Wireline Well Tractor Technology Experience in Extended Reach Horizontal Well

Abstract

Horizontal wells with extended reach drilled in Ghawar field awarded significant improvements, maximizing hydrocarbon production and attained ultimate recoveries. Over the life of those wells, intervention work is necessary to maintain hydrocarbon production by conducting remedial action, such as acid stimulation or water shut off. Necessary data for decision making can be obtained through running surveillance tools, which has proved to be a challenge, considering that these sensors will have to be deployed to total depth (TD). Many well intervention methods have been developed over time to overcome these challenges, such as coiled tubing (CT) and several types of wireline tractors. Wireline tractor technology has evolved to reduce time, cost and improve data quality and increase wellbore coverage. The use of a wireline tractor imposes fewer personnel on the job, much less equipment and less lifting of heavy loads resulting in a smaller footprint impacting the environment. In addition, the fast rig up of the wireline tractor and the running in hole (RIH) and pulling out of hole (POOH) speeds the highly deviated section, and cuts down on operating time. This paper will demonstrate horizontal logging experience gained from trial testing a new deployment solution for the production logging tool (PLT). A new generation of wireline tractors was utilized successfully to deploy the PLT for the first time in the Saudi Arabian field and showed exceptional performance. The tractor proved its capability to overcome different challenging wellbore conditions, such as rugosity, washouts, and high dogleg severity (DLS). Moreover, the tractor was able to efficiently pass through very short sections with large changes in the inclination and azimuth, This paper also covers the whole cycle of candidate selection, job design, execution challenges, post job evaluation, lessons learned and experience gained to optimize similar future jobs.

Wireline Tractors and Mechanical Services Tools: Comparative Study of Technical Solutions

“…The hydraulic transmission is more readily configurable. Tractor tools with hydraulic transmissions can be configured at surface for high speed or high load applications , Al-Shawly et al 2010). This is done by adding/removing drive modules.…”

“…These are the cable tension, power delivery, and cable heat simulations. Cable tension modeling software is available for purchase and is routinely used for most intervention planning (Alden et al 2004, Al-Shawly et al 2010, Billingham et al 2011. Power delivery requires detailed information about the drive motors, transmissions, and electronics used in the tractor and mechanical services tool.…”

Robotic Logging Technology: The Future of Oil Well Logging

“…Pipe conveyed logging: Pipe-conveyed logging (PCL) system enables acquisition of real-time, high quality log data in difficult, highly deviated, or horizontal wells where logging tools cannot be lowered into the zone of interest by gravity or because there are adverse well conditions [1]. This system uses drill pipe to convey the tools to the required logging depth.…”

“…Once the wheels establish contact with the casing, the tractor starts to move forward. Upon reaching the desired depth, the tractor is disengaged and conventional logging or perforating operations can resume [1].…”

Integration of Fiber Optic Enabled Coiled Tubing System with Multiphase Production Logging Tool for Remedial Work Candidate Evaluation

“…In view of that, various types of multiphase production logging tools (MPLTs) for wet horizontal wells were tested and utilized 1 . In addition, extensive work was done to enhance the deployment methods, especially for long reach horizontal wells, using electric line (e-line) coiled tubing (CT) or wireline tractors 2,3,4 .…”