ExxonMobil Awards MazeFlo™ Sand Control Screen License to Weatherford

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  • Sand screen enhances reliability in openhole completion wells
  • Developed by ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company with Weatherford
  • Screens and best practices will be made available industry-wide after field testing

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company announced today that it has awarded Weatherford International Ltd. the first global license for the company’s MazeFlo sand control screens for oil wells.

MazeFlo is a patented technology developed by ExxonMobil to improve the reliability of wells completed in sand-prone reservoirs. MazeFlo technology uses redundant screens and a maze of compartments to provide a self-healing capability against sand entering the producing section of a well. Each compartment contains a primary screen, outer housing, flow baffles and a secondary screen. If a primary screen erodes, sand will flow into the affected compartment and accumulate on the secondary screen. Fluid continues to flow to adjacent compartments with undamaged primary screens and can be produced without active involvement from surface operators.

“MazeFlo is one of several openhole sand control completion technologies developed by ExxonMobil during the past few years to address reliability issues in high-cost production wells,” said Sara N. Ortwein, president of Houston-based ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company. “Reliability is very important in deepwater and remote fields where the resource has been developed with high volume wells.”

The screens utilizing MazeFlo technology were developed under a joint development agreement with Weatherford and will be installed and tested in ExxonMobil production wells during the next two years. MazeFlo screens along with technology enhancements and best practices will be made available industry-wide following ExxonMobil’s field testing.

“The MazeFlo technology brings together a high performance sand-screen solution that is simple in design and promises increased reliability. We are delighted to partner with ExxonMobil in the development of such an innovative technology,” stated Bill Rouse, vice president, well completion technologies for Weatherford.

About ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company

ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company is the Upstream research affiliate of Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM), a leading global oil, natural gas, and petrochemicals company with operations in nearly 200 countries and territories worldwide. ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company is charged with developing an industry-leading array of proprietary technologies that support the Corporation's continued leadership position in exploration, development, production and gas commercialization.

About Weatherford International Ltd.

Weatherford (NYSE/Euronext Paris/SIX:WFT) is a Swiss based, multi-national oilfield service company. It is one of the largest global providers of innovative mechanical solutions, technology and services for the drilling and production sectors of the oil and gas industry. Weatherford operates in over 100 countries and employs over 59,000 people worldwide.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT: Statements in this release regarding future events or conditions are forward-looking statements. Actual future results, including the performance of new technology, could differ materially depending on geologic conditions, technical or operating factors, and other factors discussed under the heading "Factors Affecting Future Results" on the "Investors" section of our website at www.exxonmobil.com.

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Source: Exxon Mobil Corporation

Released February 6, 2012