Dual gradient drilling: a pilot test of decanter centrifuge for CAPM technology

The article is about problem of drilling deepwater oil and gas wells that consists in complicating and increasing cost of their well design due to narrowing mud window at different depths. The authors analyse drilling technology developed and applied in practice of offshore drilling with a dual gradient drilling, which allows drilling significant intervals without overlapping an intermediate casing string. Based on analysis of these technologies and taking into account their disadvantages the authors proposed and tested a new drilling technology of dual gradient drilling with placement of all necessary innovative equipment on drilling platform. Keywords: managed pressure drilling; deepwater drilling; offshore drilling; dual gradient drilling; riser; oil and gas exploration in sea.

Retrofitting Offshore Drilling Rigs with Islanded DC Grids and Energy Storage

The paper presents a novel approach for modernizing/retrofitting offshore drilling rig power plants with islanded direct current (DC) power grids and energy storage. The concept has been successfully applied on several offshore rigs which are in operation today and is applicable to jack-ups, semi-submersibles, drill ships, as well as other types of marine support vessels for oil and gas platforms and wind farms. The approach aims to enhance the feasibility of leveraging energy storage solutions on offshore drilling rigs and marine vessels by making use of the existing power plant footprint. Unique measures have also been incorporated into the electrical system architecture to ensure that the reliability and safety of the existing alternating current (AC)-based system are not compromised. This enables operators to capitalize on the numerous benefits of energy storage (e.g., reduced emissions, enhanced dynamic performance for drilling and dynamic positioning, etc.) without having to perform a "rip and replace" of the entire power plant and electrical infrastructure.

Integrated Logistics Solutions Provider Project

The Integrated Logistics Solutions Provider concept was introduced to support offshore drilling and production operations, save 20% on logistic costs, increase operational efficiency to achieve Just-in-Time deliveries and enable the upstream portfolio to focus on core competencies, thus seeking an One-stop contractor for logistics. This manuscript details how the logistics provider changed its operating model to an Integrated Logistics model, changed the status quo to become a competitive low-cost operating logistics provider and enabled operational and cost efficiency for Exploration and Production (E&P) customers. It also reflects on the technologies and commercial mechanisms used to drive the functioning of the operating model that meets the requirements of oil and gas operators.

Is Titanium Drillpipe Applicable to Offshore Drilling? A Question from a Corrosion Fatigue Perspective

Summary In offshore horizontal well drilling, one of the major challenges is the large dogleg severity in the buildup section due to the shallow depth of reservoirs. In such a case, the drillstring has to bend itself to fit the borehole trajectory and suffers greatly from the high alternating stress while rotary drilling. This could lead to fatigue fracture of the drillpipe within a short period. The corrosion from drilling mud may exacerbate the failure risk. Titanium alloy, as a new drillpipe material, has the characteristics of excellent corrosion resistance and low elastic modulus, which can theoretically extend the fatigue life. To study the performance of titanium alloy drillpipe quantitatively, titanium alloy material, and G105 steel of the same grade are compared to obtain the microscopic characteristics and macroscopic properties through experimental tests. Moreover, the mechanism of passive film formation of the two materials is analyzed in the corrosion fatigue (CF) environment. Then, the experimental results are extended to modeling the actual drillstring assembly and simulating its service life in the field practice of offshore drilling. Our numerical results indicated that the titanium alloy drillpipe has much better corrosion resistance but only half the stress level of G105 steel under the same dogleg severity and axial force, which makes its fatigue life over 23 times longer. Eventually an economic appraisal is given by considering the full-service life of the drillpipe. The research results of this paper can provide a detailed theoretical basis and reference for field application and can popularize the use of titanium alloy drillpipe.

Integrated Work Flow Aids Data Digitization, Management for Offshore Drilling

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 202290, “Digital Documentation and Data Management for Offshore Drilling,” by Zhong Cheng, SPE, Xi’an Shiyou University and CNOOC, and Rongqiang Xu and Xiaolong Yu, CNOOC, et al., prepared for the 2020 SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, originally scheduled to be held in Perth, Australia, 20–22 October. The paper has not been peer reviewed. The industry is expending significant effort into using instrumentation and software to optimize operations in all domains for exploration and production to move toward the digital oil field. The complete paper describes an integrated geological-engineering data-management project covering all aspects of well-engineering work flows, with the objective of providing a continuous improvement platform to users. Introduction CNOOC has spent more than 20 years on the progression of information construction. A private cloud platform was completed in 2018, and the characteristics of oil and gas data and critical storage-management technologies were studied systematically. At the same time, nearly 20 kinds of drilling- operation analysis software have been developed independently. From the perspective of engineering technology, these provide real-time monitoring, remote decision-making, technical training, and other information resource services and support for offshore drilling operations. However, the following problems restrict the efficient operation of such projects: - Because of the lack of a unified data-integration-application platform, data sharing has not yet been realized. - In the process of real-time monitoring and remote decision-making, more engineering information based on drilling operations lacks the support of geomechanical data. - The knowledge base and case library to guide the prevention and handling of drilling-operation accidents have not been established. System-Target Analysis The design goals of the platform are embodied in three aspects: function, safety, and operability, while system performance requirements are summarized as adaptability, response speed, scalability, maintainability, and the effective-ness of failure-handling mechanisms. According to the functional requirements of different users for offshore-drilling cloud technical services, users generally are divided into three categories: headquarters decision-making managers, drilling-operation project teams, and system-operation and maintenance-service providers. System Construction Goals and Architecture Construction Goals - Chief among these was to build a geological-engineering integrated data-management platform. Another important goal was to build a case-management platform. An intelligent search engine is established to retrieve the corresponding disposal knowledge through a comprehensive information model. A knowledge-management subsystem is established, and users are linked with internal knowledge-management processes with the help of the cloud. The specific operation process is carried out in the private cloud, and the results are fed back to the user through the human/computer interface.

Human Machine Interaction (HMI) in Offshore Drilling - oil rig workers’ opinion about their interaction with machines

Introduction: There are huge numbers of drilling platforms in the world and once the worker on those platforms meet with an accident, the situation could be very serious. The consequence of this could be environmental, economic and in some cases fatal. Middle East, being one of the oil rich regions hence some of the largest operator works here. Companies here own various types of jack up rigs ranging from old generation rigs to the latest cyber-rig. This paper addresses what oil rig workers have to say about their interaction with machines, and how Human Machine Interaction (HMI) in Offshore Drilling can be improved with design. Method: A case study approach was undertaken The analysis in this paper draws on the interviews conducted with two different employees involved in operating the drilling operations conducted in the driller’s cabin of newly designed offshore rigs. A semi-structured approach was adopted, using themes identified through analysis of the preceding. The interviews were transcribed by the research team. Each interview was analyzed thematically with existing system and reported discrepancy Results: The study on Human Machine Interaction (HMI) and Human Factor regarding this has been conducted in the latest generation cyber rigs. There are many aspects of HMI and ergonomics but in this study a special concentration has been given to deal with the ergonomic standpoint and evaluates the drillers console controls. Conclusions: When comparison is done with the existing machinery, few modifications can be thought of for better human machine interaction. A better human machine interaction system will ensure a more productive environment for the oil-rig workers.

The Use of Augmented Reality and 3D Visualization in Petroleum Engineering Education

The objective of this paper is to showcase the applications of augmented reality and 3D visualization to enhance the learning process of petroleum engineering concepts. In this study, an educational magazine covering various components of an offshore drilling rig with embedded 3D models is used. In addition, the magazine includes simplified text describing the definition and functionality of various drilling components. The prototype of this magazine was sent to both current and former students of Texas A&M University at Qatar and was accompanied by a survey designed to evaluate the efficacy of the magazine. The participants showed a significant favor towards the use of augmented reality and 3D visualization in petroleum engineering education through the survey. Overall, the augmented reality experience provided has given the participants a new dimension in the interactive-learning field. Also, the magazine provides a unique experience to visualize petroleum engineering operations and concepts in the midst of COVID-19, where many trips and experiences are limited.