First High-expansion Bridge Plug Installed For Sonatrach Provides Dependable API 11D1 V0 Barrier

Challenge – Sonatrach required a low-cost, slickline-deployed retrievable mechanical barrier. The wells contained landing nipple restrictions above the target setting depth. A mechanical barrier was needed to provide pressure integrity for well shut-ins with up to 18 days duration down hole. Due to remote conditions, the retrievable bridge plug (RBP) was also required to have a field-friendly redress for multi-well use.

In this oil-producing land-well in northern Africa, the RBP had a tight restriction to pass through before setting within a larger tubing size and providing pressure integrity to enable gauge data recordings.

Solution – Standard RBP or packer options are typically suited to 3.688-inch restrictions, making them unable to pass through the 3.452-inch restriction and set within the required tubing size. The HERO™ high-expansion RBP provides the capability to pass a 3.452-inch restriction and to set within 4½-inch, 13.5-lb/ft tubing. The HERO RBP has been qualified as an API 11D1/ ISO 14310 (grades V3 and V0) mechanical barrier.

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