Cluster Insight With Heavelock

– Data availability is still an issue, and especially so in drilling, but fortunately we see increased willingness to share data and put it to good use, says Dmitri Gorski from Heavelock.

Cluster insight is a column where we ask six questions to catch a glimpse into the daily business-lives of the cluster partners and members.

In a recent Cluster Insight we spoke with Cathrine Eide from Pro Well Plan, who sent the baton over to Dmitri Gorski at Heavelock; a company that develops solutions for managing surge and swab during drill pipe connections when drilling wells from floating rigs and ships in harsh weather environments.

1. What is your role in Heavelock?

   As Chief Technology Officer I am officially responsible for technology development, but titles mean much less in a small start-up than in bigger companies - we all contribute to the best of our abilities and where the situation requires it. In addition to matters related to our technology, I am often involved in marketing and business development activities.

2. Your main focus at work right now is?

   It is exciting times for us now as we are currently changing focus from hardware to software. After having spent 3 years developing a downhole tool that will increase efficiency in drilling from floating rigs, we noticed a growing interest in the market for the simulation software that we had developed for internal verification of our hardware. We are very customer-driven and decided to change our course to prioritise commercializing our simulator. Our goal is to create a plug-in that will be seamlessly integrated into software suits used for well planning and real-time support of drilling operations from floating rigs. Our precise predictions of variations in downhole pressure (surge and swab), induced by rig heave on drill pipe connections, will lead to less non-productive time during drilling from floaters caused by such events as wellbore ballooning and mud losses. Today, weather-related non-productive time for floating rigs in regions with harsh weather can be as much as 8-10 per cent. With day rates reaching 500.000 dollars every per cent counts!

3. Biggest challenges for Heavelock in the future?

   Many great initiatives and projects have been initialised in recent years where digital technology is used to achieve higher efficiency and lower costs in the oil and gas industry. However, data availability is still an issue, and especially so in drilling. Our simulations rely on good quality data and we often find this data in different silos, stacked behind firewalls and prohibitive protocols. In some cases, the data we need is in excel sheets or even hand-written. The good thing is that times are changing, and we see increased willingness to share data and put it to good use.

4. Best part of being member in a cluster

   Access to all the awesome workshops and events, as well as the opportunity to meet the other cluster members, not to mention the cluster employees who work hard to assist us in reaching our goals!

5. Your business motto

   Never really thought of one. I am driven by achieving things, this guides my interests in business and in life.

6. Which cluster member should we interview next?

   Fieldmade

Thank you for the insight Dmitri.

Learn more about Heavelock.