THROUGH TUBING REMEDIAL CEMENTING TECHNIQUE IN A RIGLESS OPERATION

ORIOMAH OREVAOGHENE
CEMENTING DEPARTMENT
September, 2018
CONTENT
 Introduction
 Objective
 The technique(A case study of okan 52(Chevron field))
 Pre-job activities
 Job execution
 Post job Activities
 Job evaluation
 Safety & QA/QC
 Benefits of the applied technique
 Conclusion
INTRODUCTION
Well intervention are remedial operations that are
performed on wells with the intention of restoring or
increasing production. A well may require intervention due to
flow restriction, changes in reservoir characteristics or to
access additional hydrocarbon pay zones.
However, the choice of technique and equipment to
perform the downhole applications determines the economical
success of a well intervention job. A conventional workover rig
can be used to perform well intervention but the associated
cost in mobilizing and running the support operations is
expensive.
The Remedial Cementing technique discussed here provides
an avenue to perform a successful rigless intervention (zone
switch), using only wireline and pumping services.
This will be emphasized on using okan 52(chevron offshore
field) as a case study.
OBJECTIVE
To highlight how WEAFRI apply the innovative through
tubing remedial cementing technique to carry out zone switch
in a rigless operation.
REMEDIAL CEMENTING AND RIGLESS WELL
INTERVENTION
Remedial cementing
It refers to cementing operations performed to repair primary
cementing problems or to treat conditions arising when
wellbore has been constructed. The two categories includes;
 Squeeze cementing: it’s the placement of a cement slurry under
pressure against a permeable formation causing the slurry to
dehydrate and create a cementitious seal across the formation
face.
 Cement plug: it’s the placement of relatively small volume of
slurry inside an open wellbore(to initiate sidetracking during
drilling) or inside a cased hole to abandon lower unproductive
zone, or to plug and abandon an entire well.
Rigless well intervention
Its a well intervention operation that precludes the requirement
of a rig over the wellbore, example of such operations are
wireline, coiled tubing and hydraulic workover.
THE TECHNIQUE
(A CASE STUDY OF OKAN 52 {CHEVRON FIELD})
Well history(okan 52)
Okan 52 was spudded on the 2nd of August 1974 and drilled as a vertical
well to a total depth of 8600ft MD.

The well was initially completed as a dual producer with the long string in
the M-03B/OK-52 reservoir and the short string in the K-03/OK-26
reservoir.

The Long string in the M-03B zone initially tested 146 BOPD but with a
water cut of 84%.

A zone switch was recommended from M-03B/OK-52 reservoir to E-

07/OK-63 reservoir, the expected initial production rate is 350 BOPD.

The well completion fluid was mud.

WELL SCHEMATIC(PROPOSED)

ETOC@ 5100’
EBOC@ 5818’

MR plug@ 5965’
PRE-JOB PREPARATION
 Assessed Job Program
 Site inspection
 Held Pre-Mobilization meeting
 Analysis & Design (of Slurry Recipe) by Weafri Lab
 Chemical & Volume Calculations (From Well Schematics
& Slurry Lab Recipe)
 Prepared load out list
 Ensured tools & equipment are fit for purpose
 Adhered to Safety & QA/QC requirements (PPE,SDS &
equipment certification)
 Mobilization of Tools, Chemicals & Equipment to
Location (properly inspected by Safety and QA/QC )
 Mobilization of competent crew members
 Spot Equipment on Barge (Lift Boat)
PRE-JOB PREPARATION continued
ON LOCATION (Okan jkt 52)
 Held Pre-Job Meeting
 Performed facility walk through
 Reviewed JHA (performed & implemented before every
job) & signed PTW
 Reviewed job program & calculations with the company
man
 Checked Xmas tree integrity & Recorded Well Head
Pressures
 Performed SEC-1 on equipments
 Rigged up, flushed surface lines and pressure tested the
surface lines
CHOICE OF EQUIPMENT
• Twin HP Pump Unit
• Batch Mixer
• Storage Tank
• Flow Back Tank Batch mixer Centrifugal pump Filter pot
• Centrifugal Pump
• Filter Pot
• Choke manifold
• Cement Head & Wiper Plugs
• DAS (Data Acquisition System) Twin HP Pump
Cement head
• Requisite Loose Equipment

Storage tank Flow back tank

Slurry recipe
Calculation
Capacities:
2-7/8” tbg 6.5# = 0.00579 bbl/ft
9-5/8”Csg 47# = 0.07321 bbl/ft
Annulus (2 x 2-7/8”tbg x 9-5/8”Csg) = 0.0571 bbl/ft
Fluid Pressure Gradients
Fresh Water = 0.43 psi/ft
Filtered sea water = 0.45 psi/ft
15.8 ppg cement = 0.82 psi/ft
Chemical wash = 0.43 psi/ft
Gel = 0.433 psi/ft

Tubing volume = o.oo579bbl/ft x 5965ft =34bbl

Annular volume = 0.0571bbl/ft x 5965ft =340bbl
Calculation contd
• ETOC=5100ft
• EBOC=5818ft
• Height of cement plug = 5818ft − 5100ft = 718ft.
Volume of cement slurry = 718ft x 0.0571bbl/ft = 41bbl
Including a safety factor of 2bbl
Total volume of cement slurry = 41bbl +2bbl =43bbl
No. of cement sac. =43bbl x5.6146cuft/bbl
1.158cuft/sack
=208sks = 5.96 jumbo bags
Asp 742 =0.014gal/sk x 208sks =2.92gals
Lomar D =0.6% x 94lb x 208sks =117.3gals
Diacel FL = 0.35gal/sk x 208sks =72.8gals
Fresh water = 4.69gal/sk x 208sks =961.45gals
CHEMICAL LOADOUT LIST(100% EXCESS)
Chemical Quantity Function
Class G cement 10 Jumbo bags Cement
ASP-742 1 Drum Defoamer
Lomar D 6 sacks Dispersant
SAPP 6 sacks Chemical wash
Diacel FL 3 drums Fluid loss control
HEC 10 1 sack Anti-settling agent
Sugar 2 sacks Retarder
Calfax 1 drum Surfactant
CI-22 1 drum Corrosion Inhibitor
Calculation contd
HEIGHT OF FLUID
COLUMN IN TUBING
• Sugar solution
5bbl/0.0058bbl/ft =862ft
• FSW
29.4bbl/.0058bbl/ft =5076ft
HEIGHT OF FLUID
COLUMN IN ANNULUS
• Chemical wash
5bbl/0.0571bbl/ft =88ft
• Fresh water
5bbl/0.0571bblft =88ft
• Cement slurry
41bbl/0.0571bbl/ft =718ft
• Gel
3bbl/0.0571bbl/ft =53ft
• FSW
281bbl/.0571bbl/ft =4924ft
calculation contd
TUBING HYDROSTATICS
Hp of FSW
0.45psi/ft x 5076ft = 2284psi
Hp of sugar solution
0.43psi/ft x 862ft = 370psi
Total tubing hydrostatic
pressure = 2654psi.
ANNULAR HYDROSTATICS
Hp of chem. Wash
= 0.43psi/ft x 88ft=38psi
Hp of F.W
= 0.43psi/ft x88ft = 38psi
Hp of Cement.
=0.052x15.8ppg x718ft = 590psi
Hp of Gel
= 0.432psi/ft x 53ft= 23psi
Hp of FSW
= 0.45psi/ft x 4924ft =2215psi
Total HP = 2904psi
Diff HP = 2904-2654 =250psi
JOB EXECUTION
Sequence of Operations
Okan 52 (Long String)
 Wireline Lubricator was rigged up & pressure tested ok. After
which Wireline RIH to retrieve safety devices (e.g. SCSSV,
Storm Choke) and made a drift run to ensure the tubing is
through.

 Wireline RIH to set a magna range plug @ 5965’ KB to seal

off the M-03B perforations in the long String.

 The tubing and casing were pressure tested to 500psi to

ascertain their integrity.

 Wireline carried out data acquisition runs and went on to

puncture the tubing across the interval 5935’KB- 5938’KB.
 JOB EXECUTION
Carried out mud in annulus clean out To FBT
 With the surface line rigged up to tubing
head and the casing rigged up to FBT.

 We pumped 374 bbls of inhibited

filtered seawater (1 Tubing volume + 1
Annular Casing Volume) followed by 5
bbls of chemical wash and then flushed
with additional 374 bbls of inhibited
filtered seawater while receiving annular
mud returns from the casing.

 Samples were collected at intervals MR

plug
 Returns were confirmed clean after
circulating out the two bottoms up.
JOB EXECUTION contd
• Carried out Cement Plug Placement through the long
String
 Rigged up tree adaptor & Cement Head
 Pressure tested Surface lines & Cement Head
 Prepared mix fluid and mixed 43bbls of 15.8ppg cement slurry
Slurry requirement
• Fresh water – 962 galls (22.9bbls)
• ASP -742 – 2.92 galls
• Lomar D – 117.3 lbs
• Diacel – 72.8 galls
• Class G Cement – 208 sacks (5.96 Jumbo Bags)
JOB EXECUTION contd

Pumped in the following sequence @ 2bbls per min

• 5 bbls of water based chemical wash
• 5 bbls of fresh water
• 41 bbls of 15.8ppg cement slurry
• 3 bbls of 8.4ppg Gel pill
• Pumped line volume of fresh water (~0.5bbls)
• Launched two 4” wiper plugs
• Displaced with 24.5 bbls of filtered sea water
• 5 bbls of already mixed sugar solution

Upon which a hydrostatic trap pressure of (± 250 psi) was achieved at

surface, the pump line closed and the long string was shut-in.
• Cement was waited on for 24 hrs while THP was monitored during
setting.
FLUID TREND IN THE WELL

Sugar solution FSW

862ft,370psi 4924ft,2215psi

4924’ Chem wash

5012’
Fresh water 5100’ 88ft,38psi
88ft,38psi Cement slurry
718ft,590psi
FSW 5818’
Gel
5076ft,2284psi 5871’ 53ft,23psi

MR plug @5965’

Punched hole
@5935’-5938’
POST JOB ACTIVITIES
 Flushed lines thoroughly
 washed equipments properly
 Rigged down and secured loose equipment (Ensured good
house-keeping)
 SEC-1(Post-job checks)
 Paper work
• Daily Job report
• Job Ticket Preparation
• Service Quality Evaluation form
• End of Job report
JOB EVALUATION
• Wireline made a drift run to confirm tubing was free and
carried out temperature log to identify the cement interval
through OK-52, the temperature log interpretation confirmed
appropriate cement slurry placement.

• Pressure tested cement plug to 500psi for 10mins via tubing

and casing.

• Wireline activities then proceeded to perforate through the

tubing to the virgin reservoir, after which the reservoir was
lined up to production.

• Recovery was attained, as the current production from the

long string on Okan 52 through the E-07 reservoir is at 300
BOPD.
Challenges encountered
• Leaking production packer.
• Difficulty in breaking circulation due to the nature of the
completion fluid.
• Lumps of cement in jumbo bag.
• Lack of space on barge.
Recommendations
• Completion fluid such as brine should be considered for
ease of annular clean out.
• LCM should also be mobilized to location alongside the
required chemicals to avoid downtime should there be
need for it.
• Barges with adequate space should be mobilized as HIRs
captured near misses, hazards and unsafe conditions
encountered as a result of congested working
environment during the course of running the operation.
Safety & QA/QC
 Held Prejob meeting.
 Ensured all personnel wear complete PPE.
 All joints in high pressure lines were secured
using whip checks.
 All equipments were colour coded and
certifications up to date.
 SDS for all chemicals on board were available
 Fire extinguishers were up to date and placed in
strategic positions.
Contingencies
 External Centrifugal pump was rigged up to a line in the
batch mixer to circulate the slurry should the paddle fail
 There was double barrier while the differential pressure
was trapped.
 There was a standby air compressor as back up for the
barges air compressor
BENEFITS OF THE APPLIED TECHNIQUE
A Cement plug was successfully used as a packer, to access
behind-pipe reserves above the existing completions, while
also creating a new annular barrier between the existing
production packer and the surface.

The operation was greatly cost effective, as the daily cost of

renting a rig and running its support operations is far costlier
over that of a lift boat.

The time spent to effectively carry out the operation was

considerably less when compared to the use of a work over rig
as the operation was accomplished successfully in nine(9)
days.
CONCLUSION
The Technique of throuh tubing remedial cementing has
proven effective in facilitating successful rigless well
interventions, while greatly cutting cost and saving time in
comparison to mobilizing a conventional work over rig to
achieve same purpose.

Weafri Well Services Company Limited, with its team of

professional cementers & standard equipments is committed
to the delivery of quality services in compliance to safety,
hence guaranteeing customers satisfaction.
THANK YOU