Standards Development

Scope

This document specifies the relevant requirements for the design, material selection, manufacturing and quality control, performance verification, as well as packaging, storage, and transportation of intelligent wellhead control valves for gas wells.

Purpose

As global oil and gas exploration and production increasingly shift toward unconventional resources, the industry commonly faces challenges such as high initial production rates followed by rapid declines in output and pressure. Excessive production pressure differentials can lead to reservoir damage, including fracture failure. To address these issues, precise pressure control technologies are urgently needed to ensure the long-term stable production of gas wells.

In terms of real-time differential pressure regulation, the application of intelligent wellhead control valves represents a global trend in advanced pressure management technology. This approach has been widely adopted by major international energy companies. Worldwide, approximately 6,000 gas wells have already been equipped with such devices, and demand continues to grow annually. Market forecasts indicate that the global wellhead equipment market will expand from USD 2.5 billion in 2025 to USD 3.5 billion by 2030.

Leading energy and service companies, including CNPC, Schlumberger, and Baker Hughes, have carried out large-scale pilot projects in multiple gas fields and achieved significant collaborative progress—covering joint research and manufacturing, solar-powered self-driven systems, and remote pressure control technologies used to stabilize production in pilot gas fields. However, challenges remain, particularly the lack of international standards for intelligent wellhead control valves used in onshore gas wells, which results in increased costs during manufacturing, application, and maintenance.

Establishing international standards through collaboration with global experts will: improve gas field development efficiency for energy service companies; promote safe, efficient, and energy-saving wellhead control solutions; enhance the quality of intelligent wellhead control valve products; and facilitate international trade and cooperation.

This proposal is of significant importance to countries adopting wellhead control technologies, gas field operators, product developers, and global research institutions. The project working group has already established a solid foundation, including:

the development of mature series of intelligent wellhead control valves suitable for high-temperature, high-pressure natural gas and unconventional gas wells (such as shale gas);

the completion of global surveys confirming that major industry players—including CNPC, Schlumberger, and Baker Hughes—widely recognize intelligent wellhead control technology as the optimal solution for achieving precise pressure management and stable production.