Single-Trip Completions Made Simple with a New, Field-Proven Valve Technology

Abstract

Interest is high to reliably run single-trip completions without involving complex/expensive technologies. The reward: significantly reduced rig time and completion costs. As described herein, a unique pressure-activated sliding side door (PSSD) valve was developed and field-tested to open without intervention after completion is circulated to TD and liner hanger and open-hole isolation packers are set. A field-proven sliding-sleeve valve that required shifting via a shifting tool run on coil tubing, slickline or wire-line, was upgraded to open automatically after relieving tubing pressure once packers (and/or liner hanger) are set. This PSSD technology, which is integrable to any type of sand control screen, is equipped with back-up contingency should the primary mechanism fail to open. Once opened, the installed PSSDs can be shifted mechanically with unlimited frequency. The two-or three-position valve can be integrated with ICDs (includes AICDs/AICVs) and allows mechanical shifting at any time after installation to close, stimulate or adjust ICD settings. After a computer-aided design stage to achieve all the operational/mechanical requirements, prototypes were built and tested, followed by several field installations. The design stage provided some challenges even though the pressure-activation feature was being added to a mature/proven SSD technology. Prototype testing in a full-scale vertical test well proved invaluable as it revealed failure mode that could not have appeared in the smaller-scale lab test facilities. Lessons learned from the first field trial helped improve onsite handling procedures. PLT logs run on first installation confirmed the PSSDs with ICDs opened as designed. The second field installation involved a different size and configuration, where PSSDs with ICDs performed as designed. The unique two-or three-position PSSD accommodates any type of sand control or debris screen and any type of ICD for production/injection, which can be easily adjusted at the wellsite. The scope of application is extremely broad. Consequently, more wells that normally could not justify the expense of existing single-trip completion technologies can now benefit from the enormous cost savings of single-trip completions, including ones that require ICD and stimulation options.