New size TorcPlug deployed in the middle east
TorcPlug-385 was used in a high profile segmentation operation for the first time.
Well Background
The gas well featured a 5" liner in the lower zone (already perforated, stimulated, and tested) and a 7" liner across the upper zones. The plan was to perforate, stimulate, and test the upper zone to maximize overall well productivity. A suspected leak existed between the 5" and 7" liners, adding complexity to isolation and pressure management.
Challenge
A major Middle East operator needed a dependable isolation solution to:
- Isolate the perforated lower zone.
- Maintain full well control in live-well conditions.
- Operate reliably within the restricted ID of the 5" liner.
- Provide mechanical verification of plug setting (no pressure testing possible due to the suspected inter-liner leak).
- Minimize rig time during perforation gun deployment and reverse deployment for the upper zone.
The solution had to deliver robust sealing and anchoring under operational loads, while ensuring efficiency and verifiability.
Solution
The TorcPlug TP-385 segmentation plug from E Plug AS was selected for reliable isolation inside the 5" liner. Paired with the Electric Manipulation Tool (EMT), it delivered real-time data, precise control, and mechanical confirmation of setting via pull-testing—verifying anchoring and sealing without pressure reliance.
Key capabilities that made the TP-385 ideal:
- V0-rated high-pressure sealing integrity
- Robust slip-based anchoring system
- Electrical current signature for setting confirmation
- Independent mechanical set verification
- High tensile and compressive strength
- Safe live-well deployment and retrieval
Once set, the lower zone was fully isolated. The well was displaced to brine, creating a controlled environment for safe upper-zone perforation and stimulation.
Results
The operation was executed flawlessly with zero incidents. The TorcPlug was successfully set and retrieved using the EMT2.0 system.
- Total time TP was set in hole: 552 hours and 6 minutes.
- Operational efficiency gains:
- In live-well perforation: Mechanical wireline typically achieves ~9 guns deployed per 12-hour shift; coiled tubing ~6 guns per shift.
- In controlled conditions: Top-drive system achieves ~6 guns per hour.
- Total 134 perforation guns deployed/reverse deployed:
- Run 1: 52 guns,
- Run 2: 45 guns,
- Run 3: 37 guns,
Value Created
This first-ever regional deployment of the TorcPlug TP-385 delivered tangible benefits:
- Significant rig-time savings of more than 50 days through streamlined operations.
- Reduced deployment/reverse-deployment complexity.
- Optimized gun runs in the upper zone.
- Improved sequencing and risk management during perforating.
- Fewer perforation cycles and reduced exposure time.
- Enhanced well control and overall safety in live-well conditions.
- Greater operational efficiency and sequencing.
- Established proven capability for segmentation in 5" liner completions under challenging live-well scenarios.
The success validates the TorcPlug TP-385 as a reliable, verifiable solution for similar multi-zone gas wells in the region, paving the way for broader adoption and future efficiency gains.
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