Quantum RF Asphaltene Monitor

About

MicroSilicon Inc has developed a first-of-its-kind oilfield system, the Quantum RF* System, that makes continuous digital “snapshots” of chemical properties of the oil as it passes a sensor and, from such snapshots, advanced AI-based software extracts actionable data in real-time, such as the percent of asphaltene levels in the oil. The sensor can be deployed at the wellhead and has also seen applications in a refinery where the operator needed to manage incoming asphaltene levels from different suppliers. At the wellhead, operators use the device to optimize chemical injection for flow-assurance by providing proactive solutions to multibillion-dollar challenges. The company has filed significant IP and has completed paid field-trials around the world that have resulted in additional orders. The Quantum RF sensor measures dielectric permittivity and conductivity, but much more interesting is that the sensing component can produce a spectral response similar to that of traditional Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) devices used in chemical laboratories but in a configuration that can be handle multiphase flow at high-pressure and temperature. This changes (and simplifies) the traditional chemical paradigm in the oilfield of transporting wellhead fluid to a chemistry lab for analysis. The device has already seen field test in US Land, Canada and Abu Dhabi and in 2019 a version will deploy for offshore GOM platforms which, in turn, lays groundwork for subsea and FPSO installations. Keeping physical parameters representative of wellhead conditions is key for managing in-well flow assurance challenges like asphaltene as particle flocculation and deposition is highly dependent on those parameters. Indeed, because of the complicated relationships between clustering, flocculation and deposition, asphaltenes have long been recognized as the most challenging flow assurance problem for oil production. Small changes of pressure, temperature and/or composition can cause slow build-up of deposits in the inner walls of the wellbore or can cause sudden precipitation. This leads to partial (and, in some extreme cases, complete) blockage that, in turn, obviously affects the production of oil. All this known to cost operators over $2.5B per year worldwide, not counting subsea. For subsea installations, asphaltene deposition can be prohibitively expensive because of the cost and difficulty of intervention. One recent subsea well in GOM required a $100M remediation because of asphaltene deposition. Building an oilfield version of EPR was highly nontrivial. Traditional EPR devices cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and require carefully prepared samples that can then be subjected to a very large, low-frequency magnetic field that is oriented in one direction at the same time as a very high-frequency magnetic field in a perpendicular direction. It is known that for the right combination of low-frequency and high-frequency fields, some outer electrons in that molecule will resonate and thereby give a detectable spectral response. This is the setup that MicroSilicon has now adapted for the oil industry via a process of miniaturization and ruggedization. Additional features have also been incorporated that would not be seen in the lab. For example, the particular frequency required changes in real-time as the multiphase-fluid is flowing so the Quantum RF system needs to continuously update its operating parameters so as to maximize the signal to noise. All of the software adaptivity is automatic without customer intervention. The use of EPR in the oilfield has historically been limited to laboratory measurements, but as noted above, the Quantum RF analyzer has now made available EPR data in real-time, with just a simple hookup at the wellhead. Spectral data is securely transmitted to the cloud where it can be then subjected to analysis and spectral feature quantification. The system has also proven very robust; indeed, one system has now been running continuously in the Permian, transmitting asphaltene data every 20 minutes for over 12 months. Other systems have been deployed in harsh terrain in the middle east and systems for offshore Gulf-of-Mexico are in construction. More generally, by incorporating a multiplicity of chemical sensors, the system will become a platform for real-time chemistry. The Quantum RF System thus offers operators a new paradigm for managing assurance problems. Instead of overdosing the well with expensive chemicals or taking yet more expensive remedial action following failure, the system provides a proactive solution to better manage the flow-assurance process. The company is led by seasoned industry professionals that have experience bringing similar products to market in the past. Its combination of people, hardware, software, market opportunity and IP platform led MicroSilicon to being chosen as the 2018 “Best Startup” at the SPE ATCE conference, as well as being nominated for the Best Digital Transformation Technology at the 2018 World Oil Technology Awards.