Exxon Mobil awards packer technology license to Weatherford

HOUSTON – Exxon Mobil Upstream Research Company has awarded Weatherford U.S., L.P. an international license for Exxon Mobil’s patented Internal Shunt Alternate Path (ISAPT) packer for openhole completions.

ISAPT and its openhole zonal isolation packers extend gravel packing capabilities from a previous limit of about 3,000 ft to more than 5,000 ft, while also reducing field installation time and operational complexity.

ISAPT packers are specially designed to be used with ISAPT screens, a technology also developed and patented by Exxon Mobil, enabling the isolation of multiple water-bearing zones from the production well during openhole gravel packing operations in sand-prone reservoirs.

"Advances in controllable openhole completions continue to be a focus area for Exxon Mobil, as many deepwater developments utilize openhole completions to maximize reservoir deliverability," said Sara N. Ortwein, president of Exxon Mobil Upstream Research Company. "Exxon Mobil continues to pioneer completion technologies that increase control and reliability in the openhole environment, without increasing operational complexity. ISAPT sand control screens and ISAPT packers provide the additional flexibility required to develop challenging reservoirs."

“The new ISAPT packers make long, single-trip multi-zone completions possible,” said Mark Hopmann, V.P., Well Completion Technology, Weatherford.  “This is a great technology solution enabling increasingly longer openhole completions.”