Leading Supplier Of Downhole Valves Upgrades To InnerArmor® Coatings
PLEASANTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sub-One Technology, the market leader in advanced coatings for internal surfaces, announced today that Churchill Drilling Tools, a leading supplier of downhole valve technology, has selected InnerArmor coatings to provide erosion protection for the internal surfaces of their Instant Bypass Tool (IBT) during drilling operations. Coated by Advanced Coating Initiative Ltd (ACI), the IBT delivers highly reliable drilling operations for oil and gas customers and runs across multiple lifting operations to reduce rework costs.
"Using InnerArmor coatings as a barrier between the hostile environment and the critical internal surfaces gives our valves two clear performance benefits," says Mike Churchill, Marketing Director of Churchill Drilling Tools, "firstly it extends operational life of critical components far beyond the cycles required by our customers and secondly it maximizes tool availability as service times are reduced by fewer components requiring replacement."
Churchill's IBT is a patented technology used to control well fluids during drilling and completions. Previously, Churchill utilized nitride-based coatings to protect surfaces from erosion wear. However, these coatings offered much less erosion resistance compared to InnerArmor coatings and required a precautionary replacement policy to achieve the absolute reliability demanded by their oil and gas customers. Using InnerArmor coatings, Churchill has quadrupled tool life while maintaining high reliability, allowing servicing to focus on inspection and re-dressing.
By solving difficult corrosion, wear and friction reduction challenges, InnerArmor coatings protect the interiors of critical liquid and gas handling equipment and piping. The coatings have been thoroughly tested using applicable NACE, ASTM and other industry standards to validate performance. InnerArmor coatings are available through a global network of coating partners, including ACI, who worked together with Sub-One to develop the unique coating solution for the Churchill IBT.
"InnerArmor coatings are attracting wide interest from the oil and gas sector and are ideally suited to the harsher environments faced by the industry," said Jim Davidson, Managing Director of ACI. "The work we have done with Churchill has been highly successful, and we are in the process of carrying out further coating across multiple industries including aerospace, automotive, and public utilities."
"Our oil and gas customers have traditionally been forced to pay a premium for expensive alloys to extend component life," explained Andrew Tudhope, Chief Executive Officer of Sub-One Technology. "The patented InnerArmor coating process creates a protective layer which enables lower cost substrates to outperform expensive alloys for wear and corrosion protection. Sub-One is excited about partnering with Churchill Drilling Tools to improve productivity and reliability."
About Churchill Drilling Tools
Churchill Drilling Tools of Aberdeen, Scotland is a leading supplier of downhole valve technology. The Company was founded in 1996 by drilling engineer Andrew Churchill and has a global distribution network which delivers a range of patented performance innovations for drilling and completions operations. Most of the world's major operators have completed wells faster and more safely using Churchill technology. For more information, visit http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.CircSub.com&esheet=5828746&lan=en_US&anchor=www.CircSub.com&index=1.
About ACI Ltd
Advanced Coatings Initiative (ACI), located in Aberdeen, Scotland, provides a high quality thermal spray coating facility for a wide range of industry sectors. Founded in 2004, ACI specializes in the provision of High Integrity/High Velocity Thermal Spray (HVOF) and InnerArmor Coatings. Visit http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.acilimited.co.uk&esheet=5828746&lan=en_US&anchor=www.acilimited.co.uk&index=1 for further information.
About Sub-One Technology
Sub-One Technology is the market leader in advanced coatings for internal surfaces. Its InnerArmor® coating process applies a high performance, chemically inert, protective coating which reduces operational costs associated with corrosion, erosion and abrasive wear. Based in Pleasanton, California, the company works with a network of global coating providers to offer coating services to Fortune 500 companies in energy, automotive, and other industries. Founded in 2004, Sub-One Technology is a privately held company backed by Chevron, General Electric, Nomura, and Advanced Technology Ventures. Visit http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sub-one.com&esheet=5828746&lan=en_US&anchor=www.sub-one.com&index=1 for more information.
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