Leasehopper Oilfield Services Ltd.
What We Can Do for Your Oil and Gas Production Site
Since 2009, Leasehopper Oilfield Services has responded to the growing demands of oil and gas producers calling for economical solutions that carry a small footprint for oilfield maintenance, site discontinuation and remediation. Our innovative approach has allowed us design and develop customized tools and equipment to meet our customers’ needs and requests for a more streamlined, cost-effective method of handling regulatory requirements and operational undertakings.
NITROGEN UNIT - Oilfield On-Site Nitrogen Production
Nitrogen gas eliminates explosive “gas mixture” hazards, has anti-corrosion properties for storing infrastructure, and additionally is used to displace toxic and hazardous gases in vessels. Nitrogen is readily available and COST EFFECTIVE when produced with up-to-date membrane technologies.
Currently, the economic atmosphere in the province, as you know, is no longer in “Boom Mode.” As a result of these lower revenues, wells are being shut in and “suspended.” That is to say, wellheads are chained shut, flow lines are physically disconnected, plugged, blanked, or blinded as per Alberta Regulation 91/2005 Part 10 Discontinuance, Abandonment (Section 82 para: 3& 5) of the Pipeline Act.
We have investigated and chosen to find a niche in which we are, if not the only player; we are among the first few to entertain and participate in new technologies or, better yet, a new application of old proven techniques.
To this end, in 2016, we added a Nitrogen generation unit. We built this prototype to establish proof of concept, determine a sustainable customer base, and confirm economic viability. It has been a challenging but fruitful endeavour. We now have our proof of concept with three years of operation of “generation 1” of our nitrogen unit and three years of “generation 2” at the maximum capacity of the compressor. Our machine with a crew of one and a small footprint has proven more mobile and far-less-expensive than our nearest competitors.
Discontinued pipelines are not the only infrastructure that employs nitrogen purging. Facilities need regular “turnaround” repair and replacement of piping and the various treatment vessels used. Small compressor sites need purging before engine/compressor repair, and finally, new pipeline tie-ins or “old leg” removal also requires purging before the first “torch” cut is made. In short, our nitrogen unit has application in multiple areas of oil production.
Onsite Nitrogen Generation Unit
Leasehoppers nitrogen unit is powered by a B3.9 Cummins engine which drives an Ingersol XP375WCU air end to supply enough ambient air for the Nitrogen membranes to produce a high-quality product to the following specifications:
- Flow rates from 0.5 to 3.5 M3/min
- Nitrogen purity from 99.6% to 96.5%
- Pressures to 1100 kPa
These parameters are perfect for smaller vessel purging or pipeline pigging operations.
Example:
A 114.3 (4″) x 2000 meter gas pipeline (capacity 17.23 M3) typically requires 14 minutes from launch to pig recovery.
Additionally, the unit’s small footprint allows us to get into those wellsites that are smaller and softer. Our truck-trailer combination is not affected by “road bans” at breakup and does not damage thin pavements.
Mobility is key; our unit has worked from Kindersley Saskatchewan to Peace River Alberta. We have served a broad section of the oilfield and look forward to increasing our customer base, and overall area served.
INTERNAL PIPE CUTTER
To add to our “specialty” abilities, we developed an internal cold cutter for cutting pipeline risers. The task involves setting an abandonment plug in a 2″, 3″, 4″ or 6″ riser and then cutting it off from the inside at a depth given by the AER regulation // recommended practice.
This tool saves our customers the cost of:
- Bringing in line locators to determine underground hazards near the riser that is being removed
- A track hoe for the excavation of the area to the depth of the cut
- A portable welder to cut and cap the riser before proceeding to backfill.
Conversely, we show up with our cutting tool and one maintenance truck with a picker and two crew. We provide this service at a substantially reduced cost than the previously described method.
PILE JACKING
Well-sites require various equipment to separate water from oil and gas from fluids. Although equipment varies from site to site, one consistent piece of infrastructure is the piles supporting the piping that connects the separators, dehydrators, or tanks.
Typically these piles are driven with a track-hoe mounted vibrator to a depth of 6 to 10 meters.
Traditional removal procedures again involve:
- Bringing in line locators to determine underground hazards near the riser that is being removed
- A track hoe for the excavation of the area to the depth of the cut
- A portable welder to cut and cap the pile before proceeding to backfill.
Conversely, we show up with our pile jack and one maintenance truck with a picker and a crew of two. We provide this service at substantial cost savings.
Our specialized equipment is primed to assist with the most demanding issues our customers encounter and we ensure a small footprint through our innovative efforts. Our understanding is that we have the only small footprint pile jack and membrane-generated nitrogen unit in Alberta (pulling piles up to 7 inches). We pioneered internal pipe cutting for riser and pile removal.
BLOWDOWN TANKS AND BATCH TANKS
Pipeline suspensions, or changes, require the line to be cleaned of fluid and hazardous gas mixtures.
Blowdown tanks offer an economical option to a tanker truck sitting at the receiving end of the pipeline when little or no fluid is recovered. Gas lines often have little or no liquid left in them when operating. So a 7M3 open-topped tank designed to handle high gas flows, complete with high-pressure fittings, fits the bill for economizing the operation.
Batch tanks provide a means for mixing and dispensing corrosion inhibitors spread through the pipeline after being “pigged” clean.
Alberta has many vast oil and gas fields. By necessity, there are a significant number of maintenance companies. Leasehopper Oilfield Services Ltd.’s goal is to supply value-added service by designing, testing and implementing new methods and tools to streamline and economize operations to reduce the cost of inputs and size of workforce and equipment.
We continually address old problems by developing new tools that reduce capital inputs.
Services and Equipment Offered
- Pumpjack and oilfield infrastructure maintenance
- Wellsite, satellite, and gas plant turnarounds through our heater, separator unit, and pipefitting repairs
- Hiab knuckle boom pickers, 077 and 078, mounted heavy-duty truck chassis
- On-site nitrogen generation for pipeline vessel purging
- Internal pipe cutting
- Pile jacking
- Flow tanks to capture fluid from line suspensions or abandonment
- Batch tanks to run corrosion inhibitors through suspended lines
Contact Leasehopper Oilfield Services for experienced, trusted, and proven oil and gas maintenance solutions.