May 7 2010
Opsens Inc. ("Opsens") (TSX-V: OPS) has received a follow-up order from an existing client for two of its OPS-Z reservoir surveillance systems.
The order for the additional multi-gauge casing-conveyed systems follows the successful initial installation in January in an observation well drilled as part of a large CO2-enhanced oil recovery (EOR) project.
The patent-pending sensor systems are permanently cemented downhole to provide real-time measurements of pressure and temperature at multiple elevations within the target horizon. Casing-conveyed systems provide unobstructed access to the inside of the casing for supplementary surveillance surveys. Opsens Solutions used its prior experience in downhole systems-design, combined with complex flow dynamics simulations, to design the OPS-Z system to ensure sensor isolation within the cemented annulus of the well, yet retain pressure communication with the formation. Subsequent cement annulus integrity logs run on the first observation well by the client confirmed the design challenges had been met.
"Opsens Solutions' success in the initial well has provided our client with the confidence to order two additional systems," said Opsens Solutions president Gaétan Duplain. "Our OPS-Z system provides information critical in optimizing CO2 conformance and to effectively manage and optimize production and injection operations."
The OPS-Z system represents Opsens Solutions' ongoing commitment to the development of reservoir surveillance solutions for CO2-EOR, geological storage of CO2, and unconventional gas projects. In the thermal recovery market, Opsens' OPP-W fiber optic sensor system provides oil sands producers with reliable real-time downhole pressure and temperature information about their SAGD wells during operation. The ability to confidently control bottomhole pressure at high temperatures for artificial lift systems such as electrical submersible pumps allows SAGD operators to improve steam/oil ratios and to reduce operating and lifting costs. For multiple well operations, this can provide millions of dollars in savings by reducing water treatment costs and fuel required for steam generation.