Coretrack has successfully completed a series of pressure and temperature tests of the transducer used in the intermediate telemetry system of its Core Level Recorder (CLR). The transducer has been tested from ambient temperature to 135°C in 25°C increments. At each test temperature, the transducer was also pressure tested between ambient and 552 bar. During temperature and pressure testing, four parameters were recorded. Of these, only one parameter was found to vary outside of tolerable limits, a variance which can easily be overcome by individually tuning the transducers. This tuning process will ensure optimal performance of data transmission from down hole to the rig floor.

To ensure the viability of the proposed spot temperature and pressure tuning method, Coretrack will be conducting further tests on the test transducer to ensure repeatability of these results. Coretrack will also test other, similar transducers to ensure comparability of results.  While focussed on oil drilling at present, this core data transmission system is likely to transfer to ore drilling at some stage.

“These results are very significant and an exciting development for Coretrack – bringing the company significantly closer to completion of a world first system that is able to transmit coring data to surface in real time”, said Nanne van ‘t Riet, Coretrack’s CEO and Managing Director.

Following completion of the current tests, a field test of the intermediate telemetry system is planned at MTH-4 Mt Horner, near Dongara. This will involve lowering a 54 m long inner core barrel (with the telemetry system inside) down a well until it is fully submersed. The inner barrel will be filled with drilling fluid, including suspended solids. Once fully submerged, the entire transmission up to the mud pulser will then be tested. This will be as close to a real well situation prior to Coretrack running the entire system in an actual operating well.

Coretrack is in close contact with a number of oil and gas companies and coring contracting companies to schedule a test run in an operating well as soon as possible following the completion of the tool.

The Core Level Recorder (CLR) is a measuring and recording device that is placed inside the inner core barrel.  During coring the unit rests upon the column of core that is entering the barrel and records the amount of core captured. This data collected will inform geologists from what depths core was captured and conversely, where core was lost, if a full recovery was not obtained.  Coretrack has run the CLR (without the telemetry to surface) with a number of major operators & the tool is market ready now.

Coretrack has designed and is in the process of completing development of the Core Level Recorder System (CLR with real-time telemetry) – a coring tool that will enable an explicit measurement of the acquisition of a core sample during a coring operation. The availability of real time data on the rig floor will ensure substantial cost savings to  exploration and production companies.