OSSO temperature control tech set for Neptune’s Seagull development

Fluid temperature control and separation solutions provider OSSO has been awarded a contract by Neptune Energy to deploy its high-volume mud cooler technology for the Seagull campaign in the UK Central North Sea.

OSSO said that the technology would enable Neptune Energy to manage the field’s high bottom-hole temperatures.

The HPHT Seagull development has one of the North Sea’s highest downhole circulation temperatures of up to 165 degrees Celsius, making drilling very challenging due to the reduced lifespan and accuracy of downhole drilling and logging tools.

By cooling the drilling fluid, the operator can avoid delays and reduce trips out of the hole which adds both time and costs to operations thus reducing efficiency.

OSSO’s AutoCUL technology will allow Neptune to actively manage the mud cooler usage and downhole temperature to preserve tool life as the technology maintains a consistent mud temperature. This prevents any risk of overcooling the mud system, which in turn eliminates the risk of thermal fracturing in the well which can cause costly delays.

Also, AutoCUL enables remote real-time data monitoring and auto-adjustment direct from the drill floor, offering greater control to improve safety and operational efficiency. By reducing and maintaining downhole temperatures the operator can maximise the longevity and performance of the downhole tools, allowing deeper and longer drilling time.

John Dick, business development director at OSSO, said: “This is one of the North Sea’s major high pressure and high-temperature projects and we’ve seen a lot more of these over the years as engineering has advanced, enabling enhanced reservoir production.

“We understand that the cooling of drilling fluid is an essential operational and safety priority when it comes to drilling high pressure/high-temperature wells. Therefore, we have redesigned our mud cooling technology to reduce these burdens and costly delays”.

Alexandra Thomas, UK managing director at Neptune added: “The exciting Seagull project supports Neptune’s growth ambitions for the UKCS and is expected to produce 50,000 boe per day gross, making a significant contribution to both UK MER and energy security, as well as supporting local supply chains”.

The solution will be deployed in the first quarter of 2021 and will be operational in 2022. All the equipment will be installed on the rig this month for a duration of 500 days.

The Seagull development is in UK licence P1622 Block 22/29C – some 17 kilometres south of the BP-operated ETAP Central Processing Facility (CPF). Neptune is the operator of Seagull and has a 35 per cent equity interest. Its joint venture partners are BP with 50 per cent and JAPEX with 15 per cent.