A group of researchers at Sharif University of Technology succeeded in stimulation of oil wells using recyclable swellable packers.
For more than a decade, Sharif University of Technology has felt the need to move toward the third and fourth generation universities where the produced knowledge is served to solve the problems of the country and create wealth through innovation. One of the important steps that SUT took to complete the so-called knowledge to value chain, was the establishment of Technology Services Complex as a place for providing technological services to industries. Currently, 15 research centers, 40 offices and 14 technology service centers are active in this complex. One of the centers is the Sharif Product Development Center, established in 2016 by Dr. Jamal Arghavani Hadi, Faculty Member at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Dr. Seyed Abbas Mousavi, Faculty Member at the Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Department. The center’s mission is to design and develop products for different industrial purposes.
“In 2015, one of the important needs of oil industry was the production of blockades required for oil well maintenance. A product whose import was object to sanctions”, said Dr. Arghavani, the Project Manager, “This is why the Product Development Center started to scrutinize different technologies used in production of packers with the aim of designing and producing the first in Iran”. According to him, the design of various components such as special production machines, jigs, fixtures and molds, test equipment and advanced elastomers were completed by the end of 2016.
The first test on a 5-inch size prototype was successfully conducted in early summer of 2017, and by the end of the same year, 7-inch tools were tested. Later on final productions have been developed and tested in accordance with API and ISO standards. Field tests were carried out on several wells. The first field test of selective acidizing at a depth of 2,775 meters and in a 7-inch casing was conducted in a wellbore located at Ahvaz oilfield. The result was a significant enhancement in oil production.
So far, six selective acidizing projects have been carried out in Ahwaz, Maroon, Gachsaran and Aghajari using 125/2-inch packers in 7-inch liners.
Currently, the production line of recyclable swellable packers and a variety of similar products including recyclable swellable packers of the sizes 125/2, 5/2, 75/2, and 3 inches, hydraulic installation tools, and recyclable swellable plugs has been set up and mass production is in progress. Achieving the formulations of elastomer used in this tool have made it possible to provide a variety of elastomeric products for the oil, gas and petrochemical industries, as well.
To find out more please visit spdc.sharif.ir