Owen Oil Tools

Mixing explosives and gas┬áOne of the indispensible techniques for extracting oil and gas involves explosive charges, but they actually can and do work together well, as Dan Bailey learns. ┬áIn the oil extraction business, a perforating system is a way of deploying explosive materials into an oil or gas well to perform a variety of critical functions. The most common usage of this technique is to create a pathway or perforation through the wellÔÇÖs casing and into the hydrocarbon-bearing formation, allowing oil and gas to flow to the surface.In this highly specialized niche market, Owen Oil Tools is the worldÔÇÖs largest manufacturer and distributor of perforating systems and produces the widest range of products. Over six million explosive products and a million feet of perforating carriers are produced each year. Sales last year amounted to over $70 million.Founded in 1984 by Harold Owen, the company has enormous experience. The top ten managers of the company have a total of 280 years of oil industry experience between them. For the past 10 years, Owen Oil Tools has been part of the Core Laboratories portfolio of oilfield operating divisions and technologies. As accidents do occur with explosivesÔÇöalmost always related to human errorÔÇöOwen takes the subject of safety extremely seriously, and with many people coming into contact with them or in the vicinity of them, it encourages anyone vaguely related to the process to take a one-day training course it offers on the safe handling of explosives. Successful completion of the course doesnÔÇÖt certify that an individual is ready for the shooting compartment, but it does lay the groundwork and is a critical introduction. Everyone attending the class leaves understanding the possible ramifications of not following procedures.OwenÔÇÖs most famous explosive brands are Hero and Super Hero charges. Some years ago, in an effort to increase penetration, charge manufacturers began adding tungsten to the powdered metal blends used in making liners for deep-penetrating shape charges. This tungsten added mass to the jet stream and extended the reach of the perforation tunnel. Over the years, more and more tungsten has been added to get an extra inch or two of penetration. In fact, liners in todayÔÇÖs charges weigh twice as much as liners in the pre-tungsten days. Although there has been considerable improvement in shape charge penetration, the added tungsten has produced undesirable debris in the perforation tunnel. As the jet tip of the charge slows down, the tungsten begins to pile up on itself, leaving a dense, malleable solid in the tunnel that can eventually render it ineffective. OwenÔÇÖs patented liners in Hero charges contain molybdenum and have improved geometry to yield a larger perforation tunnel that keeps the spent tungsten from becoming a solid. The benefit for the user is a much higher percentage of open perforations and consequent flow of oil and gas.OwenÔÇÖs manufacturing facility is on an 1,100-acre site just north of Godley, Texas, with a second smaller plant in Calgary, Alberta. In 2003 a brand new 213,000-square-foot factory was opened that included 70,000 square feet of warehousing. Just under half of OwenÔÇÖs total 500-strong, worldwide workforce is located at Godley. About 5,000 different assemblies and approximately 16,000 sub-components are manufactured on-site, using numerous conventional lathes and mills in addition to 20 CNC turning and milling centers and two laser cutting machines.In the past three years, $10 million has been invested in new technologies and tooling materials. The lasers are being upgraded and more automated processes installed. A new generation of engineers fresh from college is being added to beef up both R&D and production.These investments are part of the drive for greater efficiency. Owen operates in a competitive world, and every little advantage counts. A dedicated team has been assigned the responsibility of wringing the last drop of productivity out of the plant. Lean concepts drive the desire for continuous improvement. Kaizen teams take on short-term issues, but the biggest payback comes from the cross-fertilization of ideas when different departments train together.Close relationships with clients, vendors and workforce are of paramount importance to Owen in order to achieve the flexibility within the manufacturing process that they seek.  ÔÇô Editorial research by Katrina Perley