Window Exit Sidetrack Enhancements Through the Use of Solid Expandable Casing

fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractA well in the Shaybah Field was recently worked over by converting the existing 1-km horizontal section to MRC (maximum reservoir contact) well with a total reservoir contact of 18,443 ft. The objectives of the workover program were to improve well productivity by maximizing the reservoir contact as well as to install solid expandable liner as a conduit for downhole flow control system in the future.The original horizontal section was first extended by 6,462 ft, before running expandable liner. Installing a 1,008 ft 5-1/2" expandable liner in near horizontal section encountered considerable difficulties in this well, first with liner stuck, then experiencing stuck expansion cone during the final stage of liner expansion. After these problems were finally overcome, top of expanded liner was successfully pressure tested. Two laterals were sidetracked successfully out of the expandable liner (Lateral -1 = 4,615 ft and Lateral -2 = 7,366 ft) to access additional flow contribution from the reservoir. This paper describes the experiences and lessons learned from hole preparation, running and expanding expandable liner, window exits of expandable liner, and subsequently drilling two 5-1/2" laterals.

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“…The fruitful experiences of the expandable technology applications have been documented elsewhere [5][6][7] .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

World's First MRC Window Exits Out of Solid Expandable Open-hole Liner in the Shaybah Field, Saudi Arabia

Al-Jeffre

Al-Dossary

Zhou

et al. 2005

SPE/IADC Middle East Drilling Technology Conference and Exhibition

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An Apparatus and Test Procedure for Qualifying Expandable Connections for Challenging Applications

Delange¹,

Evans

Zhou

et al. 2009

Middle East Drilling Technology Conference &Amp; Exhibition

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To add more application value to operators, expandable liners have been installed recently in more and more challenging environments, particularly from vertical to horizontal through a build-section. To date, there is neither adequate test data nor industry standards corresponding to such applications, especially when the bent liner is fully supported and is constrained at both ends (a fixed-fixed bent expansion). Because of the lack of accurate test lab simulations of the expansions followed by connection qualification testing, application parameters for horizontal expandable liners with deviated sections are not well defined. This project was established to develop an apparatus that would allow generating and maintaining a constant curvature during and after expansion so that meaningful test data can be generated on 5.5 in. threaded connections and pipe in various states of downhole condition. The connections would be performance tested after expansion using test formats similar to the industry standards used to qualify unexpanded threaded connections. Expansion of 5.5 in. expandable pipe and connections were conducted to accurately simulate downhole conditions for horizontal applications (unbent) and deviated wellbore applications (bent to a 12º/100 ft constant radius). These two conditions were each expanded with and without axial constraint (fixed-free versus fixed-fixed). Pipe samples without connections were also expanded under these same conditions for metallurgical laboratory testing. The curved laboratory samples with connections were bent along a new bending beam's curved surface, cone expanded and then tested based on requirements outlined in ISO 13679. The bending beam apparatus allows performance testing of expanded and bent samples without changing the curve shape, an accurate laboratory simulation of downhole conditions in a deviated wellbore. Because the testing requirements outlined in ISO 13679 require combinations of loading and internal pressure, keeping the test sample fastened to the beam to maintain curvature was an important step for accurately evaluating the connection's performance. The ISO 13679 format requires applying large tension loads which would tend to straighten out the test sample if it was removed from the apparatus before testing. Unsupported, these tension loads would generate unnatural bending loads on the connections during the tests, a condition not expected downhole. This paper presents the results of a new bending beam apparatus and test procedure for qualifying threaded connections that were expanded and tested under conditions that are accurate simulations of the downhole environment. Additionally, the paper presents the results of the tested connections and material testing accomplished with the new test system. To increase the reliability of expandable tubular technology and address the previous challenges of connection failures with expandable liners in deviated wellbore sections, this type of work is important to the operators and manufacturers for determining the appropriate parameters or operating envelopes for successful expandable liner installations. The work will provide further significance related to testing requirements for these challenging and critical applications.

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Window Exit Sidetrack Enhancements Through the Use of Solid Expandable Casing

Cited by 2 publications

References 4 publications

World's First MRC Window Exits Out of Solid Expandable Open-hole Liner in the Shaybah Field, Saudi Arabia

World's First MRC Window Exits Out of Solid Expandable Open-hole Liner in the Shaybah Field, Saudi Arabia

An Apparatus and Test Procedure for Qualifying Expandable Connections for Challenging Applications

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