On The Wire

The Quarterly Newsletter of Elmar Issue 18 | Quarter 2 2015

MAIN FEATURE

What to do
when things
go wrong

Five common wellsite problems

and how to solve them

ASEP Elmar DynaWinch Artex

TM

TM

TM

TM

TECHNOLOGY
UPDATE

Big things from small

packages Elmars Gin
Pole Mast
Elmars engineers have designed a simple, new,
lightweight, low cost slickline mast for efficient and
heliportable operations on offshore platforms with
limited deck space and crane capacity.
Weighing in at only 600kg, the mast is designed to carry a simple
WPCE string in one package, at a total weight of 1200kg. The selfsupporting mast column manually erects whilst the column is in
the horizontal position, and is then brought into the operating
position using a hydraulic ram.
The maximum column loading is 2,000kg a very impressive load
for such a small and simple package.

TRIVIA

A gin pole gyn,

derived from
ed
g
a three-leg
e
ic
ev
d
lifting

Inlaying advances
at Elmar
With the oil and gas industry continuously developing
and exploring increasingly pressurized and corrosive
environments, high quality inlaying capabilities are
becoming ever more necessary. Inlaying is a specialist
process applied to the bore of wireline BOPs which
are expected to be exposed to the most corrosive
environments, and usually takes many weeks due
to the complexity of the process and the scarcity of
qualified third party facilities. During the process the
BOP is heated to 600 degrees C to relieve stresses
within the BOP body.
Elmar has now created an in house inlay process, to
eliminate the need to rely on external contractors for
this critical process.
The process requires the surface of the base material to
be melted before introducing the inlay material to the
molten weld pool, in the form of a heated wire. This is then
adhered to the parent material as the weld pool cools,
after which a post-weld heat treatment is performed
to reduce and redistribute the residual stresses in the
material introduced by welding. This helps to maintain the
mechanical properties of the base material.
Meeting the required standard and specification for this
type of welding is a complex and costly process. However,
Elmar felt it essential to invest the necessary time and
money into the equipment and training needed to bring
the process in-house, to ensure it is providing the best
possible service for clients.
Offering it as an in-house service means we can provide our
customers with quicker reaction times for their production
demands.

ELMAR
PHOTOGRAPHY

Elmar operates internationally in

Europe, Americas, Far East, Middle
East and CIS. Here is a snap shot
of some of our manufacturing
operations and staff from across
these locations.

1. Steve Moir and Ian Sutherland visit OFISSA in Port

Harcourt, Nigeria. Pictured with their Nigerian Mobile
Police (MOPOL) escorts.
2. Graham Henderson from Aberdeen will drive 5,000
km across Europe in the Barcelona Bangers car rally
as part of his bachelor party to raise 3,000 for Cancer
Research UK.
3. Elmars Middle East team in front of a pressure test
container. From left to right - Musthafa, Aji, Jomon,
Jamsheer, Kannan and Shaju.
4. Inside view of the TruckLine C 5786.
5. Elmar Houston employees successfully complete
their 3 month module assembly training. From left to
right - Tony Grande, James K. Mitschke, Juan Lujan,
Kenneth R. Seagraves, Graham Smith, Andrew Evans.

6. Klaas Van Loopik, Hydraulic Mechanic based in the

Netherlands, working on a new unit.

9. Aberdeen shipped another subsea umbilical reeler

after a successful collaboration with a major global
customer.

7. Elmar Netherlands launched a successful stock

build program last year. The program offers Elmar
customers a wide range of products including this
TruckLine C 5786, which is one of the largest orders
that Elmar Netherlands has received.

10. Drew Jeske, PCE Production Manager and Roger

Brooks, PCE Lead discussing the lifting equipment
on a 6.38 15K QEC Wireline Valve (BOP) for a client
in Louisiana. This is the biggest BOP Elmar has ever
Manufactured in Houston.

8. A Wireline Valve (BOP) Recertified in Indonesia. The

SAS team started on-site OEM recertification in
February 2015. Carrying out the recertification in
Indonesia instead of Singapore mitigates the risk of
the equipment getting refused entry into the country
due to custom regulations.

10

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MAIN FEATURE

WHAT TO DO
WHEN THINGS
GO WRONG

Tools recovered to the surface have been

pulled into the stuffing box or grease head
and the wire has been inadvertently broken.

-- The ball check valve will have prevented a hydrocarbon

leak through the stuffing box.
-- If a tool catcher has been used, then the tools will be
hanging from it.
-- If no catcher was used, but a tool trap was used, then the
tools will be sitting on it.
-- If neither a catcher or trap was used, then the tools are now
in the well.
-- In any case, considerable non productive time will result.
Solution:
-- Make the well safe by closing the appropriate barriers.
-- If the tools are in the catcher or on the trap, then bleed
off the pressure in the PCE string, retrieve the tools and
build a new rope socket.
-- If the tools are in the well, then a fishing job will be
required to retrieve the tools.

Air supply to the hydraulic

or grease injection control
panels has failed during
electric line operations.

-- If the control module is not being

monitored, then the loss of air pressure will
result in the failure of grease injection and
the subsequent emission of hydrocarbons.

Elmar BOP/DHSV
Control Unit

Hydrates forming in the

stuffing box or grease head.

-- This is a well control issue.

-- The tools may be stuck, causing NPT.
Solution:
-- If no chemical injection sub is used
and hydrates have formed, then
normally methanol would be injected
at some point in the WPCE string.
-- As an alternative, a nearby well can
be crossflowed to increase surface
temperatures.

Five common wellsite problems with wireline PCE and how to solve them

Elmar Portable Glycol

Injection/Pressure
Test Unit

Braided line has developed a

broken strand and has caused
a birds nest at the grease head,
meaning that the tools cannot be
brought to surface.

Related equipment:
-- The Elmar Piranha Tool Catcher and Ball Check Valve
allows the fishing neck to be held securely on recovery
to surface, preventing a costly fishing job.
-- The Elmar Quickload Slickline Stuffing Box features a
innovative combined ball check valve and blowout plug.
Note: Shallow depth alarms on the winch, tool catchers, tool
traps, wrap counters, correct procedures and even Z charts are
all there to prevent this scenario.

-- The tools need to be retrieved safely from

the well with minimised non productive
time (NPT), whilst maintaining full well
control.
Elmar Piranha
Tool Catcher

Solution:
-- Stop movement of the cable
immediately and apply the
winch brake.
-- Close the pack off / stuffing box
using the hand pump (supplied
as standard on Elmar control
modules).
-- Should the stuffing box fail, as
a backup, the wireline rams can
be closed using accumulator
pressure or manual hand
pumps and locked in place
using manual handles
-- Re-establish air supply.
Related equipment:
-- The Elmar BOP/DHSV control
unit (L-690267V01) features
an air horn to warn of low air
supply pressure.
-- Elmar produces a BOP control
module (L-6901051974) which
is designed with reference to
API 16D and therefore carries a
large accumulator volume.
-- The Elmar series of diesel
driven BOP and grease control
units do not require an air
supply.

Solution:
-- Close the wireline valve and inject
grease between the rams to establish
an inflow tested barrier.
-- Bleed lubricators, lift the lubricators
and clamp the cable above the
wireline valve.
-- Repair the birds nest, or if this is not
possible, cut the cable as high as
possible below the birds nest, shorten
the WPCE rig up height in order to
back feed through the grease head,
and follow recommended procedures
for recovery of cable.
-- Recommence operations (if the cable
was not cut) or pull tools out of well.
Related equipment:
Variable Length Lubricator and
cable cutter sub.
-- The Elmar Variable Length
Lubricator can be used to
create a work window to work
on the cable without moving
the entire WPCE string, which
is necessary with a single lift
setup if stripping cable is to
be avoided or if the cable is
jammed in the grease head.
-- The Elmar cable cutter can be
used to cut the cable at the
highest possible point below
the grease head.

Related equipment:
Elmar Chemical Injection Sub &
Elmar Portable Glycol Injection/
Pressure test unit.
-- The continuous injection of glycol
reduces the risk of a hydrate
being formed.
-- The chemical injection sub is
used directly below the grease
head or stuffing box.
NOTE: Prevention is better than
cure. Prolonged injection of
methanol will damage elastomer
seals.
-- Useful facts regarding hydrates:
oo Hydrates can form in gas, gas
condensate and crude oil
systems.
oo 1 cubic ft of hydrates can
contain 180 static cubic feet
of gas.
oo Hydrate blockages can occur
very rapidly; transient
operations such as start up,
shut down and blow down are
very susceptible to hydrate
blockages.

TRAINING
This article provides advice of a general
nature, however detailed operational
procedures should be governed by
the exact circumstances, operating
company and service company
guidelines, and well control policies.
What appears in this article is merely
a summary. Elmar training courses
involve theoretical classes, practical
sessions and competency evaluation.
For more information contact your
local Elmar representative.

Animation used for

Elmar training

During a wireline intervention

operation, an unplanned well
control situation makes it critical
to close the well, cut the cable and make the
well safe and secure.
Solution:
-- If a dedicated shear valve is not being
used there are many different scenarios
that could be adopted in a well control
situation. Below are just two examples:
oo Close the wireline valve shear/seal
rams. Note: elastomer seals may
degrade upon exposure to well fluids.
oo Close the master valve and swab
valve on the Christmas tree and the
DHSV. (N.B. these valves may not be
designed to cut cable, and may not
seal afterwards).
Related equipment:
Wireline shear and seal valve.
-- Shears all cable sizes up to microcoil by
either hydraulic or manual actuation.
-- Seals in same movement as shear with
no loss of well control.
-- Available with key metal to metal seals.
-- Compact design fits through offshore
hatches .
-- Cut and seal takes only a few seconds
due to the low hydraulic volume, and can
be repeated without redress.

Wireline Shear
and Seal Valve

nov.com/Elmar

ELMAR NEWS

Elmar WPCE Service &

Recertification Levels

New cost effective

servicing for WPCE

Elmar Level 1

POST JOB SERVICE

Elmar continuously strives to provide

its customers with cost and time saving
offerings, whilst maintaining its high quality
of service levels.

END RESULTS
Pressure tested to working pressure
Function tested at atmospheric
pressure

In line with this, Elmars After Sales division

recently recognised an opportunity to offer
an alternative to the complete refurbishment
of all the equipment carried out as part of the
current Elmar Level 3 a five year major service.
Elmar will now offer our customers a Level 3
OEM recertification with an optional level of
refurbishment. The recertification delivered
is identical between the two types of Level 3
however the cost effective new level offers the
as new refurbishment component (on control
modules and frames) as an option.
Elmars customer focused advances within the
After Sales department have further continued
with the formation of a dedicated After Sales
Support Team for Europe/Africa. The group is
based in its UK facility, providing customers with
first line support for products manufactured
in its UK and Netherlands plants, 24/7, through
a carefully selected team of technical and
operational experts. Within the same region our
process for providing customers with spare parts
has been improved by coordinating all requests
centrally, enabling efficient use of stock levels
across multiple locations to minimise delivery
times.
For more information please contact
Keith Thomson, Global After Sales Manager
Keith.Thomson2@nov.com

Elmar Level 2

OEM ANNUAL SERVICE

END RESULTS
Pressure tested to test pressure
Function tested at working pressure
Lifting certificate

Elmar Level 3

Elmar Level 3

OEM MAJOR SERVICE

& RECERTIFICATION
INCLUDING REFURBISHMENT
(every 5 years)

OEM MAJOR SERVICE

& RECERTIFICATION
(every 5 years)
END RESULTS

END RESULTS

MPI Inspected
OEM dimensionally checked
OEM replacement parts
Pressure tested to test pressure
Function tested to working pressure
OEM Certificate of Conformity
3rd party certificate of pressure tests
& inspection
Lifting certificate

MPI Inspected
OEM dimensionally checked
OEM replacement parts
Pressure tested to test pressure
Function tested to working pressure
OEM Certificate of Conformity
3rd party certificate of pressure tests
& inspection
Lifting certificate
All equipment completely refurbished
to 'as new' condition

Elmar announces new after

sales appointment
Elmar has appointed Keith Thomson as Global After Sales
Manager, based in Elmars Aberdeen office.
Keith brings more than 20 years of wireline operations experience
to this role, and will be responsible for maintaining the high
standard of customer support and coordinating the expansion of
after sales activities across Elmars 14 international bases.
Andrew Douglas, Sales and Marketing
Director at Elmar said: Keiths extensive
knowledge of wireline intervention and
industry management experience make
him an excellent addition to the team.

I am delighted to join Elmar at an

exciting time. The company has a longstanding history of driving excellence
in innovation and customer support
which I am proud to now be a part of.
Keith Thomson Global After Sales Manager

AROUND THE
REGIONS

Singapore & Dubai

Our Singapore and Dubai After Sales teams have launched a
pressure control recertification project for a major client to
provide recertification on-site in Indonesia and India.
Completing multiple recertification projects in this way
eliminates the shipping time which is usually involved in
recertifications, and provides an opportunity to offer training
to our clients employees.
We also supply our mobile pressure test containers to clients
for their own servicing work. Our sales and production team in
Singapore have been doing an excellent job of fulfilling clients
requirements for high quality certified flanges for subsea
wellheads.
From left to right - Vengatesan Krishnakumar (WHE Production Coordinator), Kasmad Bin Abdul Ghani (Production
Planner), Mariappan Ramasubbu (Manufacturing Manager), Latifah Binte Abdullah (Technical Sales Leader), Mohamad
Fazlan Bin Anang (Assembly Leader), Atta Rajaram Venkatesan (Machine Shop Supervisor), Woo Eng Hong (Machinist),
Eng Soo Ken (Senior QC Inspector).

Europe, Africa and CIS

In the Netherlands we carried out a complete offshore unit refurbishment
for a very high specification winch unit. The unit was upgraded from direct
hydraulic to electric-over-hydraulic control, with all hydraulics removed
from the cabin, resulting in a silent operator room with more accurate winch
control possibilities. Three Smart Monitors show the units performance, run
data and the status of pressure control equipment, and all systems comply
with ATEX CAT II and NORSOK directives. We have also continued with our
winch stock program with units such as FlyLine,
SlimLine, UniSplit B and LandLine D available at
very short delivery times.
In Aberdeen we shipped another subsea
umbilical reeler after a successful collaboration
with a major global customer.
The overhauled unit is now equipped with Elmars latest options and winch
controls. All systems comply with ATEX CAT II and NORSOK directives.

After

Before

Canada

Houston

The Elmar Canada Edmonton, Alberta recertification facility is now

fully up and running. This facility will meet all the needs of our clients
for all the Alberta IRP and Elmar certifications of PCE. The facility is
equipped with a certified pressure containment facility that is rated
to 22,500psi. Tyler Barbeau, After Sales Manager, with over 10 years of
PCE experience, is on hand and ready to help. Despite the slowdown
having hit Canada and North America hard as a whole, in the last
couple of months Elmar recently delivered four new units to a major
client in the US and two within Canada.

Our Houston after sales team has been

busy as well - they rebuilt a wireline truck
which had been very badly damaged after
tipping onto a concrete freeway divider.
Belly boxes and some walls were replaced,
whilst major chassis components were
salvaged and fitted onto a new chassis.
The truck was reassembled, tested and
delivered to a delighted client who had
saved a considerable amount compared to
purchasing a brand new unit.

The wireline truck that was badly damaged

after tipping onto a concrete freeway divider

Two new trucks have been delivered to a client in Canada

nov.com/Elmar

STAFF
SPOTLIGHT

Name: Willie Murdoch

Job Title: Pressure Control
Equipment Product Trainer
Location: Aberdeen
Description of your typical work day:
My day is normally split between teaching
theory of wireline pressure control in the
classroom, and in the shop area teaching
the hands on practical with the actual
equipment.
Career highlights:
I worked as an expat in Europe, Africa, and
many other places around the world which
has given me insight into how things operate
in the oilfield globally, as opposed to just in
the US which has been a great eye opener.

Best bit about your job:

I know it sounds a little clich, but I find it
very rewarding teaching pressure control to
students new to the oil and gas industry, as
well as veteran workers. There are certain
times when you can see a new student reach
an understanding, or a student with years
of experience suddenly realise he or she has
been using something wrongly or unsafely.
That makes you feel good.
What is your dream holiday?
Anywhere with warm sun, cool waves, and
tasty beverages!
What is your favourite hobby?
I like to play the guitar and have been for most
of my life, although if you heard me play you
probably wouldnt believe it!

Description of your typical work day:

My typical work day sees me train customers across Elmars 14
international locations.
Each course typically takes place over 4-5 days, splitting the training
into classroom theory and discussions in the morning, followed
by hands-on practical work in the afternoon. On the last day, we
perform a full rig-up with Pressure Control equipment using a crane,
allowing us to simulate a real-life scenario, and show the students
how to deal with a variety of problems that can occur during well
operations.
Career highlights:
Working on the worlds first and only 30K WPCE.
Best bit about your job: The endless opportunities for world-wide
travel. I regularly visit Elmars international offices to conduct
training, which typically sees me board a plane to the Middle East,
Russia and Europe.

Name: James Nelson

Job Title: Pressure Control
Equipment Product Trainer

What is your dream holiday?

I am happy to travel anywhere warm that my wife, Doreen, wants to
visit.

Location: Houston

What is your favourite hobby?

I have owned a motorcycle on and off since the age of 16. My
favourite touring route on my bike is the beautiful West Coast of
Scotland.

Regional Sales, Rental & Service Locations:

Manufacturing Locations:
Elmar - UK
T +44 1224 740261
Elmar-UK@nov.com

Elmar - UAE
T +971 4 810 0100
Elmar-Dubai@nov.com

Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia

T +966 3 887 9270
Elmar-Dubai@nov.com

Perth, Australia
T +61 8 9456 0999
Elmar-Perth@nov.com

Elmar - Netherlands
T +31 184 608 700
Elmar-NL@nov.com

Elmar - Singapore
T +65 6546 0928
Elmar-Singapore@nov.com

Edmonton
T +1 780 955 2898
Elmar-Canada@nov.com

Louisiana, USA
T +1 337 839 0024 ext 201

Elmar - USA
T +1 713 983 9281
Elmar-Americas@nov.com

Elmar - Canada (DynaWinch Products)

Tel: +1 403 319 2333
E-mail: Elmar-Canada@nov.com

Elmar - USA (Artex Products)

T +1 979 836 5533
Elmar-Americas@nov.com

Stavanger, Norway
T +47 51 81 81 81
Elmar-NorwaySales@nov.com

Representative Offices:
Beijing, China
T +86 10 8485 1973

Moscow, Russia
T +7 495 287 2691

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