Increasing the Recovery Factor in Onshore Fields

Any newly minted service provider seeking to swim in the crowded waters of the Mexican oil and gas sector may struggle to get noticed by the top operators. However, if said provider can precisely define how it seeks to enter these operators’ supply chains while offering hand- picked services, it can go a long way toward overcoming this obstacle. This is precisely the path chosen by Tekna Services in 2013, when it settled on a services portfolio focused on technologies needed to increase hydrocarbon recovery in producing fields. Furthermore, as a fully Mexican company, it takes pride in offering an array of services provided by US and Canadian partners.

César Ruiz López, Director General of Tekna Services, says that the company’s focus is to bring in innovative technologies that can optimize production, which are not available in the Mexican market. “While there are many service companies that have been providing a wide range of solutions to the Mexican oil and gas industry for years, they lack the capabilities to deliver high-end technologies to all of the country’s oil regions. Many technologies for horizontal wells, shale production, and deepwater assets are not available here although they are used in many parts of the world,” he states. This situation has many foreign firms looking for ways to deal with this obstacle, preferably with a partner that can make up for these

technological deficiencies. This, coupled with the local content requirements prescribed by the Energy Reform, means that Tekna Services expects to see strong demand for its services. “Newcomers will be very interested in nationalizing their services, and we plan to be there to guide them through the process.” One truth is that its immediate future may lie in the hands of clients other than PEMEX. “Unfortunately, PEMEX’s recent internal changes have not made it easy for it to develop its already producing assets. While we are working with PEMEX at Cinco Presidentes and Samaria-Luna, we expect our activities to become primarily focused on private sector demand. Therefore, we are looking at significant opportunities in marginal fields with companies that need solutions to efficiently and optimally manage production. As for PEMEX, it will continue restructuring itself and adapting into its new role throughout 2015, so we expect that we can establish an alliance to further offer our services to PEMEX in 2016,” explains Ruiz López. Moreover, the company is in talks with PEMEX concerning a plan to optimize hydrocarbon transportation in the Cacalilao-Madero pipeline.

Tekna Services has already begun working with Petrofac at the Sánchez Magallanes block, with the British leader also considering which of Tekna Services’ technologies would be most suitable for use at the Pánuco and Santuario blocks.

Similarly, Monclova Pirineos Gas has requested certain technologies for its ongoing developments at Tierra Blanca. Paired to this, Tekna Services is finalizing a partnership to bid on the upcoming blocks that will be offered in Chicontepec. Should this partnership succeed, Ruiz López says his firm will be in charge of field management, integrated services, and EOR/IOR technology implementation, while also supervising infrastructure in terms of environmental standards and handling water treatment activities. Beyond a well-defined service portfolio, Tekna Services believes that optimization is one of its critical success factors. “While many may say that more equipment is needed in order to increase or improve production, we believe that focusing on optimizing already existing infrastructure is the key to significantly improving processes,” says Ruiz López. “By tackling the root problem, such as a reservoir, we are able to streamline solutions to successfully optimize processes and thus increase operational productivity. Whether the problem concerns heavy and extra-heavy oil reservoirs, or condensate and water intrusions, solutions exist out there to deal with such issues.” Given the wide range of technologies that Tekna Services can tap into to handle these types of complications, the company relays its assessment to clients in order to guide them toward choosing the most adequate solution. Beyond seeing an increase in productivity as a cost-saving process, the company focuses on finding the right solution to optimize productivity first, given the long-term gain this constitutes for any given company.

With Round One in full swing, Ruiz López expects that his technology-driven services will become increasingly attractive. Tekna Services is already busy approaching companies that are participating, or are expected to participate in Round One. “Our services could be very useful for companies like Grupo Diavaz, Grupo Mexico, or Grupo Carso, which will require a strong partner that they can rely on as they venture into upcoming tenders. Paired to this, we are present in the North Region, all the way from Burgos to Poza Rica, and we cover the South and Marine Regions around Villahermosa and Ciudad del Carmen. We plan to be the reference for highly specialized technological solutions in the country’s new environment,” proudly concludes Ruiz López.