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Vigor Tubing Encapsulated Cable (TEC)
In modern oil and gas operations, data and power need to travel reliably from the surface to downhole equipment under extremely harsh conditions. Tubing Encapsulated Cable (TEC) has emerged as a critical technology to meet this challenge.
Tubing Encapsulated Cable (TEC) refers to a specially constructed cable designed to withstand the high pressures, temperatures, and corrosive fluids found inside oil & gas wells. It typically consists of an insulated conductor or fiber optic line protected by a metal tube, often with an additional polymer jacket for extra durability.
Description
China Vigor Drilling Oil Tools And Equipment Co., Ltd. is one of the most professional manufacturers and suppliers of vigor tubing encapsulated cable (tec) in China, featured by competitive price and fast delivery. Welcome to buy high quality vigor tubing encapsulated cable (tec) in stock here from our factory.
Vigor Tubing Encapsulated Cable (TEC) is a small-diameter downhole cable enclosed in a protective metal tubing. Unlike a standard electrical cable which might have rubber or plastic insulation exposed to the environment, a TEC cable's conductor (or fiber optic core) is sealed within a continuous metal sheath. This metal encasement is usually made of stainless steel or nickel alloy and serves as a armor against extreme pressures, high temperatures, and corrosive well fluids.

Applications and Industry Segments

Applications
· Permanent downhole pressure/temperature monitoring
· Reservoir surveillance and production logging
· Intelligent well completions
· Cabled gauge and sensor deployments
Industry Segments
· Upstream: Reservoir monitoring, completions, and interventions
· Digital Oilfield: Data-driven production optimization
· Unconventional Plays: Long-term zonal monitoring in HPHT wells
Types and Configurations of TEC Cables
TEC cables come in various types and configurations to suit different well applications. Key variations include the number and type of internal conductors, the presence of encapsulation, and multi-line combinations. Below are the most common TEC cable configurations and their typical uses:
Single-Conductor vs. Multi-Conductor TEC: Many standard TEC cables used for downhole sensors have a single electrical conductor inside (single-core).
Bare vs. Encapsulated TEC: As noted, bare TEC cable refers to the cable with just the metal outer tubing and no added polymer jacket. Encapsulated TEC cable has an additional plastic coating molded around it.
Hybrid and Composite Cables: Some TEC cables are designed to incorporate multiple elements in one package. For instance, a hybrid TEC might include both an electrical conductor and a fiber optic strand within the same tubing, providing power and optical data in one cable.
|
TEC Cable Style |
Description |
Typical Use Cases |
|
Single-Conductor Bare TEC |
One copper conductor in a metal tube, no outer polymer. Slim profile, high-temp capable. |
Permanent downhole gauges in high-temperature wells or wells with minimal clearance. Common for basic pressure/temperature sensors where robustness is key and space is tight. |
|
Multi-Conductor TEC |
Two or more conductors within one metal tube (usually slightly larger diameter). May be bare or encapsulated. |
Advanced sensors or multi-drop gauge systems requiring separate lines (e.g., pressure and temperature separate, or redundant gauges). Also used for certain electric downhole tools needing multiple feed-through wires. |
|
Fiber-Optic TEC |
One or more optical fibers inside a metal tube, with or without polymer jacket. |
Distributed sensing (DTS for temperature along the wellbore, DAS for acoustic/vibration monitoring) and high-speed data transmission. Often deployed in smart wells or for reservoir surveillance. |
|
Polymer-Encapsulated TEC |
A metal-sheathed TEC cable with an outer plastic jacket (round or square cross-section). |
Deviated or horizontal wells where cable needs extra protection; high-vibration installations; general use where handling damage is a concern. Easier to clamp on tubing due to uniform shape. |
|
Flatpack (Composite Bundle) |
Multiple parallel lines (could be TEC + control line, or multiple TEC cables) encapsulated together in a flat profile. |
Complex completions with various downhole devices. For example, wells with an ESP pump (power cable) plus a monitoring TEC line and a chemical injection line all run together neatly. Simplifies installation in offshore or deviated wells by consolidating lines. |
How to choose your Tubing Encapsulated Cable(TEC)
1. Encapsulation: Encapsulated cables are often recommended, especially for long-term use. Polypropylene encapsulation acts as a bumper to improve cable survivability during system deployment.
2. High Crushing Rate: Simulations show similar motions and forces applied directly to the encapsulated wire. In practice, however, it is very difficult to keep the wires concentric within a square encapsulated cable, so the wires themselves are stressed unevenly. This actually means that the round encapsulation offers a much higher and more consistent pressure rating.
3. Flexible: There are some applications where cables are installed in fixed locations and do not move. However, it can be routed in such a way that flexibility is important to the installation process. Other cables may be in constant motion with millions of flex cycles. When flexibility is important, simple things like increased strand count and spiral shielding can improve cable performance. The insulation and jacket materials may differ in durometer, and the environment to which the cable is exposed is also an important consideration. And it is important for every encapsulated cable to be flexible.
4.Light Weight: It is very important for every encapsulated cable, because its weight makes it less effective. Other things being equal, a round encapsulation significantly reduces the weight of the product compared to a square encapsulation. For a cable with an 11mm jacket, the round shape saves up to 11% in weight and up to 13% in material compared to a square shape. This material and reduced weight make a big difference when handling the product in the field.
5. Size: Overall cable size requirements or limitations may be overlooked. It is important to consider how you terminate the cable. Are the pins crimped or soldered to the conductor? If the back-shell is already selected, what is the outer diameter (O.D.) limit? It is wise to consider all of these.
Key Factors to Consider: 1.Conductor 2.Filler 3.Diameter 4.Crimp pin 5.End shell 6.Cable size according to application
Technical Parameter
Tube Selection (316L, 0.125 In. - 0.625 In. )
|
O.D. (In.) |
Wall Thickness (In.) |
Yield Strength (psi) |
Tensile Strength (psi) |
Collapse Strength (psi) |
Min. Bending Radius (ft) |
|
0.125 |
0.028 |
90,000 |
100,000 |
29,000 |
0.75 |
|
0.035 |
33,900 |
0.75 |
|||
|
0.25 |
0.035 |
19,800 |
1.25 |
||
|
0.049 |
26,200 |
1.25 |
|||
|
0.065 |
32,300 |
1.25 |
|||
|
0.375 |
0.035 |
13,800 |
2.25 |
||
|
0.049 |
18,700 |
2.25 |
|||
|
0.065 |
23,700 |
2.25 |
|||
|
0.5 |
0.035 |
10,600 |
3 |
||
|
0.049 |
14,500 |
3 |
|||
|
0.065 |
18,600 |
3 |
|||
|
0.08 |
22,200 |
3 |
|||
|
0.625 |
0.049 |
11,800 |
3.75 |
||
|
0.065 |
15,300 |
3.75 |
- The calculated value of collapse strength is based on the minimum yield strength of 90,000 psi.
- The tube is welded by large-size steel strips, and is drawn and heat-treated to obtain the final product.
- With laser printing technology, various data information can be printed on the tube according to your needs, including product serial number, purchase order number, product model and specification, etc.
Tube Selection (Incoloy 825, 0.125 In. - 0.625 In. )
|
O.D. (In.) |
Wall Thickness (In.) |
Yield Strength (psi) |
Tensile Strength (psi) |
Collapse Strength (psi) |
Min. Bending Radius (ft) |
|
0.125 |
0.028 |
95,000 |
110,000 |
30,600 |
0.75 |
|
0.035 |
35,800 |
0.75 |
|||
|
0.25 |
0.035 |
20,900 |
1.25 |
||
|
0.049 |
27,600 |
1.25 |
|||
|
0.065 |
34,100 |
1.25 |
|||
|
0.375 |
0.035 |
14,600 |
2.25 |
||
|
0.049 |
19,700 |
2.25 |
|||
|
0.065 |
25,000 |
2.25 |
|||
|
0.5 |
0.035 |
12,200 |
3 |
||
|
0.049 |
15,300 |
3 |
|||
|
0.065 |
19,600 |
3 |
|||
|
0.08 |
23,400 |
3 |
|||
|
0.625 |
0.049 |
12,500 |
3.75 |
||
|
0.065 |
16,100 |
3.75 |
- The calculated value of collapse strength is based on the minimum yield strength of 95,000 psi.
- The tube is welded by large-size steel strips, and is drawn and heat-treated to obtain the final product.
- With laser printing technology, various data information can be printed on the tube according to your needs, including product serial number, purchase order number, product model and specification, etc.
Cable Selection
|
Filler |
PP |
PP |
FEP |
PFA |
|
Insulation |
FEP |
ETFE |
FEP |
PFA |
|
Max. Applicable Temperature (°C/℉) |
150/302 |
150/302 |
200/392 |
260/500 |
|
Conductor Size AWG |
Outside Diameter (mm) |
Max. Resistance (Ω/km) |
|
|
Solid Core |
7 Strands |
20℃ |
|
|
12 AWG |
2.05 |
/ |
5.31 |
|
14 AWG |
1.62 |
/ |
8.45 |
|
16 AWG |
1.29 |
/ |
13.5 |
|
18 AWG |
1.02 |
7/0.39 |
23 |
|
20 AWG |
0.81 |
7/0.32 |
34.8 |
|
22 AWG |
0.64 |
/ |
54.3 |
|
Electrical Performance |
|
|
Insulation Resistance |
≥2000 MΩ·km |
|
Withstanding Voltage Insulation Test |
DC voltage 3kV, no breakdown in 5 minutes. |
There are multiple configuration options for copper conductors.
- Size: 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 AWG, etc.
- Type: Solid Core or Stranded Conductor
- Material: bare copper, tin-plated, silver-plated, and other copper conductors.
Key characteristics that distinguish TEC cables from regular cables
- Pressure Integrity: The metal tube acts as a pressure barrier, allowing the cable to survive in high-pressure zones deep in the well. Even at depths of several thousand feet where pressures are intense, a properly designed TEC maintains its integrity without crushing or fluid ingress.
- Temperature Resistance: TEC cables are built to handle elevated temperatures that would melt or degrade normal cable insulation. Depending on materials, many TEC designs operate in high temperatures well, with specialty designs handling even hotter geothermal conditions.
- Corrosion Protection: The outer tubing (stainless steel or alloy) provides a corrosion-resistant shield. This is crucial in wells containing CO₂, H₂S (hydrogen sulfide), or other corrosive elements that could rapidly deteriorate standard cable jackets.
- Mechanical Strength: The construction gives the cable high tensile strength and crush resistance. TEC cables can be clamped to production tubing and run thousands of feet into a well without snapping under their own weight or getting cut by sharp edges. The metal sheath also prevents rodent damage or abrasion during handling – factors important even beyond oil and gas.
TEC cable is built to survive where ordinary cables can't. They ensure continuous power or data flow in downhole tools like permanent pressure gauges, flow sensors, electric pumps, or fiber-optic monitoring systems. By encapsulating the delicate inner elements from the brutal downhole environment, TEC cables enable reliable long-term service for critical well instrumentation.
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