@balance Control
MPD systems
Enable automatic, semiautomatic, or manual control with engineered software and specialized hardware.
AUTOCHOKE
Pressure-balanced drilling choke
How it improves wells
The AUTOCHOKE pressure-balanced drilling choke regulates pressure automatically under a diverse range of conditions. It reduces risk of formation breakdown or secondary bubbles during well control and drilling operations, delivering faster, safer kick control and implementation of MPD practices. By maintaining casing pressure, the drilling choke makes stripping pipe simpler and safer.
How it works
As drillpipe is lowered into the hole, an equal volume of fluid is automatically displaced through the choke. A patented sliding shuttle and sleeve design automatically adjusts fluid flow to regulate casing pressure.
Field-replaceable parts
The tungsten carbide- or Stellite-coated internal wear parts are all replaceable and more durable than needle-valve or rotating-disc chokes.
Additional information
The drilling choke provides easy, predictable casing pressure control. It enables precision control for
- stripping pipe into the hole
- MPD and UBD techniques when controlling backpressures
- bottomhole pressure during well control operations, MPD, and UBD.
The choke reduces lost circulation, gas intrusion, fluid costs, production damage, and blowouts.
The self-cleaning orifice reduces plugging. The unit contains easy-to-maintain internal components. A simple eight-bolt design enables 5-min internal inspection.
AUTOCHOKE
Pressure-balanced drilling choke
Helpful links
About SLB