Big Bore Remote Actuated Barrier Device Development and Qualification

Abstract

This development predominantly from four artificial islands of a giant offshore field in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) requires isolation of the reservoir during deployment of advanced ERD upper completions. This methodology to isolate the reservoir, during upper completions, carries through to rigging down the Blow Out Preventer (BOP) and offline Xmas tree installation operations. These well construction barrier requirements are met with the use of a tubing deployed barrier device and packer within an intermediate completion that is deployed as a separate trip in the hole on drillpipe to isolate the reservoir. Prior to running the upper completion both packer and barrier device are suitably tested to confirm their barrier status. Current barrier devices utilized in the field development require wellbore intervention with either slickline or coiled tubing to remove the internal barrier in the devices. Both of these methods pose a financial impact and operational risk to the well. In addition, they can cause delays to the rig schedule as the intervention in some cases needs to be done on critical rig path, in situations where the next well on the schedule prevents offline access. Development plans to both minimize current and future wellbore interventions with slickline or coiled tubing, and maximize Inner Diameter (ID) to allow for remedial completion operations, resulted in a requirement for a barrier device with both remote actuation and large internal bore. The authors describe the process undertaken to develop, qualify and deploy a big bore, Remote Actuated Barrier Device (RABD) to meet the field development requirements.