Learning outcomes

• Recognise the components of a completion or production string and

understand their function
• Describe how well intervention and workovers are performed
• Describe why well intervention and workovers are performed
Contents
• Components of a completion or tubing string
• Reasons for well intervention
• Well intervention methods
• Reasons for workover
• Workover methods
 Well Intervention
• They are remedial operations performed on producing wells as they
get older. This is because they require periodic maintenance. Some
reasons a well may require intervention include:
Mechanical failure
Flow restrictions caused by sand production
A decrease in production due to the build-up of solid hydrocarbons
Change in reservoir characteristics
And, to access additional hydrocarbon pay zones.
 Well Intervention
• Broadly speaking, well interventions are remedial operations
conducted on live well with the Christmas tree and production string
still in place.
• The term workover is generally used when referring to remedial
operations where the well is killed, the Christmas tree is removed and
a blowout preventer is installed.
• Well interventions may be rig less or rig assisted. Workover operations
are normally conducted using either a drilling or workover rig.
 Equipment's used during operation
• Production tubing- it is installed to allow hydrocarbons to flow from the
reservoir to the surface, or for injecting materials downhole. It runs
from the tubing hanger at the top of the wellhead down to the point
generally just above the top of the production zone.
• Tubing hanger- a component mounted on the top of the wellhead which
serves as the main support for the production tubing.
• Production Packer- it isolated the annulus between the tubing and the
inner casing and the foot of the well. This is to stop reservoir fluids from
flowing up the full length of the casing. It is generally placed closed to
the foot the foot of the tubing, just above the production zone.
 Equipment's used during operation
• Downhole safety valve- it isolates wellbore pressure and fluids in the
event of an emergency or catastrophic failure of surface equipment.
Initially it’s installation was on the basis of accessibility which is not
the case now.
• Wireline Entry guide- It is installed at the lower end of the tubing. It’s
purpose is to guide wireline tools into the tubing and prevent them
getting stuck.
 Reasons for Well Interventions
• Paraffins and asphaltenes build-up
Wax and tar are two of the most common problems affecting well
production. Both can be dealt with fairly readily, either mechanically
with scrapers run on wireline, or chemically by pumping and circulating
fluid through the annulus. Coiled tubing may also be run inside the
production tubing to deliver chemicals to the bottom of the well.
 Reasons for Well Interventions
• Scale
Scale build-up will eventually stop production as the deposits can coat
perforations and production completions. Scale may be removed either
mechanically or dissolving it.
 Reasons for Well Interventions
• Sand production
Because sand is abrasive it can damage downhole tubulars and
associated equipment, and it can also damage the production pipework
and equipment on surface. The sand either be removed mechanically
using wireline or circulated out of the well using coiled tubing.
 Well Intervention Methods
Before we proceed any further here is a reminder of what a basic
Christmas tree looks like as well interventions are performed through
this.
 Well Intervention Methods
1. Pumping-
It is the simplest form of well intervention as it does not involve putting
hardware into the well itself. Frequently, it simply involves rigging up to
the kill wing valve on the Christmas tree and pumping the chemicals
into the well.
If chemicals need to be placed more accurately in the well then this will
be done through coiled tubing.
 Well Intervention Methods
2. Wireline-

Wireline is another well intervention method. There are 3 different types of

wireline in use: slickline, braided wireline and electric wireline.

Slickline is often used for simple mechanical remedial operations such as pulling
retrievable plugs. It may also be used for operations such as light fishing jobs,
gauge cutting, setting plugs, deploying or removing wireline retrievable valves and
memory logging.
Slickline uses a relatively simple pressure control device to allow operations to be
carried out on a live well.
 Well Intervention Methods
Braided wireline is used for more
heavy duty remedial operations
such s fishing stuck tools. Braided
wireline requires a more complex
sealing system on surface in order
to maintain well control, but it
does allow for much heavy duty
operations to be carried out.

Electric wireline is used to run

electrically operated tools in to the
well such as perforating guns, or Braided wireline
tools which measure and report
information back to surface.
Well Intervention Methods
3. Coiled Tubing-

Coiled tubing is used to pump chemicals directly to

the bottom of the well, such as in a circulating
operation or a chemical wash. Coiled tubing is very
often used for N2 injection for well activation.
It can also be used for tasks normally undertaken
by wireline if the deviation in the well is too severe
for gravity to lower the wireline tools into the well.
Well Intervention Methods
4. Snubbing-

It has been phased out in today’s Indian context.

Snubbing unit, also known as hydraulic workover,
involves forcing a string of pipe into the well against
wellbore pressure to perform the required tasks. The rig
up is larger than coiled tubing and the pipe is more rigid.
It can perform under pressure in an underbalanced live
well state.
A snubbing unit may also be used for removing a existing
production tubing, and replacing it with a new one, if
well kill is not desirable.
With the use of the snubbing unit’s hydraulic rotary
table, the unit can be employed for fishing, milling,
drilling, side tracking or any task needed to remove
bridge plugs or cement, or deepen wells.
5. Subsea well intervention-

Subsea well intervention offers many challenges and requires much

advance planning. These interventions are commonly executed from

Light intervention vessel Mobile offshore drilling units

for the heavier interventions
such as workover or snubbing
 Reasons for workover
• In some older wells, changing reservoir conditions or deterioration of
the completion may require pulling out the old completion to replace
it with a new one. In this instance a workover rig will be employed.
• A workover rig will be used whenever the Christmas tree has to be
removed to complete the planned operations.
• Other reasons:
To install new equipment, to drill the well deeper, to cut windows in the
production casing in order to drill the well horizontally, and well
abandonment.
 Workover method
• Before any workover commences, the well must first be killed to stop
hydrocarbons from flowing to surface.
• Once the well has been killed the primary barrier is now the
hydrostatic pressure of the kill fluid. It must of course be constantly
monitored and verified.
• The workover begins by removing the flowline and Christmas tree,
and lifting the tubing hanger from the wellhead. Next we pull out the
completion string. The string will almost always include at least one
production packer.
 Workover method
• If the packer is retrievable it can be released and pulled out with the
completion string. If it is permanent, then it is common to cut the tubing just
above it and pull out the upper portion of the string and leave the packer in
the well.
• When the new completion has been run into the well and the packer has
been set, the wellhead and Christmas tree are put back in place and tested.
• The well can then be brought back into production by reducing the
hydrostatic of the kill fluid. This is achieved by displacing the kill fluid from
the production tubing thereby allowing the well to flow.
• It may be necessary to produce the well artificially using a downhole pump
or nodding donkey.
 PRESSURE CONTROL DURING WELL
INTERVENTION
• When it comes to well control, the main difference between drilling
operations and well intervention operations is that during drilling our
objective is to never have pressure at surface.
• Well intervention operations are conducted on wells where pressure
is always present at surface.
 PRESSURE CONTROL DURING WELL
INTERVENTION
• As well interventions are routinely conducted on live wells,
occasionally, these operations can lead to complacency.
• Measures should be taken to prevent complacency, after all, we are
still working with HC’s and so an unsafe release is possible.
• There must always be a system of barriers in place to prevent the
accidental release of HC’s and consequently the potential loss of life,
damage to the environment and the reputation of our industry.
 PRESSURE CONTROL DURING WELL
INTERVENTION
BARRIERS:

• There must be at least 2 barriers in place during well intervention

operations.
• The 1st level of protection is called the primary barrier. The primary
barrier's function is to prevent unintentional flow to the environment.
• The 2nd level of protection is called a secondary barrier. The secondary
barrier is to prevent unintentional flow if the primary barrier fails.
 PRESSURE CONTROL DURING WELL
INTERVENTION
• In well control, the 2 barriers form what is called the barrier envelope, and this is the line of defence we
have in well control situation.
• During drilling operations
Drilling fluid – primary barrier
BOP stack – secondary barrier

• During production operations

Christmas tree - primary barrier
DHSV - secondary barrier

• During well interventions

BOP’s and related equipment
 PRIMARY BARRIERS THAT ARE
NEEDED DURING WELL
INTERVENTION
• During coiled tubing operations this would be the stripper rubbers (on
annular side) and the double flapper check valves at the tip of the
tubing. The second flapper acts as a back-up in case the first flapper
doesn’t seal.

Stripper rubbers double flapper

check valves
Stripper Rubber
The sealing element used in coiled tubing or snubbing stripper systems. The stripper
element is a consumable product and generally should be replaced for each operation.
Coiled tubing elements can be replaced with the tubing in place, enabling a worn or
leaking element to be replaced during an operation. Snubbing stripper rubbers are of
single-piece construction and cannot be changed with the work string in place.
Double flapper check valves
It is mounted close to the top of the CT string, below the connector to provide a well
control barrier inside the coiled tubing against the wellbore.
 PRIMARY BARRIERS THAT ARE
NEEDED DURING WELL
INTERVENTION
• During wireline operations the primary barrier is the lubricator and
stuffing box or grease head.

Stuffing box: The

annular chamber
provided around a
valve stem in a
sealing system into
which deformable
packing is introduced.

Lubricator Stuffing Box

• LUBRICATOR:
A long, high-pressure pipe fitted to the top of a wellhead or Christmas
tree so that tools may be put into a well. The top of the lubricator
assembly includes a high-pressure grease-injection section and
sealing elements.
To remove the tools, the reverse process is used: the tools are pulled
up into the lubricator under wellbore pressure, the tree valves are
closed, the lubricator pressure is bled off, and then the lubricator may
be opened to remove the tools.
• During snubbing operations, the primary barrier will be any of the
multiple BOP’s that are an integral part of the well control system
when running tubulars in or out of the live well.
Secondary Barriers
Secondary barriers during well intervention operations are:
Coiled tubing BOP’s, Wireline BOP’s, and Lower BOP’s of snubbing stack
 What can go wrong?
• Throughout any well intervention operation there are many things that have
the potential to cause issues. All risks will need to assessed, and contingency
plans must be put in place to mitigate them.
• Issues that may arise include;
Failure of surface pressure control equipment.
Failure of downhole pressure control equipment.
Equipment or tool failures at surface or downhole, for e.g. wireline breaks or
coiled tubing leaks.
The BHA stuck across the wellhead and unable to shear in an emergency.
And possibly the most important, the issues caused by human factors.
What can go wrong?

BARRIER FAILURE

Many of the well control situations which occur in well intervention operations can be attributed to failure of the primary
mechanical barrier, although the well can normally be made safe by activation of secondary mechanical barrier.

Part of the contingency planning will have included remedial action to regain primary control. Let’s look at it more closely.
During coiled tubing operations the primary barrier would be the stripper rubbers and the double flapper check valves at the
tip of the tubing.
Should the stripper rubber leak, operations should stop and the pipe rams closed. Should one of the check valves fail there is
normally a backup, but as a last resort the tubing can be sheared and the blind rams used to close the well.

In workover operations with the well killed, the primary barrier is normally the hydrostatic pressure of the fluid in the well, as
in drilling operations. Should this hydrostatic barrier fail, the secondary barrier (the BOPs) would be activated.

HUMAN FAILURE

Human factors refers to the interaction of individuals with each other, with facilities and equipment, and with management
systems. As with drilling operations, in well interventions and workovers human factors play a critical role in ensuring that
pressure control is maintained. It is a broad subject, but non-technical skills , i.e. the cognitive, social and personal resource
skills that compliment technical skills and contribute to safe and efficient task performance can be considered under the
following titles:
Human failure (continued)
• Situation awareness
• Decision making
• Communication
• Team work
• Leadership
• Managing stress and fatigue
Human failure (continued)
• Let’s look at how human factors could
potentially cause issues during well
intervention operations.
• During a wireline fishing operation, when the
fishing assembly was recovered to surface, it
was discovered that the tool string plus the
fish was longer than the lubricator.
• The crew made a decision to pump what they
thought was enough fluid to kill the well, then
they rigged the lubricator down and removed
the toolstring without ensuring the well was
dead and the correct barriers were in place.
This could have led to a major incident.
• During a pressure control situation everyone should know what to do from
the mechanical point of view as they are trained and competent in their job
role.
• With that being said we will look at first actions with regards to how the crew
members themselves react within the team, rather than the technical
procedures that should be carried out.
• Positive behavioural first actions in a pressure control situation could include:
Actively seeking and working to understand all relevant information
Recognising situations where a timely decision is needed
Recognising the importance of good communication with team members
Conveying information at right time succinctly and clearly
Listening effectively
Implementing decisions
Collaborating with and supporting other team members
Adopting suitable leadership style and practices.
Providing feedback, motivation and support
communication
• Communication is an essential part of safe well operations (or process safety) and
the following points should be made clear and be understood by all personnel:
The consequence of barrier failure and unintentional flows to the environment or
to other formations
Which components in a well are the primary barrier and secondary barriers
during specific work on the well.
That the specification of the components is suitable for the intended use
That the test examination and installation process for these components is
understood, and
That the function and pressure test acceptance criteria relating to each
component is available at the location.
 PLUG & ABANDON THE WELL
• Three are 3 scenarios where a well would be plugged and abandoned and
they all have 1 thing in common: the cement plugs must comply with
regulatory standards & specifications.
1. If an exploratory well is dry, which means there is no significant show of
hydrocarbons, then it will be plugged and abandoned with a view to it will
never be re-entered.
2. Some wells are temporary plugged and abandoned if the well control
equipment, such as the BOP, is removed and the intention is to resume the
well operations at a later date.
3. Wells are also plugged and abandoned if they have been producing for a
significant amount of time but are no longer commercially viable.
 PLUG & ABANDON THE WELL
• In most cases the minimum of 3 cement plugs
will be set in the well, but this may vary
depending on local regulations.
• Note that it is just as important to monitor the
well barriers during plug and abandonment as
any other phase of the well’s life cycle.
• During plug and abandon operations, cement
is placed in the wellbore to form a solid plug
that will not allow formation fluids to flow
between different zones or to the surface.
• The cement plug must provide a lasting seal
under any conditions that may exist in the well
for an indefinite period of time.
 PLUG & ABANDON THE WELL
• The cement slurry is made up of dry
cement, water and various additives to give
a recipe that ensures that plug does the job
it is designed for.
• The recipe has to take into account:
The formation it will come in contact with
The pressure in the well
The temperature of the well
The depth of the well, and
The volume of cement to be placed in the
wellbore.
 How do we set the cement plug?
1. Firstly, the kill fluid is conditioned to ensure that the weight of the
fluid is consistent throughout the well.
2. The correct volume of cement is pumped down the drill pipe.
3. Once the cement is inside the drill pipe, it is followed by kill fluid
until there is an equal height of cement inside and outside (this is
called a balanced plug)
4. The drill pipe is then pulled out slowly, leaving the cement plug in the
correct place & at the correct height.
In the cased hole section a packer may be set to support the weight of
the cement until it sets and further reinforce the barrier.
• After sufficient time has been allowed for the cement plug to set, it
must be pressure tested to check integrity, and checked that it is set
at correct height.
• This is usually done by ‘tagging’ the cement (measuring where the top
of the cement is), probably using the same tubing that the cement
was pumped through.
Roles and responsibilities

Closure of BOP
Empowerment

Despite not being full time workers on the well, intervention staff must take ownership during their operations, no
matter how small, and be empowered to do right things at all times.