Offshore staff
STAVANGER, Norway – ICONIC has installed its first iTP (instrumented tubular plug) in the Norwegian North Sea.
The system is designed to provide real-time pressure and temperature data anywhere in the well, and has been qualified for use on high-pressure/high-temperature (HP/HT) wells.
For the North Sea project, the iTP was installed from a fixed installation offshore on behalf of an unnamed major operator. It was mounted below the 9 5/8-in. casing plug and set at a depth of 45 m (147 ft).
During operation, it monitored pressure and temperature data continuously from below the plug until retrieval two days later. The next iTP installation is scheduled for the same operator later this year.
According to ICONIC, the technology offers different cost savings depending on the application. With a tubing hanger plug, savings arise because retrieval of the plug can be affected without the use of a pressure control system, reducing wireline rig-up time.
For Xmas tree change-out or maintenance tasks, the system is said to eliminate the need for a deep-set plug. In both cases, cost savings are said to be in the range $150,000-200,000.
Other potential applications include temporary plugging for drilling and intervention, perforation logging, P&A and riser-less pre slot recovery.
07/07/2020
