Improve Installations of Liners and Lower Completions with Real-Time Downhole Data

Abstract

Well construction activities including liners and lower completions deployment have historically realized downtime and unforeseen challenges. Surface data, torque and drag simulations, and previous experience are all sources of data commonly used to plan and facilitate these installations. Field development campaigns often include longer laterals, frequent three-dimensional bends, varying pressure profiles, and other challenges that cannot be sufficiently planned for by using surface data, torque and drag simulations, and experience alone. The industry requires a better quality set of data, and quicker access to this data, to more successfully and efficiently complete wells. Wired drill pipe is a real-time data acquisition platform that has been used on more than 146 wells, 65 of those offshore wells, since 2015. While improved drilling operations have been the primary use of the wired drill pipe platform, operators have since challenged providers to increase the scope of real-time data acquisition capabilities using the wired drill pipe platform. In order to address the challenges of understanding downhole dynamics during liner deployment and completion operations, a dynamic logging tool with real-time data transfer capability and restriction-less internal bore was developed. The dynamic logging tool couples the data acquisition capabilities of the memory-based dynamic logging tool with the wired drill pipe platform to provide operators with real-time access to axial loads, torque, temperature, pressures, vibrations, and RPM during the lower completion and liner deployment operations. The data provided by the inclusion of this tool can be used to facilitate the optimization and continuous improvement of liner deployment operations. This in turn allows operators to minimize non-productive time (NPT) and overcome a steep learning curve for challenging field development campaigns. This paper discusses the real-time logging tool technology implementation and its role in development campaigns. Examples of lower completion applications and data gathering techniques are presented, along with examples of how the data can be used to improve understanding of downhole dynamics, facilitate continuous operational improvements, and ultimately achieve a robust field development strategy.