Subsurface stresses can cause formation faults, slippage, and reservoir compaction, which can damage or permanently shut in a well. Traditional means of detecting these failures are limited and usually require moving a costly rig onto locations, and then interrupting production to re-enter the well. This results in late detection of issues and allows limited counteractive options.A new system has been developed to actively monitor strain and temperature of wells. The system consists of three key enabling technologies: A fiber optic support device deployed at the sand face, a cost effective high-flow liner system that protects the instrumentation in openhole applications, and two optical wet connects for up to 12 channels.The fiber optic support device provides a means of holding a helically wrapped optic fiber rigidly in place at the sand face. This new technology can be installed over traditional sand screens in gravel pack or frac pack applications, with no negative impact on the sand control functionality of the screens, or the quality of the pack. The installed fiber optic provides the equivalent of a strain gauge positioned every centimeter along the length of the producing zone.For openhole applications, a high-flow liner system was developed to protect the fiber optic support device, and the control lines. This system includes a special quick connect that simplifies the on-rig assembly and allows torque transmission in an openhole deployment.The final key to this system is the two 6-channel optical wet connects, allowing a total of 12 connected channels. This game changing technology provides an information conduit between the fiber optic at the sand face and operators at the surface. The same wet connect can also be used to connect more traditional means of measurements such as pressuretemperature gauges, or distributive temperature sensing (DTS).The information relayed through this system allows the operator to infer flow and detect subsidence or compaction of the sand face before the well is compromised, allowing time to plan and execute mitigative actions. This paper will discuss the design, testing, and potential applications of this new system. 2 SPE 147439 Figure 1: Sketch of a wellbore before (left) and after (right) compaction (Childers 2007).

Offshore deepwater fields usually require a semisubmersible rig to drill and complete their wells. Additionally, if any intervention is required in the well, a costly workover rig will need to be moved to the site. Hence, solving problems remotely using a method requiring less intervention can provide substantial savings in the overall cost of the well. Such an opportunity emerged when working on a project in the offshore oilfields of Brazil, where use of water injection as a reservoir energy maintenance method is common. However, the mixture of water injection wells and oil producing wells can lead to the formation of barium sulfate on downhole equipment, which can precipitate under pressure change during production. Barium sulfate's insolubility makes its removal difficult; usually requiring the use of special tools for mechanically cleaning the gravel pack screens’ interior. This type of intervention method requires an offshore rig. It demands a considerable amount of time and resources to complete the cleanup procedure, especially in the case of long openhole horizontal gravel packs. However, by pumping inhibitors directly to the gravel pack screens’ interior, production suspension is avoided, along with any intervention-related time and cost. This paper will describe the world's first installation of a horizontal openhole gravel pack system specifically designed to allow continuous pumping of scale inhibitors. The chemicals were injected through a single flowline down to the interior of the sand-control screens at two distinct parts of the well pay zone, without interrupting oil production in offshore Brazil. This pay zone management system incorporates a hydraulic wet connector, an openhole zonal isolation packer, and two chemical injection mandrels with flow regulator valves. The mandrel valves evenly distribute the barium sulfate inhibitor, preventing its deposit inside the screen. Potential applications of this system in offshore Brazil are being considered on the basis of this successful first installation. Results of this project, as well as other compelling data, suggest that operators may benefit from its incorporation in their field development plan, maximizing their return on investment.

Subsurface stresses can cause formation faults, slippage, and reservoir compaction, which can damage or permanently shut in a well. Traditional means of detecting these failures are limited and usually require moving a costly rig onto locations, and then interrupting production to re-enter the well. This results in late detection of issues and allows limited counteractive options. A new Real Time Monitoring Compaction (RTCM) system has been developed to actively monitor strain and temperature of wells. The system consists of three key enabling technologies: A fiber optic support device deployed at the sand face, a cost effective high-flow liner system that protects the instrumentation in openhole applications, and two optical wet connects for up to 12 channels. The fiber optic support device provides a means of holding a helically-wrapped optic fiber rigidly in place at the sand face. This new technology can be installed over traditional sand screens in gravel pack or frac pack applications, with no negative impact on the sand control functionality of the screens, or the quality of the pack. The installed fiber optic provides the equivalent of a strain gauge positioned every centimeter along the length of the producing zone. For openhole applications, a high-flow liner system was developed to protect the fiber optic support device, and the control lines. This system includes a special quick connect that simplifies the on-rig assembly and allows torque transmission in an openhole deployment. Two 6-channel optical wet connects are the final key to this system, allowing a total of 12 connected channels. This game changing technology provides an information conduit between the fiber optic at the sand face and operators at the surface. The same wet connect can also be used to connect more traditional means of measurements such as pressure-temperature gauges, or distributive temperature sensing (DTS). The information relayed through this system allows the operator to infer flow and detect subsidence or compaction of the sand face before the well is compromised, allowing time to plan and execute mitigative actions. This paper will discuss the design, testing, and potential applications of this new system. Introduction The production of hydrocarbons can often cause a decrease in porosity of the rock formation containing them. This phenomenon is known as compaction. Wells can sustain significant damage as the formation layers shift or move along formation boundaries as a result compaction. Fig. 1 illustrates this type of shift caused by compaction. The wellbore on the left of Fig. 1 illustrates the original location of the well, and the wellbore on the right illustrates the same well after compaction (Earles 2010).

The use of semisubmersible rigs, subsea trees and workovers in deepwater wells result in costly rig mobilization. Solving problems remotely, with an interventionless method, provides huge savings and fewer risks to the operator. This paper focuses on the preparation of the first global installation of a gravel pack system that allows continuous chemical treatment pumping to the pay zone area without interrupting production. For wells with production issues such as barium and calcium sulfates causing obstruction of the sand-control screen base-pipe holes, this system will allow pumping of scale inhibitors (or any other chemical treatment) to the end of the horizontal well (toe) or to other parts of open-hole or cased-hole sections without needing to stop production. This system was designed to allow continuous pumping of chemicals to inhibit scaling, corrosion and other production-related issues through one small-diameter flowline down to the interior of the sand control screens at two or more distinct parts of the well (while the well is still producing) or per a specific treating program. The number of injection nodes with the same flowline conduit can vary from well to well because the system incorporates zonal isolation with feed through capabilities, using reactive element packer and multiple sequential injection nipples technology. The first installation will require only two nodes. The system allows for screen assembly and gravel pack installation in one trip, while the flowline conduit reconnects the upper string assembly, using an anchor reconnect seal assembly. For the horizontal open hole installation, the system also incorporates a high-flow liner system for flowline conduit/sensors protection and a special feed through quick connector to simplify certain steps in the assembly, and it allows for torque transmission in open hole deployment. This paper will describe the system functionality, identify its main components and present the test program developed to demonstrate the system consistently, qualifying it for field installation.

Subsurface stresses can cause formation faults, slippage, and reservoir compaction, which can damage or permanently shut in a well. Traditional means of detecting these failures are limited and usually require moving a costly rig onto locations, and then interrupting production to re-enter the well. This results in late detection of issues and allows limited counteractive options. A new system has been developed to actively monitor strain and temperature of wells. The system consists of three key enabling technologies: A fiber optic support device deployed at the sand face, a cost effective high-flow liner system that protects the instrumentation in openhole applications, and two optical wet connects for up to 12 channels. The fiber optic support device provides a means of holding a helically wrapped optic fiber rigidly in place at the sand face. This new technology can be installed over traditional sand screens in gravel pack or frac pack applications, with no negative impact on the sand control functionality of the screens, or the quality of the pack. The installed fiber optic provides the equivalent of a strain gauge positioned every centimeter along the length of the producing zone. For openhole applications, a high-flow liner system was developed to protect the fiber optic support device, and the control lines. This system includes a special quick connect that simplifies the on-rig assembly and allows torque transmission in an openhole deployment. The final key to this system is the two 6-channel optical wet connects, allowing a total of 12 connected channels. This game changing technology provides an information conduit between the fiber optic at the sand face and operators at the surface. The same wet connect can also be used to connect more traditional means of measurements such as pressure temperature gauges, or distributive temperature sensing (DTS). The information relayed through this system allows the operator to infer flow and detect subsidence or compaction of the sand face before the well is compromised, allowing time to plan and execute mitigative actions. This paper will discuss the design, testing, and potential applications of this new system. Introduction The production of hydrocarbons can often cause a decrease in porosity of the rock formation containing them. This phenomenon is known as compaction. Wells can sustain significant damage as the formation layers shift or move along formation boundaries as a result of compaction. Fig. 1 illustrates this type of shift caused by compaction. The wellbore on the left of Fig. 1 illustrates the original location of the well, and the wellbore on the right illustrates the same well post compaction (Earles 2010).