High-pressure unconventional gas reservoirs in the northeastern US present highly erosive operating conditions for surface chokes during the early stages of production, resulting in rapid wear of choke trims. In Pennsylvania’s Utica Shale, CNX was using conventional needle-and-seat and cage-type production chokes with solid tungsten carbide trims to throttle well pressures exceeding 9,000 psi. During the initial erosive production phase (typically 6–8 months), choke trims required replacement every 8 to 9 days, leading to repeated operational disruptions, higher costs, and delayed production.
Deploying 15,000-psi Invincible trim extreme-wear-resistant choke trims delivered transformational operating value. Surface chokes now perform seamlessly—without maintenance—throughout the initial production phase and beyond, significantly reducing costs. At the same time, eliminating the downtime associated with frequent trim replacements has led to production uplift during the erosive phase. CNX described the technology as a “game changer” for its well economics.
