UK Launches First National Data Repository for Oil and Gas

The first National Data Repository (NDR) for the UK Oil and Gas industry is set for launch in early 2019 from the Oil and Gas Association (OGA). The repository will be used to store and publish information relating to petroleum in one collection, including infrastructure, well, field and geophysical data, delivering inward investment and added value to the UK. You can learn more about what an NDR is and how it works in the PDF attachment to this post.

Introducing National Data Repositories

Operational Agreement

An agreement has been reached between the OGA and Common Data Access Limited (CDA) regarding the operation of the NDR. It is hoped that this agreement will help the OGA as it works to unlock new North Sea resources. This would be good news for oil and gas companies with operations in the North Sea, including independent oil and gas exploration and production company Nobel Upstream. Nobel Upstream has recently acquired a stake in the Maclure field in the North Sea and continues to actively pursue more opportunities in the region that meet the technical and economic criteria of the company. Nobel Upstream, together with its partner Maersk Oil (since acquired by Total) successfully appraised the South Maclure prospect and is now developing this multi-million barrel oil field.

Critical Digital Infrastructure

The launch of the NDR will introduce a critical aspect of digital infrastructure to the UK oil and gas industry. Definitive information will be provided through the NDR to help unlock the remaining resources of the UK Continental Shelf. Extra value will be delivered for the sector by the OGA through the provision of trusted, enhanced data on the widest terms possible. The deal between the OGA and CDA, which is an Oil & Gas UK subsidiary, is for two years of operation of the NDR, which builds on the CDA’s 20-year existing service. A procurement process has commenced for the OGA-operated NDR, with an expected service commencement date in 2021.

The NDR is a key component in the delivery of Vision 2035, stated OGA’s director of corporate Nic Granger. You can learn more about Vision 2035 in the embedded infographic.

Data Collection

CDA has been working in collaboration with the oil and gas industry in the UK for 25 years, said Malcolm Fleming, chief executive of CDA. A unique collection has therefore been established of well and seismic information on the UK Continental Shelf, which will be placed at the centre of the new NDR. This will ensure data preservation as well as making it available for disclosure to all under conditions of open licence and for sharing among all licensees. It is expected that the NDR will prove to be a resource of inestimable value to technology innovators. These innovators will be able to use the data provided to work on solutions for the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to meet the challenge of searching deep in the subsurface to locate deposits of oil and gas.

The provision of data through the NDR will help achieve MER UK as well as delivering extra value to the oil and gas investment sector. You can find an overview of MER UK in the short video attachment to this post.

Introducing the MER UK Forum

OGA Open Data Centre

The launch of the new NDR is part of the ongoing objective of the OGA to make more information and data available openly with a view to facilitating performance improvements within the oil and gas industry in the UK. As part of this mission, the OGA Open Data Centre, which provides free, user-friendly access to a vast range of data, has recently been upgraded. The Centre includes data that can be shared, downloaded, charted, mapped, styled or viewed under the Open Government Licence terms and conditions.

The New Illusion® Spire Frac Plug from Halliburton

Halliburton has recently announced the release of the Illusion® Spire, the first frac plug that is both dissolvable and fluid efficient. The capabilities of currently available dissolvable frac plugs are expanded on with the Illusion® Spire, which features less mass and a larger diameter for improved efficiency. In the PDF attachment you can learn more about the history of frac plugs and the difference between dissolvable and composite versions.

Nobel Upstream - Composite Vs. Dissolvable Fracture Plugs

Halliburton is the major service provider to Nobel Upstream of hydraulic fracturing services. The Illusion® Spire is currently the most advanced frac plug available on the market.

Faster Time to Production

The time it takes to bring a well onto production in the unconventional market is critical. Plugs with more traditional designs can lead to excessive volumes of fluid and suboptimal conveyance. The Illusion® Spire technology from Halliburton Completion Tools has been specifically designed to include a water saving element, meaning the completion time is reduced as the operators of the well are able to pump faster. The plug also has a reduced size, resulting in a quicker drive and more consistency for the time of dissolution. This helps to maximise the asset value for operators through substantial increases in flowback and lower water costs.

Field Trials

Halliburton has conducted multiple field trials with the Illusion® Spire in basins in North America. The results of these trials saw unprecedented improvements in both time efficiency and fluid efficiency when compared to the results achieved by other frac plugs available on the market. The overall pump time in a typical wellbore is reduced and the potential is shown to be there to save thousands of barrels of fluid.

Illusion® Spire Benefits and Features

The Illusion® Spire builds on previous successes from Halliburton with the Illusion standard frac plug, with a 45% increase in internal diameter complemented by a 32% reduction in length. These altered measurements yield greater production and placement efficiency, improving flowback and increasing pump-down efficiency. The plug is sized for a 5.5-inch casing. An anti-preset feature is included for setting at depth, as well as the inherent pump-down water saving feature. Neither of these new features compromise the pressure-holding performance or the reliability of the plug. The full internal diameter of the wellbore is achieved, decreasing dissolution time, while the pressure rating of 10,000 psi ensures performance levels remain high even in demanding fracturing stimulations. The pioneering plug design from Halliburton, which includes fully dissolvable rubber and metal, removes the inherent costs and risks of removing a conventional plug. You can find out more about Halliburton in the attached infographic.

Standard Illusion Benefits and Features

The standard Illusion frac plug is also dissolvable and has been field-proven, providing zonal isolation for the artificial stimulation of reservoirs. Upon dissolution, the Illusion opens the wellbore to the full inside diameter to optimise operations. The Illusion is sized for both 4.5-inch and 5.5-inch casings and has the same psi pressure rating of 10,000 as the Illusion® Spire. The composition of the Illusion plug dissolves fully based on salinity and temperature to eliminate removal risks and reduce overall operational costs. It is capable of handling pump-down rates even when accelerated and maintain high performance in demanding stimulations. The large ID of the Illusion plug assists in well clean-up and immediate flowback.

In the short video attachment you can find out more about what hydraulic fracturing well stimulation involves. Halliburton has provided several case studies on the company website for both the Illusion and the Illusion® Spire.

What Is Hydraulic Fracturing Well Stimulation?