The XPLORER Screw uses a standard M24 threaded mount that installs directly into the body of tubular assets. This design allows operators to securely attach and remove the tag during routine field operations, meaning a damaged or spent tag can be swapped out without specialist tooling or extended downtime. For pipe yards and worksites dealing with thousands of individually tracked assets, that kind of practical simplicity matters.

Despite being embedded directly into steel, the tag delivers up to 5 meters of read range. That performance figure is significant for operators who need reliable reads across busy yard environments and congested storage racks. The system supports tracking throughout the full asset lifecycle, from initial manufacturing and deployment through inspection cycles, refurbishment, recertification, and eventual retirement.

Target applications span a broad range of oil and gas operations. Yard management and asset tallying, field deployment and rotation tracking, inspection and testing workflows, and asset integrity monitoring are all primary use cases. The XPLORER Screw is also suited to refurbishment and recertification programmes where maintaining a clear chain of custody for each asset is critical.

Beyond traditional oilfield applications, Xerafy is positioning the product for use in LNG infrastructure, petrochemical facilities, mining operations, and heavy industrial piping systems. Any environment where tubular assets face handling abuse, abrasion, heat exposure, chemical contact, and repeated service cycles is a potential fit.

Michel Gillmann, CMO at Xerafy, highlighted the real-world design philosophy behind the product. Oilfield identification needs to perform under genuine operational conditions, he said, including physical handling, surface abrasion, high temperatures, fluid exposure, and repeated maintenance cycles.

The XPLORER Screw represents the third generation of Xerafy’s XPLORER platform. Development involved close collaboration with oilfield service providers and advanced materials specialists to ensure the tag meets the durability requirements that previous generations of embedded RFID solutions have struggled with.

Sample units are available now, both individually and through the Oil & Gas Test Pack. Xerafy plans to present the product during OTC week in Houston in 2026.

Read more at https://xerafy.com/roswell-series/?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=rainrfid&utm_campaign=screw#screw

The post Xerafy Announces XPLORER Screw for OCTG and Tubular Lifecycle Tracking first appeared on RFID News.

The problem is straightforward but brutal. During plug-and-perf completions, tubing joints rotate at roughly 80 RPM while making repeated contact with the wellbore wall. Over the course of a typical 3-4 day operation involving anywhere from 60 to 250 plugs, the mechanical stress is relentless. Any identification method mounted on the surface of the pipe gets scraped, crushed, or torn away long before the job is finished.

Xerafy’s answer was the XS Wedge, a passive UHF RFID tag rated to 438 degrees Fahrenheit (225 degrees Celsius) and engineered to resist the chemical cocktail of downhole fluids. Three tags are installed per joint for redundancy, press-fit into pre-drilled, chamfered holes at each tube end. The chamfer geometry is a critical design detail. It creates a pathway for RF signal propagation, allowing reliable reads from 6 to 8 inches away from the steel surface. A high-strength epoxy adhesive locks the tags in place, and the installation depth is calculated so that the RFID components outlast the usable life of the pipe itself.

The results from wear testing were decisive. RFID-equipped tubing survived more than 180,000 wear cycles, well past the 0.130-inch wall thickness rejection threshold that determines when a joint must be retired. In practical terms, the tags lasted longer than the pipe they were embedded in.

In the field, scanning took place at key transition points as tubulars entered and exited the well. This gave operators automated, joint-level traceability without slowing down rig operations. Each joint’s full lifecycle, from first run to eventual retirement, could be tracked digitally and tied back to inspection records, usage history, and wear data.

For OCTG manufacturers and operators, the implications go beyond simple identification. With reliable lifecycle data attached to every joint, decisions about reuse, inspection scheduling, and inventory management become far more precise. Tubing that still has useful life left can be confidently redeployed rather than scrapped on a conservative estimate. That translates directly into cost savings and better asset utilization across the fleet.

The project demonstrates that passive UHF RFID can hold up in conditions that would destroy most electronics, provided the tag design, installation method, and materials are all engineered for the specific application. As the industry pushes for more digital visibility across its supply chain, embedded RFID in tubular goods looks like a practical, proven approach.

Read more at https://xerafy.com/post/embedded-rfid-tubular-well-completion/

The post How Xerafy Embedded RFID Survives Tubular Wear in Well Completion Operations first appeared on RFID News.