The Role of Production Packers in Well Completion Projects

The Role of Production Packers in Well Completion Projects

The Role of Production Packers in Well Completion Projects

Production packers contribute significant value to well completion projects. Once the packer interacts with the well holes, the primary focus is to plug or seal the pressure on the interior or exterior of the tubing. In this article, we provide more insight into the roles of production packers and the various types used to complete each job.

What Are Production Packers?

Production packers provide an immense amount of support to an oil or gas well completion project. These devices create seals to protect the production tube and the interior wall of the casing or wellbore.

Because of their primary functions, it’s common to refer to packers as two main variations: production and service. In well completion projects, a production packer will remain inside the well, compared to a service packer that will only serve temporary purposes. Temporary service packers assist in acidizing, fracturing, testing, and squeezing.

The Advantages of Production Packers

There is a range of advantages to production packers, regardless of function or purpose. Some key notables include:

  • Permanent packers have increased grip technology and are cost-effective.
  • Preventing gas and fluid migrations
  • Reinforcing the cement’s integrity in a backup situation
  • Serving as a plug for plug and abandonment

Different Types of Packers

An important part of understanding the role of a production packer is to ensure you’re using the right one for your project. The function of packers is referred to as production or service based on purposes and use. But there are three different types of packers that suit a variety of job demands.

  • Mechanical Packers. Mechanical set packers situate based on a form of movement. Most often, the associated set movement is rotational or up and down. These serve best in shallow wells with low, straight pressures.
  • Permanent Packers. Permanent packers are set on tubing, drilling pipes, or electronic wirelines. These packers resist any motion once in position.
  • Hydraulic Set Packers. Hydraulic set packers situate by entrapping pressures or mechanical locks and use a pressurized fluid. These serve well in crooked or deviated well holes where there is a restriction in movement or movement is unwanted.

To learn more about well completion tools and production packers, partner with Silver Fox today. We are a respected source for all oil and gas tools and devices. Contact us today to get started.