Stop unwanted gas, oil or water flow due to microannuli or local channeling in the cement behind casing
In addition to improving safety, the Saturn Expander's use can also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. By preventing unwanted gas flow, the tool helps to reduce the amount of gas that is flared or vented, which is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions in the energy industry.
With its ability to be rapidly deployed and repeated at any target interval, the Saturn Expander ensures that all micro-annuli and backside gas flow problems are thoroughly addressed, thereby promoting sustainable energy production.
Featured case
Sustained Casing Pressure (SCP) is a common challenge in the oil & gas industry, creating issues related to well integrity and safety. Remediation strategies can be costly, the extremes of which can include a time-consuming recompletion.
The Saturn Expander's unique features make it a highly efficient and effective intervention tool. The radial set of hardened knuckle-bent fingers can expand to varying distances, allowing for the correction of annuli with different gaps and gradients along the wellbore.
Whether it is a small gap or an area that requires significant plastic deformation to create a seal and prevent gas flow, the Saturn Expander can easily handle the task.
In addition, the Saturn Expander can be rapidly deployed multiple times, making it a reliable tool for engineered redundancy. The ability to repeat the same process at any target interval ensures that all micro-annuli and backside gas flow problems are thoroughly addressed. With the Saturn Expander, engineers can have the confidence that they have fully optimized the wellbore structure, thus increasing productivity and safety.
Cement densification process
Before denting, cement has a porosity of around 20% which allows for compression. When compressed, the cement undergoes deformation under high confinement, which makes it more flexible. The cement is mechanically deformed through a reduction in pore space and the creation of cohesive shear bands.
Cement densification: After denting
The bulk chemistry remains unaltered, however, there is minor dehydration or rehydration of cement phases. The reduction in pore space occurs without any observable fracture or macroscopic dilation. Additionally, small cracks and/or micro-annuli are closed.
| Applications |
| Cement densification |
| Prevention of gas vent flow to surface |
| Water/brine flow shut-off |
| Base for second stage cementing in annulus |
| Features |
| Hydraulic tool, run on wireline |
| Mechanically expands / dents casing |
| Benefits |
| Variable displacement distance |
| Multiple dents in a single run |
| Re-usable, no sacrificial parts |
| Rigless tool, reducing footprint |
| Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions on a well siteg |
| Specifications* | |
| Tool OD | 3 1/2" → 8 1/4" |
| Length | 6.9 ft → 15 ft |
| Weight in air | 1,323 Ibs → 1,543 lbs |
| Casing size range | 4.5" → 13 3/8" |
| Axial force | 268 klbs → 710 klbs |
| Radial force | 1,876 klbs → 4,970 klbs |
| Max. well temperature | 212 °F |
| Casing material* | J55, K55, L80, T95, P110, Q125 |
| * Dependent on configuration and casing condition |
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