【Major Equipment in the Chemical Engineering Sector】554-2022: China’s first intelligent deep-water shear-sealed formation isolation valve

Thread Content

This post was last edited by Desert Fish on 2022-10-8 at 18:50. HaiChuan celebrates the 73rd anniversary of the motherland and witnesses the rapid development of chemical engineering equipment; replies are rewarded – discussions are welcome. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ In September 2022, China’s first set of intelligent deep-water shear-sealed formation isolation valves, developed independently by the Engineering Technology Branch of CNOOC Energy Development Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China National Offshore Oil Corporation, was successfully created, with all its performance parameters meeting the design and testing requirements set by DNV. DNV experts believe that this deep-well isolation valve is capable of performing both shearing and sealing functions simultaneously, which is the first time such a thing has happened worldwide. 　　It is understood that the intelligent deep-water shear-sealed formation isolation valve is used in the tubing hanger string of deep-water subsea production trees; in case of an oil and gas leak on the platform or in emergency situations such as typhoons, it enables the automatic cutting of coiled tubing, steel wires, and cables inside the wellbore through remote intelligent control, while simultaneously sealing the wellbore to prevent oil and gas leaks and ensure the safe evacuation of personnel on the platform. 　　Based on the requirements of deep-water (deep-well) field applications, the technical team of CNOOC spent 3 years addressing each of the technical challenges one by one. Through thorough analysis and repeated simulations, they integrated cutting-edge technologies from fields such as hydraulics, mechanics, and sealing. After numerous specialized tests, they developed an innovative deep-water formation isolation valve that combines shear and sealing functions. 　　The technical team, taking into account the harsh conditions underground and with the remote online supervision of DNV experts, successfully conducted two consecutive coiled tubing and cable cutting tests within two days, as well as 110 switch-sealing cycle tests within a week. All these tests met the requirement of achieving a high-pressure seal of 35 megapascals after the formation isolation valve was closed, thereby fulfilling the strict testing standards required for the final approval of this product. 　　The successful development of the intelligent deep-water shear-sealing formation isolation valve has resolved the technical challenge of sealing after shearing coiled tubing and cables with such valves, filling a gap in this technological field. As a result, the formation isolation valve products under the HAILOONG TOOLS brand of China National Offshore Oil Corporation now come in three categories – ball valve type, gate valve type, and sliding sleeve type – comprising 14 different models, thus providing an additional tool for ensuring safety in deep-water (deep-well) oil and gas exploration. 　　It is reported that starting in 2009, CNOOC began working on the development of formation isolation valves. In 2018, the isolation valves developed by CNOOC obtained API certification from the American Petroleum Institute, making it the fourth company in the world to achieve such certification for its isolation valves, following the three major global oil service companies: Schlumberger, Halliburton, and Baker Hughes. To date, the formation isolation valves of the HAILOONG TOOLS brand, developed and produced by CNOOC, have been used in offshore oil fields in China as well as in deep wells in Xinjiang’s oil fields. In 2021, the formation isolation valve was exported and deployed in 3 wells at an oil field in Indonesia.