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The deepwater Mars/ Deimos field is located in the central region of the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) at~3000' water depth. Mars was discovered in 1989 and production began in 1996 from Mars A, a 24 slot tension leg platform (TLP). The deeper Deimos, with significant hydrocarbon volumes, was later discovered below the original Mars production intervals. After years of development, the shallow target horizons have been severely depleted, whereas new discovery is still at significantly higher virgin pressures.Mars B Olympus DVA, a new 24 slot TLP, was justified following a holistic evaluation of the deeper discovery. This TLP represents the first brownfield development of a deepwater field in the GoM. The field life is~50 years, with a development plan requiring ϩ/Ϫ 80 independent completions across~60 hydrocarbon horizons, extending from 10,500= to 23,000= true vertical depth (TVD). Due to the limited number of slots and required number of completions, each of the boreholes has to consider future utility (i.e., slot recoveries, slim-hole sidetracks, big-hole sidetracks and up-hole recompletions) as a fundamental design requirement.The detailed well development concept design was kicked off in 2011, considering new design load scenarios due to more stringent regulatory and internal design mandates put in place. Previously used concept design was neither robust nor satisfy long term life requirements.A representative "Type Well" design concept approach was developed to holistically evaluate existing technologies and equipment feasibility against the new design mandates and to identify gaps. The type wells were analyzed in detail to ensure there were no design oversights and so design limit envelopes could be established. Subsequently,~20 new technology developments ranging from a high-pressure NACE tieback system to a reverse cementing tool were identified as critical to project delivery, and a multitude of unintended consequences resulting from the new well design were also identified in the process.The following paper describes the methodology used to create these type wells and examples of technology gaps identified. It also describes the key technologies developed and the domino effect as a result of their implementation.
The deepwater Mars/ Deimos field is located in the central region of the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) at~3000' water depth. Mars was discovered in 1989 and production began in 1996 from Mars A, a 24 slot tension leg platform (TLP). The deeper Deimos, with significant hydrocarbon volumes, was later discovered below the original Mars production intervals. After years of development, the shallow target horizons have been severely depleted, whereas new discovery is still at significantly higher virgin pressures.Mars B Olympus DVA, a new 24 slot TLP, was justified following a holistic evaluation of the deeper discovery. This TLP represents the first brownfield development of a deepwater field in the GoM. The field life is~50 years, with a development plan requiring ϩ/Ϫ 80 independent completions across~60 hydrocarbon horizons, extending from 10,500= to 23,000= true vertical depth (TVD). Due to the limited number of slots and required number of completions, each of the boreholes has to consider future utility (i.e., slot recoveries, slim-hole sidetracks, big-hole sidetracks and up-hole recompletions) as a fundamental design requirement.The detailed well development concept design was kicked off in 2011, considering new design load scenarios due to more stringent regulatory and internal design mandates put in place. Previously used concept design was neither robust nor satisfy long term life requirements.A representative "Type Well" design concept approach was developed to holistically evaluate existing technologies and equipment feasibility against the new design mandates and to identify gaps. The type wells were analyzed in detail to ensure there were no design oversights and so design limit envelopes could be established. Subsequently,~20 new technology developments ranging from a high-pressure NACE tieback system to a reverse cementing tool were identified as critical to project delivery, and a multitude of unintended consequences resulting from the new well design were also identified in the process.The following paper describes the methodology used to create these type wells and examples of technology gaps identified. It also describes the key technologies developed and the domino effect as a result of their implementation.
Deepwater operators continually face technical and environmental challenges to drilling and completing wells safely and efficiently. To address both current and future challenges, the industry has leveraged radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to reduce risk, rig time, and nonproductive time (NPT) and to perform operations that traditional tools cannot perform. RFID technology has been integrated into drilling and completions tools to improve performance and reduce risk for offshore operations, such as drilling underreamed holes, spotting lost circulation materials, setting packers, opening stimulation sleeves, and performing subsurface reverse cementing. These tools use RFID tags released from the rig floor to enable downhole hydraulic power units (HPUs) to operate the tools. This paper describes criteria for selecting RFID-enabled tools rather than traditional tools, integration of RFID tools with operations, and value-added features enabled by RFID. Contingency, safety, and risk assessment factors are discussed, along with case studies validating performance and suitability of selected RFID tools. Three case studies describe how RFID solutions for drilling and completions were selected and applied in high-cost environments to address specific challenges and job objectives. Design and bench testing of RFID tools to enable future subsurface reverse cementing operations are also covered. The first case study describes an RFID lower-completion system that was successfully deployed into a southern North Sea extended-reach well. The system enabled remote control of flapper isolation valves and remote operation of stimulation sleeves to access the reservoir, which aimed to eliminate the need for intervention between treatments and ultimately improved fracture cycle time and reduced risk. In the Gulf of Mexico, an RFID drilling underreamer was used to set a liner shoe precisely at the casing point and eliminate a dedicated hole-opening run that would have been needed with traditional underreamers. The 8 1/2-in. hole section was drilled; but losses prevented the mechanical reamer from opening. Therefore, the 650-ft hole section was drilled to TD using the bit only. To eliminate multiple trips to take pressure samples and underream the hole section to 9-7/8 in., an RFID underreamer was placed below the measurement-while-drilling/logging-while-drilling (MWD/LWD) equipment. After pressure measurements were taken, the underreamer was actuated with RFID tags to enlarge the entire 650-ft openhole section with less than a 13-ft rathole. In the last case study, an RFID circulation sub was deployed above other bottomhole assembly (BHA) components, including an RFID underreamer and a conventional ball drop underreamer. This configuration enabled the operator to ream out the 22-in. cemented show track, underream the openhole section, and efficiently clean the wellbore at total depth. Because of BHA and standpipe pressure limitations, the RFID circulation sub was used in a split-flow application to bypass a percentage of the total flow to allow for a higher downhole flow rate. The sub helped to achieve high flow rates, high annular velocity, and turbulent flow, which contributed to better hole cleaning and improved wellbore integrity. Selecting the best tools and technology for specific applications results in streamlined applications and reduced operational risk. The methodology for selection, design, planning, and implementation of RFID drilling and completions tools identifies when RFID technology can be beneficial to deepwater operations.
Reverse circulation cementing is a placement technique that reduces bottomhole equivalent circulating densities (ECDs) and reduces lost circulation risk in wells in which conventional circulation pressures would break down formations. Until now, reverse circulation cementing has been performed only on land or in shallow-water wells in which the annulus was accessible from the surface to pump down. This paper describes the design, development, and validation of technology that enables subsurface reverse circulation. Gaps in technology have made it challenging to transfer reverse-cementing-placement techniques to primary cementing operations in deepwater. To reverse cement a liner, fluids must be pumped down the work string to prevent potential contact inside the riser and blowout preventer (BOP), and then fluids must be injected into the annulus downhole while full circulation continues. A tool system was developed to facilitate this unique flow path, provide alternative methods to set liner hangers, and provide flexibility for contingencies and other operational requirements. The developed subsurface reverse circulation tool system uses radio frequency identification (RFID) technology so that the tools can be operated remotely and repeatedly either by RFID tags or through surface-pressure pulse sequences. Three RFID-activated tools were designed: a circulation tool, a crossover tool, and a downhole flapper. The prototype tool system was first evaluated through bench testing of individual components and then through large-scale rig testing. During the rig trials, the entire system was run into a test well, and a multiday sequence of flow testing validated the function and performance of each tool. After successful testing in rig trials, the subsurface reverse circulation tools (RCT) were deployed in the Appalachia basin field, located in the Northeastern United States. This paper discusses the requirements of a subsurface reverse-circulation-cementing system. It describes the design, development, and validation of technology that enables subsurface reverse circulation. It also describes the prototype system that was built and the field testing results. This new capability enables the cement to be pumped down the work string and then to exit to the annulus at a point above the liner string.
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