Tenaris developed the TenarisHydril Wedge 667® - the most advanced and robust connection for severe offshore environments - in partnership with a longtime customer that is now fully adopting the premium connection for its operations in a field in the North Sea.
The Wedge 667® connection has been designed for HPHT and deep well applications, with focus on wear resistance. Tested according to API RP 5C5:2017 CAL IV protocol, this connection with patented step-to-step Wedge profile and the slimmest coupling OD in the market, is able to achieve 100% pipe body performance envelope. The connection comes with Tenaris’s proprietary Dopeless® technology, which enhances its performance and reliability and provides additional operational, well productivity and HSE benefits.
The product’s development was initiated in 2015 when the operator started to detect rising levels of Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) gas content in its wells, stemming from the water being injected into the field to enhance its production. The souring conditions could cause the metal from the well’s liner to form a crack and undergo a failure.
Tenaris experts came up with a solution to address the customer’s need for an ultra slim coupling with superior mechanical performance with a high yield strength. The connection was then trialed in three of the customer’s wells in 2016 with success - zero re-make ups and rejects. The market crisis at the time, however, halted the adoption of the Wedge 667®. In recent years though, increasing levels of H2S have become a serious risk.
“In 2020, many of the customer’s wells in the field started souring more rapidly than initially expected. Understanding the failure risks associated, and with guidance from our technical experts, the operator has decided to switch fully to the Wedge 667® Dopeless® connection for its operations in the field” said Aitken Mitchell, Tenaris's technical sales engineer in Norway.
Tenaris’s technical team is currently assessing all existing wells to support the customer in understanding when the wells might reach H2S gas content limits. “The technical support and ability to develop state-of-the-art products to meet specific customer needs is a clear differentiating factor for Tenaris that helps us strengthen our partnerships,” added Mitchell.
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