Churchill Drilling Tools hails 500th run of record-breaking valve

Churchill Drilling Tools hails 500th run of record-breaking valve

ABERDEEN, United Kingdom -- Churchill Drilling Tools is celebrating the 500th deployment of its DAV MX CircSub. The company, which is located in Houston and Aberdeen in the UK, has forged a sound reputation in the Gulf of Mexico, where its dart activation technology has been recognized for its versatility, capability and reliability in challenging environments.
 
Churchill’s patented dart technology continues to go from strength to strength and has already proven its capability and adaptability in the Gulf. The only valve technology that can work effectively in MPD situations, the DAV MX was recently selected by an operator for a dual gradient drilling project, and last year it was deployed at a record depth of 26,012 ft in a development well off Louisiana.
 
The DAV MX has completed 500 runs in key production locations around the world within five years and in this time has set several new industry records.
 
“Our technology is now well proven and is effectively changing the way the drilling industry conducts certain operations. The 500th run of the DAV MX in particular cured 400 bbl/hour losses for an operator by allowing more than 400 bbl of coarse lost circulation material through,” Churchill Drilling Tools’ director Mike Churchill said.
 
Outside of the U.S., the DAV MX was activated a record five times to displace drilling fluids within a complex HPHT well in the North Sea. This allowed the operator to pump at higher flow rates, saving a considerable time and cost.
 
The DAV MX also recently set a new high-angle record, being deployed in a 98-degree angle well and proving to be a helpful contingency tool in curing unexpected losses. The tool was cycled twice with Churchill’s Standard Diverter Darts, allowing a total of 90 bbl of lost LCM to be pumped through it.
                                                                                                                                            
The DAV MX is used globally across a range of drilling environments including deep water, HPHT and high-angle extended reach drilling. The Mechanical Extrusion (MX) system is significantly more reliable, faster and more cost effective than polymer extrusion, the process used for traditional ball-activated systems.