After significant R&D focus, Tendeka launched PulseEight in 2018 and the team has continued to further develop its capabilities, meeting key challenges from clients across the globe.
PulseEight dynamic downhole reservoir management system moves beyond the realms of wireless intelligent completion technology for the digital oilfield … are you ready to catch the next wave in Completions?
Trouble viewing? Watch on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/345649020
This week saw Tendeka’s Advanced Completions team visit the Aberdeen Science Centre (ASC) to help fix and maintain some of the exhibits and interactive equipment.
On previous visits, Tendeka’s Advanced Completions Director, John Hunter, had observed that some exhibits were missing due to requiring some repairs, and offered his team’s help.
ASC were very grateful to have the extra resource to help with the backlog of work. ASC are supported by various grants and admission costs, but do not have the funds to maximise their impact. Therefore, volunteering both at front of house and on repair tasks is needed and much appreciated.
Tendeka believes giving such support is invaluable, as well as being very relevant. The Advanced Completions team work primarily in cutting-edge R&D projects that are very focussed and come with the rollercoaster of success and failure, something everyone can relate to. Taking a day out of the busy working schedule to do something different proved to be a great teambuilding and refreshing exercise. The team worked well to investigate the challenges and then managed to repair most of the equipment.
Development Engineer Steven Henry said of the day: “The day went really well. We were happy to assist Aberdeen Science Centre with the backlog of work they had. Thankfully, we managed to get most of the broken exhibits fixed and can now be put back out for public viewing/interaction.”
It is the intention of Tendeka to support ASC more fully over the next few years. ASC is a great resource in Aberdeen which can help inspire people into STEM careers.
Liz Hodge, CEO ASC commented “We are extremely appreciative of the help we have received from Tendeka. The team has repaired some of our most popular exhibits in record-quick time using expertise we do not have in-house. Without their support, we would have had to consider disposing of these inspiring exhibits that engage our visitors of all ages as to the relevance and applications of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. We are looking forward to working with the Tendeka team over the next exciting phase of Aberdeen Science Centre’s journey.”
Pictured from left – John Hunter, Steven Henry, Anthony Wilson, Sandy McAllister, Kevin Buchan
The PulseEight wireless intelligent completion product line is the latest advance in wireless well completion technology. By using unique ‘pressure pulse telemetry’, PulseEight communicates wirelessly between downhole and the wellhead.
PulseEight intelligent well technology provides cable-free control and monitoring for a wide range of applications. Each device provides an infinitely variable choke and seal, with pressure and temperature measurement for optimum control.
Driven by a microprocessor, the fully-electric system can be programmed to respond to wireless commands from surface, or to react to the well environment e.g. well-shut-ins, or changes in pressure or flow rate. The wireless communication uses unique, semi-duplex pressure pulse telemetry, suitable for multi-phase fluid environments.
Existing wellhead equipment is used to interface with the downhole valve. Eliminating control lines makes PulseEight a simple-to-install, cost-effective solution for oil, water, and gas control in greenfield, brownfield, extended reach, and multi-lateral applications. Remote management of PulseEight through advanced software provides data management and evaluation for enhanced production optimisation, delivering a truly intelligent completion for the digital oilfield.
Wireless systems can help to provide a hybrid of key features whereby the completion is kept simple, allowing for a quick and safe installation. However, they also offer the communication mechanism required to monitor and control wells effectively.
The addition of real time data can lead to informed decision making, while the ability to act immediately and without intervention leads to an optimal production environment. By removing the physical connection to surface and providing each downhole device with individual power and intelligence, an autonomous approach is also possible, where by a device is configured to be ‘goal seeking’ and work independently to maximise efficiency.
This technology can be applied to a range of application areas for mature assets and new fields, with the following examples:
While the immediate future for this technology will be to extend the operating envelope for intelligent completion technology and address some of the applications mentioned above, the long- term aim for the technology is to form part of fully digital oilfield, whereby a set of devices are installed and communicate with each other, as well as surface, to provide a fully autonomous, optimal production environment.
For further information, please go to https://www.tendeka.com//pulseeight/.
By Gillian King
Photographed: Olenka Skrzypczak de Camporota and Danuta Skrzypczak from Gesca, and Gillian King and Steve Fipke from Tendeka.
Tendeka recently celebrated a significant milestone in the North & South America region – 2 years working with GESCA, our agent in Colombia, to bring our completion solutions to the country.
It’s been a tough few years for the oil and gas market in Colombia, like many other places around the world. But Colombia has a lot of other factors to take into consideration… peace agreements with the paramilitary and armed guerillas allowing oil rich area’s previously too dangerous to work in to be developed, continual local protests preventing exploration and ongoing threats to security are the first that spring to mind.
In 2015, oil production was over 1million BPD, production fell by around 12% in 2016 and the amount of public revenue from oil & gas significantly decreased.
But things are looking up!
In May this year, a massive new discovery (Colombia’s largest in nearly 30 years) in the Caribbean Sea was announced by Ecopetrol and Anadarko. It’s being touted as a whole new gas province!
When we visited, everything felt very optimistic with an increased number of wells being planned, and talks of increased investment from Ecopetrol and the various other operators that we met. The reservoirs in Colombia are particularly well suited for Tendeka’s technologies and we see the area as being a key market once things start to pick up again.
GESCA’s 27 years of experience and focus on providing effective and timely solutions to the oil & gas industry will enable us to develop our business here. They know the area, have the experience and the relationships, and with our products and technical expertise we can provide the client with integrated solutions to enhance their well productivity.
For me personally, out of all the countries in the world that I’ve visited, Colombia is my favourite. It’s a very special place and I’m looking forward to going back again soon!
Set to be a major advancement in sand control technology, Tendeka’s Cascade³ has now been introduced to the marketplace.
Finalists for two categories in the Press and Journal Gold Awards; the Innovation award and the Best Employee award.
Tendeka is delighted to learn it has been shortlisted for two categories in the Press and Journal Gold Awards; the ‘Innovation award’ and the ‘Best Employee Award.’
Written by John Hunter, Advanced Completions Director
I should probably start this blog with a reference to Simon Sinek and his book Start With Why. Simon is a passionate exponent of the fact that only by starting at the WHY of things can we truly be successful and fulfilled. In his book, he leans mostly towards leadership and marketing aspects, and outlines that some people buy into the belief and passion of a company or cause.
His point is that people buy WHY you do things, not necessarily what you do. We live in world where for most products there is a broad choice of brands, Apple, Samsung etc and even more so with cars. What makes people choose a brand? Most offer very similar specifications and value, often the decision comes down to some gut feel, a preference that isn’t easily put into words. This is the WHY – whatever it is your chosen company/brand does and says, it works for you and resonates with the same kind of thoughts and feelings you have. A strong WHY for a company underpins all the branding and marketing, and how a company is perceived.
We can apply this WHY approach to design and product development. We all know of projects that start well but finish with results that are poor at best and at worst totally miss what the client needs or will buy. Even within our own organisations, we can probably point to projects that in retrospect, we made all the wrong choices along the way. It is easy to start a project planning how to do the tasks needed and have an idea of what it is that will fall out at the end of the process, the tangible object etc.
What is often missing is a clear WHY. Why are we starting this? Why does my company want to do this? Why should the client care or want to buy? Does this align with the WHY of the company and the WHY of the project team? If people believe in the project, if it sits well with what they hold to be true about the challenge or technology, then the chances of project success are high. Having a clear understanding of the WHY will help focus the team’s efforts and overall project progress. It also helps people stay positive and motivated when things don’t go to plan, as the project is about the WHY and not the how and what. We all know that failure is a key part of any development project, a strong WHY underpins and supports the team to get back up and keep moving.
An example is a project my team and I have been focussed on for a while now; one that has proven to be a huge challenge, both technically and time wise. Technically we have been trying to develop a miniature mechanism to fit within tight space constraints, whilst still retaining all the robustness and longevity of much larger and less constrained counterparts.
However, our focus hasn’t been on developing a device or series of mechanisms. We didn’t start the project looking to develop mechanisms, systems and an electro-mechanic device that had a set of specifications (HOW). We started by stepping back and looking at what the WHY was, WHY does the client want this, what are the key values that the client wants to buy. It was clear that the client wasn’t looking for a widget with certain ratings, they wanted an ability, a functionality. Ultimately the client wanted a means to control their operations in a totally new, efficient and value increasing way. And this was our WHY. Project decisions have all been made in sight of this WHY, for example any compromises on technical specifications have been to ensure we keep this WHY clear and precise.
The end result is that we have developed the PulseEight device, the world’s first truly intelligent completion tool. This device uses unique Pressure Pulse Telemetry to give clients the ability to control and monitor their reservoirs in ways that previously were either not technically possible nor economically unfeasible. We have given clients the ability to do new things with their operations.
The team has had some very difficult days, and at times it would have been easier to give in, but no-one has, and if anything, the team has doubled efforts and kept the focus. The result or the WHAT, is that we now have an exceptional product that is gaining strong interest in the market and will be deployed in several key applications in the near term. The team is stronger for it, more resolute and eager to move on to the next challenge where we will focus on providing clients with even more control and understanding of reservoir production.
I’m very sure in the fact that if we had not had a clear sense of the WHY, we would not be where we are today.
My challenge to you is to find out WHY you are doing the project you are – it might be clear, but it probably is not. WHY is your company running the project? WHY would clients want it? WHY are you and your team doing it? It has to be more than to make money or shareholder value.
Knowing WHY you are doing something makes a difference. Working hard for no reason is stressful, working hard with a strong WHY is passion (and very rewarding). Without a strong WHY, people will just take a pay packet. With a strong WHY, people will put their heart and soul into a project, this is evidenced in our experience over the last few years.
By John Hunter, Advanced Completions Director and Kevin Buchan, Advanced Completions Application Engineer
Wireless completions equipment is becoming increasingly more common, from Drill Stem Testing (DST) to multi-node intelligent completions. The move from conventional equipment with no communication mechanism, and more modern control line based systems, to a wireless system is ongoing, and presents several key advantages in efficiency, performance and safety.
All completions incur significant costs, but one of the key items, when used, is the control line for downhole communication and actuation. At many Dollars per ft, even single control line strings can add significant cost to the project, with triple or more bundles for hydraulic control adding over $1mill to the project cost once the additional hardware, man-power and rig time are included.
While control line systems typically require increased CAPEX, the alternative of a conventional completion system can often see the savings on equipment nullified due to increases in OPEX and deferred production through increased intervention and poor reservoir performance. The addition of real-time data can lead to informed decision-making, while the ability to act immediately and without intervention leads to an optimal production environment.
Wireless systems can help to provide a hybrid of the key features, whereby the completion is kept simple. This allows a quick and safe installation, while offering the communication mechanism required to monitor and control wells effectively.
Installation
Wireless devices by nature are standalone units, and require minimal installation time and rig floor presence.
One of the major benefits that wireless systems offer over control line systems is improved barrier integrity. This is achieved by removing the need for cable feedthroughs in hangers and packers, thus significantly reducing the number of potential leak paths. Control lines also pose an issue for workovers, with added cost and time to ensure all are recovered and out-with the cemented pressure barrier zone.
For hydraulically controlled systems, a large footprint of equipment is needed on the platform, which in turn may pose a challenge when planning the design of the topsides. Wireless systems have no requirement for any additional large topside system. Electromagnetic/Radio frequency or Acoustic-based systems require small control modules, whereas pressure pulse systems utilise existing wellhead equipment. Again, decommissioning large, heavy plant equipment poses issues.
Although a wireless completion is often as simple as a conventional one in terms of make-up and deployment, wireless systems can offer additional benefits during Run in Hole and landing out of the string by providing active fluid control.
Operation
Without the need for control lines or intervention access to operate, devices can be placed in almost all areas of a completion, an example being multiple devices along the lateral in a complex multilateral well. Having close and detailed control facilitates increased reservoir contact and enhanced recovery.
In addition, to function wirelessly, systems need a degree of inbuilt intelligence, lending themselves to operating with more autonomy. Examples include devices that can detect changes such as well shut-ins and react as planned, or devices with set time actuations, for instance pressure and temperature data or to sync with other operations.
Most wireless equipment can be retrofitted as and when required by using standard intervention techniques. This highlights the suitability of installing wireless equipment later in the life of a well, whether that be to recover the functionality of failed equipment or add in monitoring and control to wells that had none.
Summary Table
| System | Equipment Required
(3 device string) |
Approx. Cost
(3 device string installed) |
| Hydraulic System |
|
$2mill-3mill |
| Wireless System (pressure pulse) |
|
< $1mill |
| Safety | Efficiency | Performance |
|
|
|
By Annabel Green, Chief Technology Officer
This year the long running SPE European Formation Damage event had fallen victim to the prolonged downturn and had been downgraded from a full conference to a workshop, but that did not stop the committee from organising lively and informative sessions on 7th and 8th June.
A broad range of formation damage and sand control topics were covered, and my presentation on preventing sand failure in water injectors, introducing our recently launched Cascade3 technology, was first up on the Thursday. This was well received by a lively and engaged audience, sparking further debate of this challenging topic from the assembled experts. Some of these discussions are continuing beyond this event for me, with both existing and new contacts from this workshop.
The more informal setting of a workshop allowed greater debate and informed insight from the high number of recognised industry experts in attendance. These discussions frequently expanded into the coffee breaks, lunches, and new topics were spontaneously added as the debates progressed, proving great interest to all. The evenings were filled with sunshine, (surprisingly) good wine and al fresco dinners in the beautiful setting of Budapest, and even some unplanned adventures as we took some misguided shortcuts while exploring the hilly but impressive Buda district.
If I was to have any criticism at all, it would be the Danube was disappointingly not blue at all, and the 4am rise to return to Budapest airport for the journey home was most unwelcome – although considerably enlivened by the unfolding results of the UK general election.
It is clear to see we operate in a very different and more uncertain industry than we did 2-3 years ago. Due to the shrinking market, most companies have been forced into reducing their resources and commitments. It’s hard to find a company who hasn’t been affected.
Everyone expects a recovery, and while a measured view would suggest it’s not too far away, it is likely that the industry will not rebound to where it was. So, what can companies do now to ensure that when the market grows, they reap the benefits?
At Tendeka, we take pride in being an innovative, flexible and well-run company. We are able to adapt quickly to change, which is something that has become essential to our industry, and will remain so going forwards. We believe that as the market recovers, those companies who are both efficient and have a consistent pipeline of innovative technology will be the ones to flourish.
One of the things we have done to ensure we remain at the forefront is to develop our internal SPARK program. SPARK is based on the premise that innovation and great ideas can – and should – come from all areas of an organisation. It’s not restricted to those with ‘Engineer’ or ‘Design’ in their job titles.
SPARK started with a series of sessions where we looked at what innovation is. We concluded that to us, it is about joining up a number of good ideas, to meet to a particular challenge. This was discussed previously in our recent blog ‘Do we really need innovation?’. We then looked at examples of where some ground-breaking technology has changed the world, showing that it was actually built on existing technology, re-purposed or re-applied to a new challenge.
As a catalyst for promoting innovative thinking, we developed a five-stage process called FLOW. Covering all the areas, skills and activities present in any innovation or design process, FLOW recognises that people are each best suited to different parts of the overall process. For example, very few people are capable of both defining a challenge and providing the solution. However, by correctly combining people in teams with varied skills and experience, the FLOW model facilitates successful serial idea generation.
We are lucky in that we have team members who had worked with these methods previously, and were able to help incorporate it into our company’s operations. However, for any organisation that recognises innovation as the best way forward but unsure how best to proceed, there are sources of help out there. A first step would be to read ‘Start with Why’ by Simon Sinek, and ‘The Innovators DNA’ by Jeff Dyer et al. Ultimately though, any innovation or idea generation process needs to be suited to the organisation planning to use it, by building on the skills and experience available to them.
By utilising the talent and experience, and encouraging ideas and discussion from all team members, those operating within the oil and gas industry can not only recover from these more difficult times, but carve out a very prosperous and innovative future.
Written by John Hunter, CEng MIED
