products and services,” says
Schmelzl.
These mutually beneficial re-
lationships have resulted in
new innovations, and contin-
ued success for all parties.
As an example, NCS has re-
cently introduced a new, clos-
able frac sleeve. Tremendous
challenges exist to develop a
frac port that can be pumped
through with large quantities
of proppant and fluid, and
then closing that port to pro-
duce an effective hydraulic
seal. “It’s not an easy feat to
develop something that is reli-
able in that environment, but
we’ve developed an effective
solution and the field trials
have been very successful to
date,” says Schmelzl.
This advance will allow oper-
ators to frac a well and selec-
tively choose which segments
of the wellbore are stimulated
or produced, a feature that
will cut the operational risks
and allow for enhanced reser-
voir management.
NCS Energy Services offers
its services in China, Mexico,
and Russia with plans for ad-
ditional expansion in South
America. However, further
development is not without
its challenges and some coun-
tries are wary of developing
their resources with new or
unfamiliar methods. “The
perception of oil and gas op-
erations in some countries is
very different than in North
America,” says Schmelzl. “It
can take significant time to
effectively introduce services
DECEMBER 2013
H
business elite canada
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