Catch the Red Eye Full Story | Download Brochure (pdf) eProduction Solutions (eP) announces the release of the Red Eye 2 G water-cut meter. By combining the latest in optical sensing technology with the experience as the industry leader in high water-cut measurement, eP has developed a new instrument for accurate phase fraction measurement . . .
REMMS meets the challenge Full Story | Download Brochure (pdf) Introducing a small footprint, lightweight, non-nuclear multiphase metering system perfect for offshore platforms and subsea tieback applications. Meet REMMS . . .
A Tale of Two Cities
eP's Great Yarmouth and Aberdeen Operations Full Story The Great Yarmouth facility is now playing a vital role in eP's multifaceted success story. Great Yarmouth, the jewel of the Norfolk Coast, has a rich and proud heritage in both culture and commerce.
ePAC VFDs Saves Vintage Petroleum Over $100,000 Per Year on Only Three Wells Full Story | ePAC White Paper Vintage Petroleum, a global independent energy company with domestic operations in the West Coast, Gulf Coast, East Texas and Mid-Continent areas of the United States had a small problem. The mature Grubb field includes 120 marginally producing wells . . .
The Marco Polo field includes six offshore deepwater (approximately 4,500 feet deep) wells and is located in Block 608 of Green Canyon in the Gulf of Mexico.
The System
These six wells use gas lift and average a total depth of 12,000 feet. The wells have an API gravity between 27 – 33 and have a water cut of 0% at start which rises to 50%. This is a new field with no previous automation.
Solution Components
eProduction Solutions (eP) installed the following:
• Pressure Temperature (PT) Gauge with Distributed Temperature Sensor (DTS)
• Control line supply (filling, filtering, and installation)
• Splice sub supply
• Installation and surface monitoring equipment for PT and DTS
Benefits
eP’s solution provided the ability to monitor reservoir pressure and temperature with DTS along the whole string, allowing for temperature analysis of tubing and riser in this deep water field.
Future Plans
Anadarko is planning to pull and re-complete at least two of the six wells providing an opportunity for roll-over wells as well as work on other projects.
About eP
eP provides solutions that go beyond SCADA to optimally operate oil and gas field operations. eP’s totally integrated automation solutions are composed of compatible “best of breed” products that are installed, upgraded, and serviced by one company. These products provide sophisticated analysis, integral design capabilities, real-time monitoring, and accurate control.
The solution’s unique design provides intelligence at the wellhead and at the desktop. Wellhead intelligence assures immediate reaction to changes in the well while the desktop intelligence provides detailed analysis and fine tuning for optimal operations.
eP believes that when companies have the right people with complete, timely information working on solutions, they will find ways to improve productivity and lessen future problems. By using eP’s real-time production optimization solutions, problem solving, potential problem identification, and shared decision making are both efficient and effective.
Global Offices
World Headquarters
Houston, Texas
22001 North Park Dr
Kingwood, Texas
77339-3804
281-348-1000
For more information, call (281) 348-1000 or go to www.ep-solutions.com. If you prefer not to receive this newsletter from eProduction Solutions, please reply to this newsletter with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line.
eProduction Solutions (eP) announces the release of the Red Eye® 2G water-cut meter. By combining the latest in optical sensing technology with the experience as the industry leader in high water-cut measurement, eP has developed a new instrument for accurate phase fraction measurement.
The original Red Eye water-cut meter measures the volumetric proportion of oil in a mixture of petroleum and water by passing a beam of infrared light that is absorbed by oil but not water through the stream. It was designed specifically for high water-cut measurements and its performance in that condition is unmatched.
The Red Eye 2G extends this performance in both high and low water- cut measurements by simultaneously measuring four infrared wavelengths. These additional frequencies allow it to monitor all levels of water and oil as well as nullify scattering effects. This is a big advantage over other meters that shift when the salinity changes and proves the Red Eye 2G to be a true full range water-cut meter.
The Red Eye 2G’s user interface has also been updated and the configuration software can run on a PC or hand-held PDA. The NOC (net oil computer) module can include a local keypad/display interface and/or a wireless link to a hand-held PDA for the ultimate in operator convenience.
The Red Eye Multiphase Metering Systems (REMMS) are compact, continuous cyclonic separators with conventional metering for gas and liquid and a flow computer for data communication and process control. The principal of operation is based on creating a cyclonic flow pattern in the vertical piping to separate the gas from the liquid. Although this concept and its advantages have been known for some years, recent advances in technology have brought these separators back onto the radar screen.
The major advantage of eP’s REMMS is that they utilize conventional low cost water metering equipment with a proven water-cut meter and flow computer, to produce a reliable 3-phase meter. The cyclonic separators can be built as ASME VIII vessels, however, they can also be constructed as ANSI B31.3 piping units, which can eliminate the need for a pressure safety valve and related equipment. These systems can be designed to handle maximum wellhead or process pressures and at temperatures up to 450˚ F.
The water-cut meter reads oil-in-water concentrations from 0 to 100 percent with the 2-phase liquid leg of the system. eP’s REMMS can be configured to handle any 3-phase flow condition. The 3-phase fluid enters the main body through an inlet on the tangent of the main vertical section. This forces the liquid and the gas to accelerate around the vertical axis of the main body, creating a vortex. The lateral force created by this tangential acceleration under normal design flow is approximately equal to 15 g’s. Due to the large density difference between the gas and liquid, the gas migrates quickly to the center while the denser liquid travels to the wall.
The unit is approximately 1/8 the wet weight of a vertical separator and 1/64 the wet weight of a horizontal separator. Because of the small footprint and minimal weight, it is an ideal unit for offshore, FPSOs (floating, production, storage and offloading) or anywhere there is a space or weight consideration.
The REMMS can be utilized for single well or production field monitoring. eP has just completed a successful installation of 18 units in Chad, Africa. Contact eP for more information about real-time well optimization or to review your particular well or field requirements.
“When we got to the street (which was strange to me) and smelt of the fish, and pitch and oakum and tar, and saw the sailors walking about and the carts jingling up and down over the stones, I felt that I had done so busy a place an injustice and said as much to Peggoty, who heard my expressions of delight with great complacency, and told me it was well known (I suppose to those who had the good fortune to be born Bloaters) that Yarmouth was, upon the whole, the finest place in the universe”.
Charles Dickens - David Copperfield
The Great Yarmouth facility is now playing a vital role in eP’s multifaceted success story. Great Yarmouth, the jewel of the Norfolk Coast, has a rich and proud heritage in both culture and commerce. For a time, one of the wealthiest towns in Britain, Yarmouth was home to a once prosperous fishing industry (especially herring), an important 14th Century naval port, and since 1960, a booming center for the oil and gas industries exploring the North Sea. Our Great Yarmouth facility (GY) has been in operation since 1975. Great Yarmouth also remains a popular tourist center today, a reputation it has worn proudly throughout its history.
As would be expected, the core group of products for eP here includes control systems, wellhead equipment, subsea controls and shutdown systems. Our focus remains solution selling aided by a strong toolbox of best-of-breed products. eP’s first task is to help our customer assess the immediate needs that will provide the most optimal results. Next is the application of appropriate fit-for-purpose tools and technology. Control systems continue to comprise almost half of sales revenues. GY is active with UK-based projects in the North Sea, projects in Africa, North Sea projects in North European and Danish waters and Kazakhstan.
Great Yarmouth business continues to increase steadily. From 2000 to 2004, sales revenues have grown almost 300%. In August 2003, GY’s financial operations and reputation were enhanced with the completed acquisition of Brisco Engineering from their parent company of Vosper Thornycroft, LTD of the UK. The acquisition of Brisco provides eP advanced technology for subsea and topside controls. Brisco has designed and engineered surface systems for onshore, offshore platform and FPSO-based (floating, production, storage and offloading) Subsea Wellhead Control and Safety Systems for over 30 years. Brisco is also the makers of Wellcon and Rovcon, two industry-respected brands in the offshore community. The acquisition has had an immediate positive impact on current subsea business and created new relationships which increased eP’s subsea customer base. Brisco’s center of operations has been moved into the Great Yarmouth facility and personnel blended into the eProduction Solutions UK-based production optimization team. Total revenue for 2004 is forecast to exceed $19M (US). “We expect these positive financial trends and profit picture to continue to evolve as our opportunities, experience, customer base and reputation in the market continues to grow” said James Williams, eP Vice President, Operations.
Other changes including a watchful eye on expenses, a blending of workforces and a reduction in facilities overhead have all contributed to this Cinderella story.
All of these changes and growth have sharpened our commitment to a customer-focused business operation and reinforced the company goal to continue to develop eP’s Great Yarmouth facility as a “Centre of Excellence”.
Aberdeen – Great Expectations!
“ . . . and we were in among the tiers of shipping. Here, were the Leith, Aberdeen, and Glasgow steamers, loading and unloading goods, and looking immensely high out of the water as we passed alongside; here, were colliers by the score and score, with the coal-whippers plunging off stages on deck, as counterweights to measures of coal swinging up, which were then rattled over the side into barges; here, at her moorings was tomorrow’s steamer for Rotterdam, of which we took good notice; and here tomorrow’s for Hamburg, under whose bowsprit we crossed.”
Charles Dickens - Great Expectations
Aberdeen is recognized throughout Europe and the world as an energy capital. The city is home to the UK’s energy industry and is the base for international oil and gas exploration and production in the North Sea. More than 300 international energy companies are present in the city, including multi-national operators, large-scale service providers and innovation-focused specialists. eP’s Aberdeen facility is equipped with offices, workshops, overhead cranes, test facilities and even a clean room. Together eP and these organizations provide the critical mass of energy industry activity that underpins Aberdeen’s Energy Capital status.
In addition to impressive facilities and a highly experienced team, our Aberdeen office houses our equipment rental inventory such as IWOCS (installation work over control systems) for offshore, flushing rigs and test pumps. Subsea sales and service continues to play an important role in the center’s modus operandi. This offshore sector of the market is targeted to be a highly profitable segment into 2005 and beyond.
eP Aberdeen’s contribution margin has been steadily increasing over the years. Revenues from 2001 to 2004 are amplified and profit margins have kept pace. A growth strategy based on securing additional long term contracts and a renewed focus on our customer are behind our current successes. Potential revenue for next year should exceed $7M (US) with new contracts in place with major clients such as Venture, Expro, Agip/ENI, ChevronTexaco, BP, Shell, Total, Petrofac and others.
Great expectations abound for eP in Aberdeen. Our leadership position in a growth sector and a vibrant marketplace can only be enhanced with continuously evolving relationships and opportunities energized by our EPS software and support group and penetration into the market with Weatherford Intelligent Completions Technology. No other company can boast the depth and breadth of technology in a comprehensive production optimization solution that eP offers.
A number of oil companies have mature and declining assets. Vintage Petroleum, headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma is no different. Their specific acquisition strategy is to acquire producing properties with significant upside potential at competitive costs. Vintage operates the Grubb field, located in the hilly, coastal countryside of Ventura, California. Grubb is mature and deep. Well depth averages about 9,000 feet with an average API gravity of 28 and a water cut of 90%. Vintage is currently using primarily rod pump and electrical submersible pump (ESP) methods of artificial lift. Failure rates of about five to seven times per well, per year were not uncommon. The wells had no previous automation.
The Solution
Three rod-pumped wells were optimized using the ePAC VFD (variable frequency drive) rod pump controller for precision control of both speed and torque. The drives were installed and monitored between September 2002 and February 2003. eP’s VFD technology provides full torque even at low speeds. The ePAC has a proven track record of improving performance when used with conventional pump jacks and long stroke pumping units.
The Results
The ePAC optimized production by providing speed control, continuous monitoring and enabling quick adaptation to changing downhole conditions. The ePAC has been credited with increased productivity, reduced downtime and extending the life of the artificial lift system. The installation was monitored closely to provide an accurate picture of events before and after automation.
The Big Picture
eP’s production optimization solution for Vintage Petroleum reduced well failure by 73%. In addition to increased production, the ePAC reduced power consumption, minimized equipment wear and eliminated excessive rod force. The reduction in pulling costs and lost production resulting from well failures averaged the company a combined savings of $111,931 per year. As a result of the success of this pilot program, Vintage is planning to expand VFD and RPC technology to the majority of their wells in Grubb field and beyond.
Grubb 157
Pre-Installation
Post-Installation
Reduction or Savings
Total time period
69 months
17 months
n/a
Total failures
28
2
n/a
Failures per year
49
1.4
71%
Pulling Costs*
$44,129.40
$12,608.40
$31,521.00
Lost Production**
$16,934.40
$ 4,838.40
$12,096.00
Total savings per year
$43,617.00
* Per year based on average pulling costs = $9,006 per failure
** Per year based on average lost production + $3,456 per failure
(based on 6.4 days per failure at rate of 20 BOPD loss and $27.00/bbl)
Grubb 168
Pre-Installation
Post-Installation
Reduction or Savings
Total time period
30 months
20 months
n/a
Total failures
7
2
n/a
Failures per year
2.8
1.2
57%
Pulling Costs*
$16,819.60
$ 7,208.40
$9,611.20
Lost Production**
$14,364.00
$ 6,156.00
$8,208.00
Total savings per year
$17,819.20
* Per year based on average pulling costs = $6,007 per failure
** Per year based on average lost production + $3,456 per failure
(based on 3.8 days per failure at rate of 50 BOPD loss and $27.00/bbl)
Grubb 360
Pre-Installation
Post-Installation
Reduction or Savings
Total time period
33 months
19 months
n/a
Total failures
10
1
n/a
Failures per year
3.6
0.6
83%
Pulling Costs*
$20,178.00
$ 3,363.00
$16,815.00
Lost Production**
$40,415.76
$ 6,735.96
$33,679.80
Total savings per year
$50,494.80
* Per year based on average pulling costs = $5,605 per failure
** Per year based on average lost production = $11,226.60 per failure
(based on 4.2 days per failure at rate of 99 BOPD loss and $27.00/bbl)
Combined Three ePACs
Pre-Installation
Post-Installation
Reduction or Savings
Total time period
132 months
56 months
n/a
Total failures
45
5
n/a
Failures per year
4.1
1.1
73%
Pulling Costs*
$81,127.00
$23,179.80
$57,947.20
Lost Production**
$71,714.16
$17,730.36
$53,983.80
Total savings per year
$111,931.80
* Per year based on average pulling costs = $5,605 per failure
** Per year based on average lost production = $11,226.60 per failure
(based on 4.2 days per failure at rate of 99 BOPD loss and $27.00/bbl)
The world’s first multiple optical flowmeters and pressure and temperature gauges were successfully installed in Statoil’s Veslefrikk field on the A-11B well recently.
The installation of the three optical flowmeters in conjunction with four hydraulically-operated zone isolation valves is a milestone in intelligent well completion.” said Tore Fjågesund, Statoil. Statoil commended the excellent working relationship that produced the safe and successful installation of this completion.
Injection rates for all four zones and the pressure and temperature in three zones are delivered by installing:
3 Fiber-Optic Flowmeters
3 Optical Pressure and Temperature Gauges
1 Fiber-Optic Downhole Cable
At the surface, a special customer interface was developed. Using the data from the optical sensors together with other data input, the display enables Statoil to make instant decisions to optimize well performance. For more information about intelligent wells, contact eP.
Great Yarmouth business continues to increase steadily. From 2000 to 2004, sales revenues have grown almost 300%. In August 2003, GY’s financial operations and reputation were enhanced with the completed acquisition of 
