Economic initiatives are usually the drivers of new technologies. and with the significant decline in the oilfield climate during the last decade, it is not surprising that no era has been as momentous in providing stimuli for operational change. Unfortunately, however, operators who seek new methods usually look to new technologies as the potential problem solvers, and in so doing, overlook enhancements to the older technologies that could provide the cost efficient alternatives they are seeking. This has been true of slickline. Until the resurgence of investigation into new strategies to meet the oilfield cost constraints of the last decade, slickline service had only been considered for routine mechanical workovers. This paper will discuss new developments in this technology that economically provide alternatives to services traditionally reserved for other, more costly options. The discussion will include in-depth descriptions of the new scope of services, an overview of the equipment that combines to make the new options possible, and case histories that illustrate how the equipment combines to efficiently provide low cost solutions for a broad scope of well interventions. These service alternatives now provide accurate locating of downhole tubular goods/profiles; high-speed data retrieval and transmission for production of quality logs from downhole memory surveys; accurate correlation of tubing or casing collars; setting bridge plugs, packers and other downhole equipment without explosives; shifting downhole tubular sleeves; setting monobore tools; and other well interventions that are dependent upon measurement accuracy. Slickline now can provide the efficient, low cost well servicing alternatives to traditional methods that the industry needs to comply with current cost constraints. Introduction The comparison of today's slickline capabilities with its early usage for routine remedial workovers and maintenance best illustrates the significant advances that have occurred within this technology. Today, for example, slickline can be used to 1) set and retrieve slickline-retrievable safety valves or plugs, 2) open and close downhole circulating devices, 3) retrieve and transmit high-speed data for production of quality logs from downhole memory surveys, 4) provide accurate correlation of tubing casing collars, and 5) pull and run multiple flow controls. The capabilities that have changed the profile of slickline service from one of routine mechanical well workovers to a multi-faceted service technology are derived from the new slickline tools that can be used independently or combined to further enhance the scope of services. The equipment includes an electronic triggering device (ETD) that enables safe detonation of explosive devices, a battery-operated, electro-mechanical tool that sets wellbore devices on slickline and braided line without explosives, an electronic measurement system that automatically corrects measurement inaccuracies resulting from line stretch and environmental stress factors, a slickline collar locator (SLCL) that accurately verifies collar locations in a tubing string, and data/job loggers or acquisition software systems that connect to the electronic measurement system to graphically record dynamic wireline information. History of Service and Equipment Development Traditionally, slickline servicing has been able to provide an effective means for performing well maintenance by high speed mechanical deployment, manipulation. and retrieval of downhole service tools in all types of wells, including those with high pressure and flowing well conditions. Its portability has allowed it to be cost efficient for performing these services in remote locations and on satellite platforms. Although slickline service capabilities, completion equipment, and wire have continually been improved over the last fifty years, a significant increase in the use of slickline to replace the traditional service options has only recently been noted. Several factors have been instrumental in effecting this change: P. 597^
This paper (SPE 51183) was revised for publication from paper SPE 39129, first presented at the 1997 Offshore Technology Conference held in Houston, 5-8 May. Original manuscript received for review 30 May 1997. Revised manuscript received 8 April 1998. Paper peer approved 15 June 1998. Summary The comparison of today's slickline capabilities with its early usage for routine remedial workovers and maintenance best illustrates the significant advances that have occurred within slickline technology. Today, for example, slickline can be used to set and retrieve slickline-retrievable safety valves or plugs; open and close downhole circulating devices; retrieve accurate depth/time data for correlation with memory production surveys for well diagnostics (problem identification), reservoir description, or flow analysis; provide accurate correlation of tubing casing collars; and pull and run multiple flow controls, set packers, and other downhole equipment without explosives, set monobore tools, and perform other well interventions that are dependent on measurement accuracy. This expansion is overwhelming when considering that less than a decade ago slickline was considered only for mechanical well workovers. This paper discusses the newly developed technology that allows slickline to economically provide alternatives economically to services that were traditionally reserved for more costly options. Case histories illustrate the enlarged scope of services and how the equipment combines to provide the innovative low cost service options that the industry has been seeking. P. 136
The continuing quest for cost reduction in the oil field has required operators to take a closer look at all areas that might compromise efficiency. One area that has been identified is depth measurement accuracy. In addition to the critical part it, plays in service operations, depth measurement accuracy plays a significant role in the success of new completion concepts. A new measurement system has been developed that increases the, efficiency of wireline operations by improving measurement inaccuracy experienced with traditional measurement systems. Conventional methods for depth measurement have employed mechanical measurement devices without capability to make measurement adjustments for environmental or physical stress factors; therefore, these systems have not provided absolute accuracy. Through incorporation of a newly developed electronic counter that can provide continuous high-speed depth adjustment and data transmission, the new system can make the necessary adjustments for more accurate, depth control. From testing and case histories, the practical benefits and enhanced capabilities of electronic depth measurement include:Depth-measurement accuracy for ail commonly used Slick-lines and braided lines.Measurement corrections for stretch resulting from line tension and temperature effects on counter heel.Microprocessing compatible with slickline speeds.Retrieval of depth, line speed, line tension, and, time data for downhole memory production surveys and wire management programs.Use of the system for downhole, memory tool surveys as, a "cost-effective alternative to electric2line logging.Use of the system to facilitate nippleless completions. High speed resolution and data retrieval make this system inherently more efficient for support of slickline well servicing and other operations in which depth-control accuracy is critical to operational success. Introduction The volatility of oil prices has forced operators to focus more heavily on reduction of drilling and completion costs. Mechanical wireline or slickline services have provided a cost-effective means for routine well maintenance and workover for years. However, an increase in the scope of slickline services has recently been noted. One of the significant factors to this increase has been the development of a new measurement system that better supports industry needs for accurate depth control in servicing operations. Until economic constraints caused a resurgence of investigation into enhanced efficiency strategies, very little attention had been given to slickline depth measurement and the technical merit of surface measurement accuracy during normal operations. FIGURE 1: Wireline tools. Illustrations available in full paper. Slickline servicing provides an effective means for performing well maintenance by high speed mechanical manipulation of downhole service tools. Services such as setting packers and bridge plugs, perforating, and running downhole memory surveys can be accomplished with slickline at substantial savings over comparable electric line services. Accurate depth measurements are important to the efficiency of these operations and in some cases, are critical to the life of the well. For example, locating holes in tubing for deploying tubing patches, running memory tool surveys where depth correlations are necessary to well performance evaluation, setting flow devices or bridge plugs, and locating depth of lost tools during "fishing" jo FIGURE 2: Typical rig-up. Illustrations available in full paper.
Subsea completions have been on the rise in recent years due to the economics, extreme environments, the use of infrastructures (subsea tiebacks), and migration to water depths in excess of 1300-feet. In this paper, subsea slickline operations are performed on three cluster wells situated beneath the operator's semi-submersible floating production unit in Vietnam's offshore Dai Hung field. The services were needed for reservoir management, including installation and retrieval of memory gauges, performance of logging surveys, and to manipulate sliding sleeves that had been installed with the ultimate purpose of optimizing hydrocarbon recovery. A subsea wireline unit (capable of deploying slickline and electric line) was chosen to provide the services. This unit was selected because of its cost efficiency and capability to perform a fishing job without impacting platform space and weight restrictions on the floating production unit as would have been imposed by use of a drilling riser. This paper will provide the case history of these services, which were unique in that these were the first diverless subsea slickline jobs performed solely with remote-operated vehicle (ROV) support for manipulation or assistance. Slickline provided an effective solution for the operator's service requirement within the specified criteria. Because of the versatility of newly developed advanced systems, slickline equipment was able to meet the restrictions of weight and size on platforms to provide a more efficient alternative for services that traditionally require rig mobilization. As a result of the success of this operation, the operator is planning other subsea slickline services that will be performed without a drilling or jack-up rig. With the present economic climate of the oil-and-gas industry, the significant costs normally associated with heavy workover and drilling facilities have strengthened the need to find other ways to enhance cost efficiency in subsea workover scenarios. To support this trend, innovative methods that have expanded the scope of operations that can be performed on subsea wells without a drilling rig have now been introduced. As an example, plug and abandonment operations can be performed with subsea wireline intervention units and other coiled tubing and wireline intervention techniques rather than with a tensioned riser from an anchored drilling vessel or a jack-up rig. With the new methods, the deployment system for wireline and coiled tubing does not require special system modification—any standard wireline or coiled tubing unit can be used. These techniques will be discussed more fully in the paper.
TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractThe ongoing need for greater operational cost efficiency has encouraged oil companies to seek new methods that can simplify completion processes and reduce the number of required well interventions. This focus has resulted in new challenges for engineering/manufacturing and service companies to develop multi-functional equipment. To meet the challenges, a new generation of completion equipment with capabilities that would have been considered impossible ten years ago has been introduced to the oilfield. This equipment has been designed to not only reduce the number of interventions normally required in traditional completion scenarios but also to meet challenges of safety and reliability that can surpass the cost of contingency measures should the product fail.The development of one such device, the "disappearing plug," which serves as a plugging device for setting a hydraulic-type packer, will be the focus of this paper. When run in with the completion, the tubing will fill automatically through an auto-fill device, and then, will close during one of the pressure cycles. The fluid-expendable plug material disintegrates on the last pressure cycle, which allows fulltubing-drift production and eliminates the need for a slickline or coiled-tubing run to retrieve a plugging device as would be the case with conventional methods.While the industry average for successful installation of interventionless devices has still not reached the sought-after 100% reliability, when these concepts have been successful, the expected economic job goals have been surpassed. When successful in offshore, horizontal, and/or high angle wells where slickline or coiled tubing intervention after completion is significantly more costly, these interventionless technologies have proven to be even more beneficial.The paper will discuss development of the plug, some of the failures that occurred, how these difficulties were addressed, and finally, will discuss several recently run installations. These clearly show the extent of the economic benefit that can be realized.Disappearing plug technology currently improves economics by eliminating the need for slickline and coiledtubing interventions in plugging operations. When setting hydraulic packers, this not only reduces operating costs but also the risks associated with interventions and plug failures. One of its most significant contributions, however, becomes apparent when considering the future trends of the industryinterventionless and intelligent well technologies.The disappearing plug will undoubtedly play an important role in the actualization of these future well trends.
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