People, companies and products
MWCC completes shore bases to house GOM well containment system
Marine Well Containment Co (MWCC) has completed two shore base locations to house its well containment equipment for use in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM).
The Interim Containment System (ICS), previously housed on the Houston ship channel and in Fourchon, La., has been permanently moved to shore base facilities in Theodore, Ala., and Ingleside, Texas, to accommodate the expanded system, which is expected to be available later this year.
The shore base at Theodore houses subsea umbilical, risers and flowlines equipment. The Ingleside base houses modular processing facilities to outfit the company’s modular capture vessels and the capping stacks.
This year marks the three-year anniversary of MWCC’s ICS becoming available for use in the deepwater GOM. To date, more than 150 permits have been approved citing MWCC’s system.
Drillmec appoints Mark Galagaza, Valentin Zaccaria
Drillmec has appointed Mark Galagaza as Director of After Market Services in the Americas. Mr Galagaza has more than 30 years of oilfield management experience.
Additionally, Valentin Zaccaria has been appointed as Director of R&D at Drillmec. Mr Zaccaria has been with the company for more than 20 years and is one of the founders of the Hydraulic Hoist Series land drilling rigs.
Gongora joins Genesis RTS as Global Director
Genesis RTS has appointed Cesar Gongora as Global Director of Real Time Operations. Prior to joining Genesis RTS, Mr Gongora held the lead engineering position for Shell’s Drilling Automation & Remote Technology operations center.
Cudd Energy opens affiliate office in Toowoomba
Cudd Energy Services has opened its newest affiliate office in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. The new office will provide specialized engineering and operational support in the Asia Pacific region and will join existing offices in New Zealand and China.
BP to form separate business to manage onshore US assets
BP has announced plans to establish a separate business to manage its onshore oil and gas assets in the US Lower 48. The new business, which had not been named as of mid-April, will operate separately from the rest of BP.
“Over the last few years, we have fundamentally reshaped our North America gas portfolio,” BP Upstream Chief Executive Lamar McKay said. This has included divestiture of non-core assets and a focus on development in US unconventional plays, like the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas.The new US Lower 48 onshore business will be led by a separate management team from the rest of BP and will be housed at a new location in Houston. It will have separate governance, processes and systems designed to address the competitive and operating environment in the US Lower 48 onshore. BP is expected to begin disclosing separate financials for the new business in 2015.
Former Aker businesses become Altus, Qinterra
Aker Solutions’ former well intervention services business, which was acquired by private equity fund EQT VI in January, has been restructured under two brands: Altus Intervention and Qinterra Technologies.
Altus Intervention offers wireline, wireline tractor, coiled tubing and logging services in Norway, Denmark and the UK. Qinterra Technologies offers wireline tractor services and mechanical tools, such as plugs and packers, globally.
American Completion Tools building Houston facility
American Completion Tools has begun construction of a 4-acre sales, assembly and testing facility in Houston. The center will be responsible for US, Canada, South America and European markets and will house rental and refurbishing divisions in 2015.
Further, the company has appointed TJ Sinha as Vice President and Rebecca Sinha as Business Development Manager.
DTI acquires downhole tool manufacturing company
Drilling Tools International (DTI) has acquired Reamco, a company that manufactures, rents and refurbishes downhole drilling tools and related products and offers grinding and hardfacing capabilities.
John Rynd elected as NOIA Chairman
The National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) Board of Directors has elected John T. Rynd as Chairman and Cindy B. Taylor as Vice Chair for the 2014-2015 term. Since 2008, Mr Rynd has served as CEO and President of Hercules Offshore; he also currently serves as IADC Vice Chairman. Ms Taylor has served as President and CEO of Oil States International since 2007.
Products
GE Directive system enables real-time measuring
GE has launched the Directive system, an enhanced version of a key tool in its MWD family of downhole drilling equipment. The Directive system adds real-time shock and vibration measurement capabilities to the Tensor Directional Module.
The system is designed to help optimize drilling penetration rates by enabling adjustments and corrections based on real-time data.
Summit TD LoCo increases speed to total depth
Summit Casing Equipment has unveiled a new composite centralizer. The Summit TD LoCo features a composite construction designed with a low coefficient of friction that allows casing to reach TD at a greater rate of speed and efficiency. Its one-piece design is built for high-impact stress and heat resistance to maintain its integrity under extreme wellbore temperatures.
Pre-greased Sheave Pac increases safety, efficiency
Timken has commercially debuted the Sheave Pac bearing assembly, which features a pre-greased, pre-set and unitized design that eliminates the need for re-greasing the bearing.
The Sheave Pac is available in sizes from 6.5-in. to 14-in. and is designed to run an operating cycle between rebuilds without additional maintenance or re-lubrication of the crown and traveling blocks. This increases rig efficiency, safety and uptime.
The Sheave Pac assembly easily interchanges with industry-standard bearing assemblies and seals.
2014 IADC/SPE Drilling Conference Roundup
PowerDrive Orbit RSS extends lateral well length
Schlumberger has launched the PowerDrive Orbit rotary steerable system, which extends system life, delivers precise directional control and increases drilling efficiency.
The newly designed pad actuation system, combined with real-time three-axis shock-and-vibration measurements, allows the PowerDrive Orbit RSS to withstand the most difficult drilling operations and operate at higher rotational than conventional systems. The multiaxis continuous inclination and azimuthal gamma ray capabilities reduce the uncertainty of well positioning and enable self-steering to deliver a smoother wellbore.
During field testing in a challenging onshore oil well in the Middle East, the PowerDrive Orbit RSS drilled a record 12,690 ft in a single run, extending the lateral length of previous wells by 33% and completing the operation 21 days ahead of schedule.
Click here to watch a video from the 2014 IADC/SPE Drilling Conference in Fort Worth, Texas, with Gokhan Yarim, VP, Marketing & Technique, Drilling and Measurements for Schlumberger.
Varel IMax drill bits target abrasive formations
Varel International has introduced the IMax series of diamond-impregnated drill bits, which target formations that cannot be cut by shearing or indentation. The impregnated diamond matrix bits feature cylindrical, hot isostatic pressed segments, enabling them to drill through hard and abrasive rock formations.
Click here to watch a video from the 2014 IADC/SPE Drilling Conference in Fort Worth, Texas, with Karl Rose, Field Engineer Manager for Varel.
Halliburton DES service integrates custom solutions
Halliburton has launched the Drilling Engineering Solutions (DES) service that optimizes well design and placement, from high-volume wells to complex environments.
DES combines multiple Halliburton product service lines, including Sperry Drilling, Baroid and Halliburton Drill Bits and Services.
The core of the DES solution delivery is the DES Centers, which provide engineering, monitoring and support in centers where customers can work with the Halliburton team to plan, monitor and optimize their projects.
Click here to watch a video from the 2014 IADC/SPE Drilling Conference in Fort Worth, Texas, with Akshay Sagar, Business Manager, Drilling Systems and Solutions for Halliburton’s Sperry Drilling business unit.
NOV Helios Inferno cutter customizes bit to applications
National Oilwell Varco’s Helios Inferno cutter technology takes into consideration three characteristics for the cutter: thermal resistance, abrasion resistance and toughness. The cutters provide operators with increases in ROP, intervals drilled and efficiency, while
also lowering drilling costs. The Helios family integrates a design that allows the cutters to stay sharp for longer
durations.
Click here to watch a video from the 2014 IADC/SPE Drilling Conference in Fort Worth, Texas, with Tom Roberts, NOV Product Line Director for Cutting Technology.
Click here to view exclusive interviews and more from the 2014 IADC/SPE Drilling Conference and Exhibition, 4-6 March in Fort Worth.
