Water injection into horizontal wells is a new and distinct technology, where success will often depend on the management of thermal fractures. This paper describes the background, planning, drilling, completion, and results of the first two high-angle water injection wells in the Prudhoe Bay field. The procedures described resulted in re-establishing injection in the correct zone, achievement of target rates and good injection profiles.
This paper reviews historical and current ECP (External Casing Packer) applications by BP and ARCO in Alaska. The potential of the tool together with its reliability and effectiveness is critically evaluated. The "success rate" so far has been variable but it is believed that the reasons for this have not been properly investigated and understood up to now. Problems (related to equipment, procedures, job design, and so on) which caused various failures have been identified and analysed in detail. Case studies are presented to demonstrate why some failures occur and how they could be avoided. Procedures and proposals to combat the identified problems are recommended. Because the associated application environment and problems are better understood and the lessons learnt are better communicated, and ECP technology is being renewed at a pace not seen before, it is believed that the ECP is a viable completion tool if used properly. Introduction To obtain a better understanding of ECP's performance and to improve their effectiveness for the increasing challenges in zonal isolation in horizontal and multilateral wells, a comprehensive internal study was carried out in 1994/5 within BP world-wide and ARCO Alaska and with the cooperation of some major ECP manufacturers. This paper concentrates on part of the results relating to ECP applications in Alaska. Basics of ECP's and Setting Tool Operations It is intended here to provide some basic principles which are necessary to understand the operations and the associated problems discussed later. Principles of ECPs. ECPs or by other names such as CAPs (Casing Annulus Packer) or ACPs (Annulus Casing Packer), are made of a metal mandrel (a [pup] joint of casing) and an external elastomer tube bladder with an inflation valve system. This elastomer tube is always reinforced by typically metal ribs either continuously or only at the end sections. Both ends of the rubber tube are sealed and secured to the steel collars which have the nominal OD of the packer to protect the rubber element in the middle to a certain extent. Note conventionally the ECP is identified by the casing OD/weight/grade and the seal element length. The OD of the ECP has to be specified separately. One of the collar contains the valve system, which connects and controls the inflation fluid from inside the mandrel (the central hole) to the outside to expand and inflate the bladder and then shuts, all controlled by shear-pin-determined differential pressures. The valves are shear-pinned to predetermined pressure values to control the function of the inflation port, depending on the differential pressure between the central hole and the annulus. There are typically 2 main valves: one to open (e.g. Lock Shut Valve "LSV" or Delay Open Valve "DOV") the inflation port and the other to close it (Inflation Control Valve "ICV") once the internal pressure has reached the pre-set level. There may be some minor check valves in the system. P. 83
Beginning in August 2013, Anadarko Petroleum formed the “20A Project Initiative” for qualifying 20 ksi equipment for a Deepwater Gulf of Mexico (GoM) development. This paper will cover the systems approach used for the qualification (verification, validation and quality) of a system of components, including sub-assemblies and assemblies that are required for a 20 ksi development. The systems approach begins with the framework and management of this framework inside the overall development process. The systems approach categorizes each component by mode of operation (many pieces of equipment are used in multiple operational modes). These modes of operation are Drilling, Completions, Production and Intervention, and are the engineering systems used to manage the qualification of over 200 components to industry standards and U.S. government requirements. The functional requirements for each component are defined and vendors selected. Each component is then stewarded through a project-management process for design, verification, validation and quality. This process culminates with the integration of these components back into a system that can be qualified for use in an HPHT environment. This paper addresses the submittal to regulatory authority for approval to use the newly developed and qualified 20 ksi equipment for a deepwater GoM development. This project ends in 2019. This six-year development journey presented challenges and achieved breakthrough technologies for the industry. This journey, its organizational approach using systems engineering techniques and integration processes are presented.
Anadarko started the initial development and qualification of 20 ksi equipment in 2013 for a Gulf of Mexico (GoM) project. That journey included an analysis of using depth-adjusted working pressure of 15 ksi equipment that allowed exploration and appraisal drilling of a high-pressure GoM prospect. It continued with the goal to develop and qualify a complete set of 20 ksi equipment for a deepwater GoM high-pressure development. The scope of development and qualification of High-Pressure, High-Temperature (HPHT) equipment included: 20 ksi deepwater Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU); 20 ksi subsea Blowout Preventer (BOP); 20 ksi Completions equipment for the upper completion including a subsurface safety valve, packers, chemical injection, wireline plugs, etc.; 20 ksi Intervention equipment including a thru-riser intervention string, a Tree Tieback Tool, workstring connection and an Integrated Workover Control System (IWOCS); 20 ksi Subsea Production equipment including wellhead, tree and a High Integrity Pressure Protection System (HIPPS). Anadarko formed the ‘20A project team’ initiative in order to qualify these critical deepwater components with a Rated Working Pressure (RWP) greater than 15 ksi. This project is coming to a close in 2019, with the qualification of over 200 components and assemblies to industry standards and meeting U.S. government requirements. This six year development journey of 20 ksi equipment development and qualification presented challenges and achieved breakthrough technologies for the industry. This journey, its organizational approach using systems engineering techniques and integration processes are presented.
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