it performs a pre-programmed intervention sequence, initiated locally or remotely. This benefits multiwell platforms or pads where regular interventions are required. A small, self-contained intervention package permanently located at the well site eliminates the need for a wireline unit or truck.
When not in use, the system occupies a fraction of the well site or deck space required for a standard slickline winch unit and PCE package.
H&P introduces advanced drawworks controller technology
Helmerich & Payne (H&P) has launched Autodriller Pro, a controller technology designed to control block velocity while regulating inputs from differential pressure, torque and/or weight on bit (WOB). This drawworks control system transfers to/from WOB and differential pressure while helping to maintain smooth drilling that doesn’t require changing gain settings at the driller’s console.
Pneumatic impact wrench features onboard air gauge
Ingersoll Rand’s new 2146Q1MAX ¾-in. impact wrench is the first pneumatic impact wrench with an innovative air gauge indicating whether it is operating at, below or above the tool’s maximum rated air pressure of 90 psi.
The new onboard air pressure gauge is situated on the back of the impact wrench and monitors the air pressure ranging from 60 psi to 120 psi. When the gauge indicates the tool is operating in the green range, it is receiving the maximum rated air pressure of 90 psi. If the gauge is in the yellow range, the air pressure is low, and if it is in the red range, it’s operating over the rated maximum air pressure of the tool.
Cement system self-heals against cracks, microfractures
Superior Energy Services launched its RestoreCem self-healing cement system. The self-healing behavior enables the system to regain its zonal isolation properties and restore the cement sheath against induced cracks, microfractures or micro annuli, minimizing the risk of cement sheath failures that can lead to hydrocarbon percolation within the set cement, or even blowouts. The system covers downhole temperatures from 80-300°F and slurry weights/densities of 9-20 ppg.
Adapter kit can upgrade older, energy-limited shakers
Fluid Systems introduced an adapter technology that upgrades older drying and flow line shakers to the higher efficiencies of the Hi-E shaker. Applicable for most brands of shakers, the Hi-E Kit Adapter is installed on the shaker basket with minimum cuttings and welding. Once in place, it can consistently increase the energy delivered across the screen panels up to 20 g, compared with the 5-7 g typically delivered by conventional shakers.
E-frac pump reduces environmental impact
The SPM Quintuplex Extended Max (QEM) 5000 e-frac pump is reducing environmental impact and yielding cost savings in the Haynesville, Permian, Eagle Ford and Marcellus basins, according to SPM Oil & Gas. The SPM QEM 5000 is designed for electric or gas turbine and 5,000-hp capacity in a single unit and is rated for service at 100% of its 308,000-lb rod load capacity. Half of the SPM QEM 5000s in operation are powered by turbine-driven units, while the remaining 50% are powered by an e-frac motor.
At rated speeds, the pump has consistently produced greater than 20 bpm for long and repeated stages. In addition to eliminating diesel use, it also reduces the total number of pumps required at a site.
Edge computing improves frac, wireline operations
Intelligent Wellhead Systems’ inVision Platform is a proven digital technology infrastructure at the wellsite for hydraulic fracturing and wireline operations. The latest innovation for the platform is the ability to leverage its iHub data acquisition and control system to implement operator-driven analytics on the Edge or in the cloud. This means oil and gas companies’ algorithms to improve completions may now be combined with hydraulic fracturing, wireline, and pressure control job data to create customized workflows, threshold alerts and other analytical applications.
