Offshore staff
HOUSTON – Weatherford International plc has received its largest-ever contract for deep-set safety valves from Petrobras.
The company will deliver 24 Optimax deep-set safety valves in the next four years.
The Optimax deep-set safety valve provides fail-safe closures at pressure up to 10,000 psi (690 bar) and are rated for setting depths as deep as 12,000 ft (3,658 m). The valves are monogrammed to API-14A’s highest validation grade of V1.
Mark Hopmann, president of Completions for Weatherford, said: “Conventional deep-set valves typically require nitrogen-charged chambers to compensate for the high hydrostatic pressure of the control line. The Optimax deep-set safety valve overcomes this challenge with a design that utilizes highly reliable, field-proven technology.”
An integral part of the completion string, this deep-set safety valve is controlled by a primary hydraulic control line. Application of control-line pressure keeps the valve in the open position. When pressure is bled off, the valve closes to protect property, personnel, and the environment.
A secondary upward-facing piston, plus heavy-duty power springs, enable fail-safe closure while keeping the hold-open pressure to a minimum, the company said.
10/02/2019
