This paper explains the utilization of technology to assure the safety of populated areas and surface facilities that lie above an oil field. It describes safety enhancements applied to 22 wells, which are located near populated areas or surface facilities. The project includes the utilization of several subsurface technologies requiring workover operations, such as a permanent downhole monitoring system (PDHMS) or distributed temperature system (DTS); as well as surface technologies such, as H2S, pressure and temperature sensors. This paper explains how these different pieces of equipment are connected to an emergency shut-down system (ESD), which secures the well immediately in case of an emergency. Finally, this paper explains how the project integrates these different technologies through a Supervisory Controlled and Data Acquisition System (SCADA) system by bringing the stream of data to the engineers' desktops, giving them remote control over the wells.

Fishing operations are complex and time consuming. This is due to the associated uncertainty with the orientation and condition of the tool that requires fishing. In this paper, a case study is presented which demonstrates the usefulness of utilizing downhole camera technology in conjunction with fishing operations. The use of real time camera inspection enabled successful fishing of a challenging plug. In addition, the traditional trial and error approach used in most fishing operations was avoided reducing the operation time and cost. The paper case study is a high pressure oil producer that has a stuck retrievable plug at 200 ft. The presence of the fish at a shallow depth makes well intervention operations critical from well control perspectives. In such cases, fishing operations must be meticulously designed to account and plan for contingencies should complications arise during fishing. Attempts to fish the plug using normal and heavy duty slickline were not successful. During these fishing attempts, several tools were lost in hole due to the damaged nature of the stuck plug adding to the complexity of the fishing operation. To address this challenge, a downhole camera with real time data transmission capability was run in the well using coiled tubing to enable viewing the condition and orientation of the lost fishing tools and the stuck plug. The results of the camera inspection runs were instrumental in subsequent fishing tools selection and adjusting the operating procedures. The first camera run revealed the presence of metal objects obstructing proper latch to the fish neck. Following clean-up runs with magnet, the second camera inspection run clearly showed partial damage to the top of fish neck (chipped out metal piece). The rest of the fishneck was found intact. Given the nature of damage to the top of the fishneck, conventional fishing tool sizes (3 in.) were not able to latch the fish. Accordingly, a smaller fishing tool (1.26 in. spear) was run and latched inside the bottom of the fish neck instead of the damaged top. The 1.26 in. spear run was successful in latching inside the fishneck and in recovering the fish safely. The fishing operation design, job execution, and contingencies will all be discussed in this paper.

This paper presents the success story of an innovative milling operation on a stuck-closed tubing master valve performed with electric line technologies. This field application has resulted in restoration of well accessibility, enabled well control, and saved costs related to rig intervention. The paper also documents lessons learned and recommends proper operational procedures related to future similar rigless operations, specifically with regards to well control and barrier philosophy. A stuck-closed surface valve in a live well is treated with extra caution as it presents a serious and challenging well control issue. Such a situation often calls for immediate intervention to restore well accessibility and reestablish well integrity barriers. The stringent well control requirements of the oilfield operator make the operational design and corresponding job execution even more challenging. In this case, Well-A is a land based vertical oil well on which the master gate valve was stuck and non-functional in the closed position. The pressure bellow the valve was last measured to be 1200 psi, a relatively high shut-in wellhead pressure compared to other offset producers in the same field. The wellhead was equipped with two carbon steel master gate valves, in addition, to the swap valve. The lowermost gate valve is the stuck valve, hence, preventing access to the well. Several attempts to repair and grease the valve body and stems were unsuccessful. Accordingly, the oilfield operator has decided to mill the gate valve, secure the well, and then replace the entire tree. The uncertainty in the well pressure below the master valve posed a significant operational risk. This is due to the impact of well fluid pressure force on the electric line rig-up after the gate valve is milled. Therefore, job planning, design, and execution were guided by a risk based and comprehensive contingency plan that accounted for all probable well control scenarios. The rig-up consisted of coiled tubing flanged risers, annular blowout preventer, Shear/Seal ram, and wireline blowout preventer in order to ensure the presence of adequate well control barriers throughout the operation. Adhering to a ‘safety first’ attitude, the operation was concluded successfully and met its said objectives. The successful massive undertaking of such critical well intervention operation has marked a new milestone in rigless well interventions.