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PETROLEUM DIRECTORY: Top-notch information services improve drilling efficiency, safety Epoch Well Services’ expertise and innovation have driven the company to the forefront of the drilling information industry Alan Bailey PNA Contributing Writer
Computer technology has revolutionized the safety and efficiency of oilfield drilling in Alaska. The manual recording and assessment of drilling parameters have given way to the use of digital processing and real-time computer displays. Drilling has become a precise engineering skill.
Epoch Well Services Inc. has pioneered the use of computer technology to support drilling operations and mud logging. The company’s team of expert geologists and instrument technicians has helped drillers and operators achieve dramatic improvements in efficiency and safety.
Epoch provides mud-logging services, rig instrumentation, and computer-reporting systems for drilling rigs in the United States and internationally. A California beginning Epoch started out in 1979 as a two-man Californian mud logging company, according to Jim Carson, Epoch’s Alaska division manager. By the mid-1980s the company had expanded to become the premier supplier of mud logging services in California. Explosive growth in subsequent years has resulted in a company that operates across North America, as well as in the Middle East and Latin America.
Epoch first entered the Alaska market in 1989. Since then the company has established itself as the preeminent provider of mud logging and drilling information services in the state.
A merger with Nabors Industries Inc. in 1996 has proved pivotal to Epoch’s recent expansion. Nabors has provided the incentive, backing and resources for research and development. “That’s really put us where we are today,” Carson said. “It’s been a mutually beneficial relationship.”
Carson believes that Epoch’s reputation for quality products and services spurred its rapid expansion in Alaska. “The goal at the time (of entry to Alaska) was to translate that level of quality and attention to detail to the Alaska market,” Carson said, “and here we are 13 years later, and I think we’ve largely proven that as a success.” Mud logging State-of the-art mud logging has remained a core service throughout Epoch’s business expansion. The company’s team of skilled and experienced geologists works at drill sites to analyze rock cuttings and detect hydrocarbons in the drilling mud.
“In a nutshell, our mission is to accurately determine — with respect to depth — any significant accumulations of hydrocarbons,” Carson said.
“We have portable laboratories and these go to the drilling locations, where the customer requests,” Carson said. “The portable laboratories are outfitted with a host of gas detection equipment, chromatographic analysis equipment and other geologic laboratory equipment.”
In 1985, Epoch introduced its digital mud logging service, called DML. In DML, a computer system acquires mud and drilling data for automatic plotting and reporting. A printer churns out precise, detailed mud logs.
Before the introduction of DML, geologists used data sheets and chart recorders to capture information about a well. “We had to actually take leroy pens on vellum paper and draft a log,” Carson said.
DML has accelerated data processing to a point where the mud logging team can provide drilling engineers with immediate access to all wellsite data and information. Computer-based instrumentation In addition to mud logging, Epoch supplies high-tech instrumentation for monitoring everything that is happening on a drilling rig. The company’s aptly-named, RIGWATCH system displays parameters such as drill bit rpm, casing pressure, pump strokes, and mud pit volumes.
“RIGWATCH is basically a real-time, digital-data acquisition system, completely portable, modular, and stand alone,” Carson said. As many as 25 different types of sensors located around a rig, send signals back to a data acquisition box, Carson said. The data acquisition box broadcasts the sensor readings through a communications network for display on computer workstation.
Various workers around the rig have RIGWATCH computers in their work areas. Computer monitors with touch-screen controls enable instant access to a wide variety of data presentations.
“Everyone can look at this data in a different way without affecting what else is going on in the system,” Carson said.
The sensor data enable people to fine-tune the drilling operations. Easy and immediate access to drilling data also bolsters safety on the rig.
“Instead of doing it seat of the pants, like it was in the old days, there is an excellent visual display of what is going on in the rig,” Carson said. “We have a broader view on our business now and I think that has improved safety a tremendous amount.”
As an additional safety feature, alarms within the system give early warning of any malfunctions on the rig, Carson said.
Views showing data trends further assist with the early detection of problems. “(Rig operators) can look at things like torque over time,” Carson said. “They can look at gains, losses, fluid losses, pump pressure losses.”
Archived data also provides valuable insights into drilling successes or problems.
“Our system is a drilling flight recorder,” Carson said. “If someone wants to look at a critical interval, we can replay it on screen and we can extract it digitally or drop it into another software program.” Computer reporting Epoch recently expanded its services into the provision of computer programs for preparing drilling reports.
“In 1998 Epoch had a friendly acquisition of a company out of Houston called Cape International,” Carson said. Cape specialized in advanced software programs for oilfield reporting, he said. Epoch has developed and expanded the original Cape programs.
The reporting system, called PERC, automates the production of the daily drilling reports, commonly known as tower sheets or the knowledge book.
A simple-to-use computer interface enables drillers to quickly complete each component of the tower sheet, while the electronic transfer of data eliminates the need to hand carry paperwork.
“It’s really reduced a lot of overhead with regards to payroll for drilling contractors,” Carson said. “It’s sped up the whole reporting process daily from the rig.” Web site In its latest initiative, Epoch has built a Web site called myWells.com to provide instant, worldwide access to drilling data.
“We’re very excited about the rollout of a new Web site for well data information for our customers,” Carson said. “It is a vast Internet resource for people to check on the progress of their wells — from home, office or on location.”
Epoch continuously transfers selected well site information from the rigs to the Web site. Information can include daily reports, instrumentation logs and mud logs. Data encryption and Web site access authentication protect confidential or proprietary information. Users of the system can see only their own well data.
The Web site provides a good example of Epoch’s drive to expand its business and to pioneer technical innovation.
“The technology has to advance — we can’t stand still,” Carson said. “We have to keep moving to keep the customers happy.”
And Epoch does enjoy a full order book.
“The challenges right now are, frankly, meeting the demand of the activity — that’s very encouraging,” Carson said. “We’ve gained a reputation for high quality that is very desirable. You’ve got to have the knowledge. And you’ve got to be part of the local community here.”
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