Case study: Gulf of Mexico, United States

Remote operations approach
validated for liner hanger installation,
key to reducing rig staff, HSE risks
With an eye to streamlining
efficiencies and reducing health,safety and environmental (HSE)
exposures, an operator collaborated
with Baker Hughes to reduce thenumber of people on offshore rigs.
Building on its Remote Operations
Services that uses proprietary systems
and technology to execute safe andsecure remote operations, Baker
Hughes cross-trained field personnel
to ensure they were capable ofperforming multiple tasks at thewell site.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struckin 2020—bringing with it the necessity
to quarantine workers who tested
positive for the virus and complicating
the logistics of offshore work—theoperator worked with Baker Hughes toaccelerate its drive to reduce the staff
on the rigs.
As part of this effort, the operator andBaker Hughes developed a field trial todetermine if a liner hanger
deployment could be installed
remotely. For liner hanger installations,typically Baker Hughes supplies one totwo specially trained field personnel tothe rig during the installation process.
For this field trial, Baker Hughes sent
one specialist to support with the goalof determining if this function could behandled by a remote onshore teamand a single, cross-trainedcompletions generalist at the rig site.
This trial would involve all aspects,
including setting the hanger, deploying

the running tool, setting the packer,
and monitoring the cement job. Video
feeds, monitoring software, and othermeans of two-way communication
were installed throughout the rig andwould be used by the remote team to
manage the installation.
The bottomhole assembly (BHA)
consisted of an INLine™ liner hanger
system with a 20-ft extension and aHRD-E™ liner setting tool to provide thetorque transition from the drillstring tothe liner. The operator’s rig crew
tripped the BHA into the wellbore and,working under the supervision of theremote team, completed a successful
liner hanger operation. The Baker
Hughes rigsite man was in directcommunication with the remote team,offering feedback as needed for theduration of the job.

Challenges• Reduce personnel on rig during
liner hanger operations• Lower the operation’s
carbon footprint• Mitigate potential HSE risksResults• Installed complete liner hanger
system with minimum personnel
on the rig• Maintained constantcommunications throughout
the entire process• Developed best practices for future
remote operations• Experienced no HSE issues or
nonproductive time (NPT)The operator and Baker Hughes
conducted an after-action review ofthe field trial that confirmed theremote installation process delivered
the same predictable performance
Baker Hughes provides during
conventional fully manned liner
hanger operations. The review also
confirmed the potential for significant
cost, risk, and carbon dioxide (CO2)reductions by using this approach on
future remote operations.
Based on this field trial, the operator
decided to phase-in additional remoteliner hanger installations with theultimate goal of fully remote
operations on all rigsites.

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