DEPARTMENTS • DRILLING & COMPLETION TECH DIGEST
High-speed wireless communication system tested,
qualified offshore Norway for subsea well completions
Optime Subsea recently tested and
qualified a high-speed wireless com-
munication system for completion of
subsea wells.

The wireless communication sys-
tem, part of Optime Subsea’s Remotely
Operated Controls Systems (ROCS), was
tested at the Wintershall Dea-operated
Nova field , offshore Norway in 370 m
water depth.

“This is a game-changer for the oil
and gas industry, which for 20 years
has tried to solve this challenge,” said
Trond Løkka, Chief Innovation Officer
at Optime Subsea. “For the very first
time, the complete wireless installation
of the tubing hanger on the subsea tree
was accomplished without relying on a
wired drill pipe .”
When completing subsea wells, the
tubing hanger is placed on top of the
wellhead, as a seal toward the rest of
the subsea well. Normally the tubing
hanger is controlled through a dedicated
hydraulic umbilical that runs from the
topside to seabed and adds a 20-30
f t control container topside. However,
Optime Subsea’s ROCS remove s the need
for both the umbilical and the topside
hydraulic unit .

For instantaneous data transfer from
downhole to surface and back, Optime
Subsea had relied on a wired drill pipe.

Now, by replacing the wired pipe with
a subsea wireless telemetry system ,
CAPEX investments and operating costs
can be further reduced.

With the new subsea wireless tele-
metry system , part of Optime Subsea’s
Remotely Operated Controls Systems,
neither wired pipe nor a hydraulically
controlled umbilical is needed to in-
stall the tubing hanger on the subsea
tree. It recently enabled the fi rst com-
pletely wireless installation in Norway.

“Think Wi-Fi from topside to seabed,
to control well completion operations.

We have proven that this is both pos-
sible and reliable. In our view, this way
of installing tubing hangers on sub-
sea trees will become the new indus-
try standard for subsea well comple-
tion operations worldwide because of
its substantial cost and environmental
savings versus competing methods,” Mr
Løkka said.

While the first operation was per-
formed on Wintershall ’s Nova field,
Optime Subsea noted Aker BP’s support
during the development of the wireless
communication system.

SABER completes testing in operational environment
Enteq Technologies announced that
its SABER (Steer-At-Bit Enteq Rotary)
tool, an alternative to traditional rotary
steerable systems , has completed down-
hole drilling testing. The system is now
proven to be effective in an operational
environment. The trials took place at the Catoosa
Drill Test Facility in Oklahoma, follow-
ing initial testing in Norway earlier this
year. During the drilling program, the
SABER system was able to generate dog-
leg in typical reservoir rock conditions.

8 An independent survey has been
conducted to measure the well trajec-
tory, as well as an expert review. Both
confirmed the tool’s ability to provide
sufficient steering forces for the target
commercial applications.

Rather than using pads or plates for
steering, the tool uses an internally
directed pressure differential system
across the bit face. By removing these
external contact points, the tool reduces
wear and improves reliability while also
achieving true at-bit steering .

Nabors and Hess electrify
Bakken drilling rigs
Nabors has converted all four of its
drilling rigs working in the Bakken for
Hess Corp to highline power.

Nabors installed its Canrig PowerTAP
Highline Power Transformer Module to
enable direct power from the utility grid.

Oonsite backup generators ensure power
goes uninterrupted if an outage occurs.

Over the next five years, Hess expects
these fully electric rigs will reduce green-
house gas emissions from its Bakken
drilling operations by approximately 50%
and energy costs by approximately 70%.

Powering drilling operations with elec-
tricity also reduces noise and truck traf-
fic. The use of electricity as the primary
energy source increases rig reliability
by providing a secondary power source,
Hess said during the project’s pilot in
2022. Looking ahead, the operator said
it also expects electrification of the rigs
and access to highline power to reduce
downtime. Nabors rigs have long been running on
grid power. More recently, Canrig Drilling
Technology, a division of Nabors, released
its transformer technology. PowerTAP
enables highline power utilization on any
AC drilling rig where grid power is acces-
sible, regardless of rig manufacturer. It is
skid-mounted for easy transport to and
from rigsites and easily installed any-
where compatible utility electrical power
is available using a standalone conductor
cable reel.

Field results from more than 20
PowerTAP modules deployed in the Lower
48 on Nabors and non-Nabors rigs indi-
cate an initial average savings per rig of
20 metric tons of CO 2 e daily. Canrig also
plans to introduce technologies to power
additional wellsite equipment directly
from the PowerTAP module and enable
phase conversion capabilities where
required. “We are committed to delivering
responsible hydrocarbon production
through smart, sustainable solutions.

PowerTAP is one of many impactful tech-
nologies we’ve purpose-built to simulta-
neously lower costs and emissions for
our customers ,” said Don Prejean, Canrig
Senior VP.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 • DRILLING CONTRACTOR