Coretrax, the global well integrity and production optimisation leader, has successfully delivered a casing integrity solution for a major north sea operator, eliminating the need for a casing string to be replaced. 

The project, completed in five days, saw a team of three Coretrax engineers identify the trouble zone and subsequently mobilise and install a short patch on a casing section of a well affected by corrosion. 

Keith Bradford, western hemisphere president at Coretrax, said: 
“Our team of engineers worked collaboratively to identify how we could combine technologies from across our portfolio to effectively meet our client’s objectives. We mobilised products from CORE, our expandable tubular product line, and packers from our AEON line which we use for plug and abandonment solutions. 

“The outcome was a great success and allowed our client to not only continue operations with minimal disruption or downtime, but also potentially saved costs on replacing the entire casing string. 

“As the industry continues to look for efficiency solutions, and with our activity ramping up across the UK and beyond, I am proud that our team and solutions continue to deliver key benefits for clients.”

To pinpoint the trouble zone, the team initially deployed its CX-RTP (retrievable test packer). The RTP technology is a heavy-duty service packer and was used to set and pressure test a range of depths to identify the area requiring to be patched.

Following the identification of the zone affected by corrosion wear in a 13 3/8” 54.5 casting at circa 150ft, Coretrax deployed its 10-3/4” ReLine HYD expandable casing patch to isolate the area and regain well integrity, eliminating the costs of a replacement of the casing. 

The ReLine HYD expandable tubular solution provides minimal loss of inner diameter, minimising restrictions for future well operations. The expansion system uses hydraulic pressure to pump the expansion cone from the bottom of the liner to the top. This technology was effectively deployed to isolate the affected zone in the casing string and allow drilling operations to proceed. 

Coretrax was founded in 2008 and has been delivering its products to clients in the North Sea for over 14 years.

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: Coretrax