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KEY FEATURES No dissimilar materials.

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Modular Design Efficiencies

E-House OEM delivers higher asset utilization AC power, a Texas oil and gas drilling contractor, upgraded its newest rigs for reliable, packaged electric buildings and standardized components

By John Meyer

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Streamline operations, avoid downtime “The faster we can disassemble a rig, get it loaded onto our trucks, move it, unload and reassemble it, then re-hook it all back up, the better,” Pierce adds. “It’s really quite a process. We’ve worked hard with partners like Current Power to streamline as much as possible.”

Joe Ward, a Scandrill project manager, has played a core role in the company’s efforts to streamline its rig set-ups, operations, teardowns and transport between locations. “The key to success is standardizing as many of the rig’s components as we can.” he said.

“You don’t want three or four different suppliers, especially for electrical, controls, and

Photo 1. In the U.S. Permian Basin, the vast oil & gas field that spans West Texas and southeastern New Mexico, many independent operators are leveraged with debt while wells produce less than forecast. Photo courtesy: Siemens

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OIL&GAS ENGINEERING MARCH 2021

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Neil Pierce, Scandrill’s senior VP of operations, explains how critical rig moving time is to the company’s customers. “When we get released from the customer on one well, and it’s time to pack everything and move to another location, we only can charge for so much time that they’re willing to pay for,” he said.

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n the U.S. Permian Basin, the vast oil & gas field that spans West Texas and Southeastern New Mexico, speed and capital efficiency mean something to drillers and to the suppliers the drillers rely on.

Exploration and production (E&P) companies invest in land leases and completed wells, with shareholder returns still pending, in many cases, on production efficiency. Many independent operators are highly leveraged with debt that needs servicing, while the wells often are producing less oil than forecasted.

For these reasons, the industry is deploying more automation, standardization and modularization to its operations. Two examples of companies doing just that are Current Power, a Houston-based Siemens Solution Partner, and its customer, Scandrill, a leading, land-based drilling contractor with more than 30 rigs in its fleet.

The latter commissioned Current Power as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to provide the packaged electrical buildings — also known as “e-houses” and “driller’s cabins” — for seven of its newest rigs. These prefabricated, metal power buildings house and protect critical electrical equipment, such as variable frequency drives (VFDs), motor control centers (MCCs), switchgear, generator controls, operator controls and other gear.

These e-houses and driller cabins, in effect, become modular, plug-and-play components of a Scandrill drilling rig. “As such, they can be hoisted from the rig platform, where they typically reside, onto large flatbed trucks and transported from location to location. The trucks have all of the electrical equipment, controls and automation the rig needs to operate,” said Corbin Vader, Current Power’s automation and projects engineer,

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Modular Design Efficiencies

Photo 3. Simatic programmable logic controllers are used for automation and control, with hot standby and fail-over resiliency. Photo courtesy: Siemens

Photo 2. E-houses and driller cabins act as plug-and-play components of a drilling rig.

Photo courtesy: Siemens

automation, because everything — from procurement to training, troubleshooting and spare parts — becomes that much more complicated and often more costly,” Ward said. “Worse, if an operational issue occurs with a rig, multiple suppliers can result in time-consuming finger-pointing while root causes are sorted out.”

If a problem is serious enough, a rig’s entire operation can come to a stop.

Such a disruption can financially penalize Scandrill, as the drilling contractor, and cost the Scandrill customer time and money, as other labor and suppliers must come to a standstill.

As Scandrill’s provider of e-houses and drilling cabins for its latest rigs, Current Power needs them to be extremely reliable and rugged, down to individual components. “With downtime being a huge concern, even if it takes just a few hours to change out a faulty part or device, any disruption can jeopardize Scandrill’s next drilling

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contract with a customer or undermine their negotiating position,” says Vader.

Standardize and then standardize In recent years, Scandrill decided to update its DC-powered rig fleet with new rigs using AC power instead. For help, it chose Current Power, based on its reputation across the oil & gas industry as a top supplier of high-quality, extremely rugged and reliable electrical equipment, including custom-fabricated, packaged electrical buildings.

“They’re easy to do business with and listen carefully to what we have to say, especially how we operate our rigs,” Ward said. “They’re quick to respond, too, whether it’s getting information back to us, helping work through problems or troubleshoot issues, or getting a field technician to our rigs, if there are issues out there that can’t be resolved remotely. Their pricing is also extremely competitive.”

Current Power’s initial assignment was clear: To design, engineer and build an advanced e-house and drill cabin set for the first of what turned out to be seven new drilling rigs over the next few years. For these, the company chose to standardize on Siemens drives and automation components, including: • SINAMICS S120 VFDs, designed to control the speed and torque of lowvoltage induction motors, are extremely dependable and offer inverter modules that can be paralleled for a wide range of motor horsepower, up to 6,000 hp.

• tiastar motor control centers (MCCs), with intelligent SIMOCODE pro motor control, plus power monitoring and protection, and network communications and automation interfacing using both fieldbus and Ethernet communications protocols.

• WL power circuit breakers, to protect against damage or fire from short circuits, ground faults, or overload faults.

You don’t want three or four different suppliers, especially for electrical, controls, and automation, because everything — from procurement to training, troubleshooting and spare parts — becomes that much more complicated and often more costly.

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OIL&GAS ENGINEERING

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• SIMATIC WinCC software, for a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and human-machine interface (HMI) operation.

• SIMATIC HMI Comfort Panel color touchscreen displays, to provide human operators with high-performance visualization applications, such as process flows as well as diagnostics.

• SIMATIC programmable logic controllers (PLCs), for automation and control, specifically a redundant pair of highavailability, fault-tolerant S7-400H PLCs, set for immediate, hot standby and fail-over resiliency. They are programmed via STEP 7 function library and feature remote diagnostics and programming.

Savings, greater reliability and availability Standardization has saved Current Power engineers time and effort, translating into cost savings and margin improvements for the labor required to design, engineer, program, and build the e-houses and driller’s cabins. “The modular Siemens components are more highly compact, interoperable, and pricecompetitive than any other brand on the market,” Vader said.

“Their size enables us to maximize the interior space in the e-houses and cabins,” he added “And they’re much easier to program. If we need support, Siemens forums are quite helpful and, should an escalation be needed, its experts are just a phone call away.”

Vader reports that another benefit of standardization is repeatability, which eventually saved the company weeks of time over the build-out of e-house and driller-cabin sets for Scandrill’s seven new rigs.

“On the first rig we did, for example, after we got the parameters set and programmed for its dual-motor top drive, especially the motor torque, which is fairly difficult to get tuned really well, we could copy and load them into the programming for the second and subsequent rigs,” he said. “And, when we

found areas where we can improve performance of a rig system, it was easy to build on what we had.”

Ensuring customer satisfaction. Reliability of the Siemens components and diagnostics have been important when troubleshooting issues. “Siemens products are all extremely high-quality, so we don’t have to deal with many failures, which helps minimize our warranty costs and boosts customer satisfaction,” Vader says.

“Plus, the diagnostic capabilities on the Siemens components are five times better than another brand.”

For Scandrill, the standardization on Siemens provides flexibility in adapting e-house and drilling cabin specifications for different rigs. “On the last few rigs, we had the houses and all the associated electrical gear in place for our 1,600-hp mud pumps, Photo 4. Standardization means Scandrill is using the same software platform across all rigs. Photo courtesy: Siemens then decided at the last minute to upgrade them to 2,200 hp,” Ward recalls. “We were keep a spare parts inventory means we able to pull the lower horsepower parts can keep our capital deployed doing out and plug in the higher horsepower what we do best, which is drilling wells.” ones, including bigger drives, and did it Finally, the literal plug-and-play moduall without added delay or extra cost.” larization of the Current Power e-houses and driller’s cabins helps Scandrill Consistency across rigs minimize the time it takes to set up and Standardization also has meant tear down rigs. “Everything has a plug Scandrill is using the same software panel on the back, which all the motors, platform across all the rigs, so operator drives, blowers and different devices training is easier. In addition, Ward says plug into,” Ward says. that even though all the newer AC rigs “So, there’s no real wiring to do; you aren’t identical, common Siemens comjust plug in. Everything’s well-labeled ponents have enabled Current Power and color-coded, which speeds things up to provide a big value-added service: a lot and is so important to our agility as stocking parts for Scandrill, so they don’t a company and strategic drilling partner have to tie up hundreds of thousands of to our customers.” OG dollars in capital.

“If we need a part, we can get it John Meyer is a marketing communications quickly,” he says. “But not having to manager with Siemens.

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Valves & piping

Next-gen trim cuts rotary valve cavitation Enabled by

Brandon Bell, Emerson

additive manufacturing; proved in river water trial

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otary-style control valves are commonly used in the upstream, midstream, and downstream oil & gas industries. They are relatively inexpensive for a given line size and have high flow capacities, making them an excellent choice for many applications.

Unfortunately, the low recovery factor of these designs makes them more prone to cavitation.

Cavitation poses serious problems for control valves, especially in high-flow and high-pressuredrop applications. As a liquid passes through the control valve restriction, increased velocity creates a low-pressure zone downstream of the valve that effectively boils the liquid and creates vapor bubbles in the flow stream.

As the fluid passes beyond the trim and velocity slows, the pressure returns and the vapor bubbles collapse. The implosion of the bubbles creates localized micro jets and shockwaves that can severely damage valve components and piping, especially if the bubble happens to be near a metal surface (Figure 1).

Equipment damage is amplified if the process fluid contains erosive particles or corrosive chemicals. Under these conditions, the rate of damage can accelerate considerably, as with the application described below.

Perfect storm A Louisiana refinery recently encountered a situation that constituted a worst-case combination of cavitation and erosion.

Figure 1: Samples of cavitation damage. Cavitation often destroys plugs, seats, and the walls of control valves and downstream piping. Image courtesy Emerson 8

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The application involved a control valve passing large quantities of river water laden with fine silt.

The flow rates and line size demanded a rotary valve, and the pressure drop across the valve was high. Personnel noted cavitation with high noise and vibration levels.

In addition, the high-velocity river silt had an erosive effect that exacerbated the equipment damage. The cavitating liquid exiting the 10” rotary globe valve was impinging on the wall of the downstream piping. The combination of cavitation and river silt erosion began wearing through the pipe wall and eventually breached it (Figure 2).

Due to pressure boundary loss from cavitation and erosion damage, the control valve was replaced every 24 months, and the downstream piping was replaced every six to twelve months.

A surprise breach leading to unexpected downtime is costly. Providing a safer situation for plant personnel was a high priority for the refinery.

Historically, anti-cavitation trim options for rotary valves have been limited, with most rotary valve manufacturers only offering some type of attenuator integrated into the ball of the valve (Figure 3).

As the valve opens, the flow is directed through channels to create backpressure and dissipate the fluid energy. These devices have limited pressure drop capability. They do reduce cavitation damage, but they have varying effectiveness at differing degrees of ball rotation. They also can divert the process fluid toward the valve body walls and downstream piping, causing concentrated damage in those areas. For this reason, rotary valves are usually not specified for high cavitation conditions.

Additive manufacturing options Fortunately, recent advances in additive manufacturing have changed the landscape for anti-cavitation trim designs. Additive manufacturing uses precision-guided lasers and highhardness alloys to build up valve components in a 3D printing arrangement. This manufacturing technique enables specialized trim designs that

Figure 2: Downstream piping fails due to extreme cavitation and the erosive effects of river silt striking the pipe wall. Note the river water spraying out of the pipe at the bottom left of the photo.

Image courtesy Emerson

would have been impossible or prohibitively expensive to fabricate just a few years ago.

The required parts are created from a variety of high-grade, high-strength alloys. One of these new designs is the Cavitrol Hex anti-cavitation trim offered for the Fisher Vee-ball rotary control valve (Figure 4).

Unlike previous designs, this rotary valve anticavitation trim is inserted into the valve from the downstream side and is not connected to the rotating ball in any way, allowing the trim to perform as desired to reduce cavitation regardless of the degree of valve opening. It also can be retrofitted and installed into any existing Fisher Vee-ball valve.

The specialized flow channels reduce cavitation within the valve and direct the process fluid straight downstream. Since liquid flow no longer impinges on the pipe walls, downstream pipe damage is reduced, while the trim protects the valve from cavitation damage.

Successful river trial At the previously mentioned Louisiana refinery, an existing 10” rotary valve in river water service was replaced with a 10” Fisher 300# Vee-Ball valve with a Cavitrol Hex anti-cavitation trim.

Cavitation noise and vibration abatement were immediately apparent. After a year in service, the valve was pulled and inspected (Figure 5).

No damage to the downstream piping was apparent. Damage to the valve was limited to erosion of the lower section of the anticavitation trim face. The refinery staff was pleased with the result since damage to the pressure retaining components appeared to be

refinery in Louisiana was replacing a 10” ‘ Acontrol valve every 24 months and sections of downstream piping every six to 12 months due to river water cavitation and erosion.

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Figure 3: Anti-cavitation options for rotary valves are usually limited to some type of attenuator integrated into the control ball to dissipate energy and protect the valve trim. Image courtesy Emerson

stopped, noise and vibration was significantly reduced and erosion effects from entrained particulate in the process fluid was limited to the replaceable Cavitrol Hex trim only.

After inspecting the valve, Emerson and Impact Partner John H. Carter Co. offered an upgraded trim composed of R31233 alloy rather than the original S31603 material. This higher hardness cobalt alloy was better suited to handle the erosive nature of the river silt. New trim was installed, and the valve returned to service.

After another year of punishing conditions, the valve was again pulled for inspection.

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Valves & piping

Figure 4: Anti-cavitation trim embodies a design enabled by additive manufacturing. The trim can be retrofitted to existing valves and works well at any throttling position.

Flow enters the above diagram from the left.

Image courtesy Emerson

Figure 5: After a year in service there was no sign of downstream piping damage and damage was limited to relatively minor erosion on the face of the trim. The valve body suffered no damage at all. Image courtesy Emerson

Figure 6: The anti-cavitation trim was replaced with a higher hardness R31233 alloy and returned to service for another year. The inspection team found a few small rocks stuck in the trim, but no damage to downstream piping, no damage to the valve body and reduced erosion damage of the Hex trim.

Image courtesy Emerson 10

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MARCH 2021

Other than finding some small rocks trapped in the trim that had slipped through an upstream filter, the inspection team found no damage to the downstream piping and valve body, and significantly reduced erosion damage to the Cavitrol Hex trim (Figure 6).

The valve remains in service to this day and the refinery is pleased with the valve’s dramatically improved performance.

Final words Certain applications require the high flow capability of rotary valves, but these types of valves can be prone to cavitation, and anti-cavitation trims for this valve type are limited and only

OIL&GAS ENGINEERING

moderately effective. Additive manufacturing techniques have revolutionized the industry and enabled designs not economically feasible just a few years ago.

If an operating unit has applications where rotary valves face cavitation conditions, it is likely worth the time to research the latest anti-cavitation trim offerings and see what options are available. Significantly improved designs enabled by additive manufacturing techniques may solve issues that could not be addressed before.

In this particular application, the Cavitrol Hex trim generated significant savings for the operating unit. The refinery was replacing a 10” control valve every 24 months and replacing the downstream piping every 6 to 12 months due to pressure boundary loss from cavitation and erosion damage. After installation of the new anti-cavitation trim design, plant personnel have not replaced either the valve or downstream piping for years and plant safety was significantly improved. Equipment and maintenance cost savings quickly offset the cost of the valve, while also reducing downtime significantly, providing a quick return on investment. OG Brandon Bell is a product marketing manager for Fisher rotary flow control products based in Marshalltown, Iowa. He has been with Emerson for over 20 years with prior experience in the areas of test & evaluation, product engineering, and new product development. Brandon is a prolific inventor with nine US patents and has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Kansas State University.

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ince 1974, Valley Forge & Bolt has supplied cutting-edge fasteners for industries including oil and gas, as well as mining, cranes, scrap metal, and cement processing.

Load Indicating Technology The company’s key differentiator is fasteners with load indicating technology. To understand this concept, first it’s important to understand how typical fasteners are installed. There is usually a specification to which the fastener must be torqued, and load is translated into torque. But it’s normally impossible to know what load is actually on the fastener.

However, a Valley Forge fastener with load indicating technology actually shows you the direct load on the fastener, regardless of how much torque you apply. Plus, Valley Forge fasteners with load indicating technology display load within +/-5% accuracy (whereas torqueonly methods offer just +/-20% percent accuracy).

“A Valley Forge fastener with load indicating technology actually shows you the direct load on the fastener” This is achieved via either an analog gauge built-in to each fastener (available in the company’s Maxbolt® line) or by a datum disc in the end of each fastener that is read

digitally by a variety of remote meters (available in Valley Forge’s SPC4® line of fasteners and meters).

Load Indicating Technology Saves You Money, and Improves Efficiency Knowing the actual clamp load from within a critical joint opens up numerous efficiency improvements and money saving opportunities.

First, efficiencies are realized because initial fastener installation goes much quicker.

When the fastener registers appropriate load, installers simply move on to the next bolt.

Second, because load indicating fasteners remove the guesswork of retorquing procedures, productivity gets another boost. The load indicating fastener tells maintenance staff if it has fallen out of appropriate tension and then only these bolts need to be adjusted.

Finally, a reduction in unscheduled downtime always translates into saving money. This is achieved both by improving fastener life through increased likelihood of maintaining appropriate load and by early detection of failing fasteners.

Bret Halley

Chief Operating Officer, Valley Forge & Bolt

Forged in America All Valley Forge & Bolt products are still dreamed up, engineered, and manufactured in the American Southwest, just as they have been since our beginning more than 45 years ago. The phrase “Forged in America” reflects how we started, what we do, and where we’re going.

It celebrates our history of American ingenuity, work ethic, and service.

Condition Monitoring SPC4® load indicating fasteners include a wireless meter option that not only makes it a breeze to remotely read tension, it also can be integrated into condition monitoring systems for unparalleled accuracy in pinpointing overall performance and planning for maintenance.

sales@vfbolts.com U.S. Toll Free: 800-832-6587 Local: 602-269-5748

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