Sonatrach:

Introduction to Oil and Gas

3. Completion Basics.

Prepared and Presented by

Owen Jenkins, M.A., C.Eng., C.Mar.Eng., F.E.I., M.I.Mar.EST.

© Owen S. Jenkins Ltd. and the Robert Gordon University, 2008. 1

Completion Basics

„ The aim of this presentation is to provide a

high level view of well completions

1
 Completions

„ What do we mean by ‘completion’?

In petroleum production, completion is the process of making a
well ready for production (or injection).
This principally involves preparing the bottom of the hole to the
required specifications, running in the production tubing and its
associated ‘jewellery’ and perforating and stimulating as required.
The installed hardware is usually know as ‘a completion’

„ Why is it so called?
Because the well is complete and ready to operate when it is in
place and opened up.

Types of Completion

„ Lower completion
That portion of the well across the production or
injection zone.
Design depends on reservoir condition, well function,
required flowrates, pressure, temperature, corrosivity
etc.
Typically, the lower completion is set across the
productive zone using a liner hanger system, which
anchors the lower completion to the production casing
string.

2
 Lower Completion Types

„ Barefoot completion
This type is the most basic, but can be a good choice for
hard rock, multi-laterals and underbalanced drilling.
Leaves the productive reservoir section without any
tubulars.
This effectively removes control of flow of fluids from the
formation
Not suitable for weaker formations which might require
sand control, nor for formations requiring selective
isolation of oil, gas and water intervals.
Advances in interventions e.g coiled tubing and tractors
means that barefoot wells can be successfully production
logged, zonal isolation of the toe-end can be achieved
(e.g. cemented off), and sidetracks can readily be drilled
from within the barefoot section.

Lower Completion Types

„ Barefoot
completion
„ No casing
across reservoir
„ Usually a
packer is set
inside the
casing and the
production flows
up the tubing

6
Basic diagram courtesy of the State of Texas.

3
 Lower Completion Types

„ The Barefoot Completion is the simplest

type of single completion – i.e. there is
only one tubing string in the hole.
„ The next slide shows another, more
common type of single completion, with a
liner across the reservoir.

Lower Completion Types

„ Cased hole completion

„ The most common form of completion
„ Casing or liner runs down through the production zone
and is cemented in place.
„ The well is perforated (i.e. holes are shot in the casing or
liner)
„ Because perforation intervals can be precisely
positioned, this type of completion affords good control
of fluid flow
„ Relies on the quality of the cement to prevent fluid flow
behind the liner.

4
 Single Completion
„ The diagram was
created using
Schlumberger’s free
software i-Handbook
„ As potential
customers of
Schlumberger you
may register for
Premium Content on
their website and
download it
„ http://www.slb.com

Dual String Completion

„ Simple dual-
zone
completion
„ Note sealing
packers
„ The offset
shown on the
lower packer is
purely
diagrammatic

10

5
 More Completion Types

11

Lower Completion Types

„ Open hole completion

„ Tubulars across the production zone are not
cemented in place.
„ Popular in horizontal wells, where cemented
liners are more expensive and technically more
difficult.
„ Also multi-lateral wells

12

6
 Open Hole Completion

„ Some options for open-hole completions

Pre-drilled (pre-holed or pre-perforated) or slotted
liner
The liner is prepared with holes or slots, then set
across the production zone to provide wellbore
stability and an intervention conduit.
Often combined with open-hole packers to provide
zonal segregation and isolation.
Commonly used with combination of pre-holed liner,
solid liner and swelling elastomer packers to provide
an isolation of unwanted water or gas zones.

13

Open Hole Completion

„ Multiple sliding sleeves may be used with

open-hole packers to provide flexibility in
zonal flow control for the life of the
wellbore.

14

7
 Sand Control

„ Where the producing formation is loosely

consolidated, sand production is likely
„ In order to hold back the sand, wells are
often gravel-packed around the perforated
casing or liner
„ Frequently, sand screens are also
provided to keep the sand out of the tubing
and prevent blocking the flow

15

Gravel Packing and

Sand Screens

„ Halliburton
gravel-packed
completion
show,
complete with
sandscreens

16
Diagram courtesy of Halliburton

8
 Gravel Packing and
Sand Screens

„ Halliburton Concentric Annular Pack Screen (CAPSSM) System

„ A perforated shroud surrounds the screen and provides multiple flow
paths.
„ The concentric shroud with its engineered hole pattern increases the
chances of uniform -frac pack treatment of complex intervals and
complete gravel packing by allowing annular bridges to be bypassed.
„ In addition the shroud protects the screens while running into the well
and resists future subsidence damage.

17
Courtesy of Halliburton

Gravel Packing and

Sand Screens
„ Halliburton Concentric
Annular Pack Screen
(CAPSSM) System 1

1. In high-angle and horizontal

wells, with a conventional
gravel pack, premature
bridging may occur, causing 2
incomplete packing
2. CAPS service allows
bypassing of bridges.
3. CAPS system enhances 3
annular packing to form a
complete pack.

18
Diagram courtesy of Halliburton

9
 Gravel Packing and
Sand Screens

„ Gravel-
packed
multizone
completion

„ Statoil well in which the gravel had to be transported through

multiple ½-in. annulus sections over the 3,116-ft (950-m) well
bore.
19
Courtesy of Hart’s Energy Publications

Gravel Packing
„ New, lightweight gravel
developed by Hexion
used in well shown in
previous slide
„ Low density, lightweight
gravel provides
buoyancy, enhanced
transport, lower pump
rates, reduced friction
pressure and long lateral
packing involving close
radial clearances.

20
Illustrations courtesy of Hart’s Energy Publications

10
 Completions
„ So far we have a conduit for production or
injection, but not much else
„ What about safety?
„ How do we shut in a well safely when there is
trouble on the surface?
„ How do we allow for thermal expansion and
contraction?
„ What is artificial lift?
„ How do we select which zones to produce from
mechanically?
21

Sonatrach:
Introduction to Oil and Gas
Completion Basics.
Prepared by

OWEN S. JENKINS LTD.

4, Charlton Avenue, Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, AB34 5GL, United
Kingdom.
Tel. +44 (0)13398 87779. Mobile phone: +44 (0)7803 296779.
Email: owen@osjl.co.uk Website: www.osjl.co.uk

22

11