CASE STUDY: Well Cleaning Brush – Wellvene
How Cottam Brushes’ Innovative Design Service Reached New Depths – 6000 Meters to Be Exact
Meet Wellvene—a forward-thinking design engineering and manufacturing company based in Aberdeen. For over two years, they’ve trusted Cottam to supply them with high-quality brushes, primarily made from HDPE used to maintain pipelines. Wellvene specialises in supporting the global energy market with well completion, intervention, integrity, and P&A operations.
Understanding Their Needs and Challenges
Typically, Wellvenes requests were straightforward: brushes used to support their clients with the cleaning and maintenance of pipelines. But this time, they faced a new challenge. They needed to clean a gas well 6000 meters deep, where the environment is anything but typical. The well walls were coated with scale and debris that needed to be removed. As the brush travelled down the well, the temperature would rise significantly, peaking at 178 degrees Celsius. It quickly became clear that the standard materials we used in previous brushes wouldn’t survive these extreme conditions.
Key Focus Areas
Our mission was clear, but challenging:
Research: We needed to identify materials that could withstand the high temperatures without compromising the brush’s structural integrity.
Design: The brush not only had to perform its cleaning duties effectively but also needed to be designed in a way that could accommodate these heat-resistant materials, all while considering the practicalities of manufacturing.
Our Process
Once we received Wellvenes inquiry, our in-house design team jumped into action. During an initial discovery call, we delved into the specific requirements of this unique project. We quickly realised that no brush like this had ever been manufactured before, so research, development, and testing would be crucial.
Our first step was to explore potential materials that could endure the wells extreme heat. With that information in hand, we began drafting initial brush designs. We initially attempted to adapt the design of the previous brushes we had made for Wellvene, this time using a metal brush core. However, we encountered a challenge: the core was too hard to punch fill effectively.
Our design team went back to the drawing board. After much brainstorming and experimentation, we developed a world-first in brush design, specifically tailored to meet the needs of Wellvenes client. This prototype was sent to Wellvene for testing at their facility. After a few adjustments, the brush was perfected and signed off. Before long, a shipment of these innovative brushes left our HQ, ready to tackle Wellvenes latest well-cleaning project.
At Cottam, we’ve been crafting brushes since 1858, and innovation has always been at the core of our business. Our design service isn’t just about manufacturing brushes—it’s about solving problems. We’ve helped customers worldwide create some of the most innovative brush solutions… let us help make yours the next!