FEATURE: Drilling & Completion
IGOR KOCIS, CEO, GA DRILLING Pipeline Magazine: How does PLASMABIT Milling technology help owner operators such as NOCs and IOCs across the Middle East? Generally speaking, our plasma-based technology is the step forward to the next generation of well intervention and completion operations. It is based on high energy electrical plasma able to disintegrate and totally remove casing and cement in various well intervention operations associated with integrity issues. In the Middle East region, the technology is suitable mainly for slot recovery enabling fast-track conductor recovery where significantly long casing sections need to be milled. At least 3,000 ageing conductor assets are expected to be recovered in the GCC and we see clear opportunity to prolong operations beyond their original design life. NOCs and IOCs interested in the use of PLASMABIT Milling can obtain several benefits including multi-casing milling in fewer trips and improved fluid management due to tiny cuttings produced as milled material instead of large swarf or debris. PLASMABIT Milling can easily remove particles from annulus whilst they do not make any restrictions on the BOP. Additionally, PLASMABIT Milling is fast and precisely deployable when using smart infrastructure, mainly light intervention vessel sand coiled tubing units. Similar advantages can also be delivered in other derived applications such as multilateral side-tracking, pipe recovery, fishing stuck equipment or replacement of damaged casing. PLASMABIT Milling technology will be tested in real condition at the field in 2016 and commercialised within the following year. PM: What brought on the decision to open up a permanent base in the region? We found out that the Incubator in Masdar City provides the best conditions for transferring scientific know-how into functional applications. Masdar City has positioned itself as the meeting place of R&D activities and attracts new entries to the Middle East market, mainly innovative companies like us. GA Drilling has a strong technology background, whereby this intellectual property portfolio consists of 12 international patents. Our business strategy aims at tapping into
28
Pipeline AUGUST/2015
oil and gas centres. In this aspect, we are actively present in the North Sea and we see great importance to bring new technologies to GCC as well. Applications based on electric plasma energy embody hidden potential and may completely open new possibilities to our partners. In collaboration with them, we wish to develop and customise these applications allowing more economical and stable well intervention and completion in order to achieve effective exploration of their oil and gas resources. The Masdar branch will serve as a permanent base for the whole GCC region and help us in spreading the awareness of new groundbreaking technology available in the region. PM: How do you intend to develop your business here? In autumn 2013, we started to cooperate with an important oil and gas operator in Saudi Arabia that supported our technology development and significantly helped us to know the GCC and its specifics. In a very short period of time we were able to commence business negotiations on possible long-term cooperation with several companies in the region, mostly in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Oman. At this point of time, we are in intensive dialogue with the operator that is involved in the infrastructure operation that PLASMABIT applications are targeting. PM: Which organisations (and types of organisations) are you mainly targeting in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)? The NOCs operators are on the top of the list that would benefit from the simplicity of our applications, as they reflect the governments’
www.pipelineme.com
long-term desires for their countries. We also focus on the end users of our technology; mainly oilfield service providers, who may customise our tailored solutions when bearing in mind geology, specific environment and regional conditions. We seek collaboration with equipped research institutions or universities, e.g. KAUST, King Saud University or IRENA. In terms of local manpower, our fair intention is to engage them to direct development of PLASMABIT technology. Together, we can contribute to the knowledge economy of host countries. PM: How do you believe GA Drilling differentiates itself from competitors? From the beginning, the idea was to allow structural simplification of the target operations, and thus to make significant time savings possible. The main difference is that PLASMABIT can be applied using a coiled tubing (CT) unit. This means 100 per cent rigless operation, where the Light Well Intervention Vessel offers flexible use and satisfies the immediate needs of operators. The second difference is reduction of HSErelated risks due to reduced tripping and automated CT system. In summary, this out-of-the-box solution may bring 30-50 per cent cost savings into particular well intervention operations. PM: How have the past 12 months been for GA Drilling? In terms of PLASMABIT development, we are more precisely focused on completing deliverables and projected scheduled milestones. In GA Drilling, we pursue straightforwardness and our strategy “first serves first” positioned PLASMABIT Milling closer to the market. Last but not least, many industry professionals worry about the effect of the low oil price environment on asset integrity standards. Particularly, ageing conductors in the GCC may lead to a very risky outcome. Moreover, this issue reflects a simple formula; more recovered conductors equals higher recovery rates. Well intervention can offer increased recovery whilst lowering risk factors in comparison to new drilling projects. Our milling technology has potential to increase recovery rates by tens of per cent.