OTC 2022: Baker Hughes Launches New Subsea Wellhead Technology

HOUSTON—Baker Hughes launched the next generation of an annulus seal during the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC).

The new MS-2 Annulus Seal has already been ordered for North and South American wells and first installations are expected to occur by the end of 3Q 2022, said Daniel Barton, offshore business leader at Baker Hughes.

It is the next generation of the existing wellhead seal, the MS-SN, and it integrates with the company’s existing MS-800 wellhead system.

“It’s the same seal we’ve had” with thousands of installations, he said. “This adds more reliability to cover more temperatures and pressures. It’s an extension of what you already run.”

At the same time, the seal is a more standardized product that can cover many of the market’s needs, he said. The upshot of this is that it gives customers more flexibility and requires less lead time, Barton said.

The MS-2 can be installed in a single trip. It has an integrated lock ring that improves rig efficiency by providing immediate lockdown of up to 2 million pounds force without the need for a second trip, the company said. The MS-2 also provides easier access to wells because there is no need for supplemental lockdown devices, according to the company. 

Barton said the seal has been tested to 20,000 psi, and to 200 load cycles, which demonstrates sealing integrity and ensures life-of-field reliability.

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