• Latest News - The PACS Tool Successfully Completes its First Job
	Job Description – Scale Milling Job. Start Date – 17th June 08 Started milling at 3500 feet. Milled to 16,500 feet. Tool cycled in excess of 20 times with over 7000 bbls pumped through the tool. The PACS tool allowed the operator to clean the wellbore much more efficiently by activating the tool as desired without having to pull out of hole. With the lower BHA being isolated in the circulating position the PDM wasn't exposed to un-necessary flow at elevated rates. A second similar well is due to started in the next few days, more details to follow.

• Overview

The WellTools Pressure Activated Circulating Sub (PACS) is a flow activated tool which is a replacement for the conventional drop ball Circulating Sub. As it is flow actuated, the Circulating Sub can be opened and closed as many times as required. Put simply, the tool has two positions; flow thru. and circulating. Switching from one position to another is achieved by turning the pumps off and on again.

• Tool Function

The PACS tool uses hydraulic pressure to move an internal piston which stops in one of two positions each time the tool is cycled. This hydraulic pressure comes from the pressure created by fluid flowing through either the tools below or an internal nozzle. These two positions allow the fluid to pass through the tool to the BHA below or out of the circulating ports into the annulus.

• Uses: -

		Allows increased flowrate giving higher annular velocities which can assist in hole cleaning.
		Can be used to circulate acid or nitrogen without damage to the PDM.
		If required, the two cycles can be changed to ‘split’ the flow.

• Advantages: -

		Whilst circulating, increasing the pump rate opens up the flow ports to compensate. Thus no increase in pressure drop is seen across the BHA.
		Unrestricted through bore minimises washout damage.
		No restriction through the tool allows the passage of drop balls if required.
		100% sealing through the tool whilst in circulating mode.
		The pump rate through the tool can be increased or decreased as required in either mode. The PACS cannot switch position until the pumps are turned off.
		No need to wait for an activation ball to arrive at the tool, cycling from one position to the other takes only a few seconds.

• Additional Uses

Splitting the Fluid Flow

If required, the two positions can be used to ‘split’ the fluid flow. For example one mode forces 100% of the fluid to the BHA and when cycled the fluid is split to 60% to the BHA and 40% to the circulating ports. When drilling with a PDM this allows the operator to selectively increase the flowrate for more effective hole cleaning whilst continuing to drill at the same time.

• Further Information

Product Brochure (PDF Format)