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Monitoring and managing coiled tubing integrity

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 Monitoring and Managing Coiled Tubing Integrity

Rich Christie Coiled tubing is subject to wear and fatigue during each trip in and out of a wellbore.
Zhanke Liu
Sugar Land, Texas, USA A new wellsite scanning system helps operators minimize premature tubing failures
through continuous monitoring of tubing anomalies as they evolve.
Roderic Stanley
Coiled Tube Resource Management
Houston, Texas

Michelle Torregrossa
Houston, Texas
Advances in drilling and stimulation technologies stimulation treatments downhole in high-angle
Andrew Zheng are opening new plays for development of uncon- wells, operators increasingly call on the capabili-
Katy, Texas ventional resources. The success of these plays ties provided by coiled tubing.
hinges largely on an operator’s ability to maximize Coiled tubing (CT) is designed to be flexible
Liam Zsolt wellbore exposure to the reservoir and then open and ductile enough to withstand winding and
Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, USA that reservoir to production. These strategies rely unwinding from its storage reel while remaining
on horizontal or extended-reach drilling followed strong enough to convey and retrieve tools down-
Oilfield Review 27, no. 1 (May 2015).
Copyright © 2015 Schlumberger. by hydraulic stimulation. To convey tools and hole. The tubing is made of low–carbon alloy steel
For help in preparation of this article, thanks to
Greg Bowen, Houston.
CoilScan, CoilScan RT and CoilScan AP are marks of
Schlumberger.

strain
Plastic

Failure
Yield point

Elastic limit
Stress, σ

strain
Elastic

Strain, ε

48 Oilfield Review
in diameters ranging from 0.75 to 3.5 in. and may
exceed 9,100 m [30,000 ft] in length. From onshore
to offshore and from drilling and completions to
workovers, coiled tubing has proved its versatility.
Guide arch
Coiled tubing is used for reentry drilling, logging,
fishing, perforating, fracturing, acidizing, wellbore Coiled tubing unit
cleanouts, unloading of wells, electric submersible Coiled tubing
reel
pump installations and other applications.1 A typi-
cal CT job will subject the tubing to numerous and Injector
head
varied types of stresses, which, over time, subtly
weaken the pipe and ultimately lead to its with-
Blowout
drawal from service. preventer
During each CT deployment, diverse forces
act in concert to degrade the service life of the
coiled tubing string. On its way into the wellbore,
the string is led off its storage reel, bent over a
guide arch then straightened as it is pulled
through the injector head to enter the wellbore;
downhole, the tubing must bend to extend
beyond the heel of a lateral wellbore (right).
Bending stresses tend to be highest at the guide
arch and on the reel, where they can exceed the Heel
steel tubing’s elastic yield strength, thus subject-
ing the CT string to plastic deformation.
Total depth
Once the downhole tasks are completed, the
process is reversed as the tubing is extracted
from the wellbore and spooled back onto the
reel.2 Repeated bending, unbending and ten-
sional stresses exert cyclic loads on the pipe. > Bending points. In horizontal wells, coiled tubing will typically encounter at least three bending
The resulting strains impart low-cycle fatigue, points: the reel, the guide arch and the heel of the well.
cumulative damage that leads to the formation
of microcracks and ultimately forces the tubing
string to be removed from service.3 In addition to
low-cycle fatigue, certain operating conditions
exacerbate the typical stress loads: a tight bend- To prevent problems associated with tubing set limits on the size of external mechanical dam-
ing radius, high temperature or high internal wear and fatigue, the CT industry has instituted age that is acceptable for CT operations; most
pressure can cause a tubing string to be retired pipe management practices for the handling ratings are based on damage depth, expressed as
after only a few hundred cycles. and treatment of coiled tubing. Most pipe man- a percentage of nominal wall thickness. The tub-
Numerous other factors affect CT fatigue life. agement systems estimate the progression of CT ing is typically retired when metal loss exceeds
Metallurgical composition dictates the tensile fatigue over time by tracking the number of 10% of the wall thickness.5
strength of the pipe and the types of environ- bending cycles imposed by the reel and the Damage and imperfections are typically iden-
ments in which it can operate. Defects may be guide arch, or gooseneck, in addition to tracking tified during periodic pipe inspections when non-
caused by inclusions or poor welds. Fluids various operating parameters. Industry standards destructive evaluation (NDE) techniques can be
pumped downhole, such as those for acid treat-
1. For more on CT and its applications: Varhaug M: defined as failure of a material in 1,000 cycles or fewer;
ments or brine completions, can cause corrosion, “Big Reels at the Wellsite,” Oilfield Review 26, no. 2 however, coiled tubing failure may result after only a few
as can residual moisture left in the pipe during (Summer 2014): 63–64. hundred load cycles, depending on the severity of
Boumali A, Brady ME, Ferdiansyah E, Kumar S, deformation accumulated over time.
storage. Corrosion causes pitting and degrades van Gisbergen S, Kavanagh T, Ortiz AZ, Ortiz RA, 4. MacArthur J, Shearer C, Crabtree A and Nelson R:
tubing wall thickness.4 Mechanical damage—a Pandey A, Pipchuk D and Wilson S: “Coiled Tubing: “Coiled Tubing NDT Inspection: Implementation,
Innovative Rigless Interventions,” Oilfield Review 17, Experience and Results,” paper SPE 56940, presented
result of routine CT operations caused by contact no. 4 (Winter 2005/2006): 29–41. at the Offshore Europe Conference, Aberdeen,
with the reel, injector head, blowout preventers, 2. International Coiled Tubing Association: “An Introduction September 7–9, 1999.
wellhead internals and downhole well comple- to Coiled Tubing: History, Applications, and Benefits,” 5. If metal loss occurs within a small section of tubing, that
Longview, Texas, USA: ICoTA, 2005. section may be cut out, and the rest of the tubing is
tion equipment—manifests itself in the form of 3. Fatigue life is expressed in terms of the number of welded together before it is returned to service; if metal
surface flaws such as scratches, gouges or dents. loading cycles required for a crack to initiate and then loss is extensive along the tubing string, the entire string
propagate to a specific critical size that will render the may be retired.
Chrome production tubulars are particularly tubing unserviceable. In general, low-cycle fatigue is
abrasive to carbon steel tubing.

May 2015 49
 Longitudinal seam Butt weld Bias weld Bias weld Corrosion can pose a significant problem
throughout the life of a CT string. Through
deployment in the wellbore, the tubing may be
exposed to acid treatments, brine completion
fluids, water, hydrogen sulfide [H2S] and carbon
Tubing dioxide [CO2]. Such exposure promotes corro-
> Welding of coiled tubing. Early manufacturing processes used a butt weld (left) to join lengths of sion, which results in pitting and reduction in
tubing together. After a number of tubing failures were found at the heat-affected zone adjacent to the tubing wall thickness.8 To combat these prob-
weld bead, tubing makers developed a new approach to manufacturing. Flat strips of sheet steel are lems, tubing manufacturers and end users have
joined end to end before being curled into tubular form. These strips are cut on an angle and joined by instituted a variety of measures. While running
a bias weld (right). This weld forms a helix when the strip is rolled into a tube (middle). The bias weld hydrostatic pressure tests, tubing companies
distributes stresses in the weld zone over the length of the helix rather than concentrating it within a
narrow band as would a butt weld. maintain the testing fluid at slightly alkaline pH
levels between 8 and 9. After testing, they drain
and wipe the inside of the tubing to remove any
fluids. Some companies pump nitrogen into the
used to measure the geometry of surface-break- undermine the integrity of the CT string and tubing and maintain a slight pressure to elimi-
ing defects. Various NDE methods, including liq- compromise operations. These flaws can be nate as much oxygen as possible during storage
uid dye penetrant, radiographic, magnetic attributed to three primary sources: manufactur- and transport. Corrosion inhibitors may also be
particle, eddy current and magnetic flux leakage ing defects, corrosion and service-induced used to coat the inner and outer surfaces of
testing, have been adapted for identifying dam- mechanical damage. the pipe.
age and flaws in CT. Depending on the technique Manufacturing of coiled tubing starts at the
employed, CT inspectors can measure outside mill, where rolls of sheet steel are laid flat and
diameter (OD), ovality and wall thickness of the cut into strips, known as skelps. Each skelp is cut
pipe; identify welds, external scratches, gouges on a bias, typically at 45°. The bias edges of sev-
and cracks; and detect internal pitting and weld- eral skelps are welded together to form a contin-
ing flaws. uous strip of sheet steel, and the mechanical
Regular inspections are part of the CT string properties of the bias weld nearly match those of
scheduled maintenance plan and are typically the skelp. Next, the strip of sheet steel is roll Ballooning
performed offline at a pipe service facility. As formed into a tubular shape while a high-fre-
such, these inspections obtain only a snapshot of quency induction welding machine fuses its two
the pipe condition before or after deployment. edges together to form a continuous longitudinal
Such snapshots are intermittent and may not be seam. When the sheet steel is formed into a tube,
sufficient for evaluating the severity of defects, the 45° bias weld winds helically around the tub-
assessing the serviceability of a CT string or ing and is evenly distributed over a greater length
determining the cause of damage. At the wellsite, of the tubing than would be the case for a butt
conditions that affect CT integrity and fatigue life weld (above). The mill removes the bead of weld- Necking
can change rapidly. If problems are discovered ing flash from the external side of the seam to
early, operating parameters may in some cases be obtain a smooth OD on the tubing. The inside of
altered, thus prolonging the life of the CT string. the tubing is flushed to remove scale or other
This article reviews a CT inspection system loose material; in some cases, excess welding
that operates at the wellsite in real time. flash inside the tubing must also be removed.6
Mounted near the storage reel, the CoilScan RT Although tubing companies take measures to
real-time pipe inspection system incorporates a prevent their occurrence, two types of problems Erosion
series of sensors that allows the operator to mon- have been encountered during the manufactur-
itor the condition of the CT string as it is spooled ing process. Nonmetallic inclusions, such as cal-
in and out of the well. The inspection system cium oxide, may sometimes be introduced into
establishes the location and extent of internal the steel strip at the steel mill.7 Such impurities
and external anomalies that point to pipe defects and inclusions can lead to delamination of the Injector damage
and damage. This technology enables CT crews to tubing wall, degradation of the mechanical prop-
identify flaws and monitor how they evolve over erties of the steel and an increase in the risk of > Service-related damage. Mechanical damage,
the working life of the pipe. corrosion. The other type of problem is caused by such as injector marks, scratches and gouges,
any interruption to the welding process. Welding may be considered a normal result of running in
Problems in the Making interruptions produce a partial or complete lack and out of the hole. However, certain types of
service-related damage, such as ballooning,
Under the stress and strain of wellsite opera- of fusion that can result in porosity, underfilling
necking and erosion, may be reduced or avoided
tions, minor tubing defects and imperfections of the weld area and open gaps along the bias and by careful attention to operational parameters
may develop into major problems that can seam welds. such as pipe pressure.

50 Oilfield Review
 Indicators Damage Type Damage Mechanisms Mitigation Steps

Used on wells with Avoid cycling the defect

Surface abrasion
chrome tubulars
Mechanical
damage M i slowly
Move pipe l l th
throughh
Visible, isolated, Dents, gouges and chrome tubulars
external defects plow marks
Use metal friction reducer
Visible extended
wear Adjust surface equipment

Wall loss with

outer diameter loss

Reduce pump rates

Wall loss without Fluid damage
outer diameter loss Internal washout
Pump less-abrasive fluid

Periodic internal Storage corrosion Increase corrosion inhibitor

magnetic flux leakage
(MFL) anomalies Improve blowdown procedures
Reactive Acid corrosion
Used on H2S damage Avoid acid and H2S downhole
wells
H2S corrosion Increase volume of acid or
Used on acid H2S inhibitor
pumping jobs

High level of fatigue

Plastic deformation from Trim pipe to avoid high fatigue
operating above the yield point
Wrinkles or stress
marks on pipe Operate below yield point
Metallurgical
damage Manufacturer damage
Avoid cycling damaged sections
Invisible, isolated,
MFL defects Reduce pressure when
Poor field welds
damage passes the gooseneck
Isolated necking
(outer diameter loss)

> Damage indicators and mitigation. Damage from coiled tubing operations can often be diagnosed and mitigated at the wellsite.

Perhaps the most common threats to tubing
integrity arise from damage incurred during rou-
tine wellsite operations (above). Normal han-
dling at the wellsite subjects the CT to mechanical
damage—scratches, abrasions, dents or gouges—
through contact with the injector, wellhead,
casing and completion equipment as well as
through contact with abrasive formations in
openhole settings. Other operational damage
may take many forms (previous page bottom).
These include the following:
• ballooning: localized expansion of the tubing
caused by high pressures while tripping
• necking: stretching and thinning caused by
application of excessive tensile force
• erosion: wearing away of the inner or outer tub-
ing surface as a result of high flow rates or
abrasion
• injector damage: transverse gripper marks or
longitudinal gouges created as the CT is
injected downhole may be caused by improper
operation of the injector, misalignment of injec-
tor gripper blocks or foreign objects between
the gripper blocks and the coiled tubing.
Manufacturing defects, corrosion and service-
related damage result in surface flaws that affect
the tubing’s capability to handle cyclic stress
loads: They concentrate stress. Ideally, when a
load is applied to a piece of tubing, the resulting
stress will be distributed uniformly. However,
scratches, gouges, pits or pinholes produce voids
in the surface of the metal tubing, and these
voids are incapable of bearing loads. The stress
must then be redistributed over the remaining
metal. This creates an uneven distribution of
stress that is highest at the edges of the void,
which causes stress concentration.9 Furthermore,
these stress risers accelerate the formation of
fatigue cracks.
When tubing has been subjected to stress
cycles, fatigue cracks may form where stress is
concentrated. Fatigue cracks usually initiate at
the surface of the tubing; therefore, surface flaws
such as abrasion, pitting or scratches can
decrease fatigue life. Conversely, smooth sur-
faces increase the time required for fatigue
cracks to form.
Because CT is ductile, such defects do not
normally cause failure at their onset and do not
6. International Coiled Tubing Association, reference 2.
7. Calcium oxide helps remove impurities such as
phosphorus and sulfur from the steel. When calcium
oxide is added, these impurities form a slag on the
surface of the molten metal, which can then be skimmed
for removal.
8. For more on corrosion in oilfield equipment: Brondel D,
Edwards R, Hayman A, Hill D, Mehta S and Semerad T:
“Corrosion in the Oil Industry,” Oilfield Review 6, no. 2
(April 1994): 4–18.
9. For more on stress, strain, mechanical loading and
fatigue: NDT Resource Center, https://www.nde-ed.org/
(accessed October 1, 2014).

May 2015 51
 Sensor necessarily result in condemnation of the entire
CT string. Minor surface blemishes can be
dressed with a grinding tool and brush.
Sometimes, whole sections must be cut out of the
pipe, leaving the undamaged sections on either
Inside damage side of the cut to be rejoined by welding. Over
time, however, even minor blemishes can evolve
into major flaws that threaten the structural
integrity of the pipe.

The CT Scanning System

The CoilScan real-time pipe inspection system
consists of an inspection head, a data acquisition
system and monitoring software. This system
employs two proven nondestructive evaluation
Magnetic flux techniques for detecting flaws in the tubing: mag-
netic flux leakage (MFL) and eddy current test-
ing. These techniques are well suited for oilfield
operations, requiring neither a clean tubing sur-
face nor any type of coupling agent between the
Outside damage sensors and the tubing. Because the CoilScan RT
system uses noncontact sensors, it can accommo-
date CT strings with rough, dirty, wet or muddy
tubing surfaces. The only parts that touch the
tubing during normal operations are the stainless
steel guide rollers and the odometer wheels. The
MFL sensors locate defects and determine wall
thickness; eddy current sensors measure the OD
and ovality of the tubing string. This system pro-
> Magnetic flux leakage. The magnetic flux in a piece of tubing may be vides continuous real-time monitoring at an oper-
interrupted by any type of break or discontinuity along the inner or outer ational speed up to 40 m/min [130 ft/min].10
surfaces of the tubing. The air gap at the surface discontinuity cannot Magnetic flux leakage is the basis for detect-
support the same flux magnitude as can steel. This causes the magnetic field ing magnetic anomalies in the tubing string. The
to leak out of the metal and spread outward from the defect.
anomalies typically originate from gouges, pit-
ting, metal loss or other imperfections, including
material damage or manufacturing defects. The
– + MFL device employs strong magnets to induce a
Coil’s magnetic field in the steel wall of the coiled tub-
magnetic field ing. This magnetic field flows from its south, or
negative, pole—where it enters the steel—to its
north, or positive, pole, where it exits. Any break
Coil
or void in the magnetized tubing will have a simi-
lar polar orientation; when the magnetic field
encounters a break—a crack, for example—the
Eddy current’s Coiled tubing field will exit the north pole of the crack and
magnetic field reenter at its south pole. The air gap between
edges of the crack cannot support as much
magnetic flux as steel can, so the magnetic field
will spread out, or leak (above left). This flux
Eddy currents
leakage is detected by Hall effect sensors in the
inspection head.11 Measurements of the intensity
and distribution of magnetic flux leakage infer
an underlying defect in the steel.This method
> Eddy currents. An eddy current probe is used to measure outside diameter and ovality of a CT string.
can also be used to determine CT wall thickness.
Current flows through the primary coil of the probe, generating a magnetic field. This field creates
eddy currents in the conductive tubing. The eddy currents generate their own magnetic fields, which
are out of phase with the original primary coil’s magnetic field.

52 Oilfield Review
 OD-ovality unit
Odometer
wheel
Rotary depth
encoder
Roller
Magnetic Flux Leakage
(MFL) measurement unit
> CoilScan RT system inspection head. A longitudinal hinge allows the inspection head to be fitted around tubing, which is scanned as it is pulled through
the center of the inspection head. Low-friction rollers enable the pipe to pass freely through the head.
Eddy currents are circular electric currents
induced within a conductor by changing mag-
netic fields in that conductor. In an eddy current
probe, alternating electric current flows through
a wire coil and generates an oscillating magnetic
field (previous page, bottom). When the probe
nears the CT, eddy currents are generated on the
tubing surface. The eddy currents generate their
own magnetic field, which opposes the magnetic
field originating from the wire coil. As a result,
the electrical impedance of the wire coil will be
altered. From measurements of the change of
electrical impedance in the coil, the distance
between the coil eddy current probe and the con-
ductive CT surface can be determined. Using these
May 2015
OD probe
Upper half,
MFL sensor ring
Lower half,
MFL sensor ring
measurements, the CoilScan RT system determines
the tubing OD and the ovality of the CT string.
The two halves of the CT inspection head form
a clamshell that is placed around the tubing, and
measurements are obtained as the CT is spooled
off and on the reel (above). The head consists of an
MFL subsystem, an OD-ovality subsystem and an
odometer subsystem.
The MFL subsystem is located at the center of
the inspection head. It employs permanent magnets
and Hall effect sensors to screen for CT wall thick-
ness and detect anomalies on the inner and outer
tubing walls. The MFL sensor data are processed
through digital filters specially designed for detect-
ing fatigue cracks, corrosion, holes, notches, gouges
Coiled tubing
and pitting, and the processed data are also used to
quantify metal loss over time.
The OD-ovality subsystem measures the out-
side diameter of the tubing. These measurements
are used to calculate ovality. The OD measure-
ments are obtained from eddy current displace-
ment probes arranged in opposing pairs over the
circumference of the tubing.
10. Zheng A, Liu Z, Zwanenburg M, Burgos R, Scuadroni N
and Stayer A: “State-of-the-Art Portable Measurement
and Defect Detection Technology for Coiled Tubing
String,” paper SPE 163945, presented at the SPE/
Intervention and Coiled Tubing Association Coiled
Tubing and Well Intervention Conference and Exhibition,
The Woodlands, Texas, March 26–27, 2013.
11. A Hall effect sensor is a transducer that varies its output
voltage in response to the strength of a magnetic field.
53
 MFL amplitude, gauss
The odometer subsystem measures the depth,
100
length and position of the tubing as it is being
50
inspected. Two odometer subassemblies provide
0
redundancy and reliability in distance measure-
–50
ment. Each subassembly has a measuring wheel
1,815.4 1,815.5 1,815.6 1,815.7
Depth, m
and a high-resolution rotary encoder to convert
wheel rotation into linear distance.
A data acquisition subsystem interfaces with
130
the inspection head, processes and interprets the
MFL amplitude, gauss

90 MFL and eddy current sensor data and depth

encoder counts then outputs the results to the
50
monitor for display. This independent data acqui-
10 sition and processing subsystem can be placed
up to 30 m [100 ft] from the inspection head.
–30
Essential capabilities under normal operating
Ci conditions include the following:
rc 360
um 288
fe 216
re 144 • measurement of wall thickness to an accuracy
nc 72
e, 1,815.7 of ±0.127 mm [±0.005 in.]
de 0 1,815.4
gr • measurement of outside diameter to an accu-
ee Depth, m
racy of ±0.254 mm [±0.01 in.]
> High-definition 3D magnetic flux leakage (MFL) signature plot for a typical • detection of through-hole defects as small as
bias weld anomaly. Bias welds are used extensively during the manufacturing 0.79 mm [0.031 in.]
process and are found in nearly every coiled tubing string. An anomaly • detection of wall thinning, blind holes, trans-
associated with such welds is caused primarily by localized changes in
material properties, particularly changes in steel permeability between two verse notches and longitudinal notches on the
skelps. On some CT strings, bias welds join skelps of differing thickness, and outer and inner surfaces of the tubing string
this change in thickness may play a role in causing magnetic flux leakage as • calculation of ovality and measurements of
well. This display shows an aggregation of MFL amplitude readings from all MFL amplitude, wall thickness and outside
Hall effect sensors (top). The same anomaly is mapped in 2D and 3D
(bottom). Colors correspond to MFL values in gauss from low (blue) to high diameter obtained every 1.2 cm [0.5 in.] along
(red). The map view can be rotated for better visualization of the data. the CT axis.
All measurements are integrated with 3D model-
ing and interpretation software that helps the
operator detect, identify, visualize over 360° and
track anomalies over time.

Wellsite Data Processing and Display

Signals from the MFL sensor encode a complex
combination of measurements related to the
3 in. 3 in. geometry and severity of surface tubing defects
7.6 cm 7.6 cm
as well as anomalies within the wall of the tub-
ing. In the CT unit, CoilScan AP characteriza-
Selected Defect Matched Defect (Gouge) tion technology processes the MFL, eddy current
400 400
and depth encoder signals to help the CT crew
300 300
MFL amplitude, gauss

MFL amplitude, gauss

interpret changing pipe conditions. From the

200 200 CT unit graphical interface, the CT engineer
100 100 and operator can set up the parameters of the
job, set anomaly detection alarm levels and
0 0
carry out postjob reporting functions.
–100 –100 When anomalies reach a user-specified
–200 –200 threshold, the CoilScan AP technology sends
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Position, in. Position, in. visual and audible alarms to the CT unit operator.
> Pipe damage identification and the defect library. The red curve is derived from the upper boundary Alarms are triggered when the following occur:
of the measurements from all MFL sensors; the blue curve is derived from their lower boundary. The • MFL amplitude exceeds the specified threshold
red and blue curves together constitute the MFL defect signature. The MFL plots from a CoilScan RT • wall thickness drops below the threshold
system inspection of a 2-in. OD string reveal severe pipe damage. The software correctly identified the • ovality computations exceed the threshold.
defect as a gouge on the pipe surface and also provided severity information. This identification was
accomplished without having to stop the CT operation to prove up the defect. The CT defect (top left) can
be compared with a similar defect from the predefined library (top right). Corresponding MFL
amplitude signatures from the defect and library also showed a good match (bottom).

54 Oilfield Review
 New CT Used CT

Vibration, g

Vibration, g
Depth, Circumference Amplitude Wall Thickness OD Depth, Circumference Amplitude Wall Thickness OD
ft 0 degrees 360 0 gauss 400 –1.7 1.7 0.075 in. 0.179 1.95 in. 2.05 ft 0 degrees 360 0 gauss 400 –1.7 1.7 0.075 in. 0.168 1.95 in. 2.05
2,200 2,200

2,600 2,600

3,000 3,000

3,400 3,400

3,800 3,800

4,200 4,200

4,600 4,600

5,000 5,000

5,400 5,400

5,800 5,800

6,200 6,200

6,600 6,600

7,000 7,000

> Comparison of log plots for new and used CT. A typical CoilScan RT system
log display allows CT crews to monitor tubing parameters versus depth. The
open tubing plot (Track 1) is a color map along the tubing axis. It shows the
circumference as a flattened surface, ranging from 0° to 360°. Darker colors
(black, blue and purple) indicate the absence of anomalies, medium colors
(green, yellow and orange) indicate minor abnormalities and red signifies
the presence of an anomaly, which may or may not be a defect. The color
threshold is specified through amplitude control settings. The amplitude plot
(Track 2) is an aggregation of all the signals provided by the MFL sensors
and displays the maximum magnetic field amplitude. If the signal peaks with
a magnitude above the specified amplitude threshold, it will trigger an
audible alarm. The vibration plot (Track 3) indicates the maximum vibration
detected by the MFL sensor ring; it is measured in terms of gravitational
acceleration (g = 9.81m/s2 or 32.17 ft/s2).This plot is used to correlate false
alarms that might be triggered by rough handling of the tubing or of the
inspection head itself, as shown by red areas on the color map and peaks
on the amplitude plot that coincide with peaks on the vibration plot. The wall
thickness plot (Track 4) indicates the maximum (green), average (blue) and
minimum (red) values from all wall thickness measurements taken over the
circumference of the tubing. If the average wall thickness value falls below
a critical value, the audible alarm will be triggered. The outside diameter (OD)
plot (Track 5) shows the maximum (green), average (blue) and minimum (red)
diameter measurements. In this comparison, the MFL amplitude (Track 2) is
relatively low for new CT (left). The same CT string, after heavy use (right)
displays numerous MFL amplitude peaks (Track 2) and changes in wall
thickness (Track 4).

The CoilScan AP technology software retains
a record of all alarm-triggering events in its
alarms record table. During a job, the CT opera-
tor may enter notes into the comments field of
that table. All comments are saved with the main
data to become a permanent attachment to the
inspection data. Selecting any row in the table
will pull up an MFL amplitude display of the asso-
ciated anomaly (previous page, top). The CT
engineer can evaluate the MFL signatures at the
wellsite and archive the data for further review
after the job.
As the tubing is spooled in and out of the hole,
the CT crew monitors MFL amplitude and various
job parameters using the log plot. For used tub-
ing, tens or even hundreds of spikes are not
uncommon on the amplitude chart of a typical
string. Each spike corresponds to a magnetic
anomaly and thus a potential defect (above). To
address the high number of spikes and the diffi-
culties associated with stopping the CT operation
to perform prove up—physically locating the
defect that caused the MFL alarm then investi-
gating it further using various nondestructive
evaluations—Schlumberger researchers devel-
oped a program to automatically identity and
track the recorded anomalies.
Using advanced pattern identification, recog-
nition and matching algorithms, the program
identifies the underlying defect type and pro-
vides useful information regarding severity of the
flaw. Just as important, the program tracks defect
initiation and growth at various times in the life
of the tubing. Automatic defect identification is
based on a library of defects that has been pre-
loaded into the program. This library pairs MFL
signatures with photographs of numerous defects
collected from yard and field inspections. The
software can identify newly discovered defects by
matching their MFL signatures with patterns in
the predefined benchmark library (previous
page, bottom).
This process of automatic defect tracking
enables CT crews to maintain a history of impor-
tant defects for each string, characterized by
their similarity to catalogued MFL signatures,
depths and wall thicknesses. The tracking of
MFL signatures as they evolve can shed light on

May 2015 55
 Primary Defect Tracking Job Defect Tracking Job 1 Defect Tracking Job 2
250 250 250
MFL ratio = 1.00 MFL ratio = 1.01 MFL ratio = 1.11
MFL amplitude, gauss

MFL amplitude, gauss

MFL amplitude, gauss

150 150 150

50 50 50

0 0 0

–150 –150 –150

–250 –250 –250

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Position, in. Position, in. Position, in.
Defect Tracking Job 3 Defect Tracking Job 4 Defect Tracking Job 5
250 250 250
MFL ratio = 1.85 MFL ratio = 2.11 MFL ratio = 2.34
MFL amplitude, gauss

MFL amplitude, gauss

MFL amplitude, gauss

150 150 150

50 50 50

0 0 0

–150 –150 –150

–250 –250 –250

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Position, in. Position, in. Position, in.
> Defect tracking. An MFL defect signature (pink shading) is tracked from initial development of the defect (top left) to its final signature before the CT is
retired (bottom right). By tracking signal changes over time and across jobs, the CT crew can monitor how quickly a defect deteriorates. The MFL ratio,
calculated by dividing the evolving defect’s MFL amplitude during each job by that of the initial defect, is a normalized measure of defect severity. Within the
one-foot [30-cm] sample window shown, the minor lateral shifting in the defect position results from tubing stretch and reactions to strain.

each defect’s severity and its impact on pipe Continuous Inspection system significantly improves the ability to moni-
integrity (above). Through continuous MFL monitoring of pipe— tor overall pipe integrity.
On subsequent jobs, the CoilScan AP technol- from first use to the end of its service life— Once the sensors locate a defect, the next prior-
ogy enables the CT engineer to identify and track defects can be identified, isolated and tracked, ity is to evaluate the severity of the defect in relation
defects over time. By compiling all the matching leading to improved evaluations of a CT string’s to its effect on CT integrity. Defect severity can be
defects recorded within individual inspection condition and future serviceability. By integrat- determined by obtaining its length, width and
jobs, the entire evolution of a particular defect ing these features into a small portable device depth. Schlumberger researchers are using finite
can then be reconstructed (below). suitable for real-time inspection, the CoilScan RT element analysis (FEA) to model magnetic flux
300 leakage for specific mechanical defects in CT. The
FEA models, followed up by laboratory tests of MFL
250 atur
e responses on actual pipe, indicate that defect geom-
gn
L si etry can be accurately measured using MFL.
dof MF
200 Tren Researchers continue to make progress in defining
the relationships between MFL measurement pro-
MFL, gauss

150 files and the corresponding geometric characteris-

tics of defects.12 Researchers are also making
100 progress in evaluating the impact of defects on pipe
Retired pipe
fatigue. By identifying and grouping defects into dif-
50 ferent types—transverse or longitudinal dents,
notches or gouges—researchers are able to estab-
0 lish a correlation between the MFL signals of the
New pipe
defects and the fatigue life of the pipe.
July 14 Aug 14 Sept 14 Oct 14 Nov 14 Pipe management can now be based on job-
> Evolution of a defect. Numerous inspections were carried out on a CT to-job, continuous, physical measurements with
string over the course of five months using the CoilScan RT system. The MFL an object-oriented tracking system that allows
readings of a particular defect show a steady increase from the early stage
CT operators to monitor defects over time with
of CT service life (blue dots) through the intermediate stage (green dots) and
on to the late life stage (red dots).The MFL amplitude nearly tripled during minimal interruption to normal wellsite opera-
the CT string’s service life, growing from about 100 gauss when the tubing tions. Coiled tubing crews will be able to under-
initially entered service, to nearly 300 gauss when it was retired. The color stand the circumstances that cause defects and
panels are centered on the defect, with color corresponding to MFL values
in gauss from low (blue) to high (red).
that promote further tubing degradation as well
as devise mitigation techniques.13 Defects will be
12. Liu Z, Minerbo G and Zheng A: “Steel Coiled Tubing 13. Torregrossa M, Zsolt L and Zwanenburg M: “Optimizing
tracked and recorded simultaneously with CT
Defect Evaluation Using Magnetic Flux Leakage Pipe Management with a New Approach of Coiled characteristics and critical job parameters. The
Signals,” paper SPE 168260, presented at the SPE/ICoTA Tubing Integrity Monitoring,” paper SPE 168303,
Coiled Tubing and Well Intervention Conference and presented at the SPE/ICoTA Coiled Tubing and Well
integration of the CoilScan RT real-time pipe
Exhibition, The Woodlands, Texas, March 25–26, 2014. Intervention Conference and Exhibition, The Woodlands, inspection system into CT operations promises to
Texas, March 25–26, 2014.
redefine pipe management practices. —MV

56 Oilfield Review

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