Avalon Research Ltd. has been a leading provider of oilwell tools for nearly 30 years. Since 1996, our team has focused on designing, engineering, and delivering easy-to-use tools that are practical, durable, and flawless in real-world deployment.
It all started with the innovative work of our company’s founder, Des Quinn, and his development of one of the most reliable wireline tools today: the Quinn Ultimate Packer retrievable bridge plug. Keep reading to learn more about how this essential wellbore tool came to be and how you can get one for your next temporary well abandonment project.
Meeting The Need for Advanced Well Control
Oilfield operations are surrounded by risk, and for our team at Avalon Research, our goal is to develop tools that don’t just suppress but eliminate these risks and maintain the safety of wellsites worldwide. Oilwell reinstatement is a key operational area that our team at Avalon has successfully simplified over the years.
Wells that have been permanently closed off with a bridge plug are difficult to get back up and running, as these tools are designed to prevent that very practice. Removing a permanent bridge plug is expensive and often dangerous, and even a single wrong move can cause a range of problems, from well instability to oil leaks. Avalon’s Quinn Ultimate Packer retrievable bridge plug was designed to meet this exact problem head-on.
Our founder, Desmond Quinn, spent many years in well control and tool design, focusing on problem-solving initiatives that made him a sought-after expert during his work in North Africa. In 1991, during the Gulf War, Des played a vital role in fighting oilfield fires in Kuwait, capping wells, and designing specialized firefighting equipment.
He spent two years in Kuwait assisting in repairing over 700 damaged oil wells, and it was during this time that he came up with the concept of the Quinn Ultimate Packer: a tubing packer to close off oil wells temporarily without damaging the well when it came time to resume its operation.
Successful Field Deployment of the Quinn Ultimate Packer
In 1995, Des launched the Quinn Retrievable Tubing Packer under his company Quinn Well Control Ltd. Desmond spent over a decade designing, revising, and improving the first version of his retrievable bridge plug, and during this time, the QRTP became a staple in oil wells worldwide.
In 2008, the newly named Quinn Ultimate Packer was field-deployed and tested in a real-world environment, and has established a worldwide reputation for its exceptional reliability.
(You can learn more about the Quinn Ultimate Packer here.)
Avalon’s Commitment to Innovative Wireline Tool Design
After the success of the QUP retrievable bridge plug, Desmond sold Quinn Well Control Ltd. and retained the design arm, Avalon Research Ltd, to focus on the design and development of oilwell tools. Our team has only continued to advance in the oilfield industry as a reliable provider of downhole solutions.
For instance, in 2016, we helped change the nature of pump-down and fracking operations with our simplified release system design, the ART (Automatic Release Tool), which we sold to Tier One Energy. We saw an opportunity to improve a previously complex tool and make it accessible to everyone working in the field, and we continue to bring that same curiosity and drive to every oilwell tool we develop.
While our founder, Desmond Quinn, has passed on, his work is the backbone of Avalon Research, and his innovative designs have enabled oil and gas sites around the world to advance their well control operations. The result continues to be work sites that complete their wellbore operations efficiently and safely with tools they can count on.
Get Quality Wireline Tools from Avalon Research Ltd. Today
If you need a retrievable bridge plug for your next temporary abandonment project, partner with Avalon Research and our world-renowned Quinn Ultimate Packer. This retrievable bridge plug is compliant with NACE MRO175, ISO 1516, and ISO 9001, ensuring its durability in a variety of downhole environments.
Whether you’re completing a snubbing, suspension, well head removal, or abandonment operation, contact us today to place an order and learn more about this essential oilfield tool.