Oil and Gas Diamonds are forever, well so far...

How do you make the world’s most erosion-resistant choke even better? Put a diamond ring on it!  

Chokes valves are subjected to high fluid velocities and proppants from fracking and formation that erode internal components. Fluid velocities can exceed the speed of sound, and the presence of sand or other proppant can erode metal like a hot knife through butter.

If a subsea choke fails or wears out unexpectedly in deep waters, it can cost operators millions to service; as they must schedule a service vessel complete with specialized staff, fuel, ROVs, replacement parts and equipment, for several days at a time. For this reason, subsea chokes are made with ultra-hard tungsten carbide internal trims, undergo rigorous testing, and must meet high performance standards. Subsea operators demand their chokes be reliable, long lasting, have a high degree of controllability and resolution to preserve the integrity of a well’s formation. 

Last year, a subsea operator presented Master Flo Valve with a unique challenge. An ultra-hard proppant, harder than tungsten carbide was flowing through their chokes and eroding the trim in less than 16 hours! 

One of the few materials harder than tungsten carbide are Diamonds. So, Master Flo had man-made diamonds developed just for this task. Shaped like rings, these diamond rings or inserts were mated to a special Tungsten Carbide choke cage and external sleeve. Months of research, design, and testing went into the project, ensuring that the right type of diamond was used and the manufacturing method perfected. (black diamond inserts shown to right)

In the end, Master Flo Valve had the most erosion resistant choke they had ever created…and the results were outstanding! The first of these new choke trims were installed on the client’s highly erosive well and began flowing without issue, sailing past the 16-hour mark then on for 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks and now it has been months with no signs of erosion. Master Flo’s diamond insert technology has exceeded all expectations and sets a new standard for the choke industry.

From the bottom of the ocean to the plains of the Permian and beyond, Master Flo Valve has a flow solution for you.