The MQTT protocol will make data more accessible and accurate. (Image source: Intelligent Wellhead Systems)

Introducing a new, effective path to seamlessly attaining hydraulic fracturing, oil and gas digitalisation provider Intelligent Wellhead Systems and hydraulic fracturing services company ProFrac have announced the first successful field tests of the message queuing telemetry transport (MQTT) protocol for the safe and efficient transfer and visualisation of wellsite data during the fracturing process 

Speaking of how this method replaces the complicated process of manual data entry, having to send it prior operations and set up the right channels, Bob Duncan, IWS vice president of product strategy, explained, "Currently, wellsite data is transmitted during fracturing operations by a standard communications cable using comma separated value (CSV) protocol. While this method is robust, it is quite limited in what it can do, particularly with changes in the data being transmitted. A better solution is MQTT, a modern communication protocol that allows more data information than standard CSV protocol. Metadata, including the channel name for each data curve, can now be sent. Instead of mapping just the serial order of data, the data channel name can now be mapped as well." 

Intelligent has been recognised for its novel solutions in the market such as Wellsite Watch that optimises management tasks for wellsite operations personnel. 

Accurate and reliable data transmission

MQTT not only makes the mapping process simpler, but has it all covered even before the fracturing process begins, bringing in a marked diiference with reduced time and cost of data manipulation.

When the limitations of manual data entering is removed, the quality of data gets enhanced and becomes reliable enough to produce strong analysis and reports, especially strengthening downstream operations. 

“The MQTT protocol will make our data more accessible and more accurate. The result will be a better job for the customer,” Chris Hall, director-IT application development for ProFrac Services said. This invention will add to the rising trend of predictive maintenance in the oil and gas sector, allowing prompt identification and resolution of industry challenges. 

To assess MQTT's wellsite connectivity and data transmission capabilities, ProFac and Intelligent collaborated with an operator in the Haynesville. The protocol has been deployed on two two-well pads in the Haynesville shale, and a three-well pad in West Texas. An additional three-well pad in the Haynesville is also ongoing. 

“Once the job commences, data is now easily transmitted accurately and reliably. We are no longer dependent on aligning channel order and are now mapping based on previously agreed channels. This negates the issues brought on by changing channel names or channel order during the job. From an operator perspective, it’s been refreshing to see the service provider and aggregator work together and collaborate to provide a solution,” said the completions engineer from the operating company. 

This project exemplifies how Halliburton’s open architecture can drive future growth in the oil and gas industry. (Image source: AIQ/Halliburton)

Leveraging Halliburton's global reputation, Abu Dhabi-based energy tech provider AIQ has partnered with the oil service company's open architecture platform Landmark to expand access of its RoboWell autonomous well control (AWC) solution 

"The combination of AIQ’s AI technology and Halliburton’s extensive industry expertise will help enable greater efficiency and maximise value for our customers’ assets," said Nagaraj Srinivasan, senior vice president, Landmark, Halliburton Digital Solutions, and Consulting. “This project exemplifies how Halliburton’s open architecture can help support enhanced efficiency, optimised operations, and drive future growth in the oil and gas industry." 

Speaking of Halliburton’s extensive industry expertise, the company is providing complete solutions to construct exploration and appraisal wells, along with testing services for Rhino Resources in Namibia.

Strategic step

Especially designed for gas lifted wells, RoboWell enables autonomous well operations to maximise production within specified conditions. The AI-supported advanced process control solution, which already has a market presence, boasts of a record achievement by up to 30% optimisation in gas lift consumption, with increased production of existing wells by 5%. Its well stability goals attained through real-time data utilisation also promotes not only good HSE practices but also reduced CO2 emissions. 

AIQ CEO, Christopher Cooper said, "This collaboration will help progress our shared vision of how advanced AI solutions can transform the energy industry globally. Collaborating with Halliburton is part of AIQ’s wider strategy to accelerate the availability of our transformative AI products globally to support the sector through autonomous and other AI-based innovations." 

The power of collaboration in accelerating decarbonisation in oil and gas was also acknowledged by Tarek Rizk, president for the MENA region for SLB on the occassion of AIQ's Advanced Reservoir 360 launch. 

The RoboWell solution will now be made available through Halliburton’s Landmark iEnergy hybrid cloud to customers worldwide. 

Landmark’s iEnergy is designed to deploy, integrate, and manage sophisticated exploration and production (E&P) applications, and connect assets in public or private cloud environments.

DeepOcean's scope of work will include project management, engineering, and execution of subsea services, among others. (Image source: DeepOcean)

Driven by a framework agreement signed with Woodside Energy (Senegal) BV, ocean services provider DeepOcean will be supervising subsea inspection, maintenance, and repair (IMR) services for the Sangomar field offshore Senegal, West Africa

“We have extensive experience from similar IMR operations offshore West Africa, but this is our first project offshore Senegal and with Woodside. We look forward to being Woodside’s subsea IMR supplier here over the coming years and to demonstrate our competence and extensive pool of specialist subsea tools and underwater assets,” said Øyvind Mikaelsen, CEO of DeepOcean.

With a permanently moored floating production storage and offloading vessel (FPSO), the Sangomar deepwater oil field 100 kms south of Dakar has just begun production. The repurposed FPSO started sail from Singapore last December to travel 12,000 nautical miles.

Extensive offshore infrastructure

Driven by 24 subsea wells and associated subsea systems that comprises of wellheads and subsea trees, in-line tees, manifolds, flowlines and risers, flowline-end terminals, and umbilicals, the project demands long-drawn services from DeepOcean. Its scope of work will include project management, engineering, and execution of subsea services such as inspection, survey, intervention, and maintenance, as well as additional services such as underwater inspection of FPSO (UWILD) and standalone ROV operations. The Norway-based provider will be supported by a Senegalese service company called Teranga Oil and Gas Services SARL.

“Sangomar is a large and impressive field development, with extensive subsea infrastructure. Our aim is always to inspect and maintain it as effectively as possible, thereby keeping costs and operational disturbances to a minimum for Woodside,” said Mikaelsen. 

A project of strategic importance, the Sangomar oil field is supported by investments from the Africa Finance Corporation. 

The imaging campaign will cover an area of 3,400 sq km, capturing high-density onshore data set over blocks B404a and B208 of the Berkine Basin. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Viridien (formerly CGG) will be conducting seismic imaging for a project in eastern Algeria by Groupement Berkine -- a joint venture between Sonatrach and Occidental Petroleum, among other global partners 

CGG is supporting majors such as bp in subsurface digital strategies since they signed a multi-year global data transformation and curation agreement in 2022.

This imaging campaign will cover an area of 3,400 sq km, capturing high-density onshore data set over blocks B404a and B208 of the Berkine Basin. It will involve a team of scientists from Viridien, who will work out of the company's advanced subsurface imaging centre in France.  

Delivering new subsurface insight

The team will draw on their experience of imaging similar large and ultra-dense land seismic surveys in the Middle East to apply an advanced imaging workflow to this project's dataset, and deliver new subsurface insight. They will also work towards polishing the resolution of the target area’s thin and faulted geology. 

Peter Whiting, executive vice president - geoscience, Viridien, said, “Viridien has been selected to conduct this high-profile project in recognition of its ongoing development of best-in-class imaging technology and significant high-performance computing capabilities. This, together with our long track record in Algeria, dating back to the 1950s, in-depth geological knowledge of the Hassi Messaoud Basin, and recent successful completion of a series of reimaging projects in the country, makes Viridien the preferred partner for delivering the best-possible subsurface images for critical field development decisions.” 

Last year, CGG's sensing and monitoring wing Sercel deployed its systems for a 3D mega-crew project in harsh terrain and desert conditions in North Africa.