CLEANWELL®: environmental responsibility, safety and time reduction in well drilling and completion operations
Vallourec has been dedicated to develop environmental friendly solutions to meet worldwide ambitions linked to Oil & Gas and Energy production. A result of these efforts is CLEANWELL®, a multifunctional, non-polluting solution applied on VAM® connections that replaces the application of storage and running compounds.
CLEANWELL® was firstly used in South America by an Australian operator, in the Patola field, located in the south of the Santos Basin. In December, this operator performed its first CLEANWELL® running, aiming to identify the benefits and performance gains linked to this technology. “While negotiating the pipe delivery for this project, we suggested CLEANWELL® to be used as an operational pilot in one of their operations and the proposal was quickly accepted“, says Hezick Perdigão, Product Leader at Vallourec.
Benefits of using CLEANWELL®
One of the multiple benefits of CLEANWELL® is its outstanding corrosion resistance, playing the role of storage and running compound at the same time. Gabriel Machado, Technical Sales at Vallourec, points out that once applied to a VAM® connection right at the production line, the CLEANWELL® solution eliminates additional steps associated with the usage of thread compounds during pipe life cycle.
The innovative solution consists of applying a set of layers with specific characteristics that, when combined, result in a product that is resistant to corrosion both at the well conditions and outdoor environments. In addition, the same solution ensures the right lubrication during make-up, mitigating potential damages linked to metal friction
During drilling rig operation, CLEANWELL® enables the elimination of some activities, such as connection washing, cleaning and re-doping. The consistency and repeatability between make-ups is likewise relevant, since the amount of lubricant is exactly the same in all pipes (unlike traditional connections, where the variation in the amount of running compound applied before the running can generate some operational instability). The combination of these factors contributes to an increased operational safety, while reducing total running time when compared to traditional operations, on top of the obvious environmental appeal.
Results
“This first running results were encouraging. The use of CLEANWELL® has brought significant benefits in terms of operational efficiency, safety, and cleanliness” says Bruno Medeiros, Field Service Coordinator at Vallourec.
One of the highlights was the overall running time, which has significantly decreased when compared to the operation performed with traditional running compound. The average running speed reached 44 meters per hour with CLEANWELL®, against 22.7 meters per hour using dope. Furthermore, the triple-stand assembly operation was faster, due to the repeatability of the make-ups. At the end, the number of rejected pipes decreased compared to the traditional operation.
In summary, CLEANWELL® confirmed its significant benefits in terms of operational efficiency, safety and cleanliness, contributing to a significant decrease in running time and overall TCO.
