LOW-CARBON DRILLING SOLUTIONS
“The SCR system is doing the job for us. It’s a very effective
system in terms of removing NOx byproducts – you cannot
argue with a 90% reduction from the exhaust system,” Mr Luca
said. AI-based systems
In December 2021, Nabors launched Nabors Energy Transition
Solutions (NETS), a portfolio of technologies designed to improve
energy efficiency, reduce fuel consumption and lower emissions.
At the heart of this portfolio is the SmartPOWER Advisory and
Controls engine management software. The advisory system,
which is deployable to Nabors and third-party rigs, applies artifi-
cial intelligence (AI)-based algorithms to real-time drilling data,
advising the driller on the optimal number of engines to run for a
given task in a drilling operation. The SmartPOWER Control sys-
tem, which is expected to launch in Q2 2022, automates the start
and stop of the individual rig engines based on those advisories.
James Hall, Product Line Director at Canrig Drilling Technology,
a Nabors subsidiary, said the software is unique in its ability to
incorporate numerous external factors in its advisory mecha-
nism. SmartPOWER focuses on the true drilling data received
through the electronic drilling recorder (EDR) and uses pro-
prietary AI to recommend the optimal number of engines and
generators to run, both for current and predicted drilling activity.
In addition to real-time drilling data, a separate module within
the system accounts for altitude, coolant temperature, oil condi-
tion and filter condition within the engine to further optimize
decision making. The system also accounts for an engine’s ser-
vice life and maximum capacity.
“Our system evaluates engine condition and other factors to
determine which engines have the highest capacity,” Mr Hall
said. “It’s just as important to know which engines to run as it is
to know how many engines to run.”
Field testing of the advisory system, carried out on a Nabors
rig in Q1 2022, indicated a reduction in diesel consumption in line
with internal models showing up to 20% in certain applications,
with an equivalent reduction in CO2 emissions. This reduction
is with respect to the baseline set from average fuel consumed
during operations running all available engines, with no manual
intervention of the generators.
In Q2 2022, Nabors plans to release a super-capacitor energy
storage system, Canrig PowerFLOW. Similar in function to other
energy storage systems, PowerFLOW uses super-capacitors to
provide immediate power for load spikes during tripping and
other operations, maximizing energy capture during drawworks
braking and reducing the need for diesel-generated power above
baseload. The difference between super-capacitor and battery energy
storage is the super-capacitor’s ability to near instantaneously
store provided power and its speed at supplying power back to the
system. The PowerFLOW’s charge/discharge rate (C rating) ranges
from 25 to 50 C, meaning that it can provide 3,500 amps of power
in just over a minute, and the system can support 1,000-amp dis-
charge for 9.5 minutes. A battery energy storage system’s C rating
typically ranges from 3 to 5 C, meaning that it can discharge a
maximum of 1,500 amps for up to 12 minutes at max capacity.
Last October, the VALARIS DS-12 drillship became the fi rst
rig to receive the ABS Enhanced Electrical System Notation
EHS-E. Valaris upgraded the rig’s electrical system to safely
operate with as few as two generators online.
A higher C rating means that a system can deliver more power
to the system at faster speeds, which is valuable for tasks with
high power demand. It also means that the system can recharge
faster, with recharge times in the range of 1 to 6 seconds, depend-
ing on drilling activities. Due to the fast recharge characteristics
of PowerFLOW, the system is capable of fully charging from “free”
regenerative power, rather than drawing charge from the genera-
tors. This capability makes it easier for users to maintain peak
shaving, avoiding the spikes in power demand that can drive up
diesel usage and, subsequently, emissions.
An additional feature available when combining SmartPOWER
and PowerFLOW is the ability for the super-capacitor power to
be pushed to the AC bus. AC bus frequency can be monitored,
and PowerFLOW can inject AC voltage to the AC bus if frequency
drops, when either large AC or DC loads are felt on the AC bus.
This ensures that the generators maintain constant load and,
therefore, no engine surges occur during any operation.
“Imagine a system that you can fill up with power and discharge
quickly. That’s where super-capacitors have value,” Mr Hall said.
“By using these super-capacitors, you can monitor and control the
discharge rates. For our drilling operations, energy storage isn’t
really about powering the rig when your other sources of power
are removed; it’s about giving you the ability to be more efficient
with power generation. You’re using the super-capacitor to sup-
plement that power generation, and you can run your engines at
a constant load, even though you have these high demand peaks .”
Eliminating drill cuttings waste transport
NOV’s recent low-carbon technology offerings have targeted
mitigating, or outright eliminating, wasteful activities in a drilling
operation. One area of focus for the company is on the treatment
of oil-based drilling waste. Last year, the company launched its
iNOVaTHERM portable treatment unit to allow companies to
treat and dispose of drilling waste on the rig, as opposed to the
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