A Unique Plug for a Restricted Wellbore

Blevins, Joy Jean; Frazier, Garrett L.

doi:10.2118/146559-ms

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 3 publications

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“…During the wait for the tieback installation on the case well, the plug was field tested on a well with severe dogleg issues. The curve of the horizontal wellbore prevented conventional plugs from passing through, and a slimhole flow-through fracturing plug was needed (Blevins and Frazier 2011).…”

Section: Fracturing-plug Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unique Solution to Repair Casing Failure in a HP/HT Wellbore Allows for Successful Multistage Stimulation Treatment in an Unconventional Reservoir

Wellhoefer

Stegent

Tunstall

et al. 2013

SPE Drilling &Amp; Completion

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Horizontal shale completions require multistage high-pressure hydraulic-fracturing stimulation treatments to deliver commercially viable production in low-permeability reservoirs. Unconventional shale plays, such as the Eagle Ford shale and Haynesville shale, often can require stimulation treatments that must be implemented in high-pressure, high-temperature (HP/HT) conditions. Typically, these wells are completed with long casing strings, and it is critical that these monobore casing strings withstand high injection pressures as well as maintain mechanical integrity during thermal contraction/expansion. So, what happens when the prefracturing casing-pressure-integrity pressure test fails? What is the "fix" that will allow treatments to be pumped at high pressure and rate? How will fracturing stages be isolated during the completion? Typically, remediation techniques have included everything from casing patches and expandable casing to coiled-tubing completions. Unfortunately, these solutions can have pressure limitations and can also be expensive.The authors of this paper will discuss how design of a 4-in. tieback string with flush joint connections equal to the properties of the casing was capable of repairing a 5 1 =2-in. monobore production casing that experienced extensive casing failure. The extremely small annular tolerance did not allow a conventional packer assembly or cementing for pressure isolation; thus, swellable-packer technology was used to anchor the casing in place. A special flow-through fracturing plug was designed so that it could be pumped through the 4-in. tieback casing and set in the 4 1 =2-in. lateral, allowing a plug-and-perforate fracture completion to be performed. The stimulation treatments were pumped to completion and demonstrated that the pressure isolation integrity of the casing system was satisfactory and that the flow-through fracturing plugs could maintain isolation between stimulation treatments. This wellbore was in the Eagle Ford shale. True vertical depth was approximately 13,000 ft, bottomhole temperature was approximately 325 F with a 0.95-psi/ft fracture gradient, and surface pressures exceeded 10,000 psi during the stimulation treatments.

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Section: Fracturing-plug Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unique Solution to Repair Casing Failure in a HP/HT Wellbore Allows for Successful Multistage Stimulation Treatment in an Unconventional Reservoir

Wellhoefer

Stegent

Tunstall

et al. 2013

SPE Drilling &Amp; Completion

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Unique Solution to Repair Casing Failure in a HTHP Wellbore Allows for Successful Multi-Stage Stimulation Treatment in an Unconventional Reservoir

et al. 2012

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Horizontal shale completions require multi-stage high-pressure hydraulic fracturing stimulation treatments in order to deliver commercially viable production in low permeability reservoirs. Unconventional shale plays, such as the Eagle Ford and Haynesville Shale, often can require stimulation treatments that must be implemented in high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) conditions. Typically, these wells are completed with long casing strings, and it is critical that these monobore casing strings withstand high injection pressures as well as maintain mechanical integrity during thermal contraction/expansion. So what happens when the pre-frac casing pressure integrity pressure test fails? What is the "fix" that will allow treatments to be pumped at high pressure and rate? How will frac stages be isolated during the completion? Typically, remediation techniques have included everything from casing patches and expandable casing to coiled tubing completions. Unfortunately, these solutions can have pressure limitations, and in addition, can be cost prohibitive. The authors of this paper will discuss how design of a 4-in. tie-back string with flush joint connections equal to the properties of the casing was capable of repairing a 5-1/2-in. monobore production casing that experienced extensive casing failure. The extremely small annular tolerance did not allow a conventional packer assembly or cementing for pressure isolation; thus, swellable packer technology was used to anchor the casing in place. A special flow-thru frac plug was designed so that it could be pumped through the 4-in. tie-back casing and set in the 4-1/2-in. lateral, allowing a plug-and-perf fracture completion to be performed. The stimulation treatments were pumped to completion and demonstrated 1), that the pressure isolation integrity of the casing system was satisfactory; and 2), that the flow-thru frac plugs could maintain isolation between stimulation treatments. This wellbore was in the Eagle Ford Shale. True vertical depth (TVD) was ~ 13,000 ft, bottomhole temperature (BHT) was ~325°F with a 0.95 psi/ft frac gradient, and surface pressures exceeded 10,000 psi during the stimulation treatments.

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Frac Sleeve Designed for Multi-Zone Cemented Laterals

Chauffe

Pence

Harris

2015

SPE Western Regional Meeting

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A ball-activated sliding sleeve design for multistage cemented lateral completions has been developed that allows multiple frac sleeves to be opened using the same diameter ball, significantly increasing the total number of sleeves available in the completion design. This paper discusses the sleeve design, the challenges associated with cemented laterals, the results of initial field installations, and the ramifications for completion design and execution. Ball-activated sleeves were introduced to overcome limitations of plug and perf designs and facilitate longer and more complex completions. As these completions have evolved, the technology has reached inherent design limitations. This is especially true in cemented lateral completions. These installations require a series of incrementally smaller balls and ball seats that reduce wellbore ID and ultimately limit the total number of sleeves that can be used in the completion. To further extend lateral length and accommodate the cemented laterals, a sliding sleeve device has been developed that allows multiple sliding sleeve valves to be opened with the same size ball and seat. The sliding sleeve design allows up to 90 individual sleeves to be opened as a single point of entry completion without dropping a ball diameter smaller than 4.00-in. in 5.500-in. casing, or a 3.25-in. ball in 4.500-in. casing. This increases wellbore ID over the length of the completion, and increases the total number of sleeves or sleeve clusters that can be employed in the completion design. The higher number of available sleeves affects the completion design, whether it uses single sleeve per stage or clusters of sleeves. In addition, lateral length of the completion is not constrained by the number of sleeves or the reach of coiled tubing. Cemented installations in the US Marcellus, Utica Shale, and Spraberry plays have enabled single-point-of-entry stimulations that optimize hydraulic fracturing pressure and provide a focused frac. In some applications, this has reduced pump rates and surface horsepower requirements by as much as 50% and also reduced the overall frac time. Experience also indicates these completions reduce water requirements by minimizing over-flushing of the formation. These cemented installations illustrate the potential of continued changes in completion designs and the viability of longer laterals. This paper is the first published examination of field performance in the initial installations of the sliding sleeve technology. Field results and data from sleeves installed in Marcellus, Utica Shale, and Spraberry completions are presented. Based on performance in these applications, the paper reviews completion design considerations facilitated by the ability to install larger numbers of sliding sleeves over longer cemented laterals.

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A Unique Plug for a Restricted Wellbore

Cited by 4 publications

References 3 publications

Unique Solution to Repair Casing Failure in a HP/HT Wellbore Allows for Successful Multistage Stimulation Treatment in an Unconventional Reservoir

Unique Solution to Repair Casing Failure in a HP/HT Wellbore Allows for Successful Multistage Stimulation Treatment in an Unconventional Reservoir

Unique Solution to Repair Casing Failure in a HTHP Wellbore Allows for Successful Multi-Stage Stimulation Treatment in an Unconventional Reservoir

Frac Sleeve Designed for Multi-Zone Cemented Laterals

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