The Use of Swell Packers as a Replacement and Alternative to Cementing

Kennedy, Gerard Paul; Lawless, Angelique; Shaikh, Ahmed Karim; Alabi, Isaac Babatunde

doi:10.2118/95713-ms

Cited by 38 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…production casing. Pursuing alternative options pointed toward use of existing technology that could be adapted in a new or uncommon application-i.e., swellable-packer technology (Kennedy et al 2005) to create an anchor packer for the tieback string (Fig. 4).…”

Section: Casing Repairmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unique Solution to Repair Casing Failure in a HP/HT Wellbore Allows for Successful Multistage Stimulation Treatment in an Unconventional Reservoir

Wellhoefer

Stegent

Tunstall

et al. 2013

SPE Drilling &Amp; Completion

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Horizontal shale completions require multistage high-pressure hydraulic-fracturing stimulation treatments to deliver commercially viable production in low-permeability reservoirs. Unconventional shale plays, such as the Eagle Ford shale and Haynesville shale, often can require stimulation treatments that must be implemented in high-pressure, high-temperature (HP/HT) conditions. Typically, these wells are completed with long casing strings, and it is critical that these monobore casing strings withstand high injection pressures as well as maintain mechanical integrity during thermal contraction/expansion. So, what happens when the prefracturing casing-pressure-integrity pressure test fails? What is the "fix" that will allow treatments to be pumped at high pressure and rate? How will fracturing stages be isolated during the completion? Typically, remediation techniques have included everything from casing patches and expandable casing to coiled-tubing completions. Unfortunately, these solutions can have pressure limitations and can also be expensive.The authors of this paper will discuss how design of a 4-in. tieback string with flush joint connections equal to the properties of the casing was capable of repairing a 5 1 =2-in. monobore production casing that experienced extensive casing failure. The extremely small annular tolerance did not allow a conventional packer assembly or cementing for pressure isolation; thus, swellable-packer technology was used to anchor the casing in place. A special flow-through fracturing plug was designed so that it could be pumped through the 4-in. tieback casing and set in the 4 1 =2-in. lateral, allowing a plug-and-perforate fracture completion to be performed. The stimulation treatments were pumped to completion and demonstrated that the pressure isolation integrity of the casing system was satisfactory and that the flow-through fracturing plugs could maintain isolation between stimulation treatments. This wellbore was in the Eagle Ford shale. True vertical depth was approximately 13,000 ft, bottomhole temperature was approximately 325 F with a 0.95-psi/ft fracture gradient, and surface pressures exceeded 10,000 psi during the stimulation treatments.

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Section: Casing Repairmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unique Solution to Repair Casing Failure in a HP/HT Wellbore Allows for Successful Multistage Stimulation Treatment in an Unconventional Reservoir

Wellhoefer

Stegent

Tunstall

et al. 2013

SPE Drilling &Amp; Completion

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“…The expansion is continuous and can be used to seal irregular wellbore and horizontal wellbore sections to replace cementing work. [27][28][29] Recently, compression packers have been widely used in fracturing operations. However, there are many reported failure accidents of compression packers due to their mechanical seat sealing overload.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A swellable packer is a new type of self‐expanding packer and its mechanism is the expansion of the rubber in the internal polymer structure to allow liquid hydrocarbons to enter into the polymer structure. The expansion is continuous and can be used to seal irregular wellbore and horizontal wellbore sections to replace cementing work 27–29 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental and thermal‐structure coupling analysis for oil and water‐swellable packer

Huang

Liu

2023

Energy Science & Engineering

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It has been widely acknowledged that traditional packers will lose their elastic performance in the context of long periods of operation due to plastic deformation. This paper will introduce a swellable packer that can reduce the failure cases of production effectively. The deformation of the packer rubber in different media and temperatures has been analyzed. The pressure test of several packer rubber under different media is carried out in this paper. The reasonable expansion clearance between the rubber tube and the well wall is obtained by strength calculation to ensure the sealing reliability of the packer. Finally, the thermomechanical coupling calculation of the packer with different structural sizes is carried out. Experiments at different temperatures show that the higher saline concentration is associated with a lower expansion rate and a larger expansion rate in clear water. At the same time, the expansion of volume in clear water increases. In addition, the higher the external temperature is, the larger the temperature gradient is. When the temperature of the outer ring is between 100°C and 140°C, the internal temperature rises to 37°C under the thermomechanical coupling effect.

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“…It is suggested that using swelling packers can replace cementing and provide better zonal isolation (Kennedy et al 2005;Jorgensen et al 2007). Using swelling packers with a preperforated liner solves this problem.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of HCl Acid and Brines on Water-Swelling Packers

Al-Yami

Nasr‐El‐Din

Al-Humaidi

et al. 2010

SPE Drilling &Amp; Completion

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Achieving successful zonal isolation during well completion is critical to minimize early water production. Currently, cementing is the only method used in Saudi fields to provide zonal isolation. However, in horizontal sections, cementing becomes a challenge and excessive water production can occur because of channeling. Another method for zonal isolation is to use a rubber elastomer bonded onto a base pipe. The rubber swells in water and provides a seal between the base pipe and the open hole. This paper will outline the step-by-step qualification testing that was carried out in Saudi Aramco facilities in an attempt to improve zonal isolation in horizontal and multilaterals wells.In this study, we present laboratory evaluation of elastomers at 190ºF using brines of different ionic strengths and pH values. The evaluation involved examining the effect of salinity and pH on elastomer swelling rate. Also, the study investigated the effect of 15 wt% hydrochloric acid (HCl) on swollen elastomers and whether the exposure to water after acid would restore their sizes. To the best of the authors' knowledge, no previous work has been performed to examine the impact of these factors on the swollen packers.The elastomer bonded onto pipes was tested in autoclaves. The pressure drop across the pipes was measured as a function of time. The influences of pH and divalent cations on water-swelling packers were investigated using elastomer samples. Swelling was related to fluid characteristics.Some water-swelling packers withstood pressures up to 5,000 psi at 190ºF after placing the elastomers in brines with salinities up to 200,000 mg/L. However, the swollen elastomers shrank in 15 wt% HCl. A calcium chloride (CaCl 2 ) completion fluid, a common fluid used in Saudi Aramco fields, at 72 lb/ft 3 (pcf) failed to swell the elastomers. Re-exposure of shrunken coupons to water did not restore their initial swollen volume before acid soaking. This paper discusses the advantages and limitations of water-swelling elastomers and gives recommendations for successful field applications.

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The Use of Swell Packers as a Replacement and Alternative to Cementing

Cited by 38 publications

References 3 publications

Unique Solution to Repair Casing Failure in a HP/HT Wellbore Allows for Successful Multistage Stimulation Treatment in an Unconventional Reservoir

Unique Solution to Repair Casing Failure in a HP/HT Wellbore Allows for Successful Multistage Stimulation Treatment in an Unconventional Reservoir

Experimental and thermal‐structure coupling analysis for oil and water‐swellable packer

Effect of HCl Acid and Brines on Water-Swelling Packers

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