Well Activation

The process of initiating flow and establishing communication between

the reservoir and the wellbore is Well activation.
Well activation can be done by one of the following method –
1. By displacement with lighter Liquid.
2. Perforating with underbalanced condition.
3. Displacing by compressor application
4. Displacing by nitrogen by pumping liquid nitrogen with coil tubing
5. Swabbing with wireline
6. Activation with gas lift system

1. Displacement with lighter liquid

 Normally the well is perforated overbalanced, (higher pressure in
the wellbore than in the formation) with completion fluid in the
hole (normally same weight as that of the mud with which the
formation was drilled). The flow initiation and cleanup program will
comprise of displacing the completion fluid with lighter fluid. This
will result in a lower pressure so as to allow the reservoir fluids to
flow into the wellbore.
 In case of a completion with packer, it would need a Wireline job to
open a downhole circulating device so that the lighter fluid can be
circulated to reduce the pressure in the wellbore.

2. Perforating with underbalanced conditions

However, if the well is perforated in an underbalanced condition, (lower
pressure in the wellbore than in the formation) the flow initiation and
clean up procedures must commence immediately upon perforation.
This would be possible if the perforation is done using Tubing
Conveyed Perforation. In this case the heavier completion fluid can be
displaced out with a lighter fluid prior to the TCP being activated thereby
reducing thepressure in the well bore.
3. Displacing by compressor application
This procedure is generally adopted for the onshore well. Compressor is
connected to the tubing annulus and completion fluid is displaced by the
compressed air. This reduces the head on the reservoir when the
pressure is bled off which initiates the flow from reservoir into the
wellbore. Normal compressors available for such application can go upto
120 kg/cm2

4. Displacing by nitrogen by pumping liquid nitrogen with coil

tubing
This procedure will be chosen for deeper wells either onshore or
offshore. The activation time will much less as compared to other
procedures. The coil tubing will be rigged up on the well and coil tubing
run to the bottom. Then nitrogen can be pumped through the Coil tubing
and displacing the whole well volume with nitrogen. On bleeding off the
nitogen pressure from the wellbore the influx into the wellbore will start
and the well will become active

5. Swabbing with Wireline

This procedure is no more popular as it takes along time to swab out
liquid head from the tubing which will delay the activation.
Swab cups are run on a wireline string and lowered in tubing and on
pulling out the swab cups sweep the water from the tubing to the
surface. The depth to which swab cups are lowered to is increased in
small increments. The swabbing operation is reapted till the well
becomes active.