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Chapter 6 Well Completion and Stimulation

After testing and evaluation, wells found capable of commercial production are completed by installing equipment like casing, tubing, valves and packers to allow controlled flow from the reservoir. This may involve setting production casing and cementing through the pay zone, running tubing with a packer, and installing a Christmas tree of valves. Wells are perforated to connect the reservoir to the wellbore. Stimulation techniques like acidizing or hydraulic fracturing are sometimes used to increase permeability if the formation does not flow readily. Acidizing dissolves formation material to enlarge pores and fractures while fracturing uses high pressure fluids and proppants to create conductive cracks.

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178 views25 pages

Chapter 6 Well Completion and Stimulation

After testing and evaluation, wells found capable of commercial production are completed by installing equipment like casing, tubing, valves and packers to allow controlled flow from the reservoir. This may involve setting production casing and cementing through the pay zone, running tubing with a packer, and installing a Christmas tree of valves. Wells are perforated to connect the reservoir to the wellbore. Stimulation techniques like acidizing or hydraulic fracturing are sometimes used to increase permeability if the formation does not flow readily. Acidizing dissolves formation material to enlarge pores and fractures while fracturing uses high pressure fluids and proppants to create conductive cracks.

Uploaded by

Deniz Akoum
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Introduction to Petroleum

Engineering
WELL COMPLETION AND
STIMULATION
What is Well Completion?

• After careful interpretation and consideration on well test


data (coring, logging etc), a decision is made whether to set
production casing and complete the well or to abandon it.

• Decision to abandon is made when the well is not capable


of producing oil or gas in commercial quantities.

• However, sometimes wells that were abandoned at one


time in the past may be reopened and produced if the price
of oil or gas has become more favorable.
What is Well Completion?

• “Completing a well” means installing equipment in the well


to allow a safe and controlled flow of petroleum from the
well.

• A series of activities should be done to prepare an oil or gas


well so that it can flow in a controlled manner. All wells
have to be completed.

• In addition to the casing that lines the wellbore (Surface-


Intermediate-Production), tubing and a system of flow
valves must be installed.
Setting Production Casing

• Production casing is the final casing in a well.

• The hole is drilled beyond the producing interval.

• Production casing is set and cemented through the pay


zone.

• The casing and cement actually seal off the producing


zone
Setting Production Casing
Installing the Tubing
• Tubing is run into the well (smaller diameter compared to
production casing and removable) to serve as a way for oil or gas to
flow to the surface.

• Packer is attached to it just near the bottom.

• Packer is placed at a depth just above the producing interval.

• When the packer is expanded, it grips the wall of the production


casing and forms a seal between outside of tubing and inside of
casing
Installing the Christmas Tree

• A collection of valves called a Christmas


tree is installed on the surface at the top
of the casing.

• As the well’s production flows up the


tubing, it enters the christmas tree.

• So, the production can be controlled by


opening or closing valves on the
christmas tree.
Type of Well Completions
Type of Well Completions
Type of Well Completions
Type of Well Completions
Type of Well Completions
Type of Flow

• Three types of flow, namely casing flow, tubing and annulus


flow, and tubing flow.

• Casing Flow: Large flowrate. No tubing is required. Used in


Middle East.

• Tubing and Annulus Flow: Large flowrate. Flow


segregation.

• Tubing Flow: Used widely especially in due to safety. May


use one tubing string or more.
Single Tubing Completion
• Single string sequential completions.

– It is the simplest way of completing the well.


– In this method well is completed for single zone with single tubing.

• Single string commingle completions.

– All the reservoirs available in a well are produced simultaneously through


single string.
– Should be avoided if possible to eliminate cross-flow phenomena.
– Monitoring of reservoir performance is extremely difficult.

• Single string selective zone completion.

– Permits selective production, injection, stimulation, and isolation of various


zones.
– Selectivity after completion is accomplished by opening and closing between
the packers.
Multilateral Completion
• In these completions, multiple branches are drilled from a single
hole.

• It is used to improve productivity from closely spaced target zones.


Completion and Workover Fluids

• Completion fluid is that placed against the producing


formation while conducting operations such as well killing,
cleaning out, hardware replacement, etc.

• Workover fluid is used when a workover job is done on a well.


In this discussion, it refers to the same completion fluid.

• Workover fluid does not include well stimulation fluid,


fracturing fluid, cement slurry, etc.
Perforation
• Since the pay zone is sealed off by the production casing and
cement, perforations must be made in order for oil or gas to flow
into the wellbore.

• Hole made in the casing, cement, and formation, through which


formation fluids enter a wellbore. Usually several perforation are
made at a time.

• Perforating incorporates shaped-charge explosives which create a


jet of high-pressure, high-velocity liquid – jet perforation.

• It can be wireline conveyed perforation (WCP) or tubing conveyed


perforation (TCP).
Perforation

• Perforating gun (WCP type) is lowered into the hole at the depth where
the oil or gas formation is found (A).

• After the gun is lined up properly, powerful explosive charges are fired (B)
from the control panel at the surface. These explosives blast a hole in the
steel casing and cement, up to several feet out into the rock.

• Finally, the oil and gas fluids flow into the holes and up the well to the
surface (C).
Perforating Fluid
• Is a fluid that placed against the producing formation
during perforation.

• Ideally, fluid with no solids.

• Fluids to be considered:

– Salt water: Clean water poses no problem.

– Acetic acid: Excellent perforating fluid under most conditions.


The presence of H2S may magnify corrosion problems.
Well Stimulation

• Sometimes, petroleum exists in a formation but is


unable to flow readily into the well because the
formation has very low permeability.

– Natural low permeability formation.

– Formation damage around the wellbore caused by


invasion of perforation fluid.

• Acidizing or fracturing are methods used to increase


the permeability near the wellbore.
Acidizing
• If the formation is composed of rocks that
dissolve upon being contacted by acid,
such as limestone or dolomite, then a
technique known as acidizing may be
required.

• Acidizing operation basically consists of


pumping from fifty to thousands of
gallons of acid down the well.

• The acid travels down the tubing, enters


the perforations, and contacts the
formation.
Acidizing

• Continued pumping forces the acid into the formation


where it produces channels.

• Channels will provide a way for the formation’s oil or gas to


enter the well through the perforations.

• The most common acid systems in use are:

– Hydrochloric Acid: This is the most widely used acid in


treatments. It will dissolve Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3),
Dolomite (CaMgCO3), Siderite (FeCO3), and Iron Oxide (Fe2O3).
Acidizing

– Mud Acid: This is a mixture of HCl and HF (hydrofluoric acid). It


will dissolve clay materials in the formation, along with feldspars
and quartz. The HF will react with Na, K, Ca and Si in the clays to
form insoluble precipitates, so it is advisable to always preflush
with HCl.

– Organic Acids: These are Acetic and Formic Acids. They are
slower acting than HCl, and are generally used in high
temperature wells and wells with high alloy tubing to reduce
corrosion rates.

– EDTA: This is Ethylene Diamine Tetra-Acetic Acid. It dissolves


carbonates and sulphates. It is more expensive than the other
acids and the reaction is slower.
Fracturing
• Fracturing is a process to increase the permeability of
reservoir rocks (eg sandstone) by pumping a special blended
fluid down the well and into the formation under great
pressure.

• Pumping continues until the downhole pressure exceeds the


fracture pressure of the rocks, formation literally cracks open
(with opening between 0.25 – 0.5 inch).

• Meanwhile, sand or aluminum pellets are mixed into the


fracturing fluid. These materials are called proppants.
Fracturing
• The proppant enters the fractures in the formation, and when
pumping is stopped and the pressure decreased, the proppant
remains in the fractures

• Since the fractures try to close back together after the


pressure on the well is released, the proppant is needed to
hold fractures open.

• These propped-open fractures are permeable enough to


provide passage for oil or gas to flow into the well.

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