Timothy R. Tips

Walking the Line: Finding Balance between Commodity and Custom Intelligent Completion Systems

For most of the ten years since market introduction, the majority of intelligent completion systems have been custom-designed and manufactured to meet the specific requirements of the customer. Customization was a natural step in the evolution of the technology, as operators tested usability and reliability in individual wells that reflected unique environments and challenges. Each situation was different, and the technology developed more or less in answer to those distinct demands (Figure 1); consequently, the experience base grew and the capabilities expanded.