Subsurface safety valves (SSSVs) are critical components of wellbore integrity systems and serve as essential downhole safety barriers for oil and gas production. By rapidly shutting off the production conduit under abnormal conditions, such as wellhead failure, blowouts, or uncontrolled formation fluid flow, SSSVs effectively prevent major safety accidents and environmental hazards. With the continuous development of deepwater oil and gas fields, high-temperature thermal recovery wells, sour gas reservoirs, shale gas, and underground gas storage, conventional SSSVs face increasing challenges related to high temperature, high pressure, corrosion, sealing reliability, and long-term operational stability. In recent years, extensive studies have been conducted on the structural optimization, control mechanisms, sealing technologies, reliability assessment, and adaptability of SSSVs under complex operating conditions. This paper systematically reviews the classification, structural characteristics, and working principles of SSSVs, and summarizes the recent advances in hydraulic-controlled SSSVs, self-balancing SSSVs, high-temperature and deepwater SSSVs, low-throttling SSSVs, and reliability evaluation technologies. The key technical challenges, including sealing failure, control system reliability, material degradation, and insufficient adaptability to extreme environments, are discussed. Furthermore, future development trends of SSSVs are proposed, including intelligent monitoring and control, high-performance materials, digital reliability management, and life-cycle safety assessment. This review provides valuable references for the design optimization and technological development of next-generation high-performance subsurface safety valve systems.
Yuan, G.; Fang, Y.; Mu, L.;
Ning, K.; Ma, R.; Yuan, G. Review of Research Status and Development Trends of
Subsurface Safety Valve Technology. Int. J. Eng. Sci. Technol., 2026, 4(4), doi: 10.58531/ijest/4/4/2