By Gary Shaw
Technology Leader
VetcoGray

This has been a tremendous year for the advancement of many offshore technologies – both from the heritage of VetcoGray resources and as a result of synergies with GE’s Oil & Gas business. Some will see commercial installation as early as Q1 2008, while others will be refined throughout the year with 2009 introductions. This article just scratches the surface.

Deepwater connector

Our newest product is being introduced right here at the Annual Meeting. This next generation deepwater subsea tree connector is designed for 15,000 psi working pressure, 10,000 ft water depth and 5.25 million foot pounds bending capacity. It will enable higher performance with a significantly lower weight and cost.

In November 2007, we completed comprehensive prototype testing driven by Failure Mode, Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA). The design is based on well-proven H-4 technology – but it wasn’t simply an adaptation. In order to meet the customer’s cost, weight and strength targets, an entirely new patented engineering design was introduced to more efficiently transmit extreme loads. An innovative and patented secondary unlock mechanism significantly reduces both weight and height. From a systems perspective, this new connector is designed to match the depth rating of our DMS 700 wellhead and VX-2 wellhead metal gasket

Riser string technologies for deeper water

VetcoGray riser technologies have been industry leaders for decades, and we are extending that heritage in 2008 with the first commercial application of our new MR-6H SE riser. Traditionally, two 3,000 lb flanges were joined by the brute force of several crew members making up large bolts on the platform deck. This is a slow and potentially dangerous operation. But now, the MR-6H SE’s innovative design combines the field-proven technology of the H-4 subsea wellhead connector and the MR dog-style marine riser to makeup a fully-automated connection without the need for any personnel in the area. This technology can do in 60 seconds what otherwise takes about 20 minutes. Keeping in mind that the average platform has a daily operating cost of $600,000, this is clearly a profit-enhancing device with incredible safety implications for crews. For these reasons, the MR-6H SE won the Spotlight on New Technology Award at the 2007 Offshore Technology Conference in Houston this past May.

A rig’s maximum drilling depth is largely dependent on the weight and the structural integrity of its riser string. To address the move in to deeper and deeper waters, we are developing riser systems manufactured with light-weight yet high-strength materials. GE’s Global Research Center has a team dedicated to developing this technology in conjunction with our Oil & Gas specialists. The resulting composite-wrap risers will enable conventional rigs to drill significantly deeper. There will be more news soon on this breakthrough.

FullBore wellhead

We are in the process of launching the new MS-800 wellhead system. This new wellhead system family addresses the emerging needs of the subsea market, including 15K FullBore and 20K High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT). The key challenge on the FullBore system was finding a way to successfully run a half dozen pipe strings in the well bore, and to seal each pipe with metal-to-metal seals. So the solution clearly involved some very acute technological and mechanical advances. The challenging (HPHT) project , is being developed jointly with one of our customers and has led to exciting improvements in tool and design technologies.

Dry cycle valves

We are very close to finalizing development of a new valve that will achieve more than 4,000 cycles with no lubrication during valve assembly – and still have the ability to hold low and high-pressure gas up to 10,000 psi. A team of scientists, including those from GE’s Global Research Center, started working on this project just six months ago and we are on track for a February 2008 completion. Our customer for this project has one of the most rigorous technological/engineering records in the world – so we are very excited and proud to be undertaking this development project with them.

Subsea monitoring and diagnostics

GE has a well-established portfolio of Remote Monitoring and Diagnostics (RM&D) services covering a wide range of equipment from jet engines to plant machinery. We are now applying these capabilities to offshore and subsea applications. One of the more interesting areas of future development will be active, real-time monitoring of riser systems. Riser strings can stretch 10,000 feet through strong marine currents and are regularly subjected to 7-8 million foot pounds of bending load. To date, no one solution has gained wide market acceptance. But a cost-effective, real-time monitoring system can have immediate impact for reducing downtime and significantly improving safety when operating in harsh environments.

Looking forward

Safety and the environment are top priorities for us all, making oil and gas one of the most risk-averse industries in the world – with an average of 17 years taken to adopt new technologies. So, although inklings of these advances may have been circulating for a while, GE is now making some very significant breakthroughs as they become reality. 2008 will be an exciting year indeed.