THE world’s first high pressure (HP) retrievable bridge plug capable of withstanding a differential pressure of 15,000psi (pounds per sq in) makes its debut at Offshore Europe this week.
The company behind the device, Interwell, says the bridge plug is able to provide a reliable barrier in extremely high pressure conditions of up to 15,000psi.
Most of the time at Energy, we steer clear of products per sea; however, the Macondo disaster last year has thrown the issue of well integrity, not least during drilling operations, into sharp relief.
Interwell claims it is the only company to develop a plug which can withstand such high pressures and is fully retrievable after use.
Jim Laidlaw, business development director, who is based in Aberdeen, said: “Intervening in deepwater and HPHT wells is very demanding. Our key design aim was to develop the slimmest HP plug solutions in the market whilst also minimising operational complexity in these challenging well conditions.”
Interwell is the new brand for the companies previously known as Well Technology Group (WTG), Brønnteknologiutvikling (BTU) and PI Intervention (PI).
In February 2011, the firm opened a new facility in Aberdeen as it embarked on international growth. The Aberdeen office has created 17 new jobs within the first six months of operations, and expects to double in size over the next 12 months.