Oil and Gas

Technical ingenuity is required to meet the challenges set by the growing demand for energy. Future energy supplies will depend on technological breakthroughs and by applying the latest technology to oil and gas extraction, current energy supplies can be significantly prolonged.

Existing oil and gas processes can only extract a fraction of the hydrocarbons resident in any reservoir - the global average is currently just 30 per cent. The Camcon Binary Actuator can increase extractions to 45 per cent, adding more than 500 billion barrels to world reserves and representing nearly two decades more production based on current rates.

Collectively, Camcon's suite of valve configurations can be used to transform the extraction and flow management techniques used in the oil and gas industry:

Lateral Flow Control

Oil well extractions are often diminished or terminated due to the contamination of single tributary, resulting from uncontrolled reservoir pressure fluctuations. Camcon's inflow control valve actuation system allows several valves to be deployed in a well. Each valve can be selected individually and opened and closed many times , facilitating a more sophisticated flow management programme to increase hydrocarbon extractions.

Directional Drilling

Directional drilling requires large amounts of energy to be fed from the surface to the drillhead. This, combined with the high pressures, leads to slow reaction times and an unwelcome corkscrew effect, which is when the drill starts to move offline. Camcon's Rolling Swing Valve only uses power when switching from one state to the other and can be battery operated. The actuator is also quick to react to instructions, even under high pressure, so the corkscrew effect is minimised.

Intelligent Gas Lift

In wells where the resevoir pressure is not sufficient to drive the fluids to the surface, artificial lift systems, such as gas lift, are used to supplement the pressure differentials, enabling the well to continue production. Approximately half of the world's oil wells require artificial lift to ensure continued, efficient oil extraction. The volume of oil lifted by gas injection is determined by the size and number of the gas bubbles injected.   Current methods of injection provide little control over the amount of gas used.

Camcon's Intelligent Gas Lift configuration constantly monitors the flow conditions and adjusts the bubble size and frequency of injection accordingly. Intelligent gas injection control is achieved by changing the frequency of the valve operation and controlling the ratio of open to close time (duty cycle), adapting to fluctuating parameters such as pressure, flow rate and temperature.

Production Flow Management and Control

Camcon's technology configurations are being developed to be deployed in a number of different production flow processes ranging from fluid production and hydraulic controls equipment downstream of the wellhead; to safety cut off valve management and to enable pipeline flow control.