Conventional tubular technology has imposed performance limitations and financial strain on horizontal well interventions. Premature upset wear, extensive redress charges and moderate torsional ratings are of increasing concern.

 

Forced to reconcile with the issues facing the workstring tubular industry, Certus set out to engineer a remedy. In 2015, the company commissioned a project to develop a non-upset tubular connection that would eliminate all the aforementioned limitations of PH-6 tubing. By analyzing the underlying issues of the two-step connection, the company was able to design a fit-for-purpose connection, tailored to horizontal well intervention.

 

The chief benefit of the HZT connection over current industry standards is the utilization of a disposable coupling, which, when worn beyond OD tolerance, can be replaced without sacrificing the entire joint. At current market prices, the HZT coupling can be replaced at roughly 25% of the cost of a downgraded joint of tubing.

 

By leveraging an internal torque shoulder to maximize the cross-sectional area available  or stress distribution during makeup, the connection allows for up to 77% higher torque capacity than standard connections.

 

As the first workstring connection designed specifically to meet the economic and operational challenges posed by horizontal well intervention, the HZT connection may represent a paradigm shift in tubular technology.