AD3000 Provides Real-time Quantitative Monitoring of Sand in the Production Flow and Is Fully Integrated With Roxar’s Multiphase and Wet Gas Meters to Provide Sand Production Rates With Enhanced Accuracy

PRESS RELEASE–STAVANGER, NORWAY–Sep 7, 2005 — Roxar, a leading technology solutions provider to the upstream oil and gas industry, today announced that its AD3000 subsea system, the world’s most compact sand detector, is now available to oil and gas and EPC (Engineering Procurement Construction) companies across the world. The AD3000 is compact, non-intrusive, virtually maintenance-free, uses the latest in acoustic technology and is fully integrated with Roxar’s multiphase and wet gas meters to ensure greater accuracy.

Having received rave reviews when demonstrated at OTC (Offshore Technology Conference) 2005 in Houston, Roxar is confident that the AD3000 acoustic detector will provide the company with a crucial edge within the highly competitive subsea sand detection industry. Roxar has already received a number of orders demonstrating expected market confidence. The same detectors can also be used for detecting and monitoring pipeline pigs.

Sand is one of the main reasons for the loss of production and revenue in oil and gas wells with sand clogged production equipment eroding completion components, impeding wellbore access, interfering with the operation of downhole equipment and even leading wells to be prematurely shut in or abandoned. Roxar’s acoustics and monitoring technology is capable of determining sand in the well stream and the acceptable sand production rate the facilities can handle to a high degree of accuracy.

As the world’s most compact sand detector with its’ non-intrusive nature, companies will find it easier to locate suitable installation locations within the constraints of subsea template and piping designs.

The AD3000 system utilizes the acoustic energy generated by the sand particles and shuts out alien noises to provide real-time quantitative monitoring of sand in oil, gas or multiphase pipeline flows. The result is an optimization of production while avoiding the erosion of valves, inline process equipment and flow lines.

The AD3000 is also closely integrated with Roxar’s Multiphase Flow Meters, designed to continuously measure the flow rates of oil, water and gas in the well stream; and Wet Gas Meters, the latest in wet gas metering technology providing real-time accurate flow rates and water fraction measurements. By integrating the digital signal processing in the sand monitors with the velocity measurement from subsea retrievable multiphase/wet gas meters, it is possible to determine the sand production rate more accurately.

Furthermore, as part of a complete package, each AD3000 detector has its own miniaturized built-in computer with a unique slave address and a powerful calculation engine that carries out all sand rate or pig detection processing with no need for external computers. The detectors are almost maintenance-free.

Roxar CEO, Sandy Esslemont, welcomed the announcement: "It’s clear that sand is bad news for producing wells and in an environment, where performance, production and profits count, no E&P company can afford to be without an efficient, integrated and accurate sand detection solution. With the AD3000, Roxar meets this full criteria, determining when sand occurs before it does any damage."

He continues: "We are also particularly proud that we can now boast the most compact subsea sand detection system on the market today, a complete package for customers and a sand monitoring system fully integrated with our industry-leading multiphase and wet gas meters. With the AD3000, Roxar continues to focus on highly practical benefits for our customers — all meeting today’s challenges of maximizing reservoir performance."

Roxar Business Unit Manager, Sand and Pig, Erlend Fremstad continued: "With the launch today, Roxar is consolidating its position as a pioneering company within sand and pig detection. The AD3000 system is a worthy successor to the SAM400 and will take the quality and accuracy of sand and pig detection to new levels. We are particularly pleased to announce the closer integration with Roxar’s other industry-leading instrumentation solutions. E&P companies can now look forward to the very-best in real-time production data in a seamless and closely integrated manner."

The key features of the AD3000 detector are:
—  Ultra Compact and Sensitive. The AD3000 detector is the most compact
    sand detector on the market today. The detector is sensitive and non-
    intrusive, can be strapped on to any flowline and is virtually maintenance
    free.

—  Passive Acoustic Technology. The AD3000 is built around a new optimal
    mechanical design for sound transfer from piping to detector. The detectors
    monitor any noise through the flowline and listen for any changes. The
    AD3000 can also suppress alien noises.

—  Integration. The AD3000 system is fully integrated with Roxar’s
    Multiphase Flow and Wet Gas Meters providing a complete subsea flow
    measurement package. While the AD3000 detector and flow meters are two
    separate instruments with individual communication lines, they will share
    power over the same line, saving the additional line and corresponding
    connectors. The subsea sand detectors will also obtain velocity input from
    the Multiphase Flow and Wet Gas Meters, hence saving the additional subsea
    jumper and corresponding connection to the System Control Module (SCM).

—  Deepwater Capability. The AD3000 is operational at up to 3000 meters
    in water depth.

—  Easy Management of Data. With each AD3000 detector having its own
    miniaturized built-in computer, the pre-processed data goes straight into
    the Master Control System (MCS) or equivalent host system.

—  Increased Redundancy & Low Power Consumption. As well as low power
    consumption, the AD3000 system has redundant electronics allowing for two
    independent communications paths.

—  ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) Retrievability. The AD3000 sensors are
    ROV retrievable and mounted in fixed, pre-installed clamps with guide
    funnels. The retrievable system used has the same design principles as
    Roxar’s Multiphase and Wet Gas Meters with tests performed in conjunction
    with these meters.

—  Flexible Software Configuration. The Roxar server and client software
    packages are available for real-time and historical time-series trending
    and overview information. New software configurations, calibrations and
    settings can be downloaded over the serial links if changes are required to
    the calculation model at any time.

Roxar creates value for its customers through its Reservoir Interpretation, Reservoir Modeling, Reservoir Simulation, Well and Completion, Production and Process Solutions and Consultancy Services.

About Roxar

Roxar is a leading international technology solutions provider to the upstream oil and gas industry. The company creates value for its customers through innovative products and services that help achieve maximum performance from oil and gas reservoirs.
With its head offices in Stavanger, Norway, Roxar employs close to 500 staff across a network of wholly owned offices in Europe, the Americas, Africa, CIS, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. Founded in May 1999, the company generated revenues of approximately US$100 million in 2004. Roxar’s International customer base includes all of the multinationals, major independents and the majority of national oil companies.
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Contact:
     For further information:
     Sandy Esslemont (USA)
     CEO, Roxar Group
     Tel: +1 713 482 6439
     Email:[email protected]
     
     إdne Grّdem (Europe)
     CFO, Roxar Group
     Tel: +47 51 81 88 23
     Email:[email protected]
     
     Gunnar Hviding
     Managing Director, Roxar Flow Measurement
     Tel: +47 51 81 88 75
     Email: Email Contact
     
     Svenn Haugen
     Group Marketing Manager
     Tel: +47 51 81 88 00
     Email: Email Contact
     
     Jeanette Halford
     Marketing Operations Manager
     Tel: +44 (0) 208 971 4000
     Email:[email protected]
     
     Paul Fisher
     Axiom Communications Management
     Tel: +44 (0) 1285 713 776
     Fax: +44 (0) 1285 713 071
     Email:[email protected]
     
 
Source: Roxar