Success Stories: How Windings Has Transformed Oil & Gas Operations

HPHT (High Pressure High Temperature) environments demand components that perform reliably under extreme heat, pressure, vibration, and fluid exposure. In downhole tools and wireline systems, reliability isn’t a feature—it’s the baseline.

Recent Windings projects show how custom electromagnetic design, especially through advanced permanent magnet motor solutions, turns HPHT constraints into measurable advantages for oilfield operators and service companies.

Why HPHT Needs Custom Solutions

Off-the-shelf hardware is built for average use cases. HPHT applications aren’t average—they require precise control over:

• Magnetic geometry
• Material selection
• Insulation systems
• Thermal and cooling behavior

Custom electromagnetic components are tailored to align duty cycles, physical packaging, and documentation with real-world conditions. That alignment shortens qualification timelines, reduces failure risk, and builds confidence into every deployment.

Case in Point: A Permanent Magnet Motor Built for the Field

To replace an inefficient induction motor in a wireline hydraulic pump, Windings engineered a 5 kW, 8,000 RPM permanent magnet motor. Packaged in a 3-1/8″ O.D. x 11″ stainless steel housing and rated for 260°C, it was designed to operate fully submerged in hydraulic fluid.

This spec addressed every major constraint in the downhole application:

• Tight diameter limits
• Extreme ambient heat
• Continuous submerged operation
• Demanding reliability requirements

Measured Results Operators Care About

• 50% reduction in motor size, cutting tool string length by 11 inches
• 90%+ efficiency improvement over the induction motor, extending run time between battery swaps
• 750 hours of operation without failure, with ongoing testing

Why the Design Wins in HPHT

Permanent magnet motors eliminate rotor I²R losses—a limitation of induction designs. That translates into:

• Higher power density
• Over 90% operating efficiency
• Cooler operation under load
• Greater usable energy within tight budgets

Just as critical, Windings specified magnet wire with a 260°C-rated insulation system and reinforced all mission-critical materials. The motor delivered full output submerged in hydraulic fluid at 200°C, validating the build under true field stress.

What It Means for Oil and Gas Programs

When motors are designed to the actual operating envelope:

• Tool strings get smaller
• Energy efficiency improves
• Component lifespans support longer interventions
• Prototypes built with production intent yield credible test data for scaling

This reduces rework, protects schedules, and increases trust during pilot and full-scale deployment.

Repeatable Value Beyond One Project

The same engineering approach translates to:

• Mud motors
• Electric actuators
• Downhole pumps
• Surface systems facing cyclic heat and fluid contamination

Start with actual requirements. Design to the envelope. Validate at temperature and load. Document everything for audit and repeatability.

That’s how custom electromagnetic design turns HPHT challenges into production-ready performance.

A Practical Path Forward

If you’re modernizing a tool string or evaluating electrification for HPHT wells, begin with the component that converts energy.

Even a small gain at the motor level compounds into:

• Higher uptime
• Longer service intervals
• Total lifecycle cost reductions

That’s field performance you can measure.

Every operation is unique. But the goal is the same: build confidence into every motor, then scale with fewer unknowns.If you’re mapping out the next phase of your HPHT system, explore our engineering approach. When you are ready to move from concept to deployment, review our manufacturing capabilities and let us help you plan a pilot that proves performance in your real environment.