INNOVATIONS AT THE WELL SITE/
Implementation of an Engine Management Solution for the Field A SUSTAINABLE EMISSIONS REDUCTION STRATEGY FOR A DRILLING CONTRACTOR By Sonny Auld, Helmerich & Payne
E
very company has its own cultural and strategic strengths from which it builds.
One of Helmerich and Payne’s (H&P) core values is to Actively C.A.R.E. (Controlling and Removing Exposure) for ourselves and others. This development of an Actively C.A.R.E. focus within the organization is a positive example of how a company can effectively lead its employees in doing the right thing. Carbon emissions reduction requires solutions that are both cost effective and scalable across a large global rig fleet to reduce excess fuel and associated emissions. As our industry and others address the need for sustainable environmentally responsible choices, we can leverage our culture to reinforce the importance of understanding how H&P can positively contribute and lead the process of reducing emissions while drilling a well. Not every well is drilled the same. Some operators choose more aggressive well construction parameters as a result of technical need or a desire to push technical limits. These differences make it challenging to decide and agree on a baseline for performance with most of the debatable topics being outside the control of the field crews. Without debate, the most direct way to reduce emissions is to reduce fuel consumption for the same task. H&P’s emphasis on reducing excess engine hours, and associated fuel consumption, is a foundational step of which the field crews themselves can take ownership. This focus is also applicable for all engine types or fuel mixtures chosen by the operator.
Objective
H&P desires to reduce emissions associated with a rig’s activity while maintaining flexibility for our customers and growing shareholder value. The first step to accomplish this is for our rig crews to provide the most fuel-efficient operations possible. A system was designed and implemented to provide sustainable benefits 16
Well Servicing Magazine/June 2022
for all parties by focusing on the foundational concept of excess engine hour reduction. Excess engine hours is explained as the combination of engine count and engine load that can safely be reduced by at least one engine without power limiting the rig.
Process
The first step to developing our solution was analyzing carbon reduction techniques available on the market and the relative carbon footprint of all the available rig power options. Providing electrical power to the rig via highline was the clear winner, but most of today’s wellsites do not have this infrastructure in place and are powered by gensets (engine + generator) on location. Relative carbon impact of a diesel engine versus a dual fuel or natural gas engine was analyzed and verified with the original equipment manufacturers. There were cases for each engine type. Generally speaking, the most effective rig power option with the smaller carbon footprint and cost to deploy was the diesel engine. H&P wanted a solution that field crews could own. Therefore, the program needed to be free of time-intensive tasks of isolating variables associated with a given rig activity or other complexities that field crews do not have control over. As previously stated, the most direct way to reduce emissions is by reducing fuel, specifically by reducing excess engine hours for rig activities. Using engine load thresholds to decide when to turn an engine on or off proved to be a universal solution to provide carbon reduction in an efficient manner and is not dependent on a rig type or specification.
Results
Analyzing our engine data was the first step in the process. We observed an opportunity to improve fuel efficiency, and we found rigs and wells with higher and
