Tenaris delivers record coiled tubing string for extended-reach wells
(WO) — Tenaris has delivered the largest BlueCoil coiled tubing string in the company's history, supporting growing industry demand for longer-reach completion and intervention operations in increasingly complex unconventional wells.
The company recently manufactured an 88-metric-ton, 2-5/8-in. OD BlueCoil string for CUDD Pressure Control, surpassing previous production records at its Houston coiled tubing facility.
According to Tenaris, the project required modifications to the facility's manufacturing process and equipment capacity due to the volume of steel and overall weight of the string. The company expanded accumulator and reel capacity to accommodate production of the oversized string.
The record-setting string was designed for a specialized reel trailer and will support extended-reach completion activities. Tenaris said the string has been delivered to Oklahoma and is scheduled to begin operations in the Mid-Continent region.
As horizontal wells continue to grow longer and operators pursue increasingly extended laterals, demand has risen for coiled tubing strings with greater reach, weight capacity and durability.
Standard coiled tubing strings used in shale applications typically weigh between 55 and 60 metric tons, according to the company. At Tenaris' Houston facility, strings exceeding 63 metric tons are classified as heavy strings.
“The Tenaris coiled tubing team successfully adapted to meet our customer's exact requirements, delivering a new heavy design on time and to specification while surpassing the previous record for the longest BlueCoil string we produced just last year,” said Wenceslao Pigretti, senior director of coiled tubing at Tenaris.
To complete the project, Tenaris implemented new material-handling procedures and utilized specialized lifting equipment to process and load the string.
The company said the project demonstrates its ability to support evolving well designs and completion requirements as operators continue pushing the limits of horizontal drilling and extended-reach development.
