BJ SERVICES ENGINEERING NEWS

FIRST FIELD APPLICATION IN EXTERNAL CASING PACKER (ECP) INFLATION SLURRY - INDIA
Background

A consortium of British Gas (BGEPIL), ONGCL and Reliance operates the offshore Panna Field,
located in western India. Panna has mainly limestone reservoirs. Oil is produced through
horizontal drain holes in Layer ‘B’. Over the life of the well, gas from layer above (‘A’) enters the
wellbore increasing GOR.

Two objectives were set for new wells drilled and completed recently. First was to be able to
produce selectively within the B layer and the second was to isolate the gas from top layer A in
to the producing B layer.

Initial completion plan allocated a “single trip” to lower combination liners (made up of 5½-in.
liner with sliding sleeves and 7-in. liner with External Casing Packers (ECP's)) in horizontal
open hole along with an inner string to operate the sliding sleeves and inflate ECP's. Baker
(BOT) supplied ECP's, along with the HIT tool for inflation (also used in India for the first time),
for the lower completion. The lower completion included the sliding sleeves, ECP's and
Constrictors (similar to Swell packers). ECP's were placed at a strategic position in the well to
avoid gas entry in the wellbore and were inflated by HIT tool on the 3½-in. inner string lowered
in the well.

ECP Inflation Slurry Requirements

BOT required that the inflation slurry should not attain 30 Bc consistency (indicative of higher
gel strength). Considering the pump / operation timings, slurry was also required to have a
thickening time of 10+ hrs at BHST of 275°F. Less than 30 Bc consistency was required to be
sustained over cyclic nature / sequence of pumping operation during ECP inflation. The slurry
was also required to carry lesser Yp values to assist lower pumping pressures while circulating
out of hole (or reversing).

The consistometer motor was switched on / off to simulate the effect of shear during travel of
ECP inflation slurry through the ports of the ECP. Time required for ECP inflation of a well was
5-6 hrs. BOT and BG slurry requirements were met by the Mumbai lab.

Considering that the slurry needs to flow through ¼-in. opening of the inflation port, we
recommended FLAG-56, to control cement to water ratio alteration in addition to the synergetic
retardation effects. Moderate control over fluid loss (not at the cost of ease of flow) was
expected to arrest alteration of cement to water ratio, should higher differential pressure be
seen either owing to the flow path of the slurry through the orifice or possible rupturing of the
ECP elements.

Challenges / Comments On Design

The major challenge was to have consistent / repeatable results for the ECP inflation slurry.
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Several slurries were tested using R-8 in combination with Borax and sugar. None of them
produced reliable, consistent results.

Considering the fact of developing higher than usual gel strength properties and protecting the
slurry from the borehole environment (inside the elements of the packer), silica was opted out of
the slurry design.

Allowing for the paucity of time in having the Liquid Stone™ Mixers etc. to be available for the
jobs, SR-31L was tested extensively in BJ Mumbai Lab. The benefit of using SR-31L was
consistent, repeatable and predictable response from batch to batch of cement.

Another challenge was to obtain the additive in time and support proposition of the additive with
field case histories of SR-31L. It was discovered that no field job was pumped, although
extensive testing of the additive was taken up by EAR and, of course, the India lab. It was
difficult to convince BG to try out a product that was not field proven.

Good logistical support extended by MER in coordinating the additive to reach location in time,
made this case history possible.

Lab Testing

The following tests were completed for the slurry design, and the report was published to
incorporate the test procedures and results.
1. Modified HPHT Consistometer test: Motor was stopped and started to simulate the ECP
inflation. SR-31L slurry was found to be responding very well to the cyclic operation. No
indication of any gel strength development was seen.
2. UCA Test: Static test to determine time at which the slurry starts developing compressive
strength.
3. BP Settling test
4. Fluid Loss test

Final Slurry Design

Slurry Density: 15.8 ppg,

Slurry Yield: 1.169 cu ft / sk,
Water Required: 4.37 gal/sk,
Mix Water: 5.15 gal/sk

Composition: Class G + 0.9% FLAG-56 + 0.3% CD-32 + 65 ghs SR-31L + 3 ghs

FP-21L made using Drill water.

No Product Purpose Dosage Unit

1 Flag-56 Fluid Loss Additive 0.9 % by weight of cement
2 CD-32 Friction Reducer 0.3 % by weight of cement
3 SR-31L Synthetic Retarder 65 Gal per 100 Sks (ghs)
4 FP-21L Foam Preventer 3 Gal per 100 Sks (ghs)

Job Execution

Ten (10) barrels of weighted spacer (Ultraflush-II) was pumped ahead of plug trapping the 6½
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bbls of slurry for inflating 3 ECP's . Each ECP required 0.25-1.2 bbls to inflate based on the
position where it was placed. For cased hole inflation, the 20-ft element took 0.25 bbls, where
as ECP's against the washed out section required as high as 1.2 bbls to inflate. Weighted
spacer followed inflation slurry on the first well. However, after looking at possibility of the barite
settling on inflation slurry, un-weighted spacer behind was pumped on the second well.

For inflation of the ECP's, the displacement tank was zeroed to measure the exact amount
taken by the three ECP's. No problems were encountered on the job, and BGEPIL was satisfied
to witness the slurry working as required. Similar slurry with 70 ghs was pumped on the second
well for inflating 4 ECPs without problems.

Result: More SR-31L on Order!

The contributor wishes to thank BJ Mumbai Lab, Murray Rogers, Garth Gregory and Henry
Leigh for their support and guidance during testing of the slurry and writing the article .
Samir Kale, India
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