DownholeTools

Downhole tools are specialized equipment designed for use inside a borehole during oil and gas exploration, evaluation, completion, intervention, and production operations. They are deployed on drill strings, coiled tubing, or production tubing and must withstand high pressures, high temperatures, and corrosive fluids. The tools enable a range of tasks from drilling and measurement to zonal isolation and flow control.

Drilling and measurement tools include measurement-while-drilling (MWD) and logging-while-drilling (LWD) systems that provide real-time data on hole direction, formation properties, and hydrocarbon indicators. Ancillary drilling tools such as mud motors, stabilizers, reamers, underreamers, and drill collars contribute to hole shape, stability, and weight on bit, aiding efficient drilling and steering.

Completion and intervention tools are used after a well is drilled to prepare for production and to access or isolate fluids. Packers, bridge plugs, retrievable plugs, and sliding sleeves create zonal isolation. Intervention tools enable fishing, milling, milling bypasses, and retrieval of stuck equipment, allowing remediation without new drilling.

Production and safety devices manage downhole production and well integrity. Subsurface safety valves, flow control devices, check valves, and pump-down tools regulate production and isolate zones as needed. Downhole pumps, such as electric submersible pumps, gas-lift valves, and other artificial lift components, support production in various well conditions.

Fishing and specialty tools cover retrieval and manipulation of downhole equipment. This family includes fishing tools, jars, spears, milling, and circulating subassemblies used with drillpipe or coiled tubing to recover lost components or clear obstructions.

Standards and manufacturers’ specifications govern tool design, testing, and compatibility. Industry bodies such as API and ISO provide guidelines, while tool selection depends on hole geometry, formation data, pressure and temperature, and service life requirements.