Tecpetrol's active involvement is a testament to the importance it places on integrity.

The latest series of workshops organized by the Comahue IAPG chapter was a testament to the participation and commitment of Tecpetrol and Tenaris in the organization and revealed a growth in scope. Not only did they display the technical nuance of previous editions, but they also branched out, showcasing keynote talks with experts from abroad, exhibition stands and a closing event featuring the directors of Oldelval and YPF who shared their vision and commitment to integrity in both projects and human resources training. The opening ceremony was attended by the Minister of Energy of Neuquén, Alejandro Monteiro, and the Secretary of Energy of Río Negro, Andrea Confini.

Between September 13 and 14, companies and exhibitors shared their vision and an overarching commitment to "integrity management, following an approach based on process safety and care for people and the environment," according to Marcela Morales. She’s the Chemical Treatment Sr. Manager at Tecpetrol, and played an active role in the organization of the conference alongside with Andrés Alam, Technical Sales Manager of Tenaris.

In this framework of shared knowledge, Alexis Stillger, Operational Planning Expert, and Marcelo Alcantu, Chemical Treatment Jr. Engineering, presented their research work on corrosivity in the Fortín de Piedra wells and the consequent monitoring of operating variables to an attentive audience of specialists and industry representatives.

Their presentation focused on the concept of asset integrity management in the context of their three-year experience of monitoring corrosivity in shale gas wells in the Neuquén basin. “In 2019, we started seeing that other operators were having problems with corrosion, especially related to CO₂,” explained Alexis Stillger. "To enhance predictability, we asked ourselves how our own wells were doing, since a lot of gas is produced using sand and CO₂."

“Trying to answer that question is what gave rise this work,” continued Marcelo Alcantu. “We spent three years mapping and managing corrosion profiles so we could quantify the problem. We performed several simulations and studies, and held many meetings.” They analyzed and classified KPIs from over two hundred wells in Vaca Muerta, selecting samples to be studied on the basis of drivers such as maturity, production time, reservoir mapping, type of completion, sand wear and other variables undermining the integrity of an operation.

The results were highly positive, with excellent news because corrosion and asset integrity is a sensitive issue and can even lead to well abandonment. The Fortín de Piedra profiles are in an optimal range. "It was a tough question to answer but thanks to all our studies, we have the peace of mind that they are more relevant than ever," Stillger closed.

Beyond the presentation itself, the good news was the sessions themselves and the extent of Tecpetrol's participation. The sessions are a space to exchange knowledge and experiences, helping the entire industry to grow and develop. Another plus point is the involvement of managers in a key area: integrity as a key pillar for each project. Sharing, growing and strengthening integrity as a guiding principle make up the key objectives explaining why Tecpetrol, together with Tenaris, were so actively involved in the organization of the workshops.