Weatherford Debuts MetalSkin Solid Expandable Systems

Weatherford

Weatherford International has launched its new MetalSkin Solid Expandable Systems for open and cased hole applications at the Society of Petroleum Engineers/International Association of Drilling Contractors conference.

In a continued effort to reduce installation risks for solid expandables, Weatherford has focused in recent years on breaking down technical barriers to the technology's adoption, which will help make many of today's capital-intensive wells economically viable. As a result of intensive market research to determine the industry's needs, Weatherford has developed four distinct MetalSkin systems: 1) open-hole liner; 2) monobore open-hole liner; 3) cased-hole liner; and 4) monobore open-hole clad. Most of these systems can be used for multiple applications, to address both pre-planned and remedial well construction challenges.

"Solid tubular expansion is considered to be one of the most important enabling technologies for the future of the oil and gas industry," stated Pat York, Director of Commercialization and Marketing for Weatherford's Solid Expandables business unit. "We could have come into the market pretty quickly after acquiring the rights for a cone-based expandable system; but the industry had some concerns, and first we wanted to make some refinements to address those concerns—whether real or perceived."

Significant downhole testing has been completed to date. On February 14, 2007, approximately 1,000 feet of the 11 3/4-inch x 13 3/8-inch MetalSkin monobore open-hole liner was successfully installed in a test well. This installation proves that Weatherford's monobore technology has become a reality, allowing for new ways to solve drilling challenges without losing hole size.

"Our ultimate goal is to move solid expandables from being a risky contingency into the mainstream, where operators actually plan a system into their well," commented York.

Weatherford is one of the largest global providers of innovative mechanical solutions, technology and services for the drilling and production sectors of the oil and gas industry. Weatherford operates in over 100 countries and employs more than 33,000 people worldwide.


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