The upgrades will be applied to rigs in the Norwegian sector of the North sea, Deepsea Atlantic and Deepsea Nordkapp, with the opportunity to include Deepsea Stavanger, Deepsea Aberdeen, and Deepsea Yantai at a later stage.
BlueDrive DC-Grid technology
Siemens Energy’s BlueDrive DC-Grid technology was developed to meet the offshore industry’s demanding energy distribution requirements, especially for propulsion and drilling systems. It is an efficient, environmentally friendly solution that provides high levels of reliability, availability, and ease of service, with low emissions.
The solution consists of DC/DC converters connected to the existing four drilling drive DC buses from one side and to DC/DC converters connected to energy-storage systems. This allows platform operators to conduct peak shaving of drilling loads, so fewer generator sets can run at higher and steadier loads resulting in a reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions. Further, the solution increases reliability by reducing blackouts, which will prevent downtime and boost asset utilisation.
In regards to drilling applications, the Siemens Energy BlueDrive system will be an integral part of the entire drilling process, enhancing the drill string's performance when applying high torque during drilling operations.
On the Odfjell platforms
Odfjell Drilling is committed to reducing the harmful impacts its operations may have upon the environment wherever it can and is therefore pioneering the use of the BlueDrive DC-Grid technology – the first of its kind to be installed on an offshore drilling rig.
Per Lund, Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of Technology & Sustainability at Odfjell Drilling commented, “These projects are the result of asking a simple yet challenging question: ‘What would be the most efficient technological approach to minimise emissions from a rig in the short term?’ The resulting ideas were very well received by Odfjell Drilling’s customers and will contribute to their long-term emission targets, so this is business and low-emission targets working hand-in-hand.”
Jennifer Hooper, Senior Vice President of Industrial Applications Solutions for Siemens Energy added, “Our agreement with Odfjell Drilling affirms our ability to understand and deliver complete, innovative, and cutting-edge solutions in line with our customers’ expectations, which include design, engineering services, interfacing with third parties and fabrication of state-of-the-art power electronics, as well as financial advice and support.”
The long-term relationship and technology cooperation between Odfjell Drilling and Siemens Energy also includes several R&D initiatives related to power from shore or nearby platforms and floating offshore windmills to fixed platforms or rigs. These solutions will complement the Siemens Energy DC-Grid and BlueVault battery solution system and provide customers with a holistic approaches to solving their power challenges that Siemens Energy can deliver entirely.
With these upgrades, the rigs will push the boundaries for conventionally powered offshore rigs and set a new technological standard in Odfjell Drilling’s strategy towards zero-emission drilling.
According to a recent PwC survey 90% of upstream companies have begun investing in digital initiatives and research by McKinsey suggests that 70% consider digital operations at the top of their operations strategy agenda. LTI and Offshore Network hosted a webinar entitled ‘Simplifying the Journey to Industry 4.0 through "Connected X as a Service”’, as Kartik Raman Iyer Head of Delivery of Indusrial IoT at LTI, and Frode Støldal, Chief Digital Officer at Tampnet, discussed the benefits of digitalisation that the upstream oil and gas industry has begun to recognise and identified connectivity as crucial step along this journey.
Connectivity as the key
Raman began by outlining that with new advances in technology the potential to transform and optimise business within the upstream oil and gas industry is enormous and one fundamental enabling factor has been the advancements made in communication technology.
Raman commented, “If you look at the oil and gas vertical, especially with operations whether onshore or offshore, connectivity has been a challenge all along. But with advancements in connectivity there lots of possibilities opening up in terms of digital interventions. All these used cases and innovations help bring in operational efficiency and also bring in efficiency from a workforce standpoint. This helps in accelerating the entire digital transformation journey. In terms of technology trends connectivity is the backbone but beyond that you have AI, automation and analytics as well.”
Due to demand fluctuation, a current industry dynamic as a result of the pandemic, operators are increasingly seeking to strike the correct balance between production and demand, making visibility and quick action vital.
Raman continued, “Organisations need to be agile, nimble and flexible to really adapt to the changing market dynamics. Providing real time visibility of an entire operation allows necessary interventions based on insights you are getting in real time. Because of the advancement on the connectivity side there are lots of used cases emerging around convergence as well because now you have access to the right working data on the enterprise side and analytics is possible. Many of these insights you are getting will help you take decisions very fast.”
Tampnet Infrastructure
For Tampnet, connectivity is everything, and Støldal outlined his company’s role as planners, builders and operators of fiber that connects offshore assets. They have also now implemented mobile infrastructure that can extend around 50-60 km from each asset, which allows complete coverage of the entire value chain and enables faster communication along it.
He commented, “Latency is core of what we do at Tampnet, one of the reasons for this is we also have a carrier business where some of the most advanced customers in financial industry are customers of Tampnet. If you are doing trading you are obsessed with latency. So we try and assign the entire infrastructure to minimise latency.”
Støldal added that the company also provides services to introduce complete coverage over the whole of an asset, regardless of size and complexity, so that there is a connection between different use cases, be them sensors, tablets or service containers. Together with DNV GL, Tampnet conducted a complete quality assurance test of the infrastructure at a Dutch site. Støldal said, “Feedback was very very good. The survey concluded that there was less safety exposure, no helicopter flight needed, no real travel needed, no offshore presence of a surveyor needed, smaller environmental footprint, efficient time and cost, and kept company assets compliant, safe and reliable. For business cases the improvements are quite significant.”
Connected X as a Service
For a quick, simple and cost effective way to make the most of new connectivity technology and embark on the journey to Industry 4.0 Støldal and Raman recommended the Connect X as a Service. This has been developed to evaluate the range of new digital technologies on the market, provide comprehensive a assessment to identify where digital advancements can be made, and guide and maintain businesses along the path to digitalisation. To listen to the webinar recording exploring this service in more detail, click here.
Following on from the OWI Global Awards hosted at the end of 2020, Rob Potter, Strategy Director at Genoa Black, and Claire Kinloch, CEO of Genoa Black, caught up with some of the winners as they hosted the webinar entitled ‘Turning 2020 lessons and achievements into 2021 opportunities’.
2020 blockers to agility
Potter began the webinar by asking what the key blockers were to agility in 2020, and how the panellists had each worked around this in their respective company. David Carr, Senior VP of International Business at Helix Energy Solutions, noted that the biggest challenges his company faced primarily revolved around travel restrictions and the migration to online working . However, Carr was quick to note the positives, outlining that actually the biggest effect of these was the acceleration of trends that had already been building within the industry. At Helix, Carr had noticed an increased efficiency and agility from working from home (suggesting they had actually signed more contracts than previous years) and that the switch to online had levelled the playing field when it came to operator to service company negotiations as the tradition of travelling to their office had been shattered. Carr said, “No one is doubting that it was a terrible year but there was an acceleration of a lot of the changes we were expecting to see and needing to see that perhaps would not have happened otherwise”.
Echoing Carr’s sentiments on the levelled playing field, Daniele Petrone, Life of Field Solutions Manager at OneSubsea, also pointed to his company’s budgets and plans, which were suddenly thrown awry last March. The manager suggested that suddenly there was a dramatic need to be extremely flexible, adaptable and patient to work around the fluctuating circumstances. As well as thanking his customers for their continued understanding throughout the pandemic, he highlighted the heroic effort of his staff, some of whom had remained mobilised offshore for more than a year without coming home. For Petrone, 2020 had revealed the importance of collaboration, both within the company and at an industrial level, as key to success.
Positive initiatives from 2020
Kinloch introduced the next question, enquiring what the best initiatives put into place in 2020 were and how these can be taken forward and replicated. For Andy Myers, Subsea Director of Oil Spill Response Limited, the most important steps taken in 2020 for his company were all around digitalisation. For a response company, it was paramount to demonstrate that they had the capabilities to respond as quickly as possible, even in the disrupted circumstances, and this prompted a real look into the digital tools that could offer optimal performance, prioritising fast communication above all. Through developments such as a dashboard on their website and investments into user interfaces the company sought to enhance interactions with their clients and ensure people were fully aware how they could respond to any incident. Myers commented, “A lot of this stuff was a reaction but will continue as there is a lot of positives to be taken from them. A lot of the tools will be maintained because they are cost-effective”
Carr admitted that the majority of the initiatives that came to fruition last year for his company, such as the decision to move some business to offshore renewables, were actually started prior to the pandemic, but they paid dividends and meant that much of their business was still utilised. The VP did however pick out that COVID brought into sharp focus the need to stay on top of the safety of his crews, and that it prompted a drive to monitor not only the physical health (with a new biological mindset) but also the mental health of employees.
Benefits of collaboration
For the third and final question, Potter asked what benefits were found in the increased collaboration that each panellist had witnessed within their company. In his line of work, Myers stated that no single company can provide a full oil spill response on their own, it is therefore more efficient and makes fiscal sense to work in collaboration with others, and this was a lesson that nearly all of the offshore industry had taken on board in 2020. He claimed that the shared experience of switching to online working, and the ease of communication that this has opened up, has made people far more open to collaboration than perhaps they have been in the past.
Petrone added to this as he said, “Collaboration has been key to any projects actually happening - even the operation for which we won the award wouldn’t have been possible without collaboration within our company and with our partner Helix. Some jobs would just simply not fly from an economic standpoint. That has been the key”.
Concluding the session, Kinloch identified that collaboration, which will open up companies to new ideas and pull in more diverse teams; digitalisation, which has given many companies the ability to reach more markets and re-balanced some of the relationships within the industry; and diversification, which can be used as a tool to cover all bases and give businesses the resilience to survive; were the key lessons to embrace and take into 2021. She said, “There has been an immense amount of change over the last 12 months. The biggest question moving forward is around managing this change and understanding what this has done to our culture, not just at an industry level but also how we operate within our own business. It is something that we will all have to catch up on and ask ourselves how can we use the pandemic now to our advantage”.
Spirit Energy has announced it will drill a new well in the Grove North East area which, if successful, could extend the life of the Grove field by five years to 2028.
Neil McCulloch, Executive Vice President of Technical and Operated Assets at Spirit Energy, commented, “The infill well is planned to target the un-appraised north-eastern limb of the Grove field and has the potential of delivering 4.2 million barrels of oil equivalent net additional reserves. Further, it could add five new years to the life of the Grove field and improve the prospect of additional opportunities in the area.”
Options available:
Several concept solutions have been studied, including horizontal, simple vertical and platform deviated wells, subsea tie-back concepts as well as an appraisal well before the development well from the platform.
McCulloch said: “Based on the subsurface, well technical complexity, value and strategic fit criteria, we have decided on a platform deviated well. We believe this is the optimal way forward and a robust well design has been developed – our team is experienced in drilling similar wells in the Southern North Sea, including other wells in the Grove area.”
Maersk Resolve:
The development well will be drilled by the harsh-environment, Gusto-engineered MSC CJ50 jack-up rig ‘Maersk Resolve’, which recently completed a campaign offshore the Netherlands. Operator, Maersk Drilling, was awarded the contract worth around US$11.3mn with additional services of mobilisation, demobilisation and an option to add plugging and abandonment of one well.
Morten Kelstrup, Chief Operating Officer of Maersk Drilling, commented, “We are excited to be able to build on our relationship with Spirit Energy with our first UK well for the customer, for whom we previously completed a highly successful subsea development campaign in Norway. We will surely be able to continue our close collaboration and mutual focus on operational excellence, and in addition the campaign at Grove will benefit from Maersk Resolve’s experience with safely and efficiently drilling challenging Zechstein formations as part of the rig’s latest assignment in Dutch waters.”
Drilling is scheduled to start in Q1 2021, with production expected to begin by Q3 2021. Alistair Macfarlane, Area Manager for SNS & EIS at the Oil and Gas Authority, said, “After a challenging time for the industry in 2020, we welcome this positive news for the basin, with activity at the Grove field bringing opportunities for the UK’s supply chain.”
Corvus Energy has received an order from Wärtsilä for four Energy Storage Systems (ESS) for the offshore support vessel fleet operated by Harvey Gulf.
Wärtsilä will integrate the battery-based ESSs, each with a capacity of 745kWh, into their LNG-fueled hybrid-electric propulsion system. The ESS and Wärtsilä Energy Management System (EMS) will allow the vessels to operate in dynamic position mode on a single engine augmented by battery power, to operate more efficiently in transit and other operational modes, and to operate on battery-power only when stationary.
Harvey Gulf CEO, Shane Guidry, commented, “This fleet of vessels will be crucial in assisting our clients’ efforts to achieve net carbon zero, and we will continue to listen to them and invest in technology that will assist with their goals.”
Its robust design, high C-rate and proven performance makes Corvus Energy’s Orcas Energy ESS the ideal fit for the critical role it serves meeting demanding load profiles on the offshore platform supply vessels.
“We are very proud and pleased to be selected again by Harvey Gulf and Wärtsilä,” said Sveinung Odegard, Vice President Sales North America and President of Corvus Energy, USA. “Our technology, understanding of customer needs and commitments towards lifecycle support is again being acknowledged by receiving this order. We look forward to continuing serve the integrator and vessel owner in the years to come.”
The four LNG-battery hybrid vessels will be fitted with the 1100VDC – 745kWh ESSs in 2021 and are expected to go into service in early 2022.
With the energy industry suffering a shock in 2020, many sectors are still reeling and full economic recovery looks a long way off. However, last year revealed an increasing emphasis on clean energy, with governments, industry and investors doubling down on their commitments to curb climate change. In such times optimising energy efficiency and reducing emissions is paramount and currently more than 50% of the world’s hybrid and zero-emission vessels are equipped with Corvus ESSs.
Causes of a wellbore influx:
Safe Influx Ltd has been granted a patent by the UK Patent Office covering its Automated Well Control technology including a wide range of modules using the same technology.
If the formation pressure exceeds hydrostatic pressure in a wellbore it can result in an undesirable flow of formation fluid, called a wellbore influx. This is caused by factors such as human error, abnormal pressure, light density fluid in the wellbore, and lost circulation. If the influx deteriorates, this could potentially escalate into a blowout which could threaten lives, contaminate the environment and incur severe financial loss.
The Automated Well Control technology:
The patent granted to Safe Influx recognises the ability of their Automated Well Control system to detect the presence of a fluid influx condition in a wellbore, make a decision against criteria to shut-in, and then automatically initiate an initial well control protocol that results in the well being safely shut-in.
The Safe Influx Automated Well Control system enables fast identification, decision-making and reaction to well control events. This technology is capable of reducing the size of an influx compared to conventional techniques, and this means a reduction in delays, costs and operational issues in getting back to drilling. Additionally, the confidence obtained with reliably smaller influxes can lead to much more efficient well designs, leading to an estimated 15-20% saving in well costs.
Implications for the industry:
Bryan Atchison, Co-founder and Managing Director at Safe Influx, commented, “I believe that applying automation in well control represents a step change in the area of process safety. Implementing this novel technology allows faster decision making, and significantly reduced well control risks and costs. The system’s ability to detect and automatically initiate and complete the vitally important well control protocol without manual intervention will represent a much-needed step change for the industry. With the technology behind this patent, we are able to provide a system with unique capabilities unavailable from any other company.”
At the end of 2020, Safe Influx conducted a report analysing the frequency of blowouts in the Gulf of Mexico, concluding that these are still occurring and that there is much evidence to suggest human error is a key factor in many of these incidents. With the introduction of Automated Well Control Safe Influx aims to eradicate human error leading to blowouts, which could potentially reduce the frequency of such catastrophic events across the globe.
Following the approval of the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway, Equinor have retained the services of the Wellserver light intervention vessel, owned by Island Offshore.
Since its construction in 2008, the ship has been almost exclusively in use by Equinor (previously Statoil when it was first acquired) and it is now entering its twelfth year of service with the option to extend the contract for another three years. The vessel is suited for a number of tasks including construction work, subsea installation work, securing of wells, trenching, P&A work, tower and module handling, crane work, and has carried out more than 250 well interventions for Equinor.
A spokesperson from Island Offshore commented, “We are very pleased with the consent for the continued use of Island Wellserver. This year we avoided winter lay-up for the vessel as Equinor will be using it throughout the winter. Normally the campaign commences in April, so this is positive for us and for the crew in particular.”
This consent allows for the operation of the vessel on fields in the Norwegian Sea, Barents Sea, and North Sea and comes as Equinor marked the end of 2020 with a flurry of activity in these areas:
-The Norwegian company and its licence partners agreed to provide NOK3bn to improve operations on the North Sea Statfjord Øst field. This investment will result in the drilling of four new wells from existing subsea templates, modifications for the Statford C platform and a new pipeline for gas lift. As a result of this project, Equinor expects the recovery factor to increase from 56% to 62%, improving recovery by 23mmbbl. The production start is scheduled for 2024.
-The Snorre Expansion Project commenced production which will add nearly 200mmbbl of recoverable oil reserves and extend the life of the Snorre field through to 2040. Expected in Q1 2021 the project was completed ahead of schedule, with 11 wind powered turbines to power the Snorre and Gullfaks fields expected in Q3 2022.
-Alongside its licence partners, Equinor awarded a NOK500mn contract to hook-up the fifth platform on the John Sverdup field to Aker Solutions. The processing platform is currently under construction with installation on the field to begin in 2022, and the project is expected to employ around 1,200 people across three offshore shifts.
With the continued procurement of the Island Wellserver vessel it appears Equinor is looking to start 2021 as it finished 2020, promoting positive activity despite the challenging times.
Genoa Black caught up with Craig Feherty, Director of FiberLine Technology (FLI) at Well-SENSE, to discuss their new product after it burst onto the market last year and subsequently received the award of Most Impactful Technology at the OWI Global Awards 2020.
FLI is an intervention system for downhole data acquisition which enables the operator to perform high-quality well surveys faster than ever before. It employs single-use bare fibre-optic lines for distributed temperature and acoustic sensing, placing them directly into the wellbore from surface to total depth.
This compact and lightweight technology does not rely on the use of rigs, wireline, sickline or coiled tubing for deployment - reducing cost, risk and time taken for well intervention, while still providing a dynamic picture of a well over time. Only one engineer is needed to deploy the system and it can be used for a number of different applications.
Behind the projects success:
Feherty reflected on why the product has received so much attention over the last year. He commented, “We have been running the technology for a couple of years, developing it, trialling it, making it commercial. We knew all along it was something important for the market, that will enable well surveillance to be carried out more efficiently. Over the last year FLI has delivered impressive field results."
When asked what value the FLI system brings to customers, Feherty responded, “One struggle for the industry is efficient data collection of the right type - understanding what is happening within assets, how they are performing and where things are going wrong that may be put right. Standard intervention methods can be costly and have not evolved much over time.
“We have approached this from different angle - how to give our customers faster, richer data sets and reduce the risks that especially offshore interventions can carry. All the way through our development we have tried to address the problem of gathering more meaningful data using a simpler technique. By doing so you minimise the risk. Our product is capturing such rich data sets that it gives our customers much more of an understanding of what is going on within their well, which in turn allows them to make decisions fast. And it is delivered at a very affordable price.
Why recognition was significant:
The FLI Director continued by observing that the company is a small team that has evolved from humble beginnings, mainly through determination. He noted, “It is not easy bringing a new product to market, especially something as different as ours. Developing and building the business up, really is a true reflection on the hard work of our team and the commitment we have had. We have always known that this would be something quite special and it is only through perseverance that you get there. It is the icing on the cake that the hard work that we have committed to, and the work we have done in partnership with our customers, has been recognised by these awards.”
Reflecting on 2020:
2020 was a difficult year for every company across the oil and gas industry and Feherty did not shy away from addressing the obstacles Well-SENSE had faced. He admitted, “I won’t lie and say it hasn’t been a challenge. It has been a challenge for all of us with a lot of uncertainties about. But I think, if anything, it gives us more pride in what we are doing.
“We have had a tough year, but we have ridden through it and with the commercial benefits FLI can offer, we still have a fantastic level of customer engagement, enquiries and orders. We are still growing and that is a testament in itself that, even in challenging times, a small, dedicated team with a great product designed to deliver value, can really make a difference.”
Looking ahead to 2021:
Finally, the FLI Director turned to the future as he concluded, “I would like to say the plans will be bigger and better next year, and of course they are, but really it is keeping to the same path we are on. We are seeing demand growing for our services and our technology and we look to continue servicing that throughout 2021. The more we do, the more we can prove how FLI can make big wins for our customers and we only see that as being fruitful. As a team we are really excited for the next 12 months. 2021 will be a new beginning for all of us, but we are starting in a great position, and we are expecting big things.”
Dedication and perseverance appear to have paid off for Well-SENSE with the recognition from the OWI Awards judging panel, with one of the expert judges noting that the FLI system is ‘giving operators new options’. The new technology is a much needed innovative boost for the industry and is fast becoming the first choice well surveillance and diagnostic tool across the sector.
Global energy company Eni has signed a concession agreement for the acquisition of a 70% stake in the Exploration Offshore Block 3, leading a consortium including a wholly owned subsidiary of Thailand’s PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited (PTTEP).
Under the terms of the agreements, Eni will operate the concession to explore for oil and gas and appraise the existing discoveries in the block, which covers an area of approximately 11,660 sq km. The exploration phase of the agreement has a maximum period of up to 9 years. Subject to successful exploration, an overall concession term will extend to 35 years, from commencement of the exploration phase, for development and production phases in which ADNOC has the option to hold a 60% stake.
3D seismic data has already been acquired for a part of the block, which is in close proximity to existing large oil and gas producing and under development fields, and that is estimated to have a promising potential.
His Excellency Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and ADNOC Group CEO, said, “This concession award reinforces ADNOC and Eni’s growing partnership across our value chain and deepens our relationship with Thailand’s PTTEP, one of the key markets for our crude oil and products. Despite volatile market conditions, we are making very good progress in delivering Abu Dhabi’s second competitive block bid round, underscoring our world-class resource potential and the UAE’s stable and reliable investment environment.”
Claudio Descalzi, Eni CEO, commented, “This award follows the one achieved by the same consortium in 2019 for offshore exploration Blocks 1 and 2 and represents a further important step towards the realisation of Eni’s strategy to become a leading actor in the development and production in Abu Dhabi. It also further strengthens our relationship with our valuable partner PTTEP. Offshore Block 3 represents a challenging opportunity that can unlock significant value thanks to exploration and appraisal of shallow and deep reservoirs.”
Eni has been present in Abu Dhabi since 2018 with a 10% stake in the Umm Shaif and Nasr Offshore concession plus a 5% stake in the Lower Zakum concession as well as 25% stake in Ghasha concession that is approaching final FID. Current equity production is around 50,000 bpd, in line with the current quotas agreed by OPEC+ members.
The acquisition of the Exploration Offshore Block 3 is the latest step in Eni’s 2017 strategy to geographically diversify its portfolio which has seen the company expand operations in several Middle Eastern countries with a focus on the Arabian Peninsula. This plan is aimed at strengthening the resilience of the business, and so far it appears to have paid off as the consolidated results from their Q3 2020 report reveal the company has exceeded market expectations. They have achieved production levels in line with predictions, maintained a steady cash flow of more than EU€5bn, and kept leverage below 30%.
Genoa Black connected with Wouter Mezger, Commercial Director at Barge Master, as they discussed the recent success of the Deep Water Floating Drill Operation after the project claimed Most Innovative Solution at the OWI Global Awards 2020.
The Barge Master Deep Water Floating Drill Operation uses motion capture to eliminate vessel motions, allowing the operation of machinery with the same precision as onshore even in adverse weather conditions By integrating their BM-T700 motion compensation platform and the reverse circulation drill rig from Large Diameter Drilling (LDD) Barge Master has completed the installation of seven anchor mooring piles for a Catenary Anchor Leg Mooring (CALM) Buoy as well as a world first: drilling operations from a diving support and construction vessel in water depths of more than 270m.
Behind the projects success:
Mezger opened by thanking the judging panel for their decision and commented, “We think it has been recognised because typically drilling of this kind is usually carried out by a Jack-up barge [which are typically expensive to mobilise, hard to manoeuvre and limited by water depth and soil conditions]. We are filling in the gap. By integrating the motion compensated platform with an existing well intervention drill unit or technology a new innovative safe solution was developed which can be implemented on many other projects, moving the whole industry forward.”
When asked about the value this holds for customers Mezger responded, “The method of operation and the combined approach of using the Barge Master motion compensated platform and existing drill rig or intervention unit will bring great value to the oil and gas market and opens up new possibilities to perform well intervention on offshore wells in a safe and efficient way.
“The set up is a big step not just for the oil and gas market but throughout the marine industry where typical well intervention methods used by jack-up barges are not feasible in these water depths and require the need for a more costly floating drilling solution. We can bring a new cost effective solution that achieves the same end result.”
Why recognition was significant:
Mezger continued by commenting that receiving the award was recognition for the project and the team that had worked so hard on innovative solutions and confirmed the company’s belief in the product.
Reflecting on 2020 and looking to the future:
The Commercial Director considered the lessons learnt across 2020 and how the company is preparing for 2021, he stated, “Our priority is always safety first. It is embedded in the culture of our organisation both in the office and operations offshore. In 2020 we faced some challenges. Implementing a new technology, we felt the ability to travel and showcase the product to the customers, with the ongoing activities, has made bringing this new solution to the market rather hard. For 2021 we have learnt to focus and target specific markets for our applications.”
There are no suggestions that the success of the Water Floating Drill Operation will dry up any time soon, with the OWI Awards judges noting that it is a ‘world’s first that is flexible for a wide range of operations’. Certainly Mezger believes the future is bright as he concluded, “With the award we have received industry recognition that will help us reach out to a broader spectrum of clients and help them open up even more to this new innovative solution.”
At the OWI Global Awards 2020, Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL) claimed Best Example of Collaboration for the Subsea Well Response Project (SWRP) and so Genoa Black sat down with Andy Myers, SWIS Director at OSRL, to discuss the enterprise in more detail.
The SWRP was established in 2011 as a non-profit joint initiative between several major oil and gas corporations to improve the industry’s ability to respond to sub-sea well control incidents. The four objectives of the project were to; develop a capping toolbox to allow wells to be shut in; produce the Subsea Incident Response Toolkit (SIRT) for site survey, debris clearance, BOP intervention and subsea dispersant; collaborate on an international deployment mechanism so equipment could be readily available to the wider industry; and determine the feasibility of a global containment system.
Oil Spill Response Limited has collaborated with the SWRP since its conception and today offers subscribers access to equipment, planning support, exercise assistance and training services as well as facilitating the Global Subsea Response Network (GSRN) to enhance well response capabilities for the industry.
Behind the project's success:
Speculating why the project was chosen by the judges, Myers commented, “This award recognised delivery of SWIS equipment and quite rightly so. That was a huge milestone for the industry. But there is a journey that everyone is on in order to ensure that they are maintaining the response readiness. We are collaborating not only with those members and subscribers but also more widely with companies that we work closely with to help provide a comprehensive service for the subscribers.
“We helped to facilitate the Global Subsea Response Network and participants in that help to provide the comprehensive service. Some of the key participants are; Wild Well Control, the OEMs of the equipment such as Trendsetter Engineering and Oceaneering; and other companies such as Wood - all recognisable names. But we helped to facilitate access to all of those resources to ensure; a comprehensive integrated planning service; to be prepared; but also, in a response, the access to the resources that would be needed.
Why recognition was significant:
When asked what the recognition meant to OSRL, Myers said, “Collaboration is at the core of the company’s business. We are a member owned company and consortium. It really is part of our basis and part of our premise. We are not a traditional commercial organisation. It is good to be recognised as it re-iterates the purpose of our company and why we exist which is to help facilitate that collaboration and ensure everyone is ready to respond if required.
Lessons learned from 2020:
2020 has been difficult for everyone and has thrown up challenges that simply could not have been foreseen this time last year. Myers acknowledged a similar story within his company but preferred to look at the positives, noting that such times opens opportunities and there is now a chance to use the tools that have been developed to embark on a more positive approach moving forward.
Looking ahead to 2021:
A postiive outlook is at the heart of OSRL’s plan for 2021, and Myers concluded, “Into 2021 the key focus area for our subsea business is really related to the global subsea response network and we want to do more to formalise that. We want to do more work to promote it so the industry understands its capability and we hope to grow it in specific areas. We want to look at how that network delivers integrated planning services and a comprehensive response for the industry.”
As the oil and gas industry struggles to mitigate the economic damage caused by COVID-19, voices across the sector have suggested that increased collaboration will be vital for recovery in 2021. Receiving the OWI Award for Best Example of Collaboration has therefore come at a significant time, with the judges labelling the SWRP project as ‘huge for the industry’, and hopefully this will set a precedent that will lead to more cooperation in the future.
After claiming the prize for HSE Innovation at the OWI Global Awards 2020, Kristell Nygård, Operations Manager at TIOS, spoke with Genoa Black to discuss the resounding success of their Transfer Hose Hang Off Unit and their plans to build on this in 2021.
In combination with a Stimulation Vessel the Transfer Hose Hang Off Unit has proven to enhance safety, efficiency and operability during Riserless Light Well Intervention operations. Nygård noted how the new hanger system, in action this year, had eliminated a whole range of problems that were experienced on previous campaigns. These include; the use of crane operations (which required time); human presence on the hose hanger system (where previously engineers had to climb up the hanger system); and repeated connection and disconnecting of pumping lines (now just one connection is needed with testing only required each time the vessel arrives onto the site).
The system also allowed control of operation from a safe distance (with the option to use the control panel so people do not have to be close to the equipment); increased distance between the two vessels; and it also significantly extended the weather operating windows for operations resulting in a saving of approximately 18 hours per well.
On what separates the unit from the rest of the market, Nygård commented, “It is the manual handling that is reduced to a minimum. It is also a great wholesale unit that you can replace anywhere. As it has a small footprint, you can put it on a fixed platform on any vessel you like.”
Nygård also spoke on the importance of recognition, “It is good that all the teamwork we are doing is getting recognised as TIOS is a small company. We are trying to come up with new great ideas to make well intervention jobs more achievable in days instead of weeks. We like to do things faster, better and with increased operational ability.”
“We had a challenge when oil prices dropped. Well intervention is more about contract to contract, when the price goes down sometimes companies pull out of contracts and the jobs stop. It was a challenging year but we have achieved more and more,” Nygård added and thanked the continued support from companies within the sector.
Concluding, Nygård looked ahead to 2021, “We have now gone into business with the same oil company and the same equipment to perform one more acid job this year. We are going to stimulate two more wells for the same company. Also, this time we will be able to pump balls through the system for the first time enabling us to do more with the new hosing system. The same company would like us to perform more of the same job next year so actually this gives us more jobs. For the hose hanger system there are other companies who want to use it as well.”
The Transfer Hose Hang Off Unit was a worthy winner of the OWI 2020 HSE Innovation prize, marking a notable advancement in safety and operability for the industry, and it appears that TIOS has every intention to build on this success as it heads into 2021.
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