The Use of a "Type Well" Concept Approach for Design, Feasibility, and Creation of a Technology Plan for Well Construction in a New Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Development

New regulatory requirements and design conditions introduced in recent years have led to the use of higher strength tubulars in the majority of Deepwater wells in the Gulf of Mexico. To achieve the new design requirements, the use of non-conventional casing sizes, grades and weights different than those traditionally used and available in the industry are required. The use of thicker wall tubular has consequently resulted in geometrical constraints and tighter annuli clearances in the wellbore driving new connection design requirements and selection criteria to meet overall well objectives. The new design conditions require innovative connection design to meet or exceed the collapse strength of pipe body rating. As part of the Shell Mars B project, the Olympus TLP DVA team championed the development and qualification of multiple connection types to meet the project requirement and for overall portfolio usage. As the number of connections to be designed and qualified is substantial, a pragmatic and systematic testing philosophy and strategy was developed for the Mars-B project TLP DVA wells. This paper provides a high level overview of the connection selection challenges, the systematic process adopted to streamline connection development, testing and qualification. It will also discuss some of the challenges in connection design to meet well requirements and qualification process. The scope includes static connection design for strings installed below the subsea well head, as well as, dynamic connection design on strings that are installed in the water column. Both connection designs require sealability qualification and assurance. Dynamic connections require additional fatigue design and qualification. Rigorousness of sealability and fatigue testing is appropriate to the environment of which it will be subjected throughout the well and the 50 year field life.

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Proactive Novel Approach and Design Strategies to Zonal Isolation in a Highly Challenging Deep Water Environment

Grant

Japar

Reagins

et al. 2014

All Days

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In September 2010 a decision was made to expand the current Mars field development with a second 24 slot TLP structure in a water depth of 3000 ft. This new development includes higher pressured deeper pays below the existing brown field Mars pays. The new structure will install wells with multiple casing strings across stacked sand packages that are both depleted and virgin pressured ranging from 10,500 ft to 23,000 ft TVD in depth. This in combination with other challenges such as extremely tight annuli clearances, depletion zones greater than 5000 psi, multiple stacked sands at varying degrees of depletion, and risk of borehole stability failure/ballooning presents a unique set of zonal isolation challenges that requires proactive novel approaches and design strategies. Zonal isolation is a regulatory requirement and a key component of project success in order to secure maximum field recovery and future wellbore utilization within the estimated field life.Zonal isolation methodology and design does not have a single focus but explores all parameters that affect placement and isolation while not losing focus on striving operational simplicity. This paper discusses the engineering approach to zonal isolation requirements in a highly challenging environment utilizing a step wise methodology with increasing complexity and also elaborates on how this approach led to the identification and ultimately the development of new technologies.Design methodologies will be discussed as well as resulting technologies identified as a "must haves" for development to ensure maximum probability of zonal isolation success. Technologies discussed will include reverse cementing tools, 50 (ϩ) year seals for stage collars, and connection requirements. Statement of Requirements (SORs), basic tool descriptions, and preliminary results of these developments will also be included. Discussions on why certain placement techniques or approaches were not integrated into the zonal isolation project plan will also be discussed. OverviewNumerous design challenges must be managed to ensure wellbore objectives, lifecycle wellbore integrity, robust future utility and top quartile execution performance is achieved for Mars B Olympus direct vertical access (DVA) wells. New regulatory requirements and design conditions have led to the required use of

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The Use of a "Type Well" Concept Approach for Design, Feasibility, and Creation of a Technology Plan for Well Construction in a New Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Development

Cited by 3 publications

References 2 publications

A review of deepwater pipeline construction in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico–Contracts, cost, and installation methods

A review of deepwater pipeline construction in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico–Contracts, cost, and installation methods

An Innovative and Systematic Approach to Delivering a Multitude of Next Generation Tubular Connections Required for Extremely Complex Design Conditions

Proactive Novel Approach and Design Strategies to Zonal Isolation in a Highly Challenging Deep Water Environment

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