Radial has undertaken intensive shop testing of a liner top steel-on-steel seal/barrier for SAGD operations inside actual production casing. This has demonstrated the ability of REED to deliver a steel-on-steel closure interface nearly three inches (7.62 cm) long. In thermal operations, this is much longer lasting during casing expansion/contraction cycles than conventional liner top sealing elements, even composite metals. Field installations have proven that REED can install expansions in one run.
Radial’s REED technology has been adapted for use as a liner top steel-on-steel seal/barrier for recompletions in heavy oil thermal recovery applications. The technology ensures the external diameter of the sealing assembly can pass through distortions or restrictions.
The sealing surface area contains no moving parts to wear or deteriorate from movement associated with thermal expansion and contraction.
The liner is installed by placing the sleeve on top and then expanded it. Field installation involves four expansions in a single run for satisfactory well performance.
Surface tests of casing-in-casing liners reveal that each “metal-on-metal” expansion can result in a seal up to three inches (7.62 cm) long.
Radial has shop tested steel-on-steel seal inside of a sample of the production casing in which the liner top would be installed. This test demonstrates that the expansion force not set the sleeve in place, but setting had sufficient force to measurably expand the production casing sample.