E Plug develops bespoke heavy duty crown plug retrieval tools

Responsive engineering adds value through new ways of performing a conventional operation.

Challenge

During a light well intervention campain in Australia the customer experienced challenges with retrieving the installed crown plugs. After unsuccessfully attempting retrieval with several available options, including hydraullic strokers, the customer had to suspend the operation and demobilize the vessel.

E Plug personnel were mobilized on the vessel to perform a TorcPlug operation and as part of the operational challengess they engaged into dialogue with the customer on how we potentially could help to mitigate and solve them.

Solution

The basis for solving this challenge was to use E Plugs Electric Manipulation Tool (EMT) in combination with the TorcDesperado linear actuator that could be modified to run a standard pulling tool and provide high pull forces.

During the intial meetings together with the customer several concepts were evaluated to further adress potential issues of crown plugs that were stuck, and two concepts were chosen. In addition to just being able to pull with brute force, the setup required the pulling tool to be anchored in the stach above the tree, and the client also wanted to explore a solution that could disassemble the stuck crown plug.

Two tool new designs were developed, tested and supplied to the customer within a time frame of less than 9 months and mobilized on their next operation.

The TorcPuller grips the crown plug in the body below the fish neck and can pull against a profile in the setup above the tree with up to 829kN.

The TorcBreaker anchors inside the bottom of the crown plug and can indent the top cap of the plug and unscrew it in order for the plugs locking segments to release.

Anchor points, indentations and disassembled crown plug.

Value created Customer feedback

E Plug were engaged to develop tooling to recover a crown plug on a subsea well that could not be removed during a previous intervention.

The team at E Plug, while working in close collaboration with the D&C team, conceptualised, designed, built and trialled a suite of bespoke tooling – including one to partially disassemble the plug downhole – all within a very tight delivery timeframe. The equipment was all successfully trialled and demonstrated to work as intended.

The engagement and willingness to bring to the table totally unique designs to address the problem, coupled with the ongoing support and responsiveness of the entirety of the E-Plug team was unprecedented.

Cannot recommend highly enough.

Product applied

Electric Manipulation Tool (EMT)

Optimize your downhole operations with the Electric Manipulation Tool (EMT). Utilizing surface power through an electric conductor, the EMT applies rotational motion and torque for precise force transfer and axial movement. Real-time monitoring via two-way telemetry ensures improved efficiency and reduced risk, making decision-making seamless and operations repeatable.

TorcPuller

The TorcPuller is activated by the E Plugs Electric Manipulation Tool (EMT) for the application of pulling crown plugs with forces higher than what the fishneck can handle.

TorcBreaker

The TorcBreaker is operated by the E Plugs Electric Manipulation Tool (EMT) for the application of removing stuck crown plugs by disassemblying them in-situ. Having the ability to anchor in the crown plug and bite into the top plate of the crown plug and rotate with high torque the TorcBreaker can unscrew the top section of the crown plug, thus removing the support of the segments that hold the crown plug in place.

Get in Touch

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