Moving the Oil and Gas Sector into the Video Age: Vision Assisted Well Interventions Reduce Cost and Add Value

Abstract

Economic challenges, within the oil and gas industry, make the optimization of production from existing wells more important than ever. Increasing the number of active wells and maximizing their production can be achieved through integrity-restoring and production-enhancing well intervention projects. The challenge faced by well operators under today’s economic conditions is achieving cost effective, high efficiency operations to maximize return on their investment. Through the presentation of case studies, this paper will demonstrate how the application of innovative downhole camera technologies enabled well operators to bring wells back on-line that had previously been shut in. High definition, battery powered, memory cameras were deployed on slickline to provide cost effective operations without compromise to image quality. Full color video was downloaded and analyzed after each run to enable well site decision making regarding specific well issues, including tubing to annulus communication, a failed safety valve and diagnosing the results of multiple failed fishing attempts over several years. By providing fast-response, high-clarity visual information, an engineered solution would be tailored to suit the specific well conditions to maximize the effectiveness of remediation and increase the efficiency of restoration of production. Results from the camera surveys immediately revealed clear evidence of the wellbore status in each case. Conclusive images of parted tubing, the position and condition of a fish and the top of a completion string provided valuable inputs into the decision making process for subsequent remedial work. As a direct result, fishing operations could be tailored to suit the specific situation and a work-over could be conclusively decided upon or avoided, providing significant time and cost saving as a result. In one case, a well, previously shut-in for several years, was brought back to life with a significant uplift in oil production. Traditionally downhole cameras have been regarded as emergency tools to address immediate, unexpected problems. However, with advances in image clarity and data density, combined with carefully planned interventions, camera technologies provide highly intuitive and accurate diagnostic and surveillance information that reduces uncertainty and increases the effectiveness of resulting remedial work. Efficiency is now enhanced further through the integration of quantitative logging data with the camera in a single run to offer a truly robust interpretation answer and effectively provide vision to downhole data. The Oil and Gas sector has truly moved into the video age.