Achieving Well Cleanup and Zero Routine Flaring Utilizing Existing Flowline and Ecxtended RTP

Abstract

As part of Zero Routine Flaring initiatives, advanced steps have been taken to align with goals of minimizing carbon footprint. Therefore, several important technologies have been widely exploited for usage in oil and water wells. Additionally, restrictive regulations were implemented including the prohibition of oil and water wells flaring. This paper outlines the combination of technology and existing facilities to ensure zero flaring while cleaning a well. The well is a disposal well for a hydrocarbon facility. During normal surveillance, the well was identified with losing its injection capability and having a high pressure. Therefore, the well required cleanup and acid stimulation to restore its injection capability. However, the well can't flow to the hydrocarbon facility due to one-way valves on its flowline in addition to the inability to flare. Accordingly, a procedure was developed to flow the well to the facility through a temporary installed 6.5km HT Reinforced Thermoplastic Pipe (RTP) in an uneven landscape to connect the well to the nearest existing producer carbon steel flowline. The developed procedure enabled the successful achievement of maintaining zero routine flaring. Also, the cleanup operation was safely and successfully conducted by flowing the well continuously for 48 hours through the installed RTP line. The successful cleanup helped to conduct an acid stimulation using a 2-3/8″ HPCT to restore its injectivity and aid the facility to dispose its processed water in the well to meet its production target. Following the acid stimulation, nitrogen purging of the RTP line was required to ensure the presence of no liquids in the line to avoid environmental pollution when disconnecting the line This paper highlights a comprehensive procedure to overcome a challenging case of a well located in a remote area and uneven landscape in which a group of solutions were combined to restore a well's injectivity while maintaining zero routine flaring.