DI G ITAL TR AN S FOR MATION
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Honeywell’s Searchline Excel Plus gas detector is designed to
identify leaks of combustible and volatile hydrocarbon gases,
which can negatively impact safety on the rig.

Through its Reuter-Stokes division, the company has devel-
oped gamma ray sensors that provide greater light output, energy
resolution and sensitivity compared with previous models. These
sensors, along with third-party sensors, are used to collect and
feed data into Baker Hughes’ automation solutions, wireline log-
ging tools and intelligent production systems. They can also aid
in directional drilling, which requires powerful detection systems
that can withstand high temperatures, shock and vibration.

“Our drilling services require high-precision sensors for a
comprehensive understanding of downhole environments and
formation characteristics. The better our sensors are, the more
we can help our clients optimize their processes, maintain critical
margins and see noticeable time and cost savings in their opera-
tions,” said Ricardo Tirado, IPS Product Line Director.

As drillers and operators seek to drill deeper, faster wells while
achieving precise wellbore placement, the limitations of these
sensors have become more apparent. To improve sensor quality,
Baker Hughes has looked to improving their material .

Sodium iodide crystals are commonly used in gamma ray sen-
sors. The crystals absorb gamma radiation and emit a burst of
light, which is collected and turned into a signal by a photomul-
tiplier tube. The detector’s electronics then grab that signal and
store it for transmission. However, sodium iodide gamma sensors
increase light loss and slow pulse response times when operating
in elevated temperatures.

them with daily drilling report (DDR) data input by rig crews.

This allows the system to correlate the fuel usage and power
consumption with a given operation listed on the DDR.

This combination of DDR data, equipment power usage and
fuel consumption data trains the software to automatically
discriminate between different operations, such as tripping,
drilling, circulating and reaming. Effectively, the system associ-
ates fuel consumption and equipment power usage with a given
operation, allowing it to identify the rig state in real time. This
data is displayed on an interface along with the power con-
sumption and fuel usage. An algorithm built within the software
converts the fuel consumption to GHG emissions, and the sys-
tem can then associate the emissions to given equipment and
activity on the rig. The emissions calculation is also displayed
in real time.

In 2021, Eni and Kwantis conducted a field trial covering 12
wells from seven workover rigs and two wells from two land
drilling rigs operated by Eni. The average GHG emissions of each
well was measured and compared against baseline averages
using historical data for the same rigs in 2020. The two sets of
values matched closely enough to confirm the consistency of the
tool in assessing emissions coming from operated rig activities.

A second field trial was conducted on a jackup in the US
Gulf of Mexico in 2022. For this trial, the companies sought to
test the tool’s accuracy in allocating GHG emissions to a given
activity. Six categories of activities were devised – drilling,
drilling connection, reaming/washing, casing run, tripping and
other – and combined rig sensor data with power metering to
calculate the amount of energy required during each activity
category. These values were compared against emissions and
fuel consumption estimates provided by the drilling contractor.

The data gathered from the emissions tool in the second field
trial showed a 4.8% increase in GHG emissions compared with
the drilling contractor estimates, which Mr Farina said was a
“reasonable” discrepancy and confirmed the consistency of the
emissions tool. The tool also showed that tripping operations
accounted for around 75% of the overall emissions, even though
only 40% of this trial period was spent on tripping activities. Mr
Farina said this was mainly due to several weather-induced
operational stops, which impacted tripping at restarts.

Eni and Kwantis are currently evaluating the results of the
field tests and determining how to move forward with incor-
porating the tool into Eni’s operations. Mr Farina said the
companies are looking to increase the frequency with which
it can acquire fuel consumption data – the sensors used in the
field tests processed fuel usage in 5-second intervals – as well
as algorithms that can connect the types of fuel blends used for
engines with emissions.

“This is continuous work that we’re doing on this system
today,” he said. “Our focus right now is on trying to improve
the system so we can improve the quality of the operation
itself.” DC
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