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DOE
Announces
Two More "Smart Drilling" Awards
DOE
recently announced two new awards in its program to develop
"smart drilling" technologies. Last fall, DOE had announced
two other awards within this program (www.fe.doe.gov/news/techlines/
03/tl_smartdrilling_2projects.
html).
Focus of the program is to advance performance when drilling
for deep natural gas. "Smart drilling" options can increase
productivity, improve drilling safety, and lower costs when
drilling for these hard-to-reach deep gas supplies.
General Electric Global Research,
Niskayuna, N.Y., will conduct a two-phase project
to develop a revolutionary solid-state gamma ray detector for
extended downhole gas and oil exploration in harsh
environments. Projected benefits are: able to operate in
temperatures as high as 200 degrees C, and at a 40 percent
increase in operating depth over current technology; and it
will have a higher immunity to shock and vibration, leading to
a longer life downhole. Total funding = $1.59 million.
Pinnacle Technologies, Inc., San
Francisco, Calif., will develop and test an
advanced "hydraulic fracture mapping system." The new system
will incorporate seismic sensors and tiltmeters, which detect
and measure small changes in the earth's surface. In addition
to the new tool, Pinnacle will develop and test improved
instrumentation to increase viewing distance and accuracy.
These advancements will improve the quality of hydraulic
fracture mapping results, reduce limits on the use of fracture
mapping, and make the process more cost effective. Total
funding = $1.51 million
More
information is available in DOE's techline
www.netl.doe.gov/
publications/TechNews/tn_
smart_drilling.html.
Low Volume, Submersible Diaphragm Pump Offered
By Smith Lift
Smith Lift, LLC, a subsidiary of Smith
International, Inc., has introduced a new submersible pump line, commercializing
a pumping system developed by Pumping
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Solutions, Inc. with some funding support from DOE's Stripper Well Consortium (see prior Network
News article, 2nd Qtr 2003,
www.
pttc.org/tech_sum/ts_v92_11.
htm).
The pump is similar to conventional submersible centrifugal pumps, but uses a
patented true positive displacement, diaphragm pumping unit to improve
efficiency, handle solids and pump mixtures of gasses and liquids. The current
pump design is 3 ¾ inches in diameter, 10 feet long and weighs less then 150
pounds. Versions of the pump are designed to produce 50 to 400 barrels of fluid
per day from depths of up to 6000 feet.
The Smith LiftTM electrical
submersible pump has been used to move a wide variety of fluids, from heavy oil
to fresh water, under a wide variety of fluid conditions, including up to 2
percent sand/coal fines, gassy fluids, and high H2S/CO2.
This new pump is constructed of stainless steel and is installed similarly to a
conventional submersible centrifugal pump. The operator can accomplish chemical
treatments, such as acidizing and paraffin solvents, with the pump in place. The
pump typically consumes about one-third of the power required to drive a
conventional rod or centrifugal pump, and due to the ability to pump off, more
fluid production is typically achieved, especially in high gas situations.
For more information, please contact Smith
Lift at 505-239-
4655.
Alaskan Gas
Hydrate Well, No Hydrate But Wealth of Information
Hot Ice No. 1, the first dedicated gas
hydrate well in Alaska (see Network News, 1st Qtr 2003,
www.pttc.org/
news/1qtr2003/v9n1p11.htm#4), did not encounter
methane hydrate as expected, but it did prove out several
technologies and produce information that should contribute to
future commercial production. The Hot Ice No. 1 well was
drilled as part of a two-year cost-shared partnership between
the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy,
Anadarko Petroleum Corp., Maurer Technology Inc., and Noble
Engineering and Development.
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Although spudded in spring 2003, Hot Ice No. 1, located just
south of the Kuparuk River field, was not completed until early 2004 because
2003 drilling operations had to be terminated because of warming weather. On
February 7, 2004, the well reached its planned total depth of 2,300 feet, about
300 feet below the zone where temperature and pressure conditions would
theoretically permit gas hydrates to exist. Although significant gas
shows were encountered, no methane hydrate was found. The sands
were there just as expected but only free gas and water were found
in the hydrate stability zone.
Excerpted from DOE Tech Line (www.netl.doe.gov/publications/
press/2004/tl_anadarko3.html).
Contact DOE NETL's David Anna, phone 412-386-4646, E-mail
anna@netl.doe.gov, for more information.
CO2 Capture
Projects Announced
DOE recently announced
eight project awards for research supporting the President's Global Climate
Change program. Four of the projects will focus on separation techniques to
capture CO2 from power plants, while three deal with advanced
subsurface technologies and geochemical methods for sequestering carbon. The
final project falling within the "novel niches" category will create strains of
microbes that feed off CO2 and produce commercial by-products. With
the proposed process, microbes will be in direct contact with emitted gases,
thereby avoiding the cost of capturing CO2.
Excerpted from DOE
techline
www.netl.doe.gov/publications/
press/2004/tl_novelapproaches_
sel.html.
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DOE Digest