Expro (NYSE:XPRO) has achieved a significant industry milestone with the successful delivery of the world’s first fully remote five‑plug cementing operation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The breakthrough reinforces the company’s commitment to innovation, safety, and international growth within the well construction sector.
Executed using Expro’s Generation‑X™ Remote Plug Launcher (RPL) and proprietary SkyHook™ cement‑line make‑up device, the operation marks a major step forward in the company’s expansion into the Middle East.
The fully automated solution enabled a complex, multi‑stage cement job to be completed with zero red‑zone entry or man‑riding operations — setting a new industry benchmark for both personnel safety and operational control.
The achievement builds upon Expro’s first successful cementing job in the Kingdom, delivered in January, which laid the foundation for a rapid regional ramp‑up.
That initial success paved the way for the five‑plug job, completed in May, showcasing a deliberate progression from market entry to regional innovation leadership.
“Our entry into Saudi Arabia is more than just geographic expansion — it’s about transforming cementing operations through advanced engineering,” said Jeremy Angelle, Vice President of Well Construction at Expro.
“This breakthrough showcases our Generation‑X and SkyHook technologies as world‑class innovations that drive measurable safety and efficiency gains.”
The complex operation — undertaken for a challenging 9‑5/8” casing run in a high‑pressure gas well — represented the longest of its kind in the field.
Using Expro’s modular Generation‑X™ RPL, all five downhole components were pre‑loaded in a controlled environment and then remotely launched at the well site with precision.
The company’s modular cement head eliminated high‑risk rig site tasks, reduced overall rig time, and improved well integrity through optimised cement placement and effective zonal isolation.
Additional deployments across the region have further validated the benefits of Expro’s remote and wireless cementing technologies.
In one case, an operator displaced cement through the top drive at speeds up to 13 bpm, achieving cleaner wellbores, faster transitions from casing to cementing, and reduced static wellbore time.
“Both the Generation‑X™ launcher and SkyHook™ system were designed with safety, control, and field adaptability in mind,” added Angelle.
“To see them deliver such strong results in a new region is a proud moment, and a signal of what’s possible as we grow our well construction capabilities globally.”
With proven success in Saudi Arabia and growing customer interest across the Middle East, Expro plans continued investment in its cementing product line for oil, gas, and geothermal markets worldwide.
The company says its solutions bring automation, enhanced safety, and cost efficiency “to the forefront of well construction operations globally”.