SPE Members
Abstract
This paper provides an economic and technological perspective for use of large diameter coiled tubing' relative to threaded tubulars for subsurface production tubing. This new advancement in coiled tubing technology can significantly reduce the expense for purchasing and installing production tubing while increasing hydrocarbon reserve recovery and providing a safer, more desirable ecosystem interrelation.
Introduction
Since 1990 the world Oil & Gas industry has spent an estimated $3.1 billion annually for the purchase and utilization of new and used threaded production tubing. A breakdown of this annual cost shows that 71%, or $2.2 billion annually, is for installation of tubulars and 29%, or $900 million annually, is for the purchase of subsurface production tubing. Small savings in this area can mean large rewards, especially considering the industry's current economic climate.
The recent introduction of large diameter coiled tubing to the industry has generated an alternative to threaded tubulars (Figure 1). Although in its infancy, large diameter coiled tubing technology is poised as a "major impact technology" in reducing the industry's expense of purchasing and installing subsurface production tubulars.
Significant indications of growth in use of large diameter coiled production tubing are occurring. Coiled tubing manufacturers indicate that during 1994, 5% of coiled tubing footage produced was devoted toward large diameter production tubulars, a 2% increase versus 1993. Based on a survey of coiled tubing injector head manufacturers, injector heads capable of handling the demands of large diameter coiled tubing have had a tremendous growth rate. In 1992 only four injector heads capable of loads over 60,000 ft-lbs were available, versus 23 by year end 1993. During 1994, 50 units were produced, a 117% increase versus 1993.
It is important to define the term "coiled tubing technology" since no industry standard definition exists. This paper uses "coiled tubing technology" to mean technology focusing on coiled tubing. The term "overall coiled tubing technology" means all facets of coiled tubing and its support technologies.
LARGE DIAMETER COILED TUBING
The coiled tubing manufacturers are currently designating "large diameter" coiled tubing as 2 in. through 3 1/2 in. outside diameter (Table 1). Figure 2 illustrates typical large diameter coiled tubing shipping spool capacities.
P. 133
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.