A sliding sleeve is a set of ports used to regulate reservoirs in oil or gas wells. It allows for control of flow pressure between different zones and can be closed by a surface-controlled mechanical or hydraulic component. Different configurations are available, and it can be used during maintenance.
A sliding sleeve generally refers to a set of ports intended to regulate various reservoirs within an oil or gas well. These parts are typically installed during the final stages of the drilling process, sometimes called the completion stage by industry professionals. Most oil wells, for example, have a production pipe structure that is intended to extract oil from the natural reservoir and pump it to a storage facility. Oil wells are usually drilled directly into a high pressure chamber, so mechanical or hydraulic valves are required to control the flow of material out of the reservoir. A sliding sleeve is the device that allows for this level of control.
One of the most important applications of a sliding sleeve is the regulation of flow pressure between different zones of a well. For example, a well might have two main producing chambers, but the combined flow of both would place great strain on the well equipment. In this case, an installed sliding sleeve could help by shutting off the flow from one chamber while allowing the other chamber to produce unimpeded oil.
In most configurations, the sliding sleeve can be closed by a surface-controlled mechanical or hydraulic component. The non-electrical wire used to physically alter the configuration of components within a production well is called a wireline, and a sliding sleeve is the part connected to the wireline and controlled from the surface. The “sliding” of a sliding sleeve refers to the mechanical motion of sliding doors shut when a metal line is activated.
Possible applications of a sliding sleeve configuration in any well can vary based on well type, production methods such as hydraulic fracturing, well age, and many other factors. There are also various sliding sleeve configurations, including an open/close configuration typical of many wells. In these, flow can usually only start or stop, whereas a choked configuration can be open to a variable diameter.
Many well service businesses also benefit from sliding sleeves because some areas of a well can be constricted while maintenance is being performed in another area of the well. For example, a well with two main chambers may still be productive in one chamber while the other is filled primarily with water. A sliding sleeve would allow well technicians to shut off the water-producing chamber while continuing to draw oil from the other chamber.
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