The current oil and gas industry uncertainty encourages innovative, efficient, and simple drilling and workover solutions. Challenging and problematic formations cause various design complications and operational risk. These include lost circulation, well control incidents, high density drilling fluid systems, tool design limitations, etc. Such troubles can also lead to liner and casing leaks downhole and eventually undesired surface pressure buildups across the tubing-casing and casing-casing annuli. The case study well was drilled and completed, but prior to production a tubing-casing annular pressure of 6,500 psi was recorded. With two liners in the well casing designs (4-1/2 in. and 7 in.), a well leak was suspected to be at the top of the 7 in. liner as it was laying across a deep and over-pressurized formation with a 152.5 pcf gradient. After commencing the workover operations and due to downhole leaks and washouts, the well had to be killed off-bottom with 160 pcf manganese tetroxide (Mn3O4) mud. The well was fully decompleted, except for the production packer, which was left in hole. Investigation and diagnostic operations showed leaking 7 in. liner body and liner top packer. To repair the leaking 7 in. liner, the team introduced an innovative design with a 4-1/2 in. x 7 in. tapered scab liner to sting into the newly installed repair packer and extend above the existing 7 in. top of liner to set on the 9-5/8 in. casing, and so cover the leaks. A mechanical 7 in. x 9-5/8 in. hanger and liner top packer system was deployed to allow for cementing the scab liner then setting these mechanical tools, where hydraulically actuated systems were impractical. Due to the high kill mud density of 160 pcf, a special 165 pcf Mn3O4 -Hematite cement recipe was adapted. Despite the high slurry density, this formulation allowed for optimal mixing, pumping, and leak isolation operations. This paper will highlight the case study well history and challenges leading to liner leaks while emphasizing the nature of the over-pressurized formation. It will demonstrate the mechanical tapered scab liner design and deployment procedures in comparison to the conventional scab and tie-back liner jobs.

During the development phase of a gas field, the abnormal pressure in a dolomitic limestone formation demanded an extremely high mud weight to control the well. The casing design of this case-study field has entailed the installation of a 7″ × 9-5/8″ liner hanger in combination with a liner top packer followed by a tieback to surface. Due to this hole section being directly above the pay zone, it is crucial that the liner installation and the wellbore integrity are not compromised for the subsequent well completion. The downhole pressure conditions require a drilling mud weight up to 157 pcf (~ 21 ppg), where solids content could reach as high as 49% using conventional weighing materials. For a liner deployment, this means that the high concentration of solids can cause plugging in the setting ports of conventional hydraulic liner hanger and running tool system. Additionally, the thin balance between ECDs and the formation fracture pressures in this field generated events of severe fluid loss during the liner deployment or while cementing. A liner not fully supported by cement — due to severe fluid loss during cementation — can experience ballooning, and be unable to withstand piston forces acting against the liner top packer during well completion operations. These forces can, in some cases, exceed the ratings of the liner top packer's hold-down slips, therefore allowing the packing element of the liner top packer to not set properly. For these reasons, an optimized deployment strategy was planned and implemented to address these challenges. It included improvements to the hydraulic liner hanger and running tool system, calculations to simulate an optimal running speed of the liner, enhanced procedures for liner deployment and cementation, including revised setting procedures for the liner hanger slips, and modifications to drill pipe wiper plug design. The objective of this paper is to detail the benefits of implementation, detailed pre-job planning, improvements for optimal drilling mud properties and modifications to the liner hanger system, and procedures that resulted in successful deployments of liners in this field. In addition, a case study will be shared as a way to institute lessons learned and best practices.