Ian Phillips, chief executive of the Oil & Gas Innovation Centre (photo: OGIC)

The Oil & Gas Innovation Centre (OGIC) is supporting the development of a new concept for well intervention developed by Well-SENSE Technology Ltd, a newly formed Aberdeen-based company, specialising in the development of downhole technology.

Innovations in well intervention technology could achieve significant cost and efficiency savings, supporting maximising economic recovery in the UKCS.

Well-SENSE’s new concept, FibreLine Intervention (FLI) combines several novel concepts in a single technology package, and represents a radical advance in downhole tools. The technology has received positive feedback from the industry and investment is required to move the project forward to full development.

FLI will give operators the ability to perform rapid shot well investigation on a greater number of wells, resulting in opportunities for production enhancement and well integrity operations, whilst lowering cost and risk.

The project has been reviewed and unanimously approved by a specialist OGIC peer review panel. Following a call for expressions of interest to the academic and research community in Scotland, Robert Gordon University (RGU) has been selected to work with the company on developing the concept.

OGIC has committed 50% of the required funding for the work to be carried out by RGU and Well-SENSE are now seeking a 50% match commitment from industry.

Ian Phillips, chief executive of OGIC, says, “There has been a strong emphasis over the past 12 months regarding the need for collaboration, communication and innovation to secure the future of North Sea oil and gas. This project is a prime example of these things in action, and I’m delighted that OGIC is playing a role in such a revolutionary project.”

“Well-SENSE has developed a truly innovative technology and supporting a development, which promises numerous advantages to the industry, is key to OGIC’s ethos. It’s important that support is given to small technology-focused companies to open up further opportunities and drive our industry forward,” adds Phillips.

Dan Purkis, technology director at Well-SENSE and recent winner of the Significant Contribution Award at the 2016 Offshore Achievement Awards, says, “We are thrilled that FLI’s potential has been recognised by OGIC - its support will ensure we can move the concept forward to full development to benefit the entire industry. The scope for FLI applications is so vast that, for FLI to make the biggest impact and rapidly progress, many companies will need to develop technology to complement it. Ultimately, FLI is a platform from which multiple new generations of increasingly sophisticated intervention tools can be launched and the opportunities are endless.”

Professor Paul Hagan, vice-principal for research at RGU, welcomed the progress in the collaboration with Well-SENSE and OGIC. He adds, “Industry collaborations are an integral part of our research focus. This is another good example of how leading academic research at RGU can be of potential practical and economic benefit to the oil and gas industry.”

Tags: Oil & Gas Innovation Centre (OGIC), Well-SENSE Technology Ltd