Deformation Lockout Tool

Sponsor:Schlumberger Ltd.

Team: Advanced Parametric Solutions

Coach: Craig Smith

Students: Thomas Morris, Tyler Panian, Cameron Whetten, Michael Wilcox

Drilling wells in the United States are equipped with a lockout tool in case of emergencies. In the event that the valve fails when shut and won't reopen, a lockout tool is sent down the hole to permanently bend the valve open. Every time a lockout tool is used it must be designed manually and usually takes upwards of 80 hours to design. APS utilized parametric modeling to design the deformation lockout tool that can solve the problem in approximately 10 hours.

The previous design cost estimate was $12,000 while team APS design costs about $1,500 resulting in an annual savings of $157,500 for Schlumberger.