Aberdeen-based oil and gas production technology business, Pragma Well Technology, has been given the green light by Pharis Energy and OGTC to progress with the manufacture and prototype testing of their Downhole Steam Injection Valve (DSIV) following a successful feasibility study.
Using advanced materials, detailed fluid design and innovative engineering features to maximize reliability for extreme downhole conditions, the surface controlled DSIV will be the first steam injection valve available on the market to meet UK safety regulations. The valve will be rated to withstand the extreme downhole conditions required for continuous high-pressure steam injection, and will operate at temperatures of up to 343° Celsius.
Owing to Pragma’s surface controlled design, the DSIV technology will also be able to be used in other extreme high temperature developments around the world. These could include production or geothermal wells, providing the DSIV with considerable applications and advantages for a wider market. The production safety valve variant, the Extreme Temperature Safety Valve (ETSV), also incorporates ESP cable bypass capability which will allow the installation of downhole pumps.
The DSIV is a key enabling technology for the implementation of offshore steam-flood and Pharis will use the DSIV valves to protect well integrity, as the company progresses a steam assisted, phased development of the Pilot field, which lies in UKCS block 21/27a. This project will start with a steam-flood trial injecting up to 36,000 bbl of cold water equivalent of steam into the southern part of the Pilot field. The full scale steam-flood is aiming for approximately 50% recovery (over 120 MMbbls), about three times as much oil as would be expected to be recovered using the standard cold water-flood techniques used in most North Sea heavy oil projects to date.
Steve Brown, CEO of Pharis said, “We are delighted with the innovative and collaborative progress being made in developing this new valve technology. Applying steam-flooding technology in the UKCS has the potential to unlock an additional 4 Bbbl of otherwise stranded reserves from the shallow heavy oil fields that have already been discovered in the basin. Steam-flooding has the potential to transform the economic prospects of a number of marginal fields, attract new investment to the basin and stimulate exploration of previously neglected plays. The creation of a thoroughly tested and appropriately rated safety valve is critical to enable these operations to commence, and for steam based recovery techniques to make their contribution to maximizing economic recovery from the UKCS.”
Gary Smart, CEO of Pragma, added: “The successful results of the feasibility study were very much in line with our expectations and we are now looking forward to progressing quickly with the prototyping phase. Our technology can withstand extremes of temperatures because it uses premium corrosion resistant materials and full metal to metal seals for reliable function over the life of the well. This sets it apart as the only valve of its type on the market with these capabilities.
“This innovative product reflects Pragma’s vision of delivering advanced technology to enable increased production with lower uplift cost. The roll-out possibilities of the technology for steam-flood, high temperature and indeed many other types of production wells are incredibly exciting.”
DOWNHOLE STEAM INJECTION VALVE (DSIV)
Enabling steam flood completions in previously inaccessible offshore heavy oil reservoirs, in collaboration with OGTC and a UKCS independent operator.
Pragma’s Downhole Steam Injection Valve (DSIV) and Extreme Temperature Safety Valve (ETSV) are variations of a single valve developed for use in extreme high temperature applications such as steam flood recovery. Steam flood recovery can have a significant impact on the reservoir enabling higher recovery rates and increased production.
Whilst steam flooding for offshore developments has previously been considered, technical challenges have prevented its adoption. One of those challenges was the development of a high temperature steam injection safety valve which is required in most offshore regions.
With funding from a pioneering independent UK operator and the government backed Oil and Gas Technology Centre, Pragma are developing their DSIV to enable the use of steam flooding in the UKCS for the first time.
The valve will be able to withstand temperatures of up to 343°C, with surface control, premium corrosion resistant materials and full metal to metal seals for reliable function over the life of the well. This will set apart the technology as the only valve on the market capable of withstanding these harsh conditions.
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