TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS

20 JPT • APRIL 2014

Subsurface Safety ValveWeatherford’s Renaissance damaged-control-line (DCL) wire-line-retrievable subsurface safety valve (SSSV) makes it possible to restore safety-valve functionality and surface control in a sim-ple retrofit procedure, restoring safe operations and bringing the well back on line without a workover (Fig. 8). The DCL safe-ty valve has a unique, modified packing mandrel and wet con-nection. The valve-and-lock assembly is installed in an existing tubing-mounted safety valve or safety-valve landing nipple. Then, a new capillary line is run from the surface inside the tub-ing for valve control. In one successful installation of the Renais-sance system, an operator of an oil field off the coast of Indonesia needed a new safety-valve system to help restore full surface- controlled SSSV functionality in a well where the safety-valve control line had become blocked. The operator wanted to elimi-nate the need to produce the well through a storm-choke valve while maintaining the original production rate. In addition, the desired solution had to be implemented without a rig or workover unit and had to maintain the existing surface well-head geometry without additional spools or changes in flowline height. The Renaissance system was deployed, providing a new insert valve and a conduit to restore surface-controlled SSSV functionality. Once the well was opened, production returned to preinstallation levels. JPT ◗◗ For additional information, visit

www.weatherford.com.

Chris Carpenter, JPT Technology Editor

Fig. 8—The Renaissance DCL system from Weatherford is a safety system designed to retrofit a well that has been shut in as a consequence of a damaged SSSV or a blocked or damaged control line to the SSSV.

Copyright 2014, Society of Petroleum Engineers. Reprinted from the Journal of Petroleum Technology with permission.