Tenaris: Improved Operational Performance in Siberia
Dopeless® technology and field services: a reliable combination for the Arctic region.
Summary
A major development inside the Arctic Circle
In 2009, Tenaris supplied the operator with over 180,000m (590,000ft) of 7″ casing tubes with TenarisHydril Blue® Dopeless® connections. Tenaris also provided a broad range of associated field services, supplied onsite and by Russian specialists. Total recoverable reserves for the milestone Russian field are estimated at 520 million tons (3.7 billion barrels) of oil and 95 billion cubic meters of gas.
Field service support along with Dopeless® technology became a key combination to effectively operate in this field.
Challenges
Reaching remote locations
Working conditions are tough at any oil rig – let alone one located inside the Arctic Circle where temperatures easily drop to below -40 °C during the long winter months. The nearest town to the oil field, where 1,600 people live and work 24/7 on a rotational basis, is a five-to-ten-hour drive + helicopter + plane flight.
Given the combination of extreme weather conditions and virtual isolation, the customer was keen to incorporate products and services that would help simplify handling and installation procedures. Having to apply dope to casing and tubing connections when they are being prepared on the rig floor before running insumes more time and operational handling.
Well diagram using TenarisHydril Blue® Dopeless® technology.
Solution
Dopeless® technology provides operational and safety benefits
Premium connections coated with Dopeless® technology don’t require the application of either storage or running thread compounds. Applied at the mill through a controlled industrial process, Dopeless® is a multifunctional dry coating that allow connections to be run without any further operation at the rig. In hostile climates, reducing the amount of people around the operation, mainly leads to prevention of accidents on site, but also simplifies complex transportation and reduces costs. Less pipe handling through the use of Dopeless® becomes a significant added value.
Having to manage frozen dope (cleaning, reapplying) on casing and tubing connections when they are being prepared on the rig floor before running is a tough manual process. With this solution, connections become rig-ready, avoiding the need to clean and remove thread compound during the operation.
Local support
The operator was also interested in the field service assistance that Tenaris offers as part of a complete package that complements its tubular and premium connection products. Tenaris’s Russian team of field experts performed pre-running inspection, offered running assistance service and prepared operational reports for the customer. Throughout pre-running preparations and during the casing job itself Tenaris’s Russian field service specialists were on hand 24/7. Tenaris’s field services team, a global network of specialists that work in accordance with proven practices and guidelines, reduces risk by controlling interactions with pipe. By relying on field experts, operations are shorter and more efficient, improving the safety factor, even in hazardous conditions.
Tenaris tubes were exposed to extreme conditions in Siberia.
Results
A new level of field support and operational efficiency in the Arctic
Running Dopeless® technology at the rig becomes easier and faster in comparison to connections with dope. Dopeless® technology provided relevant savings in running time and superior operational performance. After experiencing the quality of Tenaris’s field services, the customer has made the decision to modify its supplier policy, which now demands all providers of tubular goods offer comparable levels of onsite support.
Project Profile
Location
Eastern Siberia, Russian Federation
Products highlighted
7″ production casing with TenarisHydril Blue® Dopeless®
Services provided
Pre-running inspection
Running assistance
Accessories supply
Depth
MD 4500 mts (14760 ft)
TVD 2800 mts (9180 ft)
