Global energy innovation provider, SLB, has deployed advanced diamond coating and hydraulic control systems to mitigate downhole wear and optimise gas lift operations in onshore wells.
The energy servicing company introduced two artificial lift solutions across onshore operations in the United States to address mechanical wear and production decline in mature and abrasive well environments, an initiative that integrates advanced material coatings with surface-controlled hydraulic actuation to optimise downhole performance.
Operational Challenges in Artificial Lift
Mature and low-pressure wells often present severe abrasive and corrosive conditions that accelerate equipment degradation. Rod lift systems suffer from friction between the barrel and plunger, leading to frequent mechanical failures and costly workovers. Concurrently, conventional gas lift systems lack dynamic adjustability, requiring physical slickline interventions to adapt downhole valve configurations as reservoir pressures shift.
To mitigate mechanical degradation, SLB implemented the Harbison-Fischer Deka diamond-based coating for rod pump barrels. The material structure enhances wear resistance, achieving up to 90 percent higher hardness compared to conventional barrel coatings. The diamond matrix minimises abrasive friction at the barrel-plunger interface. This mechanical protection extends downhole component longevity, maintains seal integrity under heavy particle loads, and directly decreases the frequency of replacement cycles and associated well interventions.
For gas lift operations, the Synthetix system utilises downhole valves actuated hydraulically from the surface. This mechanical architecture enables operators to modify gas injection parameters in real time without requiring downhole electrical infrastructure or slickline operations. The system permits operators to switch between annular and tubing flow configurations directly from the surface control interface. In field operations, this real-time hydraulic adjustability has demonstrated production efficiency improvements between 10 percent and 20 percent in low-pressure and mature reservoirs.
“Artificial lift performance increasingly depends on extending equipment life while giving operators greater control over changing well conditions. Deka technology addresses wear at the material level, while the Synthetix system enables operators to adjust gas lift performance from the surface without an intervention. Together, they provide two different approaches to improving production reliability and operating efficiency,” said Josh Jones, VP Production Systems North America Land, SLB.
Targeted at upstream oil and gas production, these complementary technologies address structural reliability and fluid optimisation. Material hardening stabilises rod pump mechanics, while hydraulic surface control provides continuous dynamic adjustment, together reducing non-productive time across onshore production facilities.
