Well construction specialist DeltaTek have created a subsea cement system which provides  efficiencies and optimises cement jobs. Chief Executive Officer Tristam Horn discusses the benefits of ‘SeaCure,’ which has been backed by the Oil and Gas Technology Centre.

Can you tell us about your product SeaCure?

The SeaCure Cementing Product is one that has really taken off over the last couple of quarters. SeaCure cementing is stabbed-in inner string cementing for subsea wells. It is a really novel concept for placing cement in subsea casing strings. What we have done with SeaCcure is bring a lot of well field proven technology from on-shore and platform cementing and combined it with technology that has been available throughout the other parts of the oil and gas industry in order to provide the entire SeaCure cementing service. In a nutshell, SeaCure is a combination of existing technologies combined in a novel way to provide an optimised technique for cementing subsea casing strings.

How has the Oil and Gas Technology Centre (OGTC) supported the project?

The Oil and Gas Technology Centre have supported the SeaCure Cementing Project that we have been involved in with Siccar Point Energy, AGR and Chevron. The OGTC have been fundamental in linking us as the technology supplier, Chevron and Siccar Point Energy as the operators. Meshing the organisations with putting the legal framework in place, the governance, as well as backing the project financially. They have put funding and legal framework in place for us to get the technology through the technology readiness levels such that we are now at the stage where we have completed successful field trials of the SeaCure Cementing Systems and we are taking the system offshore now, where we are executing offshore SeaCure cementing trials for Siccar Point energy and Chevron. They have been involved in both funding and facilitation of theend users of the technology being Siccar Point Energy and Chevron.

What are the key benefits of this product for the Oil and Gas Industry?

SeaCure cementing brings a range of benefits to subsea cement jobs. From initial cement placement, SeaCure is the quickest way of putting cement into the place it needs to be, in the annulus for the casing. It also puts the cement in place with the least amount of contamination of the cement slurry, so you get the most optimal cement job possible. As well as an optimised cement job, you also get optimised casing pressure tests. You getimproved well reliability benefits from SeaCure cementing. Furthermore, following these optimisations, there is no shoetrack to drill out on the next drilling section, making the whole well construction process substantially more efficient and less challenging.

Have there been any challenges you have faced when developing this product?

The primary hurdles for getting the technology developed through the technology readiness levels was really getting commitment from the end users to put the technology down their wells. With financial support and facilitation from the OGTC that has really been accelerated. In a matter of months we have gone from a project proposal, to SeaCure down a well, saving operators rig time, which is a real industry first. Typically technology takes years to go through that same process. The global commercialisation of our SeaCure Cementing Service,will ultimately be facilitated through more operator engagement. We are really excited about engaging with operators on developing our pipeline of technology on QuikCure and ControlCure to help save even more rig time from operators drillings programmes in the UK and beyond.

What are the next steps for the product moving forward?

The SeaCure delivery has a very positive outlook, we have a number of SeaCure cement jobs planed across the UK continental shelf in water depths approaching 5000 feet. We have got a number of different value propositions which we’re testing through the upcoming deployments of SeaCure, including optimised cement placement,and even pressure testing a full casing string before it is even run subsea. We’re saving clean out trips from operator’s drilling programmes. Beyond SeaCure we have got a really exciting technology roadmap including QuikCure and ControlCure. Firstly the QuikCure product which involves the same downhole SeaCure hardware but combined with a novel way of putting hot fluid through the casing bore to rapid set the annular cement without cement additives.