The new coating effectively eliminates CUI. (Image source: Sherwin-Williams)

Sherwin-Williams has launched the Heat-Flex Advanced Energy Barrier (AEB) which tackles corrosion under insulation (CUI)

CUI occurs due to moisture present on the external surface of insulated equipment and is prevalent in the onshore and offshore oil and gas industries, constituting a threat to assets, personnel and the environment.

The new coating replaces the bulky mineral-based insulation traditionally used on storage tanks, process vessels and piping to retain process heat. It works by building a thick film of insulative coating material onto assets that are required to maintain operating temperatures up to 350°F (177°C), with excursions to 400°F (204°C). This coating retains process heat inside coated assets, allowing them to continue operating even in extreme environments. It effectively rivals the in-service insulative capabilities of traditional insulation systems due to their tendency to absorb and trap moisture that infiltrates their exterior cladding. This moisture not only dramatically reduces the insulating capacity of the insulation, but also contributes to the acceleration of CUI.

“When developing Heat-Flex AEB, we needed to ensure the coating itself could retain process heat at temperatures high enough to remove traditional insulation and not affect the consistency and flow of materials housed inside assets,” says Erik Dammen-Brower, R&D chemist II for Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine. “Careful manipulation of the coating molecule and product formulation enabled this surprising capability, which has notable ramifications for reducing costs and improving carbon footprints, while enabling efficiencies in various facility applications.”

The thermal insulative coating also offers sustainability benefits. Using just the insulative coating eliminates the manufacturing, shipping and storage of all the materials required for a traditional system. In addition, because Heat-Flex AEB eliminates CUI, steel assets will last far longer before any steel needs to be replaced, if at all, minimising the environmental costs of steel production to maintain an asset. Finally, the consistent thermal efficiency Heat-Flex AEB offers allows asset owners to maintain required operating temperatures without needing to increase process heat inside the coated asset.

In a typical CUI-elimination coating system, a primer is applied directly to prepared steel to protect it from corrosion, with the Heat-Flex AEB insulative coating on top of that and an optional topcoat layer.

Applying Heat-Flex AEB is also much easier, faster and safer to apply than installing bulky insulation systems over assets, the company says.

Electric well control technologies address the limitations of traditional hydraulic systems. (Image source: SLB)

SLB has launched EWC electric well control technologies, which replace hydraulics with a simplified electric power system

The new product was launched at the SPE/IADC International Drilling Conference and Exhibition, taking place in Stavanger, Norway.

Well control technologies play a vital role in preventing the uncontrolled release of fluids from the well, and have traditionally been powered by hydraulic systems, which encompass a complex network of hoses, valves and actuators. This makes the well control system expensive to install and requires costly routine maintenance over its lifetime. EWC electric well control technologies are revolutionizing drilling operations by addressing the limitations of traditional hydraulic systems. EWC technologies significantly reduces costs, make drilling operations safer and providing real-time data insights and a continuous supply of on-demand power to well control components under any operating conditions. Hydraulic accumulators are replaced with with redundant-powered controls and electrically-actuated components, eliminating accumulator pressure constraints. 

SLB’s first EWC technology enables drillers to instantly and precisely control and monitor BOPs onshore and offshore, leveraging industrial internet of things (IIoT) components along the system architecture to provide instant pressure readouts, without the need for conventional pressure gauges. This will help customers make better-informed decisions about the operation and maintenance of the well control system, reducing nonproductive time and minimising opex.

SLB was recently awarded a front-end engineering and design (FEED) contract for a custom EWC BOP control system for an operator in the North Sea. Work on this project has already begun and final review of the design is expected in the first half of 2025.

“As drillers continue to seek safer, cost-efficient solutions for well control, we continue to focus on innovation to answer this call,” said Cecilia Prieto, president, Well Construction, SLB. “EWC represents the next evolution of well control technologies, which we pioneered with the industry’s first blow out preventer (BOP) a century ago. Not only do these technologies remove the upfront and long-term cost inefficiencies of traditional hydraulic well control systems, but they also bring next-level safety capabilities that are in line with new industry standards and regulatory requirements worldwide for closing times and full system redundancy.”

The new GD 500HDD pump. (Image source: GDEP)

GD Energy Products (GDEP), a total solutions provider for the frac, drilling and well servicing pumps market, has launched the GD 500HDD pump, the latest addition to its line of horizontal directional drilling (HDD) pumps

HDD is a process usually deployed when installing pipes and cables underneath roads, rivers and other types of infrastructure. Therefore, most jobs come with a challenging set of parameters that demand high rates of accuracy, efficiency, and effectiveness. Horizontal directional drilling pumps provide an essential service to the HDD industry.

The GD 500HDD pump supports a range of HDD applications and can be used to tunnel under rivers and roads, as well as to help lay sewerage systems, water pipes, fibre optic lines and pipelines. With a rod load rating of 53,000 pounds, the GD 500HDD has the highest rod load on the market for triplex HDD pumps. This lightweight pump maximises flow rate in a compact design and its engineered power end frame with coated crankshaft bearings allows customers to achieve higher pressures capable of 1000 PSI+ at 600 GPM. The 500HDD also integrates next-generation fluid end technology, which features carbon steel construction and enhanced geometry to minimise stress on the pump.

Assembled with components made in the USA, the pump also features the company’s industry-leading Redline consumables, including valves and seats, pistons and liners for extended maintenance intervals. The internal components and seal housing feature an upgraded design to prevent contamination.

Jose Rubin, vice president of sales, said, “The HDD industry has been waiting for a triplex pump with this high of a rod load in a small-scale footprint, and GDEP is pleased to introduce this durable design. With any of GDEP’s pumps, customers can expect high-quality craftsmanship backed with our exceptional service and support. It provides the HDD market a powerful industrial pump with a high rod load built for the most rugged applications.”

GD Energy Products has been designing pumps for the global oil and gas industry since 1859, with state-of-the-art repair shops and service facilities in every major North American shale play as well as strategic international locations.

Halliburton’s all-electric safety valve is an advancement in safety valve technology. (Image source: Halliburton)

Halliburton has launched an updated version of its EcoStar electric tubing-retrievable safety valve (eTRSV)

This second-generation product builds on the success of the industry’s first electric TRSV, first installed in 2016, which solves a 30-year industry challenge to remove hydraulic actuation and its limitations from safety valve systems.

Hydraulic systems in subsea wells are associated with high costs and potential health, safety, and environmental (HSE) risks. Subsea hydraulic systems are often complex, difficult to install, and expensive. Hydraulic fluid release and high-pressure surface equipment can be hazardous to personnel and the environment. The complex nature of subsea hydraulic systems can result in reliability challenges and slow hydraulic cycle times, which can cause production deferrals.

Halliburton’s all-electric safety valve represents an advancement in safety valve technology, enabling the removal of the hydraulics system. This breakthrough in electric actuation is made possible through a unique magnetic coupling mechanism between the actuator and the safety valve. The design and construction of the valve creates a chamber for the downhole electronics and electric actuator outside of the wellbore.

This enables a fully electric completion system with the elimination of the risk of exposing electronics to produced wellbore fluid and the added benefit of serving as a conventional safety valve with the same trusted fail-safe mechanisms, closing in case of well incidents at the surface to safeguard personnel and the environment. It features independent and redundant electro-mechanical actuation and control systems, which enable more precise control, real-time position sensing, and valve health monitoring at the surface.

The new product reduces the need for extensive surface facilities, which streamlines operations and enhances personnel safety and field economics.

“As part of Halliburton’s all-electric portfolio, the EcoStar eTRSV marks another step toward the full electrification of wellbores. The EcoStar eTRSV builds on industry-leading safety valve technology to improve completion performance and maximise asset value for operators,” said Maxime Coffin, vice president, Halliburton Completion Tools.