Schlumberger Limited
PARIS - Thursday, July 25th 2013 [ME NewsWire]
(BUSINESS
WIRE) Schlumberger Limited (NYSE:SLB) today reported second-quarter
2013 revenue of $11.18 billion versus $10.57 billion in the first
quarter of 2013, and $10.34 billion in the second quarter of 2012.
Income
from continuing operations attributable to Schlumberger, excluding
charges and credits, was $1.54 billion—an increase of 19% sequentially
and an increase of 14% year-on-year. Diluted earnings-per-share from
continuing operations, excluding charges and credits, was $1.15 versus
$0.97 in the previous quarter, and $1.01 in the second quarter of 2012.
Schlumberger
completed the wind down of service operations in Iran during the second
quarter of 2013. Accordingly, the historical results of this business
have been reclassified to discontinued operations and all prior periods
have been restated.
Schlumberger recorded $0.51 per share of net
credits in the second quarter of 2013 versus charges of $0.07 per share
in the previous quarter, and charges of $0.02 per share in the second
quarter of 2012.
Oilfield Services revenue of $11.18 billion was
up 6% sequentially and increased 8% year-on-year. Oilfield Services
pretax operating income of $2.28 billion was up 16% sequentially and
increased 12% year-on-year.
Schlumberger CEO Paal Kibsgaard
commented, “Strong Schlumberger second-quarter results were marked by
significantly higher international activity, both offshore and in key
land markets. In North America, we benefited from solid execution on
land and further strength in deepwater activity to achieve solid overall
progress despite competitive land pricing and the effects of the
Western Canada spring break-up. Double-digit sequential revenue growth
was recorded by the Reservoir Characterization Group and by the Middle
East & Asia and the Europe/CIS/Africa Areas. All Areas displayed
strong execution and integration performance that, together with new
technology sales, helped operating margins reach or exceed 20% across
all geographies.
International results were led by the Middle
East & Asia Area, as exploration and drilling activity rebounded in
China and Australia, growth continued in the key markets of Saudi Arabia
and Iraq, and both land and marine seismic activity showed further
progress. In Europe/CIS/Africa, activity levels rebounded in Russia and
the North Sea, while increased exploration in parts of Sub-Saharan
Africa further boosted growth. Latin America saw increasing Integrated
Project Management activity, although the effect of this was offset by
seasonal seismic vessel transits.
New technology deployment was
strong in the quarter with growing customer interest in new formation
evaluation, drillbit and well intervention products and services. The
OneSubsea™ joint venture was completed with Cameron, and we look forward
to the opportunities for the best-in-class new subsea technologies and
solutions that we expect this new organization to provide. Elsewhere,
our growing integration capability has led to organizational changes
that combine our leading project and production management businesses to
fuel growth through joint expertise and portfolio alignment.
The
soft global economic picture has changed little since the first
quarter. The U.S. has shown virtually no impact from the financial
sequester, the Eurozone remains in recession, and data from China
continue to be mixed. Given the lack of change, supply and demand for
both oil and natural gas remain stable, which is also reflected in oil
and gas prices. E&P spending, however, has been revised upwards
making this year the fourth consecutive year of double-digit spending
increases and pointing to the long-term nature of oil and gas
developments.
As a result, we continue to see consistent growth
as spending plans are confirmed by rig count outlooks and customer
activity. We remain confident in the industry outlook, our strategic
positioning in the markets in which we operate, the strength of our
technology portfolio and in our ability to further improve our overall
performance.”
Other Events
During the quarter,
Schlumberger repurchased 6.8 million shares of its common stock at an
average price of $73.07 for a total purchase price of $500 million. This
repurchase substantially completed the share repurchase program of $8
billion approved by the Board of Directors in April 2008. As of June 30,
2013, Schlumberger had repurchased over 105 million shares of common
stock under the program for a total purchase price of $7.8 billion. The
remaining balance of $187 million will be exhausted in the third quarter
of 2013. On July 18, 2013, the Board of Directors approved a new share
repurchase program of $10 billion to be completed at the latest by June
30, 2018.
On June 24, 2013, Cameron and Schlumberger announced
that OneSubsea™, a joint venture to manufacture and develop products,
systems and services for the subsea oil and gas market, had received all
required regulatory approvals. The parties closed the transaction on
June 30, 2013. Schlumberger recognized a $1.03 billion gain as a result
of this transaction.
Oilfield Services
Second-quarter
revenue of $11.18 billion was up 6% sequentially and increased 8%
year-on-year, with International Area revenue of $7.70 billion growing
$543 million, or 8% sequentially, while North America Area revenue of
$3.36 billion increased $67 million, or 2% sequentially.
By
segment, Reservoir Characterization Group revenue of $3.01 billion grew
10% sequentially while Drilling Group revenue of $4.29 billion increased
4%. These increases were due to seasonal rebounds, market share gains
and higher exploration activity in both offshore and key international
land markets, particularly for Wireline technologies. Other Technologies
that gained significantly during the quarter were led by WesternGeco,
Schlumberger Information Solutions (SIS), Drilling & Measurements
and M-I SWACO. Despite the seasonal decline in Western Canada as a
result of the spring break-up, the Production Group posted a sequential
increase of 4%. Improving industry utilization of pressure pumping
capacity in US land, increasing Well Intervention coiled tubing activity
worldwide, and strong international sales of Completions products
contributed to growth.
Geographically, the Middle East & Asia
Area led the sequential increase with revenue of $2.7 billion
increasing 11%, mainly from a seasonal rebound of exploration and
drilling activity in China and Japan, higher WesternGeco UniQ* land
seismic productivity across the region, and continued growth across a
diversified portfolio of projects and activities in Saudi Arabia and
Iraq. Improved WesternGeco marine vessel utilization and robust drilling
activity in the Australasia GeoMarket also contributed to growth.
Europe/CIS/Africa revenue of $3.1 billion increased 10% from higher
WesternGeco multiclient sales ahead of licensing awards in Norway, and
the seasonal pick-up of drilling and exploration activity in Russia and
the North Sea. Sub-Saharan Africa revenue also grew sequentially through
increased exploration activity in the Gulf of Guinea while activity in
Angola was subdued due to project delays. Latin America revenue of $1.9
billion grew slightly as the effect of strong Integrated Project
Management (IPM) activity in Argentina was largely offset by a decline
in WesternGeco marine utilization following the planned transit of
vessels out of Brazil. North America revenue of $3.36 billion increased
2%—with North America offshore revenue up due to robust Wireline
deepwater activity and WesternGeco. US land posted double-digit growth,
but this was offset by the seasonal decline in Western Canada following
the spring break-up. While US land rig count grew only marginally, well
and stage counts increased through drilling efficiency resulting in
improved industry utilization of pressure pumping capacity.
Second-quarter
pretax operating income of $2.28 billion was up 16% sequentially, and
increased 12% year-on-year. International pretax operating income of
$1.69 billion increased 18% sequentially, while North America pretax
operating income of $662 million increased 6% sequentially.
Sequentially,
pretax operating margin of 20.4% increased 178 basis points (bps), as
International pretax operating margin expanded 202 bps to 22.0% Middle
East & Asia posted a 178-bps sequential margin improvement to reach
24.6%, Europe/CIS/Africa increased by 275 bps to 20.6%, and Latin
America improved by 107 bps to 20.6%. The expansion in International
margins was due to seasonal activity rebounds combined with strong
results in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East & Asia Area.
Increased high-margin exploration, seismic and deepwater activities also
helped boost international margins. Despite the effect of the seasonal
spring break-up in Western Canada, North America pretax operating margin
increased 65 bps sequentially to 19.7%. US land margin expanded on
improving efficiency, better utilization and lower raw material costs in
pressure pumping, while North America offshore margin increased due to
robust Wireline deepwater activity and WesternGeco.
Sequentially
by segment, Reservoir Characterization Group pretax operating margin
expanded 380 bps to 30.1% due to the strong WesternGeco and Wireline
results. The pretax operating margin of the Drilling Group increased 97
bps to 18.7% through improved Drilling & Measurements performance
and increased profitability on IPM projects in the Middle East and Latin
America. Production Group pretax operating margin increased 116 bps to
15.9% on improved profitability in Well Services as pressure pumping
utilization and efficiency improved in US land.
A number of technology innovation and integration highlights contributed to second-quarter results.
Shell
has awarded Schlumberger a five-year, multicountry integrated services
contract for the drilling of oil and gas exploration wells on a recently
commissioned deepwater rig operating in East, West and North Africa.
The concept of using a highly mobile drilling rig for exploration in
remote deepwater environments is enhanced by the integration of services
over a reduced footprint, resulting in overall efficiency gains. In
addition, the continuity of people and processes along with the
application of lessons learned are key enablers for reducing operational
risk and non-productive time.
In the Norwegian sector of the
North Sea, a total of 11 Schlumberger oilfield services contracts have
been extended over the next five years with BG Norge to cover both the
development of the Knarr field as well as other activities on the
continental shelf. The contracts include directional drilling,
measurements and logging while drilling, mud logging, wireline logging,
drilling fluids management, coiled tubing, well testing, perforating,
completions and cementing services.
In the UAE, Wireline
MicroPilot* single-well in situ enhanced EOR evaluation technology was
introduced for Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Operations (ADCO) in a well
to carry out downhole water and formation crude oil injection.
MicroPilot technology provided valuable information on the rock
properties governing oil and water movement in the reservoir. This
information also helped to bridge the gap between the core and reservoir
scales, allowing improved reservoir modeling.
Offshore Congo,
Schlumberger technologies were deployed for ENI in the drilling and
completion of a highly complex well in the Mwafi field. Drilling &
Measurements PowerDrive Archer* high build-rate rotary steerable system
technology with customized Smith drill bits were used to drill a
challenging 3D well profile through the overburden. Well placement in
the reservoir was performed in real time using Drilling &
Measurements PeriScope* bed boundary mapper, adnVISION* azimuthal
density neutron, and SonicScope* multipole sonic while drilling
technologies. The well was drilled to total depth more than 20 days
ahead of schedule and completed with a three-stage fracturing job using
PropGUARD* fiber-based proppant flowback control technology and the
Bourbon Herald Well Services stimulation vessel.
In Colombia,
Well Intervention LIVE* digital slickline technology was deployed for
Chevron on an onshore well abandonment campaign. The LIVE service
provided both mechanical and real-time cased-hole services in a single
unit to recover a well isolating plug, punch multiple tubings with
Wireline PowerJet Omega* deep penetrating shaped charges, and run a
clean chemical tubing cutter using Testing Services eFire* electronic
firing head technology correlated in real time. The operational
efficiency provided by this combination of Schlumberger technologies
saved Chevron significant logistical costs and reduced total operating
time from 27 planned days to 21 days.
During mid-2012, Liquid
Robotics and Schlumberger created Liquid Robotics Oil & Gas, a joint
venture to develop innovative services for the oil and gas industry
using Wave Glider®, the world’s first wave-powered, autonomous marine
vehicle. Recently, around the Wheatstone area of Northwest Australia,
Wave Gliders equipped with metrology sensors including turbidity were
deployed for Chevron to conduct reliable baseline surveys prior to the
start of their upstream and downstream dredging operations. A total of
1,424 nautical miles were covered over a 60-day period. Additional
time-lapse measurements will be taken during and after the operations to
validate environmental compliance. As Wave Glider technology
deployments continue to expand, offshore oil and gas operators continue
building confidence in their ability to solve some of the industry’s
exploration and environmental monitoring challenges.
In North
America, Schlumberger pioneered the deployment of bi-fuel or dual fuel
technology for the diesel engines used in hydraulic fracturing
operations, having implemented the technology in Canada more than two
years ago. Bi-fuel operations make it possible for a diesel engine to
run on a blend of diesel and natural gas such as compressed natural gas,
liquefied natural gas or field gas. On land in the US, Schlumberger has
multiple bi-fuel enabled crews deployed across the country as
technology development continues with powerplant suppliers to implement
optimized solutions for the North American market. Schlumberger
completed its 600th job in June 2013 using bi-fuel technology, and its
bi-fuel operations have helped decrease overall fuel costs by 25-40%
while lowering environmental impact without compromising safety or
engine performance.
Reservoir Characterization Group
Second-quarter
revenue of $3.01 billion increased 10% sequentially and grew 11%
year-on-year. Pretax operating income of $908 million was 25% higher
sequentially, and increased 21% year-on-year. Sequentially, the revenue
increase was driven primarily by increased use of Wireline services as a
result of strong exploration activity in the US Gulf of Mexico, Brazil,
Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. Revenue in Russia and China
also grew sequentially following seasonal activity rebounds. WesternGeco
revenue increased sequentially from higher multiclient sales ahead of
licensing awards in Norway, the seasonal return of marine vessel
activity in the North Sea, and higher UniQ* land seismic productivity in
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. SIS revenue increased also from higher product
sales and software maintenance in Latin America and Europe/CIS/Africa.
Pretax
operating margin of 30.1% increased 380 bps sequentially on strong,
high-margin WesternGeco multiclient sales and robust Wireline deepwater
activity.
A number of technology highlights across the Reservoir Characterization Group contributed to the second-quarter results.
In
the North Sea, WesternGeco has begun acquisition of two complex 4D
surveys for BP using DISCover* broadband deep interpolated streamer
technology, the first time the technology has been used in the North
Sea. The surveys, which cover approximately 740 km2 over the Magnus,
Foinaven, Schiehallion, and Loyal fields, involve undershooting
obstructions and considerable simultaneous operations.
WesternGeco
has begun acquisition on the new Four Point 3D broadband multiclient
survey in the DeSoto Canyon, Mississippi Canyon and Lloyd Ridge areas of
the eastern US Gulf of Mexico. The narrow-azimuth survey covers
approximately 400 Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) blocks over 9,600 km2,
and uses ObliQ* sliding-notch broadband technology to optimize the
recorded bandwidth of the seismic signal. Data processing will include
full waveform inversion and tilted transverse isotropic imaging.
WesternGeco
has been awarded a contract by RWE Dea Norge AS for the acquisition of
approximately 1,250 km2 of broadband seismic data over their new APA
2012 license in the Norwegian Sea. This will be the first third-party
proprietary survey offshore Norway using the ObliQ sliding-notch
broadband acquisition and imaging technique. Q-Marine Solid* streamers
and Delta* calibrated marine broadband sources will also be used with
the objective of enhancing resolution and improving the fault definition
in the Tertiary, Cretaceous and Jurassic sections where existing data
quality is poor.
WesternGeco has been awarded a multiyear
contract by Shell Canada Limited for acquisition and processing of a
12,000-km2 3D wide-azimuth survey offshore Nova Scotia, the first
wide-azimuth survey acquired offshore Canada and the largest seismic
program in Nova Scotia history. The survey is over Shell’s new
exploration licenses in the Shelburne basin, approximately 275 km south
of Halifax, and will be conducted by the WG Magellan and WG Cook using
Q-Marine Solid streamer technology and is supported by two dedicated
source vessels Geco Tau and Ocean Odyssey. The survey commenced in June
2013, with further data to be acquired in 2014.
In the UK sector
of the North Sea, Wireline Saturn* 3D Radial Probe technology was
deployed for EnQuest to obtain high quality viscous oil samples in
shallow unconsolidated formations. The larger flow area offered by the
Saturn elliptical probe design also led to improvements in operational
efficiency, enabling the operator to save up to 75% in fluid sampling
time compared with conventional sampling methods.
In the US Gulf
of Mexico, Wireline deployed the latest generation of reservoir fluid
sampling technology for Shell to reduce uncertainty in the evaluation of
a recent deepwater exploration success. The MDT* modular formation
dynamic tester, configured with the InSitu Density* reservoir fluid
density, InSitu Viscosity* reservoir fluid viscosity and InSitu Color*
reservoir fluid color sensor measurements, was used to collect over 17
gallons of uncontaminated reservoir fluid. The relatively large, high
quality fluid sample provided the customer with one of multiple
assurances necessary to advance the project from exploration to
development. Also, the variety of measurements made on the fluid during
the sampling process reduced the lab analysis time for the project by
approximately two weeks.
In Australia, Wireline Dielectric
Scanner* multifrequency dielectric dispersion technology was used for
ConocoPhillips for the first time to provide reliable water saturation
measurements in a reservoir with complex mineralogy. The calculation of
water saturation in this reservoir has been challenging due to the
effects of the mineralogy on conventional resistivity measurements.
Dielectric Scanner technology was able to provide irreducible water
saturation in an oil-based mud environment independent of resistivity
logs, core analysis data, and water salinity analysis, and helped the
customer reduce uncertainty on critical reservoir parameters.
In
Qatar, Wireline Sonic Scanner* acoustic scanning platform technology
using a Borehole Acoustic Reflection Survey (BARS) was deployed for
Total E&P Qatar to evaluate formations from the borehole through
casing. The data acquired with this technology provided reliable imaging
up to 100 ft away from the borehole, allowing integration of the images
with 3D surface seismic. The ability of the BARS technique to evaluate
formation features and reflectors behind casing enables improved well
placement and optimized well completion in mature fields through the
side-tracking, or redesign of existing wells.
In South Texas,
Wireline ThruBit* logging services were deployed to workover a
horizontal well after water production became excessive. A ThruBit
memory tool, including density, porosity, sonic and resistivity sensors,
was pumped through the workover tubing into the openhole completion.
The resulting data indicated that the water production originated from a
single set of fractures, which were subsequently plugged.
In
North Dakota, Wireline Isolation Scanner* cement evaluation technology
was deployed for Zenergy in the Bakken shale play. Due to its unique
flexural attenuation measurements, the Isolation Scanner service was
able to clearly image the lightweight cement behind the well casing,
overcoming the challenges faced by conventional technologies. In
addition, the Isolation Scanner tool measured 72 radial ultrasonic
thicknesses to quantify drill wear, leading to significant savings for
the operator in terms of costly fracturing strings and remedial
squeezes.
In Russia, Surgutneftegas has purchased licenses for
SIS Petrel* E&P, GeoFrame* reservoir characterization, ECLIPSE*
reservoir simulation and Techlog* wellbore software platforms, together
with a three-year maintenance agreement. Surgutneftegas has been using
SIS software since 1995, and decided to further adopt the SIS software
platforms in its newly created Geology & Geophysics and Reservoir
Engineering divisions in order to increase efficiency in E&P
decision making, improve reserves recovery management, and optimize well
intervention.
Drilling Group
Second-quarter revenue of
$4.29 billion was up 4% sequentially and grew 8% year-on-year. Pretax
operating income of $804 million was 10% higher sequentially, and
increased 11% year-on-year.
Sequentially, revenue increased
primarily on strong international and offshore activity for Drilling
& Measurements and M-I SWACO Technologies, mainly in Russia and the
Middle East & Asia Area. In addition, both Drilling &
Measurements and M-I SWACO posted strong results in US land on higher
activity, which was largely offset by the effect of the seasonal spring
break-up in Western Canada.
Sequentially, pretax operating margin
grew 97 bps to 18.7% from increased land activity for Drilling &
Measurements in the US, Russia and the Middle East, and improved
profitability on IPM projects in the Middle East and Latin America.
A number of Drilling Group technologies contributed to the second-quarter results.
In
China, Drilling & Measurements technologies were deployed for
PetroChina Tarim Oilfield Company to drill 20 wells in previously
unexploited reservoirs in the Hade Field in the country’s western region
known for its complex geology and challenging drilling environment. A
combination of PowerDrive Archer high build rate rotary steerable,
NeoScope*† sourceless formation evaluation while drilling, PeriScope bed
boundary mapper, and geoVISION* imaging-while-drilling technologies
enabled the accurate placement of a well along thin target layers and
avoided drilling into neighboring water zones. Despite the hard
formation, the drilling technologies achieved the required build rate
and increased both footage per run and rate of penetration. As a result,
the overall drilling time from kickoff to total depth was reduced from
67 to 42 days. In addition, the average production tests for the first
five wells drilled showed incremental production 50% above the
operator’s target.
In Central China, in partnership with CNPC
Chuanqing Drilling Engineering Company Limited, a subsidiary of China
National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), Schlumberger Drilling Group
technologies were deployed on the Shell China Sichuan Project to drill
pilot holes and horizontal wells in the Fushun shale gas block. Drilling
& Measurements PowerDrive X6*, PowerDrive vorteX* and PowerDrive
Archer rotary steerable technologies, combined with MicroScope*
resistivity- and imaging-while-drilling and PeriScope bed boundary
mapper technologies were used in drilling the curve and the horizontal
sections. These integrated drilling services were enabled by ROPO* rate
of penetration optimization and included Smith Spear* shale-optimized
steel-body polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) drill bits and M-I
SWACO WELL COMMANDER* by-pass circulating technologies. A total of three
horizontal shale gas wells have been drilled and completed, with all of
them achieving Shell’s Best-In-Class & Top Quartile drilling
performance. The well lateral sections were placed entirely in the
reservoir sweet spots and without geological sidetracks to save the
operator more than 54 days.
In Russia, Smith drill bits set new
records while drilling the vertical intervals of exploration wells for
Wolgademinoil in the Avilovskoe field. In the 11 5/8-in section of one
well, Smith steel body PDC bits with premium cutters increased rate of
penetration (ROP) five-fold, and footage by 350%, compared to the best
offset wells. In the same well, but in the 15 1/2-in section, ROP was
doubled and the section completed in one run while the footage drilled
increased by 130%.
In the Caspian Sea, Schlumberger Drilling
& Measurements introduced the PowerDrive Xceed* rotary steerable
system for LUKOIL-Nizhnevolzhskneft on an offshore extended reach
drilling project in the Korchagina oilfield. PowerDrive Xceed technology
enabled the efficient drilling of the world’s longest 9 1/2-in section
and a corresponding saving of two days compared to the well construction
plan.
In Angola, Drilling & Measurements technologies were
deployed for Cabinda Gulf Oil Company to evaluate a development well in a
deepwater channelized reservoir system. StethoScope* formation
pressure-while-drilling and EcoScope*† multifunction
logging-while-drilling technologies were used for petrophysical data
evaluation and to assess reservoir depletion magnitude and connectivity.
The combination of petrophysical data, azimuthal density images and mud
log data, led to the identification of an additional 30 ft of low
resistivity pay which enabled the operator to deepen the overall
completion and increase the perforated interval. In addition to
increasing the reserves, the Drilling & Measurements technologies
provided operational efficiency through higher data acquisition rates,
which led to a significant reduction of non-productive time and a cost
saving to the operator of approximately 60 hours of rig time.
In
South Mexico, Schlumberger IPM and Drilling Group Technologies
introduced the TURBODRILLING application for Pemex on
high-compressibility rock formations. The combination of Drilling Tools
& Remedial Neyfor* turbodrilling systems with customized Smith
hybrid and impregnated bits was able to drill effectively and build
angle on a well interval consisting mainly of compressible mudstone with
up to 40% abrasive chert nodules. The well interval was drilled in less
than 211 hours at an average rate of penetration close to 7 ft/hr,
saving Pemex approximately 96 drilling hours compared with conventional
drilling systems.
In Colombia, the Schlumberger Drilling Group
Petrotechnical Engineering Center provided well placement services and
proprietary workflows on a horizontal well with complex lithology in the
Apiay field for Ecopetrol. The integrated solution included use of
PERFORMView* real-time drilling visualization, collaboration, and
analysis software. The well was drilled and placed as planned, without
sidetracks or lost-in-hole events.
In Alberta, Canada,
Schlumberger Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) services were used for
Shell to reduce well drilling times in the Duvernay unconventional gas
play. The horizontal sections of these wells have narrow pressure
windows and extend to lengths beyond 7,000 ft. In order to overcome
these challenges, the application of engineered MPD as part of a larger
set of improvements to well design has helped Shell improve drilling
rates by up to 124%.
In Brazil, the M-I SWACO DRILPLEX*
mixed-metal-oxide water-based drilling fluid system was used for HRT Oil
& Gas to mitigate the severe loss of circulation encountered while
drilling the first onshore wells in the Solimões basin. The DRILPLEX
system was effective in minimizing washouts and fluid losses to the
formation, which helped optimize hole cleaning. As a result, the
drilling time for the challenging interval was reduced from 6-8 days to
1.8 days, and the cost reduced by 45% compared with prior offset wells
drilled with traditional fluids.
In Brazil, M-I SWACO MD-3 shaker
technology was used by Diamond Offshore Brasdril on the deepwater
semi-submersible Ocean Star. The MD-3 composite screen design and
optimized screening allowed a considerably higher flow rate, an
increased rate of penetration, and reduced drilling fluid cost through
solids removal and lower dilution rates. Overall savings exceeding $13
million were realized in one single well.
Production Group
Second-quarter
revenue of $3.93 billion increased 4% sequentially, and grew 6%
year-on-year. Pretax operating income of $625 million was 13% higher
sequentially and increased 4% year-on-year. Despite the seasonal decline
in Western Canada as a result of the spring break-up, the Group posted
overall sequential growth due to improving industry utilization of
pressure pumping capacity in US land, increasing Well Intervention
global coiled tubing activity, and strong international sales of
Completions products. While US land rig count grew only marginally, well
and stage counts increased through drilling efficiency, resulting in
improved industry utilization of pressure pumping capacity. Although
pricing remained competitive, the pace of decline has moderated
sequentially.
Pretax operating margin of 15.9% increased 116 bps
sequentially but declined 23 bps year-on-year. Sequentially, margin
expanded primarily on improved profitability for Well Services
technologies as the result of improving efficiency, better utilization
and lower raw material costs in pressure pumping in US land despite
competitive pricing. In addition, Completions and Well Intervention
Technologies posted improved international profitability.
Highlights during the quarter included successes for a number of Production Group Technologies.
Saudi
Aramco has awarded Schlumberger Completions, for the first time, a
five-plus-two-year, contract for the supply of the products and services
associated with well completion activities in Saudi Arabia. This is the
first contract concluded under the 10-year corporate procurement
agreement recently signed by both companies and establishes the
framework for future contracts under this master agreement. The award
was based on the proven Schlumberger track record in product and service
quality performance, on-time delivery and national content
contribution.
In Saudi Arabia, Well Intervention LIVE digital
slickline technology, utilizing a proprietary coating on a conventional
slickline wire core to enable telemetry, was used for Saudi Aramco to
perform remedial operations on wells in the Hyra field. The LIVE cable,
due to its slickline core, allowed jarring action if required to avoid
sticking with a junk basket drift run. An electrohydraulic setting tool
was then used, without the need for explosives, to set the plugs away
from collars with real-time gamma-ray correlation. The deployment of the
logging tools on top of the mechanical tools made it possible to drift
the well and correlate marking of the tubing conveyed perforation
operation simultaneously. The overall efficiency of the LIVE truck and
crew enabled a reduction in the number of people on location and
simplified logistics.
In Mexico, Well Intervention LIVE digital
slickline technology was deployed for Pemex on a well in the offshore
Ku-Maloob-Zaap field. The LIVE technology provided real-time cased-hole
services combined with mechanical services capability in a single field
unit, with only one rig-up required to condition the well, run pressure
and temperature gauges, and deploy a tubing puncher using a Testing
Services eFire electronic firing head system correlated in real time.
The efficiency of the LIVE system in a very limited offshore production
platform footprint helped Pemex increase well production while avoiding
the need for a costly workover rig.
In Russia, PetroStim, a
Schlumberger joint venture, conducted a trial refracturing campaign with
Well Services HiWAY* flow-channel technology for
Slavneft-Megionneftegas in the mature Vatinskoe oilfield. The majority
of producing wells in the field have been hydraulically fractured at
least once in the past, and conventional re-stimulation techniques have
not proved effective in this field. However, the production results of
the first HiWAY treatments in the Jurassic sandstone reservoirs almost
doubled expectations and broadened applications of the technology in
mature fields as a proven solution to increase oil recovery.
In
Russia, a Schlumberger Completions RapidX* Level 5 multilateral
completions system was installed in a well for Exxon Neftegas Limited
offshore Sakhalin Island. This was the first multilateral well completed
in Sakhalin and the first Technology Advancement for Multilaterals
(TAML) Level 5 junction installed offshore in Russia. The RapidX system
allows the operator to access new sections of the reservoir by
reentering existing wellbores and adding additional laterals to increase
overall recovery.
In Kuwait, Schlumberger Well Intervention
performed a water shutoff intervention campaign for Joint Operations
Wafra in openhole horizontal wells using CoilFLATE* coiled tubing
through-tubing inflatable packer and ACTive* in-well live performance
technologies to accurately define the downhole conditions needed for
controlled packer seating and inflation. The use of these technologies
led to a significant decrease in water production.
Offshore
Egypt, Well Intervention deployed ACTive live downhole coiled tubing
technology for Raspetco to stimulate a subsea gas well in the Sapphire
field, which was suffering from fines that had migrated and accumulated
near the wellbore to reduce production. ACTive technology enabled the
controlled placement of Well Services OCA* organic clay fluid in the
live subsea well by monitoring the fluid level and optimizing the
nitrogen pumped through the coiled tubing annulus. ACTive distributed
temperature sensing, acquired while the well was flowing, delivered a
quantitative production log of the producing zones. As a result of this
intervention, the well’s gas production was tripled.
In Brunei,
Schlumberger Sand Management Services deployed OptiPac* Alternate Path‡
systems incorporating several customizations for Shell Petroleum (BSP)
on uphill trajectory (fish-hook) wells drilled from land to exploit
unconsolidated reservoirs located in shallow water offshore. In order to
overcome the limitations associated with traditional gravel pack
completions, OptiPac technology including customized shunted swell
packers, quasi blanks and diverter valves was applied in seven high
angle wells to date with positive results. In February, 2013
Schlumberger Sand Management Services set a world record by completing
the longest gravel pack in a fish-hook well, using OptiPac technology
with 578 m of screens installed.
Schlumberger Completions has
been awarded several contracts by Petrobras for the provision of TRC-II*
tubing-retrievable charged safety valves. The contracts mark an
unprecedented total of 108 subsurface safety valves awarded for the
extremely challenging Brazil deepwater and ultra-deepwater environments.
In
Oman, Schlumberger Artificial Lift has been awarded a performance-based
contract worth approximately $40 million by Daleel Petroleum Company to
supply, install, commission, and manage about 200 electric submersible
pump systems. The five-year contract, with an option for a two-year
extension, includes the provision of REDA Maximus* electric submersible
pump technology, XT150 gauges, and a total of 18 pulse drive systems.
To view the full release including the table, please click here
Contacts
Schlumberger Limited
Malcolm Theobald, +1 (713) 375-3535
Vice President of Investor Relations
Joy V. Domingo, +1 (713) 375-3535
Schlumberger Limited, Manager of Investor Relations
investor-relations@slb.com
Permalink: http://www.me-newswire.net/news/8093/en
No comments:
Post a Comment