Energy services provider Expro has unveiled a new high-debris single shear and seal ball valve system, designed to provide enhanced flexibility, functionality, and safety for subsea well access in the global oil and gas sector
By replacing the traditional requirement for two valves with just one, the system transforms subsea well access operations, reducing risk and complexity while supporting more cost-effective subsea intervention technologies.
Tested and validated according to API Std 17G, the system is the first fully NACE MR0175-compliant fail-close, bi-directional high-debris ball valve capable of shearing and sealing on wire and coiled tubing.
Expro’s new equipment can be applied in both riser and open water environments across the full well lifecycle – from exploration and appraisal to completion intervention, plug and abandonment, and decommissioning.
The system has already been deployed for a new in-riser completions project in the Gulf of America and installed in an open water system for a North Sea plug and abandonment campaign. It provides shear and post-shear sealing for gas and liquids on slickline, braided electrical cable, and coiled tubing, delivering bi-directional sealing even after pump-through operations.
It is also integrated into Expro’s lightweight open water intervention riser system. By achieving shear and seal in a single valve, the system allows more efficient operations in open water applications.
The modular design enables isolation and disconnection from the well, while its compact size and flexibility align with the industry’s move toward smaller blowout preventer stacks and streamlined supply chain management. The fail-close configuration reduces emissions risk and provides an additional well safety barrier. Expro’s integrated approach gives users confidence and simplifies operations by replacing a two-valve system with just one.
The system offers superior high-debris flexibility, handling solids up to 15% ingress qualification size, making it suitable for a wide range of subsea well lifecycle challenges.
Daniel More, Vice President Subsea Well Access at Expro, said:
“In introducing this system, Expro now offers the subsea engineering market a distinctive new solution that provides the ultimate integrated shear and seal on coiled tubing and wire using just a single valve. It cuts through operational complexity. Simple to use, flexible, with a compact design for smaller BOP stack sizes, this is the latest in fail-safe technology developed by the experts of valve technology and systems integration.
“When there’s no room for error, the system is designed to provide the assurance of an independent well safety barrier, combined with the surety and confidence that comes from Expro’s integration experience and expertise at the ‘whole system’ level. It’s the latest example of Expro’s engineering excellence and deep understanding of customer needs to move our industry forward.”
The system is available in Expro’s landing string assembly equipment offering, and can be deployed in-riser as a single valve, a single valve with a latch mechanism, within a subsea test tree, or within an open water intervention riser system.
