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Get More News • Completing the Well |
15 March 2023
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Automation has been a key focus for Nabors Industries in recent years. In 2021, the company announced the deployment of a fully automated land rig in the Permian Basin that utilized the company’s proprietary Smart Suite drilling software. Last year it launched the Canrig RZR Red Zone Robotics Module, which can automate any AC rig drill floor and remove crews from hazardous areas. Speaking to DC from the Canrig Robotics facility in Stavanger, Norway, Subodh Saxena, Senior VP of Nabors Drilling Solutions, explains the company’s approach to automation, and the value that different types of automation can each bring to a drilling operation. He also speaks about how Canrig Robotics has helped with actualizing Nabors' automation goals. |
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Canrig Robotics, formerly Robotic Drilling Systems, has developed various automated systems for drilling rigs, including a robotic pipe handler, which automates the delivery of tubulars from the pipe deck to the well center. The company has also worked with its parent company Nabors Industries to integrate the robotic systems with rig control systems to enable full automation of the rig floor. In this interview with DC in Stavanger, Norway, Lars Raunholt, CEO of Canrig Robotics, speaks about the functions of the different robotic components, as well as a design philosophy that emphasizes the use of off-the-shelf products. Mr Raunholt also discusses the deployment of the Robotic Pipe Handler system on a Nabors rig in the Permian. |
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In October, Data Gumbo became the first IADC-certified smart contract vendor. Through its GumboNet network, contract terms can be turned into lines of code across a private distributed ledger technology. Data from electronic drilling recorders and daily drilling reports can be fed into the network, triggering automated payments based on the terms of the contract. In this interview with DC from the 2023 SPE/IADC International Drilling Conference on 8 March, Robin Macmillan, Chief Sales Officer at Data Gumbo, speaks about the potential value of smart contracts in the drilling industry. DC also speaks with Mike DuBose, Senior VP of International Development at IADC, about why IADC began certifying smart contract networks and how other companies can get involved. |
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Weatherford’s VERO OneTouch automated tubular system automates the makeup and break-out of drill pipe and autonomously automates pipe connections, enabling users to complete the entire pipe connection sequence without inputs or signals from the operator. Speaking to DC from the 2023 SPE/IADC International Drilling Conference and Exhibition on 7 March, Tracy Cummins, Global Business Development Manager of Tubular Running Services at Weatherford, explains how the system works, including the mechanisms the company designed into the system to enable automation. Mr Cummins also discusses the impact the system has on rigsite safety and drilling efficiency. |
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Last year, Welltec launched its Well Miller CVF system, which is designed to optimize the repair of wells with mechanical problems by milling out faulty hardware. In this interview with DC from the 2023 SPE/IADC International Drilling Conference on 7 March, Houssam Mourani, Welltec Sales Director in Norway, discusses how the system can be applied in the field, as well as the key features Welltec integrated from different technologies into this system. He also discusses a case study with TotalEnergies in the North Sea. |
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Aker BP has invested heavily in digital systems designed to optimize well planning, which can increase efficiency and reduce risk of unexpected incidents, says Arnfinn Grøtte, Manager, Drilling and Wells Digitalization. Speaking at the SPE DSATS/IADC ART Committee Symposium prior to the International Drilling Conference in Stavanger, Norway, on 6 March, Mr Grøtte outlines Aker BP’s approach to digital well planning, as well as the challenges of integrating those well planning systems with other systems to create a full simulation of an operation. He also explains Aker BP’s data-driven work processes and how they enable a full digital ecosystem. |
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As oil and gas continues to digitalize, top software developers are looking to partner with the industry to provide applications that help solve their most pressing needs, said Ryan Dawson, Chief Corvanaut at Corva. Mr Dawson, who spoke at the SPE DSATS/IADC ART Committee Symposium in Stavanger, Norway, on 6 March, said that digitalization efforts from other industries could provide value for oil and gas companies as they adopt new systems into their workflows, and that embracing innovation will be an important factor in helping the industry maximize the value from these new systems. Speaking to DC from the symposium, Mr Dawson provides his perspective on how data is being used in various parts of the well construction process. He also discusses the industry’s challenges around data quality. |
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Read about extended laterals, optimized drill bit selections and more in March/April issue of Drilling Contractor magazine
Read the new issue here.
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DIGITAL EDITION EXCLUSIVE:
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Willow project approval marks milestone for Alaska’s upstream sector
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The US Interior Department approved the Willow project in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A). The decision is for a three-pad development instead of the originally sought five drill sites and is coupled with ConocoPhillips relinquishing 68,000 acres of existing leases. The new Record of Decision replaces one received in October 2020, which was later vacated following a court case. The three-pad approval will still render the project economically viable, according to analysts at Wood Mackenzie... |
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Labors, raw materials could push oil and gas costs up 10% this year
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Oil and gas industry costs could increase 6-10% this year due to labor uncertainties and raw materials inflation, according to a new analysis from McKinsey & Company. It indicates that primary operational tasks, such as regular inspections and maintenance, are becoming more expensive as labor rates grow upwards of 9% per year and costs for steel casings and tubing also rise at 5% per year. This, coupled with spiraling marine and aviation logistics prices, is causing increases in operating expenditure (OPEX)... |
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Well Control School launches ESG training in combination with well control classes
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Well Control School (WCS) announced the launch of the ESG OpS Training Program. Deemed ESG compliant by Twin Horse Environmental, the new program is the first of its kind for the well control industry. “With international market pressure for investors to divest from energy companies that are not prioritizing in ESG increasing, Twin Horse Environmental created a comprehensive training program that will enable our students and companies to earn Certificates in ESG Compliance,” said Ryan Hays of WCS. “The ESG OpS program expands training beyond traditional well control topics to ensure students understand ESG through risk management/risk assessment, how it fits into their everyday work, and how to make impactful decisions for their companies...” |
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IADC North Sea Chapter calls for UK politicians
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Parliamentarians across the UK have been urged to ignore the “political point scoring” that has led to premature calls for the abandonment of the UK’s oil and gas industry. The call came in a letter from the IADC North Sea Chapter (NSC) to members of parliament in London and Edinburgh after the group’s “encouraging” discussions with members of Westminster’s British Offshore Oil and Gas Industry All Party Parliamentary Group about the future of the industry... |
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Equinor makes yet another discovery near Troll field
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Equinor has again struck oil and gas near the Troll field in the North Sea. This is Equinor’s eighth discovery in the area since 2019. The volumes are estimated at between 24 million and 84 million barrels of oil equivalent, with slightly more oil than gas. Named Heisenberg, the discovery well was drilled by the Deepsea Stavanger drilling rig. Equinor is the operator, and DNO is a partner... |
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Flaring in the North Sea fell to just 22 bcf in 2022
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North Sea flaring has been cut in half following four consecutive years of reductions, according to the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA). In 2022, offshore flaring fell by 13% to 22 billion cu ft (bcf) of gas, contributing to a total decrease of 50% since 2018, when volumes totaled 44 bcf. About a fifth of emissions from North Sea oil and gas production activities come from flaring... |
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TAQA Geothermal Energy established in Riyadh
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TAQA and Reykjavik Geothermal have signed a joint venture agreement to establish TAQA Geothermal Energy, headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. TAQA Geothermal will explore and develop geothermal resources in Saudi Arabia and the MENA region, contributing to Saudi and Middle East decarbonization targets. The new joint venture is in full alignment with the Kingdom’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions toward achieving net zero while diversifying its energy mix, in line with Vision 2030... |
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Valaris announces new contracts for 2 drillships,
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Valaris announced three new contracts:
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BSEE issues safety alert based on drillship fatality findings
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A lack of training with hydraulic torque wrenches and a lack of understanding of the risks associated with the riser were among the major contributing factors that resulted in a fatality on the Pacific Khamsin drillship, according to a new report from the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). BSEE’s panel investigation report on the 23 August 2020 incident in the Gulf of Mexico also cited a failure to initiate a stop work authority as another contributing factor... |
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