TECHNIPFMC
iComplete™ - addressing completions environmental and cost challenges through digitizing operations POWERED BY INSIDE OIL&GAS
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Addressing the recent and on-going challenges faced by the oil and gas industry, along with the voice of customer, TechnipFMC developed a completions technology ecosystem called iComplete™. From pump to wellhead, iComplete™ is a new fully integrated onshore completion system that focuses on digitizing operations and addresses the environmental and cost challenges faced by the industry.
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ome may argue that unconventional completion technology has demonstrated some of the most notable advances in our industry during the last few years. From an operational standpoint, frac intensities continue to test the limit of equipment capabilities and overall reliability. From a product standpoint, there has been much progress in tackling technical challenges such as increased treating pressure ratings, valve design that addresses sand ingress of various mesh sizes, large bore single line high pressure delivery systems, efficient wireline connectors, just to name a few. 2
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Individually, these products have helped drive today’s unconventional oil and gas renaissance. Through innovation, each pain point or portfolio gap in the operation has been addressed. However, in order to ensure efficiency and prevent downtime, world class project management and logistics are required for execution. On site, handoffs between operations, especially between operating entities, carry the risk of inefficiencies and human error. Individual standard operating procedures can be misinterpreted or contradicting and require system level understanding and direction. An integrated system approach, capable of digital opera-
Jose Garza Engineering Supervisor
tion and selective automation, is the preferred solution for safer operations, and down/idle time reduction. When designed and operated efficiently, this system integration may also carry a substantial reduction in emissions.
iComplete™ integrated system – hardware Developing a standardized system that can address the majority of unconventional well sites requires a modular approach. Identifying key sub systems and scoping down customer operational requirements to simplify the offering, well service pumpto-wellhead, was the first step in developing what is now called TechnipFMC’s iComplete™ ecosystem. Through internal benchmarks, this system has 50% less components and removes 80% of connections when compared to a typ-
ical site-built completions pad. Less components and connections improve product reliability and reduce manpower needs on location with the benefit of up to 50% faster rig up. Major, standardized components are assembled and tested off-site, in a controlled shop environment. This results in improved equipment reliability and reduces the material movement, ultimately reducing logistics cost and greenhouse emissions in the process. Today, this system is comprised of six major key sub systems: SAFlex™, SuperFrac™, Large Bore Check Valve, Frac Trees/Manifolds, Speedloc-XT™, and CyberFrac™.
At a glance TechnipFMC’s integrated system enables you to frac differently by leveraging flexible pipe, automation and digital efficiency to minimize complexity and eliminate intervention in the red zone. The fully integrated iComplete™ system gets to first oil faster by doing things differently. From pump to casing, TechnipFMC offers the simplicity of one pad, one supplier and one invoice, leveraging flexible pipe, automation and advanced digital capabilities to deliver operational efficiency, compatibility and ease of use. With 80% fewer connections and 50% fewer parts on the frac pad, the fully integrated iComplete™ system gets to first oil faster and lowers your costs by 30%. Inside Oil & Gas
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iComplete™ System View
The iComplete™ system eliminates red zone intervention, delivering a more secure work environment that significantly reduces the chance of human error, making a frac pad safer, faster and smarter by enabling visual validation from a distance. Its simplified integrated system also promotes a healthier environment, reducing emissions through a 43% reduction in logistics. Increased uptime, lower NPT, remote operations, access to automation and real-time data logging are just a few of the other benefits of iComplete™. Cutting-edge technology delivers greater product performance with less maintenance. TechnipFMC’s advanced digital capabilities promote positive predictability and minimize complexities so you get to first oil up to 15 minutes faster per frac stage.
SAFlex™ The SAFlex™ product portfolio contains a de-marinized Coflexip high pressure flexible used in the same manner as traditional flow iron. Coflexip products have a rich and successful history in industry in harsh, fatigue cycle prone, high pressure offshore environments. Being designed and field proven to withstand these conditions (with metocean data driven requirements in some of the harshest offshore locations in the world), they provide a natural solution to the high pressure high cycle modern frac pad requirements. Compared to traditional flow iron, SAFlex™ allows a reduction of connections by 80%, substituting the articulation of rigid piping (and their independent connections) with a single connection on each end. This drastically reduces make up time and improves reliability by removing multiple potential leak paths. Reduction of leaks paths inherently reduces fugitive emission situations.
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Finally, SAFlex™ dampens system vibrations which help in dissipation of pump cavitation and reduction of erosion through piping compared to traditional rigid flow iron. SAFlex™ is used to connect both in pump to frac manifold missile and frac valve manifold to frac tree applications.
SuperFrac™ One of the first single line “missile” manifold systems to market, SuperFrac™ pods also follow a modular design to accomplish compatibility with various pad designs. Due to its standardized design, this system is configurable to various spacing constrains and number of frac pumps. It has a unique low pressure flow design that also reduces pump cavitation and lowers pump maintenance. The high pressure line utilizes robust API large bore flanged connections with an industry standard metal to metal ring type joint capable of high flow rates and improved erosion resistance.
Large bore check valve One of the premier large bore check valves in the market, compared to traditional goat heads with flow iron, the large bore check valve system reduces the number of connections from single bore manifold to frac zipper, resulting in faster rig up times and improved reliability with a reduction of leak paths. Also factory acceptance tested, with internal components inspected in a shop environment between jobs, it arrives to location configured to customer preferences. Although expected to go through 500 stages without rebuild, if a rebuild is required, it has a top entry design that allows fast on site repair and replacement of internal components. Its reliability and quick service design ensures on pad operational efficiency and down time reduction.
Speedloc-XT™ connector in service in the Delaware Basin
Frac trees and manifolds
Speedloc-XT™
At the heart of any frac operation, serving as pressure containment and control, frac trees and manifolds come in a variety of sizes, pressures and configurations. Individually, valve design has evolved incrementally as frac intensities continue to increase. Compared to traditional production valves, frac valves have developed key design attributes that address valve reliability and lower on-site maintenance time and cost. For example, as sand mesh sizes continue to evolve, preventing sand ingress impacts sealability, and is addressed through valve seat design to ensure reliably clean sealing surfaces. Compared to typical production valves, cavity volumes have been reduced to prevent sand accumulation and reduce grease quantity, the latter of which has a direct impact to carbon footprint as it pertains to hydrocarbon based greases, and an indirect impact to emissions by reducing the amount of time required to grease a valve on location. Finally, logistics and installation are simplified with standardized tree and manifold configurations that are inspected, redressed and factory tested in a shop environment. These tree and manifold sections arrive on location with minimal field testing and connection makeup requirements.
Hydraulic connectors have long been used in subsea applications worldwide. They provide an efficient and reliable connection that can be performed remotely without human interface. Removing personnel from the red zone during connection makeup improves safety, especially through remote connection testing, keeping operators away from the pressure containing envelope. The Speedloc-XT™ provides both a digital (through position indicators) and visual confirmation to ensure proper engagement prior to connection test and subsequent wireline and coil tubing operations. Sensors in the connector prevent inadvertent valve operation drastically reducing the instance of accidental wireline cuts.
Large Bore Check Valve mated to SuperFrac™ frac manifold. (Check Valve shown with yellow arrow)
Integration of sub systems- CyberFrac™ The aforementioned systems, individually, have direct operational impact by improving operator safety, increasing equipment reliability through standardization and shop built sub-systems, simplifying project logistics, and reducing of operational costs through elimination of multiple connections that were once on-site built. Bringing these systems together under one operating system that can relay real time actionable wellsite data further improves efficiencies in operations, can prevent downtime, and will improve HSE.
SAFlex™ PumpFlex lines connecting well service pumps to SuperFrac™ pods. Also shown, SAFlex™ WellFlex™ lines connecting frac vertical “zipper” manifold to frac trees
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CyberHub™ (left) and Master Control Station (right)
TechnipFMC’s CyberFrac™ suite achieves this by connecting these subsystems and providing the user interface to collect and action equipment status and performance in real time, allowing remote operation of its hardware with programmed operator standard procedures, through a “Digital Handshake”. Key personnel on site will have simultaneous awareness of upcoming operational steps and can abort mistaken commands reducing manual errors. These procedures are pre-programmed to avoid on-the-fly decision making. For example, during wireline operations, sensors embedded in the Speedloc-XT™ acknowledge wireline presence and prevent operations that could lead to a catastrophic wireline cut. Valve closing operations must instead be manually overridden, thus preventing accidental wireline cutting compared to a traditional HPU. The complete CyberFrac™ package comprises of a master control station (MCS), a CyberHub™, SAFSense™ and an automated greasing system (AGS). MCS uses TechnipFMC’s proprietary UCOS Operating system that allows data analysis and remote operations of system hardware through hydraulic functions. This control station enforces standard operational procedures and provides safeguards that reduce accidental operations. Additional tablet controllers are paired to MCS and distributed to key operational personnel A CyberHub™ is a system of hydraulic control valves, plumbed to a hydraulic power unit (HPU) that receives digital signals from the MCS to remotely actuate hydraulic functions, such as gate valve opening and closing, wireline connector lock/unlock and automated valve greasing. CyberHub™ reduces HPU’s on location by providing distribution of multiple hydraulic functions through a single valve control package. SAFSense™ wireless transmitters provide digital signals such as valve positions (open/close), pressure sensing, and equipment status. Finally, the AGS allows remote valve greasing for reduced
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NPT and cost reduction by avoiding over-greasing. Improvement to HSE also takes place by removing personnel from red zone to accomplish greasing operations.
Early returns, case studies Although relatively new to market as an integrated system, iComplete’s early returns are very encouraging. From an individual product standpoint, TechnipFMC highlighted a couple of recent success stories. In the first, a pressure pumper in the Eagleford Shale using SAFlex™ PumpFlex™ products achieved an 81% reduction in connections, with 100% elimination of hammer unions on treating iron. This customer also achieved a 50% reduction in rig up time. Approximately 25-45 hours of NPT per month were saved by reducing leak paths. Pump swap times were also cut in half utilizing PumpFlex™ lines compared to traditional flow iron. In the second case study, TechnipFMC’s large bore check valve achieved 2,500+ frac stages without a rebuild. At 100 bpm average, over 1 B lbs (30/70 and 100 mesh) of sand were pumped during 1,500 hours pump time at 12,500 psi treating pressure. This single 7 1/16-15K large bore valve replaced six 3” check valves, which also allowed the elimination of 346 hammer union connections improving overall system reliability. While these individual examples provide component level improvement in performance, the integrated system package proposition has identified higher performance and efficiency ceilings are achievable. Notable examples include a large independent operator, achieved significant reduction of non-productive pump idle time by using CyberFrac™. Overall, 34 hours of operational efficiency gains were achieved through digital handshake communication of key personnel outfitted with paired UCOS controls, that maintained procedural compliance. This resulted in
$245,000 in savings from these previously unknown transition delays. Over 3100 pad operations were also achieved without red zone intervention. Another operator saves over $560,000 by completing a pad 2.5 days ahead of schedule. This was achieved by increasing average pump time efficiency on site from 17 hours a day to 22.5 hours per day. The largest improvement came from a reduction in transition time that was on average 49 minutes per stage prior to using CyberFrac™’s Digital Handshake to only five minutes per stage afterward. Also on site, over 3000 valve operations were performed outside of the red zone.
Automation and beyond Our industry’s rich history of product innovation to tackle changes in requirements will continue to grow. Whether changes to industry standards, regulations, or wellbore demands, oil and gas products will continue to evolve to meet and exceed customer requirements. Individual product efficiency gains to lower cost,
and improve performance are key in meeting operational metrics that ensure the delivery of the world’s energy. However, an integrated package approach has shown an improvement in efficiency for on-site operations holistically, rather than the sum of individual products operated by individuals, with individual performance metrics. By focusing on the integrated system performance, improvements in safety, quality and costs are achieved. Perhaps more importantly, a dramatic reduction of emissions is demonstrated by simplifying and standardizing product architecture, reducing on site rig-up and idle time, streamlining operational steps and communication, and limiting material movement from shop to site. As we grow more comfortable with the integration of systems in a digital operational environment, more sequence of operations will become automated. It will be interesting to reflect back on today’s relatively new best practices as tomorrow’s standard operating procedure. n
Paired Tablet Controller, Master control Station close up and CyberHub™ mated to HPU Inside Oil & Gas
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