Energy services provider Expro has landed a significant milestone with the 100th deployment of its cementation technology SeaCure; this time for a five-well subsea batch campaign in Australia.
An exclusive offering on cementing portfolio, SeaCure technology was originally developed by DeltaTek, which Expro acquired last year. While the acquisition widened Expro’s technology portfolio in the well construction cementing sector, it also unlocked global access for DeltaTek. Recently, Expro completed the acquisition of integrity and intervention specialist, Coretrax, as well.
SeaCure helped maintain the quality primary cementation of the conductors, eliminating major risks associated with cement slurry placement.
A proprietary stabbed-in inner string technique was involved in post-cementing circulation via the inner annulus until slurry curing was complete. This ensured reliable installation of the top holes.
Alistair Geddes, Expro’s Chief Operating Officer, said, "Reaching our 100th global SeaCure job is a testament to the dedication and expertise of our team, as well as the strength of our technology and solutions. We are proud of providing the platform for Tristam Horn and the legacy DeltaTek to expedite their growth journey and quest for providing innovative solutions to our clients.
“Ineffective cementation is one of the single biggest contributors to cost over-runs, poor life of well integrity and ultimate failure of well objectives. Expro’s robust Cure portfolio has been developed to solve many of the issues associated with cementing subsea wells with the aim of delivering first time ultimate cement placement. SeaCure is an example of Expro’s commitment to investing in innovation, developing new technologies and delivering value and excellence to our clients globally."
Colorado-based company, Gradient Geothermal, has announced it has received funding from the state Energy Office’s Geothermal Energy Grant Program for the execution of a landmark feasibility study in Pierce, Colorado.
The project will aim to test the viability of establishing a thermal energy network for the town of Pierce through heat extracted from local inactive wells. If successful, the project has the potential to transform the energy stability for communities in need while bolstering Colorado’s long-term economic outlook.
During the study, Gradient will analyse if the use of hot water after electric power generation via inactive wells in the Pierce Field can be channelled into a direct use thermal network for Pierce residents.
Dr. Benjamin Burke, Chief Executive Officer at Gradient Geothermal, said, “Gradient Geothermal is excited to help bring geothermal energy and power generation to Pierce Field, Colorado. We have a prime opportunity to bring new life to a mature oil field.
“Pierce can be a world-class ‘geothermal garden’ where both heat and electricity from geothermal power benefit the entire town and provide jobs for a workforce familiar with oil and gas.”
Governor Jared Polis commented, “Geothermal energy, the heat beneath our feet, is an underutilised resource that can save people money on energy and improve air quality. Colorado is already a national leader in low-cost renewable energy, and now with these grants, we are supporting more geothermal energy across the state.”
Aberdeen-based Odfjell Technology Ltd has solidified is plug and abandonment (P&A) and slot recovery range with a £3mn-acquisition of McGarian TDC Ltd.
This acquisition will advance Odfjell’s Well Services division, and add to the company's 20 years of experience in designing whipstocks, casing and packer milling, fishing and remedial products.
Representing as much as 45% of an asset’s decommissioning costs, the P&A market is at a dynamic stage right now.
Odfjell Technology boasts of a completely integrated service for P&A campaigns using innovative operational models for the challenges of different well constructions, varying downhole geologies and adjacent infrastructure.
Odfjell Technology AS CEO Simen Lieungh said, “We are delighted to welcome McGarian TDC Ltd to the Odfjell Technology family. Their engineering and product design capability perfectly complements our existing competencies.
“P&A represents a significant investment for our customers involved in of end-of-life operations. Our aim has always been to provide an efficient service with a focus on safety and environmental security – this strategic acquisition enables us to further strengthen that commitment to our customers.”
Bruce McGarian, Owner of McGarian TDC Ltd, added, “Joining forces with Odfjell Technology presents an exciting opportunity for us to leverage our expertise on a larger scale.”
Equinor has awarded DeepOcean a four-year frame agreement for marine services that includes subsea intervention and repair contingency for subsea pipelines, structures and high voltage cables for not only oil and gas fields but also offshore renewables.
The agreement comes with a scope for extension up to another four years.
Geographically the agreement is valid for work on the Norwegian continental shelf and internationally for planned Equinor work and for contingency work for the PRSI pool members, which comprises 23 energy companies that cover their offshore pipeline and power cable repair contingency via the pool.
The contract delivery will be managed by DeepOcean from its Haugesund-based office in Norway.
“Such a long-term agreement allows us to constantly evolve working methods, collaboration models and technologies, with the objective of making offshore operations and subsea cable repair work as cost-effective as possible. We look forward to supporting Equinor and the PRSI Pool members over the coming years,” said Olaf A Hansen, Managing Director of DeepOcean’s European operation.
For work in the offshore oil and gas industry, the frame agreement covers planned or unplanned marine services using remote operated intervention methods with or without the use of PRS equipment.
Under the agreement, DeepOcean is also expected to be equipped to produce multiple engineering or preparedness studies as requested by Equinor or PRSI pool members.
“DeepOcean has a 400 people-strong engineering team that are specialists on solving subsea challenges across industries. We are industry agnostic and share learnings and experiences from subsea operations across different types of operations and industries in order to develop the best possible solutions for our clients. Our experience from oil and gas is highly valuable for offshore renewables – and vice versa," said Normann Vikse, Offshore Renewables Director at DeepOcean.
DeepOcean has already received the first call-offs for work under the new frame agreement.
On behalf of Gassco and Equinor, DeepOcean will perform seabed preparations and complex remote hot tap tie-in operations at three different locations on the Norwegian continental shelf. Hot tapping is a method of connecting to a pressurised system, such as a pipeline, without removing the pipe from service.
On behalf of Gassco with Equinor acting as technical service provider, DeepOcean has already performed marine services to support baseline inline inspection of a large sized pipeline.
An integrated service provider from Aberdeenshire, AquaTerra Group has announced four decommissioning contract wins that add up to a seven-figure sum.
The last year has marked several firsts for the Group, including the first time that the company was subcontracted by Dutch offshore contractor, Allseas. Under the contract, AquaTerra supported an EPRD project on Enquest’s Heather Alpha platform. It provided engineering, fabrication, access, and construction teams to complete underdeck preparation scopes for topside removal.
Also for Allseas, AquaTerra removed underdeck obstructions in preparation for the topside removal of TAQA’s Cormorant Alpha platform. This was followed by a subcontract from Wood, which involved further work on the same platform.
By utilising its lifting and rigging equipment and services, including its modular suspended access platform QuikDeck, AquaTerra also won its first decommissioning contract with another operator to support conductor decommissioning.
Stephen Taylor, Managing Director of AquaTerra Group, said, “The team and I are delighted that we were selected by Allseas through what was a competitive tendering process for the Enquest and TAQA projects. This is also the first time that we have worked with Wood in several years, so it is great to be supporting them again.
“We’re tendering for more big projects than we’ve ever tendered for before in decommissioning, and this is already paving the way for us achieving our target of £14 million turnover in 2024.”
The Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC) has called for innovations in rigless plug and abandonment.
This has been made in partnership with the 'Go Radical P&A' project, a venture by Energy Transition Norway, Danish Offshore Technology Centre, Centre of Decommissioning Australia and the Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada.
A cost-efficient and environmentally sensitive option for well decommissioning, new innovations in rigless plug and abandonment is considered one of the best way to meet regulatory requirements. They will also help address technical challenges such as accessing the wellbore without a drilling rig.
This comes as part of NZTC’s Well Decommissioning Collaboration initiative, which is actively supported by the Technology Leadership Board, North Sea Transition Authority, and Offshore Energies UK. The initiative aims to trial and test new technologies in multi-operator collaboration field trials, enabling faster, lower-cost trials and wider industry adoption in the UK and beyond, aligning with UKCS cost and emission reduction targets.
Selected participants will get to interact with a consortium that includes Harbour Energy, ConocoPhillips, Respol, TotalEnergies and Petrobras, with potential for support in developing, trialling and testing technologies. They will get exposure at similar operator consortiums in Norway, Denmark, Australia and Canada as well.
Lewis Harper, Project Manager for NZTC’s Well Decommissioning Collaboration, “Our Wells Decommissioning Collaboration initiative highlights how joint innovation is crucial for advancing technologies needed for affordable and sustainable well decommissioning, supporting the industry in reaching its net zero targets. It’s an exciting chance for emerging developers to join in, gain exposure, and potentially receive support to propel their technology development.”
UK Government Minister for Scotland Donald Cameron said, “This is a fantastic initiative that aims to deliver innovative and affordable solutions through information sharing and trials to help secure the future prosperity of the energy sector while helping to achieve our net zero goals. I encourage those working with this technology to find out more.
“The UK Government is investing £90 million in the Net Zero Technology Centre and more than £3 billion to level up right across Scotland.”
The deadline for applications is 23:59 on 31 May.
Expro has officially completed its acquisition of Coretrax, marking a significant milestone in the growth of both businesses.
The acquisition will allow Expro to expand its portfolio of cost-effective, technology-enable well construction, well intervention and integrity solutions, while Coretrax will be able to accelerate its technology application globally.
John Fraser, CEO of Coretrax, highlighted how this acquisition marks the start of a “brand-new chapter” for the company by uniting with Expro to expand its capabilities: “Completing this agreement means both organisations working in sync to take on the most complex well challenges. We are proud of our innovation-led approach, strong customer base and performance history as we join forces with Expro to create greater value for customers around the globe.”
Michael Jardon, Chief Executive Officer at Expro, added, “We expect the acquisition to accelerate the growth of Coretrax’s innovative, high value-adding drilling optimisation, well integrity and production enhancing technology solutions by leveraging Expro’s global operating footprint.”
Sea1 Offshore is the new name of the international offshore and subsea shipping company following a general meeting held earlier in May.
The formal decision was made in the wake of Kristian Siem’s withdrawal and will be accompanied by a new company logo. The company stated that crew and expertise will be transferred to the new company, even if nine of the company's vessels are taken over by Kristian Siem as part of the transaction.
Apart from this, the company has assured, it will be business as usual, although Bernt Omdal, CEO of Sea1 Offshore, has his eyes set on further growth.
“A more unified ownership structure will help to set a clearer course for the company,” Omdal explained. “We continue to operate all the vessels in our fleet, including the nine that are now owned by Siem. But we have changed the name and are replacing the logos at our offices in Brazil, Australia and Canada, and at the head office in Kristiansand.
“We are witnessing the start of a new upswing,” he continued. “We consider strengthening our fleet with several new construction vessels in order to take a larger part of the market in the offshore energy sector.”
James Fisher Decommissioning, part of James Fisher and Sons plc, has completed a significant decommissioning project in the Gulf of Thailand.
After extending the contract with a major offshore engineering, preparations, removal and disposal (EPRD) operator, the project became the largest to date for James Fisher, involving the removal of 25 offshore jackets in support of the client’s wider asset end-of-life campaign.
James Fisher was able to support the client through the expertise of its in-house decommissioning team and equipment, including abrasive waterjet cutting, hydraulic demolition shears and diamond wire saws.
To complete the multi-million-pound project, the decommissioning specialist utilised abrasive cut verification technology which ensured operations are completed successfully on the first attempt and without the need to re-evaluate the initial cut. It is estimated that, by improving efficiency of the operations in this way, cutting time was reduced by 50%.
“We pride ourselves on providing bespoke, environmentally focused solutions to overcome some of the most complex decommissioning structures faced by our customers,” Mark Stephen, Decommissioning Director for James Fisher, remarked. “This type of operation was a first for James Fisher Decommissioning in terms of jacket removal volume and duration, and we are extremely proud to have been part of the project. Utilising our strong in-house decommissioning capabilities and real-time monitoring technology, we saved valuable project time during the cutting process while ensuring the project was completed to the highest standards for our client.”
This represents the latest success for the company since the launch of the decommissioning business line.
Designed particularly for geothermal energy applications, Halliburton Company's latest product range includes the GeoESP lifting pumps, distinguished with features such as advanced submersible borehole and surface pump technology.
Developed by an in-house service called Summit ESP, these pumps cater to fluids transportation challenges. They are characterised by a unique high-flow inlet design that protects it against solids, minimises power consumption, and effectively tackles scale formation.
Keeping harsh environment in mind, these pumps have been designed with the durability to withstand temperatures up to 220°C (428°F). It is capable of resisting any range of scale, corrosion, and abrasion. With standardised pump dimensions, it is suitable for various geothermal well conditions.
In another digital innovation to geothermal well management, the Intelevate data science-driven platform generates real-time diagnostics and rich visualisations of 'smart' field data. This system improves well operations, extends system run life, minimises shutdowns, reduces energy consumption, and increases production.
"With increased global focus on low carbon energy sources, we are using our many decades of geothermal production expertise to help our customers maximise safety and improve efficiency. Our GeoESP lifting pumps build upon our current system to minimise power usage and help push the boundaries of what is possible with more complex well designs," said Greg Schneider, Vice President - Artificial Lift, Halliburton.
Working for a prominent energy company, offshore lifting solutions provider Thunder Cranes offered mobilising its small-footprint, portable modular crane on a small supply vessel to the work site.
After reaching the site, it can be rigged up, load tested, and prepared for lifting operations, all in a day, rather than going with the costly option of a barge or vessel crane, which can also render ineffectual.
While the project involved challenges from limited deck space to heavy lifting requirements, Thunder Cranes was well-equipped to tackle them with its compact, hydraulic powerpack/prime mover, TC20 stiff leg crane with a 60-ft boom length, and a 'self-lifting' package of TC's proprietary.
The choices of equipment and services by Thunder Cranes were reached post a thorough assessment of the client's lifting requirements, platform drawings, general specifications, and project timelines. This was followed by a site visit for verification, which became the basis for practical solutions.
The energy company required solutions with their offshore coiled tubing operations that involved the lifting of their CTU equipment onto their offshore platform which only had a small jib crane of 1.8-ton capacity, while the coiled tubing reel itself weighed 16 tons. Thunder Crane's modern approach with its portable-modular crane technology instead of the traditional large vessel or barge crane helped its client to optimise their logistics and enhance project uptime, while maintaining a high level of safety and cost-effectiveness.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has provided a loan to Eavor Technologies to support the commercial-scale geothermal heating project in the German state of Bavaria.
Eavor will implement its closed-loop technology, Eavor-Loop, for the first time at commercial scale in the Bavarian town of Geretsried with the help of EIB’s loan of close to €45mn. The loan comes with a guarantee by the European InvestEU programme.
The project is co-financed by Japan Bank for International Cooperation, ING Bank N.V., and Mizuho Bank Ltd, and is insured by Japan’s Export Credit Agency, Nippon Export and Investment Insurance. It qualifies as a green loan in accordance with the Loan Market Association’s Green Loan principals. The combined support amounts to €130mn. The project is also being developed with the additional support of a €91.6mn grant from the EU Innovation Fund.
The Eavor-Loop will provide heating to households and businesses in Geretsried. In addition, an on-site power station will convert the geothermal heat into electricity. Eavor intends to start heat delivery by 2026, and the Eavor-Loop has started developing a second project in Germany to supply 15-20% of the demand of district heating in Hanover.
Nicola Beer, EIB Vice President, said, “The Eavor-Loop supports the transition to a carbon-neutral energy system in Germany and helps the country to get independent form fossil fuels, while adding to energy security for the people and businesses.”
Commissioner for Climate Action, Wopke Hoekstra, commented, “Once again, we see how valuable the work of the Innovation Fund is through the funding it provides for cutting edge projects that lower emissions. Today, thanks to €45mn investment by the European Investment Bank and €91.6mn from the Innovation Fund, we are supporting the innovative geothermal technology Eavor-Loop in Bavaria, Germany.”
Daniel Molk, Executive Vice President Europe Operations, concluded, “We are impressed and honoured that, after the EU Innovation Fund, the European Investment Bank is now also co-financing our project in Geretsried. Europe has recognised that the Eavor Loop is a scalable key technology for achieving climate neutrality and significantly more energy security on this continent."
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