March 16, 2015. Pipe Metallurgical Company (TMK) shipped a set of hi tech casing pipes to Tatneft, which will use them for producing super-viscous oil at Ashalchinskoye deposit in Tatarstan, TMK’s press service reports.

The set included casing pipes with premium threaded joints TMK UP QX. These joints are known for their impressive compression, tension, and flexing strength and meet the CAL4 requirements, which means they can be used in the most complicated oil production conditions. The joints are also unique in that they can be assembled onto a slanting support of a drilling rig. The pipes and the subs were made at Orsk Machine-Building Plant (TMK member enterprise).

The produce delivered to Tatneft is meant for production of super-viscous oil with the help of the SAGD (Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage) method that is currently used at Ashalchinskoye deposit. A pair of parallel horizontal wells get drilled to heat and reduce the viscosity of oil in one of the wells through injection of steam into the other.

Employees of TMK Neftegazservice Buzuluk assisted at the first-time application of a TMK casing string in the well.