Yellow actuators on the valves of this missile manifold are about the only outward sign of the unit’s automated capability. Without humans having to open or close these valves, a high-pressure risk has been removed and valuable time can be recaptured. Source: Schlumberger. Introduced earlier this year by Schlumberger, a trio of hydraulic fracturing systems represent one of the latest steps toward a more automated oilfield. This new hardware is already working in the North American unconventional sector where the world’s largest service company says the growing intensity of horizontal well programs demands that the next wave of fracturing technology come loaded to bear with sensors and real-time data streaming capabilities. Dubbed an “automated stimulation delivery system,” its three main pieces are a vertical silo system for sand or proppant management, a process trailer for blending and hydration, and a missile manifold that channels pressurized fracturing fluids into the wellhead. Prototypes of each system spent a year in the field before entering commercial service, and during that time, helped send almost a billion pounds of sand down horizontal wells. ... This article is reserved for SPE members and JPT subscribers. If you would like to continue reading, please , or
Oilfield services company Schlumberger has introduced a trio of hydraulic fracturing systems to help operate advanced drilling assets and reduce the number of people required to drill and complete their wells. The system includes a vertical silo system for sand or proppant management, a process trailer for blending and hydration and a missile manifold that channels pressurised fracturing fluids into the wellhead. Known as "an automated delivery system", each of the product's processes are commercially available after spending a year in the field as prototypes.