Notes

on
Barriers in Workover Operations

Hatem Hussein
Senior CWI Engineer
 2022

1) Introduction to Workover Operations

Workover is a generic name that has many meanings in the oil industry

• Two examples are

➢ The repair or stimulation of an existing production well for the purpose

of restoring, prolonging or enhancing the production of hydrocarbons.

➢ The process of performing major maintenance or remedial treatments

on an oil or gas well.

• Reasons for workovers maybe due to a problem in one of the two

categories:

1. Equipment failure

2. The need to replace / change the completion string due to well

performance or other reservoir management needs.

Workover 2
 2022

2) Reasons for Workovers

Equipment failure:
• Equipment may fail for a number of reasons:

1. Effects of pressure or thermal stress

2. Applied or induced mechanical loading

3. Corrosion Failure ( O2, CO2, H2S, Acids, etc.)

4. Erosion (sand production, turbulence)

Tubing buckling during TCP job

➢ Failure of equipment may dictate two courses of actions:

• Repair or removal and replacement

• Abandon the well where due to integrity implications, the well is not recoverable.

Corroded production tubing due to incompatibility

Workover between injection water and tubing type 3
 2022

3) Well Preparation for Workover

Well Preparation

1. Kill and Secure the well

• It is essential that the well is secured prior to move in the rig over the well particularly
onshore and for wells capable of flowing naturally to surface

• For wells capable of flowing naturally two surface, minimum two independent barriers

2. Move in the Rig / Hoist

• Moving in the rig (on shore) is generally restricted to after the initial kill of the well
Example of Workover Rig Layout
• Each Rig / Hoist has a standard layout, accordingly each well location should be
prepared for specific rig layout prior rig move.

Well Completion & Workover 4

 2022

4) Workover Process
The majority of workover process will have the following stages:

Kill and Remove Perform Remove

Resume
Move in Xmas Tree Recover other Run new BOPs and
secure Secure well well
Rig and install completion remedial completion install
production
the well BOPs activities Xmas Tree

Workover 5
 2022

5) Barriers
Barrier:
• Is any system or device that can be used to contain fluid or pressure within the confines of the well.

• Barrier Policy:

All well operations SHALL be executed under the protection of at least two barriers for each potential
flow path. Barriers shall be capable of handling the maximum and minimum expected well pressures
and temperatures."

➢ Notes on Barrier:

• The first or primary barrier is the system providing first line containment.

• The secondary barrier is the system providing backup to the first barrier

• Testing a barrier should be in the direction of the anticipated flow whenever possible

• Barriers must be pressure tested as per API standards to ensure that they prevent the flow of fluid

Blowout Preventer

Workover 6
 Barriers in Workovers
2022

• Barriers are divided into the following classes:

1. Primary barriers are those used during normal workover operations. They include such tools as a wireline stuffing box or a workover fluid providing hydrostatic
pressure.

2. Secondary barriers are used in support of normal operations or as a contingency (e.g. an annular preventer or back-pressure valve).
3. Tertiary barriers are used in emergencies—e.g. a shear or blind ram or a tree master valve used to cut wireline.

The proposed classification of the wells, considering a potential risk in well during operation, is:

• LOW RISK WELL Well that cannot flow to the surface naturally

• MEDIUM RISK WELL - Well capable of sustaining flow to the surface, or one with:

SIWHP less than 210 bar (3000 psi)

H2S less than 1% (10,000 ppm)

Type of Well based on risk Number of barriers
criteria
• HIGH RISK WELL - Gas well, or one with:
Low 1
SIWHP greater than 210 bar (3000 psi) Medium 2
H2S more than 1% (10,000 ppm) High 2

Workover 7
 2022

Barriers types

Barrier Types

Mechanical
Fluid barrier
barrier

• Drilling mud of sufficient density to overbalance any zones

Normally open Normally closed
in the well capable to flow.
• Brine – clear fluid of kill density normally used in
conjunction with Lost Circulation Material (LCM) • Open during normal operation but at • Usually a permanent installation

readiness to be closed • Cemented casing

• Blowout Preventer (BOP) (drilling, • Cement plug

wireline, coiled tubing) • VR plug in SOVs

• SC-SSSV (only if zero leak rate) • Permanent packer

Workover 8
 2022
The general workflow of well control process

• Early detection of a kick and prompt initiation of control procedures

are the keys to successful well control.

• Casing pressures resulting from a kick depend upon the volume and

density of the invading fluid, as well as the differential between the

formation gradient and fluid gradient

Workover 9
 2022

6) Well Kill Methods

Kill Methods
• There are three principal methods of displacing the well to a kill fluid:

1. Bullheading

2. Circulation

• reverse circulation - no packer

• Reverse circulation - with packer

• Circulation through an inner string (CT)

3. Lubricate and Bleed

• The method chosen to kill the well will be determined by a number of factors:

• Well / completion integrity

• Completion configuration

• Ability to handle produced fluids at surface

• Formation injectivity and potential for reservoir impairment

Well Kill Methods 10

Workover
 2022

7) Complicated Workover Well Control

➢ Complications that can be encountered in Workover Well Control situations:

1. Holes in Tubing

2. Curing lost circulation

3. Problems While Circulating (choke washout, choke plugging,

string washout, string plugging)

4. Irregular shapes across BOP stack including annular preventer

(e.g., ESP with control line, Cable, …)

5. Tight formations with no pipe in hole.

Workover 11
 Hatem Hussein
Senior CWI Engineer

Enghatemahmed@hotmail.com

00201003607896

Thank you