The second picture shows a pair of Australian designed and made inflatable packers. One of this first pair failed after 27 tests with one of the big four Queensland CBM companies. The pair were then "retired" by the client, although the second could have continued to be run.

This inflatable packer is of a type originally developed in Australia for deep water wells and, following further development by IPI of both the packer technology and the tools that go with it, is now in use in Queensland, having previously been used within the CBM industry in India, Asia and Africa.

Australian Packers by IPI
(second pair)

The rust has mainly accumulated since their last run, but this performance is no fluke. At the time of photo a second pair (third picture) had done 24 tests and both are still in good working order.

IPI inflatable packers are designed and manufactured in Perth, Western Australia, and can work at temperatures up to 150C(302F), 12,000 psi and expand their diameter by 300%. These maximums cannot be achieved concurrently - there is a trade off. For this type of water well packer made by IPI the best performance is below 80C (176F) - which covers the vast majority of CBM operations. IPI acknowledge that for operations 100C ( 212 F) to 150C ( 302F) the common style of oilfield packer will have a better performance trade off compared to their current mainstream product.

IPI packers are used in a wide variety of industries, including ore body fracturing in the worlds largest underground copper mines in Chile as well as permeability testing in remote mine sites, such as within the Arctic Circle.

Commercial Director Howard Kenworthy commented: “We have always known that our type of inflatable packer was very durable at lower temperatures, but we did not have a great performance at over 100C compared to the conventional type of inflatable packer found in the oilfield industry. But that is not an issue in CBM. We also knew that our type of packers were better for repeated hydrofracture type work, such as in the copper mines, as well as being far superior to the classic type of gas packer still commonly used for permeability testing. But this gives another clear comparison within one of our target markets that demonstrates the superior performance of our type of packers— this time indicating something like 4 times their durability compared to what is the most common type of oil field packer technology in the world. This is great news for the CBM industry here and very encouraging for the other developments we are making”.

IPI provide Liner Hangers for major oilfield

Several of these stainless steel liner hangers were manufactured and run if for a major oilfield client in a desert location.

The 12" screens are below the IPI packer that was run into a 16" water well and set at 360m. The water wells are for steam injection on a solid state crude oil project

IPI and Australasian Drilling                  

The publication of IPI company profile in "Australasian Drilling" September / October 2008. You can download and read the article as a PDF (8,231kb).

The IPI team at Minexpo Las Vegas

IPI's stand within the Australian Pavillion had many visitors from the worldwide mining industry. Once again SWiPS was well received by consultants and drillers alike.

As an option SWiPS can now be supplied in a pair of air portable boxes. A full SWiPS system can exceed 150kg and this, in the standard galvanised steel box, was not practical for hydrologists using helicopters or 4WD for getting to remote areas, separate from the drilling team. The boxes are the same type as provided with the flowmeter skid. The shipment pictured went to a Chilean mining company and includes both HQ and NQ straddle systems, plus a flowmeter skid.

Picture copyright IPI

Leading Drilling Contractors use SWiPS

Boart Longyear Drilling Services ( New Zealand) recently took delivery of a HQ SWiPS system. IPI's Dave Knell with Blick's Tim Babbage gave a demonstration run in at BL (NZ)'s yard near Auckland for senior hands. Recent SWiPS sales have included several for Coal Bed Methane projects worldwide

IPI Perth Team, May 2008 

The business and the team have doubled in the last year, with significant growth in the Mining and Offshore markets, although the large 325mm packers in the picture are for European waterwells.

Casing packers for offshore gas - SE Asia

IPI are now providing casing packers for offshore gas completions in SE Asia .. These packers were originally developed for the Australian North West Shelf

An unusual offshore application

Recently shipped for use offshore India, IPI provided a custom built diverter insert that enables closure of the diverter on a non standard sized casing.  The system uses inflatable packer technology and was tested using a diverter mock-up.

IPI provide hydrofracture systems for mining

IPI recently shipped a batch of 10,000 psi packers for block caving (preconditioning) - an underground mining technique that has the potential to be as efficient as open pit mining.

SWPS in Canadian Arctic

The hydraulic NQ SWPS makes it's North America debut with Vancouver based Geotech Drilling Services - the system is now on its second job in the Canadian Arctic, where conditions include permafrost. Other SWPS systems, including HQ size, have been sold into Canada and the USA this year following successful trials.  

Gerry and Jake with an NQ SWPS on the drill mast, picture courtesy of Geotech Drilling Services, August 2007.

IPI 2007 exhibitions

3-7 December 6th Annual International Association of Hydrologists Conference in Fremantle (Groundwater Quality 07)

17-20 October Expoambiental Santiago, Chile. Visit www.expoambiental.cl with Bombas de Pozo

24-27 Sept NGWA Portland , Maine , USA EPS Fractured Rock Conference

5-6 Sept AIMEX Sydney (c/o Austrade)

30-31 May, 8th Annual Coal Bed Methane Fair, Gillette, Wyoming

23-28 March, BAUMA, Munich, (Comdrill's stand)

IPI and Geo Drilling International                    

Following publication of IPI papers on Riserless Pump Systems GDI published a profile of IPI in their May edition – to view the article please download the PDF (179kb).

That will do nicely!

IPI now accept credit cards.  With an increasing amount of business covering replacement elements and parts, together with greater use by clients of cards for business purchases, it is another useful IPI customer service feature.  Customers can key in their details via a web site facility or do a telephone sale.  No surcharges are made for Visa or Mastercard, Amex is 2%

An unusual use of inflatable packers

IPI in Siberia

IPI relaunch website

Welcome to our new website. We’ll be adding information and features. Part of our development on the marketing front includes our new logo which can be found on our products and website.

IPI expand operations

In order to meet increased demand and to improve order lead times IPI has doubled the size of its workshops and invested in new equipment, including this OKUMA CNC lathe.

Increased Sales of SWPS (mining) and CBM tools

IPI has traditionally made one off packers for specialist applications. Increasingly sales are with what are the first of several “standard” products which will be available “off the shelf “ and shipped In galvanised steel storage boxes.

IPI swage repair gas wells

It makes more sense to repair old casing than drill new wells. Initially under IPI site supervision, a program of swaging repair mature gas wells has commenced for two Japanese clients. Using high pressure swaging packers, casing patches were succesfully set in 13 3/8" and 5 1/2" casings.