Case Studies Archive - Specialized Desanders Inc.

Capture Methane Emissions and Innovate Flowback Operations

Desanders — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 21:50:50 +0000

The New Mexico Energy Department & NM Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department are in the process of developing rules for operators to reduce methane emissions. As of Aug. 5, the O&G industry must comply with requirements to; audit operations, ensure compliance, and disclose violations.

A New Mexico flowback operator contacted Specialized Desanders USA Inc. to discuss the long term implications of not adhering to energy department regulations to reduce methane emissions. The operator challenged SDI to control as much methane emissions as possible during the flowback process.

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SDI-CaseStudy-MethaneEmissions

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97.8% Reduction in Fugitive Emissions

Desanders — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 16:15:53 +0000

As the industry leader in Desanding technology, SDI has taken an aggressive and proactive approach to meet the challenge of reduced emissions during flowback and initial production. With our unique ability to measure/monitor the sand inside the vessel in real-time, in conjunction with high sand storage capacities, our Desanders are cleaned out only as needed and release only a finite and predictable amount of gas with each blowdown. Precise data allows us to calculate the total emissions released compared to competing technologies. Specialized Desanders is on the vanguard of the worldwide emissions reduction initiative.

See our related SPE Paper (196142) and its real world application below to learn more about how we can support your EHS goals.

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Case Study – 97.8 % Reduction In Fugitive Emissions

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Comparing Horizontal Desanders and Spherical Sand Separators

Desanders — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 15:24:56 +0000

A Northern BC well operator compared SDI Desanders and spherical sand separators on a two well pad side by side trial. On Well A, the SDI Desander was upstream of the spherical sand separator, and on Well B, SDI was downstream of the spherical sand separator. In this study, SDI outperformed the spherical sand separator capturing more sand overall and a higher percentage of sand.

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Horizontal Desanders vs. Spherical Sand Separators

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MegaPOL Barrier Desander Field Trial

Desanders — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 14:40:38 +0000

Specialized Desanders MegaPOL was installed on an Alberta well site to gather quality research and development.

Highlights:

• 99.8% of particulate captured
• 200L (52.8gal) of particulate stopped
• Particulate stopped below 1 micron

Stacked Barrier Plates inside the MegaPOL

The bulk of the particulate is between 25 and 135 microns. The chart identifies the particulate size in microns along the X-Axis and the volume percentage on the Y-Axis.

Background

An Alberta client was finishing flowing back a well pad and would be decommissioning the test package. In consultation with well site operations, the MegaPOL was set up to quantify the amount of sand passing through the test package and capture that sand before it made it off site while also collecting data to measure the performance of the MegaPOL.

Desanding

The MegaPOL had 2 wells combined flowing through it. At the end of the job, the MegaPOL was sucked out onsite at the midpoint of the vessel to leave the solids in the vessel. At the shop, an air line was connected, and the remaining fluid, sand, and particulate were discharged into a containment tub. The fluid which was discharged had a black floating emulsion including a black fine particulate. This emulsion did not settle out or change its state. The filter stacks were evenly coated with the same fine black particulate and some sand from top to bottom indicating the desired even flow across all filters. During the final hours of flow on the site, the MegaPOL experienced differential pressure of 280-300kpa (41-44psi), while the average DP for this project was 70-80kpa (10-12psi).

Results

Testing was completed by AGAT to measuring particle size using laser diffraction. Particles smaller than 1 micron were stopped. The MegaPOL stopped 200L (52.8gal) of particulate, 99.8% of the total load seen.
The total time the MegaPOL was in production was 408 hours.

The 1.32m (52”) MegaPOL will handle ¾ of a tonne of sand efficiently and 3975m3 (25,000 bbl) of water per day. Ideal for group collector line into a group separator or produced water dump filtration applications.

We can incorporate a blow down vessel in the MegaPOL set up, ask us about customized solutions.

MegaPOL Case Study

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Sand Sentry Saves Producer $30,000 in Damages

Desanders — Wed, 22 Apr 2020 08:00:03 +0000

A Northwest Alberta producer thought they were not seeing much sand in their Desanders and as such was considering removing the Desanders from their wells in an active completions area. SDI worked with the client to install the SDI Sand Sentry system to measure sand production on these wells as well as some nearby fracked wells to see if and where sand was still an issue. The producer using the data provided by the SDI Sand Sentry system discovered that though the wells produced little sand most of the time there was still significant sand production from slugs and still a need for ongoing Desanding services.

HIGHLIGHTS

•4 wells were monitored with Sand Sentry over a 10+ month period
•Sand Sentry measured large slugs of sand on wells thought to produce no sand
•Neighboring well data was researched for sand production comparison data
•$30,000 saved in operational downtime and hardware

“If the Sand Sentry wasn’t in place, we would have had thousands of dollars in disruptions and the wells would have went down.” – Representative for the NW Alberta Producer

1. Monitor each well with the SDI Sand Sentry system and chart the changes over the next months.
2. Monitor the amount of frack communication with the wells that the Sand Sentry system was installed on as neighboring wells were being fracked.

Originally the Sand Sentry system was only installed on the one well out of the 4 that was
predicted to produce the most sand. The producer applied the system to the remaining three wells on the pad when more sand began to flow to the surface than was expected. Once the Sand Sentry System was in place on all four wells, SDI was able to help the producer track the sand as it was produced to surface in irregular slugs that originally made the production
impossible to quantify without the SDI Sand Sentry.

The producer was able to prevent significant surface equipment damage on all of the wells. One specific well produced no sand to the surface for the first 90 days of production then unexpectedly experienced frack communication from a neighboring well and started making sand at a very high rate. The Sand Sentry System caught the unexpected sand, stopped in the Desander, and was able to trigger a high level alarm alerting SDI and the producer allowing the producer to take steps to prevent damage to the surface equipment.

The Sand Sentry is perhaps the most imitated piece of technology in the sand control industry, Why? Because it works. As the pioneer of this technology, Specialized Desanders has spent 15 years perfecting this technology in various fields across the world. It allows operators the ability to track, evaluate & optimize their flowback procedures, as well as schedule their cleanouts to minimize disposal costs on produced sand and fluids.

Other technology promises these abilities but simply cannot deliver the same accuracy.
Sick of blowing down competitor vessels & washing out control valves multiple times per week because they cannot detect the amount of sand they have captured?

There is a better way, the Specialized Desanders Sand Sentry System.

20-SDI-Case Study-Sand Sentry Saves Thousands

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Polymer Gel Capture SynPOL Trial

Desanders — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 07:00:17 +0000

SDI SynPOL was installed at a problematic AB well site for a 16 day trial. The well produced fluid consisting of 15°API oil with gel-polymer-water solution with intermittent slugging.

Highlights:

•Differential Pressure staying below 100psi
•Bringing the well online without causing issues at the plant

A 21007A SynPOL was installed on a wellsite in Alberta. Installation was completed and the well started up on October 3, 2019; the SynPOL was removed on October 19, 2019 for a total trial length of approximately 16.5 days. For the first two days of the trial, a filter composed of 200-micron plates was installed. Due to a higher than desired pressure differential as a result of significant gel production, the 200-micron filter was changed out for a 400-micron filter. Filters are capable of stopping particles 1/3 of the gap size so a 200-micron plate spacing will stop 67 micron particles and 400-micron plate spacing will stop 133-micron particles maximum pressure differential encountered were 1719 kPa (240 PSI) with the 200-micron (nominal gap 150-micron) configuration, and 725 kPa (105 PSI) with the 400-micron(nominal gap 300-micron). There were many uniquely challenging factors during trial, the primary of which was the produced fluid consisting of 15°API oil with a gel-polymer-water solution, with slugging present. Bringing the well back online also posed operational challenges due to the problems it caused when it was last flowing in May 2019. According to client feedback, there was no degradation seen in the bag filter performance at the battery, indicating that the SynPOL was successful at dealing with 100% the problematic gel being produced.

The SynPOL performed eefficiently and successfully throughout the trial. At every clean-out, substantial amounts of gel were removed from the SynPOL. Furthermore, despite the higher pressure differential, no damage on the filter elements was ever found. Both filter configurations installed, 200-micron and 400-micron, were successful at separating gel from the production stream. The 200-micron configuration experienced a peak pressure differential of 1719 kPa (249 PSI), while the 400-micron differential configuration only reached 725 kPa (105 PSI). Of initial concern during the trial was the well’s slugging behavior coupled with the very viscous produced fluid stream, composed of 15°API oil and a gel-polymer-water mixture. These factors lead to an increase in pressure differential but did not lead to any other SynPOL issues. Lastly, there was zero negative impact to bag filter performance at the client’s battery as a result of bringing the well back online. This was monitored through the clients SCADA. In the past, the well was shut-in due to the problems it caused to operations; zero decrease in bag filter performance indicates that the SynPOL was addressing the issues presented by the well previously. Overall, the trial was a success.

All of SDI’s line of filters are fully capable of being dumped on the y so the well does not have to be shut in to backflush or wash the filter. This option mitigates exposure to personnel. Our SynPOL filter was in sweet service and opened and inspected at each clean-out so samples could be taken and the client could visually see the SynPOL filter in action.

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20-SDI-Case Study-Polymer Gel Capture

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Client Saves 55% on Flowback and Initial Production

Desanders — Wed, 11 Mar 2020 15:49:05 +0000

Specialized Desanders saved a client, in Ohio, 55% on their monthly cost of turn-in-line and initial production flowback operations. Client now hits maximum production rates within a few days 100% of the time and routinely sets 90-day IP records as a result.

HIGHLIGHTS

55% Overall Cost Savings
90% Reduction in Total Washout Costs
Reduced Manpower by 60%
Job Length Reduced by 30%
Data-Driven Decisions
Max Gas Rate Achieved 100% of the Time
Routinely Breaks 90-day IP Records
Elimination of ALL Sand-related NPT
Reduced Overall Gas Emissions
Total Sand Protection of Equipment/Facilities
Reliable, Real-Time Sand Production Data
Smaller Flowback Spread Footprint
No More Sand-Related Well Shut-Ins

Pre-SDI Flowback Rig Up

Current Rig-Up Resulting in 55% Cost Savings

An Ohio operator began implementing model 62020 gravity Desanders to mitigate the effects of sand on their flowback operations. Over several step-change improvements, the client has eliminated the need for all other sand control on site, choke manifolds, test separators, 60% of on-site manpower requirement, and all sand-related non-productive time. They have reduced washout charges 90% on average and have shortened the length of the flowback phase by approximately 30% through the leveraging of reliable, real-time, sand production data.

This was accomplished through incremental improvements to the rig-up, production tree configuration, and operational procedure. The following is an outline of the iterative flowback design implementations to reach current efficiencies:

1. Pre-SDI – Iron, Sand Trap, Choke Manifold, Test Separator, 5-man Crew
Significant Washouts

2.Trial Phase – Iron, Desander, Sand Trap, Choke Manifold, 5-man Crew
50% Washout Savings 12% Monthly Cost Reduction vs. Pre-SDI Method

3.Further Improvement -Iron, Desander, Choke Manifold, 4-man Crew
67% Cumulative Washout Savings 27% Monthly Cost Reduction vs. Pre-SDI Method

4. Desander Only – Iron, Desander, 3-man Crew, Bobcat Rental
83% Cumulative Washout Savings 49% Monthly Cost Reduction vs. Pre-SDI Method

5. Bypass/Pump Added – Iron, Desanders, 2-man Crew, Pump/Hoses
90% Cumulative Washout Savings 55% Monthly Cost Reduction vs. Pre-SDI Method

Because of Specialized Desanders’ ability to stop 99+% of the sand produced from the well, the client can ramp up as quickly as possible to their desired maximum gas rate without risk of washing out flowback equipment, production tree components, or permanent production facilities. With the total elimination of sand-related non-productive time, well productivity is maximized and flowback operations can be streamlined to increase overall cost-eciency. Also, because SDI’s Sand Sentry Measurement System provides accurate, real-time, sand production data, the decision can be made to release flowback crews, flowback equipment, and Desanders earlier and with confidence, based on quantitative measures, to reduce the overall turn-in-line costs and minimize the probability of sand-related downtime after the well is turned over to production.

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High Performance Despite Salinity Crystalization

Administrator — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 19:37:48 +0000

Our Specialized Desanders Inc. client was working on the flowback on 7 newly drilled wells in AB. In the initial flow back phase, the client was experiencing high salinity water. Salt would collect when it passed through the filter, causing the filter to plug and reduce the flow of materials.

The client was using a stainless-steel wire wrapped filter. In consultation with the SDI team, they decided to test a SynPOL 41210 high capacity Desander to compare against the current model they were using onsite. SynPOL models are designed with a molded physical barrier that acts as a filter, allowing liquids to flow through and particles intercepted by the barrier.

In this specific case, salt was present in the flow back water. Salt buildup can cause the pressure differential to rise to the point that flow is restricted.

Conventional filters clog up to the point where flow is impeded or completely closed off due to the salt adhering to the steel filters, as it hardens and cakes on like plaque.

The SynPOL design allows for flushing with water or the use of back pressure, to clean out the barrier. In this case, the salt flaked off the outside of the barrier when back pressure awas pplied.

It was able to perform in this matter due to the material design of the SynPOL barrier.

(gas production : 420 – 480 e3m3/day liquid production: w/190 – 290 m3/day)

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Floating Particulate Found

Administrator — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 19:36:29 +0000

The Specialized Desanders Inc client was using a gravity-based Desander and there was evidence of floating particulate upon a field inspection. When fluid was drained from the Desander and into the containment tub, the particulate was still floating on the surface of the fulid over 24 hours later. This floating particulate showed up months after the well had already been in production.

When the SynPOL was installed the production rates of the well were around 160-180 E3/m3/d gas, 18 m3/d condensate/water 50/50 cut and 3800 kPa flowing pressure. The intial differential pressure after the first SynPOL back flush clean out was around 37 kPa through the SynPOL.

This resulted in one of the best performances to date, particles blocked were below 1 micron. They SynPOL barrier was able to stop the gel emulsion/polymer that started to show up approximately 9 months after the well was put into production.

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Sporadic Flow Rates on Wells

Administrator — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 19:34:51 +0000

The Specialized Desanders Inc. client was operating 4 wells through a single test separator, 3 plunger lifts, and one pump jack. This case study was found to be unique because the wells were operating at different cycle times resulting in sporadically very high instatnaneous flow rates and varying amounts of flow through the SynPOL barrier. Well production rates spike with the cycling plunger lift and pump jack. This resulted in differential pressure through the filter also spiking. Under these well conditions, they were producing as much as 1000 m3/day instantaneously of oil/water from the Cardium zone.

When all 4 wells cycled at the same time through our SynPOL 21007 we experiencded a 600kPa differential. We guarantee our SynPOL barrier against collapse with differential pressure up to 41,368 kPa or 6000psi. This model is very efficient at high liquid rates. Because of the corrugated design of our SynPOLbarrier we have about 4 times more surface area than a traditional wedge wire filter with the same outisde diameter. We completed a particle size distribution test by laser from an accredited lab, this SDI SynPOL was able to stop particles smaller than 15 micron.

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