SWINTON, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Magnesium Elektron, a world leader in the development, manufacture and supply of high‐performance magnesium alloys, has introduced SoluMag™, a proprietary high-strength, soluble magnesium alloy developed specifically for making down-hole oil and gas industry fracking tools that will quickly and safely dissolve after use. The company has applied for a patent for the alloy.
Traditional fracking requires expensive machinery to remove plugs, balls and other temporary tools that have served their purpose, thus to enable an unimpeded flow of oil and gas. Tools made from SoluMag dissolve completely after use, eliminating the need for such costly intervention.
“SoluMag dissolves quickly, predictably and at lower temperatures than other soluble materials used in these applications,” said Guy Roberts, head of sales and marketing for Magnesium Elektron. The first public showing of SoluMag took place at the Global Petroleum Show in Calgary, Canada, in June. A time-lapse video showed the material being dissolved in saline solution. Also on show were samples at various levels of dissolution, as well as test data covering strength and corrosion rates. This generated a high level of interest from completion companies and tool suppliers and led to initial product sales for laboratory and field testing.
Magnesium Elektron has since announced further product developments, including the ability to customize rates at which the alloy dissolves.
Roberts noted that SoluMag joins a long line of highly specialized magnesium alloys developed by Magnesium Elektron, including SynerMag®, a dissolving alloy now undergoing in-body tests for cardiovascular stents, as well as a wide range of high-performance aerospace alloys, including Elektron® 43, which was recently approved for use in civilian aircraft seats. “Our aerospace pedigree means that our alloys are of the highest quality and consistency, so end-users can be confident that tools made from SoluMag will behave predictably down-hole,” he said.
SoluMag products will next be shown at the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition in Houston, Texas, September 28-30, 2015.
About Magnesium Elektron
Founded in 1936, Magnesium Elektron (www.magnesium-elektron.com) specializes in developing, manufacturing and supplying magnesium products and services to technology industries worldwide. The company operates manufacturing facilities in Swinton, England; Lakehurst, N.J.; Riverhead, N.Y.; Madison, Ill., Findlay, Ohio; Cincinnati, Ohio; Tamaqua, Pa.; Ontario, Canada; and Louka u Litvínova, Czech Republic. Magnesium Elektron is a unit of Luxfer Group (NYSE:LXFR, www.luxfer.com).
