Versatile Technology Addresses Upstream Volatility

Q: What was the process for developing Enventure’s technologies?

A: Enventure was born 23 years ago through a joint venture between Shell and Halliburton. The technology was originally developed to address operational issues operators were experiencing at their GOM projects, particularly those that involved deepwater wells and otherwise complex wells. Halliburton eventually left the joint venture and was replaced with another private investment company. We continued to cater exclusively to the offshore category because there was not that much applicable work onshore. 

This strategy was altered by the events of the 2010 Macondo blowout, which led to a sharp decline in GOM activity. This meant that the company had to reinvent itself and the technologies it was developing. The product line needed to be expanded, which led us to look toward the US onshore market. At the time, this market was going through a historic boom, with the largest concentration of drilling units in the world. The market was, in a way, much simpler than the offshore segment but it remained very relevant to the operators who had a presence there. This boosted the presence and recognition of our technologies enormously. Our technologies can be used during the drilling process as well as during later well intervention and repair processes. The technology can fix wells that have been damaged, either through issues in the drilling process or throughout the production process. Our technology can reseal casing perforations and ruptures that cause leaks, and return the well to structural integrity. Our technology also allows well relining so that new production plans can be explored in previously drilled wells. 

The most recognizable characteristic of our technology is a hydraulic system that allows the expansion of the tubulars that form the liner and liner hanger. This expansion creates anywhere from half an inch to two inches of additional diameter in the wellbore. This might not sound like much but it can give our clients the chance to run additional casings or use downhole tools that could not be used before or that did not fit in the wellbore. Wells are drilled with the final diameter of the wellbore in mind, meaning the diameter of the wellbore at the deepest point of the well, so that the optimum production equipment can be used. Each time there is an issue in the drilling process, the production is reduced  because additional conventional casings make your wellbore smaller at its top or middle segments, so the 7 inches of diameter in production casing you had calculated for your final bottom segment can become 5 very quickly. Sometimes, wells that took millions of dollars to drill have to be cemented and abandoned due to these kinds of issues. With our technology, you can salvage these wells. Our technologies can also help isolate water producing zones while permitting oil production. 

Q: What is your strategy to increase the presence of this technology in Mexico?

A: We are trying to make our brand as visible as possible. We are attending all of the industry’s most important events in Mexico and letting the top operators know what our technology can offer them. We also need the industry’s drilling and completion engineers to become familiar with our technologies so that they can decide if the technologies align with their wells. Our products might not be suitable for certain wells with specific pressure and temperature conditions that might prevent the technology from working properly, but they work well in the majority of the cases. All of this needs to be factored into our rate of market penetration. We need to be able to explain the characteristics of our technologies to potential clients in Mexico on a face-to-face basis. We also need to explain how our support network can assist them in applying the technologies as successfully as possible. Many operators place us among other tubing solutions, so we need to explain our many differentiating factors in detail, sometimes visually. We have successfully performed over 2,400 installations, averaging more than 100 installations a year. We have worked in 40 countries and for approximately 250 clients. We need to increase the awareness of these facts and of our brand in the Mexican context. We also need to communicate the value that is created by these technologies, especially for a company like PEMEX that is increasing its onshore and shallow water exploration drilling. Many of these wells are extremely challenging. We are in the process of demonstrating to them that we can be a valuable partner throughout these difficult processes.  

Q: What are your most important growth and development targets for 2022? 

A: We want to expand and consolidate our presence in the exploration market. So far, we have completed between 16 and 17 projects in that category, 15 of them for PEMEX. We have worked in deepwater and in shallow water, as well as onshore. Throughout those projects, we have used our technologies to solve a variety of issues, demonstrating the many uses for which they are perfectly applicable. Another objective is to also begin getting involved in the production side of the industry. We want to help operators increase their recovery levels. This is of particular relevance to PEMEX, which is focused on increasing its oil production. Some of its historically largest fields are characterized by a production decline, with Cantarell being perhaps the most famous case. Our technologies can help them unlock some of the trapped reserves in these fields.

Enventure Global Technology provides SET®, ESET™ and ESeal™ Solid Expandable Technology, a product line of expandable wellhole liners that protect well integrity.