E &P编辑和工作人员自豪地公布了 2019 年工程创新特别优异奖的获奖者，该奖项旨在表彰在上游石油行业各个领域取得卓越成就和成就的服务和运营公司。以下重点介绍由独立评审团选出的 18 名获奖者。

获奖技术代表了广泛的学科，并解决了阻碍高效运营的许多挑战。每个类别的获奖者都是在各自领域带来巨大变化的产品，代表了最有可能改善人工举升、钻头、钻井液/增产、钻井系统、勘探/地球科学、地层评估、HSE、水力压裂/压力的技术和工艺。泵送、智能系统和组件、IOR/EOR/修复、海洋施工和退役、非压裂完井、陆上钻井平台、海底系统和水管理。

今年，来自服务和运营公司的一些业内最聪明的人才推出了极其创新的产品和技术，这些产品和技术现已与世界上最好的产品和技术进行了比较，被评为在概念、设计和应用方面最具突破性的产品和技术。

该奖项旨在表彰那些了解需要更新、更好和不断变化的技术创新来安抚能源匮乏的世界的公司和个人所设计的新产品和技术。

评审团由代表全球运营和咨询公司的商业、工程和科学领域的专家组成。每位评委都被分配了一个最能发挥其专业领域优势的类别。其公司具有商业利益的法官被排除在外。

E&P衷心感谢这些杰出的评委为评选今年比赛获奖者所做的努力。 

与往年一样，E&P将在休斯敦举行的海上技术会议上颁发 2019 年奖项。（更新：要查看照片，请单击此处。）

2020 年工程创新特别优异奖竞赛报名表可在HartEnergy.com/mea上获取。报名截止日期为2020年1月31日。

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人工升降机获胜者
AccessESP | 无吊具有线可回收 ESP

AccessESP 的电缆可回收电动潜水泵 (ESP) 系统减少了延期生产和钻机成本的影响。集成了永磁电机和侧袋湿式连接系统，以便在活井上进行钢丝/钢丝 ESP 回收。当 ESP 回收时，该设计还允许全井眼进入下部完井。目标是将这些技术集成到简化的无钻机运输系统中，从而减少 HSE 暴露和风险、降低运营成本并提供具有成本效益的生产优化。传统上，当 ESP 性能恶化或失效时，或者当操作员需要进入下部完井进行油井修复或补救时，唯一的选择是将整个管柱拉至地面，有时在远程或海上作业中，干预成本从300万至1500万美元。通常存在与生产停机或压井液造成的油井损坏相关的机会成本。HSE 风险与繁重的修井作业相关。使用有线可回收 ESP 时，许多成本和风险都可以消除。AccessESP 系统缓解了这些挑战，为完井和 ESP 输送提供了一种替代方案，允许在没有钻机的情况下在活井上更换 ESP，并减少地面设备。

钻头获胜者
GE 公司贝克休斯 | 采用 ANTIWALK 技术的 DYNAMUS PDC 钻头

井下力会导致水平井横向部分的倾斜和方位角偏差。当可调节启动电机组件无法直线跟踪时，必须停止旋转以执行滑动并纠正轨迹。轨迹修正会减慢钻井速度并导致井眼路径弯曲和波动。GE 公司贝克休斯 (BHGE) 的 Dynamus 钻头技术融合了一些设计元素，例如用于增强稳定性的 StayTrue 形状刀片、用于延长使用寿命的耐磨 Optimus 刀具、用于提高 ROP 性能的 SweepBlade 布局以及具有高机械性能的新型基体材料主体。 - 扭矩柄。这些组件中的每一个都在以更短的时间和更低的成本钻出更平滑、更直和更长的支管方面发挥着至关重要的作用。此外，Dynamus 钻头还具有 AntiWalk 保径垫配置，可使用横向切削深度控制来调节侧向切削响应。工程量规垫优化了跟踪，以保持方位角和倾角，并在随机较低水平侧向力下减少狗腿严重程度，但它不会妨碍转向或构建曲线时的侧向攻击性。AntiWalk 配置本质上使钻头的侧向切削响应能够根据作用在钻头上的外部侧向力的变化进行调整，从而实现始终如一的平稳、目标钻孔，且弯曲度较小。

钻头获胜者
Ultra | 分体式 PDC 钻头

人们早就知道，钻头工具面的切屑排出不良会限制机械钻速。当传统的钻头设计使切屑滞留在工具面上，聚集在刀具和排屑槽周围时，就会浪费钻井能量，影响工具面控制，并且钻头可能会因温度升高而损坏。Ulterra 的 SplitBlade PDC 钻头设计是为了解决钻屑疏散不良的问题而开发的。凭借其独特的分体式刀片几何形状和双筒液压系统，SplitBlade 使操作员能够显着提高机械钻速、耐用性和方向控制。钻头的主刀片通过锥体分离，形成用于排屑的大容量流动通道。矢量喷嘴产生双筒液压效应，极大地提高了最大钻屑散布率。这种设计将更多的流体直接引导到刀具上，持续清除垃圾槽，使牙轮中的切屑清除速度比传统 PDC 钻头快七倍。这种改进的清洁功能使钻头面能够不受阻碍地接合和破碎岩石，从而提高机械钻速。SplitBlade 的液压系统使刀具保持清洁，降低余热，减少热损坏并提高钻头性能和使用寿命。 

钻井液/增产优胜者
BAKER HUGHES，GE 公司 | MAX-LOCK 失循环材料

对于石油和天然气运营商来说，钻井液流失到地层通常是一个昂贵且常见的问题，导致钻机非生产时间、额外的井成本以及更高的运营和 HSE 风险。据估计，该行业每年花费 20 亿美元来减少流体损失，包括泵送碳酸钙、纤维素植物纤维和交联聚合物等循环漏失材料 (LCM)。GE 公司贝克休斯 (BHGE) 的 MAX-LOCK 是一个针对行业最古老且成本最高的挑战之一的渐进式系统。氧化镁基 LCM 是一种相变技术，在泵送和点样过程中表现出触变行为。一旦就位，LCM 将固化成酸溶性堵塞物，如果需要，可以稍后进行修复。触变剪切稀化液很容易在现场混合并通过钻杆泵送。当 MAX-LOCK 进入地层空隙和裂缝时，其粘弹性会随着流速的减小而变厚，形成凝胶结构，使 LCM 能够有效地桥接损失区。固化后，它会硬化成高抗压强度、无孔塞，使窃贼区域固化，从而能够恢复钻孔。它是可定制的，因此可以制定设置时间以匹配温度、密度和其他特定于应用的变量。 

钻井液/增产优胜者
MI SWACO，一家斯伦贝谢公司 | MEGADRIVE 乳化剂套装

当标准反相乳液系统重复使用多次时，低比重固体的积累会导致凝胶强度逐渐增强。随着基础油成本持续增加，所需的稀释导致每桶非水液体的总成本更高。大多数油基体系都是可靠且热稳定的，但许多体系通常随着钻井的进行而表现出升高的、有时甚至是严重的渐进凝胶强度。认识到高凝胶强度油基流体应用中存在的这一问题趋势，斯伦贝谢旗下公司 MI SWACO 开发了 MEGADRIVE 乳化剂套装。这种新型钻井液系统可提供操作员所要求的耐用且温度稳定的反相乳化液，而无需提高凝胶强度。此外，该液体可承受高固体含量，可降低 HP/HT 滤液值，并对海水和水泥污染具有较高的耐受性。MEGADRIVE套装使用MEGADRIVE P初级高性能乳化剂以及MEGADRIVE S次级高性能乳化剂和涂层剂，协同提供良好的乳液稳定性和低滤出率。该 MEGADRIVE 套件旨在提高油基泥浆的整体钻井性能，每个垫可能为运营商节省数十万美元。

钻井系统获胜者
AFGLOBAL | 主动控制装置（ACD）

AFGlobal 用于深水控压钻井 (MPD) 的主动控制装置 (ACD) 使用由主动加压密封元件实现的非旋转技术来密封和转移环形井眼回流。据 AFGlobal 称，ACD 系统是业界首款用于 MPD 操作的主动非旋转密封装置。MPD 方法广泛用于解决许多海上作业和安全挑战。密封和转向环形回流对于这些操作至关重要。ACD 取代了已有数十年历史的旋转控制装置 (RCD) 技术，其设计消除了主要的磨损、维护和风险来源。这样做可以提高经济性和 MPD 的应用。独立于井眼压力的主密封机构的主动控制与基于过盈配合的传统 RCD 密封机构形成鲜明对比。主动控制可确保元件在整个生命周期内的密封完整性，并实现监控和基于状态的维护，从而提高效率和安全性。ACD 改变了深水 MPD 作业密封和转移环流的方式。其先进的设计和新的监视和控制功能大大减少了这项关键任务中的磨损、维护和风险。ACD 系统的设计确保不会发生元件的灾难性故障。该装置附带的基于状态的监控系统使操作员能够充分了解密封状态以及剩余密封寿命的估计百分比。

勘探/地球科学奖得主
艾默生 | 通过机器学习进行岩石类型分类

艾默生勘探与生产公司开发了一种名为民主神经网络协会 (DNNA) 的监督机器学习方法。该方法协调多个数据集以预测远离井眼的相。它采用了许多并行运行的神经网络的集合，使用不同的策略和关联同时从多分辨率井眼和地震数据中学习。这种架构最大限度地减少了偏差的可能性。它包括第二个训练阶段，在该阶段将地震数据引入远离井眼的地方，并投票决定是否包含训练集，以稳定网络训练，同时防止过度学习。该过程的结果是储层的概率相模型描述。它预测最可能的相分布和相关的最大概率以及相对于每个相的概率。这使得在量化岩石类型分布的不确定性时减少了猜测。结果在 2D 和 3D 环境中交互生成，以进行深入分析，并为油藏模拟做好准备。该结果对于油藏地质学家和工程师更好地了解油藏行为至关重要。机器学习一度被认为是必备技术，但需要分析的大量井数据和地震数据使得机器学习成为地下数据转换和分析的有效方法。自动化机器学习可以在几分钟或几小时内产生输出，而不是几个月或几年。DNNA 提供了一种直接反演所需模型相分辨率和非均质性（包括流体叠印）的实用方法。该方法已被证明可以预测常规和非常规储层中的岩层。

地层评估获胜者
斯伦贝谢 | 音乐会现场测试性能

斯伦贝谢的一致试井现场性能提高了运营效率，优化了人员和环境的 HSE，并从地面和井下获取高质量数据以证明储层潜力，同时使运营商能够获得可操作的测试结果。Concert 生态系统以数字方式、自主地从井下工具、地面传感器和视频获取数据，并通过分析功能无缝地向所有测试团队成员和操作员（无论他们在哪里指定）提供数据，以便他们能够作为一个团队执行油井测试。数字集成提供的访问和协作彻底改变了井场效率，为及时决策提供信息，提高流体处理安全性并减轻对环境的影响。传感器和摄像头部署在所有表面测试操作中，通过坚固耐用的平板电脑和可穿戴技术进行数据采集、监控和分析。强大的软件将网络仪表板和视频显示驱动到平板电脑上以及操作员指定的任何地方，每个人都可以查看相同的数据、诊断和分析。并发分析和高级诊断可优化工作范围并预测操作事件或在需要时发出警报。测试效率和 HSE 的改进来自自动数据采集，消除了手动采样和监控。集成视频摄像机持续监控燃烧器的燃烧情况，能够对沉降物、排放物和洪水水幕进行 24/7 监控，而无需在视觉监控附近实际驻扎人员，以免他们受到极端的热辐射。 

HSE 获奖者
离子地球物理 | MARLIN 更智能地管理海事运营

Marlin 通过让附近工作的所有各方全面了解该地区所有其他资产的计划活动，确保安全，同时减少拥挤的海上战区的运营停机时间。Marlin 是唯一的商用海洋情报平台，它将时态项目规划与 3D 态势感知相结合，使用 AIS、GIS 和 MetOcean 数据等多个实时信息源来分析和预测操作。计划运营与实时定位数据相结合，根据运营目标和 HSE 政策标记潜在冲突。这种对运营的持续评估降低了安全和成本管理的风险，最大限度地减少了因调度冲突而导致的船舶和船员停工时间。甘特图提供了该区域操作的清晰时间可视化，而可视化地图提供了实际资产活动的实时视图。所有数据都会在程序执行过程中记录下来，以便操作员可以在以后回放操作，以调查事件或确定未来改进 SIMOPS 性能的机会。 

AFGLOBAL |水力压裂/压力泵获胜者 杜拉斯姆泵

AFGlobal 开发的 DuraStim 水力压裂泵在压裂泵性能和水力压裂处理的执行方面取得了深远的进步。其高压、连续工作的优势延伸到海上泵送应用。据 AFGlobal 称，DuraStim 泵是业内首款全自动、长冲程、低频变量泵。这款 6,000 马力泵专为多井完井作业而开发，由六个独立的泵单元组成，由计算机控制、同步和自动化系统集成，可通过液压方式改变泵速。该系统由恒速、零排放 6,600 伏交流电机和六个液压旋转泵驱动。电力和涡轮驱动器通过恒速运行进行优化，从而显着提高燃油效率，减少排放和噪音。新型泵的 48 英寸泵大大减少了液力端应力，这是传统泵的主要磨损来源。与传统泵每分钟 200 循环相比，冲程和每分钟 20 循环或更小的低循环速率。该泵在与传统泵相同的占地面积下产生的马力增加了三倍，显着降低了压裂铺展的复杂性并改善了井场物流和安全性。支持云的预测性维护和内置诊断增强了连续值班操作。

智能系统和组件获胜者
IPT GLOBAL LLC | 苏瑞特

IPT Global LLC 创建了 SureTec，这是一款专门为解决数字压力测试中常见挑战而设计的软件套件。该软件是作为一种适合用途的数字替代方案而创建的，用于在井的整个生命周期中正确设计、规划、测试、报告和存档所有所需压力测试的结果。IPT Global 专注于通过单一集成软件平台解决压力测试工作流程，该平台旨在成为上游操作中所有压力测试的主要记录系统。SureTec 根据预先配置的标准提供压力、速率和体积数据的实时分析，以便客观地通过或失败测试。这些工具设计直观，允许用户快速创建易于编辑的复杂原理图。该规划工具在设计时考虑了行业要求，并包含多项保障措施，可告知用户不完整的测试计划、缺失的测试要求和安全问题。

IOR/EOR/修复优胜者
BAKER HUGHES，GE 公司 | FATHOM XT SUBSEA226 黑油发泡机

随着海底油田的老化和油井遵循其自然递减曲线，它们开始表现出液体负载，导致连接油井和生产设施的出油管线中出现流体段塞。虽然这些问题很常见，但从历史上看，如果不进行昂贵的系统升级和推迟生产，就很难缓解这些问题。FATHOM XT SUBSEA226 黑油发泡器是解决液体负载和液流问题的经济替代品，可提高海底资产的价值。FATHOM XT SUBSEA226 发泡器可有效降低深水海底井中的液体负荷，最大限度地减少海底出油管线中的流体段塞，并最大限度地提高石油和天然气产量。先进的化学技术可对含水量高达 60% 的 25 至 40 美国石油学会重力原油进行发泡，以延长油井运行时间、最大限度地提高生产率并降低高成本深水环境中的运营支出。GE 旗下贝克休斯 (BHGE) 通过 FATHOM XT 资格程序开发了新型发泡器，以验证在严苛的深水条件下的可靠性、输送能力和系统兼容性。SUBSEA226 发泡剂可以直接添加到井中，无需稀释，可以批量或连续添加，具体取决于液体负载的严重程度和最终处理目标。

海洋建设和退役获胜者
Weatherford | 机械外锁单行程（大多数）以及工具系统

Weatherford 通过利用新技术和重新设计组件来提高切割效率，彻底改造了其海底井口回收系统。MOST（机械外锁单行程）Plus 工具包括新设计的张力切割心轴、非旋转柔性稳定器 (NRFS)、大直径刀具和高角度刀具。该工具使用先进的系统，可以通过在单次行程中切割和收回多个固井或未固井管柱来减少钻机时间。该系统使用定制切割机制选项，以促进海底井口最有效的切割和回收。这些选项包括使用顶部驱动的张力切割、使用船用旋转装置或顶部驱动旋转装置的压缩切割、使用泥浆马达的压缩切割以及使用泥浆马达的张力切割。MOST Plus 系统无需跳闸即可确认切割，并轻松锁定和释放以检查切割刀。它不会对内部井口密封剖面造成损坏。外部闩锁机构通过在高压井口中提供更多的流动面积来帮助防止切屑堆积，从而使岩屑能够排出。锁定和解锁也可以使用海底的 ROV 进行目视确认。外部锁定还为井口组件提供卓越的横向支撑，以消除可能妨碍切割的任何横向抖动。新设计的张力切割心轴即使在海底倾斜的情况下也能实现井口回收。它可以回收头重脚轻的井口或突出于泥线上方的井口，这可能会导致井口倾斜，并且在切口完全切断之前部分切割部分会靠近刀具。张拉切割方法可以消除井口切割和回收过程中的额外运行。 

海洋工程和退役获胜者
贝克休斯 (Baker Hughes)，GE 公司 | PERSEUS 泵通式切割机

GE 公司 (BHGE) 旗下贝克休斯 (Baker Hughes) 开发了 Perseus 泵通式切割机。内部液压切管器设计用于切割单根套管，作为插废弃作业、开槽恢复、修井和其他切拔操作的一部分。该工具采用 BHGE 的 METAL MUNCHER 先进铣削技术碳化钨刀具进行修整，甚至可以切削或铣削最坚韧的钢材。硬质合金刀具能够将铣刀寿命和穿透率提高多达 1,000%，为刀具提供持久的切削和切屑控制，同时能够在一次运行中铣出更多体积。Perseus 采用液压操作，具有按需激活刀来切割单串套管的功能。当在铣刀或钻头上方运行时，刀具保持休眠状态并缩回，这种独特的内部设计可实现 100% 的流量并保持工具下方的压力完整性。该功能允许在同一行程中执行多项操作，包括修整水泥塞、去除氧化皮、扩孔或铣削短窗口部分。切割顺序是通过从地面落下一个球来启动的，三把刀由钻井液或修井液流过捕球器来启动。当球落在捕手中时，就会建立必要的压差来激活心轴，将刀具移动到切割位置。心轴的持续运动迫使刀具绕刀销枢转。成功切割套管后，刀具完全伸出，心轴远离球捕集器。然后，流体更自由地流过这种分离，减少压差并向操作员发出套管已完全切割的信号。然后可以通过传统的刺穿方法取回切开的套管部分。

非压裂完井获胜者
韦瑟福德 | TR1P 单行程完成系统

在更短的时间内、更少的人员和设备需求下执行多项操作，为在深水中获得显着、切实的效益奠定了基础。Weatherford TR1P 单行程完井系统是一种远程激活系统，可在一次行程中安装上部完井和下部完井。此功能简化了操作，并将完井安装时间缩短了 40% 至 60%，从而降低了高达 25% 的油井成本。TR1P 系统将射频识别 (RFID) 技术和先进的完井工具整合到一个系统中。结果是 100% 无干预操作，无需控制管线、冲洗管、钢丝绳、连续油管、湿连接和修井机。在TR1P系统出现之前，许多操作风险——涉及井液管理、井控、钻底问题、循环问题和碳氢化合物流入——阻碍了安装上部完井和下部完井的单程作业。RFID 集成在整个完井管柱中提供了真正的多循环工具功能，使操作员能够设置和测试选择性完井组件、管理井控制参数、从头到尾循环井以及远程使井上线。RFID 技术还为操作员提供了一种激活井下工具的方法，而不受通常的机械限制。

陆上钻井平台获胜者
弗兰克国际 | 支架的轴环负载支撑系统 (CLS-S)

管材支架套环负载支撑系统 (CLS-S) 是一种无痕管材处理
系统，可适应各种管道尺寸。与典型的滑动式升降机和星形轮不同，CLS-S 系统允许运行螺纹和耦合的管材支架以及单个接头，而不会造成损坏的模具穿透痕迹。这样做可以消除由于传统搬运设备引起的应力集中而导致腐蚀破裂的可能性。由于 CLS-S 系统使管材能够由负载面而不是穿透来支撑，因此可以最大程度地降低滑动挤压和铁转移的风险，从而避免了使用传统嵌件的某些合金上普遍存在的滑动问题。模具和嵌件压痕，无论有或没有铁转移，都可能对耐腐蚀合金 (CRA) 管在有利的井环境中的耐腐蚀性和机械完整性产生不利影响。尽管敏感性水平可能有所不同，但所有 CRA 材料都容易受到井下腐蚀机制的影响。新型 CLS-S 系统等无痕技术是安全且经济高效地运行 CRA 管材支架的首选方法。

SUBSEA SYSTEMS WINNER
ONESUBSEA, A SCHLUMBERGER COMPANY | MULTIPHASE COMPRESSION SYSTEM

OneSubsea, a Schlumberger company, has developed, qualified and put into operation a multiphase compressor technology enabling boosting of unprocessed well streams. This minimal footprint, contra-rotating compressor technology is a subsea compressor concept that works at any combination of gas and liquid (0% to 100% gas volume fraction). It is a robust, yet highly efficient machine tolerating transient process conditions, such as large liquid slugs and variable process pressure. Subsea compression is used to extend plateau production, accelerate production, optimize reservoir drainage and maximize ultimate recovery. The Schlumberger multiphase compressor leverages extensive OneSubsea subsea pump system experience. Subsea boosting has accumulated more than 3 million operating hours鈥攅quivalent to 350 years鈥攁nd is recognized as an important part of enhanced drainage strategies. Experience is being gained from a North Sea subsea gas field, where the robustness and versatility of the equipment have contributed to large value generation. The compressor has been used to kick off dead wells and enhance liquid recovery from the field. Its capability to handle large liquid loads (up to 100%) has been pivotal to unlocking this potential. The multiphase compressor system has operated with 100% regularity since startup and has reached Technology Readiness Level 7. A major advantage of subsea compression over topside compression is that the compressor is located closer to the reservoir; hence, the power required for the same differential pressure is less and the potential drawdown of the reservoir is larger. Subsea compression stabilizes the flow and reduces flowline pressure loss.

WATER MANAGEMENT WINNER
SCHLUMBERGER | AQUAWATCHER SURFACE WATER SALINITY SENSOR

AquaWatcher 地表水盐度传感器是最新一代微波传感器技术，适用于湿气和多相（水连续）流中的连续在线水电导率测量，可提供水盐度的实时数据输出。该传感器可在整个气体体积分数范围内提供高精度、高分辨率的盐度测定，从而能够检测水性质的变化并识别采出水的来源。自动化盐度测定为操作员带来了多种好处。它消除了传统的手动采样，传统的手动采样仅提供盐度条件的快照，并且可能使现场人员暴露在采出水中的硫化氢中。无需定期部署人员也节省了运营费用。在井清理或回流操作期间，该移动传感器可以作为独立应用程序安装在分离器上游，以监测水类型的变化，从而优化井清理过程的持续时间。独立装置也可用于检测浓度极低的第一水。AquaWatcher 表面传感器能够可靠地检测流中的水滴，为流量保证提供关键信息，有助于防止水合物形成并最大限度地减少结垢和腐蚀的发生，从而避免需要注入化学抑制剂。

The E&P editors and staff proudly present the winners of the 2019 Special Meritorious Awards for Engineering Innovation, which recognize service and operating companies for excellence and achievement in every segment of the upstream petroleum industry. The following highlights 18 winners, picked by an independent team of judges.

The winning technologies represent a broad range of disciplines and address a number of challenges that pose roadblocks to efficient operations. Winners of each category are products that provided monumental changes in their sectors and represented techniques and technologies that are most likely to improve artificial lift, drillbits, drilling fluids/stimulation, drilling systems, exploration/geoscience, formation evaluation, HSE, hydraulic fracturing/pressure pumping, intelligent systems and components, IOR/EOR/remediation, marine construction and decommissioning, nonfracturing completions, onshore rigs, subsea systems and water management.

This year some of the brightest minds in the industry from service and operating companies entered exceptionally innovative products and technologies that have now been measured against the world’s best to be distinguished as the most groundbreaking in concept, design and application.

The awards program recognizes new products and technologies designed by companies and people who understand the need for newer, better and constantly changing technological innovation to appease the energy-hungry world.

The panel of judges comprised experts in business, engineering and the sciences representing operating and consulting companies worldwide. Each judge was assigned a category that best utilized his or her area of expertise. Judges whose companies have a business interest were excluded from participation.

E&P would like to thank these distinguished judges for their efforts in selecting the winners in this year’s competition. 

As in past years, E&P will present the 2019 awards at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston. (UPDATE: To view the photos, click here.)

An entry form for the 2020 Special Meritorious Awards for Engineering Innovation competition is available at HartEnergy.com/mea. The deadline for entries is Jan. 31, 2020.

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ARTIFICIAL LIFT WINNER
AccessESP | RIGLESS WIRELINE RETRIEVABLE ESP

AccessESP’s wireline retrievable electric submersible pump (ESP) system reduces the impact of deferred production and rig cost. A permanent magnet motor and a side pocket wet connect system were integrated to allow slickline/wireline ESP retrieval on a live well. The design also allows fullbore access to the lower completion when the ESP is retrieved. The goal is to integrate these technologies into a simplified rigless conveyance system that reduces HSE exposure and risks, reduces opex and offers cost-effective production optimization. Traditionally, when an ESP performance deteriorates or fails, or when an operator needs to access the lower completion for well repair or remediation, the only option is to pull the entire tubing string to surface, sometimes in remote or offshore operations with intervention costs ranging from $3 million to $15 million. There is often an opportunity cost associated with production downtime or well damage from kill fluid. HSE risks are associated with heavy workover operations. Many of these costs and risks can be eliminated when using wireline retrievable ESP. AccessESP systems mitigate these challenges, providing an alternative for well completion and ESP conveyance that allows ESPs to be changed out without a rig, on a live well and with reduced surface equipment.

DRILLBITS WINNER
BAKER HUGHES, A GE COMPANY | DYNAMUS PDC DRILLBIT WITH ANTIWALK TECHNOLOGY

Downhole forces can cause inclination and azimuth deviations in the lateral sections of horizontal wells. When an adjustable kickoff motor assembly fails to track straight, rotation must be stopped to execute a slide and correct trajectory. Trajectory corrections slow drilling and cause tortuosity and undulations along the well path. The Dynamus drillbit technology from Baker Hughes, a GE company (BHGE), incorporates design elements such as StayTrue shaped inserts for enhanced stability, wear-resistant Optimus cutters for extended life, a SweepBlade layout for ROP performance and a new matrix material body with high-torque shank. Each of these components plays a vital role in drilling smoother, straighter and longer laterals in less time and at less cost. In addition, Dynamus bits feature an AntiWalk gauge pad configuration that regulates side-cutting response using lateral depth-of-cut control. The engineered gauge pad optimizes tracking to hold azimuth and inclination with reduced dogleg severity under random lower-level lateral forces, yet it does not hamper lateral aggressiveness while steering or building curve. The AntiWalk configuration essentially enables that bit’s side-cutting response to adjust to changes in the outside lateral forces acting on the bit for consistently smooth, on-target drilling with less tortuosity.

DRILLBITS WINNER
ULTERRA | SPLITBLADE PDC BIT

Poor cuttings evacuation from the toolface of the drillbit has long been known to limit ROP. When traditional drillbit designs leave cuttings trapped on the toolface, collecting around the cutters and junk slots, drilling energy is wasted, toolface control is compromised and the bit can be damaged as result of rising temperatures. Ulterra’s SplitBlade PDC drillbit design was developed to address the problem of poor cuttings evacuation. With its unique split blade geometry and double-barrel hydraulics, SplitBlade has enabled operators to achieve dramatically improved ROP, durability and directional control. The drillbit’s primary blades separate past the cone, creating large-volume flow channels for cuttings evacuation. Vectored nozzles create a double-barrel hydraulics effect, dramatically boosting the maximum cuttings dispersal rate. This design channels more fluid directly onto the cutters, continually sweeping the junk slots and causing cuttings to be cleared from the cone up to seven times faster than conventional PDC drillbits. This improved cleaning allows the bit face to engage and fracture rock unimpeded, increasing ROP. The hydraulics of SplitBlade keep cutters cleaner, lowering residual heat, reducing thermal damage and increasing bit performance and longevity. 

DRILLING FLUIDS/STIMULATION WINNER
BAKER HUGHES, A GE COMPANY | MAX-LOCK LOST CIRCULATION MATERIAL

Drilling fluid losses to the formation are often an expensive and all-too-frequent problem for oil and gas operators, leading to nonproductive rig time, additional well costs and heightened operational and HSE risks. By one estimate, the industry spends $2 billion annually to mitigate fluid losses, including pumping lost circulation materials (LCMs) such as calcium carbonate, cellulosic plant fibers and crosslink polymers. MAX-LOCK from Baker Hughes, a GE company (BHGE), is a step-change system for one of the industry’s oldest and costliest challenges. The magnesia-based LCM is a phase-transformation technology that exhibits thixotropic behavior during pumping and spotting. Once in place, the LCM will solidify into an acid soluble plug, which can be remediated later if needed. The thixotropic shear thinning fluid is easily mixed on site and pumped through the drillpipe. As MAX-LOCK enters formation voids and fractures, its viscoelastic properties thicken as its flow rate diminishes, building a gel structure that enables the LCM to effectively bridge the loss zone. Upon curing, it hardens into a high-compressive strength, nonporous plug that solidifies thief zones to enable drilling to resume. It is customizable so setting times can be formulated to match temperature, density and other application-specific variables. 

DRILLING FLUIDS/STIMULATION WINNER
M-I SWACO, A SCHLUMBERGER COMPANY | MEGADRIVE EMULSIFIER PACKAGE

When standard invert-emulsion systems are reused multiple times, low-gravity solids buildup can cause progressive gel strengths. As the cost of base oil continues to increase, the required dilution results in higher overall cost per barrel of nonaqueous fluids. Most oil-based systems are reliably and thermally stable, but many typically exhibit elevated, and sometimes severe, progressive gel strengths as drilling progresses. In recognition of this problematic trend in elevated gel-strength oil-based fluid applications, M-I SWACO, a Schlumberger company, has developed the MEGADRIVE emulsifier package. This new drilling fluid system delivers the durable and temperature-stable invert-emulsion fluid operators have requested, without the associated elevated gel strengths. In addition, this fluid withstands high-solids loading, enables lower HP/HT filtrate values and delivers high tolerance to seawater and cement contamination. The MEGADRIVE package uses the MEGADRIVE P primary high-performance emulsifier as well as MEGADRIVE S secondary high-performance emulsifier and coating agent to synergistically provide good emulsion stability with low filtrate. This MEGADRIVE package is designed to improve overall drilling performance of oil-based muds, potentially saving operators hundreds of thousands of dollars per pad.

DRILLING SYSTEMS WINNER
AFGLOBAL | ACTIVE CONTROL DEVICE (ACD)

AFGlobal’s Active Control Device (ACD) for deepwater managed pressure drilling (MPD) seals and diverts annular wellbore returns using a nonrotating technology enabled by an actively pressurized sealing element. According to AFGlobal, the ACD system is the industry’s first active, nonrotating sealing device for MPD operations. MPD methods are broadly used to address many offshore operational and safety challenges. Sealing and diverting annular returns are critical to these operations. The ACD replaces the decades-old rotating control device (RCD) technology with a design that eliminates major sources of wear, maintenance and risk. In doing so, it improves economics and the application of MPD. Active control of the primary sealing mechanism independent of wellbore pressure contrasts with conventional RCD sealing mechanisms based on an interference fit. The active control ensures sealing integrity over the element’s full life cycle and enables monitoring and condition-based maintenance that improves efficiency and safety. The ACD transforms how deepwater MPD operations seal and divert annular flow. Its advanced design and new capabilities to monitor and control greatly reduce wear, maintenance and risk in this critical task. The ACD system has been designed so that catastrophic failure of the elements will not occur. The condition-based monitoring system included with the unit allows the operator to fully understand seal state with an estimated percentage of seal life remaining.

EXPLORATION/GEOSCIENCE WINNER
EMERSON | ROCK TYPE CLASSIFICATION WITH MACHINE LEARNING

Emerson E&P has developed a supervised machine learning approach called Democratic Neural Network Association (DNNA). The method reconciles multiple datasets to predict facies away from the wellbore. It employs an ensemble of many neural networks running in parallel that simultaneously learn from the multiresolution wellbore and seismic data using different strategies and associations. This architecture minimizes the possibility of biasing. It includes a secondary training stage where seismic data are introduced away from the wellbore and voted on for training set inclusion to stabilize network training while preventing overlearning. The outcome of this process is a probabilistic facies model description of the reservoir. It predicts the most probable facies distribution and associated maximum probability as well as the probability relative to each facies. This results in less guesswork when quantifying uncertainty in rock type distribution. Results are interactively generated in a 2-D and 3-D environment for in-depth analysis and are reservoir simulation ready. The outcome is critical for reservoir geologists and engineers to better understand reservoir behavior. Once considered nice-to-have technologies, the sheer volume of well and seismic data that need to be analyzed has made machine learning an effective approach for transformation and analysis of subsurface data. Automated machine learning produces outputs in minutes or hours rather than months or years. DNNA provides a practical approach to invert directly for the desired model facies resolution and heterogeneity, including fluid overprint. The method has been demonstrated to predict lithozones in both conventional and unconventional reservoirs.

FORMATION EVALUATION WINNER
SCHLUMBERGER | CONCERT WELL TESTING LIVE PERFORMANCE

Concert well testing live performance from Schlumberger improves operational efficiency, optimizes HSE for both personnel and environment, and obtains high-quality data from surface and downhole to prove reservoir potential while empowering operators to achieve actionable test results. The Concert ecosystem digitally and autonomously acquires data from downhole tools, surface sensors and video, and it seamlessly makes data available with analytical capabilities to all testing team members and the operator wherever they designate so they can perform the well test as one team. The access and collaboration afforded by digital integration revolutionizes wellsite efficiency, informs timely decision-making, improves fluid-handling safety and mitigates environmental impact. Sensors and cameras are deployed across all surface test operations for data acquisition, monitoring and analysis via rugged tablets and wearable technology. Robust software drives web dashboards and video displays to tablets and wherever operators specify, with everyone viewing the same data, diagnostics and analysis. Concurrent analysis and advanced diagnostics refine the scope of work and predict operational events or raise an alarm when needed. Test efficiency and HSE improvements come from automated data acquisition eliminating exposure to manual sampling and monitoring. The integrated video cameras continuously monitor burner combustion to enable 24/7 surveillance for fallout, emissions and deluge water curtain without physically stationing personnel in visual monitoring proximity that subjects them to extreme heat radiation. 

HSE WINNER
ION GEOPHYSICAL | MARLIN SMARTER MANAGEMENT OF MARINE OPERATIONS

Marlin ensures safety while reducing operational downtime in congested offshore theaters by giving all parties working in proximity full situational awareness of the planned activities of every other asset in the area. Marlin is the only commercially available marine intelligence platform that combines temporal project planning with 3-D situational awareness, analyzing and predicting operations using multiple real-time information sources like AIS, GIS and MetOcean data. Planned operations are combined with this live positioning data to flag potential conflicts based on operational objectives and HSE policies. This continuous assessment of operations reduces risks to safety and cost management, minimizing vessel and crew downtime due to scheduling conflicts. Gantt charts provide clear temporal visualization of operations in the area, with visual maps providing a real-time view of actual asset activities. All data are recorded over the course of a program so that operators can play back operations at a later date to investigate incidents or identify opportunities to improve SIMOPS performance in the future. 

HYDRAULIC FRACTURING/PRESSURE PUMPING WINNER
AFGLOBAL | DURASTIM PUMP

The DuraStim hydraulic fracturing pump developed by AFGlobal offers far-reaching gains in frac pump performance and the execution of hydraulic fracturing treatments. Its advantages for high-pressure, continuous duty operation extend to offshore pumping applications. According to AFGlobal, the DuraStim pump is the industry’s first fully automated, long stroke, low frequency variable displacement pump. Developed for extreme duty on multiwell completions, the 6,000-hp pump comprises six individual pump units integrated by a computerized control, synchronization and automation system that varies pump rate hydraulically. A constant speed, zero emission 6,600-volt AC motor and six hydraulic rotary pumps drive the system. Electric and turbine drives are optimized by the constant speed operation, resulting in significant gains in fuel efficiency, reduced emissions and noise. Fluid-end stress, a key source of wear with conventional pumps, is greatly reduced by the new pump’s 48-in. stroke and a low cyclic rate of 20 cycles per minute or less compared to 200 cycles per minute with conventional pumps. The pump triples the horsepower produced from the same footprint as conventional pumps, significantly reducing frac spread complexity and improving wellsite logistics and safety. Cloud-enabled predictive maintenance and built-in diagnostics enhance continuous duty operation.

INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS AND COMPONENTS WINNER
IPT GLOBAL LLC | SURETEC

IPT Global LLC created SureTec, a software suite specifically designed to address the challenges commonly experienced in digital pressure testing. The software was created as a fit-for-purpose digital alternative to properly design, plan, test, report and archive the results of all required pressure tests throughout the life cycle of a well. IPT Global focuses on addressing the pressure testing workflow with a single integrated software platform designed to be the principal system of record for all pressure testing in upstream operations. SureTec provides real-time analysis of pressure, rate and volume data with preconfigured criteria so that tests can be objectively passed or failed. The tools were designed to be intuitive and allow the user to quickly create easy-to-edit complex schematics. The planning tool was designed with industry requirements in mind and contains several safeguards that inform the user of incomplete test plans, missing testing requirements and safety concerns.

IOR/EOR/REMEDIATION WINNER
BAKER HUGHES, A GE COMPANY | FATHOM XT SUBSEA226 BLACK OIL FOAMER

As subsea fields age and wells follow their natural decline curve, they begin to exhibit liquid loading, leading to fluid slugging in the flowlines connecting wells to production facilities. While common, these issues have historically been difficult to mitigate without expensive system upgrades and deferred production. The FATHOM XT SUBSEA226 black oil foamer is an economical alternative to combatting liquid loading and fluid slugging problems, enhancing the value of subsea assets. The FATHOM XT SUBSEA226 foamer effectively reduces liquid loading in deepwater subsea wells, minimizes fluid slugging in subsea flowlines and maximizes oil and gas production. The advanced chemistry foams 25 to 40 American Petroleum Institute gravity crude oil containing up to 60% water to increase well run times, maximize production rates and reduce opex in high-cost deepwater environments. Baker Hughes, a GE company (BHGE), developed the new foamer by its FATHOM XT qualification procedures to validate reliability, deliverability and system compatibility under demanding deepwater conditions. The SUBSEA226 foamer can be added directly to the well without dilution either on a batch basis or continuous basis, depending on the severity of liquid loading and the ultimate treatment objectives.

MARINE CONSTRUCTION AND DECOMMISSIONING WINNER
WEATHERFORD | MECHANICAL OUTSIDE-LATCH SINGLE-TRIP (M.O.S.T.) PLUS TOOL SYSTEM

Weatherford reinvented its subsea wellhead retrieval system by capitalizing on new technologies and redesigning components to increase cutting efficiencies. The M.O.S.T. (mechanical outside-latch single-trip) Plus tool includes a newly designed tension-cut mandrel, nonrotating flexible stabilizer (NRFS), large-diameter cutter and high-angle knives. The tool uses an advanced system that can reduce rig time by cutting and retrieving multiple cemented or uncemented strings in a single trip. The system uses custom cutting mechanism options to facilitate the most efficient cutting and recovery of subsea wellheads. These options include tension cutting with a top drive, compression cutting with a marine swivel or top drive rotary, compression cutting with a mud motor, and tension cutting with a mud motor. The M.O.S.T. Plus system confirms the cut without the need for tripping and easily latches and releases to inspect the cutting knives. It causes no damage to the internal wellhead sealing profile. The external latch mechanism helps to prevent swarf buildup by allowing more flow area in the high-pressure wellhead, which enables the cuttings to exit. The latch and unlatch also can be visually confirmed using an ROV on the seafloor. External latching also provides superior lateral support for the wellhead assembly to eliminate any lateral whipping that might impede cutting. The newly designed tension-cut mandrel enables the recovery of wellheads even where the ocean floor is at an incline. It recovers top-heavy wellheads or wellheads that protrude above the mud line, which can cause the wellhead to list and the partially cut-section to close in on the knives before the cut is fully severed. The tension-cut method can eliminate an additional run during wellhead cutting and retrieval. 

MARINE CONSTRUCTION AND DECOMMISSIONING WINNER
BAKER HUGHES, A GE COMPANY | PERSEUS PUMP-THROUGH CUTTER

Baker Hughes, a GE company (BHGE), has developed its Perseus pump-through cutter. The internal hydraulic tubular cutter is designed to cut a single string of casing as part of a plug-and-abandonment campaign, slot recovery, well intervention and other cut-and-pull operations. The tool is dressed with BHGE’s METAL MUNCHER advanced milling technology tungsten-carbide knives to cut or mill even the toughest steels. With an ability to increase mill life and penetration rates by as much as 1,000%, the carbide knives give the tool durable cutting and swarf control, while enabling more volume to be milled out in one run. Perseus is hydraulically operated and features on-demand knife activation to cut a single string of casing. When running above a mill or drillbit, the cutter remains dormant and retracted, a unique internal design that enables 100% flow through and maintains pressure integrity below the tool. This feature allows multiple operations to be performed during the same trip, including dressing a cement plug, removing scale, underreaming or milling short window sections. The cutting sequence is initiated by dropping a ball from the surface, and the three knives are activated by the flow of drilling or workover fluid through a ball catcher. When the ball lands in the catcher, the necessary pressure differential is established to activate a mandrel that moves the knives into the cutting position. The continued movement of the mandrel forces the knives to pivot around the knife pins. After a successful casing cut, the knives become fully extended and the mandrel strokes clear of the ball catcher. The fluid then flows more freely through this separation, reducing the pressure differential and signaling to the operator that the casing is fully cut. The cut casing section can then be retrieved via traditional spearing methods.

NONFRACTURING COMPLETIONS WINNER
WEATHERFORD | TR1P SINGLE-TRIP COMPLETION SYSTEM

Performing multiple operations in less time and with fewer personnel and equipment requirements sets the stage for dramatic, tangible benefits in deep water. The Weatherford TR1P single-trip completion system is a remotely activated system that enables installing both the upper and lower completion in one trip. This capability simplifies operations and reduces completion installations times by 40% to 60%, which reduces well costs by up to 25%. The TR1P system combines radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology and advanced completions tools into one system. The result is 100% interventionless operation without control lines, wash pipe, wireline, coiled tubing, wet connects and workover rigs. Before the TR1P system, many operational risks—involving well fluids management, well control, problems getting to the bottom, circulation problems and hydrocarbon influx—hampered single-trip operations to install both upper and lower completions. RFID integration provides true multicycle tool functionality throughout the completion string, which enables operators to set and test selective completion components, manage well control parameters, circulate the well from toe to heel and remotely bring the well online. RFID technology also gives operators a way to activate downhole tools without the usual mechanical limitations.

ONSHORE RIGS WINNER
FRANK’S INTERNATIONAL | COLLAR LOAD SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR STANDS (CLS-S)

The Collar Load Support System for Stands (CLS-S) of tubing is a nonmarking tubular handling
system that accommodates a wide range of pipe sizes. Unlike typical slip-type elevators and spiders, the CLS-S system allows the running of threaded and coupled stands of tubulars as well as single joints without causing damaging die penetration marks. In doing so, it eliminates the potential for corrosion cracking due to stress concentrations induced by conventional handling equipment. The risk of slip crush and iron transfer is minimized as the CLS-S system enables the tubular to be supported by the load face and not by penetration, avoiding the slippage issues prevalent on certain alloys with conventional inserts. Die and insert impressions, with or without iron transfer, may adversely affect the corrosion resistance and mechanical integrity of corrosion-resistant alloy (CRA) tubulars in conducive well environments. Although levels of susceptibility may vary, all CRA materials are susceptible to downhole corrosion mechanisms. Nonmarking technologies like the new CLS-S system are the preferred method in a safe and cost-effective approach to running stands of CRA tubulars.

SUBSEA SYSTEMS WINNER
ONESUBSEA, A SCHLUMBERGER COMPANY | MULTIPHASE COMPRESSION SYSTEM

OneSubsea, a Schlumberger company, has developed, qualified and put into operation a multiphase compressor technology enabling boosting of unprocessed well streams. This minimal footprint, contra-rotating compressor technology is a subsea compressor concept that works at any combination of gas and liquid (0% to 100% gas volume fraction). It is a robust, yet highly efficient machine tolerating transient process conditions, such as large liquid slugs and variable process pressure. Subsea compression is used to extend plateau production, accelerate production, optimize reservoir drainage and maximize ultimate recovery. The Schlumberger multiphase compressor leverages extensive OneSubsea subsea pump system experience. Subsea boosting has accumulated more than 3 million operating hours—equivalent to 350 years—and is recognized as an important part of enhanced drainage strategies. Experience is being gained from a North Sea subsea gas field, where the robustness and versatility of the equipment have contributed to large value generation. The compressor has been used to kick off dead wells and enhance liquid recovery from the field. Its capability to handle large liquid loads (up to 100%) has been pivotal to unlocking this potential. The multiphase compressor system has operated with 100% regularity since startup and has reached Technology Readiness Level 7. A major advantage of subsea compression over topside compression is that the compressor is located closer to the reservoir; hence, the power required for the same differential pressure is less and the potential drawdown of the reservoir is larger. Subsea compression stabilizes the flow and reduces flowline pressure loss.

WATER MANAGEMENT WINNER
SCHLUMBERGER | AQUAWATCHER SURFACE WATER SALINITY SENSOR

The AquaWatcher Surface water salinity sensor is the latest-generation microwave sensor technology applied to continuous in-line water conductivity measurement in wet gas and multiphase (water-continuous) flow that provides real-time data output of water salinity. The sensor provides a high-accuracy, high-resolution determination of salinity across the full range of gas volume fraction to enable the detection of water property changes and identify the origin of produced water. Automating salinity determination brings several benefits to operators. It eliminates conventional manual sampling that provides only snapshots of salinity conditions and potentially exposes field personnel to H2S in the produced water. Not having to periodically deploy personnel also saves operating expenses. This mobile sensor can be installed as a standalone application upstream from the separator during well cleanup or flowback operations to monitor change in the water type for optimizing the duration of the well cleanup process. Standalone installations also are used to detect first water in extremely low concentrations. The AquaWatcher Surface sensor’s reliable detection of water droplets in the flow provides critical information for flow assurance purposes to help prevent hydrate formation and minimize the occurrence of scaling and corrosion that triggers the need to inject chemical inhibitors.