SPECIAL REPORT: IMPROVING DOWNHOLE EQUIPMENT OUTPUT AND WELL PRODUCTIVITY FOR OIL AND GAS OPERATIONS
Advances in Downhole Technologies Tom Cropper, Editor Despite difficult times for the industry overall, the downhole sector is booming as manufacturers strive to obtain every last drop of oil they can
Introduction As oil companies push the envelope in terms of where they drill and the amount of oil they’re seeking to extract from existing fields, they are spurring increased investment in downhole technologies. These aim to drill more effectively, improve the integrity of the bore, reduce maintenance and increase oil recovery rates. In this article, we focus on the major innovations taking place in downhole technology as well as looking ahead at what the future might hold.
Boom Time for Downhole Innovations All attention regarding oil prices has focused on a surplus of supply versus demand. However, although demand has been increasing more slowly than expected, it is still going up and it’s outstripping the industry’s ability to find more oil. In 2014 approximately 16 billion barrels of oil was discovered while over 30billion are used every year with demand rising by just under 1mb/d at the end of 201416. This supply has been met by increased production from US shale and continued high production rates from OPEC countries. However, this will not continue forever. In the longer term, more oil will be required. This fact is part of the reason why innovation in new technologies in downhole equipment continues apace. A report from Research and Markets predicted the downhole drilling market to grow at a CAGR of 10.2%17 over the year. Moreover, it predicted that a key trend would be advances in technologies as manufacturers sought new ways to handle the challenge of increasing oil yield, and coping with greater depth, higher temperatures, pressures and corrosive materials.
New Technologies These technologies will need to be applied throughout the process including casings, cementing, drilling tools and centralizers, all of which need to be as strong, reliable and
durable as possible. They need to be designed to meet an ever widening range of parameters, performing better in more extreme environments than previous technology. As drilling depth deepens, though, it is becoming more difficult to design equipment for purpose. Developers can carry out all the testing and simulation they like; the fact is that real world conditions can be more extreme and unpredictable than anything encountered in the laboratory. The risk of unexpected and premature failure is very real, so development of all these tools must go hand in hand with more effective well-monitoring technologies. These perform the challenging job of reporting on in-pipe conditions and reporting faults before they become a problem. A report in 2012 states: “New surface sensors are needed that employ smart technologies and enhanced data processing. By combining these high-speed, high quality measurements with predictive models, set points and limits can be directly connected to the latest generation of open-architecture rig control systems to improve drilling safety and efficiency.”18 By deploying small and high tech sensors within the pipelines, operators are able to get real time images of the condition inside the pipe with alarms being set off when faults are detected.
Often imitated, never replicated Over 15 years we have built a reputation on the world-leading performance of our unique centralizer technology. As industry leaders we’ve changed perceptions, standards and quality; set benchmarks and created a new category of centralizers, whilst imitators struggle to keep up. With the largest centralizer manufacturing capacity in the world our deep-water product offering is now bigger than ever.
What the Future Holds Developments in the future will depend greatly on the landscape against which it is operating – namely, the challenges and demands of offshore exploration, commercial realities and legislative changes. In terms of finance, there is little consensus about the future direction of the market. Depending on who you talk to, prices are likely to do one of the following: 1. A tennis ball bounce: The market has had a shock to the system, but before long prices will return to normal. 2. R emain the same: Among some experts there is a belief that today’s prices represent
excellence tO the cOre Centekgroup.com +44 (0)1626 337636 Call us today to see how we can support your deep-water operations.
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