Awards Recognize Technology That Impacts California Operations

(Tech Connections Column, February 2004, American Oil and Gas Reporter)

In recent years, through Petroleum Technology Transfer Council Tech Transfer Awards, producers have been recognizing technologies and service providers that are making a difference in California oil and gas operations. Producers nominated several products and companies. Those selected by a review committee received PTTC’s West Coast 2003 Tech Transfer Awards in December in Los Angeles.

Plains Exploration and Production Co. nominated the hydraulic rod pump offered by Hydraulic Rod Pumps Intl. (www.hrpi.com). The slower traveling speeds (0.5-4 spm) and longer stroke lengths (228-336 inches) possible with hydraulic rod pumps reduce rod and tubing wear, improve electrical efficiencies, and can be lower cost. Their optional lower profile subsurface design makes them attractive for height- and space-restricted locations, which are prevalent throughout much of California, as well as on offshore platforms.

Plains began using hydraulic rod pumps in late 1995 at its Packard and San Vicente sites. The company is replacing downhole hydraulic pumps, electrical submersible pumps, and gas lift. In its California onshore operations, Plains now lifts 67 percent of its downtown Los Angeles wells using hydraulic rod pumps, or 60 wells in total. With the long, slow strokes, pull frequency is now more than two years, which represents a 50 percent improvement over that experienced with prior lift methods.

An operator in the San Juan Basin nominated Schlumberger Oilfield Services’ MaxTRAC wireline-conveyed well tractor system (www.slb.com/Hub/index.cfm?id=id1546549), citing how it successfully deployed production logging sensors in two horizontal, uncemented slotted-liner wells. MaxTRAC successfully logged a 1,400-foot horizontal section with a 10 degree-per-100 foot dogleg severity through 31/2-inch tubing and a 2,200-foot horizontal section with a 17-degree dogleg severity through 27/8-inch tubing.

In the first well, the intelligent tractor successfully conveyed the logging string through 75/8-, 51/2- and 41/2-inch OD tubulars. In the second well, the tractor conveyed the logging string through 5- and 41/2-inch tubulars. Four up-and-down passes were made across the entire horizontal section on both wells. A combined total of 14,400 feet of tractoring was performed without incident, maintaining excellent depth control and constant speed on the down passes, while acquiring high-resolution data. Multiple gamma rays passes showed very good depth control.

Logging during down-passes in addition to up-passes provided excellent spinner calibration data. The tractoring speed was stable and constant, as evidenced by the spinner calibration plots. This deployment saved time, minimized logistics for the well intervention, eliminated coiled tubing logging concerns about choking production and destabilizing flow, and acquired quality production logging data that were subsequently used for well remediations.

Pacific Geotechnical Associates Inc. (PGA) nominated Schlumberger’s InterACT Web-based system (www.slb.com/oilfield/index.cfm?id=id1140128). InterACT allows the customer and vendor to exchange digital log data, image files, customer logging requests, instructions, and information. Complex digital log data can easily be transmitted from the well site to the customer, and then filtered to the customer’s exact content specifications, all at a nominal cost.

In its nomination, PGA noted that the rapid exchange of data and information had dramatically improved data quality, completeness and accuracy. Turn-around time for data loading improved 90 percent. The need to have data played back and reprocessed dropped to less than 5 percent of all open-hole logging jobs. This data exchange process has all but eliminated e-mail file attachments, tapes, floppies, and all other hard copy file media, including the need for facsimiles and paper prints.

InterACT allows customers to interface real time with Schlumberger engineers, avoiding long delays after a job to reconcile missing or erroneous data. Real-time interaction avoids “missed data acquisition,” since data can be reviewed before the logging truck ever leaves location. Geologists can work from home or elsewhere, avoiding long nights and weekends at the office or in the field.

Award winners in 2002 were pressure recorders from Kuster Company, pump-off controllers from Lufkin Automation, and through-casing resistivity logging from Schlumberger. The 2001 award winners were an innovative production logging tool from Schlumberger and a downhole video from DHV International.

It is important to note that the products/services receiving awards and others nominated by producers are based on producers’ favorable field-application experiences. The program recognizes performance, not just theory. Additionally, although nominations were solicited only from the California producing community, most of the products and services have applications across the country.

PTTC is aware of products and services that are making a difference in other regions. Presentations at the Independent Petroleum Association of America’s annual meeting last October are an example (www.pttc.org/tech_present.htm). If you have applied a technology that is making a significant difference, let us know (e-mail hq@pttc.org), so that we, in turn, can let others know.