Expro Achieves Industry First with Fully Remote Five-Plug Cementing Operation in Saudi Arabia

Expro Achieves Industry First with Fully Remote Five-Plug Cementing Operation in Saudi Arabia

(IN BRIEF) Expro has set a new industry benchmark by completing the world’s first fully remote five-plug cementing operation in Saudi Arabia, using its Generation-X™ Remote Plug Launcher and SkyHook™ cement-line make-up device. The automated solution eliminated red-zone entry and man-riding activities, greatly improving safety while completing a multi-stage cement job in a high-pressure gas well—the longest of its kind in the field. This milestone follows Expro’s first cementing project in the Kingdom earlier this year and demonstrates the scalability of its technology. Additional deployments in the region have confirmed efficiency gains, faster transitions, and improved well integrity. With a strong foothold in the Middle East and growing customer demand, Expro is positioned to expand its cementing product line globally.

(PRESS RELEASE) ABERDEEN, 11-Aug-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Expro (NYSE:XPRO), a global provider of energy services, has achieved a major industry milestone by delivering the first-ever fully remote five-plug cementing operation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This achievement underscores the company’s commitment to advancing well construction technology while enhancing safety and expanding its presence in the Middle East.

The operation was completed using Expro’s Generation-X™ Remote Plug Launcher (RPL) and proprietary SkyHook™ cement-line make-up device. This fully automated solution allowed for a complex, multi-stage cementing job to be completed without any red-zone entry or man-riding activities, setting a new safety and operational standard for the sector.

This breakthrough follows Expro’s inaugural cementing project in Saudi Arabia in January, which paved the way for rapid growth in the region. By May, the company had successfully executed the five-plug operation, demonstrating the scalability and reliability of its cementing technologies in one of the world’s most technically demanding environments.

“Our expansion into Saudi Arabia is about more than entering a new market—it’s about redefining cementing operations through advanced engineering,” said Jeremy Angelle, Vice President of Well Construction at Expro. “The results of this breakthrough highlight the world-class capabilities of our Generation-X and SkyHook technologies in delivering measurable safety improvements and operational efficiencies.”

The five-plug stage-cementing job was carried out for a challenging 9-5/8” casing run in a high-pressure gas well—the longest of its kind in the field. With the modular Generation-X™ RPL, all five downhole components were preloaded in a controlled environment before being launched remotely at the well site with precision. The modular cement head eliminated high-risk rig-site tasks, reduced rig time, optimized cement placement, and improved zonal isolation for enhanced well integrity.

Subsequent deployments in the region have validated the benefits of Expro’s remote and wireless cementing solutions. In one case, a customer displaced cement through the top drive at speeds of up to 13 bpm, resulting in cleaner wellbores, faster transitions from casing to cementing, and reduced static wellbore time. These operational successes reinforce Expro’s ability to improve reliability, repeatability, and health, safety, and environmental (HSE) performance in challenging markets.

“Both the Generation-X™ launcher and SkyHook™ system were designed with safety, precision, and adaptability at their core,” Angelle added. “Seeing them deliver exceptional results in a new operating environment is a significant achievement and a clear signal of our global growth potential in well construction.”

Expro is continuing to expand its operations in Saudi Arabia and other key markets, with plans to deliver innovative cementing solutions to oil, gas, and geothermal projects worldwide. With a proven track record in the Kingdom and rising interest from regional customers, the company is well positioned for global adoption of its automated cementing technologies, which bring safety, control, and cost efficiency to the forefront of well construction operations.

Media Contact:

Hannah Rumbles
Global Marketing and Communications Manager
MediaRelations@expro.com

SOURCE: EXPRO