As the Baker Hughes team celebrates the 15th anniversary since the opening of the oilfield services R&D center, join the conversation with Darren Bane, Completions and Well Intervention (CWI) Engineering and Technology Director and Eddie Kossa, Senior Engineering Manager, as they share fond memories and their passion for innovation, still as relevant today as in 2008.

The CTI facility was built so innovation could thrive. For this to happen, Baker Hughes needed dedicated testing facilities focused on HPHT (High Pressure High Temperature) testing with enough space for engineers to collaborate on key projects.

The creation of CTI would allow top engineering talent to focus solely on developing disruptive and industry leading well completions tools.

Bob Bennett, Baker Hughes’ former VP of Technology was able to bring the concept of a new technology center to the Board at the time, which resulted in the creation of the CTI. During the initial stages, engineering and testing were the focal point and later evolved with the addition of a new materials labs.

With the creation of CTI, the team can today provide leading testing capabilities of 40,000 psi and 700ºF. Fifteen years on, the facility hosts one of the most advanced testing facilities of its kind. Although testing is a main pillar of operations at CTI, the center is also equipped with materials development laboratories, where key scientist and researchers develop new materials for Baker Hughes solutions today.

A great example of an innovation which came from the CTI team, is the creation of the GeoFORM product that provided the oilfield industry with the world’s first fully conformable sand screen.