Over 250 Hydraulic Line Wet-Mate Connectors Installed

Published: 04/25/2019

Concrete blue texture
 
Schematic showing a hydraulic line wet-mate connector installed below an ESP and connected to two flow control valves in the lower completion.

More than 250 connectors have been deployed to date, in wells with MD ranging from 18,000 to 28,000 ft [5,486 to 8,534 m], including multilateral wells where intelligent completions provide junction control. In >30 wells, the upper completion has been retrieved and the ESP replaced—sometimes more than once—without removing the lower completion. Operators are

  • saving significant rig time and equipment and other costs and reducing risk
  • avoiding the formation damage caused by workover operations
  • reducing deferred production.

The stinger can be reliably disconnected from and reconnected to the receptacle multiple times. Read SPE 182846 and SPE 149057 for more details.

Details

Worldwide

Well type
Extended-reach, dual lateral, trilateral, and quad-lateral
 
Well environment
Land and offshore
 
Connector size
9 5/8 × 4 1/2 in, 10 3/4 × 4 1/2 in

Background

Hydraulic line wet-mate (HLWM) connectors facilitate deployment of a multitrip completion equipped with hydraulic equipment—such as interval control valves and isolation valves—in the lower completion and an ESP in the upper completion.

The connector comprises a receptacle and a stinger, which are run with the lower and upper completion respectively. The concentric design eliminates the need for any orientation downhole when stinging into the lower completion. This key feature makes the system reliable and easy to use in highly deviated to horizontal wells. The stinger can be disconnected by a straight upward pull, enabling retrieval of the upper completion (e.g., to repair or replace the ESP) without removing the lower completion, which is especially useful in extended-reach and other long wells.

Products Used