Completion Considerations for MPD Deepwater Offshore Wells

Abstract

When compared to conventional drilling, MPD techniques provide a valuable tool to build challenging wells and reach new reservoirs. As MPD and MCD techniques lead to major changes on the way wells are drilled, the completion projects must be also adapted to this new scenario. In order to fully use MPD capabilities it is necessary to work with statically underbalance fluids. This fact may not be an issue during the drilling phase with the RCD, but impacts completion, as the RCD, which is suitable for a drillpipe, is not suitable for all completion strings and equipment. For MCD scenario, the necessity of periodic or constant injection down the annulus affects some completion equipment. Project requirements, safety standards, equipment capability and operational procedures must be reviewed, in order to cover the different scenarios of MPD (SBP) and MCD (FMCD and PMCD) wells. New completion standards were developed for deepwater and ultradeewater wells on MPD/MCD completion projects and sometimes even a full new completion design was required due to MPD techniques used. This paper presents the development history, results and considerations made for completion with MPD/MCD on Petrobras offshore wells in Campos and Santos Basins located in Brazil offshore.