PETROLEUM PRODUCTION

ENGINEERING-I
THIRD YEAR SECOND TERM
 RESPONSIBILITIES OF PRODUCTION
ENGINEER
 To look for ways to improve revenue generation by
increasing production & minimizing costs.
 To ensure that wells are completed, produced &
operated in a safe, efficient, cost-effective manner
which maximizes their benefit to the company.
 To evaluate well & field performance & to improve it
where possible with work over, stimulation, facility
improvements etc.
 To plan future production methods & policies (e.g.
artificial lift, water disposal, injection control etc.)
 To forecast performance over the next year in order to
predict revenues, identify problems & to plan work
programs.
 To plan, program, supervise & analyze
completion, well test, work over & stimulation.
 To forecast budget, staff & equipment
requirements.
 To ensure that records are maintained by
updating the well files & by providing assistance
& technical support to the production
department.
 To interface with the specialist staff (Reservoir,
Process, Geology, Mechanical etc.) & with the
Drilling Department.
 WELL COMPLETION
 After a well has been drilled, logged & tested to
the projected depth & the productive zones
evaluated, the well should be completed.
 Tubing sizes & pressure ratings should be
chosen, taking into account requirement that
may develop during the life of the well.
 Completion equipment & the methods employed
may be quite variable depending upon the type of
oil or gas produced.
 Most commonly production rate in b/w 3000-5000
bbl/day require 3-1/2” or larger flow strings to
handle fluid volume.
 For gas wells 3-1/2” & 4-1/2” tubing will handle
flow rates 25MMCFD.
 The design of wells should minimize the effect of
corrosion & erosion on well equipments.
 WELL COMPLETION METHODS
1. Open Hole Completion:-
 It is the most simplest completion method.
 This method is also called barefoot completion.
 The well needs only a Christmas tree so completion
costs are low.
 This completion is used in thick, continuous, well
consolidated carbonate reservoirs.
 The well should not produce water & sand.
 Pressure & flow rates may be hard to control in
open holes.
 Also artificial lift & well stimulation may cause
problems in the later stage of the well.
2. Perforated Completion:-
 The majority of wells (96% or more) are cased &
cemented through producing zone & then
perforated.
 Casing prevents rock caving & provides protective
housing for completion tools.
 Cements fills the annular space b/w the rock & the
casing, supports the casing & prevents its external
corrosion & stops fluid migration.
 TYPES OF COMPLETION
 Single Zone Completion:-
 Normally, single zone completions of oil and gas wells
allow relative simplicity in the completion design.
 In this most basic completion, there is absence of
significant bottom hole pressure and temperatures.
 The complexity of a single zone completion is
dictated, not only by the producing zones' pressure,
temperature, and fluid/gas characteristics, but also
by the proposed setting technique and anticipated
treatment activities.
 For this reason, two types of designs exist to provide
the options necessary, both for the wellbore
conditions and the economic considerations of the
well.
1. With Tubing Alone:-
o Single-zone completion with just a tubing & no
production packer are used when the only aim is to
have the right pipe diameter w.r.t the flow rate.
o It means obtaining enough velocity to lift the heavy
parts of the effluent(water or condensate in a gas
well).
o In this type, the well is then produced through both
the tubing & the annulus.
2. With Tubing & Packer:-
o Single zone completion with a tubing & a production
packer are most widely used because of:
o the safety due to the packer.
o its simplicity in comparison to other types of completion,
in terms of installation, maintenance & work over.
 Multi-zone Completion:-
 In the past, the technique of producing several pay
zones together the same tubing was used.
 It required only a minimum amount of equipment.
 However, the subsequent reservoir & production
problems that were experienced have caused this
practice to become much less common.
 There are two types of completion in Multi-zone
completion:
 Parallel dual string completion with two tubing's, one for
each of the two levels & two packers to isolate the levels
from one another & protect the annulus.
 Tubing-annulus completion with one single tubing & one
packer, which is located between the two levels that are to
be produced, with one level produced through the tubing &
the other through the tubing-casing annulus.
 Basically this type of completion allows the
development of several pay zones with fewer wells, &
is therefore faster.
 In contrast, maintenance & work over costs are
higher.
 This technique is particularly advantageous in
offshore, where drilling itself & the space required for
a well site are very costly.
 TUBING DESIGN
 Tubing Characteristics:-
 The tubing is made of seamless pipe which is usually
fitted with a coupling.
 In addition to a traditional range listed in API
schedules, manufacturers propose pipe made from
improved steels or special steels.
 Parameters defined by API are mainly: nominal dia,
nominal weight, grade of steel, type of connection &
length range.
 Nominal Diameter & Geometrical Characteristics:-
 Nominal Diameter:-
 This is the OD of the pipe body, traditionally expressed in inches &
fractions of an inch. The following are standard OD’s.
 Internal Diameter & Thickness:-
 The ID is a result of the nominal dia: & the thickness of
the pipe.
 Drift Diameter:-

 It is the foremost important parameter.

 It is the minimum diameter that governs the range of

equipment that can be run through the tubing whether

for the wire line tools, perforators or logging tools.
 Pipe Length:-

 Because of the type of machining, each pipe naturally has

a specific length.
 It is classified into two length ranges:

 Range 1: from 20ft to 24ft

 Range 2: from 28ft to 32ft
  The length range for the site must be chosen with care.
 It should be compatible with hoisting & storage capacity
of the mast of the rig used when the equipment is run in
during completion as well as later on during work over
operations.
 For production string spacing out operations, there is
also a range of short pipes or pup joints.
 API lists various lengths for these joints i-e: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10
& 12 ft.
 Nominal Weight:-
 In addition to the nominal diameter, pipe is characterized
in practice by its nominal weight, not its thickness.
 This corresponds to the average weight of a length of a pipe,
connections included, & is expressed in lb/ft or the symbol
#.
 Pipe with different nominal weights can be found with the same nominal
diameter depending on the thickness.
 Grades Of Steel & Metallurgical Characteristics:-
 Manufacturers supply API standard grades of steel &
special steel for severe corrosion, particularly due to H2S &
CO2.
 API Standard Steels & Grades For Tubing's:-

 The following grades are included in API schedules: H40,

J55, C75, L80, N80, C90 & P105.
 However, they are not all available in all nominal diameters
weights.
 Each letter is a characteristic of a chemical composition.
 These all contains a maximum of 0.04% sulfur & 0.06%
phosphorus.
 The number following the letter designates the minimum
body yield stress guaranteed by the manufacturer & is
expressed in thousands of psi: for example 80 corresponds to
a minimum body yield stress of 80000 psi.
 Grades C75, L80 & C90 are termed as special corrosion & are specifically
designed for wells with low temperature & high H2S concentration.
 Stainless Steel, Alloys & Special Pipe:-
 When wells containing CO2 were put on stream, the oil
industry started using stainless steel.
 Some examples are 13% chromium steel if there is no H2S in
addition to the CO2.
 22-25% chromium steel when the H2S pressure is not too
high.
 For even more severe duty, mainly high nickel content alloys
are used, associated with chromium & molybdenum.
 These special steels can cost up to 25 times more than
standard steel.
 Connection, Threads:-
 There are two ways to screw pipe together:
 By using coupling, the most common connection

 By means of an integral joint, the most common type of connection

on smaller diameter pipe.
 API Tapered Triangular Threaded Connection:-

 API proposes :
• NU(Non-Upset) threads, with no increase in diameter at the end of
the pipe body.
• EU(External Upset) threads, with an increased diameter on the
outside of the pipe body giving better tensile strength, as the cross
section at the base of the thread is larger.
 API threads have 8-10 threads per inch.
 They are triangular & rounded on top.

 These are suitable for low pressure oil wells.

 DOWN HOLE TOOLS OR EQUIPMENTS
 ½ Mule Shoe:-
 It is the guide shoe at the bottom of the well.
 This tool guides the survey tool which then can be properly aligned

with the bent sub.

 No-Go Nipple:-
 A no-go nipple is a short tubular device which has a small shoulder
located within the internal bore of the nipple.
 The purpose of this tool is to prevent wire line tools from falling out of
the end of tubing, if dropped.
 Perforated Joint:-
 A perforated joint may be used in the completion string for the
purpose of providing bypass flow if bottom hole pressure &
temperature gauges are used for reservoir monitoring.
 Landing Nipple:-
 Landing nipples are used at various points in the
completion string depending on their functional
requirement.
 Common functions for landing nipple are:

 Installation points for setting plugs for pressure testing,

setting hydraulic-set packers.
 Installation point for SSSV.

 Installation point for bottom hole pressure &

temperature gauges.
 Retrievable Packer:-
 To protect the casing from well fluids.
 Sliding Sleeve Door:-
 It allows communication b/w tubing & annulus.
 It can also be used for the following purposes:

 To circulate appropriate kill fluid into the well prior to

the work over.

 As a production device in a multi zone completion.

 As a contingency that plugging might occur in the upper

part of the tubing.
 Flow Couplings:-
 Flow couplings are thick walled tubular.
 These are made of high grade alloy steel usually supplied in

10, 15 & 20ft length.

  The purpose of this component is that where ever
turbulence occurs, it prevents loss of tubing string integrity
& mechanical strength due to internal erosion directly
above or below the component.
 Sub-Surface Safety Valve:-
 The purpose of SSSV is to shut off flow from the well in the
event of a potentially catastrophic situation.
 These situations might be damage to wellhead, failure of
surface equipment, fire at the surface etc…….
 SCSSSV????

 SSCSSSV????
 Tubing Hanger:-
 It is a completion component, which sits inside the tubing
Head Spool & provides the following functions:
 Suspends the tubing.

 Provides a seal b/w the tubing & the tubing head spool.
 Most common completion tool used to control the fluid pressure and
allowing the fluid to flow smoothly through tubing.

PACKER FLUIDS:
 Several packer fluids can be used most commonly:

a) Oil base b) Brine base c) Attapulgite gel

o A low solid packer fluid contains a polymer, viscofier, corrosion
inhibitor, and soluble salts
o These packer fluids helps to control:
o Well pressure & flowing fluid pressure
o Decrease the differential pressure across the packer.
Packer setting methods:
 Packers are set by applying the compressive force to the slips & rubber packing element by following
ways:
1. Tubing relation
2. Stacking of weight on packers
3. Pressing the tubing against a plug
4. Standing a electrical impulse to an explosive setting tool

 Packer types & setting methods are classified as:

Mechanical retrievable packers:

 having slips above or below the sealing element which requires some physical manipulation of
completion string such as compression rotation by packing up tubing or stacking of weight on tubing.
 Used for BHP upto 7500psi & BHT = 275°Fand can also be used for production, steam injection,
disposal & stimulation but not used for deep deviated wells

 Hydraulic packers: refers to apply fluid pressure on to the tubing which transmitted a piston force
within the packer and having the same applications as that of mechanical packers.

 Seal bore retrievable packers: operated either hydraulically or electrically when applying an
electrical impulse to an explosive setting tool due to which sealing elements are expanded and seals
the annular space. Used for BHP= 10000psi & BHT=> 275°F depends upon well requirements and
cost consideration
 Permanent packers: Designed for HP & HT wells with BHP >15000psi & BHT
>450°F and can be set either wire line or hydraulically.
 Connection of packers with tubing
Some terminologies:
• J-slot: a slot used for running and positioning the equipment into the well
• Stab: to insert a piece of equipment with another
• Stack: to connect wire line well log tools
• Impulse: stimulating a force in electrical current that causes a reaction
• Latch: spring lock on a door that catches when door is closed & needs the
key to open it from the outside or latching device.

1. Threaded connections: tubing is threaded into top of the tubing and

packer becomes an integral part of tubing.
2. Anchor or retch latch assembly: consist of short retch latch above which
engages (stabs) into an Acme –type box, threaded at the top of packer.
3. J-Latch: J-slot is used above the seal stack which having either internal or
external pins at the top of packer.
Above three connections fix the tubing at the packer and do not allow the
tubing at the point.
 Packers are usually run in & set in the
production casing.
 The packer isolates the annulus from any
physical contact with the formation fluids &
bottom hole pressure.
 Main Packer Types:-
 A packer is basically selected by the setting mechanism, the
seal, the means of retrieval & the type of tubing-packer
connection.
 They are classified as:

 Packers are set by steel slips which, when pushed along a

cone shaped ramp, grip the casing.

 A seal is then provided by rubber rings squeezed out

against the casing.

  Packers can be retrieved in three different ways:
 Simply drilling out or milling the packer; this is the case for
permanent production packer.
 Actuating shear pins or rings by pulling on the tubing. This
movement releases the anchoring slips. This is the case for
retrievable packers.
 The tubing-packer connection can be of two types:
 Rigid: the tubing is fixed onto the packer.
 Semi-free: the tubing enters the packer with sealing elements
which can slide freely up & down.
 Choosing The Packer:-
 The choice of packer type depends on:
 Allowable pressure differential.
 Allowable compression & tension at the tubing-packer
connection & the casing-packer contact.
 Maximum temperature.

 Setting & retrievable procedure.

 Available accessories.

 Consequences & cost in initial completion & work over

operations.
 The packer’s reputation & the users experience with it.

 The inside diameter of the casing.

 WORK OVER OPERATION
 Work over operation may be decided for a
number of reasons.
 Equipment Failure:-
 At the Well Head:-
 It involves mainly:

 Leaks at the lower master valve, tubing hanger or tie-down

screws.
 A damaged back pressure valve seat.
 Problem at the SCSSSV control line outlet: leak or failure.
 In the Subsurface Safety Valve System:-
 The following cases may occur.

 A tubing retrievable SCSSSV is faulty or a wire line

retrievable SCSSSV is faulty or stuck.
  A landing nipple of a wire line retrievable safety valve is
leak.
 the control line is leak or fails.
 An annular safety system is faulty.
 In the Pipe:-
 Whether in the tubing or casing, the problems are

leaks(Corrosion), Collapse, Burst or Broken pipe.

 The tubing can also get partly or totally plugged up by

deposits that cannot be removed by conventional wire

line jobs.
 In the Down Hole Equipment:-

 It can happen particularly in the following:

 Leakage in the equipment has sealing elements(packer,

locator seal assembly, slip joint, circulating sleeve etc).
 PACKERS
Packer means packs or seals the annular space tightly.
A expendable device used to isolate the two zones.
It prevents the flow of fluids vertically.
A completion tool which acts as stopper b/w casing & tubing.
It provides seal against the back flow of fluids through annulus.

FUNCTIONS:
Flow mandrel (a conduct for fluid production)
Resilient element (pressure seal b/w casing & tubing)
Cone or wedge shape (provide positioning of slips which grip the
casing tightly)
It serves the tubing to control from erosion, corrosion, pressure, fluid
viscosity etc.
 Modification in Production Condition:-
 In order to get sufficient velocity to carry up the heavy
phases(condensate, water) after a drop in flow rate, it may
be advantageous to reduce the tubing diameter by changing
the tubing. Otherwise, if the heavy phase is left to build up
in the tubing, it may exert too much back pressure on the
pay zone.
 When the well’s flowing capacity becomes insufficient, an

artificial lift process needs to be implemented or any

existing process has to be modified.
 Restoration OR Modification of the Pay Zone-Bore
Hole Connection:-
 This type of operation may be performed in order to:
 Stimulate(acid job or fracturing) a zone that is producing
less than expected.
 Implement or restore sand control.

 Bring a new zone on stream.

 Try to limit unwanted fluid inflow(water/gas from oil

reservoir or water from gas reservoir) by remedial
cementing, by isolating perforations or abandoning a
zone.
 Restore cementing to avoid communication b/w formation
layers.
 Change In The Purpose Of The Well:-
 When the condition in a field have evolved, particularly
when water/oil, oil/gas or water/gas contacts(or transition
zones) have progressed, a production well may be turned
into an injection well.
 Fishing:-
 When measurement, maintenance or work over operations
are carried out, “FISH” may accidently be left in the well.
 The problem is then to attempt to retrieve them.