The industry is facing dual challenges: how to provide energy for the benefit of all while reducing emissions. These challenges can be overcome by unlocking stranded reserves, producing new assets more efficiently, and rethinking field development infrastructure and reservoir drainage strategies. Tosin Abdul-Kareem, electrification product champion, well production systems, explains how these can be accomplished with all-electric well completion technology that extends our reach while improving reservoir contact and control.

Schlumberger has a long electrification track record in downhole completion technology, installing more than 15,000 permanent permanent electronic gauge systems across the world, culminating in introduction of the first all-electric intelligent completion system, the Manara production and reservoir management system. Each Manara system station consists of an integrated reservoir zonal control and measurements system. As of August 21, the 50 Manara system installations are performing at 100% reliability. Installed in multitrip, multilateral completions, the system’s robust and proven inductive coupler and electric control line technologies precisely target accretive reserves and increase reservoir control. Hydrocarbon sweep in heterogeneous reservoirs with multiple layers is improved by the placement of numerous fluid uptake points across the reservoir. It is clear that the way forward is all-electric well completion solutions, which enable simplified subsea and surface infrastructure, less-complex field development plans, and improved reliability. The expanded Schlumberger portfolio of electric downhole completion technologies delivers numerous benefits: more control, more productivity, more recovery, and less wells, less intervention, and less time to first oil. Electric flow control valves and inductive coupler technology enable sweep from a single well reduces the need for drilling and completing multiple wells. Fewer wells required in turn accelerates the time to first oil. Occasions for intervention and the resulting down time are minimized because the continuous downhole monitoring and control provide data in real time during production. For subsea umbilicals, conventional hydraulic lines are replaced by simpler electrical power cables that also provide data sensing and transmission. The simplified subsea system also replaces electrohydraulic systems with electrical actuators.

Not only do all-electric downhole systems reduce costs for operators, in terms of environmental targets, they decarbonize embodied sources with a smaller infrastructure for construction and installation. Because no hydraulic supply is required, the potential for fluid release is removed. Implemented as an end-to-end solution, from the sandface to the topside, electrification is leading the way to low-cost, low-carbon energy. It’s on.