Courtesy of weatherford.com

Custom opto-electronic design and production specialist Avo Photonics in collaboration with the Wireline R&D optical sensor group at Weatherford International has successfully designed and validated the performance of a downhole multi-channel photometer. The sensor has now completed several field trials and is being volume manufactured by Avo Photonics for Weatherford commercial deployment.

The Reservoir Fluid Analyzer (RFA) sensor conforms to a 4.5 inch diameter space performing downhole fluid analysis up to five kilometers below the earth’s surface. The sensor design allows the device to perform high-quality photometric analysis while withstanding operating temperatures from -20°C to 177°C with total differential pressures up to 30,000 psi.

“Avo’s optical and opto-mechanical design and manufacturing expertise for harsh environment operations and their rapid understanding of the downhole challenges were critical to create a sensor assembly that would work within our existing wireline equipment,” said Dr. Jess V. Ford, Weatherford Senior Staff Scientist.

“Designing and manufacturing an optical fluid analyzer for downhole is challenging, and Weatherford’s extended long wavelength requirements compounded the difficulties of high temperature performance,” said Dr. Thomas Haslett, Avo Photonics Chief Technology Officer. “We created an original design from our unique perspective. The result has been a high-quality, high-fidelity instrument that is continually produced at Avo.”

Weatherford is an oil and gas service company with a presence in every major oil and gas region of the world. Its business is helping clients to safely and sustainably find, drill, complete and produce oil and gas fields. The company is a specialist in the fields of formation evaluation, drilling, well construction, completion and production. Its innovative technologies, products and services drive down the cost and increase the recovery of oil and gas – now and in the future.

Avo Photonics provides exclusive, private-label opto-electronic design, prototyping and production services for medical, industrial, military, aerospace and communications applications. Through its pure service business model, Avo produces confidential, client-owned products and systems that launch its customers to the forefront of their markets.

Source: weatherford.com