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PTAC
CBM Conference Proceedings Now Available
Proceedings from the 4th Annual Canadian Coalbed Methane Forum held last October in Calgary by the Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada (PTAC) are now available. The CD-ROM costs $200 Canadian. Proceedings for the 3rd conference are also available, costing $50 Canadian. To order, contact Brenda Belland, phone 403-218-7712, email
bbelland@ptac.org.
PTAC is a Canadian not-for-profit association that facilitates collaborative research and technology development. It acts as a matchmaker between those that have problems or opportunities and those that have potential R&D solutions. PTAC brings stakeholders together to identify areas where R&D will make a difference, and to launch specific projects to address these problems or opportunities. PTAC promotes industry participation in the resulting R&D and assists with securing funding from a variety of sources. PTAC also facilitates the transfer of commercial technologies from other industrial sectors for application in the upstream oil and gas
industry.
PTAC hosts three types of events—workshops, technology information sessions and forums/conferences. Workshops, which can be co-sponsored by other associations and government regulators, are utilized to clearly define industry challenges and opportunities. Technology Information Sessions are typically conducted by PTAC R&D supplier members with an industry or government regulator co-sponsor indicating the proposal or technology is "worthy of consideration." Forums/ Conferences are conducted to communicate ongoing or completed research results.
Visit PTAC's website (www.ptac.org) to learn more.
Drilling
Well
Classification System
The American Association of Petroleum Geologists and the American Petroleum Institute have agreed on a system, developed by Lahee in 1944, for classifying drilling wells. Such a system aids in clarifying the degree of technical, financial, and economic risk of a proposed well. Classifications, and concise explanations if needed, include:
• New Field Wildcat—far from producing fields and on a structure
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that has not previously produced. If
structure doesn't control production, location would be at least 2 miles from productive area.
• New-Pool (Pay) Wildcat—new pools on structure already producing, or if structure doesn't control production, less than 2 miles from productive area.
• Deeper Pool (Pay) Test
• Shallower Pool (Pay) Test
• Outpost or Extension Test—usually two or more locations from nearest productive area.
• Development Well
• Stratigraphic Test—drilled without the intention of being completed as a producer.
• Service Well—observation, injection, water supply, etc.
Excerpted from article in Go Gulf Magazine, Jan/Feb 2003, p. 24-25.
Expandable
Technologies,
Spreading Quickly
Industry usage of Expandable Tubular Technology (ETT) is growing rapidly. Some have noted its potential impact might rank up there with 3-D seismic and horizontal drilling. After reading several recent articles on expandables, PTTC concurs with the assessment that expandables represent game-changing technology. So whether with a large or small operator, one might as well get on the learning curve.
In simple terms, the expandables process involves expanding steel by cold-working it downhole to the required diameter. Expandable technologies refer to both slotted and solid expandable tubulars, associated tools and accessories, and specialized systems used to expand the special pipe.
Expandables have a language unto themselves. One key term is EST (Expandable Slotted Tubulars). ESTs are pipes with staggered overlapping slots cut axially along the entire length. Expansion up to 200% of original diameter can be achieved. Main applications for ESTs are:
• Expandable Sand Screens (ESSTM)
• Alternative Borehole Liners (ABLTM)
• Expandable Completion Liners (ECLTM)
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Solid Tube Expansion (STE) requires much more force than
ESTs (remember, that is Expandable Slotted Tubulars). On expansion, the tubular changes in thickness and length, altering the strength and burst capacity of the expanded pipe. There are numerous oilfield applications. STE technology can be used to: (1) create hangers and seals, (2) shut off unwanted perforations for water and gas, (3) strengthen existing corroded or worn casing and (4) retro-fit corrosion resistance.
Expandable technologies are working towards a single-diameter
wellbore, which would eliminate typical telescoping casing design. Shell, an early and continuing player, estimates that STE technology has the potential for reducing rig footprint by up to 75%, drilling muds by 20%, drill cuttings by 50% and cement by 50%. There
are many targets from offshore to deep Rockies gas where expandables could be employed.
Excerpted from "Expandable Tubular Technology," a supplement to World Oil, March 2003, sponsored by Weatherford.
Petris
Enhances Internet Data Room Product
Petris Technology unveiled its Version 3.0 of PetrisWINDS Internet Data Room at the North American Prospect Expo in Houston in January. Increased flexibility in this latest version enables users to quickly build their own Internet Data Room. Version 3.0 incorporates insights from Petris's three years experience with sellers, buyers and transaction advisers.
Product flexibility makes it useful for collaborative purposes beyond property transactions, including drilling and workover packages, internal asset team management, and sharing data with outside partners.
The new version uses the ARC/IMS map server from Environmental Systems Research Institute to provide map search capabilities. It can link to other Petris products and tools, including access to more than 50 E&P applications from Petris's ASP (Application Service Provider) service, PetrisWINDS NOW.
The system is available over the Internet on a monthly rental basis. Visit
www.petris.com for an online demo of PetrisWINDS Internet Data Room. |
Tech
Transfer Track