PgDip/MSc Energy Programme Introduction to Completion Design

Introduction to Completion Design

Review

This topic introduces the initial philosophy and objectives in completion

design. The concept of well integrity and barriers, and the interactions
between well design and completion design are also introduced.

Content
Objectives of Completion Design

Completion design is the process of converting a drilled wellbore into a safe and efficient
production/ injection system.
Subsequent to the drilling of a gas or oil well, it must be appropriately ‘completed’, just
before it can be used for either production or injection purposes. Because completion
itself means conclusion, such completion process should involve a comprehensive
methodology that must include safety, efficiency, economical and technical
considerations in order to connect the borehole and the pay zone, perform any
stimulation job in the reservoir (if needed), put the well on production and ultimately
asses the productivity and behaviour of the well.
There are several factors that have direct influence on the completion design, such as:
• Intention of the well: A well could be drilled with many purposes, among them:
exploration, appraisal, development, etc. Therefore, it will be reasonable to infer
that the completion design for each of these wells will be totally different. For
example, in an exploration well the priorities will be to identify the nature of the
fluids present on the reservoir, so the completion should be designed with
consideration for the ease of lowering tools and down hole logging equipment.
On the other hand, for an exploratory well, the priority will be the testing of the
well, so it will normally involve several different well tests (deliverability, transient,
etc) to be performed, and the completion considerations will have to take into
account safety issues, some type of artificial lift, the need for facilities hook up
etc. In the case of development wells, we have to determine the type of
development well. It could be: production wells, injection wells, observation wells,
etc, so it is definitely the case that the completion design for production wells will
be influenced directly by the intended purpose of the well.
• Environmental, Geographical, Topographical, and legal Issues: A well could be
located on many different environments, on land, offshore, on the artic zone, on
any continent, on a mountain, in a valley, over a lake, on a city or near a town or
protected zone, etc. These issues will involve several kinds of limitations such as:
difficulties obtaining permits for operations, transportation, discharges, etc, and/or
difficulties in obtaining supplies, utilities, etc. There will also be meteorological
limitations such as harsh environment, cold, heat, hurricanes, tornadoes and
sand storms as well as volcano activity, etc.
• Drilling: The type of equipment (rig) used, the profile of the well, casing and
cementing, as well as drilling fluids have an important role in completion design. It
is therefore important to have a clear knowledge of what was done on the drilling
phase in order to have a better plan for our completion design.
• Reservoir itself: In order to design a successful completion, thorough knowledge
of several parameters is required such as pressure gradients, type of fluids, water
and oil contacts, gas and oil contacts, number of zones to be produced,

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characteristics and properties of the rock, production profile and estimated

number of wells, etc.
• Production: Safety issues regarding the pressure, temperature and type of fluid to
be produced, the need for artificial lift methods, the conditions for operations
(environment, space, utilities, type of fluid, true depth of the wells, etc), and the
anticipated techniques expected to be used for measurement, maintenance,
repair, and workover operations.
• The Techniques used for completion: Pay zone to bore hole connection, need for
treatment, possibility of artificial lift, operating procedure that will be used to
complete the well, general configuration, etc.

The simplest means of achieving this objective would be to initiate a flow path from the
wellbore into the reservoir and let the fluids flow to surface. Clearly this is a ‘completion’
in the simplest form. However, we will see that such an approach will possibly lead to
problems, particularly relating to safety and efficiency aspects mentioned. It is therefore
common to install equipment such that we can:
• maximise the safety of the production / injection system by installing some form
of flow control, preventing the escape of fluids into the environment;
• maximise the efficiency of the production / injection system by maximising the
flow potential of the well.

A number of primary and secondary objectives must be met when undertaking the
completion design. The two most important are safety and efficiency:
• maintain safe containment of all produced and injected fluids within the
wellbore at all times. Some safety aspects are included in legislation, but many
are not and ‘good engineering practice’ is required;
• maximise efficiency hence productivity means continuously improving the
overall value of the well.

Well value can be the measure of the overall amount of money to be made from the well
taking into account the cost of finding the oil, constructing the well, producing the
maximum volumes of hydrocarbons by using technology and safely abandoning it at the
end of its productive life. This may mean designing a well such that rates are
maximised.
Likewise, efficiency is not just about tubing size or artificial lift, but also about water /
gas shut-in capabilities and for example scale management. Some of the secondary
objectives will relate to these two primary objectives, but some may be separate, such
as:
• minimisation of CAPEX and OPEX;
• compliance with local regulations (eg, monitoring);
• provision of systems reliability and flow assurance;
• provision of reservoir management capability (eg, monitoring of reservoir
depletion).

The completion is the link between the reservoir and the production facilities. It is
therefore important that at every stage of the completion design, sufficient consideration
is given to the various aspects and interaction between the different components of the
process such as geology, reservoir engineering, surface facilities and drilling. These
disciplines will affect the completion in a number of ways; for instance well profiles and
well locations will have a significant impact in the completion. Aspects such as tubing
length, wellhead and production tree type and characteristics will be heavily influenced
by the type of well profile and the chosen drilling location. The completion designer must
interact with all these disciplines and identify the particular characteristics of the
interaction as it will differ significantly between companies.

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PgDip/MSc Energy Programme Introduction to Completion Design

Types of Completions

We could categorise oil and gas well completions in more than a few ways, however, the
most common criteria for such categorisation include:
• Consideration of the interface between wellbore and reservoir: open hole or
cased hole completions.
• The method of production: it could be natural flowing or pumped production.
• The number of producing zones: it could be single or multi zone production.

Each of these completions has its own set of requirements dictated by its own specific
characteristics. Above all there are some issues that need to be solved by the type of
completions, these are: borehole stability (if needed), capacity for selective production (if
needed), water shut off (if needed), safety, flow rate control and ability to perform future
operations on the well, etc.

Open hole (barefoot) completions:

This involves leaving the wellbore through the reservoir open, normally cementing the
casing or liner just above the pay zone in the reservoir cap rock. Open hole completions
are only possible on well consolidated reservoirs (good strength rock), where the
possibility of caving or slugging are minimal. If possible, it is also desirable to drill the
section of the reservoir through the pay zone using non-harmful mud and/or using
underbalanced conditions.
However this type of completion has its drawbacks in that it does not allow selective
production or zonal isolation.

Cased Perforated Completions:

This type of completion involves the perforation of the pay zone, allowing the bypassing
of any damaged formation zone. Perforated completions also allow multiple zone
production, and give meanings for zonal isolation. These types of completions are
widely used.

Natural Flowing Production:

If the reservoir is capable of producing by its own means, the completion will include
less equipment and complexity, with the associated impact on completion costs.

Pumped Production Completions:

This type of completion are generally called ‘artificially lifted’ or ‘pumped assisted’
completions, and are those completions that normally include any method of artificial lift
currently in use, such as: rod pump, gas lift, ESPs, plunger lift, jet pump, hydraulic
pump, etc.

Single Zone Completions:

This type of completion is a very straightforward one, because there is only one zone to
produce and control, besides, they can be done with very little downhole equipment (eg,
a single packer, and a single production string).

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Multiple Zone Completions:

Because these types of completions are designed to produce more than one zone of
interest, there are many possible configurations that will allow either selective or
simultaneous production. We could however to narrow down the options to the following:
• Produce the zones sequentially through a single tubing string;
• Produce several zones simultaneously through multiple tubing strings;
• Produce several zones, commingled through a single production string;
• Drill and complete a separate well for each zone of interest.

Well Integrity and Barriers Philosophy

In line with the objectives presented, well integrity is of paramount importance and must
be assured at all times in order that maximum production can be achieved in a safe and
sustained basis. One of the most important tasks in present day completion design is to
understand and identify the well safety requirements. Formation and other pressurised
fluids must be contained within the wellbore to prevent their uncontrolled release. This
can cause serious risk to life, property and the environment. Such containment is usually
mechanical and is provided by the installation of appropriate well safety barriers. The
following table presents a sample of the most common barriers used in production and
injection wells. Bear in mind that they might vary depending on local regulations and
company policies.
Table 1. Common Well Barriers.
BARRIER LOCATION ACCEPTABLE COMMENTS
Wireline plugs Subsurface Yes Set in tubing nipples
Yes Set in tubing only
Safety valves Subsurface Yes Tubing or wireline retrievable
Injection valves Subsurface No Could be accepted in water
injection wells.
Fluid column Subsurface No Not on its own, only if used
with the mechanical barriers
Packers Subsurface Yes Permanent or retrievable
Formation isolation Subsurface No Most current valves only hold
valves pressure from above
Burst disc Subsurface Yes Has been used in the UK
Tree valves Surface Yes In some areas the whole tree
is considered a single barrier
Riser systems Surface Yes Suitably rated
Wireline plug or BPV Surface Yes Set on hanger profile
BOPs Surface Yes For intervention operations
Gate valves Surface Yes Properly tested

The local regulations for an operating area and/or company policy may dictate the
number, type and placement of well safety barriers. As there can be radical differences
in regulations between different countries in the same geographical area, it is essential
that well barrier requirements are addressed in the very earliest stages of the design
process.
Illustrated below as an example is the barrier status for a North Sea (UKCS) subsea
multifunction well with production through the tubing and injection via the annulus. This
example may appear to be unduly complex with hydrocarbon production up the tubing
and water injection down the annulus.

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However, with respect to barriers this must be treated as twin well where a situation in
one can affect the other – eg, a tubing leak. The barrier system should be such that the
remaining operation can continue, avoiding total shut down of both production and
injection.
Table 2. Barrier Status for a North Sea Multifunction Well.
Fluid SCSSSV Surface / Deep set Shallow set Christmas
Column Downhole Injection Injection Tree
plug(s) valve valve valves
Initial
Completion
• • • • •
Production • •
Injection • •
Combined
Prod / Inj
• • •
Workover • • • • •
Tree
Removal
• • • • •
There is no single solution to the problem of defining a well barrier system. Ultimately,
the completions engineer must develop realistic alternatives for review with senior
operating and technical personnel. Only with an effective system can there be
technically sound, cost effective and, in particular, safe operation of the well.

The Design Process

The completion design process is both interactive and dynamic. In other words, the
design process is continually reviewed and the process loop shown worked through
several times. The following diagram illustrates the process and its main components.
Figure 1. The Design Process.

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The initial design is of a conceptual nature in order to identify the initial characteristics
and interrelations between components and disciplines. Productivity aspects, type of
completion, preliminary tubing size and potential requirements for artificial lift are
explored at this stage. The most important aspect is the determination of the reservoir
and well productivity expectations; this will have a significant impact on the following
reviews and changes as the design is optimised.
Preliminary equipment selection follows the initial design, at this point aspects of the
process such as risk analysis; casing design, economics and equipment characteristics
are addressed. This stage leads to a more formal identification of the suitable
architecture(s) for the well and design options. Other important aspects such as well
maintenance strategies are incorporated in the evaluation at this stage.
Well performance optimisation is then carried out using more accurate and robust
data, this optimization ensures that maximum volume of hydrocarbons can be produced
using a minimum of energy required (pressure). Sensitivity analysis to variables such as
reservoir pressure, gas/water oil ratios are then carried out. Different stages in the life of
the well mainly based on depletion are evaluated in order to ensure that the objectives
are met and that within the technical, economic and operational constraints the well will
produce at optimum rate.
The final design stage of the process focusses on the final specification and
verification of the selected design option. Tubing stress analysis, erosion checks and
further risk analysis are carried out along with the first attempts to generate installation
procedures. The result from this step will allow other tasks such as tendering of
equipment and services, costing and organizational tasks to be carried out.
Many operators have formalised this approach further and follow a rigorous design
approach with formal design steps and reviews. The advantage of such an approach is
that critical steps are not overlooked and standardised wells result. However, a more
flexible approach whilst still maintaining sufficient checks on the design is to be
encouraged in order to take advantage of new techniques, new equipment or field
peculiarities.
Failure of the completion either during installation or operation can and does lead to
injury, death or environmental pollution. As the design engineer you have a personal
responsibility to ensure that the chances of a mishap happening are minimised as far as
practical.

Completion Components

A completion is divided in two main components, the upper completion and the reservoir
(or lower completion). Both present unique characteristics and fulfill different functions.
The lower completion is the interface between the wellbore and the reservoir section. Its
main functions are:
• to ensure long term integrity of the wellbore;
• to allow establishment of effective communication between the reservoir and the
wellbore (ie, Open hole / cased perforated);
• to address the specific reservoir characteristics and requirements such as sand
control or selective production in order to ensure that productivity is maximized;
• to provide whenever practically possible full access to the reservoir in order to
monitor and improve well/reservoir performance.

The upper completion refers to the methods and equipment used from above the
reservoir to surface, its main functions are:
• to allow effective lifting of produced fluids to surface;
• to ensure containment and safety of the produced hydrocarbons;
• to minimise pressure losses resulting from the flow of hydrocarbons;

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• to allow an effective access path to the reservoir section.

The upper completion is represented by the tubing string and its components while the
lower completions are system components such as screens, gravel packs or hydraulic
fractures. The following table presents the most common components for both the upper
and the lower completion and their functions. It must be noted that a component is not
necessarily an individual piece of equipment but a group of accessories. For instance,
for artificial lift methods such as progressive cavity pumps, the component is formed
from the pump, drive and rods. On the other hand in the case of the tubing it refers
strictly to a single component that is the steel tube.
In general terms the lower completion has less components such as in the case of
wells completed with open hole sections. In this case there is no other component but
the actual bore. However in wells with sanding problems other components such as
perforating, screen/gravel, packers and accessories are required. The lower additional
elements of each component such as seals, inserts and subs are described in more
detail elsewhere in this module.
Table 3. Common Components for Upper and Lower Completion.
COMPLETION COMPONENT FUNCTION
Tubing hanger Suspend the string/components
Safety systems Contain production fluids
Packer Isolate / contain fluids
Upper Tubing Transport/containment of fluids
Artificial lift systems Aid/enhance production
Data acquisition Well/reservoir management
system
Sliding sleeves Well circulation / safety
Perforating Establish communication between
Lower wellbore and reservoir
Sand control Stop/control solids production
Fracturing Enhance production
Isolation systems Reservoir isolation / safety

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