Issues and Their Consequences

Production engineers used to believe that temperature was not a big issue when drilling a well and they could assume worst-case scenarios, such as constant bottomhole flowing temperature throughout the production tubing. However, deepwater drilling and high pressure/high temperature wells have had a change of perspective in engineers and the effects of trapped annular pressure and circulating temperature have become an issue for well completions.

Cathodic Protection System is a proven and reliable method of achieving corrosion control in industrial metals. Corrosion happens to be a progressively destructive process, which is initially challenging to identify until it has advanced. In most cases, corrosion is often identified when it is too late.

The effect of temperature on cementing has long been recognized and it is known that the correct determination of retarder can be critical. Usually, intermediate-string cementing is focused on achieving a great cement job and drilling ahead and not so much on issues of temperature and pressure. One of the reasons is because of the extensive use of water-based drilling fluids. Because water density is not particularly sensitive to temperature and pressure, the surface-measured mud weight does not vary much in conventional wells. However, oil-based and synthetic oil-based muds are very sensitive to temperature and pressure.

In the present, deepwater wells are encountering a lot of extreme temperature and pressure conditions. Maintaining the right pressure and predicting circulating temperature has become more critical due to weak formations and the presence of risers and choke/kill/boost lines.

Pegasus Vertex, Inc. has created CTEMP; a technological software that predicts the well bore circulating temperature for drilling/circulating operations.

CTEMP - Circulation Temperature Software

CTEMP addresses the transient heat transfer between the wellbore and the sea water/rock formation. CTEMP’s interactive on-screen graphic results provide operation guidelines for expensive HPHT drilling operations.

For a successful wellbore stability or well control it is very important that we understand and are aware of all these issues and their consequences.

Inward Significance

“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” - Aristotle

Art is an archetypal creative activity and it requires serious emotional commitment. Engineering is creative in other ways, but it is also considered art.

In lots of ways, the creation of a painting is much alike to the development of a software. Artists have the urge to express their thoughts and ideas. They envision the final result in their minds and step by step they create a work of art. They use all the essential tools to express their abstract vision into an artistic reality.

In a similar way, during the development process of a software, ideas are converted into technical designs that are represented by digital reports, flowcharts and databases in which the developers interpret the abstract formulas and logics into a realistic and tangible tool.

As drilling software developers, we have something to create for our clients, not only because it helps them achieve their project goals but also helps them gain more knowledge on the matter. Just like when creating a painting, each layer of color is a step closer to the final piece, when we are developing our software, every idea, thought and process takes us closer to the final result.

The difference between art painting and software development is that software is continuously improving; while a painting once it’s done it’s done.

Let’s take CTEMP, our circulation temperature model as an example of how we improve its features to make it a benefit for our users.

CTEMP - Circulation Temperature

As the search for oil becomes more extreme, the wellbore circulating temperature prediction becomes very critical and in deepwater wells the complications can get more complicated by the presence of risers and choke/kill/boost lines. After combining ideas to create a software that deals with this matter, CTEMP was developed. Aside from predicting the wellbore circulating temperatures, this software addresses the transient heat transfer between the wellbore and the sea water/rock formation and it has interactive on-screen graphic results that provide guidelines for expensive HPHT drilling operations.

After all, with our creative activity and serious commitment we want our products to represent the inward significance of our artistic thinking.