Funded Development

Collaborative technology development results include industry “firsts and foremosts"

In the energy industry, Halliburton is well known for its applied technology contributions. What's not as well known is the fact that, since late 2007, Halliburton has lead the energy services sector in the Wall Street Journal's patent scorecard, a monthly report that tracks global patent activity related to innovation, technology, and science strengths.

A critical part of Halliburton's R&D efforts are accomplished through funded development—a method of technology development that addresses a specific, identified customer need in order to solve a unique project challenge. At present, Halliburton is collaborating with customers on approximately three dozen funded development projects.

Cutting risks, streamlining success is a “win-win-win” for all parties

Halliburton has experience in collaborative technology development with all customer classes: IOCs (international oil companies), NOCs (national oil companies) and major independents. This funded technology development alignment allows both partners to proceed in a timely fashion and, with minimal expenditures, to determine if the project is indeed feasible and warrants further time and investment. If so, then the technology is rapidly developed, field trials held and case histories developed.

For any given funded development project, resulting technologies or tools are usually quick to market because they primarily have a defined application and willing partner. While further effort is usually required to expand the market beyond the initial project scope, the field trials and case histories connected to the original funded development project allow Halliburton to commercialize the product for a larger market at a faster than normal pace. It's truly a “win-win-win” situation: the operator gets his solution; Halliburton can further commercialize the technology; and the entire energy industry subsequently gains via access to this new technology.

Just how much impact has Halliburton's long-standing funded development program had on the industry?

In the past few years, this program has produced—or is in the process of producing—dozens of ground breaking applications, technologies and tools from the Halliburton Drilling and Evaluation and Completion and Production divisions.

• On Halliburton's cementing side,WellLife™ Service   identifies factors that lead to sustained casing pressure events and then follows that up with solutions to mitigate these events.
  
  
  
• Also from the cementing side, Halliburton's Displace 3D™ interactive cementing simulator  was invented to accurately mimic a real cement job, allowing the user to screen various scenarios and create the best design to help avoid costly remedial work later on.
  
  
  
• Halliburton Software and Asset Solutions group's Nexus® advanced reservoir simulation software, a breakthrough technology, also enjoys worldwide exposure. This software provides faster, more accurate and robust solutions, and increased accuracy in production forecasts and multi reservoir models (all in one common surface network).
  
  
  
• Another far-reaching funded development success is Halliburton Completion Tools group's successful completion of the ESTMZ™ (Enhanced Single-Trip Multizone) gravel pack system. Designed for deepwater and ultra deepwater offshore completions, this product represents a unique solution for ultra deepwater completions in the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere.
  
  
  
• And in the sand control group, AquaLinear® gravel pack fluid —a service based on a viscosified fluid system used for gelling a wide range of water based brines, completion and treating fluids—enables a substantial amount of design flexibility for a number of applications.

As for technology currently in development, Halliburton Sperry Drilling recently signed an agreement to jointly develop an ultra high temperature measurement-while-drilling system that's capable of operating in temperatures of up to 450ºF. In addition to enabling the operator to effectively drill and exploit reserves in one of its North Sea fields, this work may lead to an expanded suite of logging-while-drilling sensors capable of operating at these elevated temperatures.

A proven route to fast track technology development
Funded development is more than an important part of Halliburton's mainstream R&D program; it creates excellent alignment between all parties involved. If your company has a challenge that may benefit from this unique Halliburton program, please contact us.