CeramicSlot

CeramicSlot™ dual-filter ceramic sand screens combine the robustness and ease of handling of a conventional direct-wire-wrapped screen with the exceptional erosion and corrosion resistance of ceramic, providing an erosion-resistant alternative to conventional screens in high-risk wells. Below the first filter layer—a direct-wire-wrapped or premium mesh screen—is a second one, consisting of ceramic discs flush mounted in the basepipe; the two complement each other's filtering capability.

The wire jacket protects the ceramic discs from plugging while the large surface area of the discs prevents fluid from concentrating in a small area and creating hot spots on the wire wrap. If the outer layer is compromised, the ceramic disc filter stops formation sand from entering the production flow; moreover, a natural sandpack forms between the wire jacket and disc filter, providing additional filtering of the fluid flow. By enhancing sand control, the dual filter improves well economics. At best, sand production would require addition of a wellhead desander to protect surface equipment from damage, while at worst, it could result in loss of the well.

The flow velocity in openhole high-rate oil and gas wells with stand-alone screens presents substantial risk of hot-spot erosion for metal sand screens. In cased holes with sand control completions, gravel fluidization and high perforation velocity create a similar risk. CeramicSlot screens with their erosion-resistant ceramic filters provide a robust solution, including at elevated temperatures and in harsh environments such as those with CO₂ or H₂S.

CeramicSlot sand screens enable sand-free production from wells with harsh erosive and corrosive downhole conditions. They reduce well interventions—and hence costs—by preventing premature loss of sand control integrity. By allowing higher drawdown across the sandface, they enable increased production.

In open holes where gravel packing is uneconomical (e.g., marginal reservoirs, recompletions) or challenging (e.g., highly depleted reservoirs, multilaterals wells, preperforated liners), stand-alone CeramicSlot screens improve sand control. They permit use of larger basepipe sizes and consequently, installation of interval control valves and their control lines, permanent downhole gauges, and fiber-optic cables for distributed sensing.

• Erosion-resistant dual filter: Ceramic and wire wrap (or premium mesh)
• Customizable number of ceramic discs to meet well productivity requirements
• 6,000-psi collapse pressure
• Erosion tested for high-velocity flows up to 350 ft/s
• Handled on the rig floor and run in hole like a conventional screen