As anyone in the Reliant Center could tell you, the oil and gas industry continues to grow. This year’s attendance of 108,300 broke an Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) record. With the largest show in history, the sold-out exhibition covered 680,025 square feet and included 2,568 exhibitors, 163 being new exhibitors in 2014. The Upstream Pumping Solutions and Pumps & Systems teams attended, and this blog brings you some of the best moments—including announcements, new products and personalized booth tours.

 

Meetings & Press Conferences

Baker Hughes

At a booth press conference, Baker Hughes, an oilfield service company, announced that its AutoTrak Curve Rotary Steerable System drilled 10 million feet in two years. Team members celebrated this accomplishment with attendees and customers at its booth. On Tuesday, at a champagne reception, Baker Hughes celebrated 100 years of Tretolite’s use in the oil and gas industry. From the inception of the oil industry, producers lost profits from emulsified oil and environmental and safety concerns arose. Pipeline operators and refiners refused to accept emulsified oil because of its corrosive impact on assets, and a risk of explosive steam pressures were possible when oil with high water content was heated during processing. The unwanted off-spec oil filled up earthen pits and storage tanks all over oilfields—spilling into nearby streams and rivers and taking up valuable processing capacity. However, this problem was solved in the early 1900s when a young chemist consulting for companies in the Oklahoma oilfields, developed the world’s first patented chemical oil and water separator. On April 14, 1914, William S. Barnickel was granted a patent for his invention, the Tret-O-Lite demulsifier. It has been used in the industry for 100 years. Our entire team was happy to celebrate all these Baker Hughes’ milestones.

Lloyd’s Register

During our visit with Lloyd’s Register (a global engineering, technical and business services organiztion wholly owned by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation), we learned about the company’s new BOP risk model. It provides an objective, verifiable decision model, which allows drilling contractors, operators and regulators to quickly receive risk-based advice regarding the decision to pull the BOP to the surface for repair, or whether the risk levels are acceptable to continue operations. Development of the BOP risk model was initiated two years ago. Technical and BOP subject matter experts from Lloyd’s Register Energy worked with operators, drilling contractors, BOP equipment manufacturers and U.S. regulators to develop a common platform of communication and decision making on risks associated with BOP system failures. Look for an article soon in Upstream Pumping Solutions on this technology.

Milton Roy

The Upstream Pumping Solutions and Pumps & Systems teams attended a special cocktail hour at Accudyne’s booth. With fanfare, Milton Roy—an Accudyne Industries brand and supplier of metering pumps, fluid control and odorization equipment to the water treatment, wastewater, oil and gas, and photovoltaic industries—revealed its most powerful American Petroleum Institute (API) 675 pump, Primeroyal X. The addition of the Primeroyal X pump to the company’s pump range brings extended capabilities and economic savings to oil and gas operations. The new pump is designed specifically for the deepest subsea wells and gives operators greater power and more accurate control to improve flow and deliver consistent product quality. Efficient in chemical and energy usage, the pump increases reliability within a smaller deck footprint and has exceeded API 675 compliance. In addition to its superior power rating, Primeroyal X comes with the accuracy of control necessary to chemically dose wells consistently while adapting to the changing conditions of the well’s lifecycle.

Weir Oil & Gas

The editorial team also attended a press conference at Weir Oil & Gas’ booth to learn about the latest technology news from the company. During this event, Weir Oil & Gas (a supplier of pressure pumping equipment to the North American upstream oil and gas market) and the Rolls-Royce Power Systems company MTU (a provider of high-speed engines and propulsion systems for marine, rail, power generation, oil and gas, agriculture, mining, construction and industrial, and defense applications) announced that they have signed an agreement to develop power systems specifically engineered for hydraulic fracturing. The system will be used for hydraulic fracturing operations during the well completion stage of unconventional oil and gas projects. A team of engineers is concentrating on optimizing the interface of the three most critical components—the engine, transmission and fracturing pump—to truly work as one system. The complete, packaged power system will include smart controls that provide condition monitoring and optimized performance for the operator. Steve Noon, Weir Oil & Gas Divisional managing director, said the new relationship will use the companies’ technology and service capabilities to provide a total integrated offering. Noon added that the agreement also provides for full service and preventive maintenance of the entire power system. This will be achieved by using Weir’s service network combined with MTU’s service capability, ensuring close proximity to customers. Dr. Michael Haidinger, chief sales officer of Rolls-Royce Power Systems, said both companies have a long history of producing and supporting highly reliable and safe products specifically for use in harsh fracturing environments. He also stated that the solution enhances run times for the engine, transmission and pump, creating a robust system that will enhance operations. Booth Tours During the four-day show, we had the opportunity to talk with industry experts from around the world. Some of these experts provided booth tours and explained the technology on display. We greatly appreciated all the time that the teams gave us during these visits. Some of the tours are highlighted below.  

Booth Tours

During the four-day show, we had the opportunity to talk with industry experts from around the world. Some of these experts provided booth tours and explained the technology on display. We greatly appreciated all the time that the teams gave us during these visits. Some of the tours are highlighted below.

Bosch Rexroth

During this tour, we saw the amazing capabilities of Bosch Rexroth’s continuous jacking system. Since the early 1960s, Bosch Rexroth has provided companies in the offshore and construction industry with advanced jacking systems. Purpose-built integrated drive and control systems with jacking forces of 23,000 tons and up available. The jacking cylinders are equipped with Ceramic Integrated Measuring System (CIMS), which provides an accurate signal, which is required by the control system to evaluate the status of the system in relation to the precision, motion pattern and levelling of the vessel or platform. The cylinder rods are protected by a ceramic coating that is suitable for harsh environment conditions. The video of the system at work was impressive. We also discussed its IndraDrive series, which are for 110 kilowatts up to 4 megawatts. These drives are a scaled product range for applications in metal forming, plastics, test, printing, metallurgy, marine, offshore and other heavy industries. These drives provide opportunities for users to improve energy efficiency, especially through power regeneration. At the same time, Rexroth Safety on Board safety functions integrated in the drives ensure the optimal protection of people and machines. In addition, the large Hägglunds CBM hydraulic motor was on display. It provides 50 percent more torque into a motor that is smaller and up to 50 percent lighter than its predecessor. That gives it a very high torque-to-weight ratio.

Eaton

Our friends at Eaton had numerous products on display at its booth. One product that was recently released is the Synflex Thermoplastic Hoses for subsea oil and gas applications. The new high-pressure hoses are a market exclusive for 2-inch hoses reinforced with Kevlar® to withstand the demanding oil and gas industry in a lightweight package. The 3395-32 hose is rated for 5,000 psi of working pressure (WP) and a 3-to-1 burst to WP ratio. The 3394-32 hose is rated for 3,750 psi WP with a full API 17E rating and 4-to-1 burst to WP ratio. Both products exceed 200,000 impulse test cycles and can withstand operating temperatures of -40 C to 72 C. Both are available in continuous lengths up to 2,500 feet. Eaton’s Airflex® WCBD3 and WCSB3 Water-Cooled Third Generation Brake, a disc type, watercooled dynamic tensioning brake designed to keep oil, gas and mining operations up and running was also on display. The latest design helps dissipate extremely high thermal energy loads experienced in applications like drawworks, marine winches, cranes, metal processing and dynamometers. The brake’s improved internal design allows for faster drilling and gives original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), distributors and end users the ability to downsize their brake, saving up to $60,000 a brake installation. Also on the tour was the Roughneck™ multi-pin and single pole connectors from Eaton’s Crouse-Hinds business. Ideal for land-based drilling environments, the complete product portfolio ensures a secure connection, providing power to major jobsite components in both hazardous and non-hazardous environments. National Instruments During our tour of the National Instruments (NI) booth, North American Oil and Gas Manager Jerry Hines showed us the full control system for hydraulic fracturing pumps. He also discussed NI’s Big Analog Data™ solutions. Using NI’s tools and extensive partner network (including Lime Instruments), these systems help engineers make decisions based on the large amount of data that they are acquiring. With an end-to-end solution, engineers can lower downtime and repair costs by benefiting from a predictive maintenance system. Data gathering, organization and analysis is important in the oilfield.

 

New & Featured Products at the Show

Baker Hughes

Baker Hughes’ Spotlight on New Technology Award winner was the LaunchPRO™ wireless top drive cement head. It reduces risk and increases reliability through the remote launch of balls, plugs, and darts when cementing extremely heavy subsea long strings and long heavy liners. The cement head is compatible with the Baker Hughes Seahawk™ family of offshore cementing equipment, and it features a 2,500,000-pound (1,133,981-kilogram) load capacity. MTU In addition to the joint venture with Weir Oil & Gas, MTU showcased its new Bi-Fuel Kit displayed on the MTU 12V 4000 S83 engine. This new system employs an integrated bi-fuel control architecture designed specifically for well service and pressure pumping (hydraulic fracturing) applications. This kit enables operators to use natural gas as a fuel source for their diesel-powered equipment, providing a solution to significantly reduce fuel costs. The Bi-Fuel Kit will soon be available for new or existing MTU 12V 4000 S83 engines.

Superior Energy Services

Concentric Pipe and Tool Rentals, L.L.C., a leading provider of rental services for the critical completion phase of conventional and horizontal wells, has developed the Superior Safety Wrench System (SSWS), a next generation tool to eliminate the use of sledge hammers in the makeup and break out of high pressure, temporary flowline connections. Concentric, a Superior Energy Services company, designed the SSWS for land and offshore operations. The tool is composed of two main parts: a heavy-duty aluminum, wrench-style head and a quick-latch, adjustable torque-assist device. Extensive, external field tests were conducted on 2-inch to 4-inch unions, and the SSWS passed all tests. The wrench-head adjusts from 1 inch to 4 inches, creating an even distribution of impact load on all three union lugs. The wrench head adapts to all disfigured hammer unions, and the handle’s design provides a quick-latch feature extending 14 inches to 22 inches in length. Its even torque distribution allows the union to contact the seal evenly without compressing or compromising the seal. The Superior Energy Services team also discussed its Generation III Remote-Controlled Frac Manifold (Generational III). The Generation III system consists of an Accu-Choke, remote panel for operators to safely interface with the choke manifold skid. The remote panel contains pressure indications, valve position indication, valve functioning, a touchscreen, system back-up batteries, a programmable logic controller (PLC), pump controls, jog controls and other notable features. The primary system controls are a touchscreen and PLC for automated operation, changing system setpoints, data entry, reviews and control of the entire system using visual graphical controls. The Accu-Choke system is operated electronically-automatically with back-up, pneumatic, manual controls.

TESCO

TESCO had its ECO-H Hybrid Power Management System model on display. This system offers immediate on-demand power and genset load leveling. It provides enhanced energy stability during peak demand periods. An ECO-H system in combination with fuel power generation results in reduced emissions, increased fuel efficiency, voltage and frequency stabilization and reduced genset transient load profiles. This system ensures that the peak power requirement and endurance is achieved and a smaller physical and environmental footprint is attained. It monitors the AC load and reacts instantly to transients by either providing or absorbing power. The adjustable Eco-Band™ restricts the gensets so that they operate within a pre-set load efficiency range.

Zeus

At its booth, Zeus had numerous materials on display. We learned about a newly engineered product with enhanced lubricity that is helping motor engineers improve manufacturing processes to streamline production. Zeus PEEK Engineered Surface tubing—recently confirmed by an independent study to possess a 42 percent decrease in the coefficient of friction versus the PEEK control sample—is being deployed in performance applications. Stronger, more lubricious material, such as PEEK Engineered Surface products, translates to less resistance when manufacturing a device. Roof notes that Zeus surface engineering methodology can also be applied to fluoropolymers, decreasing the coefficient of friction. The team also discussed the launch of their “Technical Z-Teams.” The multi-disciplined traveling teams are part of an overall rebranding for Zeus. The teams, consisting of scientists, engineers and technicians, are being made available for on-site projects, consultations, conference presentations, in-house seminars, and medical and industrial trade show events.

 

OTC Spotlight on New Technology Award Winners

Technologies to be considered for the Spotlight on New TechnologySM award must meet five general criteria: new, innovative, proven, broad interest, and significant impact. Both hardware and software technologies are applicable. The 2014 winners were:
  • Baker Hughes for its LaunchPRO™ Wireless Top Drive Cement Head
  • FMC Technologies for its ISOL-8 Pump and Offshore Loading Arm Footless
  • GE Oil & Gas for its SeaLytics™ and Zenith GFI™ Ground Fault Immune ESP Monitoring System
  • Geoservices, a Schlumberger Company, for its FLAG Fluid Loss and Gain Detection Service
  • Halliburton Drill Bits and Services for its TDReam™ Tool
  • SBM Offshore for its Very High Pressure Fluid Swivel
  • Schlumberger for its Seismic Guided Drilling Pore-Pressure Prediction Ahead of the Bit
  • Weatherford for its CasingLink™
  • West Production Technology AS (Part of WeST Group) for its SwarfPak Technology
  • WesternGeco for its IsoMetrix Marine Isometric Seismic Technology