Successful Placement of Openhole Plug in HT Conditions

Araiza, Gumaro Guzman; Rogers, Henry Eugene; Peña, L. Olivencia; Montoya, Salvador

doi:10.2118/109649-ms

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 4 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Specifically, tail-pipe disconnects introduced by Rogers et al (2006) and the bottomhole kickoff assembly (BHKA) (Fig. 2) introduced by Araiza et al (2007) were reviewed for application in updip-downhole wellbores. It seemed the mechanics of the plug-setting aids introduced by Rogers and Araiza could be applied to an updip-downhole wellbore if retooled slightly to alter the actual process by which the cement is placed, packer is inflated, and disconnect is achieved.…”

Section: Irregular Wellbore Requires Tool Redesignmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plug-Setting Aid Retooled for Uphole-Downdip Plugback Application Enables Pinpoint Slurry Placement in Complex Updip Wellbore

2009

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

As drilling techniques advance and wellbores become more complex, placing successful cement plugs downhole on the first attempt becomes more challenging. Phenomena and well conditions can have a negative influence on the performance of the cement plug, significantly impacting drilling time and costs. When plug-cementing operations are required in an updip hole section, the following concerns become even more difficult to address:• Boycott or extrusion effects, especially in highly deviated wells.• Lost circulation problems caused by the narrow mud-weight window.• High concentrations of lost-circulation materials impede pumping at the desired rates for optimum displacement efficiency. • Shorter plug-length requirements, because reentries are becoming more popular in mature fields as an alternate way to look for different production zones. • Complex wellbore geometry.• Difficulty of effectively placing small volumes of slurry under deep, high-temperature conditions and washed-hole sections.This paper documents a Middle East field application where an abandonment plug was required to be set in an upholedowndip section of the wellbore. After several failed attempts using a conventional plug-setting aid, an application-specific plug-setting aid was designed that incorporated torque-capability to help enable the workstring to be run in hole (RIH) in an updip wellbore and an annular isolation element to prevent slurry fallback in the uphole-downdip hole section. Detailed customer expectations and performance criteria will be provided, resulting in a conventional plug-setting aid that was successfully retooled to enable slurry placement in an uphole-downdip wellbore. BackgroundThere are a number of challenges associated with setting cement plugs in an openhole well. Most importantly, a drillpipe can become differentially stuck across a lost-circulation zone and the plug can become contaminated with the intermixing of the mud resulting in inadequate isolation or insufficient strength. Cement plugs are used for various reasons, including healing losses, abandonment, and directional drilling. It is essential to these operations that a competent cement plug is placed the first time. The value of placing the designed cement plug properly is measured by nonproductive rig time, wasted material, and additional cementing services. An innovative tool and a special process (Rogers et al. 2006) were designed to meet the challenges associated with setting cement plugs. The tool connects sacrificial/drillable tubing to the drillpipe and allows an operator to trip into the well and spot the cement plug across the problematic zone. Once cement is placed, the tool is disengaged and the operator trips the drillpipe out of the hole, leaving the cement plug and tubing undisturbed. The sacrificial tubing can be drillable. Therefore, the operator can drill through the plug or continue other operations as required.

show abstract

Section: Irregular Wellbore Requires Tool Redesignmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plug-Setting Aid Retooled for Uphole-Downdip Plugback Application Enables Pinpoint Slurry Placement in Complex Updip Wellbore

2009

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…To achieve the objectives, drilling fluid and pre-flushes must be fully removed from the openhole interval and be exchanged fully with cement or any plugging material. The fluid removal process is a function of borehole quality, circulation and displacement efficiency, fluid conditioning and properties of drilling fluids, spacers and washes [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Fluid removal process can be carried out in two main different ways: hydraulically or mechanically.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Fundamentals of Plug Placement

Khalifeh¹,

Saasen²

2020

Ocean Engineering &Amp; Oceanography

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The best practice of permanent plug and abandonment requires a cross sectional barrier, which is known as rock-to-rock barrier. The barrier is placed at the right depth where formation is capable to hold the maximum anticipated pressure. To fulfill the requirement, two general situations could be encountered: openhole plug placement or cased hole plug placement. Openhole Plug PlacementTo place a permanent cement plug in an openhole, the fluid in the well needs to be replaced with cement. As the compositions and properties of drilling (or milling) fluids and cement slurries vary widely, severe contamination can occur at the interface of drilling fluid and cement slurries due to incompatibility. Therefore, fluid removal during cement plug placement is a crucial task. Fluid RemovalFluid removal has been an interest for cement engineers for many years. To achieve the objectives, drilling fluid and pre-flushes must be fully removed from the openhole interval and be exchanged fully with cement or any plugging material. The fluid removal process is a function of borehole quality, circulation and displacement efficiency, fluid conditioning and properties of drilling fluids, spacers and washes [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Fluid removal process can be carried out in two main different ways: hydraulically or mechanically. In the hydraulic process, spacer fluids with specific viscous behavior are pumped ahead of cement slurry to displace drilling or milling fluid. The contamination effect of these spacer fluids on cement is less compared to drilling or milling fluids.

show abstract

Successful Placement of Openhole Plug in HT Conditions

Cited by 2 publications

References 4 publications

Plug-Setting Aid Retooled for Uphole-Downdip Plugback Application Enables Pinpoint Slurry Placement in Complex Updip Wellbore

Plug-Setting Aid Retooled for Uphole-Downdip Plugback Application Enables Pinpoint Slurry Placement in Complex Updip Wellbore

Fundamentals of Plug Placement

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About