Welltec® Annular Barrier (WAB®) Installed as a Primary Well Barrier

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, January 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Welltec®, a Danish based oil and gas service provider, is pleased to announce that its Welltec® Annular Barrier has been successfully run as a standalone, primary well barrier element for Statoil in the North Sea. 

The 9 5/8" ISO14310 V0 WAB® was deployed, successfully expanded and subsequently verified on a well in a field which has historically been challenged by B surface annulus pressure buildup. 

Following on successful ISO V0 qualifications in Denmark in November 2014, the 9 5/8" ISO1430 V0 WAB® was subsequently approved to meet Statoil's Internal Barrier Policy based upon NORSOK D010 Rev 4, enabling Statoil to apply this unique technology without the need for dispensation for this particular well. 

The Welltec® Annular Barrier is a unique, expandable metal barrier with a large expansion ration and high delta P capability. As a qualified, stand-alone barrier element, it precludes the need for cement in the construction phase for many applications. 

"This is truly an outstanding achievement and demonstrates our continued efforts to provide disruptive innovation in the marketplace," states Paul Hazel, VP of Well Completions for Welltec. "The natural progression of this product continues at a steady pace, enabling a new perspective for well integrity considerations." 

A brief description of the levels of ISO standards for packers can be found at Petrowiki® - http:/petrowiki.org/packer_standards_and_classifications.Welltec® is the world's largest provider of tractor technology for conveyance solutions as well as the foremost supplier of milling, clean-out and mechanical solutions for e-line interventions. Our novel, expandable metal well annular barrier's (WAB's) capabilities have been accelerating over the past four years and now provide an alternative to cement as a primary well barrier element.

Paul Hazel, VP of Well Completion Solutions, phazel@welltec.com, mobile +44-779-1312943