Like the ever-changing, increasingly complex nature of oil and gas production, well intervention is not what it used to be. What began as a fishing expedition to retrieve lost or stuck equipment in the wellbore has evolved into a multifaceted, and often highly specialized, process to address a broad range of production challenges in environments, ranging from deviated holes to deepwater wells to aging reservoirs.

Whereas fishing, wellbore cleaning and re-entry services evolved from drilling rig operations, the development of thru-tubing intervention is rooted in the rigless side of the business.

“Weatherford’s thru-tubing business was initially focused on developing technology that expanded the scope of well maintenance activities carried out on coiled tubing,” says Blake Hammond, Weatherford Global General Manager for Coiled Tubing and Thru-Tubing Business Units. “To meet our clients” evolving intervention and completion challenges, our thru-tubing business has grown to include the development and deployment of a vast array of intervention solutions – be they deployed on coiled tubing, slickline, electric line or jointed pipe.”

Today, with more than 100 patents for various tools and technologies, thru-tubing has become a significant and growing segment of Weatherford’s intervention business, particularly in unconventional shale plays.

.....

Full version of the article can be downloaded here.