Advances in deep sea oil extraction: Techniques and new technologies

Jose López

October 7, 2023

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Introduction

As new technologies are transforming deepwater oil extraction, oil companies continue to advance in product design and manufacturing. This, in turn, allows companies to improve safety, increase production and operational profits. Producers are leveraging advanced technology to gain access to deep oil reserves found in low-permeability geological formations.

Fortunately, advances lead to large investment savings, improved protection and safety standards for drilling equipment, and maximum protection of lives and the environment in which operations are carried out.

Innovations in oil exploration in the underwater environment include subsea drilling support systems, water injection, steam injection, chemical injection, and produced water treatment.

Advances in technologies used for deepwater oil drilling and extraction, as well as well completion; have enabled the energy industry to tap into new sources of oil and natural gas to meet growing demand around the world.

Once again, technological advances have allowed more oil and natural gas to be recovered from the length of each well, improving production and reducing the environmental footprint of energy production.

For example, by combining extended reach drilling capability with advanced stimulation technology, oil companies can optimize how and where the stimulation fluid interacts with the rock, enabling sustained production rates throughout the well.

These types of drilling and completion technologies have also enabled the recent growth of production from shale and other unconventional oil and gas reservoirs in many parts of the world, using a combination of hydraulic fracturing and extended reach horizontal drilling.

Advances in drilling technology

Horizontal drilling

Horizontal drilling is a directional drilling process intended to target an oil or gas reservoir that crosses it at the “entry point” with a nearly horizontal inclination and remains within the reservoir until the desired location at the bottom of the reservoir is reached. well.

Horizontal drilling provides more contact with a reservoir formation than a vertical well and allows more hydrocarbons to be produced from a given well.

This method involves drilling horizontally through the rock formation and injecting a mixture of water, sand and chemicals to fracture the rock and release the oil.

Gas Drive: This is a secondary recovery method that involves injecting gas into the reservoir to increase pressure and push oil into the well for extraction.
Shale oil extraction is an industrial process for the production of unconventional oil. It involves heating oil shale in the absence of oxygen until its kerogen decomposes into condensable oil shale vapors and non-condensable combustible shale gas.
The oil vapors and gas are then collected and cooled, causing the shale oil to condense.

Use of polymers

Modern polymers used in oil and gas today can act as an effective insulation solution for pipelines, something required in offshore oil operations.

These products provide a reliable barrier between seawater and oil flow lines, helping to reduce the risk of clogging and subsequent rupture of pipelines.

Polymers have been shown to offer additional benefits in oil and gas operations.

These include:

Optimize the flow of gas and oil.
Significantly reduce installation costs.
Improve resistance against deep sea pressures.

In the tar sands, the extraction and recovery of crude oil is done by mining methods. This involves extracting the tar sands and then treating them in processing facilities to extract the oil.

In situ development is another method used to recover heavier oil that does not flow on its own. This method involves injecting steam or solvents into the underground reservoir to heat the oil and make it flow more easily, allowing extraction.

Some light oil trapped in “tight” (non-porous) rock formations, such as shale, can be recovered by horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing.

Underwater oil extraction

It is a challenging task that requires cutting-edge technologies to ensure safe and efficient operations in extreme underwater environments.

Here we present some of the most recent advances in this area:

The application of underwater robotics and drones has revolutionized the way inspection and maintenance of underwater oil drilling equipment is carried out.
These technologies can access hard-to-reach areas, capture high-resolution images and detect possible defects that could go unnoticed by the human eye.

Advanced inspection technologies, such as specialized sensors and cameras, are being used to closely monitor the condition of subsea oil drilling equipment.

These tools can accurately and early detect the presence of corrosion, cracks or other defects that could compromise the integrity of equipment.

Reservoir robots (Resbots)

Reservoir robots, also known as “Resbots,” are used to examine conditions in oil fields and detect any changes.

Resbots are small nano robots capable of entering a reservoir and assessing conditions within the pores of the rock. These robots are smaller than a human hair and can inject water into the well.

Electromagnetic heating technology

Producers experience significant difficulties when extracting oil from deep underground to the surface.

Traditional methods typically require energy and water to remove bitumen from tar sands. However, electromagnetic heating technology simplifies the process by heating tar sands using radio waves. This technique uses less energy and eliminates the need for water during extraction.

Submersible helicopter models

Submersible helicopter models are used for underwater emergency training. The technology allows new staff members to train and prepare for emergency scenarios, such as helicopter crashes, that can occur at sea. Helicopter models allow simulating falls into the sea.

Asset management systems are playing a critical role in optimizing the maintenance and repair of subsea oil extraction equipment. These systems allow detailed monitoring of equipment status, efficient scheduling of maintenance activities, and optimization of processes to reduce downtime and maximize performance.

Improvements in underwater oil extraction

The permanent search for improvements in underwater oil extraction activity has led to a series of technological advances that are transforming the industry.

Below are some of the most notable advances in oil extraction in underwater environments:

Advanced support systems for subsea drilling: Experts are working on developing support systems that optimize subsea drilling operations in the maritime industry. These systems seek to improve efficiency and safety by providing innovative, automated solutions for deepwater drilling.

Waterflooding is a widely used technique to apply artificial pressure to underwater oil wells and extract the oil present in them.

Steam injection improvements: Steam injection is used to improve the flow of oil in underwater reservoirs. Innovations in this technique seek to reduce the amount of energy required, as well as minimize the environmental impact associated with oil extraction.

Chemical injection is another strategy used to improve oil extraction in underwater fields. Technological developments in this field focus on the use of more efficient and environmentally friendly chemical products, with the aim of maximizing production and reducing the negative impact on marine ecosystems.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in underwater oil exploration

AI technology can analyze large amounts of data quickly and accurately, identify areas most likely to contain oil reserves, detect signs of corrosion, and predict machine downtime, reducing maintenance time and costs. exploration, prevents incidents and reduces downtime and maintenance costs.

Below are some of the benefits of using AI technology in underwater oil exploration:

Efficiency: AI technology can analyze large amounts of data quickly and accurately, reducing the time and costs of underwater oil exploration. AI can also identify areas most likely to contain oil reserves, reducing exploration time and costs.
Accuracy: AI technology can analyze data from various sources and perform complex analyzes to identify areas with the highest probability of containing oil reserves. This focused approach reduces exploration time and costs and minimizes environmental impact by drilling only in high potential areas.
Safety: AI technology can optimize business operations, productivity and safety in the oil and gas industry. AI can detect signs of corrosion and alert pipeline operators, allowing companies to be proactive in managing corrosion risks.
Environmental impact: AI can minimize the environmental impact of underwater oil exploration by reducing exploration time and costs and drilling only in high potential areas. AI can also detect signs of corrosion and prevent incidents that could harm the environment.
Maintenance: It can also predict machine downtime and anticipate the time to carry out maintenance activities, reducing downtime and maintenance costs.

Conclusion

Advances in deepwater oil extraction are being driven by the development of techniques and new technologies. This suggests that the petroleum industry is continually innovating to overcome the technical and environmental challenges associated with deepwater extraction, which could have a significant impact on the future availability of energy resources and the sustainability of the industry.