Offshore staff

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands -- Weatherford International Ltd. has installed the 100th downhole deployment valve (DDV) in the North Sea as discussed in the Society of Petroleum Engineers/International Association of Drilling Contractors conference.

The operator successfully installed a 7-in 32-lb/ft 5,000 psi DDV through 9 5/8-in. casing landing in open hole. The well had a total depth of 19,613 ft (5,980 m) and the DDV was set at 9,236 ft (2816 m) to provide pressure isolation. The operation included drilling with 3 1/2-in. heavy weight drill pipe and a 6-in. bit.

This device provides the industry with an alternative to snubbing, resulting in a safer drilling environment with far less non-productive time (NPT). Along with the tool's maturity and usefulness have emerged five different tools with many additional DDV applications in development.

2/21/07