The news continues to flow out from the 2014 Offshore Technology Conference in Houston. One piece of news, as reported by Rigzone, is Emerson Deploys Downhole Wireless Sensor System on Statoil’s Skuld Field. From the press release:
Emerson Process Management announced Monday the successful first deployment of its Roxar Downhole Wireless PT Sensor System. The new instrument has been deployed as part of the completion on Statoil’s Skuld field in the Norwegian North Sea, where it is measuring online and in real-time pressure and temperature information from behind the casing in the subsea production well. The result for Statoil will be a tool for well integrity monitoring and offshore safety as well as adherence to Norwegian legal requirements to monitor pressure in the B annulus behind the well casing.
Terje Baustad
Product Manager
Operators such as Statoil will now have the information they need to make informed decisions on the integrity of the well casing, thereby improving control over their production operations.
This wireless pressure/temperature sensing system bridges the small gap between the well tubing and casing to confirm the pressure integrity of subsea wells. It can confirm the seals’ integrity and ensure that it remains under control by regulating the well flow.
The Roxar Downhole Wireless PT Sensor System – Annulus B is able to directly measure pressure and temperature behind the casing in subsea production wells.
As noted in the Roxar Subsea Well Integrity piece:
Cement seals behind the wellbore casing provide a barrier against the high pressures encountered deeper in the well. Poor or deteriorating cement sealing or casing collapse can lead to a loss in casing integrity, allowing oil or gas to migrate vertically towards the surface along the outside of the casing. This can result in potentially hazardous situations, especially during workover operations, where uncontrolled gas may escape at the surface. In the worst case scenarios, a shallow gas blow out might evolve due to the failed barriers in the casing systems.
This previously inaccessible pressure and temperature information from behind the casing in subsea production/injection wells, provides operators with an important new tool for well integrity monitoring.
If you’re in Houston at OTC 2014, make sure to visit the Roxar team in the Emerson booth (5817). If not, make sure to connect and interact with the team in the Oil & Gas track in the Emerson Exchange 365 community.
