STUDY OF ELASTOMER SEAL ASSEMBLIES IN OIL AND GAS WELLS

Volume 14.1 (2-1), May 2023, Pages 04-15

 Tamilla Khankishiyeva1, Javid Mustafayev2


1Assistant, "Industrial machinery" Department, Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University, Candidate of technical sciences, Azerbaijan. Email id: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
2Master, "Industrial machinery" Department, Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University, Azerbaijan. Email id: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


 ABSTRACT

 This paper provides a comprehensive review of literature, research studies, and industry standards relevant to elastomer seal assemblies used in the oil and gas wells. For ensuring well integrity, elastomer seal assemblies are essential parts. Rubber chemistry and technology were important in the pressure and flow management of hydrocarbons from petroleum reservoirs even before Spindletop "gushered" in the big Texas oil explotion in 1901. Rubber continues to play an important part in the oil business, where the cost of constructing an oil or gas well might surpass a billion dollars. Practically all downhole drilling and completion equipment now relies on elastomers and other sealing materials to guarantee consistent, dependable performance throughout service. Research indicates that seal failure may result in blowouts and oil spills, which may have an adverse impact on health, safety, and the environment. Improvements in elastomer seal design and qualification are required, particularly for high pressure and high temperature applications, according to regulators and the industry. In relation to the elastomer seal assemblies used in oil and gas wells, this study presents an extensive assessment of the literature, research studies, and industry standards. The purpose of the paper is to look into seal assembly performance-influencing factors and failure modes. The review's main goal is to identify gaps in industry standards and suggest key areas for future study to increase seal reliability.

In terms of maximum sealing pressure, the produced analytical findings demonstrate the impact of elastomer shape and material parameters. Moreover, various strain situations are examined in order to determine how well the elastomer seals. The industry standards mostly concentrate on material testing and don't provide enough information on how to design elastomer seals at the equipment level. Processes for qualifying seals are not tailored based on the shape, size, and purpose of seal assemblies. The design of seal equipment, including the energization process, the design of the housing and supporting components, functional failures, etc., requires research that goes beyond material testing.

Furthermore, there is a critical need for trustworthy methods that can translate laboratory discoveries into field-scale applications with long service lives.

Key words: Elastomer Seal, Seal evaluation, Industry standards, Well barriers, Well integrity, Seal failure.