Calls it ‘Disruptive Technology’
Last fall, Schlumberger introduced its newest valve, called the GROVE IST, which features a patented seat-on-ball design, integrates seal technology, and improves metal-to-metal valve performance. It was invented as a reliable, high-performing piece of equipment with a longer life span, a smaller, lightweight footprint, and thus delivers higher efficiency at a lower cost.
According to Schlumberger, the GROVE IST offers an evolution of trunnion-mounted ball valve technology and its patented seal design offers superior sealing performance compared with conventional technology. Industry standards require conventional metal-seated ball vales to achieve ISO-5208 Rate D during pressure testing, the company reports. “Ours is capable of achieving up to ISO 5208 Rate A with no visible leakage – a hundredfold improvement over industry standards. Our valve also includes a patented flow-diversion spoiler that protects the primary sealing elements from flow.”
“As the industry deals with more demanding reservoir conditions, conventional trunnion-mounted ball valves have only been slightly modified in design to adapt to these challenging environments,” Brent Baumann, president, valves and measurement with Schlumberger, is quoted as saying. “It introduces a disruptive technology uniquely designed to mitigate the risk of leakage at higher pressures and temperatures, and to save operating costs.”
The GROVE IST ball valve weighs about 40 per cent less than conventional valves and requires about 70 per cent less torque, depending on valve size and pressure class. “This provides a significant advantage in actuation sizing, resulting in a smaller and lighter package for automated valves. Lower torque also equates to less wear on moving components, extending its overall service life.
It has undergone extensive qualification testing and qualifies to API 6A PR2 for performance, API 6AV1 for slurry testing, and API 607/6FA for fire testing. Schlumberger notes the in-flow testing validation was “performed at an independent, accredited testing facility to further simulate real operating conditions.”
The company maintains that routine maintenance and replacement of GROVE IST valve internals “are simple and streamlined, reducing overall facility downtime for the operator.”
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