Offshore staff
ABERDEEN, UK – 3M has deployed its ceramic sand screens at Shell’s Gannet field in the UK central North Sea using a light well intervention vessel instead of a full rig.
This was the first deployment of the product for Shell: the application was a newly producing, high velocity gas well.
One of the main aims was to prove the feasibility of a cost-effective intervention and installation of ceramic sand control technology. Ceramics are said to be much more durable than metallic options.
Ian Hunter of 3M Oil and Gas’ Advanced Materials Division said: “Shell chose this product because of its advantages over conventional metal sand screens that are vulnerable to erosion and corrosion.
“We also had to ensure it could be retrofitted to the existing infrastructure and deployed from an intervention vessel rather than a full-rig based intervention. This had not been done before…
“Together we made the most of the ceramic properties, which withstand extreme abrasion conditions downhole.”
The Gannet field is 112 mi (180 km) east of Aberdeen. Deployment was from the deck of the light well intervention vesselWell Enhancer using e-line installation, with the screens hung from a high expansion Interwell packer. The well will now enter its full-production phase.
Hunter added: “Our ceramic sand screens have been designed to overcome the high erosion rates expected during normal production operations and received positive feedback from Shell’s onshore and offshore teams.”
01/25/2017
