Beyond Omniseal® Blog

In our last oil and gas blog post, we discussed four key factors to consider when selecting sealing solutions: application, working conditions, compliance and fugitive emissions and proven design.  Behind these four factors are other design engineering elements that go into developing the seal to precisely fit and perform optimally in a certain environment.  Similar to the industry’s deeper investigation into complex downhole reserves and urgency to solve high pressure, high temperature (HPHT), cryogenic temperatures, heavy oil and other challenges, we are also delving deeper into an engineering element that may be overlooked or underestimated, which is how the right surface finish can make or break a seal’s ability to function properly. 

Oil and gas production is on the rise. U.S. oil output is expected to reach an all-time high this year and Europe’s offshore drilling continues to grow, with strong contribution from UK and Norwegian Continental Shelf production. Simultaneously, Russia, Brazil and countries in the Middle East continue to produce.  Growing demand is pushing oil and gas companies to locate and produce new and more complex downhole reserves with conditions often requiring the ability to withstand high pressure, high temperature (HPHT), cryogenic temperature, sour gas, heavy oil, and other demands. Safety and environmental protection are major concerns. Proven designs and high-performance solutions are increasingly critical as new designs are developed to push the technology limits, one of which is polymer spring-energized sealing solutions. 

As a market development manager, I have the great opportunity of communicating with many of our customers about the true differences between typical elastomer O-ring seals and our OmniSeal^® product. We discuss the pros and cons of each product, because very often, spring-energized seals and elastomer O-rings are both options for an application solution. Ultimately, we agree that the choice should be dictated by the application and operating environment.

With this in mind, the critical question then becomes, “How challenging is your application?” 

Let’s review: 

Are you familiar with Omniseal^® polymer spring-energized seals and rotary lip seals? Ever wonder why spring-energized seals have a jacket and spring while lip seals have a metal casing? How do these two unique designs benefit your application? Lifetime confidence is just one of the key benefits; here are several more reasons Omniseal^® precision parts should be your seal of choice.