DTI Announces Successful Commercial Deployment of its M-Bubble Plug.

DTI is pleased to announce the first commercial deployment of its Ultra High Expansion M-Bubble Plug. The new technology offers operators market leading downhole expansion rates of up to 300%, with the strength and durability required for high-pressure sealing.

The M-Bubble Plug was successfully deployed for a major operating company in a water shut off application, in a free-flowing, oil producing well in Kazakhstan. The project was the first in a multi-well plugging campaign, planned to include at least eight onshore wells. Following the success of the first deployment, the operator has placed further orders with DTI for additional UHX Plugs.*

Downhole expansion technology is designed to provide plugging and isolation solutions in wells with narrow upper restrictions and larger diameter lower completions. Here, the compact, 2.125” outer diameter (OD) M-Bubble Plug was successfully deployed on slickline through narrow tubing with a 2.2” inner diameter. It then set a permanent plug in a 5.5” liner, with a 4.95” inner diameter. This represents a market leading expansion rate of 245%.

An industry standard electric setting tool was deployed with DTI’s Hydromechanical Setting Assembly (HMSA) to provide the required stroke and force for the operation. Upon reaching the correct depth, the HMSA activated the M-Bubble’s ultra-high expansion slips. Pressurised fluid was then injected into the elastomer encased metal element, causing the element to unfold and contact the liner, creating a stable, high-pressure seal, with a differential pressure rating of 3,500 psi. Once the plug was set, the HMSA automatically released the plug and the tool string was pulled out of the well to prepare for the next plugging operation.

For zonal isolation projects, the M-Bubble Plug enables the operator to isolate pressured and flowing zones in a fast and cost-effective single run without the use of cement, which would typically be a three-run operation. This solution is highly desirable, especially in cases where cement cannot be deployed, either due to the well configuration, or where dynamic fluids prevent reliable depositing, or when circumstances make dumping cement unacceptable.

Our M-Bubble technology offers further operational benefits in that it can more easily and cost-effectively be deployed by a wide range of operators and service companies on a global scale by using standard setting tools. It can be run on slickline or e-line, with powered setting tools or run on coiled tubing with flow activated running tools, rather than a bespoke, proprietary arrangement.

DTI’s M-Bubble plugs and pack-offs are available in different OD sizes up to 7” and in pressure ratings up to 5,000psi, all qualified to API standards.

The core expandable technology uses additive manufacturing techniques to impart lightweight strength and durability. It is also suited to a range of packers, patches and straddles, to service a wide variety of onshore and offshore applications across the lifecycle of the well, including completion, recompletion, development, production optimisation and P&A. There are also valuable applications for this technology in the repurposing of oil and gas wells for the carbon sequestration sector.

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* 20/03/2023 - ETA: The campaign is continuing and the UHX plug has been successfully deployed in three wells.

05/09/23 - ETA: The UHX M-Bubble Plug has been successfully deployed in six wells and has been verified as hermetically sealing by PLT after six months in the well.