New Completion Techniques Applied to a Deepwater Gulf of Mexico TLP Completion Successfully Gravel Pack an Openhole Horizontal Interval of 2400 Feet

Duhon, Pete; Holley, Alan; Gardiner, Nick; Grigsby, Tommy

doi:10.2118/50146-ms

Cited by 16 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 6 publications

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“…However, the efficacy of this approach was swiftly overshadowed by mounting challenges, as evidenced by a disconcerting failure incidence, peaking at 25% for the prepacked screen completions in the Gulf of Mexico [4]. Subsequent contemplation precipitated the realization that an open-hole gravel-packing regimen engenders an efficacious conduit toward enhancing the dependability, efficacy, and enduring viability of horizontal well sand control [5]. In preliminary forays aimed at imbuing horizontal wells with gravel packing, the density-balancing paradigm was embraced to counteract the adversarial influences of gravity.…”

Section: Horizontal Well Gravel Packmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mathematical Modeling of Prediction of Horizontal Wells with Gravel Pack Combined with ICD in Bottom-Water Reservoirs

Qin,

Zhang,

Cao

et al. 2023

Processes

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During the development of horizontal wells in bottom-water reservoirs, the strong heterogeneity of reservoir permeability leads to premature bottom-water breakthroughs at locations with high permeability in the horizontal wellbore, and the water content rises rapidly, which seriously affects production. To cope with this problem, a new technology has emerged in recent years that utilizes gravel filling to block the flow in the annulus between the horizontal well and the borehole and utilizes the Inflow Control Device (ICD) completion tool to carry out segmental water control in horizontal wells. Unlike conventional horizontal well ICD completions that use packers for segmentation, gravel packs combined with ICD completions break the original segmentation routine and increase the complexity of the production dynamic simulation. In this paper, the flow in different spatial dimensions, such as reservoirs, gravel-packed layers, ICD completion sections, and horizontal wellbores, is modeled separately. Furthermore, the annular pressures at different locations are used as the solution variable for the coupled solution, which realizes the prediction of oil production, water production, and the water content of gravel packs combined with ICD completion of horizontal wells. The model is used to calculate the effects of different crude oil viscosities, different reservoir permeabilities, different permeabilities of gravel-packed layers, and different development stages on the water control effects of gravel packs combined with ICD completions and conventional ICD completions under field conditions.

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Section: Horizontal Well Gravel Packmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mathematical Modeling of Prediction of Horizontal Wells with Gravel Pack Combined with ICD in Bottom-Water Reservoirs

Qin,

Zhang,

Cao

et al. 2023

Processes

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Openhole Horizontal Gravel Packing Offshore Brazil: Best Practices and Lessons Learned From 72 Operations

Farias¹,

Li²,

Vilela³

et al. 2007

Latin American &Amp; Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference

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The challenge of the alpha/beta waves gravel packing open hole in offshore Brazil is how to successfully displace the proppant slurry in a large wellbore with a low fracture gradient formation, deep to ultra-deep water depths, and extended reach horizontal section. Since 2001, job data from more than 72 open hole horizontal gravel packings have been compiled into a database. This paper reviews the well information and the key gravel packing parameters: pump rate, fluid density, injection proppant concentration, inner/outer annulus area ratio, dune ratio, packing rate, packing time and packing efficiency during alpha/beta waves. The engineering implementations and challenges, the best practices and lessons learned for open hole horizontal gravel packing are also summarized. The data analysis yields a better understanding about the open hole horizontal gravel packing in the Brazil offshore and provides a good guideline for future practice. A historical review is also presented showing how the gravel packing methodology has improved packing efficiency and success rate. Case histories are provided demonstrating how to deploy the single trip system and pack the extended reach wellbore utilizing ultra-light-weight (ULW) proppant under extreme with improved packing efficiency and the success rate. Introduction Deepwater exploration and production has developed over the last decade. There is a broadening of the geographic regions for deepwater completions (figure 1). The vast majority of the deepwater reserves are concentrated in the Gulf of Mexico, West Africa, Brazil, North Sea and South East Asia. The potential to achieve significantly higher sustainable production rates, well longevity and cost reduction have been the primary drivers for pursuing most deepwater completions. There have been many different types of completions in deepwater, however, the frac-packs and open hole horizontal completions have emerged as the two dominant completions. Appropriate applications are area dependent. In Brazil, the dominant completion type is the open hole horizontal gravel packing. In the Gulf of Mexico, 60% to 70% of completions are frac-packs. In West Africa both open hole completions and frac-packs are used. Based on published references 3 to 19, open hole horizontal gravel packing envelops, in terms of depth and the hole departure, are plotted in figures 2 and 3. The latest world record horizontal gravel pack was completed in a well with the departure length of 4206m and a departure ratio of 5 in the Captain Field in the North Sea.13 The open hole horizontal gravel packing completed in the deepest well was in the Campos Basin field of Brazil with sub-sea TMD of 5093m and TVD 3855m. Typical reservoirs in Campos Basin fields are high permeability turbidite sandstones with low API gravity oil. Generally, these unconsolidated formations are not strongly water driven. A high rate injection was needed to maintain reservoir pressure on these large producers. Several fields in the Campos Basin were developed with a series of horizontal producers and injectors. More than 200 open hole horizontal gravel packings have been completed since 1998 in Brail 1,2. Current gravel packing technology offers a good option for horizontal well completions where the problem is sand production. Key issues in project planning and execution of open hole horizontal gravel packing include reservoir study, shale stability study, formation integrity test, gravel pack sand sizing, gravel pack screen selection, workstring design, well displacement, and fluid loss control. The feasibility and success of gravel packing a long horizontal well depends on drilling techniques, drill-in fluids, wellbore clean-up, completions fluids, completion tools, equipment, sand control techniques, software/simulators, pumping schedules and field personnel experience. Challenges that can jeopardize performance of successful open hole horizontal gravel packing are excessive fluid loss, varying hole geometry that can lead to premature pack termination, hole stability issues leading to hole collapse, and a narrow pressure window between bottomhole pressure and fracture gradient. The beta-wave placement pressure is the main factor in determining the maximum length of a horizontal gravel pack. This pressure is limited by the requirement to install the gravel pack without exceeding formation fraction pressure.

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Innovative Method for Predicting Downhole Pressures During Frac-Pack Pumping Operations Facilitates More Successful Completions

Jannise

Edwards

2007

Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition

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Pressure limitations often prohibit engineers from placing frac-pack sand-control treatments where they are needed the most because of the collapse ratings of the bottomhole assembly equipment. Often, these pressure limitations lead to early abandonment of the well, or they create problems later in the life of the well, because they do not allow for effective sand-control, which inevitably will have a negative impact on well economics. A new method, dynamic pMAX, used to determine the amount of pressure exerted on the bottomhole tools during the sand-control treatment, enables frac-pack treatments that the industry once would have considered impossible to achieve. Introduction Sand control methods were first implemented in order to control the flow of fines during the production of hydrocarbons. Initially, fines control was limited to stand-alone screens and consolidation treatments; however, as technology progressed, new methods of sand control were attained.1 The most notable of these new methods was the frac pack, which became commonplace in the late 1980s and early 1990s for completing formations with high permeability. Frac-packs provide long-term stimulation similar to hard-rock hydraulic fracturing treatments, and they control the encroachment of small sand particles from "soft" formations.2 Although the frac pack could provide the capability to stimulate the formation as well as control the formation fines, high flow rates often induced proppant flow back. This problem was best solved through the use of downhole tools. Unfortunately, pressure limitations for the tools could impose limits on the types of sand-control jobs that could be pumped, and when modeling the maximum pressure for each job, planned frac packs had to be cancelled due to the pressure restrictions. Early jobs had encountered problems with collapsed components, primarily with the lower casing extension and the blank tubing. Engineers determined that the collapse ratings of these components were exceeded when a "hard" pressure screenout, which is one that occurs at fracturing rates and is desirable in a soft rock environment, was achieved.3 The "hard" screenout occurs after a tip screenout event and when the fracture is completely full of sand or proppant. The pressures seen during a "hard" screenout can rise excessively above the anticipated treating pressure in a short period of time, leading to unpredicted stress on the downhole assembly. During this time, it was assumed that building more robust equipment components was easier than attempting to predict what was actually going to occur; however, the excessive pressures could not always be anticipated. With a new method that has recently been developed, it is now possible to determine how much pressure can be encountered before the job is run. This method, known as pMAX prediction, allows the tool assembly to be designed with the expected pressures in mind. Bottomhole Assembly Review To fully comprehend the effects of pressure on the bottomhole tools necessitates an understanding of how the assembly for a sand-control completion is arranged. This knowledge will help the job designer not only recognize how pressures can be detrimental to job placement, but also how this pressure, when used in the proper manner, can help to put the frac-pack in place. The completion can be broken into two segments for easier understanding: the upper completion and the sand face completion. This paper focuses on the sand-face completion.

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New Completion Techniques Applied to a Deepwater Gulf of Mexico TLP Completion Successfully Gravel Pack an Openhole Horizontal Interval of 2400 Feet

Cited by 16 publications

References 6 publications

Mathematical Modeling of Prediction of Horizontal Wells with Gravel Pack Combined with ICD in Bottom-Water Reservoirs

Mathematical Modeling of Prediction of Horizontal Wells with Gravel Pack Combined with ICD in Bottom-Water Reservoirs

Openhole Horizontal Gravel Packing Offshore Brazil: Best Practices and Lessons Learned From 72 Operations

Innovative Method for Predicting Downhole Pressures During Frac-Pack Pumping Operations Facilitates More Successful Completions

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