downhole safety valve factory

Our downhole safety valves provide your testing operations with fail-safe sustained control downhole in the event of an emergency or to facilitate test procedures.

Surface-controlled subsurface safety valves (SCSSVs) are critical components of well completions, preventing uncontrolled flow in the case of catastrophic damage to wellhead equipment. Fail-safe closure must be certain to ensure proper security of the well. However, this is not the only function in which it must be reliable—the valve must remain open to produce the well. Schlumberger surface controlled subsurface safety valves exceed all ISO 10432 and API Spec 14A requirements for pressure integrity, leakage acceptance criteria, and slam closure.

Through decades of innovation and experience, Schlumberger safety valve flapper systems are proven robust and reliable. The multizone dynamic seal technology for hydraulic actuation of subsurface safety valves is a further improvement in reliability performance when compared with traditional seal systems in the industry.

The multizone seal technology is currently available in the GeoGuard high-performance deepwater safety valves, which is validated to API Spec 14A V1 and V1-H.

Designed to provide protection from well-control events, Superior surface-controlled subsurface safety valves are built and tested to the highest API standards. Our field-proven line will allow you to quickly close a well when needed, protecting assets and people. Available in sizes from 2-3/8” to 7”, our retrievable safety valves are designed for setting depths of up to 3,000 feet and pressures of up to 10,000 psi.

We design, test and manufacture downhole safety valves that are tubing run and surface controlled, as well as wireline run. Our range of tubing retrievable surface controlled subsurface safety valves suits 2-3/8” to 7” tubing sizes, in both standard and slim designs. It is a compact design using a concentric piston mechanism and a flapper system. Minimum metal-to-metal body connections are used to eliminate potential leak paths. All our valves include a nickel alloy flapper/flapper seat to ensure long term reliability of the valves in protecting surface facilities from uncontrolled flow from producing wells.

All our safety valves come with an exercise and lock-out facility. With a landing nipple profile in the top sub a wireline retrievable safety valve can be installed within the tubing run valve bore after lock-out allowing the well to continue to produce.

A full range of accessories is available for the downhole safety valves including exercise/lock-out tools, separation sleeves and nipple protection sleeves.

Halliburton provides proven, high-performance tubing-retrievable and wireline-retrievable subsurface safety valves (SSSV) designed to reliably shut-in (fail safe) if a catastrophic event occurs, allowing operators to maintain safe operations.

A downhole safety valve refers to a component on an oil and gas well, which acts as a failsafe to prevent the uncontrolled release of reservoir fluids in the event of a worst-case-scenario surface disaster. It is almost always installed as a vital component on the completion.

These valves are commonly uni-directional flapper valves which open downwards such that the flow of wellbore fluids tries to push it shut, while pressure from the surface pushes it open. This means that when closed, it will isolate the reservoir fluids from the surface.

Most downhole safety valves are controlled hydraulically from the surface, meaning they are opened using a hydraulic connection linked directly to a well control panel. When hydraulic pressure is applied down a control line, the hydraulic pressure forces a sleeve within the valve to slide downwards. This movement compresses a large spring and pushes the flapper downwards to open the valve. When hydraulic pressure is removed, the spring pushes the sleeve back up and causes the flapper to shut. In this way, it is failsafe and will isolate the wellbore in the event of a loss of the wellhead. The full designation for a typical valve is "tubing retrievable, surface controlled, subsurface safety valve", abbreviated to TR-SCSSV.

The location of the downhole safety valve within the completion is a precisely determined parameter intended to optimise safety. There are arguments against it either being too high or too low in the well and so the final depth is a compromise of all factors. MMS regulations state that the valve must be placed no less than 30 m (100 ft) below the mudline.

The further down the well the DHSV is located, the greater the potential inventory of hydrocarbons above it when closed. This means that in the event of loss of containment at surface, there is more fluid to be spilled causing environmental damage, or in the worst case, more fuel for a fire. Therefore, placing the valve higher limits this hazard.

Another reason relates to the hydraulic control line. Hydraulic pressure is required to keep the valve open as part of the failsafe design. However, if the valve is too far down the well, then the weight of the hydraulic fluid alone may apply sufficient pressure to keep the valve open, even with the loss of surface pressurisation.

As part of the role of the DHSV to isolate the surface from wellbore fluids, it is necessary for the valve to be positioned away from the well where it could potentially come to harm. This implies that it must be placed subsurface in all circumstances, i.e. in offshore wells, not above the seabed. There is also the risk of cratering in the event of a catastrophic loss of the topside facility. The valve is specifically placed below the maximum depth where cratering is expected to be a risk.

If there is a risk of methane hydrate (clathrate) plugs forming as the pressure changes through the valve due to Joule–Thomson cooling, then this is a reason to keep it low, where the rock is warmer than an appropriately-calculated temperature.

Most downhole safety valves installed as part of the completion design are classed as "tubing retrievable". This means that they are installed as a component of the completion string and run in during completion. Retrieving the valve, should it malfunction, requires a workover. The full name for this most common type of downhole safety valve is a Tubing Retrievable Surface Controlled Sub-Surface Valve, shortened in completion diagrams to TRSCSSV.

If a tubing retrievable valve fails, rather than go to the expense of a workover, a "wireline retrievable" valve may be used instead. This type of valve can fit inside the production tubing and is deployed on wireline after the old valve has been straddled open.

The importance of DHSVs is undisputed. Graphic images of oil wells in Kuwait on fire after the First Gulf War after their wellheads were removed, demonstrate the perils of not using the components (at the time, they were deemed unnecessary because they were onshore wells). It is, however, not a direct legal requirement in many places. In the United Kingdom, no law mandates the use of DHSVs. However, the 1974 Health & Safety at Work Act requires that measures are taken to ensure that the uncontrolled release of wellbore fluids is prevented even in the worst case. The brilliance of the act is that it does not issue prescriptive guideline for how to achieve the goal of health and safety, but merely sets out the requirement that the goal be achieved. It is up to the oil companies to decide how to achieve it and DHSVs are an important component of that decision. As such, although not a legal requirement, it is company policy for many operators in the UKCS.

While the DHSV isolates the production tubing, a loss of integrity could allow wellbore fluid to bypass the valve and escape to surface through the annulus. For wells using gas lift, it may be a requirement to install a safety valve in the "A" annulus of the well to ensure that the surface is protected from a loss of annulus containment. However, these valves are not as common and they are not necessarily installed at the same position in the well, meaning it is possible that fluids could snake their way around the valves to surface.

The tubing-retrievable subsurface safety valve (SSSV) provides well protection against pressure drop and system failure in wireline and thru-tubing operations. This retrievable safety valve is controlled from the surface with a hydraulic control line. The valve connects to the tubing string and remains open if adequate pressure is maintained. If pressure drops below the threshold (as occurs in the beginning stages of losing well control), the valve closes. This creates a barrier in the tubing to prevent fluids from rushing up the tubing.

Baker Hughes’s portfolio of subsurface safety valves deliver reliable performance when it matters the most, providing emergency closure in the event that well control is lost. We offer a full range of valves to suit applications ranging from shallow- to deep-set, and the valves are available in surface- and subsurface-controlled, tubing-retrievable, and wireline-retrievable options. All Baker Hughes valves undergo stringent prototype testing and conform to standards and specifications such as API and ISO, as well as requirements requested for your unique situation.

Maintaining safe operating conditions can be challenging in deep-set or deepwater, high-pressure/high-temperature (HP/HT) wells. The REACH™ subsurface safety valve from Baker Hughes provides an answer, with fail-safe operation in a wide range of deep-set completions that require low operating pressures due to control system limitations.

REACH safety valves are designed to provide reliable sealing in deep, HP/HT wells. They can be set up to 20,000 ft (6,096 m) below sea level and withstand temperatures up to 400°F (205°C) and pressures up to 20,000 psi (1,379 bar).

REACH safety valves are V1 validated and have undergone the stringent prototype testing per API SPEC 14A, Specification for Subsurface Safety Valve Equipment, Twelfth Edition. Our safety valve specialists have continuously modified the design to accommodate the new V1 validation specifications while progressively exceeding the requirements set forth by API.

REACH valves rely on field-proven, heavy-sprung closure technology to ensure fail-safe-closed operation. Because tubing pressure is isolated from the control system, the valve can open at much lower operating pressures, reducing the cost of umbilicals in some applications.

The valve’s unique activation system requires lower valve operating pressures than previous safety valve designs by eliminating the need to overcome tubing pressure, making the valve ideal for applications with opening pressure limitations including: subsea completions, high-pressure wells, and fields where the rig site and other control facilities may have supply pressure limitations.

REACH valves incorporate several proven features from other safety valve designs, including flapper closure technology, RBT housing thread technology, dynamic seal technology, and debris exclusion geometries—all of which help deliver integrated functionality and dependability.

To ensure long term reliability, the valve is also offered with a reinforced dynamic seal configuration, upgraded dynamic seal materials, internal alignment enhancements, and an enhanced scraper ring to minimize debris. Because the REACH valve does not utilize gas springs, the operating seals and gland do not experience pressure reversals, making them ideal for your critical deepwater HP/HT applications

The Flow Component Testing Facilities (FCTF) at SwRI are accredited through the American Petroleum Institute (API) to perform validation testing on both surface and subsurface safety valves. The facilities are also used to perform safety valve testing on other downhole safety valves, riser isolation valves, and wellhead valves. All testing is completed under an API Q1 and ISO 17025 quality management system.

SwRI performs SSSV testing on surface control safety valves (SCSSV) and subsurface control safety valves (SSCSV), subsurface injection safety valves (SSISV), and annular safety valves.Validation Testing – Annex B

SwRI performs testing on various types of valves used as underwater safety valves (USV), surface safety valves (SSV), and boarding shutdown valves (BDSV). This equipment is essential for emergency shutdown of offshore production.

Subsurface safety valves (SSSVs), which are standard and often statutorily required in the oil and gas industry for upper completions, were first developed in the late 1930s. Operators sought to drill more high-pressure wells, often near populated areas or, conversely, offshore or very isolated areas, making the need for a device to protect the wells from uncontrolled flow increasingly apparent. The need was made even more urgent by the fact that the uncontrolled flow could be caused by accident or by damage to the surface equipment, which at the time was quite common.

Modern developments in SSSV design have sought to address the industry’s challenges and the issues that arise in more complex reservoirs and harsher downhole environments through additional testing and research to optimize the valves’ technical specifications. While the basic functionality of the valves has not changed for some time, the standard to which the valves are engineered and manufactured is now shifting, thanks in part to a new partnership between Tejas Research & Engineering and National Oilwell Varco (NOV). It is a partnership bolstered by Tejas’ involvement on the American Petroleum Institute’s (API) 14A standards subcommittee.

Tejas Research & Engineering sprang from the Camco tradition that pioneered many pivotal developments in SSSV design. The R&D and engineering for safety valve products are conducted in Tejas’ HP/HT facility in The Woodlands, Texas, where SSSVs with pressure requirements of 25,000 psi and 260 C (500 F) are designed, tested, qualified and produced.

Tejas’ model TRSV(E) SSSVs are tubing-retrievable, surface- controlled, normally closed devices installed in oil and gas wells to control tubing fl ow. Metal-to-metal seals are used in 100% of Tejas’ tubing-retrievable product line, which has products that are rated to 10,000 psig and are suitable for temperatures up to 176 C (349 F) at moderate setting depths. Higher temperature/pressure/setting depths/slimline diameters are available for custom order. The TRSSSV series are API-14A V1 certified and adaptable to any standard or premium tubing thread. The system features a large fullbore, where the inside diameter (ID) is equivalent or greater tubing than the tubing ID to which the SSSV is attached. Additionally, it has either flat flappers (2⅜ in. to 3½ in.) or curved flappers (4½ in. to 7 in.) and a single rod piston featuring nonelastomeric dynamic seals. The TRSSSV is available in either equalizing or nonequalizing trims. The valve is controlled hydraulically with a ¼-in. control line in the well’s annulus, enabling valve closure during an emergency shutdown.

The new safety valve builds upon lessons learned in valve design over Tejas Research & Engineering’s entire history. Previous valves have achieved significant milestones— including one design that has more than 8,000 valves in use without a single failure or degradation in performance. Completions have evolved since those early designs, and new valves need to withstand significantly higher temperatures, working pressures and setting depths as well as accommodate different diameters. The new valve product line meets the rigorous quality standards outlined in API Specification 14A and tested beyond the specifications in Revision 12, including Annex H, which specifically addresses the verification and validation requirements for use in HP/HT environments.

An evolution in safety valve standards means the industry can be more confident that well control incidents will not occur. As regulations continue to change and become stricter, it is imperative that safety valves maintain their rigorous quality and durability while being able to handle even more challenging well environments.

DHSV is an abbreviation for “Downhole Safety Valve”. DHSVs are considered as one of the important and critical objects during the completion process of a well as these are fail-safe devices that act immediately to prevent an uncontrolled hydrocarbon fluid release that causes an immediate surge in the pressure inside the wellbore and creates a situation of blowout.

DHSVs can move only in one direction i.e. either close or open position. When these valves are closed they completely isolate the reservoir fluids from the surface. These valves are hydraulically operated from the control panel located at the surface. When hydraulic pressure is applied down a control line, the hydraulic pressure forces a sleeve within the valve to slide downwards. Because of this hydraulic pressure, the flapper of the valve is compressed downwards thereby opening the valve. When the hydraulic pressure is released, the spring pushes the sleeve back and causes the flapper to shut.

The downhole safety valves are surface controlled sub surface safety valves abbreviated as (SCSSV or SVSSVs). There are two basic types of SCSSV: Wireline Retrievable surface controlled sub surface safety valves (WR – SCSSV) and

A safety valve is a valve that acts as the protector of your equipment. Safety valves can prevent damage to your pressure vessels and even prevent explosions at your facility when installed in pressure vessels.

A safety valve is a type of valve that automatically actuates when the pressure of the inlet side of the valve increases to a predetermined pressure, to open the valve disc and discharge the fluid. The safety valve system is designed to be a fail-safe so that a wellbore can be isolated in the event of any system failure or damage to the surface production-control facilities.

In most cases, it is mandatory to have a means of closure for all wells capable of natural flow to the surface. The installation of a subsurface safety valve (SSSV) will provide this emergency closure capability. Safety systems may be operated on a fail-safe principle from a control panel located on the surface that was custom-built by PHC.

The SCSSV is controlled by a ¼” stainless steel control line that is attached to the outside of the well tubing string and installed when the production tubing is installed. Depending on the wellhead pressure, it may be necessary to keep as much as 10,000 psi on the control line to keep the valve open. PHC control panels feature the proven Haskel pump line that generates the required hydraulic pressure for optimal valve control.

Safety valves are designed to automatically shut in the flow of a well in the event surface controls fail or surface equipment becomes damaged. They are classified according to the location from which they are controlled – surface or subsurface. In this article, subsurface safety valve types, operating systems, working principle, setting depth, and selection process are presented.

It is advisable, and in most cases mandatory, to have a secondary means of closure for all wells capable of natural flow to the surface. The installation on of a sub-surface safety valve (SSSV) will provide this emergency closure capability.

Operating systems may be either remotely operated on a fail-safe principle from surface (SCSSV) actuated from a control panel located on surface, or will be a subsurface controlled (SSCSV), designed to close automatically when a predetermined flow condition occurs in the well (actuated by the pressure differential/flow velocity across the valve).

In case of SCSSV, a 1/4″ inch stainless steel control line is attached to the outside of the tubing string and installed when the tubing is installed. Depending on the wellhead pressure, it may be necessary to keep as much as 4000 to 5000 psi on the control line to keep the valve open.

The differential type subsurface controlled subsurface safety valve senses pressure drop across a flow bean. There are several variations of the differential type SSCSV. Although they employ different sealing devices, such as a flapper or ball, they all are controlled with a flow bean and spring tension.

As shown in the following video, when hydraulic pressure is applied down a control line, the hydraulic pressure forces a sleeve within the valve to slide downwards. This movement compresses a large spring and pushes the flapper (in case of flapper type SCSSV) or the ball (in case of ball type SCSSV) downwards to open the valve. When hydraulic pressure is removed, the spring pushes the sleeve back up and causes the flapper (or the ball) to shut. In this way, it is failsafe and will isolate the wellbore in the event of a loss of the wellhead.

The location of the downhole safety valve within the completion is a precisely determined parameter intended to optimise safety. There are arguments against it either being too high or too low in the well and so the final depth is a compromise of all factors. MMS regulations state that the valve must be placed no less than 100′ below the mudline.