Case Study: Arctic Recirc Skid^® (ARS)

Arctic Recirculation Filtration Skid for Well Clean-out Fluids
SYSTEM: Oil & Gas Drilling
APPLICATION: Well Clean-out Water Filtration / Recycling
PARTICULATE SEPARATED: Rock / Cement / Sediment / Silt / Frac Sand / Metal
PROCESS EQUIPMENT: Arctic Recirc Skid (ARS) Well Clean-out Filtration System

PROBLEM:
British Petroleum Exploration Alaska (BPXA) operating in Prudhoe Bay was in need of a cost-reducing system for well clean-out operations. Currently, produced water (The Produced Water Society's web site) must be manufactured at a local facility. This produced water is then loaded onto transport trucks, driven to the wellsite on unimproved roads, and pumped down the wellbore to both lubricate and convey particulate. Once returned to the surface, the fluid is not suitable for reuse and must be returned to the produced water facility for processing. This constant transport of fluids back and forth on unimproved arctic roads puts enormous strain on limited resources and manpower, also adding transport time and additional cost to what could otherwise be a relatively simple operation. Any proposed system would have to be rugged enough to withstand the extreme environment and be self-sustainable in the absence of any other support equipment.

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SOLUTION:
EFS designed, patented and built an Arctic Recirculation Skid^® (ARS)® to filter the used produced water so it can be reused and pumped immediately back down into the well. This system promotes recycling of fluids that would ordinarily require disposal and frees up the produced water facility and the transportation equipment for use elsewhere in the oil field. The ARS is a self-contained, self-powered filtration system that operates independently of attached systems. Included inside is a two-stage filtration system that automatically backwashes and returns solids to a recirculation tank. A local controller manages the backwashing and the pump balances flow from the tank to the wellhead pump. A dosing system is included for injection of friction-reducing chemicals into the flow stream. The ARS is fully automated, which minimizes worker involvement in the system. The entire system is enclosed in an Arctic duty portable skid that can be transported between operations and is powered by an integrated diesel generator or optional shore power. The ARS greatly improves efficiency and reduces operation costs.