Completion (oil and

gas wells)

Well completion is t he process of making a well ready for product ion (or inject ion) aft er
drilling operat ions. This principally involves preparing t he bot t om of t he hole t o t he required
specificat ions, running in t he product ion t ubing and it s associat ed down hole t ools as well as
perforat ing and st imulat ing as required. Somet imes, t he process of running in and cement ing
t he casing is also included. Aft er a well has been drilled, should t he drilling fluids be removed,
t he well would event ually close in upon it self. Casing ensures t hat t his will not happen while
also prot ect ing t he wellst ream from out side incumbent s, like wat er or sand.[1]

Perforated shoe

Lower completion (downhole completion)

This refers t o t he port ion of t he well across t he product ion or inject ion zone. The well
designer has many t ools and opt ions available t o design t he lower complet ion (downhole
complet ion) according t o t he condit ions of t he reservoir. Typically, t he lower complet ion is
set across t he product ive zone using a liner hanger syst em, which anchors t he lower
complet ion t o t he product ion casing st ring. The broad cat egories of lower complet ion are
list ed below.

Barefoot completion

This t ype is t he most basic, but can be a good choice for hard rock, mult i-lat erals and
underbalance drilling. It involves leaving t he product ive reservoir sect ion wit hout any t ubulars.
This effect ively removes cont rol of flow of fluids from t he format ion; it is not suit able for
weaker format ions which might require sand cont rol, nor for format ions requiring select ive
isolat ion of oil, gas and wat er int ervals. However, advances in int ervent ions such as coiled
t ubing and t ract ors means t hat barefoot wells can be successfully produced.

Open hole

The product ion casing is set above t he zone of int erest before drilling t he zone. The zone is
open t o t he well bore. In t his case lit t le expense is generat ed wit h perforat ions. Log
int erpret at ion is not crit ical. The well can be deepened easily and it is easily convert ed t o
screen and liner. However, excessive gas and wat er product ion is difficult t o cont rol, and may
require frequent clean out s. Also t he int erval cannot be select ively st imulat ed.

Open hole completion

This designat ion refers t o a range of complet ions where no casing or liner is cement ed in
place across t he product ion zone. In compet ent format ions, t he zone might be left ent irely
bare, but some sort of sand-cont rol and/or flow-cont rol means are usually incorporat ed.

Openhole complet ions have seen significant upt ake in recent years, and t here are many
configurat ions, oft en developed t o address specific reservoir challenges. There have been
many recent development s t hat have boost ed t he success of openhole complet ions, and
t hey also t end t o be popular in horizont al wells, where cement ed inst allat ions are more
expensive and t echnically more difficult . The common opt ions for openhole complet ions are:

Pre-holed liner
Also oft en called pre-drilled liner. The liner is prepared wit h mult iple small drilled holes, t hen
set across t he product ion zone t o provide wellbore st abilit y and an int ervent ion conduit . Pre-
holed liner is oft en combined wit h openhole packers, such as swelling elast omers, mechanical
packers or ext ernal casing packers, t o provide zonal segregat ion and isolat ion. It is now quit e
common t o see a combinat ion of pre-holed liner, solid liner and swelling elast omer packers t o
provide an init ial isolat ion of unwant ed wat er or gas zones. Mult iple sliding sleeves can also
be used in conjunct ion wit h openhole packers t o provide considerable flexibilit y in zonal flow
cont rol for t he life of t he wellbore.

This t ype of complet ion is also being adopt ed in some wat er inject ion wells, alt hough t hese
require a much great er performance envelope for openhole packers, due t o t he considerable
pressure and t emperat ure changes t hat occur in wat er inject ors.

Openhole complet ions (in comparison wit h cement ed pipe) require bet t er underst anding of
format ion damage, wellbore clean-up and fluid loss cont rol. A key difference is t hat
perforat ing penet rat es t hrough t he first 6-18 inches (15–45 cm) of format ion around t he
wellbore, whilst openhole complet ions require t he reservoir fluids t o flow t hrough all of t he
filt rat e-invaded zone around t he wellbore and lift -off of t he mud filt er cake.

Many openhole complet ions will incorporat e fluid loss valves at t he t op of t he liner t o provide
well cont rol whilst t he upper complet ion is run.

There are an increasing number of ideas coming int o t he market place t o ext end t he opt ions
for openhole complet ions; for example, elect ronics can be used t o act uat e a self-opening or
self-closing liner valve. This might be used in an openhole complet ion t o improve clean-up, by
bringing t he well ont o product ion from t he t oe-end for 100 days, t hen self-opening t he heel-
end. Inflow cont rol devices and int elligent complet ions are also inst alled as openhole
complet ions.

Pre-holed liner may provide some basic cont rol of solids product ion, where t he wellbore is
t hought t o fail in aggregat ed chunks of rubble, but it is not t ypically regarded as a sand
cont rol complet ion.

Slotted liner

Slot t ed liners can be select ed as an alt ernat ive t o pre-holed liner, somet imes as a personal
preference or from est ablished pract ice on a field. It can also be select ed t o provide a low
cost cont rol of sand/solids product ion. The slot t ed liner is machined wit h mult iple
longit udinal slot s, for example 2 mm × 50 mm, spread across t he lengt h and circumference of
each joint . Recent advances in laser cut t ing means t hat slot t ing can now be done much
cheaper t o much smaller slot widt hs and in some sit uat ion slot t ed liner is now used for t he
same funct ionalit y as sand cont rol screens.

Openhole sand control

This is select ed where t he liner is required t o mechanically hold back t he movement of

format ion sand. There are many variant s of openhole sand cont rol, t he t hree popular choices
being st and-alone screens, openhole gravel packs (also known as ext ernal gravel packs,
where a sized sand 'gravel' is placed as an annulus around t he sand cont rol screen) and
expandable screens. Screen designs are mainly wire-wrap or premium; wire-wrap screens use
spiral-welded corrosion-resist ant wire wrapped around a drilled basepipe t o provide a
consist ent small helical gap (such as 0.012-inch (0.30 mm), t ermed 12 gauge). Premium
screens use a woven met al clot h wrapped around a basepipe. Expandable screens are run t o
dept h before being mechanically swaged t o a larger diamet er. Ideally, expandable screens will
be swaged unt il t hey cont act t he wellbore wall.

Horizontal open hole completions

This is t he most common open hole complet ion used t oday. It is basically t he same described
on t he vert ical open hole complet ion but on a horizont al well it enlarges significant ly t he
cont act wit h t he reservoir, increasing t he product ion or inject ion rat es of your well. Sand
cont rol on a horizont al well is complet ely different from a vert ical well. We can no longer rely
on t he gravit y for t he gravel placement . Most service companies uses an alpha and bet a wave
design t o cover t he t ot al lengt h of t he horizont al well wit h gravel. It 's known t hat very long
wells (around 6000 ft ) were successfully gravel packed in many occasions, including
deepwat er reservoirs in Brazil.

Liner completions

In t his case t he casing is set above t he primary zone. An un-cement ed screen and liner
assembly is inst alled across t he pay sect ion. This t echnique minimizes format ion damage and
gives t he abilit y t o cont rol sand. It also makes cleanout easy. Perforat ing expense is also low
t o non-exist ent . However gas and wat er build up is difficult t o cont rol and select ive
st imulat ion not possible t he well can't be easily deepened and addit ional rig t ime may be
needed.

Perforated liner
Casing is set above t he producing zone, t he zone is drilled and t he liner casing is cement ed in
place. The liner is t hen perforat ed for product ion. This t ime addit ional expense in perforat ing
t he casing is incurred, also log int erpret at ion is crit ical and it may be difficult t o obt ain good
qualit y cement jobs.

Perforated casing

Product ion casing is cement ed t hrough t he zone and t he pay sect ion is select ively
perforat ed. Gas and wat er are easily cont rolled as is sand. The format ion can be select ively
st imulat ed and t he well can be deepened. This select ion is adapt able t o ot her complet ion
configurat ions and logs are available t o assist casing decisions. Much bet t er primary casing. It
can however cause damage t o zones and needs good log int erpret at ion. The perforat ing cost
can be very high.

Cased hole completion

This involves running casing and a liner down t hrough t he product ion zone, and cement ing it in
place. Connect ion bet ween t he well bore and t he format ion is made by perforat ing. Because
perforat ion int ervals can be precisely posit ioned, t his t ype of complet ion affords good
cont rol of fluid flow, alt hough it relies on t he qualit y of t he cement t o prevent fluid flow
behind t he liner. As such it is t he most common form of complet ion...

Conventional completions
Casing flow: means t hat t he producing fluid flow has only one pat h t o t he surface t hrough
t he casing.

Casing and tubing flow: means t hat t here is t ubing wit hin t he casing t hat allows fluid t o
reach t he surface. This t ubing can be used as a kill st ring for chemical inject ion. The t ubing
may have a “no-go” nipple at t he end as a means of pressure t est ing.

Pumping flow: t he t ubing and pump are run t o a dept h beneat h t he working fluid. The pump
and rod st ring are inst alled concent rically wit hin t he t ubing. A t ubing anchor prevent s t ubing
movement while pumping.

Tubing flow: a t ubing st ring and a product ion packer are inst alled. The packer means t hat all
t he flow goes t hrough t he t ubing. Wit hin t he t ubing you can mount a combinat ion of t ools
t hat will help t o cont rol fluid flow t hrough t he t ubing.

Gas lift well: gas is fed int o valves inst alled in mandrels in t he t ubing st rip. The hydrost at ic
head is lowered and t he fluid is gas lift ed t o t he surface.
 Single-well alternate completions: in t his inst ance t here is a well wit h t wo zones. In order t o
produce from bot h t he zones are isolat ed wit h packers. Blast joint s may be used on t he
t ubing wit hin t he region of t he perforat ions. These are t hick walled subs t hat can wit hst and
t he fluid abrasion from t he producing zone. This arrangement can also work if you have t o
produce from a higher zone given t he deplet ion of a lower zone. The t ubing may also have
flow cont rol mechanism.

Single-well concentric kill string: wit hin t he well a small diamet er concent ric kill st ring is
used t o circulat e kill fluids when needed.

Single-well 2-tubing completion: in t his inst ance 2 t ubing st rings are insert ed down 1 well.
They are connect ed at t he lower end by a circulat ing head. Chemicals can be circulat ed
down one t ube and product ion can cont inue up t he ot her.

Completion components

The upper complet ion refers t o all component s from t he bot t om of t he product ion t ubing
upwards. Proper design of t his "complet ion st ring" is essent ial t o ensure t he well can flow
properly given t he reservoir condit ions and t o permit any operat ions as are deemed necessary
for enhancing product ion and safet y.

Wellhead with situation control

This is t he pressure cont aining equipment at t he surface of t he well where casing st rings are
suspended and t he blowout prevent er or Christ mas t ree is connect ed.

Christmas tree

This is t he main assembly of valves t hat cont rols flow from t he well t o t he process plant (or
t he ot her way round for inject ion wells) and allows access for chemical squeezes and well
int ervent ions.

Tubing hanger

This component sit s in t he upper port ion of t he wellhead, wit hin t he t ubing head flange and
serves as t he main support for t he product ion t ubing.

The t ubing hanger may be manufact ured wit h rubber or polymer sealing rings t o isolat e t he
t ubing from t he annulus.
The t ubing hanger is secured wit hin t he t ubing head flange wit h lag bolt s. These lag bolt s
apply a downward pressure on t he t ubing hanger t o compress t he sealing gasket s and t o
prevent t he t ubing from being hydrost at ically or mechanically eject ed from t he annulus.[2]

Production tubing

Product ion t ubing is t he main conduit for t ransport ing hydrocarbons from t he reservoir t o
surface (or inject ion mat erial t he ot her way). It runs from t he t ubing hanger at t he t op of t he
wellhead down t o a point generally just above t he t op of t he product ion zone.

Product ion t ubing is available in various diamet ers, t ypically ranging from 2 inches t o 4.5
inches.

Product ion t ubing may be manufact ured using various grades of alloys t o achieve specific
hardness, corrosion resist ance or t ensile st rengt h requirement s.

Tubing may be int ernally coat ed wit h various rubber or plast ic coat ings t o enhance corrosion
and/or erosion resist ance.

Downhole safety valve (DHSV)

This component is int ended as a last -resort met hod of prot ect ing t he surface from t he
uncont rolled release of hydrocarbons. It is a cylindrical valve wit h eit her a ball or flapper
closing mechanism. It is inst alled in t he product ion t ubing and is held in t he open posit ion by a
high-pressure hydraulic line from surface cont ained in a 6.35 mm (1/4") cont rol line t hat is
at t ached t o t he DHSV's hydraulic chamber and t erminat ed at surface t o an hydraulic act uat or.
The high pressure is needed t o overcome t he product ion pressure in t he t ubing upst ream of
t he choke on t he t ree. The valve will operat e if t he umbilical HP line is cut or t he
wellhead/t ree is dest royed.

This valve allows fluids t o pass up or be pumped down t he product ion t ubing. When closed
t he DHSV forms a barrier in t he direct ion of hydrocarbon flow, but fluids can st ill be pumped
down for well kill operat ions. It is placed as far below t he surface as is deemed safe from any
possible surface dist urbance including crat ering caused by t he wipeout of t he plat form.
Where hydrat es are likely t o form (most product ion is at risk of t his), t he dept h of t he SCSSV
(surface-cont rolled, sub-surface safet y valve) below t he seabed may be as much as 1 km:
t his will allow for t he geot hermal t emperat ure t o be high enough t o prevent hydrat es from
blocking t he valve.
Annular safety valve

On wells wit h gas lift capabilit y, many operat ors consider it prudent t o inst all a valve, which
will isolat e t he A annulus for t he same reasons a DHSV may be needed t o isolat e t he
product ion t ubing in order t o prevent t he invent ory of nat ural gas downhole from becoming a
hazard as it became on Piper Alpha.

Side pocket mandrel

This is a welded/machined product which cont ains a "side pocket " alongside t he main t ubular
conduit . The side pocket , t ypically 1" or 1½" diamet er is designed t o cont ain gas lift valve,
which allows flow of High pressure gas int o t he t ubing t here by reducing t he t ubing pressure
and allowing t he hydrocarbons t o move upwards.

Electrical submersible pump

This device is used for art ificial lift t o help provide energy t o drive hydrocarbons t o surface if
reservoir pressure is insufficient .

Elect rical Submersible Pumps, or ESPs, are inst alled at t he bot t om of t he product ion t ubing.

Being elect rically powered, ESPs require an elect rical communicat ions conduit t o be run from
surface, t hrough a specialized wellhead and t ubing hanger, t o provide t he required power t o
funct ion.

During inst allat ion, t he power cable is spliced int o t he ESP t hen at t ached t o t he out side of
t he t ubing by corrosion resist ant met al bands as it is ran in t he hole.

Specialized guards, called cannon guards, may be inst alled over each t ubing collar t o prevent
t he cable from rubbing on t he casing walls which can cause premat ure cable failure.

Inst allat ion and workover processes require careful considerat ion t o prevent any damage t o
t he power cable.

Like many ot her art ificial lift met hods, t he ESP reduces t he bot t om hole pressure at t he
t ubing bot t om t o allow hydrocarbons t o flow int o t he t ubing.

Landing nipple

A complet ion component fabricat ed as a short sect ion of heavy wall t ubular wit h a machined
int ernal surface t hat provides a seal area and a locking profile. Landing nipples are included in
most complet ions at predet ermined int ervals t o enable t he inst allat ion of flow-cont rol
devices, such as plugs and chokes. Three basic t ypes of landing nipple are commonly used:
no-go nipples, select ive-landing nipples and port ed or safet y-valve nipples.

Sliding sleeve

The sliding sleeve is hydraulically or mechanically act uat ed t o allow communicat ion bet ween
t he t ubing and t he 'A' annulus. They are oft en used in mult iple reservoir wells t o regulat e flow
t o and from t he zones.

Production packer

The packer isolat es t he annulus bet ween t he t ubing and t he inner casing and t he foot of t he
well. This is t o st op reservoir fluids from flowing up t he full lengt h of t he casing and damaging
it . It is generally placed close t o t he foot of t he t ubing, short ly above t he product ion zone.

Downhole gauges

This is an elect ronic or fiberopt ic sensor t o provide cont inuous monit oring of downhole
pressure and t emperat ure. Gauges eit her use a 1/4" cont rol line clamped ont o t he out side of
t he t ubing st ring t o provide an elect rical or fiberopt ic communicat ion t o surface, or t ransmit
measured dat a t o surface by acoust ic signal in t he t ubing wall.
The informat ion obt ained from
t hese monit oring devices can be used t o model reservoirs or predict t he life or problems in a
specific wellbore.

Perforated joint

This is a lengt h of t ubing wit h holes punched int o it . If used, it will normally be posit ioned
below t he packer and will offer an alt ernat ive ent ry pat h for reservoir fluids int o t he t ubing in
case t he shoe becomes blocked, for example, by a st uck perforat ion gun.

Formation isolation valve

This component , placed t owards t he foot of t he complet ion st ring, is used t o provide t wo
way isolat ion from t he format ion for complet ion operat ions wit hout t he need for kill weight
fluids. Their use is sporadic as t hey do not enjoy t he best reput at ion for reliabilit y when it
comes t o opening t hem at t he end of t he complet ion process.
Centralizer

In highly deviat ed wells, t his component may be included t owards t he foot of t he complet ion.
It consist s of a large collar, which keeps t he complet ion st ring cent ralised wit hin t he hole
while cement ing.

Wireline entry guide

This component is oft en inst alled at t he end of t he t ubing, or "t he shoe". It is int ended t o
make pulling out wireline t ools easier by offering a guiding surface for t he t oolst ring t o re-
ent er t he t ubing wit hout get t ing caught on t he side of t he shoe.

Perforating and stimulating

In cased hole complet ions (t he majorit y of wells), once t he complet ion st ring is in place, t he
final st age is t o make a connect ion bet ween t he wellbore and t he format ion. This is done by
running perforat ion guns t o blast holes in t he casing or liner t o make a connect ion. Modern
perforat ions are made using shaped explosive charges, similar t o t he armor-penet rat ing
charge used on ant it ank rocket s (bazookas).

Somet imes once t he well is fully complet ed, furt her st imulat ion is necessary t o achieve t he
planned product ivit y. There are a number of st imulat ion t echniques.

Acidizing

This involves t he inject ion of chemicals t o eat away at any skin damage, "cleaning up" t he
format ion, t hereby improving t he flow of reservoir fluids. A st rong acid (usually hydrochloric
acid) is used t o dissolve rock format ions, but t his acid does not react wit h t he Hydrocarbons.
As a result , t he Hydrocarbons are more accessible. Acid can also be used t o clean t he
wellbore of some scales t hat form from mineral laden produced wat er.

Fracturing

This means creat ing and ext ending fract ures from t he perforat ion t unnels deeper int o t he
format ion, increasing t he surface area for format ion fluids t o flow int o t he well, as well as
ext ending past any possible damage near t he wellbore. This may be done by inject ing fluids at
high pressure (hydraulic fract uring), inject ing fluids laced wit h round granular mat erial (proppant
fract uring), or using explosives t o generat e a high pressure and high speed gas flow (TNT or
PETN up t o 1,900,000 psi (13,000,000 kPa) ) and (propellant st imulat ion up t o 4,000 psi
(28,000 kPa) ).

Acidizing and fracturing (combined method)

This involves use of explosives and inject ion of chemicals t o increase acid-rock cont act .

Nitrogen circulation

Somet imes, product ivit y may be hampered due t o t he residue of complet ion fluids, heavy
brines, in t he wellbore. This is part icularly a problem in gas wells. In t hese cases, coiled t ubing
may be used t o pump nit rogen at high pressure int o t he bot t om of t he borehole t o circulat e
out t he brine.

See also

Oil well

Well int ervent ion

References

1. "How Does Well Completion Work?" (https://www.rigzone.com/training/insight.asp?insigh

t_id=326&c_id=23) . www.rigzone.com. Retrieved 2018-07-05.

2. https://www.glossary.oilfield.slb.com/Terms/t/tubing_hanger.aspx Glossary of oil field

External links

Int elligent complet ion t echnology (ht t p://www.slb.com/news/inside_ news/2016/2016_ 09

23_ complet ion_ t echnology.aspx)

Defining Complet ions: The science of oil and gas well const ruct ion (ht t ps://careers.slb.co
m/inside-schlumberger/t ransformat ive-t echnology/defining-complet ions)
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