A recent multi-well program in central Texas illustrates that conventional intent can produce unconventional opportunity. The aforementioned drilling campaign was in its second year of using solid expandable technology to attain a slimmer well profile in a series of high pressure/high temperature (HPHT) gas wells. The wellbore design included in a 6 x 7–5/8 in. solid openhole liner expanded across the Upper Bossier formation that enabled 14–3/4 in. surface casing while still reaching TD at ~15,000 ft with 4–1/2 in. casing. This design improved the rate of penetration resulting in reduced overall drilling costs and in turn a savings of approximately $1M per well. Over 40 openhole systems had been successfully expanded by way of conventional installation when a process modification enhanced the already significant benefits of using solid expandable tubulars. Conventional installation usually requires underreaming or hole enlargement to expand and cement the liner. The hard rock formation and the swellable elastomers employed on the openhole system eliminated the need for underreaming or cementing. Zonal isolation was achieved by setting the elastomers at the shoe of the expandable liner. The operator estimated that by dispensing with these steps an additional four to six days of rig time was saved. The current and future need for hydrocarbons has not diminished. This global demand is a main driver to develop more comprehensive downhole solutions. Every technical advantage is needed to help bring unconventional oil and gas plays within practical and economic reach. This paper explains how solid expandable tubulars have provided operators with a valuable tool to enhance drilling operations and mitigate wellbore challenges. This paper outlines the increasing and potential application realm of solid expandable tubulars and describes how incorporating these systems into the initial well design optimize the possibilities and potential of the technology. Introduction Even with the extreme fluctuation of energy prices and the current state of economic uncertainty, the future need for hydrocarbons shows little sign of waning. These variables have impacted oil and gas recovery projects, whether by abridging drilling programs or exploring unconventional plays with atypical methods. A large percentage of the world's future energy demands will be fulfilled by unconventional natural gases that include tight gas, coalbed methane (CBM), shale gas, deep earth gas, geo-pressured gas, and methane hydrates. Many unconventional gas reservoirs require the formation to be fractured hydraulically to improve the formation productivity by providing a conductive path and joining the existing fractures and cleats in the reservoir (Zahid 2007). Unconventional oil, such as heavy and tight oils or those from tar sands and shale, may be more costly to produce but their development remains an interesting proposition nonetheless. Although heavy oils can be pumped similarly to conventional oils, they require more extensive refining. As with tar sands, extracting oil from shale or tight formations is more complex than conventional oil recovery, which contributes to the expense.
In April 2012, the world's first 16-in. solid expandable tubular (SET) liner was run to depth and successfully cemented and expanded. The installation of the large diameter liner marks a significant shift in the application of expandables from deeper contingency applications to planned hole-conservation designs in the upper wellbore. The purpose of the installation was zonal isolation. In Saudi Arabia, the Uthmaniyah field, the prolific Arab D reservoir has been produced for many years, resulting in lower pore pressures than the shallower Arab A, B, and C reservoirs. Due to the differences in pore pressure, isolation between the Arab D and Arab A, B, C reservoirs is required to efficiently drill some of these wells. The 16 × 18-5/8-in., 115 lb/ft open hole liner (OHL) system isolated the Arab D reservoir by covering the Arab A, B, and C reservoirs while minimizing the loss of hole diameter to maintain the original wellbore design and drilling tools. Both objectives were safely and successfully achieved with the running and expansion of 1,708 ft (pre-expanded length) of 16-in. solid expandable pipe, hung as a liner and anchored into the 18-5/8-in. casing. To isolate the pressure differential, the 16-in. SET liner was installed in a negative pressure environment. Once the liner was installed, the mud weight was reduced to drill the lower pressure Arab D reservoir and the remainder of the hole section. From a reservoir management viewpoint, this installation eliminated cross flow from the higher pressure Arab A, B, and C into the Arab D reservoir, thus preserving the pressure regime of the oil producing Arab D. Additional benefits of the 16-in. expandable liner included an increase in ROP in the hard rock environment, the elimination of two-stage cementing requirements and the associated risk of stage tool failure, and reduction of hook load requirements associated with large, long casing strings.
Developing revolutionary technology requires persistence, perseverance, and vision to take an idea to a reliable product. A key factor in achieving the objective stems from how effectively the product development philosophy garners real results. For the development of the single-diameter wellbore, this philosophy resulted in a phased process that brought the technology from a concept to a reality. This technology had to undergo final validation of some of the components before entering the final phase of the development process. This phase consisted of qualifying the tool for a specific application, with all of the components having been previously qualified for functionality. Successful integrated testing on the single-diameter system resulted in qualifying the phased-expansion system. The field appraisal test recently completed simulated the deployment operations by replicating hole angle, hole size, mud types, drill bits and other variables that factor into the complexity of the downhole conditions. This paper will explain the product development philosophy and process used to drive the validation of the single-diameter wellbore. It will detail the current status of the technology, the process to determine quantifiers and the actual field appraisal and results. In addition, this paper will explain the factors that led to the product development and determined the commercial viability of the technology. Introduction Development Philosophy A constant diameter in the wellbore has been a tempting proposition for years as rigorous testing, design and optimization has propelled development towards a tangible and applicable system. This technology is based on a sound foundation of solid expandable tubular knowledge including an advanced understanding of pipe metallurgy, properties and the effects of stresses and strains endured during the expansion process. The uniform-diameter system was developed according to pre-determined and specific requirements. A dynamic test philosophy for qualifying new tools enabled the creation of a very robust toolset for global applications. A key objective established during the design concept was to develop a reliable tool for a myriad of conditions and applications. To achieve this goal, the design concept itself was closely controlled and incorporated multi-disciplinary processes from the design team that included drilling experts, engineers, designers and end users. Using modular components proved to be the most practical plan for construction as it provided for easier customization to specific applications, simplicity in overall design and quick and easy assembly of tools during issue mitigation. Although foundation design concepts that have been around for years in the industry were used, most of the components did not exist. Development of the multi-functional tools necessitated an extensive design task to fulfill all of the extended requirements.1 This approach resulted in the successful development of a complete technology suite that when used in its entirety facilitates a constant diameter across multiple liners or when used in part can perform a variety of specialized wellbore operations.
High pressure, high temperature (HPHT) wellbore designs are addressing deeper targets using more complex well paths. Solid expandable tubular (SET) systems have evolved to enable these wells to reach these deeper objectives with the planned wellbore diameter. Recent advancements in expandables have increased the mechanical ratings and maximum temperature of specific SET system sizes.High-performance (HP) SET systems significantly increase pressure ratings in three sizes for a range of applications: 7-5/8 in. (for 9-3/8 in., 9-5/8 in., 9-7/8 in., and 10-1/8 in. base casings), 8-5/8 in. (for 10-3/4 in. base casing), and 11-3/4 in. (for 13-3/8 in., 13-5/8 in., and 14 in. base casings). Compared to standard SET systems, the collapse rating doubled for the 7-5/8-in. and 8 5/8-in. systems and tripled for the 11-3/4 in system. These HP systems increase the options available for designing HPHT wellbores. This paper will review GOM case histories for both drilling and repair applications.A high-temperature SET system has also been developed to support drilling in deeper, higher temperature formations. Developed initially as a 7-5/8 in. SET system, it has a 450°F (230°C) rating that is 50°F (10°C) more than standard SET. The increase provides operators with a critical additional casing string deep in the wellbore.These advances ensure that SET technology will play an increasingly prominent role in HPHT wellbore construction as operators optimize wellbore casing designs and reduce risk.
With the current low oil prices, Operators are under increasing financial pressure to look at new ways to safely maximize the value of their assets whilst operating within the constraints of the regulatory guidelines. Many operators have placed a greater emphasis on restoring existing wellbore integrity to develop their assets more efficiently instead of performing an expensive side-track or drilling costly new replacement wells. This paper will review the challenges faced by a major American Operator while drilling an unconventional well in the Marcellus Shale Basin where casing integrity issues arose. Solid expandable tubular technology has provided operators with a cost effective solution to remediate wellbores for a number of years. Since 2009 the High Performance (HP) solid expandable patch has been installed in over 170 wells, addressing completion / production issues, however, these systems had always been run on jointed pipe. The recent (2015) deployment of an HP expandable patch on coiled tubing for the operator provided a technical and more economically attractive solution over alternative options. The planning, procedures and execution of this first ground breaking installation will be discussed in this paper. The operator required a solution to seal off squeeze perforations which would have to withstand high pressure fracturing operations. The area regulatory agency had suspended their operations, not allowing completion of the well due to a poor cement bond behind the production casing. This required remediation using a perforation and squeeze operation. The cement squeeze alone would not hold up to the high pressures required to fracture the well. An HP patch provided the optimum solution that would meet the requirements to complete the well. Side-tracking or drilling a costly replacement well, did not provide an economic option. A coiled tubing unit was used to perform the required cement squeeze. Since the HP patch could be run on coiled-tubing, it eliminated the need to mobilize additional equipment saving the operator time and money. After squeezing cement, the 4-1/4in HP patch was successfully installed into the 5-1/2in casing covering the squeeze perforations and then tested to 9,900 psi, - more than enough to withstand the planned fracturing pressures. Careful planning and operational support gave the client the confidence to install the expandable HP patch on coiled tubing to fully restore their well integrity. Over the last few years the HP patch has been developed to be deployed by various methods, thus providing significant opportunity for operators to revitalize their wellbore with a more effective and economical outcome.
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