Description:
Reference Number: 1463
Background
Researchers from the University of Strathclyde’s Department of Electronic and
Electrical Engineering have developed a new micro-hole drilling technique that
could have significant benefits to the Oil & Gas, Mining, Water &
Construction industries. The oil and gas industry is continually seeking new
ways to lower costs and maximise production. It has been estimated by the Oil
Industry Task Force that as much as 1.3 billion barrels of oil could be
retrieved from existing wells in the North Sea if new recovery techniques become
available. Development of this new technology should facilitate greater
extraction of oil and gas from existing wells at a reduced cost whilst
minimizing the environmental impact from drilling.
Technology
This new technique uses high voltage pulsed power to produce plasma-channel
formation inside the rock or seabed. The extremely rapid expansion of the plasma
channel within the rock, which occurs in less than a millionth of a second,
causes it to fracture and fragment. Repeated formation of the self-rotating
plasma channels results in an effective and controlled drilling action. The
plasma channel drilling technology is designed to be deployed via wireline or
coiled tubing and focuses on drilling slim holes from existing completion
tubulars to perform short step out sidetracks. It does not require any
mechanical rotation of the drill shank.
Key Benefits
- The ability to drill small diameter holes (50-100 mm) is a cost effective
solution to increase the oil recovery from already developed reservoirs
- Can dramatically reduce the cost of exploration and subsurface data
acquisition
- Reduction of environmental impact due to possibility of use of non-toxic
drilling fluids (water, brine) and generation of fine drill cuttings which do
not require a size reduction operation and can be more readily disposed
compared to the cuttings produced by rotary drilling
- Based on a portable and compact pulsed power system with easily adjustable
parameters for drilling in different geological conditions
- Low power requirements
Markets and Applications
- Oil & gas industries (brown field development, exploration, subsurface
data acquisition, downhole scale and fouling removal)
- Mining (portable non-rotational drilling operations for creation of narrow
holes in restricted areas)
- Water or aquifer drilling, pilot hole drilling
- Construction and civil engineering (drilling in restricted areas
(buildings, tunnels), areas with difficult access where impossible to use
conventional bulk equipment)
Licensing and Development
A patent application has been filed by the University of Strathclyde. Contact
is welcomed from organisations interested in developing, licensing or exploiting
this technology with a view to commercialisation.
For further information, please contact Research & Knowledge Exchange
Services:
e: rkes@strath.ac.uk t: 0141 548 3707 f: 0141 552 4409
This
project was supported by the Scottish Enterprise Proof of Concept Programme. The
Proof of Concept Fund supports the pre-commercialisation of leading-edge
technologies emerging from Scotland’s universities, research institutes and NHS
Trusts.