A UK equipment supplier has announced a joint venture which will allow it to supply a revolutionary surface wellhead and tree production equipment package, which will enhance oil and gas production integrity and reduce the need for long-term repair and maintenance.
Plexus, which is based in Aberdeen, Scotland, is partnering with BEL Valves Ltd to provide surface trees and wellhead annulus valves to complement Plexus’ existing surface wellhead product line. The complete production package will use advanced technology to reduce repair, intervention and life of field costs whilst upholding the highest standards of well integrity. The technology has the potential to save operators tens of millions of pounds in Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) over the life of a project.
Plexus is an established wellhead manufacturer which has used its patented POS-GRIP technology to design and manufacture top tier wellhead systems over the past 20 years. POS-GRIP technology has been supplied on over 400 wells and is a method of wellhead engineering which offers high capacity hanging, lockdown and enhanced sealing capabilities. “HG” seals are metal to metal seals activated by POS-GRIP which seal directly between hangers and the wellhead bore, and provide a gas tight, weld-quality seal which requires no maintenance throughout field life.
BEL Valves is a leading UK (Newcastle) based valve and actuator manufacturer with over 50 years of heritage and experience supplying the hydrocarbon and petrochemical industry with high integrity critical valves in various applications.
The new complete wellhead and tree solution, managed by Plexus, will combine the field proven POS-GRIP “HG” wellhead with BEL Valves’ gate valve technologies to produce a revolutionary new wellhead and tree offering targeting the North Sea and international markets.
In 2017, according to the UK Oil & Gas Authority, 46% of Intervention on ‘shut-in’ wells was attributed to wellhead and tree repairs. Plexus aims to prevent these unnecessary interventions and avoid production revenue losses by keeping wells flowing using its superior and robust technology. Furthermore, Plexus aims to reduce operational risk and NPT by eliminating multiple complex operations during installation, intervention and abandonment.
Extended warranties will be offered on Plexus’ permanently installed wells equipment, which will reduce unpredictable OPEX costs and provide a stable and known CAPEX cost to end users. Manufacturing will be undertaken in the UK to ensure the highest quality standards.
Plexus CEO Ben Van Bilderbeek said: “Little has changed in the wellhead & tree industry in almost 100 years. There is a lack of technological differentiation and failures accepted as inevitable, which has led equipment suppliers to focus on aftermarket business models, rather than addressing the root cause of underperforming equipment. Our curious engineers refuse to accept the wellhead and tree system as the weak link in the supply chain. This development provides the opportunity for operators to apply advanced technology that restores commercial predictability and heightens technical assurance. This is particularly important at a time where there is increasing pressure to limit emissions within the oil and a gas supply chain combined with a large number of marginally economical field developments.”
