Lining hooks are used to hang linings inside oil wells for pumping out oil. Mechanical hooks are used for onshore vertical wells, while hydraulic hooks are used for offshore, deep onshore, or high pressure and high temperature wells. Cementation may or may not be used, depending on the well. New technology allows for expandable liner holders for cemented wells. More breakthroughs in liner hook technology are expected in the future.
A lining hook is a device used in the oil fields to hang linings inside an oil well. So that the oil can be pumped out of the well, a liner is used to create a vacuum. Liners can be installed mechanically or hydraulically, depending on the well. Setting up a hook is a crucial part of the “completion” process which is preparing an oil well for drilling.
Mechanical lining hooks are designed to be used on onshore vertical wells. These are durable machines capable of providing light to medium density linings. A mechanical casing hook is lowered into a well and when it reaches the intended depth it attaches itself to the wellheads, which are components that prevent dangerous oil and gas from escaping. Through the use of its mechanical parts, the liner hook attaches to the cone, allowing the oil to pass to the surface.
For offshore oil wells, extremely deep onshore wells or high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) wells, hydraulic casing hooks are used. These hang heavy liners and can be used both horizontally and vertically. If the well is to be concreted, casing and grouting may be done simultaneously with casing hydraulic hangers, as this improves the stability of both the concrete and casing. As the name suggests, when the hydraulic liner hook reaches its intended depth, it connects the liner to the cone using a powerful hydraulic system.
The cementation process is also generally a part of the “completion” and can be performed before, after, or during use of the liner hook. Cementing allows the well to be more stable, but in some cases it is not desirable and may even be excluded from the process altogether. Cementless wells are generally shallow onshore wells with hydraulically fixed lightweight casings. These wells are not cemented as the coating may occasionally need to be rotated within the well. The liner is also more flexible without cement, allowing larger quantities of oil to be pumped at once.
New liner holder technology allows cemented wells to also use expandable liner holders. This method is available for onshore and offshore wells and uses advanced technology to form an attachment with cones that no longer require workers to rotate the casing to maintain consistent flow. Since there is a constant demand for more efficient methods of extracting oil, such as this method, it can be expected that liner hook technology will see more breakthroughs in the coming years.
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