Introduction

to
Well Intervention

Hatem Hussein
Senior CWI Engineer
 2023

1) Introduction to Well Intervention

1.1) Different Well Phases 1.2) Well Intervention definitions
1.3) Reasons for Well Intervention operations 1.4) Types of Well Intervention

2) Slickline
2.1) Equipment and Tools 2.2) Applications of Slick line 2.3) Operation problems

Topics 3) Electric Line

3.1) Equipment’s and Tools 3.2) Applications of Electric line 3.3) Operation problems

4) Coiled Tubing
4.1) Equipment’s and Tools 4.2) Applications of Coiled Tubing 4.3) Operation problems

5) Well Testing
5.1) Well Testing objectives 5.2) Well Testing equipment

5.3) Data obtained during a well test 5.4) Types of Well test operation

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 1) Introduction to Well Interventions
2023

• Extending the life of producing wells

• At some point in the life of all oil and gas wells, parts will require maintenance, repair or replacement. At these times, operators turn to intervention
specialists.

• Interventions fall into two general categories: light or heavy.

• Rigless supervisors typically perform light interventions using slickline, wireline, or coiled tubing. These systems allow operators to minimize the possibility
of potential well blockages. Operators also order light interventions to change or adjust downhole equipment such as valves or pumps, or to gather
downhole pressure, temperature, and flow data.

• Heavy interventions—also referred to as workovers—require the rig crew to remove the wellhead and other pressure barriers from the well to allow full
access to the wellbore. These operations require a rig to remove and reinstall the wellhead and completion equipment.

• Typically, heavy interventions are used to replace parts such as tubing strings and pumps that cannot be retrieved through light interventions. Some heavy
interventions are performed to plug and abandon an original producing zone to reconfigure the well to produce from a secondary zone; these operations
are known as recompletions.

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 1.1) Different Well Phases
2023

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 1.2) Well Intervention definitions
2023

• A well intervention is any operation carried out on an oil or gas well during, or at
the end of, its productive life that alters the state of the well, provides well diagnostics,
or manages the production of the well.

• Rigless techniques for well intervention are wireline, coiled tubing (CT) and
hydraulic workover (HWO) services that do not require the use of a conventional
workover rig and have the capability of performing downhole applications in live
(under pressure) wells.

• Most well interventions are remedial operations performed on producing wells with Coiled Tubing Unit
the intention of restoring or increasing production. A well may require intervention due
to flow restrictions, changes in reservoir characteristics, sand production, mechanical
failure, or to access additional hydrocarbon pay zones.

• Downhole applications that are performed during well interventions include well
surveillance and diagnostics, implementation of reservoir management techniques,
completion repair and re-entry drilling to reach new producing intervals.

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Perforation
 2023

1.3) Reasons for Well Intervention Operations

• Well Intervention is often used to improve the production performance of wells. Interventions conducted in this way can be di rected at:

1. The improvement or restoration of the reservoir performance

2. The improvement or restoration of the tubing's vertical lift performance

3. Combating problems associated with production

4. The installation or replacement of artificial lift equipment

Typical Downhole Well Intervention Solutions

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1.4) Types of Well Intervention
Well Intervention Types
Light
Wireline / Slickline
Mechanical: Work string for
Main installing/ retrieving
equipment, flow control
devices, BHP recorders etc.
Uses
Well Intervention
2023
Heavy
Pulling unit
Electric Line Coiled Tubing Snubbing Light Workover rig
/ Hoist
Electrical: Electric Hydraulic: Conduit for Hybrid: Means of Mechanical:
triggering of downhole pumping fluids, jet washing, installing a Pulling and retrieving
equipment / real time nitrogen lifting, acidization / conduit(completion) tubing (ESPs and beam
surface readouts stimulation, cementing etc. under pressure, well pump accessories etc.)
killing etc
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 2) Slickline
2023

• Slick line / Wireline operations is a means of "running" and "pulling" tools and equipment into and out of the
wellbore with small diameter wireline mounted on a reel at surface.

• In general, the activities are performed under well pressure, which therefore requires the use of surface
pressure containment equipment such as BOPs, lubricators and stuffing boxes.

• To facilitate the placement of tools and the manipulation of equipment using wireline, the necessary
hardware, such as Nipple Profiles and Side Pocket Mandrels, must be included in the well completion design.

• During the natural flowing period of a well, wireline well intervention requirements may be reduced, for
Skid Slickline Unit
example by the installation of tubing retrievable subsurface safety valves, installation of permanent
downhole pressure and temperature monitoring devices.

• In the producing phase of the well life cycle, well intervention activities such as the pulling of gas lift valves,
well swabbing etc., are more prominent and in general involve wireline activities.

• However, as the tools and equipment are run into the well by gravity, factors such as well deviation from the
vertical, doglegs, well flowing pressures and obstructions such as sand, scale, etc., may limit its applicability.

Crane mounted Slickline Unit

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 2.1) Slickline Equipment & Tools
2023

• The basic slickline equipment required to carry out well intervention activities is:

1. Slickline unit

2. Slickline

3. Pressure Control Equipment (PCE)

4. Stuffing box (or Grease Injection Head for Braided Line)

5. Lubricator

6. Blowout preventer (BOP)

7. Wellhead Adaptor

8. Support equipment, e.g. crane to support and carry the lubricators, scaffolding
or cherry picker to facilitate easy and safe access to the Xmas tree.

Basic Slickline Unit Equipment

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 2.1) Slickline Tools
It is good operating practice to run a gauge
cutter before starting any operation in a well.
A gauge cutter run is used to:
➢ Check the tubing ID
➢ Tag and confirm the total depth
➢ Locate the nipple ID restrictions and no-go
➢ Locate general restrictions in the
completion string
➢ Cut sand, scale, paraffin and other deposits
from the tubing wall
• The blind box is used when heavy
downward jarring is required to dislodge a
fish or push something down the hole.
• It is flat on the bottom and hardened to
reduce wear and damage.
Well Intervention
2023
• The impression block or lead impression block (LIB) is similar in
appearance to the blind box, but it is filled with lead. The lead is keyed in
position by a roll pin or a hex headed bolt that is installed prior to pouring
molten lead inside the housing.
• The impression block is used to obtain a picture (impression) of the
component creating the down hole blockage or obstruction. The
information gained is used in selecting an appropriate fishing tool
assembly.
• A swaging tool is used to restore lightly collapsed or distorted damage
to the tubing string. The OD of the swage should be equal to the tubing
drift. To operate the swage, down-jars are required to force the swage
through the tubing damage.
• To ensure recovery of the tool string, up-jars should also be included in
the event the swage becomes jammed.
• The fluid bypass hole permits the passage of fluid when the OD of the
swage fills the tubing ID.
10
 2.1) Slickline Tools 2023

Plug Components

• A downhole device, run and retrieved on slickline, that is placed • Prong or Equalizing Assembly is used to plug off the wellbore and in conjunction
and anchored within the tubing string to provide a setting point with lock assemblies
for flow-control equipment such as valves, chokes and plugs.

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 2.2) Applications of Slickline
2023

Reservoir management Well integrity and control Remedial and improvement Artificial lift

Pressure, temperature Depth measurements Fishing operations Gas lift valves

surveys (BHPs)

Flowing surveys Caliper surveys Scale cutting, cleaning Swabbing

activities
Fluid sampling Chemical injection valves Dump bailers Flowing survey

Sand sampling Flow control (e.g. shut off tools, Pack off assemblies
sliding sleeves)

Slick line PLT Packers

Mechanical perforator

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 2.3) Slickline Operations Problems
2023

Tool string stuck

Problems Unplanned wire cut

Leak in Pressure Control Equipment

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 3) Electric line
2023

Single or multi-conductor braided wireline – has electric cable inside that can be used to send or receive signals from
the downhole tools. Sizes ranges from 0.377” to 0.548” in open hole and from 0.185” to 0.3125” in cased hole.
Electric line is used for running different logging tools and for perforations.
Usually covered with armor wire to prevent damage to the conductor during the operations.

Single Conductor Cable Multi-Conductor Cable

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 3.1) Electric line Equipment & Tools
2023

• The basic Electric Line equipment required to carry out well

intervention activities is:

1. Electric (Logging) unit

2. Electric Line (Braided line) size from 7/32” – 7/16”

3. Pressure Control Equipment (PCE)

• Grease Injection Head

• Lubricator

• Blowout preventer (BOP)

4. Grease injection pump unit

5. Wellhead Adaptor

6. Support equipment, e.g. crane to support and carry the lubricators, scaffolding or
cherry picker to facilitate easy and safe access to the Xmas tree.

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 3.1) Electric line Tool String
2023

Typical EL tool string will consists of:

1. Cable head

• An electromechanical device that provides a connection to both the

mechanical armor wires and the outer mechanical housing of a
logging tool

• They are a weak link, so that if a logging tool becomes stuck in a well,
the operator may intentionally pull more than the breaking strength of
the logging cable head, causing the cable to pull out of the cable head
in a controlled fashion. The top of the cable head is machined as a
fishing neck to facilitate fishing /retrieval of the tool.

2. Sinker bar or Weight bar

Used for overcome tubing pressure, so that tool string will be capable to
run in hole

3. Logging tool (GR-CCL , Caliper…..)

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 3.2) Applications of Electric Line
2023

• Most commonly used in well logging, perforating and well surveillance activities; real time data is obtained through

the electric cable and provides accuracy of depth control and well information.

• E-line cable also provides a power conduit for deployment of tractors to obtain this data where tools have to access

high angle wells. Additionally this power conduit allows manipulation of electrically operated tools downhole.

• Normally performed under 'live' well conditions.

Electric line can be used for many applications but predominantly well logging activities such as:

1. Cased Hole Logging - Production logging to determine zonal contributions, water or gas influxes, permeability

and porosity measurement - Correlation

2. Open Hole Logging - Reservoir monitoring, Resistivity measurement, formation testing

3. Perforating - casing and tubing perforation operations

4. Completion / P&A using Explosive Devices - Setting packers, plugs and straddles

5. Drilling / Workover Support Services - Explosive back off operations to free stuck drill pipe / pipe recovery be

mechanical or chemical cutter.

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 2023

3.3) Electric line Operations Problems

Lost Grease Seal

Problems Stranded Cable

Tools lost / Stuck in hole

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 2023

4) Coiled Tubing
Coiled tubing is a continuous length of small diameter pipe which is spooled onto a reel in the same way as wire or cable is wrapped on a
drum. The coiled tubing operation permits the technique of “snubbing” a continuous length of tubing in and out of a live well through a
stripper BOP arrangement.
• The main advantage of Coiled Tubing is that it can be run into producing wells against high wellhead pressures and down past the
perforations without production interruption or killing the well.
• The most common pipe size in use is 1” through to 2” in addition to larger sizes that are available used in drilling and com pletion (+ 3 1/2”)
with the addition of a maximum working depth of 25,000 ft.

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 2023

4.1) Coiled Tubing Equipment & Tools

Main Coiled Tubing Equipment are:
➢ Primary Equipment
1. CT reel unit
2. Injector head (including “gooseneck”)
3. Power Pack
4. Control Cabin (load / depth indicators)
➢ Pressure / Well Control Equipment
1. Stripper
2. Lubricators
3. Quad Blowout Preventers (BOP)
4. Shear Seal BOP

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 2023

4.1) Coiled Tubing Tool String

Typical Coiled Tubing tool string consists of:
1- Tube End Connector
used to assemble the BHA to the coiled tubing string
The roll-on end connector, originally developed for 1" coil tubing, works well for light duty operations (no rotation possible)
the external grapple connector is used for heavy duty operations
2- Back Pressure or Check Valve
It is standard practice to use a double check valve during all coiled tubing operations performed on live or potentially live wells. The check valve is
positioned in the CT Bottom Hole Assembly to prevent well bore fluids from entering the coil.
The Flapper Check Valves are of full bore design. This enables the launching balls to function other down hole tools. The flap in the valve does not lie
flat against the inside of the valve body, and this aids the flap to close if circulation is reversed. The flap has an elastomeric seat to enhance the sealing
capability.

Straight hole drilling CT BHA

Roll on connector External Grapple connector Double Flapper Check Valve

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 4.1) Coiled Tubing Tool String
2023

3- Release Joint
Release joints provide a means of disengaging the coiled tubing from the tool string run
beneath it. This is a precaution generally required when running tools with an OD larger
than the coiled tubing, i.e. straddle packer tools, bridge plugs, downhole motors, tubing
end locators, pressure activated perforating guns, etc. Because of their size, there is an
increased risk that these tools may unexpectedly hang up on downhole obstructions (such
as liner laps in deviated wells). It is also a precaution in certain operations, such as those
which require tagging TD or milling tasks.
Common release tools: ball operated release joint – Pressure activated release joint –
Tension activated release tool
4- Straight Bar
The straight bar provides a means of extending the tool string while maintaining the
maximum through bore
5- Specific application tool (example: jet nozzle for nitrogen lifting, bit for drilling)

Ball Operated Release Joint

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 4.2) Applications of Coiled Tubing
2023

• In principle, the applications for coiled tubing result from its ability to be introduced into a live/flowing well in an unin terrupted (no joints)
length of tubing.

Basic applications of Coiled Tubing (CT) have been identified under one of the following general headings:
1. Pumping services; hydraulic applications that involve circulation of fluids.
2. Reservoir / Well improvement (acid washing/stimulation)
3. Fill clean-outs (sand removal)
4. Remedial/abandonment (cementing)
5. Work-string applications; mechanical services that involve the downhole conveyance of required tools or equipment.

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 4.2.1) Pumping Services
2023

➢ The most common coiled tubing application is that of providing pumping services, such as
tubing clean-outs and acid stimulation work which eliminates the need for killing the well,
Bullheading, or contact of the live acid with the tubing string, etc. Nitrogen lifting is another
common pumping application used to reduce the hydrostatic pressure of the column of liquid
within the well in order to induce production after a well closure or well intervention activity.

Nitrogen Lifting:
• Wells which flow in unstable equilibrium may not flow after being shut in depending on the
duration of shutdown.
• When these wells fail to flow on re-opening, they may be "lifted" back into production by the
circulation of nitrogen at depth through coiled tubing. This assists the inflow from the reservoir
by reducing the hydrostatic head.
• The same technique is also used to produce wells following any well intervention activity that
requires completion fluid, kill material or stimulation fluids to be removed from the well. The
nitrogen is generally shipped to, and stored at the wellsite in tanks.

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 4.2.2) Reservoir / Well Improvement 2023

Acid washing / Stimulation

• Acid Washing / Stimulation:

• Coiled tubing may be used to spot hydrochloric acid (HCL) or other fluids to dissolve scale,
such as calcium carbonate, which has been deposited within the completion. The scale is
generally deposited in high water-cut wells and is normally found where a pressure drop occurs,
such as the Subsurface Safety Valve and other restrictions. The build-up of scale can prevent
downhole equipment from operating, restrict access for well intervention operations and even
reduce production rates.
• If well productivity or injectivity has been reduced by near wellbore damage or deposits at the
producing zone inside the production casing liner, it is often necessary to stimulate the well.
Coiled tubing may be employed to spot an acid treatment over the perforations, from where it
can be squeezed into the formation.

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 4.3) Operations Problems 2023

Stuffing Box/Stripper Failure

Pinhole at Surface

Tubing Parted at Surface

Problems Coil Tubing Collapse

Coiled Tubing Running into Well

Coiled Tubing is Ejected out of Well

Stuck Coil Tubing

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 5) Well Testing 2023

• Well testing is fundamentally the collecting of "data" from a newly drilled or established oil
or gas well.
• The major purpose of testing a well drilled into a formation is to determine the ability of
the formation to produce reservoir fluids. The basic test method is to create a pressure
drawdown (pressure reduction) in the well bore which causes formation fluids to enter the
well bore.
• The simultaneous measurement of flow rate and the pressure in the well-bore during
production (flowing) or the pressure build-up during a shut in period can be used to
deduce accurate reservoir characteristics for the purpose of reservoir evaluation.

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 5.1) Well Testing Objectives 2023

The objectives of an exploration well test usually fall into three major categories:

• to provide a proper model describing flow from a reservoir.

Reservoir Description • Including fluid sampling, measuring the initial pressure.

• to determine if the reservoir parameters are satisfactory for commercial and economical production

Reservoir Evaluation • Including estimation for reservoir volume, evaluating the well permeability and skin effect and
identifying reservoir boundary.

• to optimize continued production from the reservoir.

Reservoir Management • Data collected from "established" wells provides an update on any changes to the well flow
characteristics since its initial production, and therefore will also play an important part in future
reservoir management decisions.

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 5.2) Well Testing Equipment 2023

Basic Well Testing equipment

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 5.2) Well Testing Equipment 2023

Well Intervention Simplified Well Testing equipment diagram 30

 5.3) Data obtained during Well Test 2023

• The readings required from the well test surface set up package are pressures, temperatures and flow rates.
• These are taken at various critical stages of the flow process from the well head right through to the separator outlet lines.

Key measurement points :-

• Wellhead (tubing) pressure and temperature.
• Annulus pressure and temperature.
• Choke manifold upstream and downstream pressures and temperatures.
• Separator- pressure and temperature and outlet flow rates.
• Gas outlet line differential pressures at orifice meter.
• Gas outlet line temperature.
• H2S & CO2 content
• Oil outlet flow rate and temperature
• Water outlet flow rate temperature
• Oil gravity (SG)
• Shrinkage
• BS&W
• Sand production rate- through electronic sensing device positioned in flow line upstream of the choke manifold (data header).

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 5.3) Data obtained during Well Test
2023

• These measurement are utilized in well test analysis for better understanding of reservoir characteristics.

Main Data obtained form a well test are:

1. Permeability (K)
2. Average Reservoir Pressure (Pr)
3. Reservoir Thickness (H)
4. Skin Effect
5. Flow efficiency
6. Wellbore Storage
7. Reservoir Boundary (e.g. Fault boundary, Constant Pressure boundary)

Onshore Rig Well Testing

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 Hatem Hussein
Senior CWI Engineer

Enghatemahmed@hotmail.com

00201003607896

Thank you