Tech Transfer Track

Hart's 2003 Meritorious Engineering Awards

Hart's E&P recently announced winners of the "2003 Meritorious Awards for Engineering Innovation." The award program recognizes new products and technologies that offer innovation in concept, design and application. Winning entries represent techniques and technologies that are most likely to solve costly problems and improve exploration, drilling production efficiency and profitability. Twenty one experts representing a broad industry spectrum reviewed industry nominations to select the winners. The 14 winning products or technologies address diverse problems.

• Si-Flex Accelerator by Input/Output
• VectorSeis System Four VR by Input/Output
• GeoTap Formation Testing Service by Halliburton, Sperry-Sun
• Score 100 Coring by Corpro Systems. Ltd.
• Expandable Drill Bit "Xpandabit" by Weatherford International Inc.
• Accolade Drilling Fluid System by Halliburton Energy Services Inc.
• Trapped Pressure Compensator by Nam/Halliburton
• Digital Hydraulics by Well Dynamics
• C-TECH "Precision Strength" Syntactic Foam by Cuming Corp.
• Fiber Optic In-Well Seismic System by Weatherford Completion Systems
• BJ Python Composite Bridge Plug by BJ Services Co.
• GoFlo by Subsea 7/Halliburton
• RamPump by Weatherford Artificial Lift
• Deepwater Sulfate Removal by Marathon Oil Co.

Visit Hart's website www.eand
pnet.com/pdf/MEAAwards.
pdf for more information.

Well Service
Rigs Entering Information Age

Key Energy Services unveiled it KeyView^TM rig instrumentation package last fall. Rigs are first being deployed in the Permian Basin, followed by California with other regions to follow. The initial

deployment will cover about 25% of their fleet, ultimately working towards 100% coverage. The system monitors equipment, rig operations and activity. Computer systems capture vital information from sensors and encoders strategically placed on the rig. Captured data are transmitted from remote locations to a central database where they are available through a secure website.

Real time notification of safety incidences, such as toxic levels of gases around the well site, allows for quick response that can resolve incidences before they escalate. The system measures torque on rod makeup, which properly done can eliminate many failures. Operational information, such as oil pressure, running time, and various fluid levels, can be collected. Examination of historical data can reveal bottlenecks, either human or equipment, which can be addressed.

Setup is relatively simple and the system is fairly easy to learn. Training helps operators know how to record exceptions so the system can be leveraged to identify ways of improving efficiency.

Excerpted from "Well Service Rig Enters The Information Age," Well Servicing, November/ December 2003, p. 18-20. See also, Key Energy Services' website www.keyenergy.com/tech
_notes/story1.html.

An LNG Focus at Offshore Technology Conference

With the natural gas supply situation, Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) is receiving increased attention, from producers whose prices for natural gas may have a ceiling influenced by what it really costs to bring LNG to the U.S. and especially for those planning to be involved in LNG importing. Offshore terminals will be part of the picture, and the 2004 Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, May 3-6, recognizes that and has developed three LNG-related sessions.

• General Session, Tue., May 4, 2-4:30 pm: Liquefied Natural Gas-Understanding the Value Chain." Participants will discuss upstream operations; LNG processing; transportation, regasification and distribution. They will also address market forces and regional supply and demand requirements.
• Tech Session, Mon., May 3, 9:30 am to noon: LNG and CNG Facilities and Handling
• Tech Session, Mon., May 3, 2 to 4:30 pm: Designing for LNG Terminals

View conference information online at www.otcnet.org/2004/.

SEG Visa
Invitation Process

Nowadays, attendees from foreign countries attending a conference in the U.S. may need months to obtain a visa. Recognizing this need, the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) has developed a process through their website (www.seg.org) to generate an official invitation letter. SEG recognized the need since 27% of annual meeting attendees historically have come from outside the U.S. This year, SEG's annual meeting is from Oct. 10-15 in Denver, Colorado.

New Option
for Production Logging in Deviated/
Horizontal Wells

Early production logging tools for deviated/horizontal wells simply strung together tools used in vertical wells. Considering how multiple phases flow in deviated/horizontal sections, there were technical limitations and tools were long. For example, Schlumberger's early Flagship Platform tool was about 100 ft long, which was an operational drawback. Additionally, because tools were long, sensors might be in different flow regimes, which presented interpretation problems.

The result of years of research, Schlumberger's new FloScan Imager for production logging in deviated/horizontal wells has at its heart miniaturized spinners and optical and electrical probes. The simplicity of electrical probes is attractive—in water they work, in oil they don't. When used in conjunction with optical probes to look at the difference in gas and liquid holdup, one gets a true three-phase holdup measurement. And that is achieved at the same depth by deploying the sensors on an arm across the wellbore once the tools are deployed. Importantly, the tool is only 30 ft long.

The tool has a typical production logging tool diameter of 1-11/16 in and can log holes from 2 7/8-in to almost 11 in open hole. It is rated for conditions of 15,000 psi and 150 degrees C. On test in international applications, the tool is slated for commercialization during spring 2004.

Excerpted from article in Offshore Engineer, "Production Logs On The Upgrade," Rick von Flatern, February 2004, pp. 41-42 , which can be viewed online www.
oilonline.com/news/features/oe/
20040201.Deviatio.13551.asp. Contact Schlumberger's Product Champion, John Cadenhead, E-mail Jcadenhead@clamart.
oilfield.slb.com.