People, Companies & Products

Eurasia Drilling, Schlumberger complete asset/service transactions, strategic alliance

Eurasia Drilling Company (EDC) and Schlumberger have completed the sale and purchase of each other’s drilling and service assets together with the formation of a strategic alliance. The key elements of the transactions are:

• EDC has purchased Schlumberger drilling and well servicing assets in Russia that include 19 existing drilling rigs with 17 drilling crews, 34 workover rigs with 25 related crews, and 23 sidetracking rigs with 20 related crews, currently operating mainly in Western Siberia. Primary clients of these rigs include Rosneft, TNK-BP, GazpromNeft and LUKOIL, with a total drilling output of approximately 700,000 meters in 2010.

• Schlumberger has purchased EDC drilling services assets, including directional drilling, cementing and drilling fluids engineering and materials supply.  These service lines include 24 cementing crews, 57 directional drilling/telemetry crews and 50 crews for drilling fluids.

• Schlumberger and EDC have concluded a strategic alliance in the CIS whereby Schlumberger and EDC will cooperate closely in relation to the supply of oil and gas services to EDC for a five-year period.  This provides opportunities for both companies to deploy the latest technologies for more complex onshore and offshore markets.

The total value of the transaction is approximately US $260 million.

“These additional rigs will strengthen our market position as well further diversify our client base in line with our development strategy,” said EDC chief executive officer Dr Alexander Djaparidze.

Onorato is DOYLES’ new VP operations

Pressure control equipment manufacturer DOYLES has hired Anthony Onorato as its VP of operations. He was previously general manager of the drilling manifold group at Cameron International. Prior to that, he was VP of sales and operations of the NOV valve group.

VAM holds open house for Houston R&D facility

VAM USA held an open house in April for its 50,000-sq-ft R&D facility in Houston. The premium thread-testing facility supports the collaborative effort between Vallourec in France, VAM USA in the US and Sumitomo in Japan, and complements VAM testing capabilities worldwide. This also represents the final step in the merger of VAM USA and V&M Atlas Bradford

Paradigm to supply equipment for drilling in Greenland

Paradigm Oilfield Services has secured a $400,000 contract to supply equipment, including stabilizers and its dual-stage hole-opener called “The Beast,” for a drilling operation in Greenland. The order is Paradigm’s first large contract in this frontier region. The Beast is suitable for hole sizes up to 42 in., according to the company.

De Haan to succeed Nagtegaal at ModuSpec

After 25 years, Leo Nagtegaal is stepping down as head of ModuSpec effective 1 July. He will be succeeded by Duco de Haan, a 17-year veteran of ModuSpec, which was acquired in 2008 by Lloyd’s Register. Mr de Haan holds degrees in energy technology and maintenance and safety management. He was appointed senior VP of Lloyd’s Register Energy Americas in May 2010.

GE opens UK-based wireline facility

GE Oil & Gas has opened a new wireline manufacturing and headquarters facility in Farnborough, Hampshire, United Kingdom. The facility brings the GE Oil & Gas – Downhole Technology platforms’ design engineering, manufacturing, testing and headquarters operations under a 56,000-sq-ft facility. More than 180 highly skilled operations, engineering, sales and office support personnel are employed at the site.

MTU Detroit Diesel is now Tognum America

MTU Detroit Diesel has changed its name to Tognum America. The company is a subsidiary of Germany-based Tognum Group and is responsible for the sales and service of MTU engines and MTU Onsite Energy distributed energy systems in North and Latin America.

Ensco concludes Pride acquisition

Ensco completed its acquisition of Pride International on 31 May, establishing the combined company as the world’s second-largest offshore drilling company. Ensco’s rig fleet is made up of seven ultra-deepwater drillships, 13 dynamically positioned semis, seven moored semis and 49 jackups. Brady Long will serve as Ensco’s VP, general counsel and corporate secretary, replacing Cary Moomjian, who will serve in a transitional role as vice president – legal through year-end. Thereafter, Mr Moomjian plans to pursue a career as a director, consultant, legal adviser, expert witness, mediator or a combination thereof.

Rowan sells LeTourneau Technologies

Joy Global, a manufacturer of mining solutions, has acquired LeTourneau Technologies from Rowan Companies for $1.1 billion in cash.

PRODUCTS

Thermally abrasion-resistant PDC cutters setting multiple field records

National Oilwell Varco has introduced ReedHycalog Helios Thermal Tough Cutters, a range of thermally abrasion-resistant PDC cutters designed with NOV’s patented deep leach technology to reduce cutter degradation and allow the bit to drill further and faster.

This new technology has already set multiple records in the field, including 194% increases in the average footage drilled and over 100% increases in ROP. Most notable are the dramatic savings to the customer with 52% decreases in cost per foot, in some cases.

Mike Matta, president of Downhole Tools, said, “The field test results have been very successful, and we are extremely excited about introducing Helios Cutter Technology to our customers globally. This technology will deliver greater drilling performance and efficiencies, significantly lowering our customers’ operational costs.”

IPD offers new line of replacement parts for engines

IPD has launched a new line of replacement parts for Caterpillar C9 engine applications encompassing 75 new part numbers. This includes components for an in-frame overhaul kit, as well as pistons, cylinder sleeves, rings, bearings and gaskets.

New Ergodyne gloves provide cut-resistant protection

Ergodyne is introducing the ProFlex 710CR Cut-Resistant Trades Glove and ProFlex 820CR Cut-Resistant PVC Handler Glove, which combine the task-specific benefits of ProFlex hand protection with the cut-resistant technology of DuPont Kevlar.

Both gloves are lined with 100% Kevlar to provide cut-resistant protection. The 710CR features a gel polymer palm to dampen shock and impact. The 820CR provides textured PVC on the palm and fingertips for a more secure grip in both wet and dry conditions. Both gloves will be available by July 2011.

Sioux Descaler removes scale build-up on equipment

Sioux Corp is offering the Sioux Descaler, which removes scale on systems with existing scale build-up. This biodegradable liquid is available in 5-gallon jugs and 30-gallon drums and is formulated to economically and effectively dissolve scale build-up.

Schlumberger adds to ACTive coiled-tubing services

Schlumberger has added to the ACTive family of coiled-tubing (CT) services, with the ACTive gamma ray (GR) and ACTive tension and compression (TC) making up a new downhole platform that allows operators to obtain downhole measurements to enable real-time decisions and operational control. The new platform delivers downhole measurements specifically for internal and external pressure, temperature, casing-collar locator (CCL) depth correlation and optional gamma ray or tension and compression. The ACTive family of services provides live downhole measurements that are conveyed on a fiber-optic enabled CT. The system is made up of a bottomhole assembly, surface electronics and dynamic interpretation software.

Advanced Kickover Tool improves wireline conveyance

Wireline Engineering has launched its Advanced Kickover Tool, which has been used by BP to enhance the efficiency of gas lift mandrel interventions by improving wireline conveyance and tool orientation.

GE adds to BOP, remote monitoring, diagnostics technologies for deepwater

GE Oil & Gas has expanded its suite of blowout preventer (BOP) and remote monitoring and diagnostic (RM&D) technologies. A highlight is provided below; additional product listings can be found online at
dev4.iadc.org.

• Hydril Pressure Control Hydrostatic Pressure Assisted Shearing System (HPAS) – By harnessing hydrostatic pressure from the surrounding seawater, operators can significantly increase the force available for the shearing operation without requiring additional accumulator bottles on the stack. The HPAS system can reduce the accumulator bottle count by up to 90% and can also be reset for repeated use without requiring intervention.

• GE Oil & Gas Drilling iBox System – This hardware/software solution allows operators to turn existing data into useful information, such as reports and status updates for event sequence, cycle counts, and both condition-based and predictive maintenance. It connects to the existing datalogger and provides diagnostic and prognostic condition monitoring reports.

• Hydril Pressure Control RamTel Plus System – Using hardware installed on the BOPs and Hydril Pressure Control software, the ram block’s exact location inside the bore of the BOP and the pressure to close and/or shear can be displayed on GE deepwater drilling control systems while the stack is submerged at depths of up to 12,500 ft. The system provides operators with a direct method of determining ram position in addition to the standard method. The system will also display when the ram has contacted the pipe, when it has sheared the pipe and it will report the corresponding pressures. Installation requires replacement of the existing cylinder head with one that incorporates a sensor on the tail rod in most cases.