Essay: Internship at Weatherford

An internship is a disciplined and supervised experience in a professional place in which the student is discovering and gaining essential experience, also the student get the opportunity to use all the knowledge that gained in College or University.
Furthermore, It is required of all the students to fulfil the course and complete the degree of Bachelor also it is essential to graduate from the University. The internship program has a certain time period that the University offer to the student in order to achieve all the goals that assigned by the professional organization in different departments.
For German university 6-8 weeks are allocated for the internship program at the company or institution that chosen by the students.
Consequently, I have chosen Weatherford Company to complete the training program during the time period 6th of August 2017 until the 14th of September 2017 in Weatherford laboratory department located in Ghala Industrial in Oman.
Hence, this report provides information about summer internship. The report mainly discusses multi topics related to the summer internship and the main object of this internship. Moreover the activities that the student gets a chance to participate during the internship period.
Nevertheless, we also look at the company description which talk about the company location, background and the services that provide by the company.
This report will also talk about the goals achieved by the student during the training period and knowledge that the student gets from this experience.
Company profile
Company background
Weatherford is an international oil and gas service company which was established in 1987. The company operates in 100 states and employ over 52,000 people around the world. The company main office in Oman is located in Al Azaibah, Weatherford also has other branches around Oman in different regions for example Nizwa, and Gahla.
Weatherford’s mission is to be one of the preferred and best companies in a wide range of oilfield services and products as well as technologies that help the customers produce oil more efficiently and conveniently. By providing all the important and useful requirement that the client need for long and short term.
Moreover, operators always seek for new techniques to extend the economic lives of the reservoir also a safe way to solve various challenges connected to aging well, where Weatherford Company offers all the Innovative technology and high quality services to confront these challenges.
Weatherford Provides different services in drilling and formation evaluation, well construction, completion and stimulation, also production.
To begin with drilling services and formation evaluation, which contain different categories, for example laboratory services, reservoir solutions, surface logging system, and wireline services.
Having considered the services provided by the company, it is also reasonable to look at the different categories and their definitions, start with the first category laboratory services.
Weatherford laboratories deliver a set of basic core analysis services with a whole necessity test required to help the costumer more in improving reservoir estimates, recover their reservoir forming, also identify and correct any damage to the formation of the reservoir.
Moreover the advanced tests provided by the Weatherford labs are particularly designed to evaluate different properties such as Petrophysics, Fluid Flow Properties, Rock Mechanics, Enhanced Oil Recovery, and others.
The second category is about reservoir solutions, this category generally discuss about the oilfield challenges and the solution that the company offer to the clients for several difficulties that the operators faced.
Coming to third category surface logging system, is mostly talking about the extraction of fluids from the underground and determining the amount of sufficient gases present in the reservoir by means of specific measurements and Techniques. Inadequate fluid extraction or using unsuitable devices can cause an error in the measurements also reduce the accuracy of the analysis.
Nevertheless, Weatherford Company also offers to the operator’s wireline services, the wireline services include all the advance and important information about the well. Likewise wireline fulfil all the client needs with unequalled flexibility and with integrated strategic wireline technologies, tools, and systems.
In addition, completion and stimulation is also one of the essential services provided by Weatherford Company. To achieve a high quality production of the well it is important to perform critical treatments and upgrades efficiently. This requires a careful preparation and extensive capability.
Consequently, Weatherford delivers a complete facilities, breadth, and experience in multi subjects whether on the surface or down the well, in laboratories or factories. The company focus is to deliver a high quality services in the industry.
Weatherford labs
Weatherford Laboratories are involved in rock and fluid analysis by providing several services related to oil and gas production around the world. Weatherford labs has wide experience in working with different type of fluids and reservoir which play an important role for oil and gas producers. In addition, this experience leads the company to reach determinations on the best production for the long-term viability of a well.
Weatherford labs provide several services according to the client requirements, for instance MICP (Mercury injection and Capillary pressure), Porosity and Permeability measurement, CT scan for cores, Soxhlet Cleaning, Core photo, Core gamma, Fluid Saturation by Dean Stark, Salinity Analysis, and finally Miscible Extraction.
Weatherford laboratory sections
The Waterford lab in Oman is divided into several sections and each department has special tasks. The flow chart below shows the different sections.
CCA section
The Conventional core analysis department is about using different instrument in order to measure the porosity and permeability of fluids using Nitrogen and Helium gases. In addition porosity and permeability are important factors in petroleum.
This section provide an important data related to porosity and permeability in order to get a better understanding in reservoir and flow of different types of fluids using DHP (Digital Helium Porosimeter) and DGP (Digital Gas Porosimeter) devices also VINCI is one of the instruments that used for steady- state processes.
SCAL section
Special core analysis section are specialist in understanding petrophysical properties goes beyond special techniques with advance tests to help the client more in estimating their fields.
It is important to note however, that SCAl provide several services in MICP (mercury injection and capillary pressure), FRF (formation resistivity factor), and permeability of fluids especially water, CT scan, and flush cleaning using different solvents.
However, the department provides unique tests related to the above processes in order to ensure the delivery of good quality services and focus on saving costs to the customer.
Therefore, SCAL section is responsible for different fluid analysis at several stages in order to fulfil all the operational requirements and to achieve important results that optimize production and development of the fields.
Other sections
Weatherford laboratories also provide some other services behind the services provided by CCA and SCAL. These services include the basic experiments and requirement to observe several parameters such as temperature, pressure, and type of gas.
Summary of the internship
I have implemented the internship in Weatherford Company, Is one of the international oilfield services company. The company has several sections and the section where I had training is the Weatherford laboratory and is considered one of the main sections in Weatherford. The Weatherford labs are located in Ghala Industrial Estate in Oman.
The company offers internship opportunities to students in different departments for example wireline, product line which include laboratories, and finances related to their major and skills.
During the 6 weeks of the internship program, several tasks were assigned to me according to my major and practical skills in all the 3 units of laboratory department. I spend one week and several days in each unit with multi tasks given whereby some are related to my studies and others are for the purpose of gaining new experience in other fields that are semi-related.
Besides that, I was trained not only in improving my soft skills, but, also dealing with several safety situations in the workplace and management technique when dealing with others.
During my training a couple of approaches were assigned to me such as calculating the porosity and permeability using different instruments for example DHP (Digital Helium Porosimeter) and DGP (Digital Gas Porosimeter) also VINCI which is used for unsteady-state processes, how inject mercury to samples and calculating the bulk volume of the sample using Archimedes law, CT scan which include several software’s for making videos of core sample to analyze the fractures and how it will affect the value of porosity and permeability, Formation Resistivity Factor ( capillary pressure) (appendix 2), permeability of fluids, flush cleaning using different solvents, and finally the dean stark which is about extraction of oil and water.
Consequently, the first week of training was about introduction to the company programs and services as well as the devices and process used in the laboratory.
Second week I started with the first task in CCA section which required the measurement of porosity by using DHP device (figure1). This task contain all the impotent measurements and calculation in porosity by using Boyle’s law (appendix, 1), also exporting the data in excel sheet to determine the capacity of core to hold fluids, and analyze the graphs with different behaviors (figure 1, appendix 2). Besides that, I also get a chance to use the VINCI device (figure 2) which is used for unsteady state process to get knowledge in how to determine several parameters in more accurate way such as porosity, permeability, pore volume, and bulk volume by sitting the pressure.
Moreover, the instrument calculate the pore volume and porosity by using the ideal gas law, also the pressure applied to the core is generated by high accurate hydraulic pump.
Nevertheless, in the same week I worked using DGP device (figure 3) which is specific for permeability measurement. The main factor of permeability is Darcy law (appendix 1), the important parameters of Darcy law are volume flow rate, viscosity, length, pressure difference, and area. Before starting the measurement of permeability we should determine the length and diameter of the samples in order to get the Area by using Fractional Caliper device.
During the third week of training, I have been placed in SCAl section. This section is responsible for measuring the Formation resistivity factor (capillary pressure), permeability of fluids (K_W), MICP, and CT scan
I stared the third week by measuring the permeability of fluids (K_W) this process is done by particular device which called PCRI, by using this device we can set the value of volumetric flow rate until we get satiable value of pressure with constant temperature. On the other hand, the viscosity of the fluids is measure using the Viscometer. After that Darcy law is applied to calculate the value of permeability. The Darcy law has certain limitations which have to be considered for example laminar flow, and homogenous. The idea behind this process is to determine the water and oil initial saturation.
Similarly, during the same week I also get a chance to work in MICP (mercury injection and capillary pressure), this task deal with high and low pressure (figure 2, appendix 2) also using the Archimedes principle which state that the body immersed in a fluid and buoyed up by a force. In order to get the whole volume of the sample using mercury, this process is used with a small size of samples.
Nevertheless, CT scan also was one of the tasks that assigned to me while working in SCAL section. The task include making videos of core sample, analyze the fractures, and the flow of fluids.
Another key thing to remember is flush cleaning which is also a part of SCAL section and one of the highlights task given to me during the internship. The flush cleaning is about using different solvents such as methanol (‘CH’_3 OH) and toluene ( C_7 H_8) to dissolve many organic compounds.
This process contain of two parts first to clean the sample from hydrocarbons using toluene and methanol, when the solvent is discolor that mean the sample is free of hydrocarbons, second part is to check the present
Of any salts in the sample by adding a drops of Silver Nitrate (‘AgNO’_3) if there is precipitation the sample is not clean properly.
For week four of this training another task was arranged for me, dean stark is one of the processes I worked on in fourth week. This process mainly talk about the percentage of oil and water present in the sample and how to extract it (figure 3, appendix 2).
Dean stark is one of the devices used specially to extract oil and water from samples. The solvent that is used for this process is pure toluene that has a boiling point of 110 C ”. First the toluene is hated up in certain temperature that cause the water inside the sample to evaporate after that the toluene and water vapour both condense in water cooler and the toluene in its liquid state go back into the sample to dissolve the oil inside the sample and the water in the cooler is distilled, secondly the sample will be free of water after the process is completed.
In the next step, the sample is placed in Soxhlet apparatuses in order to remove any remaining oil, and make the calculation to get the oil and water percentage.
In the last two weeks of internship, I spent my time in training myself in different departments which I have worked in and working with the lab engineers in the department.
Activates and recommendations
During my time at the Weatherford Company as a practical student there were several activities done by the Weatherford laboratory department, I have been noticing and observing every necessity details related to that. Here I will discuss about activities and propose recommendations if necessary.
In addition, all activities were carried out for various purposes in the Department and were held by professionals. To give an example of that QHSSE meetings, lectures, Radiation test of CT scan, and emergency Oil spill task.
5.1 QHSSE Meetings
To begin with, QHSSE stand for Quality, Health, Safety, Security, and Environment excellence meetings which discuss all the safety moments happen in the industry or in employee’s daily life, also is talk about how to keep the environment safe while dealing with waste, and raise the awareness of employees and their understanding in different areas of work.
5.2 Lectures
The operation manager of the department gives lectures in technical and theoretical part in several subjects once a week for all the workers in the laboratory. The lectures contain the idea behind different processes used in the laboratory also to achieve a better understanding of employees in several sections.
Recommendations
The lectures are presented in white bored without any other materials which could help the person to understand in better way. I have found during the lecture that some workers found difficulties in understanding the main idea of the topic.
In my point of view, the lectures could be presented in an interesting way if the presenter use some other materials behind white bored for example pictures, power point, graphs, and videos related to the topics.
5.3 Radiation test of CT scan
Radiation test of CT scan is performed to determine the amount of radioactive waves emitted from CT scan. This test is an essential for all the workers inside the laboratory due to the harmful emitted waves.
The test done by the lab engineer using a special device that measures the emission of radiation waves.
Recommendations
I have noted during the test that some works do not have enough idea about the risks of radiation waves and they do not wear a special lab costume that prevent them.
My own feeling on the subject is that there should be some rules and actions taken by the responsible person in order to maintain the safety of employees also educate the staffs about the risks of radiation waves.
5.4 Oil spill
The department safety manager performed a task of Oil spill, the oil was spilled on the ground without informing any of the workers in order to test the ability of employees in dealing with various safety situations.What’s more, the manager discus around the safety issues as well as the accidents that can be cussed by oil spill and the correct way of how to deal with similar situations in future.
Recommendations
The task was completed in a useful way and improve the workers knowledge about safety in the work place.
In contrast, while running the task the safety equipment was not found in the proper place also some workers do not have a complete idea of using the equipment.
In my opinion, the department should assign some workers to check the safety gear monthly also place it in its proper place to avoid any misbehaver.
Conclusion
In summery the six weeks of internship program has been an interesting experience in Weatherford labs. The training program is mainly to enable the students to apply all the theatrical and practical knowledge in real world to meet the industrial needs.
Being in different sections throughout the internship program with multi tasks assigned to the trainee for different purposes is help the trainee to improve all the soft and hard skills as well as gaining new experience and knowledge in various tasks that are related to trainee studies or in other fields that are semi related.
Moreover, this internship program also include several activities in safety which was a great opportunity to learn different safety situations in the work place and the suitable way to deal with.
All in all, this internship program increase my theoretical as well as practical knowledge in several topics related to my studies which be helpful to me in future works and studies.
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