Compact valves maintain control down the hole

When Aberdeen based Red Spider needed design compact valves into its Red Plug intervention set barrier it turned miniature component specialist Lee Products.

Optimum safety and reliability are regarded as essential requirements of the systems and equipment used in the oil and gas production industries, and the Red Plug device developed by Aberdeen based Red Spider Technology is no exception.

Red Spider designs downhole products for reservoir production flow control and regulation, and its Red Plug intervention set barrier, is recognised as a truly innovative product.

The Red Plug is used as a remote opening system to test the pressure integrity of completed wells and means operators can perform as many pressure tests as they require, without the need for frequent "runs" into the hole.

As a direct result, operators achieve increased safety levels, combined with time and cost savings.

In addition to reliability of performance, the design of the Red Plug needed to be as compact as possible because of the application and operating parameters, which is why Red Spider turned to miniature component specialist Lee Products.

Mike Reid, Technical Director at Red Spider comments: "Right from the conceptual stage of the design we specified the Lee Jeva Jet and zero leak check valves to ensure the Red Plug worked as desired".

He continued: "Through extensive in-house testing and our operational track record we have verified the importance of using the Lee valves, they make a vital contribution to the successful overall operation of the Red Plug".

He added: "The fact that the Lee valves are small allows for easier installation into our products, which are already very compact".

Lee Jeva restrictors are appreciated by design engineers because their small size, light weight and proven reliability are indispensable when the flow of fluids has to be controlled.

The check valves are the smallest insert check valves available anywhere in the world, for example one model is only 3mm in diameter and just over 13mm long.

Lee miniature precision flow restrictors and check valves are specified by manufacturers of aircraft hydraulic and fuel control systems, oil drilling equipment, missile controls, machine tools or wherever the flow of fluids is has to be controlled with optimum precision and reliability.

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