OPSENS SIGNS LONG-TERM AGREEMENT WITH LIOS TECHNOLOGY A LEADER IN DISTRIBUTED TEMPERATURE MONITORING SYSTEMS-DTS

Opsens Inc. (“Opsens”) (TSXV: OPS) is pleased to announce signing of a long-term agreement with Lios Technology GmbH (“Lios”) to provide an integrated solution to measure pressure and temperature in SAGD wells.

With this agreement, Opsens’ OPP-W high-temperature optical pressure and temperature sensor will be combined to LIOS’ high-temperature Distributed Temperature Sensing System (“DTS”) to provide a complete profile to optimize and improve SAGD well management. Combining the two complementary well monitoring technologies incorporating temperature and pressure measurements from two leading suppliers of fiber optic based measurement systems contributed to the successful installation of their High Temperature solution into already several projects in Canada.

Downhole fiber optic pressure and temperature sensing solution multi-channel signal conditioner dedicated for pressure & temperature measurements in harsh environnements

The benefit of this alliance is to combine complementary well surveillance solutions and apply the advanced concept on Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) and other Enhanced Oil and Gas Recovery wells. This concept of effective applied synergy expands the scope of measurements by offering pressure as well as distributed temperature (DTS) measurements. With this integrated solution, the customer will have the ability to monitor pressure and temperature at the toe of the horizontal well, in addition to temperature along the entire wellbore with sub-meter spatial resolution.  The result will be a comprehensive wellbore profile which can be used for enhanced optimization and improved well management.

“We see considerable potential for LIOS distributed sensing products in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin and we look forward to exploring further possibilities that this partnership between LIOS and Opsens can offer,” says Gaetan Duplain, Opsens Vice President Oil and Gas.

Thomas Oldemeyer, Chief Executive Officer of LIOS Technology commented, “We’re exceptionally pleased to offer our products through Opsens Solutions. This partnership allows LIOS to operate in extreme harsh downhole environment and benefit of Opsens Solutions expertise in installation and completion of downhole instrumentation”.

In thermal recovery processes, Opsens’ OPP-W fiber optic sensor system provides oil sands producers with reliable real-time downhole pressure and temperature information about their SAGD wells during operation. The ability to accurately control bottomhole pressure at high temperatures for artificial lift systems such as electrical submersible pumps allows SAGD operators to improve steam/oil ratios and to reduce operating and lifting costs.  For multiple well operations, this can provide millions of dollars in savings by reducing water treatment costs, optimizing natural gas consumption as it pertains to steam generation and enhancing the run time of artificial lift systems. Opsens Solutions’ also has an ongoing commitment to the development of reservoir surveillance solutions and for CO2-EOR, geological storage of CO2, and unconventional gas projects.

Latest Innovative Value Added Technology on Display at Second ATE, Brunei

From February 18^th – 19^th, 2010 LIOS was pleased to participate at the second AMRTUR Technical Exhibition (ATE) held at Belait. This year on focus: Latest Innovative Value Added Technology.

AMRTUR’s objective is to provide Integrated Service Solutions to clients in the region. To realize and articulate this objective AMRTUR draws its source of strength and support by collective and coherent of highly motivated local and international “THINK TANKS” and “WORK FORCE”.

At the exhibition various companies gathered specializing in new technologies to assist oil operating companies with well intervention and reservoir monitoring.

LIOS - manufacturer of Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) systems - showed its latest EexD zone 1 configuration and AMRTUR staged the world premier of its in-house developed zone 1 fusion splicer.

The exhibition was official launched by the guest of honor Mr. Harrie Krus (Head of Well Engineering & Well Services of Brunei Shell Petroleum) followed by a welcome key note from Lt Col Mahmod Yakop, Founder & Managing Director of AMRTUR.

Latest innovative value added technology products and services were presented and the companies displayed their latest smart well solutions. LIOS – manufacturer of Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) systems – showed its latest EexD zone 1 configuration and AMRTUR staged the world premier of its in-house developed zone 1 fusion splicer.

Lt Col Mahmod Yakop recalled:  “Installation of LIOS DTS in the Darat Field in Brunei has proven to increase the value of the wells from our customer significantly because of early detection of faulty gas lift valves, resulting in quick repair and increased production.”

This year on focus at ATE, Brunei: Latest Innovative Value Added Technology.

The exhibition was closed with a traditional Lion Dance in celebration of the Chinese New Year.

We would like to thank all the visitors for being so interactive and open minded, and particularly AMRTUR for organizing this first class and professional exhibition. We look forward to the next ATE in 2011.

Read more:

	Oil and gas well optimisation and reservoir performance improvement
	Permanent Downhole Temperature Sensing – A Success Even for Low Cost Wells

Subsea Tieback – Forum and Exhibition

The annual Subsea Tieback Forum & Exhibition has become the premier event for one of the fastest growing sectors of the oil and gas industry. This year’s Subsea Tieback is scheduled for March 2 – 4, 2010 in Galveston, TX at the Moody Gardens Hotel & Conference Center. Over 2,500 attendees and 150 exhibitors are expected at this year’s conference. You can’t afford to miss it.

In celebration of Subsea Tieback’s 10th year anniversary, this year’s theme is “10 Years And Coming On Strong.” As our industry changes, the sharing of knowledge and collective experiences becomes more and more crucial to improving the quality, safety, and economics of the subsea tieback industry.

The conference board has once again solicited a number of key presentations by industry leaders. As in the past, only by participating in this conference will you be able to receive its benefits, as proceedings will not be published and no Press is ever allowed in the conference area. This is truly a closed forum with open discussion, where the information shared inside the conference room stays inside the conference room.

Read more at forum website:

• Subsea Tieback – Forum & Exhibition

Fiber Optic Distributed Temperature Monitoring for Oil & Gas Production & Reservoir Engineering

How to get more from available resources

Technology is the key driver in the quest for greater efficiency. In the oil and gas industry, there is keen interest and high demand for low-cost, reliable, and easily installable systems to enhance downhole production and recovery.
Trusted partner
Distributed Temperature Sensing Systems have shown great promise for helping the Oil & Gas industry meet the global demand for energy. LIOS Technology GmbH – a trusted partner to the Oil & Gas industry and a leading expert in fiber optic sensing technology – has unleashed the potential for this technology on a number of exciting oil well projects in the Far-East. Along with Integrated Intelligent Smart Well Service Company, the team has successfully developed downhole temperature sensing systems that meet the sector’s unique requirements for performance, cost-effectiveness, and systems feasibility.

Field-proven reliability

Oil reservoirs represent a harsh environment for sensitive electronic components. Equipment deployed downhole must be able to perform 100 % reliably while withstanding heat, pressure, moisture, vibration, and corrosion. Breakdowns can cause unacceptable delays and lost output costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. LIOS Technology offers the most reliable and functional continuous downhole temperature sensing and logging system available for both simple and complex wells. Our modulebased system and open standard protocols enable us to offer you customized solutions for your unique needs.

Features

• Impressive track record – more than 2000 successful fixed installations in more than 80 countries on all continents
• Dependable and field proven system design – no sensitive electronic components or power supply downhole, only the Fiber Optic cable acting as the sensor
• Rugged and durable semiconductor laser diode sensor. Fulfils Telcordia GR-468 quality standard with average product lifetime of 25+ years
• Patented OFDR technology (MM or SM) based on Raman effect delivers temperature readings accurate to within ± 0.06° C (±0.1 F) and 0.5 m (1.5 ft) along the entire sensor length from distances up to 30 km (98425 ft) away
• Market leading calibration features like automated point calibration using 3 rd party temperature source, multi fiber segment calibration and double ended calibration operation mode
• Low-cost third-party optical pressure gauges can be added using the same fiber optic cable for even more detailed measurements
• The multichannel LIOS DTS unit can accommodate up to 8 independent fibers, enabling comprehensive surveillance and Real Time Field Management (RTFM) of multiple wells
• Entirely self-contained DTS unit transmits measurement data via cyber secure, TLS encrypted link to remote SCADA database systems. No on-site PC to power or hack into
• No need to visit well-site to collect data
• Entire DTS system is independently certified for quality by VdS [the German asset insurers association] and many other international certifying bodies

24/7 Data-to-Desk – Easy to install and integrate
Here at LIOS Technology, our goal is to deliver optimal communication solutions to you. We supply your specialists with accurate and real-time information delivered to their desks round-the-clock so that critical decisions can be made immediately. LIOS Technology can easily and economically interface its DTS temperature and pressure measurement system with your system to create a fully Data-to-Desk solution customized to your needs.

An Introduction to Distributed Temperature Sensing

Distributed Temperature Sensing Systems (DTS) are optoelectronic devices which measure temperatures by means of optical fibres functioning as linear sensors. Temperatures are recorded along the optical sensor cable, thus not at points, but as a continuous profile. A high accuracy of temperature determination is achieved over great distances.

Measuring Principle – Raman Effect
Physical measurement dimensions, such as temperature or pressure and tensile forces, can affect glass fibres and locally change the characteristics of light transmission in the fibre. As a result of the attenuation of the light in the quartz glass fibres through scattering, the location of an external physical effect can be determined so that the optical fibre can be employed as a linear sensor.

Optical fibres are made from doped quartz glass. Quartz glass is a form of silicon dioxide (SiO2) with amorphous solid structure. Thermal effects induce lattice oscillations within the solid. When light falls onto these thermally excited molecular oscillations, an interaction occurs between the light particles (photons) and the electrons of the molecule. Light scattering, also known as Raman scattering, occurs in the optical fibre. Unlike incident light, this scattered light undergoes a spectral shift by an amount equivalent to the resonance frequency of the lattice oscillation.

The light scattered back from the fibre optic therefore contains three different spectral shares:

• the Rayleigh scattering with the wavelength of the laser source used,
• the Stokes line components with the higher wavelength in which photons are generated, and
• the Anti-Stokes line components with a lower wavelength than the Rayleigh scattering, in which photons are destroyed.

The intensity of the so-called Anti-Stokes band is temperature-dependent, while the so-called Stokes band is practically independent of temperature. The local temperature of the optical fibre is derived from the ratio of the Anti-Stokes and Stokes light intensities.

Measuring Principle – OFDR Technology
Latest DTS evaluation units deploy the method of Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR) .  The OFDR system provides information on the local characteristic when the backscatter signal detected during the entire measurement time is measured as a function of frequency in a complex fashion, and then subjected to Fourier transformation. The essential benefits of OFDR technology are the quasi continuous wave mode employed by the laser and the narrow-band detection of the optical back scatter signal, whereby a significantly higher signal to noise ratio is achieved than with conventional pulse technology (OTDR). This technical benefit allows the use of affordable semiconductor laser diodes and electronic assemblies for signal averaging.

The optical frequency domain reflectometry has been developed as a high-resolution measurement process for the characterisation of optical wave guides with length dimensions of just a few millimetres. In contrast, its application for the Raman backscatter measurement was introduced and patented by the company LIOS Technology.

Schematic system set up
The temperature measuring system consists of a controller (frequency generator, laser source, optical module, HF mixer, receiver and micro-processor unit) and a quartz glass fibre (fibre optic) as line-shaped temperature sensor.

The design is three-channel, since an additional reference channel is required besides the two measurement channels (Anti-Stokes and Stokes). Corresponding to the OFDR system, the power output of the laser runs through the sinus-shaped frequency starting from a starting frequency in the kilohertz range through the ending frequency in the high megahertz range within a measurement time interval with the help of the High Frequency (HF) modulator. The resulting frequency shift is a direct measurement of the local resolution of the reflectometer. The frequency-modulated laser light is connected to the fibre optic-sensor via the optical module.

The continuously back-scattered Raman light  is spectrally filtered  in the optical module and converted into electrical signals by means of photo detectors. Then the measurement signals are amplified and mixed in the Low Frequency spectral range (LF range). The Fourier transformation of the averaged LF signals results in the two Raman backscatter curves. The amplitudes of these backscatter curves are proportional to the intensity of the Raman scattering of the viewed location. The fibre temperature along the sensor cable results from the amplitude ratio of the two measurement channels.

DTS support for Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD)

Accurate, continual, and real-time temperature reading along the well path can give you valuable information about the condition of both the reservoir and downhole completion provided by LIOS distributed temperature sensing (DTS). This enables you to adjust parameters and schedule maintenance for maximum hydrocarbon production and minimize downtime.

DTS support for Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD)

DTS Temperature readings allow you to:

• Enhance oil and gas recovery
• Increase production yields
• Track well production changes over time
• Reduce frequency of well interventions
• Improve reservoir management strategies
• Supply in-flow distribution along the reservoir
• Detect early water, steam (SAGD), or gas breakthrough and its location
• Observe steam flooding performance
• Verify and allocate cross flow
• Determine skin factor
• Check integrity of casing and completion
• Monitor and optimize gas lift valve operation
• Detect stuck or leaky valves, perforation inflow, porous insulation, wax deposits, hydrate precipitation, etc.

Read more:

• DTS Condition Monitoring in Oil & Gas Exploration
• Downhole Monitoring

Superior Technology and Industrial Strength – State of the Art DTS Production

The LIOS’ DTS (Distributed Temperature Sensing) technology has been successfully proven in critical applications like fire detection in road and rail tunnels,  power cable and transmission line monitoring, in oil & gas exploration for permanent downhole monitoring and for industrial induction furnaces surveillance, where these systems have been equipped in worldwide projects with more than 2000 permanent installations since 1997.

Key advantages of Raman OFDR distributed temperature sensing (DTS) systems by LIOS Technology:

• Reliable system design with approved key components from the telecom industry
• The OFDR technology enables to provide sophisticated temperature surveillance at commodity prices
• Invariant spatial resolution along the entire sensor length of 1 m or 50 cm even at most remote distances.
• Direct link to SCADA systems and flexible data handling
• International Approvals and Certificates – type tested and accredited
• Impressive track record of more than 2000 installations in permanent operation

At LIOS’ new facilities at Seiler Höfe, Cologne, Germany we experience ideal surrounding conditions as an industrial manufacturer of fiber optic DTS sensor systems. In conscious of the strong requirements being made in the safety market, we provide a highly proven product based on the compliance with international quality standards recognised by impartial and competent partners for type testing our products like the VdS (Association of German Property Insurers), Deloitte or EXAM and is furthermore reflected in our implemented quality management system, certified according to DIN ISO 9001 / Edition 12/2008 and our environmental management system according to ISO 14001.

• Industrial DTS production with impressive track record
• Modern and efficient production procedures
• Comprehensively type tested
• 100 % applied Factory Acceptance Test (FAT)
• Customised Site Acceptance Test (SAT) through experienced staff on site
• High Tech made in Germany

LIOS DTS production facilities in Cologne, Germany

LIOS DTS production facilities in Cologne, Germany

Assembly and testing site for LIOS DTS systems

LIOS DTS Factory Acceptance Test (FAT): data recording and test bench

Related information on LIOS DTS technology:

• The technology behind LIOS OFDR distributed temperature sensing systems

Setting Standards for Highly Reliable DTS Performance

LIOS Technology GmbH is the leading manufacturer of industrial DTS systems with an impressive track record of more than 2000 installations in permanent operation. Its current DTS product series was carefully designed and thoroughly tested targeting reliable performance and smooth operation in industrial environments.
This was imposingly endorsed by the latest statistical field analysis in respect of a mean time between failures (MTBF) evaluation. Adapted from field data of our installed base of the current DTS product series an excellent MTBF figure of 28 years was reached.

High reliability is also a result of the unique optical frequency-domain reflectometry (OFDR) technology of the LIOS DTS systems. In contrast to time-domain technology using pulsed lasers with high peak powers, the LIOS OFDR DTS uses a quasi-continuous laser with low peak power resulting in a nonexistent wear out of the laser unit or any other fatigue of other optical components. The exceptional reliability favors the deployment of the LIOS DTS systems in all remote, safety-relevant and industrial applications.

Success story for permanent downhole sensing – Maximize your ROI with DTS

Technology is the key driver in the quest for greater efficiency. In the oil and gas industry, there is keen interest and high demand for low-cost, reliable, and easily installable systems to enhance downhole production and recovery.

“Installation of LIOS DTS in the Darat Field in Brunei has proven to increase the value of the wells from our customer significantly because of early detection of faulty gas lift valves, resulting in quick repair and increased production.”

Lt Col (B) Mahmod Yakop (Founder & Managing Director, AMRTUR Corporation Sdn. Bhd)

In a co-operation between Shell International Exploration and Production (SIEP) and LIOS Technology GmbH (LIOS) the feasibility and economical added value of permanent downhole temperature sensing have been successfully demonstrated in a number of recently deployed on- and offshore projects in Brunei BSP. This shows that once certain maturity and robustness in a technology has evolved and an agreement on standards has been implemented low-cost equipment can be designed, manufactured, and deployed even for low-cost wells. The applied design and working practices enable permanent in-well sensing for a large-scale role out. Additionally, a common database has been developed and successfully deployed. The reservoir engineers in BSP have now full access to the low-cost DTS installed wells around the clock, every day of the year.

Offshore Europe 2009 – Meet us in Aberdeen – 8-11 September 2009

LIOS Technology will be exhibiting at Offshore Europe 2009, from 8 till 11 September in Aberdeen, German Pavilion. In this show, we proudly present our full range and latest Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) systems for Oil & Gas applications.

See the latest information about our new HT SAGD application (high temperature steam assisted gravity drainage) for Oil & Gas including our new hydrogen resistant fibre rated 300 degree C and our latest auto calibration system.

Please contact us directly at oil@downhole-monitoring.com for more information or to make an appointment.

Visitors are invited to stop by the LIOS stand  No. 1397 b.
LIOS staff will be on hand to answer questions and discuss particular challenges.

Please register for free admission at  http://www.offshore-europe.co.uk/LIOSTechnology

Read more at our  Downhole Monitoring website.