Tech 101 In this new series, TWA examines some of the most significant upstream technologies being employed today. This first installment focuses on well tractors.

Traditionally, deviated and horizontal wells have been challenging to service in a cost and time-efficient manner. Conventional technology requires large equipment to be mobilized and many heavy lifts in the offshore environment, sometimes with negative HSE consequences.New technology on electric wireline has made it possible to access the entire well regardless of deviation and lateral reach. Wireline tractors and new mechanical services can be mobilized in a matter of hours and only require a crew of two people for many applications. Transportation can be done by helicopter to avoid the cost and time of mobilizing a full coiled tubing (CT) spread with bottom hole assembly. Additionally, fuel consumption, emissions and fluid discharges are reduced and heavy lifts are eliminated for the offshore environment.Mechanical down hole wireline tools have also been developed to manage produced water. When wells produce up to 100% of water, mechanical tools can isolate the water to increase oil recovery. By reducing water entry at the source, the subsequent efforts and costs to address it are reduced along with the environmental risks. This paper will illustrate how HSE benefits can be achieved through several case histories. One case history will show how time and crew requirements can be reduced when a wireline tractor and milling system were deployed to remove 42 ft of barium sulfate inside two wellbores. The scale was removed from both wells in 12 days -the same time it would have taken a CT unit to mobilize and demobilize offshore. Costs were reduced by 60% and crew requirements were reduced from 23 to 12 people compared which reduced human exposure to risks offshore.Another case history will illustrate how produced water can be effectively reduced through e-line mechanical services. In an offshore well in Norway, a leak was detected in the tubing, which resulted in 85% water cut. A wireline tractor and stroker were applied to install two straddle packers in order to isolate the water-producing area. Water cut was reduced to 5% and oil production increased 800%.

A light weight intervention technique utilizing electric wireline has emerged as an alternative to existing well intervention methods. Tractor technology enables high speed, low HSE impact and a high degree of precision in production enhancing interventions in onshore and offshore wells. Wireline tractor technology eliminates the limitation on traditional wireline by extending the reach of the wireline into a high angle or horizontal part of the well bore, enabling access to the entire length of the well.Interventions in challenging conditions such as subsea, deepwater, extended reach, high-yield, heavy oil and deepwater are also enabled whether the hole angles are highly deviated or not. For instance, where slick line or coiled tubing (CT) operations below 20,000 ft can be risky and costly, tractor technology offers a time and costefficient alternative for valve manipulation, sand clean out and scale milling. Furthermore, interventions have been performed in high temperature wells (388°F), high pressure (>20,000 psi), ERD wells (>30K ft) and high deviations (130°) wells.Wireline tractor services can be mobilized in a matter of hours and only require a crew of from two to four people, depending on the operation. Transportation can be done in a helicopter to avoid the cost and time of mobilizing a full CT spread such as when cleaning and milling operations are performed without surface fluid handling logistics. Further, lightweight interventions with tractor technology combined with low surface impact left on the environment, allows mobilizations in eco-sensitive regions where heavy methods are not permitted due to the irreversible environmental damage that would be caused. This paper will present case studies where the HSE impact was significantly reduced by employing lightweight intervention techniques through tractor related mechanical services. One case will be a recent operation of milling barium sulfate scale on electric wireline and removing the cuttings in the same run in the hole. The second case will be milling out a cast iron bridge plug on electric wireline and the third will highlight the world's first wireline tractor intervention from a subsea intervention ship, which provided a much lighter solution for the operator.

Since the concept of milling obstructions on electric line (e-line) was introduced in 2005, operators around the world have applied this technique successfully removing downhole valves, plugs, scales, cement and nipple profiles achieving cost-effective and time-efficient interventions. Recently, a series of e-line milling operations were performed to remove repeater-sub and ball-seat restrictions in oil producing horizontal wellbores located in Southeast Saskatchewan. The low pressure reservoirs favored intervention technologies that did not require excessive hydrostatic head. Operators have traditionally used nitrogen mixed with water to prevent damage to the reservoir and to maintain circulation; however, this reduces the amount of torque that can be achieved at the bit, and causes stalling and sticking issues. Using a combination of tractor and milling technology on e-line in these wells provided the required torque for milling with a steady and constant weight on bit throughout the wellbore for removal of ball seat restrictions. This paper presents the latest achievements within e-line milling in Canada. The paper will discuss best practices of date as well as a discussion of e-line milling challenges through three case studies in Canada.

Recently, a solution has been developed to provide for milling of nipple profiles and other downhole hardware with electric wireline. A new milling bit and milling system for the wireline miller enables nipple profiles to be opened up in diameter to allow larger intervention products to be deployed, e.g. straddle packers and insert valves. Extensive testing was conducted prior to the introduction of this service to optimize the weight on bit and torque. The result was the development of a unique version of the hydraulic stroking tool to be combined with the milling tool to provide the controlled weight on bit. A major benefit of using the wireline milling system is the ability to provide precision milling without mobilizing coiled tubing (CT) or heavy surface equipment for circulating and handling fluids. Thus, there is no risk of damaging the reservoir from the circulating fluids. In addition, this kind of intervention can be performed more cost-effectively, involving less people, less heavy lifts and therefore, reduced HSE risks. The world's first milling of a nipple profile on wireline took place in Indonesia where the wireline miller was mobilized to enlarge the nipple profiles in 10 wells. The entire operation was performed in 20 operating days and well kills were prevented, which would have been necessary if executing the operation with a conventional method, such as on CT. Major benefits included minimal reduction in production levels, precision milling with zero cuttings left in hole and no labour-intensive requirement for CT or heavy surface equipment. As of December 2009, the ID of twenty (20) Super 13 Chrome nipples have been enlarged for one operator, without a miss-run related to the new milling system. This paper will discuss the technical aspects of this new milling system as well as present the field performance gained to date through a field test and two case histories.