Baker Hughes TechConnect

Special cement design helps sidetrack well on first attempt, saves rig time A nonconventional cement plug engineered by Baker Hughes enabled an Egyptian operator to sidetrack an 8 ½-in. hole section on the first attempt, saving significant rig time. When drilling in difficult formations and environments, it is not uncommon for the drillstring to become mechanically stuck in the wellbore, leading either to a "twist-off" or a deliberate severing of the bottomhole assembly (BHA) close to bottom. "Either way," says Sherif Shaban, Baker Hughes Senior Cementing Engineer, "it then becomes necessary to sidetrack the well around the fish to continue with the drilling process. To do this, a cement plug must be set above the fish, and it must be hard enough to cause the next drill bit to deviate sideways into the new formation and away from the fish." Read more Reservoir Characterization eXplorer™ saves 24 hours in rig time Baker Hughes deployed the Reservoir Characterization eXplorer™ (RCX™) wireline service in a North Sea well where pipe-conveyed logging was not an option and saved the operator up to 24 hours in rig time. The operator needed to obtain well pressure samples where formation pressures varied from 9,430 psi to 15,950 psi (65 MPa to 110 MPa) and wellbore temperatures reached 363°F (184°C). Read more H2prO™ service reduces water transportation, storage costs by 23% Baker Hughes developed a customized solution for an operator that enabled reuse of produced and flowback water in a hydraulic fracturing fluid, lowering overall operating expenses by 12% and transportation and storage costs by 23% on just one stage of a 10-stage fracturing operation. Pretreatment water analysis indicated highly variable levels of emulsified and free oil, suspended solids and iron, and a low pH level. "The solution met the water quality requirements necessary for reuse in hydraulic fracturing and included the H2prO™ HMS and SR systems for heavy metals and solids removal plus just enough chemical to maintain the optimal pH," says Kushal Seth, Water Management Application Engineering Lead. Read more Chemical deliquification improves production in offshore gas well by 30% Liquid loading and the resulting high-pressure drops in a gas well and in the 14-in. (35.5-cm) subsea line connecting two production platforms offshore Italy were leading to significant gas production losses. Working with the operator, who had been regularly pigging the subsea transport line to mechanically remove the loading, Baker Hughes provided a less labor-intensive and a more cost-effective solution to the problem. "A foamer can and will help increase gas production in gas wells that produce too much water and when the gas velocity is not high enough to transport the water out of the well," says Peter Schorling, Operations Manager for Continental Europe. "If this is happening, the kinetic energy of the well is not high enough and the well becomes 'liquid loaded.' The foamer decreases the specific weight of the water and makes it possible to transport the water out of the well with the low kinetic energy/gas velocity." Read more Single-application scavenger eliminates solids in shale gas tower, saves USD 90,000 Baker Hughes developed a new hydrogen sulfide (H2S) scavenger platform for an operator in the Haynesville Shale in Louisiana that saved more than USD 70,000 in annualized operating costs during a one-month field trial. It also eliminated the chemical pumps and tanks for scale inhibitor and methanol injection for a one-time cost savings of USD 20,000. The operator's gas well was producing 300 ppm of H2S. To meet specifications to ship gas through a pipeline, the H2S levels have to be 50 ppm or less. In addition, the operator had to scavenge the H2S to 0¬3 ppm to avoid deposition of intractable spent triazine solids. Read more Baker Hughes drills out 79 composite plugs in two wells with one mill Baker Hughes applied its METAL MUNCHER™ AMT milling technology to mill out 79 composite plugs in two wells in one trip, eliminating nonproductive time and substantially reducing rig time. The operator, drilling an unconventional oil well in the Bakken shale, had run two plug-and-perf completions. After drilling the deviated horizontal wellbores, the operator ran a 4½-in., 11.6-lb casing to depth. Next, the operator set 43 composite frac plugs in one 9,500 ft (2896 m) horizontal wellbore and 36 in the second wellbore, and then successfully fractured each zone. Read more News Water-based fluid improves shale drilling The LATIDRILL™ water-based drilling fluid system helps operators enhance wellbore quality and increase drilling efficiency in extended lateral sections in unconventional shale plays. The LATIDRILL system is more environmentally favorable than oil-based fluid systems and offers the hole stability and superior drilling speed and performance normally associated with invert emulsion systems. Read more  Baker Hughes extends SmartCare family of environmental solutions Baker Hughes has added drilling and completion fluids, production chemicals, and additives used in cementing and stimulation operations to its SmartCare™ family of environmentally responsible solutions, becoming the first oilfield services company to apply a comprehensive, standardized environmental assessment process to products beyond those used in hydraulic fracturing. The expansion gives operators greater confidence that the chemicals they deploy have been thoroughly qualified to meet existing and anticipated regulations-without sacrificing performance. Read more  Advanced metal milling structures line expands The METAL MUNCHER™ AMT (advanced milling technology) cutters achieve greater efficiency and longer runs with cutting and milling systems used for casing exits and wellbore intervention. Clean and efficient milling operations help operators reduce risks and prevent nonproductive time. The new cutting structures, featuring insert shapes and metallurgies customized for specific applications, provide more efficient cutting and enhanced durability and impact resistance, resulting in longer runs and fewer trips. Read more  Get connected to the latest Baker Hughes customer 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