By Joanne Liou, editorial coordinator
Zhang Mi, chairman and president of HongHua Group, introduced the 6,000-hp integrated shale gas drilling system at the 2012 OTC in Houston.
Honghua Group introduced its 6,000-hp integrated shale gas drilling system recently at the 2012 OTC in Houston. Zhang Mi, chairman and president of HongHua, said the system integrates current technologies with new equipment, such as the 6,000-hp fracking pump.
Mr Zhang said the system, which targets the US shale market, offers a more economical solution because it replaces diesel fuel with electricity-driven equipment. He estimated the cost of energy consumption of the new system to be an eighth of current systems. Automation is also integrated within the gas-powered pump and gas-powered generator, which cuts operating costs by 10%, he added. The system can be used for natural shale gas and shale oil.
The company believes the trend is shifting toward lithologic reservoirs – shale gas, CBM and tight gas - including the drilling equipment, fracturing unit and other equipment on the well site.
The system’s fracking pump has the capability to replace two 3,000-hp conventional pumps and to produce a smaller footprint on the environment. The company has completed factory testing and plans to begin field testing in the US by the end of the year. Mr Zhang said he expects the system to be commercially available in two years.
