A collapsed conductor string can have major operational and economic implications. It is imperative that drive shoes are used during installation because they absorb most of the driving force, which significantly reduces the risk of conductor collapse. CIS manufactures conductor drive shoes to suit the installation of any size of conductor. Shoe types include:
- standard drive
- deviated directional drive
- taper-cut directional drive
- closed end
- deep penetration.
Our drive shoes are tailor-made for each application, and are designed according to the soil formation and
the required penetration. CIS also supervises the crucial welding of the shoe to the shoe joint.
About the technology
Standard drive shoes
Standard drive shoes have thicker walls and are made from higher strength steel than the rest of the conductor to provide extra strength to the weakest part of the string.
Deviated directional drive shoes
CIS has more experience with the specialist technique of deviated directional driving than any other company in the market today, and has handled numerous directional driving projects for a wide range of operators. A deviated directional drive shoe is a 2.4-m section of the conductor that is welded to the shoe joint with predetermined settings agreed between the customer and CIS. Our personnel set up the shoe before welding it to the shoe joint to ensure the correct deviation. Too much deviation can result in loss of control while driving. Moreover, if the shoe is welded incorrectly, then corkscrewing of the pile can occur and so experience is crucial to the welding operation.
Taper-cut drive shoes
Taper-cut drive shoes are used for directional driving but do not have the same control features and capabilities as deviated directional drive shoes.
Closed-end drive shoes
Using a closed-end drive shoe removes the problems associated with soil plugging and, therefore, offers many benefits compared with conventional shoes. For instance, when a gyro survey is undertaken, cleaning during deeper driving is not required. CIS offers the complete design, manufacture and fi tting of these shoes, which are
made from a special composite material.
Deep-penetration drive shoes
Our purpose-built and designed deep-penetration drive shoes are proven to be successful at driving into deeper areas. During driving, the shoe disturbs the surrounding rock formations, which means it can be set deeper. Another advantage is the ability to break down chalk formations during the driving process.
Adding value
The use of a drive shoe can
- minimise the risk of conductor collapse at the shoe tip. The financial and operational consequences of a collapsed conductor string can be severe.
- maximise the driving depth by reducing the soil skin friction and breaking up the soil formation.
Project profile
The Romanian oil and gas producer Petrom needed to guide a new conductor away from existing platform conductors. CIS was able to avoid a collision during the conductor installation process by using a bespoke deviated directional drive shoe.