Wireless communication technology between surface and downhole can save up to £4million per year

Project Summary

NZTC supported Tendeka to undertake a field trial of their PulseEight technology onshore in a gas storage well.

PulseEight is a wireless, intelligent completion technology, capable of bi-directional communication between the surface facilities and downhole. It uses a unique pressure pulse telemetry suitable for multi-phase fluid environments, to allow wireless communication between the wellhead and downhole. Because this eliminates control lines, it is easy to install and therefore a cost-effective solution.

Industry value:
Using this technology allows operators to extend the life of existing assets, as well as developing new fields more effectively, reducing the need for intrusive well intervention work.

It reduces the need for at least one wireline intervention per year on a well. For every 25 wells the system is deployed on, the industry would save around £4million per annum.

Key results:
Various options were undertaken to test the downhole device and prove the surface decoding system. The two-week trial was a success, proving the capability to communicate downhole data to surface, and the functionality of controlling remotely.

Lessons learned:
The PulseEight was capable of robust, bi-directional communication between the surface and downhole. Additional offshore field trials will therefore be conducted to further develop and prove the technology.

Malcolm Banks, Wells Solution Centre Manager at OGTC said: “It’s great to see it being deployed in a live North Sea well. If it proves successful, it could pave the way for wider adoption of technology that has the potential to change the way we manage wells. This will improve productivity and save the industry millions of pounds.”