22/04/2019 An effective alternative to conventional plug and abandonment

q y q y g , How to design
of good cement will do. If no logs are available, then 1,000 ft of cement, using the theoretical top of cement slurry for oil
cement as calculated by "differential pressures or monitored volumes during the original cement job," well applications
would be required to allow for uncertainty. (Part 1)
6 ways to prevent
When cement behind the casing is not good, the operators were forced to perforate-squeeze and, in
well integrity
some cases, mill out the casing completely to achieve proper zonal isolation across the wellbore. Here
problems
is where PWC® becomes a very interesting alternative.
Gas migration: A
PWC® is a single run assembly with these main parts: potential disaster
How to deal with
TCP perforating gun Micro-Annuli in
Internal cement foundation tool to support the cement in place Casing Cement
A jetting tool that is used to condition the space behind the casing to receive the cement, called Sustained annular
the Hydra-hemera. pressure: How to
And the Hydra spray cementing valve and Hydra Archimedes cementing tool which work together successfully
to push the cement behind the casing and ensure proper coverage and bonding against tubulars remediate?
and the wellbore. How to reduce well
integrity problems
According to Hydrawell records, PWC® has been used to set 215 annulus cement plugs in different
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areas round the world exceeding 97% success rate as measured by 15 different operators.
Mixing energy in
cement and its
effect
Click on picture for larger version Resins for Well
Integrity
Challenges: Curing
process

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Figure 1. Source: Guidelines for the Abandonment of Wells, p12 (OGUK, 2015)

From the presentations delivered at OWI and the conversations held with Mr. Ringrose, I could
summarize two keys aspects of the PWC® technology:

Time-Saving
While the conventional method of section milling, under-reaming and then placing a cement plug
typically takes ten days in a trouble-free operation (however, this method is prone to significant
trouble time and can take significantly longer), the HydraWell method takes 2 – 4 days.
Cement plug quality
Due to the effective annulus cleaning and cement placement technology, cement plug quality
increases as displacement of wellbore fluids is enhanced, and impact of contamination is
reduced. This technology also allows for plugs to be effectively set through two strings of casing -
into two annuli- at the same time.

PWC® is not only valuable for wells requiring P&A interventions aiming at fulfilling the annulus barrier
requirements in the UKOG guidelines; PWC® can also be useful in wells that are shut-in due to
unbleedable annulus pressure in annulus B or C. The technique can provide a reliable method of placing
annular barrier(s) -closer to the leak source- and returning these wells to production or injection.

Along the same line of thought, this deployment method can be utilized to repair “wet casing shoes”
and achieve the required isolation - before drilling into the next zone after a poorly executed primary
cement job. Or to allow the setting of a side-track whipstock across an uncemented (or poorly
cemented) area, setting a casing exit support plug in the annulus.

Read also our two cases on "Collapse in the tubing and casing" and "Plugging a well with no
https://blog.wellcem.com/an-effective-alternative-to-conventional-plug-and-abandonment- 1/1