Offshore staff

HOUSTON -- Hughes Christensen (HCC) has unveiled its EZReam technology - the first steel reaming shoe that is PDC drillable, according to the company. A tungsten carbide and PDC cutting structure enhances durability, enabling the shoe to ream longer intervals through challenging hole sections, HCC says.

Its 360° gauge coverage offers added stability and improves reaming efficiency when rotating the liner. The tool is undersized to promote smooth transition of the liner through the predrilled hole.

To protect the previous casing string from possible damage, tungsten carbide ovoids are placed overexposed from the cutting structure to act as a bearing surface. This prevents the EZReam shoe from scraping the inside walls of the existing casing string.

EZReam technology also offers an optional secondary cementing bypass port, which allows normal circulation or cementing to continue in the event of nozzle plugging.

7/18/2007