As a well testing service provider, Halliburton require high performance valve lubricants to adequately protect their equipment and guarantee optimal valve performance. After experiencing similar issues with their incumbent valve grease across a number of campaigns, the Well Testing Manager reached out to RS Clare’s Technical Sales Manager in the region to discuss their operational challenges.
The Problem
Teams from multiple well testing campaigns across the region reported the same problems with their widely used incumbent valve lubricant. The grease was being washed out of the valve cavity leaving valve components exposed and vulnerable to damage, and compromising the valves sealing capabilities resulting in non-production time (NPT) for corrective maintenance.
Further investigations found that the grease used to fill the valves was not hydrocarbon resistant and this combined with the differential pressure when functioning the valves was displacing the grease, leaving the valve cavity dry, empty and insufficiently protected.
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The Solution
Hydrocarbon resistant valve lubricants are unaffected by produced hydrocarbons from the reservoir and are therefore able to remain in the valve cavity to protect valve components and preserve valve integrity. Halliburton initiated a trial of ClareTech Valve Lubricant 601™, our high-performance hydrocarbon resistant valve grease to assess it’s ability to remain in the valve cavity, support valve performance and reduce NPT. ClareTech Valve Lubricant 601™ exhibited impressive performance, it’s hydrocarbon resistance kept the grease in place within the valve cavity, significantly reducing the volume of grease being used where operators were topping up with ClareTech Valve Lubricant 601™ instead of full cavity fills each time, delivering cost savings. Valve functionality was also efficiently maintained and greatly reducing non-production time and the need for costly, unscheduled corrective maintenance to repair or replace valve components.
