Oilfield services company Weatherford International announced it has secured a contract with Brazilian-based multinational corporation Petróleo Brasileiro S.A., more commonly known as Petrobras, to deliver 24 Optimax deep-set safety valves in the next four years.
The deal is Weatherford's largest-ever contract for deep-set safety valves, the company said.
The Optimax deep-set safety valve protects against catastrophic loss of well control by providing fail-safe closures at pressure up to 10,000 psi and are rated for setting depths as deep as 3,658 meters, Weatherford said. The valves are monogrammed to API-14A's highest validation grade of V1.
"The Weatherford Optimax deep-set safety valve is a victory in innovative thinking," said Mark Hopmann, President of Completions for Weatherford. Hopmann added, "Conventional deep-set valves typically require nitrogen-charged chambers to compensate for the high hydrostatic pressure of the control line. The Optimax deep-set safety valve overcomes this challenge with a design that utilizes highly reliable, field-proven technology."
An integral part of the completion string, the Optimax deep-set safety valve is controlled by a primary hydraulic control line. Application of control-line pressure keeps the valve in the open position. When pressure is bled off, the valve closes to protect property, personnel, and the environment. A secondary upward-facing piston, plus heavy-duty power springs, enable fail-safe closure while keeping the hold-open pressure to a minimum.
