AirLock®
Lower Casing Running Time & Cost
The AirLock casing buoyancy sub contains a high-strength, dome-shaped pressure seal that is supported by a calibrated shear ring with breakaway tabs. The design allows the vertical casing section to be filled with fluid while the lateral section remains air-filled and buoyant. This reduces sliding friction up to 50% or more, while the weight of the vertical section adds force to push the casing to the toe.
Operation is simple and passive. The installation location can be calculated to provide the optimum balance of lateral buoyancy and vertical fluid weight. After the casing lands, increased surface pressure shears the tabs, shattering the glass dome into tiny fragments, leaving behind a completely unobstructed wellbore.
Over 12,000 AirLock systems have been installed with a 99.9%* success rate on the very first run.
AirLock Features
- AirLock operation is simple and passive, requires no intervention
- Section above the airlock sub filled with fluid, air filled section below sub remains buoyant
- Improved buoyancy allows deeper depth and reduces sliding friction by as much as 50%
- Sub contains high-strength dome-shaped pressure seal with shear ring
- More than 12,000 AirLock systems installed with a success rate over 99%
- Highest operating pressure rating
- Completely interventionless
- Engineered string placement
- Engineered rupture pressure
- Full casing ID after rupture
* In 99.9% of 12,000+ AirLock installations, casing has landed on the first attempt.
