Arne Torsvoll

Optimizing contract management and cooperation between operator and service company

This paper discusses the added value obtained in a joint business development (JBD) between an operator and a service company, The JBD is founded in a joint operations agreement that both parties formalized and signed in early 1996. This JBD is unique because of its structure; because of its systematic approach to improving quality and communication and to developing technology jointly to meet needs; and because of the resulting added value to both parties. The project was started in 1994 when the operator restructured its contract portfolio to achieve improved cost-efficiency and closer cooperation with suppliers and to reduce overall contract administration. This was to be done by both reducing the overall number of contractors and transferring increased responsibility to the service company. As a result of the contract award, a joint operations agreement that focused on extensive cooperation was formalized and signed by critical suppliers and joint organizational structures were put in place. For a cooperative business structure to succeed, the ability to measure progress is critical. As a result, initial focus was put on developing a novel measuring system, a quality rating system (QRS). This system, together with other nonconformity and health, safety, and environment (HSE) systems, is used by both parties to focus on quality and to optimize resource use. A system to identify gaps in behavior, communication, and expectations also was put in place. Once the measuring systems were operational, a large-scale cooperative survey was conducted that focused on both technological and cooperational improvement opportunities. The results of this survey were used to establish project-specific quality action teams with representatives from both parties. This way of working together has resulted in demonstrated improvements that have given the parties added value in several critical areas. The process is under continuous development, and, on the basis of experience to date, the parties are preparing to take appropriate elements of the JBD process to the international arena.

New Tool Improves Success Ratio for Balanced Plug Cementing

To place a proper balanced cement plug in a well has been a severe problem to the drilling industry for decades. The cement plug is rarely found at the desired depth. Due to the fact that the cement slurry usually is more dense than the well fluid, the cement plug is found deeper than anticipated, and the quality of the cement plug further down may be doubtful. This often results in setting a new cement plug in order to proceed with operations such as kick off in the wellbore, abandonment or pulling the Blowout Preventer. In the North sea area it is seen that cement plugs fail in > 25 % of the cases. Several techniques have been developed to keep the cement in place, but they are either very time consuming or have a low degree of success. A new tool has been developed which is deployed below the cement plug, preventing the cement slurry from escaping down the well. This tool is easy to install, does not take extra rig time and covers all sizes from 152.4 mm to 584.2 mm (6 to 23 in.) of hole diameters with one tool. Before field application, the system was tested in full scale, where cement plugs were set in casings both with and without the new tool. The result from this testing showed that the new tool had a very high degree of efficiency compared to the reference tests which were performed without tool. This paper will present the results from the testing and case histories where the tool has been used.