Block Engineering enters into supply agreement with oil and gas drilling company

Marlborough, MA--Block Engineering has signed a long-term supply agreement with an unnamed provider of hardened, field-based systems in the oil and gas drilling industry. Specifically, Block’s Mini-FT spectrometer provides for real-time monitoring of C₁ to C₅ (methane to pentane) hydrocarbons to enable drilling operations to proceed more efficiently with better knowledge of the underlying geology. Block Engineering makes quantum-cascade-laser (QCL) and miniaturized Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy equipment for various industries, including agricultural, military, remote-sensing, pharmaceutical, medical, and petroleum.

Block’s gas monitor includes wireless radio communications and custom-developed software integrated inside a 7 x 9 x 11 in. explosion-proof enclosure that enables mounting of the system directly at the mud pit (the tank holding the oil or gas drilling fluid).

According to Block Instruments, some key benefits are:

--Rapid (1 to 2 s) directly on-line measurements, eliminating delays associated with the physical distance between measurement location and conventional trailer-based analytical instruments

--No consumables (unlike gas chromatographs, which require ferrules, traps, filters, and so on)

--No vacuum pumps and associated equipment (as is typically required by mass spectrometers)

--compact and rugged FTIR design

“Monitoring and reporting gases is a critical need in the oil and gas industry with applications ranging from mud-logging to hydraulic fracturing, drilling, and refining,” notes Scott Riggi, VP of sales at Block Engineering. He adds that users are looking for direct, on-line approaches that provide real-time process control and minimize waste due to delayed corrective actions.

For more info, see http://blockeng.com/products/minift.html