Energy extraction and production has been an international industry for decades. With energy demand showing no signs of slowing down, this trend continues to grow. As a result of this growth, companies who hope to achieve success moving forward must strategize on a global scale. Opportunities come and go quickly in different regions around the world, so oil and gas operators need to be prepared, equipped, and mobilized to take advantage of these situations whenever they can.
For oil and gas companies aiming to expand globally, there is no shortage of challenges. More often than not, the greatest of these are environmental and regulatory restrictions. These companies have to consider national and local laws enforced around the globe in addition to the usual obstacles and delays that are a normal part of drilling. The equipment and processes required for extraction also vary depending on location, drilling depth, soil type, and other factors.
The Power of Leverage
The lever is one of the most primitive examples of technology that we have, but it’s also a great way to represent the power of technology. The lever is a simple device that multiplies effective force by applying it over a distance. This potentially allows something small to accomplish something big.
The drilling tools we design at Drilling Innovative Solutions are a bit more complex than a basic lever, but the principles and values are still the same. We are a relatively small company in the industry, but the way we design and harness technology for our clients makes a big impact.
Customization and high quality are core values at DIS, which is why operators turn to us for the most difficult and sensitive challenges. Thanks to our commitment to sustainability and low environmental impact, we aren’t afraid of rigorous industrial standards. The versatility of our equipment also allows us to conquer difficult environmental features and achieve ambitious production goals. Our engineered solutions, like the Sentinel line of safety float valves, help clients overcome all kinds of oil and gas engineering challenges across the globe.
Drilling Tool Innovation Around the World
North Sea
Our team recently faced a combination of stringent standards and demanding production challenges during a project in the North Sea. The year-long collaboration was with a major oil and gas company as well as two multinational oilfield service companies, and was the first use of the Gatekeeper Cement Retaining Collar Inner String version in the North Sea.
This custom-made 5-inch tool was the smallest of its class to be approved for use in North Sea operations, and was successfully deployed under high temperatures and pressures. Furthermore, the standards of the North Sea are known industry-wide as perhaps the most rigorous and strictly-upheld. The Gatekeeper CRC was successfully implemented, allowing the operation to finish 9 days ahead of schedule. Not only did this save millions of dollars for the client, it was done without disrupting ongoing operations.
Gulf of Mexico
Our engineered solutions have also conquered challenges in warmer waters, including the Gulf of Mexico. We worked with a major energy provider in the Gulf to extract from a deepwater well that was about 25,000 feet deep and in 2,630 feet of water. The main challenges of this project included the engineering and design of a collar capable of activating at several different pressures: the Gatekeeper Cement Retaining Collar Plug Activated (CRCPA). A fail-safe design feature needed to be integrated as well. Since the CRCPA had never before been utilized in the field, the confidence and trust of the client was crucial to the project.
The endeavor proved to be highly successful. The client estimated that implementing the Gatekeeper CRCPA saved several days of rig time and well over a million dollars. Furthermore, the fail-safe that was integrated into the design of the tool has since become a standard feature of the Gatekeeper CRCPA, having proved that it can save significant amounts of time and money when compared to conventional cast iron bridge plugs.
Colombia
In addition to these projects, DIS recently undertook a project in Colombia. The collaboration was between two major oil and gas companies in the South American country’s offshore waters. This Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) operation from a Deepwater Drillship presented many challenges. The job required multiple Sentinel Drilling Safety Float Valves (DSFVs) of varying sizes to accommodate multiple hole sections. It represented another successful implementation of DIS technology.
Rise to the Challenge with DIS
We don’t just modernize drilling technology, we take it to the next level. Our drilling tools have withstood difficult environments, improved operational efficiency, and reduced risk in an array of international drilling operations. Our careful and customized engineering tailors solutions to fit the problem with a blend of the practical and the powerful.
Our drilling tools and solutions are designed with your end-game in mind. Our clients have to balance their investments, priorities, and management resources to hit key minimums and maximums in their production. DIS helps clients address these broader concerns through custom solutions that cut down on costs, increase value and modernize key processes.
