AnTech Limited, a leading UK design engineering and manufacturing company serving the upstream oil and gas industries, says that its Wellhead Outlet has been re-engineered to operate safely in the higher temperatures typically generated by the majority of HPHT (High Pressure, High Temperature) wells.

AnTech’s Wellhead Outlet, which has been ATEX-certified for use in Zone 1 and 2 Hazardous areas since its introduction in 2000, is a device that connects downhole cable to the surface telemetry system. The downhole cable terminates in a pressure bulkhead and then connects to the surface cable. This ensures that if, for any reason, the downhole cable is flooded, the integrity of the wellhead is maintained. It is used in permanent completions where pressure and temperature must be continuously monitored.

The new Wellhead Outlet was created in response to customer demand for an ATEX-certified tool that could be operated safely in today’s hotter wells. “We realised that we had to alter it in such a way that it would adhere to the ever-increasing safety regulations being adopted to protect those working with HPHT wells,” said Toni Miszewski, Managing Director of AnTech.

Previously, AnTech’s Wellhead Outlet was rated at a maximum Ta (ambient temperature) of 40°c, which indicates the maximum external temperature around the component; not the air temperature, with a maximum current of 26A. With these specifications, AnTech were able to offer the highest safety rating possible: T6, as the temperature of the device would never rise above 85°c, even if the Wellhead Outlet was operating at maximum Ta and current levels. Customers found this to be highly beneficial when operating in reservoirs where temperatures were relatively low.

Tags: AnTech Limited