OTC 6992 Downhole and Subsea Completion Design for a High-Pressure North Sea Gas Condensate Field

S.D. Gomersall, Khalid Sardar, and G,R. Rae, Marathon Oil U.K.

Copyright 1992, Offshore Technology

Conference

This psper wee presented at the 24th Annual OTC In Houston, Texas, May 4-7, 1992, This paper was selected for preeentetion by the OTC Prcgrsm Committee following review of Information contained in an ebstract submitted by the author(e). Contents of the peper, se presented, have not been reviewed by the Offshore Technology Conference and sre subjeot to correction by the author(s). The material, se presented, dces not necessarily reflect arty poeltlon of the Offehore Technology Conference or Its officers. Permlselon to copy IS reetrlcted to an abstract of not more then 300 words. Illustretlons mey not be copied. The ebetrect ehould contain coneplcuoue acknowledgment of where and by whom the peper Is presented.

$@STRACT

issues to be considered or resolved and su~estions are made for additional industry development.

details the overall system design for a J.5,000 psi subsea, gas condensate well in the North Sea. Currently, signifkant industry interest exists in the technology required to complete wells of this type, which would enable substantial hydrocarbon reserves to be developed. Subsea wells such as this have not yet been completed.

This paper

INTRODUCTION

number of high pressure discoveries with surface pressures in excess of 10,000 psi have been made in the Central Graben of the North Sea which await attractive project economics to allow their development. A reduction in cost and risk associated with such a development may provide the incentive required. The technology needed to develop these discoveries economically is likely to include subsea production systems as these are now a proven means of providing a low cost development. Subsea technology has not previously been applied to these high pressure wells and the downhole technology has only previously been applied from platform or land based developments. This paper presents the issues concerned with the completion of such a well and where possible makes recommendations for a specitlc design. In areas where it has not been possible to specify a ales@ comments are made regarding the

A significant

The work is based upon in-house desi~s ~d external studies performed for Marathon Oil UK in order to allow the future development of its high pressure prospects and d~coveries. This design is based upon the known and anticipated data from one such North Sea reservoir, Figure 1 shows the formation pressure of this reservoir in relation to existing fields in the North Sea and elsewhere and to other as yet uncompleted prospects. Table 1 lists the operating conditions. The pressures and temperatures encountered in this design are not as severe as some other discoveries and do not meet some deftitions of hostile (reference 1) or high pressure / high temperature (HP/HT) (reference 2). However, both these deftitions are somewhat arbritary, and since 15,000 psi drilling and production equipment is required for the field, it is a significant departure from previous subsea completion experience.

References

and illustrations

at end of paper

The issues raised in this paper are relevant to the completion of wells with greater pressures and temperatures than those in this well and as such this design can be seen as a stepping stone to overcoming the problems likely to be encountered in these wells. The wide ranging nature of the subject prevents an in depth analysis of each issue but is intended to stimulate and encourage further work in spetilc areas. Certain aspects and recommendations me likely to be controversial but it is hoped that by publishing the work and sharing ideas, the

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development of M,000 psi subsea wells may become one step closer.

Materiai

Seieetion

DESIGN

PHILOSOPHY

This section outlines the general philosophy and intentions for the well. Specific details are given in subsequent sections, along with discussions on equipment selection. The ~perating conditions me shown in table 1.

The material selection for this weii, as for any other, is divided into two section% that for the flow wetted parts, including the liner and tubin~ and that for secondary pressure containment components such as the production casing. Only limited produced fluid data is currently available and therefore any material selected for the flow wetted parts is considered provisional. For long term production, as required for the tubing and liner in this design, H2S and C02 resistance is required and necessitates the use of a corrosion resistant alloy. A yield of 120,000 psi has been used in ail relevant design calculations as the material strength available at the elevated temperatures in service. For most materials this will necessitate a downrating from yield strength at ambient temperature. For some materials the effect of anisotropy must also be taken into account when calculating yield strength under combmed loads. The final material choice is field speciflq and may even be well spetilc depending on the chemical properties of the produced fluids. This highlights the need to obtain good exploration drill stem test data, in particular the chemical analysis of ail produced fluids including water. Until such time as more detailed produced fluid data is available for this well, it is assumed that duplex stainless steel will be suitable for the tubing and liner material. The ambient temperature yield strength required to obtain 120 MI at 280 deg F for duplex stainless steel will be at least 140 ksi. Completion components should be manufactured from a CRA with similar or superior corrosion properties and yield strength. This generally requires the use of nickel based aiioys such as Incoloy 925 or Inconel 718. These materials also show improved resist~ce to erosion. For secondary pressure containment components of this well design, such as the production casing the use of low alloy steel is recommended. Sour service grade lTJ5 is considered preferable for any low aiioy material near surface, whilst P11O is considered suitable at the higher temperatures found deeper in the weii. Any P11O selected will be specitled with a maximum tensile strength restriction to exclude the hardest material most susceptible to suiphide stress cracking. Alternatively, the use of 110 WI yield proprietary sour service grades of low alloy steel may be preferred in place of either.

The general design philosophy is an attempt to utilise existing industry experience in the area of downhole completions, especially that for HP/HT wells where available. Existing subsea technology has been incorporated into the subsea equipment design where possible. The overall design seeks to maintain simplicity and increase reliability in an effort to avoid workovers due to mechanical reasons. Weil intervention should be minimized through design wherever possible in order to reduce future maintenance costs (reference 3). AU equipment should be designed with an adequate margin of safety included, to ensure failures do not occur which would compromise safety as well as financial objectives.

This philosophy involves the use of corrosion resistant alloys (CRAS) for tubing ad dotiole completion equipment to prevent tubing leaks due to corrosion. The requirement for heavy WZIU thic~ess pipe to cope with the high pressures, as well as the practical limitations of the number of casing strings required, means that the tubing size is determined as much by the ID of the casing and subsea production equipment as by the reservoirs potential. This means that erosional velocities in the tubing are a concern especially in the vicinity of ID changes such as the surface controlled subsurface safety - valve (saw) and tubing hanger.

~ The downhole completion design for high pressure wells is not a new subject. Experience exists in several parts of the world, notablv onshore USA and offshore - in the Guif of Mexico. This experience has been utilised where possible and appropriate (references 1,4,9,12J3). similarly, completions Utilising corrosion resistant alloys and producing gas condensates are not new to the North Sea and experience here has also been incorporated (reference 5).

Annuius Fiuids

The choice of annuius fluid is normaliv a secondarv consideration in completion desi~ but for wells of this depth and pressure it has a significant influence

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and needs to be considered

Tubular

Design

Conventionally the completion would be designed for kill weight fluid in the annulus under worst case conditions, and a MI weight fluid would be left in the anm,dus during completion and subsequent workovers. The present case requires a kill weight in excess of 16.9 ppg. In addh.ion to requiriig heavy weight production casing and tubing for this weight of fluid there are a number of problems and uncertainties associated with the avail~ble fluids.

Solids based muds are discounted because of the potential for solids settling over a period of time.

The tubular design contained in this section is based on standard design principles utilised for most casing and tubing strings. Ratings for tubular components have been calculated using API recommended formulae. Design requirements have been calculated based on the worst case for each string at any particular depth. Safety factors have been applied to each design criteri~ unless indicated otherwise, these are ; burst 1.25; collapse 1.15 and tension 1.6. Because of the nature of these design methods the stress levels in the casing or tubiig during periods of hydrocarbon production will be low. This is beneficial in that low tensile stresses reduce the risk of stress related corrosion failures. Figure 3 shows the proposed well completion schematic.

High density zinc bromide based clear brines, though for the following reasons available, are unattractive * High cost for supply, handling and dfiposal. * Concern over the long term corrosion effects on the low alloy steel production casing and the duplex stainless steel tubing. Duplex stainless steel has shown a tendency to pit and suffer hydrogen in lower weight brines (reference 5). embrittlement These corrosion mechanisms are expected to be accelerated at the low fluid PH and relatively high temperatures of this design. * Incompatibtity with certain polymeric materials, notably those used as iiig on some flexible hoses and some elastomeric seals on surface equipment. * Concern over the safety and environmental aspects related to brine handling and disposal.

a) Production

Casing

Proprietary high density brominated hydrocarbons are discounted on the basis of cost, concerns over compatibility with H2S and high viscosity at ambient temperatures.

The critical condition for the production casing is burst when the annulus is exposed to maximum shutin tubing head pressure on top of a full column of kill weight fluid. In this well the 7-5/8 casing has been designed to withstand this pressure although it is recommended that at completion a non kill weight fluid is left in the anmdus. Furthermore, the casing burst design has been based on a back-up fluid gradient outside the casing of 8.6 ppg seawater. Since the casing will be cemented or will have kill weight drilling mud externally this represents a significant overdesign. Because of these two factors it should be generally considered acceptable to reduce the Safety factor on this string. Figure 2 shows the burst requirement with a safety factor of 1.0 whilst the tubulars selected for this well actually have a safety factor of 1.25.

Once a well is on production there appears to be no benefit of having kill weight in the anmdus. It cannot be regarded as a reliable pressure barrier as, in the event of a tubing leak, it is expected to Utube from the ammlus until pressures are equalised. Undoubtedly, clean ~ weight fluids are required in the well during certain completion and workover operations but there is a practical option to leave non-kill weight fluid in the anmdus at the end of such operations. This is our preferred approach. The in this design has the use of filtered seawater advantage of being a known fluid avoiding the concerns which exist with higher density fluids.

The other considerations which affect the design of this production casing string are the internal diameter required and the material grade chosen. A maximum internal diameter is required to allow access for the downhole safety valve and to interface with the subsea tree and tubing hanger. Since the reservoir is to drilled with another hole section below the 7-5/8 production liner the throughbore should allow passage of a 6 bit. The grade of material chosen is a compromise between requirements. The use of 95,OOO psi yield T95 is preferred where possible as a low cost, low alloy material suitable for sour service conditions. The use of proprietary 110 l& yield low alloy sour service grade or corrosion resistant alloy may be acceptable in order to increase ID in critical areas, and the use of other low alloy material, such as P11O, is suitable deep in the well where hydrogen embrittlement is reduced because the temperatures exceed 175 deg F.

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The design calculated for this well combination string of 7-5/8 casing selected the above criteria and is detailed in table shown in figure 3. Figure 2 shows the casing graph for the 7-5/8 casing.

uses a to meet 2 and design

b) Liner

assembly should be suitable for the high pressures and temperatures expected and should be compatible with the produced fluids and annulus fluids. Perflouro elastomers containing glass fibre reinforcement have been found to be suitable in Simiiar environments. The fibres help prevent explosive decompression which can be a problem in these materials.

The 5 liner design is based on a worst case burst when the well is being bullheaded with kill fluid and, 2@MJ psi tubing head pressure giving a burst requirement of 8,904 psi. The worst case collapse considers formation pressure acting on the outside of the liner and dry gas internally with zero tubing head pressure giving a collapse requirement of 11,764 psi. Both criteria are satisfied with a string of 5 18 lb/ft duplex stainless steel with a design yield of 120,000 psi at 280 deg F.

b) Surface

Controlled

Subsurface

Safety

Valve

(Scssv)
Previous operating experience indkates that statistically, the most reliable SCSSV type is a tubing retrievable valve with flapper closure. It is recommended that this type of valve be fitted incorporating a lock open and wireliie insert valve facility for use in the event of failure. The material will be Inconel 718 or equivalent with burst and collapse ratings of at least 15,000 psi. The flapper differential pressure rating must be in excess of 10,tXXl psi and should preferably be rated to 1.5,000 psi. The valve is required to fit inside 7-5/8 casing with an ID of 6.435 and to maintain a maximum throughbore which should ideally be close to that of the 4-1/2 tubing (3.826). Since there are currently no 4-1/2 SCSSVS available which meet these requirements, a 3-1/2 valve has been spetiled with 2.81 ID.

c) Tubing

The tubing design is based around a 4-1/2 string selected as being the maximum size possible considering the constraint of casing ID and the bore through any dual bore subsea tubing hanger. A string of 4-1/2 15.1 lb/ft, 120,000 psi duplex stainless steel is required to meet the maximum burst of 12,600 psi at surface and the maximum collapse of 11,113 psi at the packer. It is calculated, using the Salema correlation, that gas rates of 100 mmscfd could be produced through the tubing before erosional velocity becomes a concern. Operational experience using similar materials has shown no problems at the same flow velocities.

Downhole Completion

Components

a) Liner Top Completion

Equipment

The equalkation of pressure across the flapper is more problematic than in lower pressure wells. Through flapper equalisation devices are likely to present problems in high pressure wells because of the length of time taken to equahse and the potential for hydrate formation. Equalizing the valve by supplying pressure from above will be dfllcult because of the high pressures required and the compressibtity of gas. Further consideration should be given to equalizing mechanisms and larger SiZE valves should be developed to suit the above requirements

The reservoir section in this well is to be cased with 5 liner. It was decided not to complete the well inside the 5 liner (4.276 ID) due to the restricted throughbore in the completion equipment. A 7-5/8 packer has been selected to isolate the 5 x 7-5/8 liner lap. This packer includes a locator seal assembly which stabs into the Y liner top and a seal bore extension into which the completion tubing is sealed. The packer is set in the 7-5/8 liner and is made from Inconel 718, because it is exposed to produced fluids. The burst and collapse requirements are the same as those of the tubing at that depth and equipment should be specified having comparable parameters (15,700 psi burst, 15,300 psi collapse). The elastomers selected for use on the dynamic seal

c) Landing Nipples and Plugs

Landing nipples, in wells such as this, are likely to be subject to scale build up over a period of time. For this reason, only two nipples have been included. A landing nipple in a sub just above the SCSSV, and one landing nipple above the packer locator. If a deep isolation plug could not be set due to scale, an electric line bridge plug could be set in the tubii which would be recovered along with the completion during the subsequent workover. The two nipple profdes should be top no-go and bottom no-go in sequence, to provide minimum restriction with

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different seal bore sizes. The material will be of Inconel 718 or equivalent, with burst and collapse ratings equivalent to the tubing. The sizes selected are 2.81 and 2.75 to suit the downhole safety valve available.

b) Wireline retrievable

guns.

c) Drillpipe conveyed TCPS run prior to completing the well and perforated overbalance. The chosen method is a compromise between the oPtimm perforation performance and operation~ practicrdities. wiie~e retrievable guns are limited in size and therefore penetration and would require several runs using 15,000 psi pressure control equipment. Operational disadvantages exist with the use of tubing conveyed guns hung in the well prior to ~nning the completion. Concerns exist over the reliabfity of fuing mechanisms and automatic release systems, the failure of which may necessitate the removal of the completion to recover the guns. If guns are to be dropped in the well then extra rat-hole is required and if guns remain in place they present a flow restriction and prevent production logging. Perforating with minimal overbalance using TCPS conveyed on drillpipe prior to running the completion presents several operational advantages. * The gUUS are run, fired and re~vered ~ one operation allowing confirmation that ail shots have fwed. If any problems occur it is relatively straightforward to recover and re-run the guns. * Large charges can be used to increase penetration. * Pressure control is by means of a proven overbalance hydrostatic (with surface BOPs in place for use if necessary) and not by means of wireline pressure control equipment, * No restriction remains in place in the well and no extra rat-hole is required.

d) Downhoie Gauges

Previous experience of downhole gauges indicates that the information which can be gained is extremely valuable and the cost of wireline intervention in a subsea well to obtain the data is prohibitive. The use of downhole gauges is therefore recommended. The technology required for the high pressure gauge itself is under development and the primary problem expected is with the signal transmission to surface. Using a traditional signal cable presents problems in the physical clearance available between tub~ and casing especially at the downhole safety valve.

QPERATIONAL

ASPECTS

a) Tubing Movement

Two options were considered to compensate for changes in tubing length during various operations. A static arrangement with the tubing latched to the packer was rejected due to high stress levels near surface, and the operationrd ~lculties installing and retrieving such an installation, A dynamic arrangement allowing tubing movement was selected in preference. This includes a downward facing seal bore hung from a packer with seais stabbed inside, in what is a standard well configuration. Tub~ movement due to changes in pressure and temperature were evaluated for various operational conditions. The results indicate that the maximum tubing movement occurs during kill operations and is due to the differential pressure between tubing and anmdus, and to temperature changes. The design must allow for a maximum travel of 33 ft so a seal bore extension of 40 ft should be suft.icient for this design.

Research indicates that almost all formation damage caused by overbalance perforating on high pressure wells can be cleaned up by subsequent flow (reference 8). Operational experience using the technique on gas condensate wells supports this work and is therefore recommended for this design.

b) Perforating

Three well.

options

were considered

for perforating

the

a) Tubing conveyed guns set on a packer and dropped into the rat-hole after perforating underbakmce.

require Subsequent completion operations consideration of the open perforations, which is the same as in the workover condition. Since non-kill weight fluid is to be left in the annulus a means of isolating the perforations is required. This design proposes the use of a plug run with the packer and tailpipe, which is sheared out with pressure after seawater has been circulated into the annulus and pressure testing completed. The plug which is shear pinned to the tailpipe, provides a presswe bmrier whilst the tubing is installed.

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c) Pressure Testing

Ail tubuiars and completion equipment sho~d be pressure tested prior to production. Testing should take place in sequence to ensure that a minimum amount of equipment retrieval is required in the event of failure. Care should be taken that, in testing any one section, no other area is subjected to a pressure in excess of its test pressure. In generai, any pressure test should be performed such that the exposed area is tested to the worst case pressure that may be seen in service.

designed with the maximum possible throughbore. A dual bore system was specified utilisii a 2 rnmuius bore with access into the tubing hanger, but not below. The equipment was to be clad or constructed from solid corrosion resistant alloys suitable for the produced fluid expected. Both manufacturers had previously built 10,000 psi subsea completions and this study was seen as a logical extension to that work. The wellhead tubing hanger and tree stack ups from both studies are shown in figures 5 and 6.

b) Weiihead / Tubing Hanger

The design of subsea production systems has typically been with a pressure rating of 5,000 psi or 10,04)0 psi. No previous experience exists with the use of 15,000 psi subsea production equipment or related infrastructure. However signMcant experience can be drawn from other areas of industry activity, most especially 15,000 psi rated subsea drilling equipment and 15,000 psi rated surface production equipment. These related areas will allow the development of 15,000 psi subsea completion equipment suitable for this development with only minimal equipment redesign. The philosophy and equipment required to develop a high pressure, subsea infrastructure remains less certain and areas requiriig signifkant attention are highlighted in this paper.

The critical areas for the design were bore spacing and size especially in the vicinity of the tubing hanger. The constraint of the ID tilde the 7-5/8 casing limited the production bore offset and prevented a 4 throughbore. Further investigation and discussion resulted in the use of a special casing crossover at the top of the 7-5/8 casing string with locally increased internal diameter (figure 4) . l%is crossover is compatible in OD with a 7-5/8 coupling (8.235) and has an ID of 6.935 whilst maintaining the necessmy burst and collapse ratings by utiiisiig a 120,000 psi yield material. The use of this crossover in both studies enabled the production bore to be offset by a further 1/4 ailowing the use of a 4 nominal bore. The resulting bore sizes, spacings and offsets are shown in table 3.

Subsea Completion

Equipment

a) Design Studies

Of the equipment required for the subsea completion of this well only the wellhead is available. Several equipment manufacturers have developed, tested and installed subsea wellhead systems with a pressure rating of 15,000 psi. In order to aiiow production of fields of this type it was identified that signifkant development of the remaining subsea completion equipment was required. As a result, separate studies were initiated with two subsea equipment suppliers to assess the feasibfity of such a system and to make proposals as to the design, bore sizes, bore offsets and overall layout, The results of these two studies are presented in this section. Both manufacturers were asked to consider all necessary equipment required to complete a weii subsea. This was to include wellhead, tubing hanger, subsea tree, lower riser package, emergency disconnect package, riser system and surface tree. The design basis was as detailed earlier in this paper utilisiig a 7-5/8 production casing string. Wherever possible full use was to be made of proven components and the completion was to be

Both companies proposed the use of their own 15,000 psi subsea wellhead systems for drilling and completing the well. Tubing hangers were developed which seal inside the 7-5/8 casing hanger and lock down into the 18-3/4 wellhead housing. Significant development is required in the area of the tubing hanger, most spec~lcaiiy in the sealing technolo~for the tubing hanger nose seals and the tubing hanger to tree stab seals. For this well the downhole safety valve operating pressure will be less than 15,000 psi. Should the shutin tubing head pressure, on other wells, approach 15,000 psi then it may be necessary to uprate the tubing hanger to 17,500 psi to take the necessary control line pressure in the event of a control line leak. This has implications on the pressure rating of the weiihead system and is discussed further in the section on the control system.

Since the 7-5/8

casing anmdus is a closed volume from the 7-5/8 liner tieback to surface, consideration must be given to a means for bleeding off pressure which will build up due to thermal effects (reference 11). On lower pressure subsea wells provision is normally made by allowing the pressure

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to leak off to the formation at the casing shoe. This is not possible in this well as the 7-5/8 production casing is tied into the 7-5/8 liner top. Possible options include cementing the 7-5/8 tieback to surface, perforating the 9-5/8 casing or incorporating a monitoring and bleed facility into the subsea wellhead and tree. This issue requires further evaluation and discussion.

specitic areas tubing hanger nose seal and stab seal, 4-1/16 15,000 psi valve and actuator prototype testing and the development of an integral completion riser joint.

Chokes

c) 15,000 psi Subsea Tree

Tree connectors are either existing 18-3/4 15,000 psi connectors rno~led to ddhg connectors or such take into account the reduced loading of the production system. Similarly, connectors on the lower riser package (LRP) and emergency disconnect package (EDP) are 13-5/8 L5,W psi connectors similar to existing field proven utits.

A detailed study of the choke requirements for use on this high pressure, subsea development has not been undertaken. If the development were a single well unit with a dedicated flowline then possibly no choke would be required. However some of the issues which would require attention, should a de~lon be made to use subsea chokes, and the status of existing equipment are presented here. Because of the large pressure drop the choke will be required to take, it may be preferable to design the system with two chokes in series in place of one. The control aspects of this arrangement could be complex especially if the chokes are close together. One alternative is a high pressure multistage choke which could be designed to accept large pressure drops. hy design will probably have to cater for signilkant differences in flow rate and pressure over the field life.

Both vendors have valve designs for the 4-I/16 15,000 psi and 2-1/16 15,000 psi valves but operational experience is extremely limited. In particular, it is liiely that the larger valve will have to be built in the subsea production configuration with an actuator, and prototype tested, to suitable pressures and temperatures, prior to it being used ~ any application. Actuators were specitied to operate with 3,000 rather than the more typical 15,OOOpsi.

d) Workover and Riser System

The workover and riser system components are very similar to existing equipment, the primary difference being those issues already &cusse@ 13-5/8 15,000 psi connectors and 15,000 psi rated valving. Development of an integral riser joint is required in order to allow the use of a completion riser system in place of dual tubing strings. Preliminary riser tdysk has been performed in order to identib the one required top tension and stress jobt de~. interesting point to emerge from the studies is that the bending stresses associated with a 4 x 2 L5,000 psi system are not si@lcantly greater than those associated with existing 5 x 2 10,000 psi systems,

The subsea choke is best located as close as possible to the wing valve on the tree so as to minimise the use of the wing valve as a flow control device. This may force the use of subsea chokes on all high pressure subsea wells. The use of a single subsea choke on each well to control commingled wells into a high pressure flowline with a single surface choke could be a way of compromising on the number of chokes subsea. The flowline pr&sure rating is a key factor in the selection and placement of subsea chokes and this issue is discussed further in the section on flowlines.

e) Study Conclusions

The feasibfity of a 4 x 2 J5,000 psi system to interface With 7-5/8 casing has been proven. This has been done using conservative analysis of critical areas and in most instances the equipment is very similar to existing field proven units. The component sizes and weights are not significantly different to existing units at 10,000 psi working pressure. Further development work is now required in only a few

The design and operation of subsea chokes for use on high pressure wells, places the choke in the most complex of design areas. High reliability is required to avoid the need for repair or change out, maximum flexibility is required to allow change out (should it be necessary) and high integrity is required to perform at high pressures and rates with large pressure drops over a wide temperature range. Chokes suitable for all these conditions do not exist, as yet, although development work is being pursued on various aspects, including high rate, high press~e drop equipment. 15,000 psi surface chokes have been built previously for several projects with typical design conditions of around 50 mmscfd gas flow rate with 8,000 psi pressure drop. Other developments have required the use of chokes at higher gas flow

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rates (up to 150 mmscfd) but with much lower pressure drops (~500 psi). The current use of chokes on subsea developments is limited to low pressure developments close to 5,000 psi.

Flowlines

The temperature rating of all equipment must be suitable for the wide range of temperatures which may be encountered. High temperatures may occur with high flow rates and fully open choke conditions whilst very low temperatures (as low as -123 deg C) have been calculated with choked flow conditions (references 6,10). If these temperatures prove realistic then they will present problems with material selection since low alloy steels will be It is expected that facilities unsuitable. will be required for injection of hydrate inhibitors both upstream and downstream of the choke.

The detailed flowline design for this development has not yet been performed but several design issues are presented here. Due to the nature of the produced fluids, the flowliue will probably need to be a low alloy carbon steel outer pipe lined with a corrosion resistant alloy. The outer pipe will be designed to withstand all imposed stresses due to internal pressure, thermal length changes and end effects whilst the tiner would act as a corrosion barrier (reference 7). The alternatives, which are likely to be less attractive are the use of solid CRA flowlines (high cost) or flexible flowlines (tilted pressure and temperature rating). Subsea flowlines are normally rated in excess of the maximum shut-in tubing head pressure in order to be capable of taking full well pressure should the flowline be shut in at the production facility but not shut-in subsea. It is likely that this will continue to be the case for high pressure developments where the flowline would have to be rated to 15,000 psi. The alternative, which is to utilise a low pressure flowline, is more problematic due to the dit%culties which would be encountered designing a reliable flowline overpressure protection system subsea. One interesting point is that in designing non flexible flowlines the major design stress is usually axial loading associated with thermal effects, while radial / tangential stresses will be much closer in magnitude. In a high pressure flowline it is likely that the axial stresses and the radial / tangential stresses will be much closer in magnitude, resulting in a more efticient design. Although flowiines are likely to be reasonably small in diameter (possibly 6 or 8) the increased wall thickness and internal lining will make reeling more dfilcult. However, because of the internal lining and the increased costs associated with offshore make-up it is preferable to have the flowline made-up onshore. The use of the mid-depth tow method of installation may be one way around such problems. An analysis of high pressure condensate flow through pipelines, including flow regimes, flow correlations, thermal effects and the formation of hydrates is, of course, the basis of any flowline design.

Control System

The control system arrangement for a high pressure development need not be significantly different to that for other subsea projects, It is likely that subsea tree valves would be actuated with an operating pressure of 3,000 psi. The use of standard downhole safety valve technology would require a very high pressure (VHP) control supply, usually about 2,000 psi above the shut-in tubing head pressure, a total of 12@0 psi in this case. It is this supply which will cause the major dtierences, and therefore problems in a VHP control system. The generation, storage and transmission of these very high pressures from a remote control centre or their generation subsea using pressure intensifiers represents a significant departure from existing experience.

One alternative to these VHP systems does, however exist. That is the use of downhole safety valves operating on lower control line pressures (ie pressures below the shut-in tubing head pressure) utilidng dome charge or balance line technology. These valves, which are under development, are the most likely way forward for high pressure applications since their use eliminates the entire need for a VHP control system.

Selection and specification of the control fluid presents problems for the proposed duty. Water based control fluids currently in use lose their lubricating properties and stabtity at high temperatures and pressures. For the temperatures anticipated in this development this is not considered a problem but at higher temperatures the development of new water based control fluids is required..

1. The technology and equipment required for the downhole completion of a high pressure subsea well is available and reasonably well proven. Detailed operational procedures require to be developed.

2. A single liner top and completion packer set in the 7-5/8 casing and stabbed into the 5 liner top should

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REFERENCES

3. In service stress levels in all tubulars are low as a result of the design methodology. This serves to minimise concerns over stress related corrosion mechanisms.

1. A Review of Completion Technology for Offshore Deep HP/HT Hostile Gas Condensate Wells. Prepared by Heriott Watt Petroleum Eng. Dept. on a brief from the Petroleum Science and Technology Institute and sponsored by Ranger Oil (UK) Ltd and Ultramar Exploration Ltd. 2. CSON 59. Applications for Consent to Drill or reenter high pressure, High bottom hole temperature exploration and appraisal wells : Supplementary information to be supplied in addition to that required by CSON II. Dept of Energy. May 1990 3. S.Gomersall. Production Technology for Subsea Development Wells. SUBTECH 91, Aberdeen, 12th 14th November 1991 4. R.R.Schulq D.E.Stelde, J.Murall.Completion of a Deep, Hot, Corrosive East Texas Gas Well, SPE Production Engineering. May 1988 5. S.Gomersall, E.Wade. Operational with Corrosion Resistant Alloys Completions! SPE Seminar, Aberdeen. 1991
6. A.C. Baker, M.Price , Modelling

4. The reservoir should be perforated using drill pipe conveyed TCPS with overbalance prior to running the completion.

5. The well should be completed with faltered inhibited seawater as the annulus packer fluid.

6. The way in which pressure by 9-5/8 amu,dus is monitored further consideration.

trapped in the 7-5/8 or bled down requires

7. Significant development chokes for subsea application possible installation.

of 15,000 psi actuated is required prior to any

Experience in Brae 18th April

8. The use of a downhole

safety valve operated at pressures lower than the maximum shut-in tub~ head pressure avoids the need for a very high pressure control system. Such valves are currently under development,

the Performance of High Pressure, High Temperature Wells. SPE 20903, The Hague, 22nd - 24th October 1990.

7. R.Kane, S.M.Wilhetrn, T.Yoshida, S Matsui, T. Iwase Analysis of Bimetallic Pipe for Sour Service. SPE Production Engineerin~ August 1991 M.J.Elmer Perforating a High Pressure Gas Well Overbalanced in Mud : Is it Really That Bad? SPE Production Engineering February 1990 9. M.Celant, T.Cheldi, D.Condanni. Controlling Corrosion in Deep, Hot, Sour Wells for Oil Production! NACE - Corrosion Europe 89, Milan, 14th - 17th November 1989 10. J.M.Prieur Control Aspects of Drilling High Pressure Wells. SPE 19245, Offshore Europe 89, Aberdeen, 5th - 8th September 1989 11. AAdams. How to Design for Anmdus Fluid Heat Up. SPE 22871, Dallas, 6th - 9th October, 1991 12 G.G.Huntoon. Completion Practices Tuscaloosa Wells. Journal of Petroleum January 1984 in Deep Sour Technology, .
8. T.E.Bundy,

feasibility of a 4 x 2 15,000 psi subsea completion has been proven, however equipment development is required in various areas prior to any possible installations. These are: development and testing of tubing hanger nose and stab seals, prototype testing of 4-1/16 15,0410 psi valve and actuator, and development of 15,000 psi completion riser connectors.
9. The ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

in this paper are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Marathon Oil UK or their partners in the Brae fields.

The views expressed

The authors wish to thank Marathon Oil UK and their partners; Britoil plq Kerr-McGee Oil (UK) plq Bow Valley Petroleum (UK) Lt~ L.L.& E. (UK) Inq British Gas Exploration and Production Ltd, Sovereign Od & Gas plc and British-Borneo Petroleum Syndicate plc for permission to publish this paper.

13. W.H.Stone. A Completion Method for High Pressure, Corrosive, Offshore Gas WellsY OTC 4007, Houston, 4th - 7th May, 1981

109

10

DH & SUBSEA COMPLETION

DESIGN FOR A HIGH PRESSU~

NORTH SEA GAS CONDENSATE

FIELD

OTC 6992

Table 1 : Desicm Conditions

Reservoir Pressure (psi) Reservoir Temperature (deg 1?) Reservoir Depth (ft;tvdss) Kill Weight Fiuid (ppg) Maximum Shut-in THP (psi) Maximum THP with bullhead allowance (psi) Maximum Surface Temperature (deg F) Maximum H28 (mol ppm) H2S Partial Pressure (psi) Maximum C02 (mol %) C02 PartiaI Pressure (psi)

13,300

284

15,700 16.9 10,600 12$500 245 100 1.33 10 1,330

~ Depth intervai (ft) Grade Weight (iblft) 45,3 55.3

(in: 6.435 6S25

0- 1,000
l@O - 8JO0 8,500 -1.5,000

110 ksi
T95

Pllo

55+3

6.125

* Either 110 ksi steel or 110 Ml duplex stainless required in order safety valve and

yield propriet~ grade low doy corrosion resistant alloy such as steel. The higher yield material is to increase the ID for the downhole subsea production equipment.

Tabie 3:15.000

Dsi Subsea ComRietion Bore S~a cing Vendor A Vendor B

Anmdus

Bore Size Production Bore Size Bore Centres Production Bore Offset

2-1/16 4-1/16 5.250 0.960

2-1/16 4-1/16 5.000 0.938

Y \ \ \ \

5000

1
/

\
I

W3alder

\ \

Frigg
I

\
\ \

Maureen This

ioooo

Design

%+: \ : ye
Q\

ey] \ m
North Brae

15000

0/0 \ % \

./ \

\
\ \ \ \
I

Franklin [undeveloped)

20000

Mary

Anne,

Mobile
I

Bay

\
\ \

Villa Fortuna, Italy

I
o

2000

4000

Soofl

Sooo

ioooo

i2000

14000

16000

iBooo

20000

Pressure (psial

FIGURE

1 :

PRESSURE

DEPTH

FOR VARIOUS

FIELOS

o
.

45.3 lb/ft iiO ksi .

\\-------l! \ Burst Parfornance \\

- ~

5.000

.lJ z 5 m K!

Collapse Performence \ Burst Raquirenent (SF=l .0) \, \,

--

\ ~<__

10,000

0 . z .@ : . m A \, \, \.

i I I I I I I ! I I I I 1 1 1 I

15.000

2000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

i2,000

14.000

I I ! I K,000 is, 000

Preeeure (pei)

FIGURE

2 :

7-5/8

CASING

DESIGN

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II

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J ~+~

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