Trapped Annular Pressure:

A Spacer Fluid that Shrinks (Update)

Ron Bland, Ron Foley, Floyd Harvey, Baker Hughes Drilling
Fluids, Ben Bloys, Many Gonzales, Chevron, Robert Hermes,
Los Alamos National Laboratory, John M. Daniel, Floyd
Billings, Ian Robinson, Lucite International, Marlon Allison,
Flow Process Technologies, John Davis, Terry Cassel, Baker
Oil Tools
 What is Trapped Annular Pressure?
(or Annular Pressure Buildup)

•When cement is not

circulated back to surface,
drilling fluids or spacers
become trapped in the
annulus between the top of
cement and the wellhead
•Heat from produced oil/gas
/water causes thermal
expansion of these trapped
annular fluids and can create
more than enough pressure
to collapse casing and tubing
strings
From SPE 89775 - Pattillo, et al
 What is Trapped Annular Pressure?

• Mostly an issue in subsea

completed wells
• Previous mitigation techniques
include VIT, heavy walled casing,
nitrogen-based spacers, burst
disks, crushable foam, leaving
cement short of shoe, etc.
 A New Approach
• Cooperative research between Chevron and Los Alamos
National Lab led to the development of a shrinking
spacer based on methyl methacrylate (MMA)
• MMA is a liquid monomer that polymerizes to form many
familiar items like plastic windows and acrylic
paperweights, and is the active ingredient in many latex
paints
• MMA shrinks 20% as it changes from emulsified liquid
MMA droplets to tiny solid poly-MMA particles
 Trapped Annular Pressure
Shrinking Spacer (TAPSS) Formulation
ƒ MMA is emulsified into a standard water-based spacer at
10–50%

•Water
•Biopolymer (for viscosity)
•Barite (1st test – 12 ppg)
•Emulsifiers
•MMA (1st test - 28%)
•Defoamer
•Inhibitor
•Initiator (added as spacer is pumped)
•Bicarb & caustic
•Dispersant
 TAPSS Preparation Overview

Initiator
MMA Monomer
Solution

Metering MMA/WBM Emulsion Metering Pump

Mixer Transported Mixer Downhole
to Wellsite

Water-Based Mud
 Mid-Scale Field Trial

ƒ Test site in Bossier City,

LA had a 500-ft, cased well
ƒ Built an annulus from 7”
and 9-5/8” casing, with 3-
1/2” pipe within for hot
water injection
ƒ Pressure tested
 Test Results
Trapped Annular Pressure Mitigation
TAPSS vs. Standard Spacer
4500

4000

3500
Annulus Pressure - psi

3000
Standard Spacer

2500

2000

Polymerization begins
1500

1000

500
TAPSS

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180

Minutes of Annulus Heating

 TAPSS After Reaction
Thicker, but still liquid with 28% Poly-MMA
 Compatibility with Drilling Operations

ƒ Elastomers OK Buna® (butadiene nitrile)

OK Viton® (fluoroelastomer)
OK Urethanes

ƒ Contamination with Cement – OK

ƒ Contamination with KCl, NaCl or CaCl2 – OK

ƒ Contamination with SBM – OK

ƒ Contamination with standard cement spacer - OK

 Off–Shore Procedure

• Shipped to rig in closed-top, vented tanks

• Tank(s) spotted on rig (watch wt. limits)
• Mixed with initiator solution just before going
down hole (initiator is a 5-7% feed)
• Pumped down hole using cement unit, or
similar
• Should not mix with mud system, but 15%
contamination in SBM only moderately reduces
LC50
 Safety Issues
ƒ Detailed risk analysis/mitigation process
ƒ Pure MMA has a low flash point - 55º F, similar to
methanol - only handled in mud plant
ƒ The emulsified spacer has an open cup flash point of
175º F
ƒ Fumes can accumulate in tank head space and
become a risk (grounding)
ƒ Plan to use the pumping unit to flush water back
through lines and pump skid to original tank
 Safety Issues, cont.

ƒ Tank bottoms, wash water, etc. will be treated

with a ‘hot’ initiator to eliminate any unreacted
MMA
ƒ Proper PPE will be specified
ƒ Drips pans under all connections
ƒ Absorbents for small spills
ƒ Surfactants make the LC50 low, as expected – so
no offshore disposal
Detailed Operations & Safety Plans
 Land Test – Carthage, TX

ƒ A quick land trial was held in a

tubing annulus to provide a full
scale test of:
– Safety protocols
– All mixing/metering equipment
and manifolds
– Pumping, and clean-up
procedures
– Initiator behavior
 Spacer Mixing Skid

ƒ Meter in
MMA Spacer to Tank

ƒ Emulsify in a High Shear

single pass Mixer

ƒ Pump to
MMA in
transport
tank

Mud in
Manifold
 Initiator Addition Skid (rig)

ƒ Meter in
initiator
solution
ƒ Mix well
Mud in
with spacer
ƒ Charge Mixer
main
pumping
unit Initiator in
Out to pump
unit & well
Initiator Tank and Addition Skid
 Wellhead Pressure vs. Time
1200

1000
Pressure (psig) at manifold

800

600

400

200

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Time (minutes)
 Polymerization vs. Depth

120
monomer to polymer

100
% conversion of

80

60

40

20

0
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000
Vertical Depth (feet)
Clean-Up Flushing Effective
 Results
ƒ All fluids accurately mixed and well emulsified
ƒ Smooth displacement into well
ƒ Pressured to 1000 psi
ƒ Shrinkage occurred as expected (sampled
during well cleanout):
– Bottom of well (240° F) – hotter than St. Malo
production temperature – reacted quickly
– Top of well – similar temperature to St. Malo
annulus – virtually no reaction
ƒ All equipment cleaned by flushing with rinse
water back to original tank
ƒ No HSE incidents
 Preparing for a Deepwater Trial
CVX producing properties - GOMBU
Projects – CVX Op
Projects – Non Op
Discoveries – CVX Op Petronius

Discoveries – Non Op

Exploration Wells Gemini

Tahiti #7 Tubular Bells Blind

10¾” tieback annulus Genesis
Faith

Q2’09 Cat. Deep

Tahiti
Knotty Head

Tonga Puma
Tiger Discoverer
Great White Big Foot Deep Seas

Silvertip/Tobago
St Malo
Trident Jack

Appraisal Projects
 Planning a TAPSS Application:
Determine the extent of the problem
1. Model temperatures and pressures in trapped
annulus
– During seal formation
– Maximum during flow testing/production
– Geothermal and hydrostatic
2. Compare the above with casing and seal
assembly ratings to determine the minimum
pressure reduction needed during flow
testing/production to stay within casing/seal
assembly ratings
 Planning a TAPSS Application:
Is TAPSS a feasible solution?
3. Calculate fluid volume shrinkage needed at
maximum flow test temperatures/pressures to
achieve pressure reduction in ‘2.’ above
4. Using new fluid volume and pressures from ‘3.’
above, calculate shut-in pressures under
geothermal conditions
5. Are shut-in pressures using new fluid volume
within casing/seal assembly ratings?
6. If no, TAPSS may not be a feasible solution for
well design/flow test schedule
 Tieback Example with 16” Liner
Example Deepwater Casing Diagram

Drilling Schematic
Well: Subsea Completion #1 Rig: BA Drillship #1
Mudline Location: WBS No.
API Well Number:
BHL Location: Latitude/Longitude.:
RT to MSL (ft): ±90'
OBJECTIVES: Water Depth (ft): ±7000
DIRECTIONAL: Straight Hole RT to ML (ft): ±7000'

18-3/4" HPWH @ -16' 16' AML

38" Housing @ -12' 12' AML
EVAL GEOLOGIC MARKERS HOLE CASING MUD LOT
PROG OBJECTIVES MD TVD SIZE & CEMENT MW OBG/FG
±7400'
16" LS @ ±7,400
MWD/LWD t/ TD ±300' MD 36" Jetted to ±300' BML
±300' BML
26" Hole

TOS @ 8,509'
8,509' BML
TVD
±8800' MD ±8800' 22" to ±8800'
' BML 500' Tail, TOC @ Mud-line, 200% OHE
10 3/4" X 9-7/8" CROSSOVER @ +/- 9,500'

TVD 13-5/8" TOL @ < 17K'

±17000 MD 17,000' 16"to ±17000'
 Planning a TAPSS Application:
Determine extent of pressure relief possible
7. If yes, TAPSS may be a feasible solution and
additional pressure relief may be possible
– Try increasing pressure reduction in ‘A’ above
– Recalculate fluid volume shrinkage required
– Recalculate shut-in pressures under geothermal
conditions using new volume
– Compare with casing/seal assembly design
ratings
– Continue iterations until casing/seal assembly
design ratings are reached
 Planning a TAPSS Application:
Determine Fluid Details
8. Calculate trapped annulus volume capacity
9. Adjust for other fluids planned for annulus
10. Difference is maximum TAPSS volume possible
11. What is the desired TAPSS density as pumped
downhole?
12. Calculate TAPSS density as shipped allowing
for initiator dilution
13. Determine maximum tank loading based on
empty tank weight, TAPSS density & rig deck
load limit
14. Calculate number of tanks needed
 Planning a TAPSS Application:
What are rig constraints?
15. Choose TAPSS staging area based on:
– Space
– Utility access
– Deck load limit
– Evacuation
– Cement pump if pump is on top deck
16. If cement pump on a lower deck a small HP
pump will probably be needed such as a gravel
pack pump
 Thanks to:
ƒ Management of Chevron, Los Alamos
National Laboratory, Baker Hughes Drilling
Fluids, Baker Oil Tools, Flow Process
Technology and Lucite International for
permission to present this work.
ƒ IADC and the Programme Committee for
accepting our abstract
Happiness is No Annular Pressure

Questions?