Peak Well Systems (Peak) commissioned two new ISO test facilities in Perth (Western Australia) and Aberdeen (UK).
The new facilities provide a controlled environment in which to test downhole plug systems under extreme conditions for prolonged periods of time. Both sites have refrigeration capabilities essential for rapid temperature cycling, thus simulating the most hostile of thermal conditions.
Inaugural tests were successfully performed in Perth last month and witnessed by third party certifying authority, Det Norske Veritas. Amongst the first products being tested are Peak’s recently launched range of V3-rated SIMPLUS products – plug systems certified to withstand high pressure fluid and temperature cycling conditions – which have already seen significant uptake from operators in Australasia and the Middle East.
Peak’s test facility in Aberdeen will be fully operational in January 2015 and will be utilized specifically for the testing of future product lines. The company acquired an exclusive license for V0-rated MetaPlex sealing technology earlier this year, and testing of its upcoming V0-rated product range includes high pressure and temperature cycling conditions in gaseous environments.
“As wells become more challenging, HPHT conditions and increased gas production limit the capabilities of existing technologies. To address this, Peak is developing new products that will effectively increase the operating window and improve both the life and the productivity of our customers’ wells,” says Robin McGowan, Peak chief technology officer. “Our new test facilities in Perth and Aberdeen are a key part of the process and have been designed to test new products exposed to the most challenging conditions possible.”