ICONIC tallies first successful North Sea instrumented tubular plug installation
STAVANGER - ICONIC has successfully installed its first iTP (Instrumented Tubular Plug) in the Norwegian North Sea. Designed to provide real-time pressure and temperature data anywhere in the well, the iTP has been qualified for use on HPHT wells.
The iTP was installed for a major international operator from a fixed installation offshore. The device was mounted below the 9 5/8” casing plug and was successfully set at 45 meters deep. The iTP monitored the pressure and temperature data continuously from below the plug until it was retrieved two days later. By knowing the pressure below the plug, the iTP guaranteed its safe retrieval. It achieved this by making the operations team aware of any pressure equalizing that was required beforehand. The next iTP installation is scheduled for the same operator in 2020. Continuous monitoring allows the operational decisions to be performed in a safe and cost-efficient manner, compared with other solutions on the market.
The iTP technology offers different cost savings depending on its application. When using a tubing hanger plug, the cost savings are made because retrieval of the plug can take place without the use of a pressure control system. This cuts down the time and cost for the wireline rig up. In other cases, such as Xmas tree change out or Xmas tree maintenance operations, the iTP eliminates the need for a deep-set plug and therefore removes this activity from the critical path. For an Xmas tree change out or maintenance operations, the use of the iTP will typically result in, but is not limited to, cost savings in the range of $150,000 – 200,000 USD.
The iTP can also be used for many other applications where wireless monitoring enables the operator to reduce risk and facilitate easy decision making, this makes the drilling or intervention operation a more cost-efficient manner. Some potential applications are temporary plugging for drilling and intervention, perforation logging, P&A and riser-less pre slot recovery.
Jarl Endre Pedersen, Chief Executive Officer, ICONIC said: “As a young company, we are very proud to have successfully delivered our first iTP installation for a major operator in Norway. With the successful installation and monitoring on the pilot well installation, we have shown that knowledge is power. By having more access to real time data, costs are cut and safety is heightened. We very much look forward to our next installation, which is scheduled to take place later this year.”
The iTP enables the operator to preform barrier verification tests when two plugs are set within close distance, making enhanced safety a key benefit of the technology. For retrieval of plugs knowing the pressure below the plug beforehand makes it possible to plan for necessary equalizing in safer and more cost-efficient manner.
