Use of Mobile HWU in MultiPlatform Workover Operations in
the North Sea
Keith Henning, Marc Van Wonderen Halliburton
Jason Smith and Eric Ladbrook Shell EPE
12th SPE ICoTA European Well Intervention Round Table
Introduction
An HWU in the North Sea provided long-term workover
operations as an alternative to standard drilling
equipment and personnel.
Various challenges were encountered in facilitating the
mobile workover operation around five offshore
installations during 2005/6.
Show how the HWU was adapted to operate in two
operating environments through existing platform
derrick packages and as a stand-alone tower
encapsulated HWU.
Lessons learned from these operations.
Area of Operations
13 platforms with
production and drilling
equipment facilities
Mature fields no longer
require continuous drilling.
Require significant
work/cost to bring rigs back
to required operational
standard.
Increasing no. of wells
require workovers
Why an HWU Was Considered
Economically more attractive
Number of available drilling personnel limited
Eliminate the need to upgrade existing drilling rig
equipment
HWU could provide
Flexibility and mobility to adapt to each installation
Specialist crews
Planning and Preparation
Setting Up a Dedicated Project Team
A dedicated onshore and offshore team was identified
to manage the HWU as it moved within the offshore
assets
Onshore
Offshore
Planning and Preparation
Identifying the Opportunity
Average hook load would be ~300,000 lbs
at 12,000ft & max deviation of 50deg.
Tubular range was confirmed as 4.0 to 7.0in
OD.
5.0 DP to be used for the Cleanup Runs
Max Depth 15,000ft
Be able to work inside derrick and in standalone
mode
The 600,000-lb-rated HWU was selected
20K rotary torque available
11inch thru bore
Modular tower available
Planning and Preparation
The HWU :
1. Perform cleanup operations.
2. Pull/run tubulars up to 9 5/8-in. casing.
3. Sufficient margins to perform any overpulls at depths of up to15,000 ft.
4. Increase tripping speeds by working in
three weight modes: 200, 400, and
600K.
5. Provide a 20K ft/lbs. HWU rotating head.
Planning and Preparation
Platform Surveys
Standalone or thru
Derrick.
Facilities available.
Crane
Additions to Standard
HWU package
Planning and Preparation
Project team meetings
Installation of the HWU on the platform.
Installation of the completion components
Structural verification
HAZID
CWOP
Onshore trials
Mobilization
Operational Challenges
HWU rig-up environment
Two rig-up modes
Tower rig-up
Available deck space
Skid & Pipe
Availability of crane
Heavy crane lifts
Multiple lifts
Visual perception on arrival
Derrick rig-up
Operational Challenges
HWU rig-up environment
Two rig-up modes
Tower rig-up
Derrick rig-up
BOPs below drill floor
HWU on drill floor
Heavy lifts in confined space
Top Drive Tracks
HWU Basket level
Multiple lifts to assemble
Escape Methods
Operational Challenges
HWU rig-up environment
Two rig-up modes
Tower rig-up
Derrick rig-up
BOPs below drill floor
HWU on drill floor
Heavy lifts in confined space
Top Drive Tracks
HWU Basket level
Multiple lifts to assemble
Escape routes
Operational Challenges
Limited bed space
Crews multi-skill
Personnel movements closely managed
Limited deck space
Up to 450m2 required (equipment + pipe)
Sharing with platform activities
Shutdowns and Construction
Platform Electrical and Air
Completion Design Challenges
Removal/install. of 13 5/8-in. hanger
Problem
HWU Jack and Slip Window 11
Full Joint below Hanger
Solution
Cut below hanger & lay down
Fish tubing at surface
Install short joint for RIH
Completion Design Challenges
Install ASV
Problem
Wellbore ASV ~42 ft long.
HWUs 10-ft hydraulic jack cylinder stroke
Could not be deployed with crane
ASV had control line pre-installed
Solution
Assy. had to be walked through the HWU
Used multiple points to set slips
Removed from 3 wells and installed into 2
ASV assembly walked thru HWU
Completion Design Challenges
Install Dual Hanger
Problem
2 3/8-in ASV on the short string for gas
injection.
Could not be installed into the std. 10ft
work window.
Solution
The 10-ft HWU access window was
extended with 4-ft ext. legs
Stationary slip window bottom plate was
modified to 20 3/4-in.
Final length let dual assemblies be tailed in
thru the work window
Dual hanger trials
Results of the Workover Program
Activity
Auk AA01
Gannet GA10
Tern TA22
Brent Bravo
BB27
Brent Charlie
BC23
Description
Plan Time Actual Time
ESP workover with
30
36
HWU in derrick
Workover due to
36
40
tubing leak with HWU
in tower
Well Intervention due
50
43
to tubing leak with
HWU in derrick
Workover due to
45
45
TRSSV failure with
HWU in tower
Workover due to
47
60
failed gas lift with
HWU in derrick
Conclusions
HWU program a successful alternative to drilling
pkgs.
HWU offered flexibility: mobile and adaptable to the
restrictions of each installation.
Dedicated project team onshore successful in
Liaising with various offshore platform teams.
Program benefited from keeping dedicated lead
offshore personnel.
HWU crews able to integrate into different
platform systems.
Twelve months without a reportable HSE
incident.
Questions?
