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DEMO2000-Prosj.ret tekn.utv. petro.virk

Demonstrasjon av Hydrophilic Probe

Alternative title: Hydrophilic Probe Demonstration

Awarded: NOK 10.0 mill.

Project Number:

309444

Application Type:

Project Period:

2020 - 2022

The Hydrophilic Probe is a new tool for the oil industry. It may lead to more efficient and environmentally friendly appraisal of new discoveries. When a discovery - oil or gas - is made it is often difficult to know the size. Is it big enough for development? If the oil/water-contact is not found in the discovery well additional wells will have to be drilled in order to learn the true size of it. Drilling such appraisal wells are both time consuming, costly and impacts the environment. The Hydrophilic Probe measures the pressure in the thin film of water on the grain surfaces inside the oil reservoir. This pressure can be used to calculate the vertical distance to the oil/water contact. Measurements like this have never before been available to the oil industry. One of the reasons for exploration wells to be vertical is the wish to find the important oil/water contact. In the future we can envision the drilling of long horizontal exploration wells with spot measurement of the distance down to the oil/water contact when in doubt. The same type of technology can be adapted to fields in production to observe where water is approaching. This can give valuable information about where to place future producers. (A new company "HYDROTELL AS" was established in September 2020 to develop this type of surveillance technology for field in the development and production phase.) The Hydrophilic Probe technology have the potential to make the oil industry more efficient, more profitable and more environmentally friendly. The project has taken approximately one year longer to complete than originally planned. The critical important tip of the probe have been produced in several versions and a robust solution have been identified. Quality assurance tests have been established to check that the oil barrier is maintained at oil over-pressures exceeding 10 bar - while water can pass through unrestricted. The technical solutions of the tool has been thoroughly reviewed and revised resulting in several simplifications and improvements. Testing of component and modules for the Hydrophilic Logging Tool have progressed almost as planned during 2021, but has been somewhat delayed due to delayed delivery of components. An Ullrigg-demonstration of the tool was successfully carried out August 2022. Onshore testing was approved as completed January 2023 after a series of tests in a specially built test chamber at Aarbakke Innovation (Bryne). Offshore testing will happen in cooperation with Equinor during 2023. Commercial service is expected to become available in 2024.

Den nye HLT teknologien muliggjør raskere, rimeligere og mer miljøvennlig volumberegning av olje og gass volumer i undergrunnen. Landtesting av prototypeverktøyet er gjennomført. Testing i felt gjenstår før den kommersielle tjenesten kan tilbys. Equinor og Wintershall Dea bidrar til gjennomføring av felttesting.

Prosjektet skal demonstrere en ny målemetode som gjør det mulig å bestemme størrelsen på et funn fra selve funnbrønnen selv når den viktige hydrokarbon/vannkontakten («gulvet» i reservoaret) ikke blir gjennomboret. Metoden består av et nytt nedihullsverktøy for måltaking, samt utvikling av en simulator som skal gi beslutningsstøtte til operatør før, under og etter selve måltakingen. Metoden vil kunne kutte behovet for boring av avgrensningsbrønner og sidesteg som bores for å finne vannkontakten med 80-90%. Og svarene vil kunne presenteres samme dag. Prosjektet representerer således store økonomiske og miljøbesparelser, der operatørenes egne kalkulasjoner viser at for for hvert sidesteg/avgrensningsbrønn en borer sparer en miljøet med: Sidesteg: 1442 tonn CO2, 18 tonn NOx og 150 tonn borekaks. Avgrensningsbrønn: 3329 tonn CO2, 42 tonn NOx, 12-2000 tonn Borekaks og 900 tonn kjemikalier. Utslipp knyttet til helikoptertransport, supply- og standby skip er ikke medberegnet. Gitt 2015-nivå for leting på norsk sokkel, vil det akkumulert utgjøre i underkant av 50.000 tonn CO2 årlig. Utover besparelser i kapitalkostnad med kortere tid fra funn til felt, vil en kutte kostnadene for hvert sidesteg spart med 80%, mens besparelsen for hver avgrensningsbrønn som ikke bores er hele 90%.

Funding scheme:

DEMO2000-Prosj.ret tekn.utv. petro.virk