Sliding Sleeves

Manage pressure and fluid flow between tubing and casing

Sliding sleeves are assembled as part of the tubing string to establish communication between the tubing string and the casing annulus. SLB offers sliding sleeves with various metallurgies and a selection of landing nipple profiles. Shifting, packoff, and sliding tool accessories are available to design the best assembly for your particular operation. Sizable chokes are also available for optional installation in the communication ports to adjust the flow rate through them.

Single- or multiple-tubing-string completions

• Equalizing pressure between an isolated formation and the tubing string
• Zone isolation in multiple-zone wells
• Spot acidizing and fracturing
• Killing a well
• Directing the flow from the casing to the tubing in alternate or selective completions
• Interventionless fluid displacement in heavyweight mud environment
• Tubing drainage

Compact, field-proven designs that are reliable with long operating life

• Variety of shift direction and nipple profile choices, and materials that suit even the most challenging environments
• Lock and seal subsurface controls in the tubing strings that were installed without landing nipples
• Circulate heavier fluid from the annulus to the tubing without a wireline trip
• Adaptable accesories

Selectively produce multizone wells

The sliding sleeve separation tool allows flow from the casing and tubing annulus through an open sliding sleeve and up the production tubing while blanking off the tubing just below the sliding sleeve. This allows alternating production of two zones (isolated from each other by packers) without commingling.

When production from an upper zone is not wanted and the sliding sleeve leaks fluid between the tubing and casing annulus when closed, a packoff is isolate the zone. The sliding sleeve packoff is attached to a lock, which anchors and seals in the sliding sleeve. The packoff assembly isolates the sliding sleeve ports and prevents fluid migration between the tubing and casing annulus while allowing restricted flow up the production tubing from below.

Shift with wireline, coiled tubing (CT), or interventionless operations

A shifting tool and wireline or CT are used to shift the sleeve open or closed. Alternatively, an external shroud can be run in the closed position while the inner sleeve is open. The shroud is sheared hydraulically with annular pressure to establish communication. Heavyweight mud can be displaced from the annulus to the tubing without a slickline or CT trip to open the sleeve. Standard slickline or CT methods are used to close the sleeve.