YLA's Xponent™ Resin Family Replaces Metals, Yields Superb Down Hole Properties for High Value Composite-based MWD/LWD System Components
Significant improvement in the chemistry of resins employed for engineered composites enables YLA, Inc., headquartered here, to meet the demanding requirements of down hole exploration and production. YLA's newest resin family, Xponent(TM), enables down hole instrument manufacturers to design and fabricate a wide variety of measurement- and log-while-drilling (M/LWD) instrument housings, packers, diverters and other high value components that meet the toughest environmental conditions.
Benicia, CA (PRWEB) November 14, 2006 -- Significant improvement in the chemistry of resins employed for engineered composites enables YLA, Inc., headquartered here, to meet the demanding requirements of down hole exploration and production. YLA's newest resin family, Xponent(TM), enables down hole instrument manufacturers to design and fabricate a wide variety of measurement- and log-while-drilling (M/LWD) instrument housings, packers, diverters and other high value components that meet the toughest environmental conditions. YLA optimizes component manufacturing efficiency by offering Xponent BMI (bismaleimide) in various composite forms such as prepreg, towpreg and custom compression molded components and molding compound.
"Our motivation is to leverage our successful aerospace research for the benefit of the oil and gas industry, where extremely high performance is needed for M/LWD," said Samuel Sher, YLA's Director of Marketing and Business Development. "As our products prove daily in the most demanding aerospace and extraterrestrial applications, chemically-engineered high temperature thermoset resins like the new Xponent family are rapidly replacing metals." Sher predicts that composite materials like the Xponent family will supplant metals as a problem-solving solution in petrochemical exploration and production, mirroring current trends in aerospace.
Xponent resins provide a formidable alternative to machined and cast metals for M/LWD applications. In addition to superior physical properties compared with metals, housings fabricated using Xponent composites deliver substantially greater RF and magnetic transparency. Sacrificial down hole instrumentation in composite housings also enables rapid drill-through compared with metals. In volume applications, YLA's composites are often more cost efficient.
Survival of down hole instrumentation is an engineering challenge due to extreme pressure, heat and vibration. YLA's Xponent resins meet the challenge and offer substantial upside through ongoing research designed to yield improved characteristics.
The same technology lends itself to related uses in a variety of well applications. The Xponent family supports a full gamut of performance. Depending on structure and design, down hole pressures ranging as high as 20,000 psi (~1400 bar) and temperatures to 260ºC (~ 533ºK) may be tolerated. For offshore petroleum, Xponent resins are extremely resistant to the corrosive effects of saline at high pressure and temperature.
The Xponent name was chosen to represent the family's ability to gain performance features going forward. "Bismaleimide or BMI resins and carbon fiber composites like the Xponent family are rapidly evolving, superceding some of the highest performance metals," said Tom Jonas, YLA's Manager of Research and Development. "When used for down hole M/LWD in packers and telemetry housings, Xponent-based components gain qualities difficult to achieve with metals, including RF and magnetic field transparency and rapid drill-through. Typical uses for the housings include real time formation pressure, temperature, density, neutron porosity and magnetic measurements and geologic (seismic) data acquisition. From a life cycle standpoint, YLA's technology yields components that do much more at lower overall cost."
YLA customers are now completing successful test cycling of down hole components fabricated using Xponent resins. "Production volumes of key composite components will soon be available to the petrochemical market, from our customer-partners," said Sher. "YLA is seeking new active partnerships with M/LWD developers to advance the use of these and other composites in their line cards."
ABOUT YLA, INC.
YLA, Inc. is a recognized global leader in the development and manufacture of high performance lightweight composite materials for satellites, aerospace, petrochemical, commercial and military aircraft and radomes, defense, naval/marine, industrial, thermal management and recreational markets. The company is a unit of Sweden's Perstorp Group. A testimonial to YLA's dedication is the 2006 award by Northrop Grumman for an unprecedented third "Gold Supplier" declaration -- making YLA the only advanced composites manufacturer to be so recognized.
Headquartered in Benicia, California, YLA's facility houses research, development and manufacturing for a full line of advanced composite materials. YLA's multiple production lines provide the flexibility to accommodate extremely large production requirements as well as smaller developmental runs. Customers receive the most cost-effective production value possible. Learn more about YLA by calling the company at (707) 747-2750, or visiting www.ylainc.com.
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