Unity, the global well integrity and decommissioning specialist, has unveiled a breakthrough in pressure control technology with the development of a revolutionary ultra-compact blowout preventer (BOP) valve.
Measuring just one-third the width of conventional systems, the new design enables safe intervention in space-constrained environments previously inaccessible to standard BOP equipment, opening new possibilities across wireline, slickline, coil tubing and future drilling applications.
Backed by a research and development investment of around £500,000, the valve, named Unity Qb ('cube'), is designed for the confined areas that limit where operators can deploy this safety-critical kit on offshore platforms.
Conventional BOPs, the high-pressure valves that sit at the top of a well and stop the uncontrolled release of hydrocarbons, are large and cross-shaped by design, and this profile dictates where on a platform they can be positioned. In the event of a hydrocarbon leak, they seal or shear using rams that move in a straight line, clamping in from opposite sides of the well bore. Unity Qb takes a different approach. Its rams rotate around a central cartridge within the housing, making this proprietary technology a hybrid between a conventional BOP and a ball valve. It performs all conventional BOP functions in a fraction of the space and opens up the possibility of installing a BOP where historically only a Shear-Seal Ball Valve could fit.
The recently patented solution is rated to 10,000 psi, twice the pressure rating of Unity's existing compact shear (CSS) Valve and other traditional systems, while weighing the same. The higher rating means Unity Qb can be deployed on higher-pressure wells that lower-rated equipment cannot service. It is also stackable in single, dual or triple configurations. These benefits open the Aberdeen-headquartered business up to a new market beyond coil tubing, where most of its current CSS work around the world sits.
Qb skeleton view – A skeleton view of Unity Qb shows how its rams rotate around a central cartridge within the housing, rather than clamping in a straight line from opposite sides of the well bore.
Gary Smart, CEO at Unity said: “The future of well intervention will be defined by technologies that deliver more capability from a smaller footprint - Unity Qb represents exactly that step-change. We recognised that the size and complexity of conventional BOP systems were increasingly constraining operations in space-limited environments. Rather than accepting those limitations, our engineering team reimagined the design from the ground up. The result is an ultra-compact BOP valve that delivers the performance operators expect while dramatically reducing the space required to deploy it.
“By unlocking access to constrained work environments and creating greater flexibility in system design, Unity Qb has the potential to reshape how intervention operations are executed offshore. This innovation challenges established conventions and expands what's possible for our industry.
“Our CSS Valve will remain part of our offering, ensuring our existing fleet continues to support clients who need it. The new Unity Qb is intended to extend the range of interventions we can support, in addition to what we have already been delivering successfully for the last three decades.”
Unity is part of the FrontRow Energy Technology Group and has an industry-recognised reputation for helping operators around the world to reduce risk, overcome constraints and extend asset life across global energy operations, based on its 30-year track record.