Students and Entech working together to improve drilling operations
Three students are collaborating with Entech by identifying the function and potential pitfalls of a tool used in drilling operations.
Marie Gørbitz, Margrete Knarvik, and Yasmin Pedersen Pourshahmiri are pursuing their bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, with a thesis focused on Operations and Maintenance at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL).
Preventing loss of valuable tools
The students are working on an innovative project to prevent the loss of valuable tools in drilling and are conducting extensive research by reviewing maintenance theory literature and consulting with industry experts at Entech to learn about the Safety Guard tool used in tubing-conveyed perforating strings.
– The Safety Guard is an essential downhole tool that acts as a disconnect point if a bottom hole assembly gets stuck in the casing string, allowing the handler to retrieve valuable tools from the string, explains Yasmin Pedersen Pourshahmiri .
The students aim to extend the tool's lifespan by creating instructions based on their analysis. They use Excel to record data and categorize components according to their criticality. They also conduct a root cause analysis for the critical components according to Marie Gørbitz.
Entech's CTO, Jan Tore Tveranger, an alumnus of the university (HVL), was the driving force in recruiting the students and serve as their point of contact.
– It is always rewarding to collaborate with students, says Jan Tore. – They provide new insights and shed light on our technology from other angles, merging theoretical knowledge with industry experience. This year’s group of students have proven themselves to catch on to the technology very fast and are already providing valuable input for our procedures going forward.
Photo: The Bachelor thesis is mentored from Entechs’ side by Project Manager Anthony W. Kent (left) and CTO Jan Tore Tveranger (right). HVL Mentor is Professor Maneesh Singh.
Collaborating with clients
The students are working closely with Entech to test the Safety Guard tool and create instructions to keep it working well.
They have also talked to a customer in Houston who recorded operational data from the first six months of tool usage, and they are figuring out how to minimize wear and tear in the future.
– We are identifying the tool's function, potential vulnerabilities, and developing a Reliability Centered Maintenance Program, explains Margrete Knarvik.
Learning from industry experts
The students are excited to learn new things, even though it's hard. Yasmin explains;
– We are learning more about the industry, and it is valuable to gain a deeper understanding of how to communicate with businesses about technological challenges.
The students will complete their bachelor thesis in May, and Entech (and we) are excited to see the results of their research.
Hire a student
Collaborating with students on projects is an excellent way for businesses to explore new ideas, gain new knowledge, and increase innovation capacity.
Contact Information
Kjersti Boge Christensen
Communication Manager
