With field- confirmed run life improvements being recorded in major producing areas throughout the US, BLAZE® couplings allow operators to minimize tubing wear from friction, extend the time between replacement, reduce production losses due to downtime, and lower equipment repair costs.
BLAZE® Surface Treatment – A Quick Explanation
BLAZE® is a Thermal Boron Diffusion Process that produces a slick, hard, intermetallic layer within metal surfaces. BLAZE-treated parts resist mechanical wear, corrosion, and abrasion – outperforming chrome, nickel carbides, and other alternatives.
BLAZE is not a coating or plating. Instead, it is a surface treatment which creates an intermetallic layer that cannot peel or crack and does not alter the dimensions of the part. BLAZE treatment is available on pumps, plungers, trim kits, valves, guides, couplings, and other components.
Field-Proven in the Williston Basin
A global oil producer in the Williston Basin was looking to extend the run life of a well and reduce downtime and maximize production. Historically, the customer dealt with a mean time between failure (MTBF) of 6 months for hole-in-tubing (HIT) problems resulting from sucker rod coupling wear on the inner diameter of the tubing. To extend the well’s MTBF, this operator decided to test the effectiveness of BLAZE-treated couplings.
THE RESULT:
By utilizing BLAZE couplings, the operator increased production, reduced friction in the sucker rod string and tubing, reduced peak polished rod load, cut electricity costs, and increased run life to over 9 months.
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Field-Proven in the Bakken
A large operator in North Dakota was looking to extend the run life of a well, reduce downtime, and maximize production. This operator historically faced a mean time between failures (MTBF) of approximately 3 months for hole-in-tubing (HIT) issues, primarily due to severe deviation in the wellbore. The customer had tried several steel sucker rod solutions, including a continuous rod design, which only moved the average run time to 103 days. The customer then decided to employ BLAZE couplings to reduce coupling-on-tubing friction along with Endurance Lift’s Series 300 FIBEROD® fiberglass sucker rod to lighten rod strength and improve flexibility through the deviated wellbore.
THE RESULT:
Run time improved 3x, while also maintaining production. According to the company’s production engineer, “The Endurance fiberglass system combined with the BLAZE couplings let us get deeper, with better pump action and less fluid pounding.”
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Field-Proven in the Permian
An oil and gas producer in the Permian Basin was looking for a solution to extend run times between tubing wear failures on their sucker rod applications in highly deviated wells. Other wellbore challenges included high sand production and some corrosion issues. A decision was made to use BLAZE- treated couplings to reduce coupling-on-tubing friction throughout the wellbore.
THE RESULT:
Since running BLAZE couplings for 2+ years, the operator has experienced zero failures due to tubing wear, and these couplings show no sign of wear due to corrosion. In addition, based on reducing coupling-on-tubing friction, the actual vs. SROD pump stroke in these wells is equal to that of non-deviated wells.
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Field-Proven in the San Joaquin Valley of California
In California, an operator wanted to extend the run life in challenging horizontal wells, while also reducing downtime and maximizing production. These wells historically had a mean time between failure (MTBF) of 8 months, primarily due to abrasion. Maintaining production while reducing the frequency of need for workover service rigs was a primary goal. To meet that goal, the customer decided to use BLAZE couplings to reduce coupling-on-tubing friction throughout the wellbore.
THE RESULT:
By utilizing BLAZE couplings, the operator was able to increase an 8-month average failure rate to over 14 months, an increase of 75%.
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