Halliburton launches advanced material science completions technology

Halliburton has introduced the Ovidius isolation system, a new packer that transforms from an engineered metal alloy into a rock-like material when it reacts with downhole fluids, creating a long-lasting seal for improved well integrity.

Operators can deploy the system in wellbore isolation applications, where it will provide the traditional benefits of expanding elastomers with new capabilities to withstand differential pressures and extreme temperatures found in the most challenging high-pressure, high-temperature environments, while providing unparalleled anchoring forces.

“Ovidius is a breakthrough technology in material science that will play a significant role in our vision of the Future of Completions,” said Mark Dawson, Vice President of Completion Tools. “We engineered an alloy that substantially grows in size when reacting with fluids in the wellbore. The simplicity of the design and the operational flexibility exceeds any technology on the market today, providing operators with superior sealing performance in a variety of applications.”

The technology can be used for cased hole, open-hole wellbore isolation, and permanent plug and abandonment operations. Halliburton has extensively tested the packer at its laboratories under customer-specific requirements in preparation for global applications. Additional applications will include geothermal and multilaterals, expanding the window of opportunities for operators worldwide.