Latest issue of TechConnect from Baker Hughes

TROUBLE VIEWING THIS EMAIL? VIEW IT AS A WEB PAGE

Latin America Liner Drilling System in Lost-circulation Zone Saves Offshore Well, $7.5 Million in NPT An operator was unable to drill through a complex micro-fractured formation because tools and drilling fluids, including oil-based mud (OBM), were being lost in the hole. After three sidetrack attempts through the troublesome formation, the operator was considering plugging and abandoning the offshore well. Baker Hughes suggested a liner drilling solution using a TORXS™ expandable liner hanger packer system with an EZCase™ casing bit system to drill the difficult section with complete lost circulation. The operator saved $7.5 million in combined mud and nonproductive time losses by replacing standard drilling procedures with the liner drilling system. Read more Middle East High Dogleg AutoTrak eXpress™ Service Accurately Places Wellbore in Complex Hook-shaped Sidetrack A Middle East operator was faced with drilling a complex hook-shaped sidetrack profile involving a drop, turn and build. Historically, all jobs in this field were done with steerable motor assemblies, but the operator asked to have a rotary steerable system for this challenging well profile to ensure good hole quality and flawless execution of drilling, casing and cementing operations. "The formation started with interbedded hard-to-soft intervals, which was really a challenge in mitigating vibrations, especially lateral vibrations," says Wael Al-Kholy, drilling applications engineer for Baker Hughes in the UAE. "After that, the Nahr Umar shale—a well-known formation characterized by shale instability—was encountered, making it difficult to achieve doglegs. Read more US Land StimPlus Services Solve Bacteria-related Problems in Shale Gas Well, Save $735,000 in H2S Scavenging Applications Because of low hydraulic permeability, the Fayetteville shale formation requires operators to use large volume hydraulic and sand fracturing technologies (slick water fracs) to enhance gas production. As a result of the required water volume, the water used for preparation of frac fluids is often obtained from multiple sources. In one case, the frac water sources were heavily contaminated with sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and acid-producing bacteria (APB). Some water sources exhibited odor problems and blackwater (foul or sewage water). Read more Gulf of Mexico TERRA-MAX Service Saves 3.5 Days Rig Time on GOM Shelf Wells Shale instability, hole enlargement and stuck production liners due to differential sticking were common in a mature field in the Gulf of Mexico. After trying numerous mud systems with limited success, including diesel oil mud, synthetic mud and two high performance water-based mud systems, the operator used the Baker Hughes TERRA-MAX™ customized high performance water-based mud system in two of the wells. Both wells were drilled with minimal problems, no nonproductive time associated with drilling fluids or wellbore instability, saving the operator an average of 3.5 days of rig time—approximately half a million dollars for each well. Read more Latin America Kymera Hybrid Drill Bits Cut Drilling Costs in Half in Brazil Well Hard and abrasive sandstone interbedded with shale and siltstone in Brazil's Potiguar basin cause variations in rock strength that can contribute to vibration while drilling. This, in turn, can cause PDC bits to fail and tungsten carbide insert (TCI) roller cone bits to suffer from low rates of penetration (ROP). To lower the cost of drilling in this difficult formation, Baker Hughes recommended the Christensen Kymera™ hybrid drill bit, which reduced the cost per meter to drill by 50%. Read more Latin America ESP System's Record Run Life Saves $1.5 Million in Workover Costs A Baker Hughes electrical submersible pumping system (ESP) set a new field record for ESP run life in Venezuela's Boscan field. The ESP system began operation in November 1999 in an 8,732-ft (2661-m) well and served for more than 4,200 days, surpassing the average run life in this field (862 days) by 487%. Read more News Baker Hughes Adds State-of-the-Art Vessel to Deepwater Fleet Baker Hughes recently launched its state-of-the-art fracturing and stimulation vessel, the Blue Tarpon™ . The 300-ft ship, one of the world's largest stimulation vessels and the seventh vessel in the Baker Hughes fleet, is designed to provide high-rate and high-volume stimulation treatments for demanding offshore operations. Read more  High-Performance Wellbore Cleaning Reduces Risks in High-cost Environments Baker Hughes has introduced a wellbore clean-up and displacement system designed to improve efficiency and reduce operational risks in high-cost environments such as deepwater applications; horizontal, extended-reach and deviated wells; deep wells; and wells with high dogleg severity. Read more  Get Connected to the Latest Baker Hughes Technical Publications Published semiannually, the Baker Hughes Connexus magazine brings you stories that illustrate how the people in the energy industry take on difficult challenges and succeed with the right mix of technical ingenuity and fit-for-purpose products and services. To read each new issue of Connexus and other Baker Hughes publications as soon as they are published, sign up today. Creating Reservoir Value Through New Technologies Learn more about a few of the latest advanced technologies Baker Hughes has introduced to help deliver better solutions for our customers' challenges. The BJ Services SmartCare™ system is a family of superior chemistry and technology that helps to ensure underground source drinking water remains safe during the well life. The Centrilift FlexPump™ dynamic well lift system is built around new-stage technology that mitigates thrust created by scale, gas, paraffin and debris. In addition, 25% wider vane openings enable optimized flow paths for flexible electrical submersible pump operation in challenging, low-flow regimes for greater efficiency compared with radial stages. The X-Treme Clean™ XP wellbore cleanup and displacement system is a cost-effective cleanout solution for deep wells, deviated wells and deepwater applications offers reliable wellbore debris management. With the Centrilift Electrospeed Advantage™ variable speed drive, your electrical submersible pumping system can be monitored automatically and continuously from remote locations, eliminating wellsite trips. The BJ Services StimPlus™ flow assurance service combines hydraulic fracturing and production chemistry to maximize post-frac production and minimize post-frac intervention cost related to scale, organic deposition, bacteria and corrosion. Connect with us   Facebook   Forward to colleague   LinkedIn    ShareThis   Free subscription   Twitter   View last issue   Visit our website   YouTube