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COILED-TUBING DESIGN AND OPTIMIZATION

Coiled tubing (CT) has increased in size, strength, and reliability in recent years. With availability of larger CT and its muchpublicized use for CT drilling, it is important to keep in perspective the benefit/cost ratio associated with larger pipe. It is sometimes overlooked that, in most circumstances, small CT is a better choice for well workovers than large CT. Approximately one-third of CT sold by two major pipe manufacturers is 11/4 in., one-third is 11/2 in., and only approximately 5% is larger than 2 in.
L ARGE OR SMALL PIPE DOWNHOLE EQUIPMENT

Large CT is used for high tubing-flow rates, greater push/pull downhole, and extendedreach wells. The increased stiffness and strength of larger pipe allows it to push tools harder and gain access to extended laterals. Small CT is used for high annularflow rates, high-pressure snubbing, and in locations requiring lightweight equipment. Small CT is easier to spool, weld, and transport. It costs less to purchase; has a longer life; and can be run with smaller, less expensive equipment.
UNLOADING

Vertical Wells. CT is used frequently to manipulate downhole equipment. It is used in fishing operations and to shift slidingside-door mandrels. In these operations, the physical force that can be applied downhole is important. In a vertical well, available pull is determined by the strength/weight ratio of the pipe. Large CT has more pull capability than small CT. Increasing pipe strength from 70,000 to 90,000 psi increases CT pulling ability more than increasing CT diameter does. In some cases, displacing CT contents with nitrogen can increase pull by 15%. Maximum setdown weight that can be applied with CT is dependent on well geometry. CT spirals when weight is applied. Additional compressive loads can cause the CT to lock up in a tight spiral and break. Buckling, which controls maximum setdown weight, depends on metal modulus, or stiffness, not yield strength. Changing pipe grade has no significant impact on maximum push. Large CT should be used in very large completions because more force can be transmitted to the bottom to provide more weight on bit (WOB) when drilling and higher latching forces when fishing. Deviated and Horizontal Wells. Deviated wells present an additional challenge to CT. CT is less stiff than jointed pipe and cannot be rotated. Several factors influence how far CT can be pushed along a highly deviated well. Generally, the smaller and more uniform the well diameter is, the further CT can be pushed. Doglegs impede access, and the importance of friction between CT and wellbore cannot be overlooked. CT reach capability can be increased in a given well by increasing CT diameter. If diameter cannot be increased, addition of a drag reducer to reduce friction between CT and the completion can extend CT reach.
CLEANOUTS

annular velocity required is approximately two times the particle fall rate. In horizontal wells, the annular velocity required is approximately 40 ft/sec for nonviscous fluids.
DRILLING

Most CT larger than 2 in. is used for drilling. Large CT is used to achieve high annular velocities required in highly deviated holes. If the well is not highly deviated or has a small bore, small pipe can be used in drilling. This is particularly true for drilling with polycrystalline-diamond-compact bits or natural-diamond drill bits that require low WOB and low torque. Torque ratings of even small CT are adequate for typical drilling operations.
MAXIMUM PRESSURE RATINGS AND FATIGUE LIFE

Unloading wells is a very simple CT operation. Nitrogen is pumped through CT to sufficiently reduce hydrosatic pressure so the well will produce on its own. Small CT is more efficient than large CT for unloading small completions because the pressure drop in the annulus is more critical than the pressure drop through the CT. The most important factor in most unloading operations is minimizing annular friction. In large completions, such as tubingless wells, nitrogen rates required to unload the well can be large. Large CT can be used because the annular area is very large.

Maximum pressure that can be applied to CT has two limits. The first limit is static minimum burst pressure. Pump pressure is limited typically to 4,000 to 5,000 psi. Maximum pump pressures quoted by service companies are designed to keep pressure minimized at the gooseneck when moving the CT. If CT is stationary, it can be used at pressures much greater than typically quoted. Burst ratings for large and small CT are approximately equal because their wall-thickness/pipediameter ratio that determines pipe burst rating is approximately the same. CT fatigue life also depends on wallthickness/pipe-diameter ratio as well as CT diameter. In general, the larger the CT diameter, the fewer cycles are required for failure. In some cases, the higher gooseneck pressure resulting from use of smaller CT is offset by its longer fatigue life.
CONCLUSIONS

This article is a synopsis of paper SPE 54456, The Science and Economics Behind Coiled-Tubing-String Design and Optimization, by Lance Portman, SPE, BJ Services, originally presented at the 1999 SPE/ICoTA Coiled Tubing Roundtable, Houston, 2526 May.
JULY 1999

Completion size is the predominant factor determining CT size. Many factors affect optimum CT size and minimum CT size for any application. Please read the full-length paper for additional detail, illustrations, and references. The paper from which the synopsis has been taken has not been peer reviewed.
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Cleaning some kind of fill from a well is one of the most common CT uses. Designing a CT cleanout can be quite complex. Velocity in the annulus must be sufficient to carry the solids to the surface. In vertical wells, the

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UNDERBALANCED COILED-TUBING-CONVEYED PERFORATING IN A DEVIATED WELL

Technology for coiled-tubing-conveyed perforating (CTCP) under extreme conditions has been available for a number of years, but the techniques have not been used in Venezuela until recently. A new high-pressure/high-temperature (HP/HT), highly deviated deep well in El Furrial field was the first well perforated underbalanced with this technology. After evaluating several traditional perforating methods, the decision was made to perforate underbalanced with rig-assisted CT technology because of the following advantages. Debris in the perforation tunnel would be reduced, minimizing formation-damage potential. Debris could be circulated out more easily. Kill fluid for well control would not be necessary. Well costs would be reduced. Nine CT runs were made to complete the well with 1,190 ft of 33/8-in. and 23/4-in., 6-shots-per-foot (SPF) guns. Expended guns were retrieved without killing the well by use of a flapper-type subsurface safety valve (SSSV). The well currently is producing 19,621 BOPD and 7.12 MMcf/D gas at 1,591-psi surface pressure through a 1.0-in. choke. This production rate is almost double the expected flow rate.
EL FURRIAL FIELD

slightly deviated until approximately 3 years ago when the first high-angle deviated wells were drilled. Oil is produced from various formations located at approximately 13,500 ft. Reservoir sections in these wells are estimated to be 1,200 ft long. To perforate adequately in these severe service conditions, all equipment must maintain integrity in this deep-well, HP/HT environment. Perforating Techniques. Several perforating techniques have been used in this field. During the exploratory stage, tubing-conveyed perforating (TCP) was used because of the advantages of perforating underbalanced. Casing guns and through-tubing technology were used later. This TCP method used a drillstem-test string for evaluation purposes. The wells could be perforated underbalanced but still had to be killed. Time required to run and retrieve the guns resulted in high rig costs. Perforating underbalanced can enhance well productivity significantly and reduce the need for well interventions. Formation damage caused by kill fluid reduced the productivity of several wells in this field. When high-angle, deeper wells were drilled, the only feasible, cost-effective perforating technique was CTCP . The key to CTCP success is use of an SSSV actuated by a control line. The SSSV allows the distance between the surface and the SSSV to act as a lubricator so long gun lengths can be run and the guns retrieved without killing the well.
WELL FUL-63

strength tapered string was selected. TCP guns with superdeep-penetration charges and designed-for-purpose firing heads for CT equipment were chosen. Both an absolute-pressure firing system and a ballactuated firing system were used (Fig. 1). Two intervals were to be perforated, a 600ft upper interval and a 590-ft lower interval. A 11/4-in. isolation backpressure-valve system was rigged up to be placed in the 41/16-in. blowout preventer in case the downhole SSSV failed.
CT RUNS

Run 1. This was a dummy run to check total well depth and change well fluid from 8.3lbm/gal fresh water to 7.2-lbm/gal diesel to provide the desired 1,700-psi underbalance.

El Furrial field is located in east Venezuela in the north Monagas area. Most wells drilled previously in the area have been vertical or This article is a synopsis of paper SPE 54509, First Underbalanced CoiledTubing-Conveyed Perforating Operation Performed in an HP/HT, Highly Deviated Well in East Venezuela, by Nelson Villarroel, Edgar A. Almanza, SPE, Martin Scott, Isidro Vera, and Diego Fernandez, SPE, Halliburton Energy Services Inc., and Arquimedez Salazar and Luis Gomez, PDVSA, originally presented at the 1999 SPE/ICoTA Coiled Tubing Roundtable, Houston, 2526 May.
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Well FUL-63 was the first well perforated by CTCP . Total depth was 18,052 ft with a kickoff point at 11,150 ft and 77 deviation. The well completion was a monobore type with 51/2-in., 23-lbm/ft production liner set at 17,913 ft and a 51/2-in. SSSV at 800 ft. Bottomhole temperature was estimated to be 300F . System Requirements. After evaluating all critical job parameters, a 60K CT unit with 20,720 ft of high-pressure, high-tensile-

(a)

(b)

Fig. 1Firing heads: (a) absolute pressure and (b) ball actuated.
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Run 2. This was the correlation run. A CT string containing a pressure gauge, collar locator, and gamma ray tool was run into the hole to the desired depth as indicated by the CT electronic depth counter. After marking the CT, the collar-locator and gamma ray tools were retrieved and read. Depths recorded by the CT depth counter and the collarlocator and gamma ray tools were compared and then correlated to an openhole log to adjust the CT depth counter. Run 3. The following string configuration was used for the first gun-assembly run. CT connector. Swivel. Backpressure valve. Hydraulic disconnect. Absolute-pressure firing head. 590 ft of 33/8-in., 6-SPF guns. Maximum depth reached was 17,620 ft. The string was retrieved because the guns needed to be positioned from 17,264 to 17,854 ft. Runs 4 and 5. The same perforating string was used, but gun length was reduced to 158 ft. The interval selected for perforating on this trip was 17,696 to 17,854 ft. Again, the

CT could reach only 17,620 ft. On the assumption that there was debris in the well, the CTCP string was retrieved and a downhole CT motor was run to clean the pipe. Run 6. The top subinterval between 17,264 and 17,556 ft was the target for the this run with 292 ft of 33/8-in., 6-SPF guns. Guns were positioned and fired with an absolutepressure firing head. The well was flowed to a temporary surface testing facility. The SSSV was closed when the guns were at the surface. Surface pressure was monitored closely for 30 minutes before CT rig down. Once surface pressure reached atmospheric pressure, the CT injector was removed and the spent guns were laid down carefully. The Christmas-tree crown valve was closed when the last gun was removed. Run 7. After the first successful gun run, 70 ft of 23/4-in. guns were run to perforate the lower interval from 17,784 to 17,854 ft. Restrictions were encountered 40 ft above the interval, and the string could be run only to 17,765 ft. Several attempts to push the guns downhole were unsuccessful. On the basis of log evaluation, the decision was made to perforate the well at

17,765 ft. A 3/4-in. steel ball was used to actuate the firing system. Run 8. To perforate the middle section of the bottom perforation interval, 106 ft of 23/4-in. guns were run. This interval was located at 17,640 ft. The guns were fired with the ball-actuated firing head. Run 9. The final interval to be perforated was from 16,660 to 17,260 ft. A 600-ft string of 33/8-in. guns with a ball-actuated firing head was run and successfully fired.
CONCLUSIONS

1. A live-well perforating method with an SSSV as a primary barrier was used successfully in El Furrial field. 2. Long intervals were perforated underbalanced to reduce formation damage. 3. The CTCP system was the most reliable method for this high-angle, highly deviated well. Please read the full-length paper for additional detail, illustrations, and references. The paper from which the synopsis has been taken has not been peer reviewed.

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NONINTERVENTION SOLUTIONS TO DOWNHOLE DATA LOSS IN A SUBSEA FIELD

Arkwright is a three-well subsea development in the North Sea. Developed in 1996, it is tied back to the nearby Arbroath field. Tight project economics called for installation of downhole flowmeters with permanent pressure gauges to satisfy reservoir-performance-monitoring needs and to limit future well-intervention work. Initial testing, immediately after completion, produced excellent results and confirmed the downhole systems to be in good working order. While the pressure gauges functioned correctly, they provided a very effective method to monitor early-time reservoir behavior by delivering continuous realtime data to the control system on the Arbroath platform. A combined total of 21 pressure buildups were analyzed, and 15 were used in a successful early-time history match. These analyses defined in-situ permeability and formation skin factors.
GAUGE FAILURE PRESSURE EXTRAPOL ATION

After the final downhole pressure gauge failed, a novel combination of analysis techniques was used to obtain additional reservoir-pressure data without costly well intervention. Wellhead Gauges. Because wellhead pressure gauges were still functional in each well, initial investigations focused on the relationship between shut-in wellhead pressure and bottomhole pressure. A reasonable relationship could not be found because of the combination of wellborestorage, gas-compressibility, and phase-segregation effects. A close examination of prefailure flowing data seemed to indicate a straight-line relationship between bottomhole pressures and wellhead pressures under flowing conditions. This appeared true for each of the three Arkwright wells. Flowing wellhead pressures were plotted against their equivalent flowing bottomhole pressures from pressure readings taken at the same time each day. These graphs were thought to be of sufficient accuracy to provide downhole pressure data. Two-Rate Drawdown Testing. Multirate drawdown methods can be used to obtain information similar to that of a conventional buildup test without shutting in the well. The method requires two flowing-pressure plots using pressure data relating to the postchoke-adjustment time period. Two extrapolated pressure values are derived from these plots and used with the stabilized rate data from both pre- and post-choke-adjustment time periods to calculate pseudopressure. From this value a reservoir pressure can be calculated for a well in almost any location in a known drainage-area geometry.
GA S INJECTION

Five of the nine pressure gauges failed during the 4-week period between initial flowmeter-calibration runs and connection of the field to the host platform. The remaining systems were switched to backup mode, which configured each system as a single downhole pressure gauge. On the basis of permanent-downhole-pressuregauge life expectancy, at least one pressure gauge per well should be functioning 5 years after field startup. Failure of all nine permanent pressure gauges during the first 7 months of field life resulted in no direct way to obtain future reservoir data.

from wellhead to perforations. After a predetermined shut-in period for conditions to stabilize, static reservoir pressure could be determined from a single-phase pressure calculation. Water could not be used as the single-phase fluid because reservoir pressure was less than hydrostatic pressure. Discharge pressure from the gas-lift compression facilities was insufficient to displace wellbore fluids into the formation. High-pressure-nitrogen testing facilities used extensively in the Montrose/Arbroath complex for high-pressure leak testing were used to increase lift-gas wellhead pressures. As much lift gas as possible was injected directly down the wellbore to provide a cushion for the nitrogen to work against. Nitrogen was used to increase the gas-lift-line pressure only and did not enter the wellbore. Once the lift gas reached the perforations, injection was shut down and wellhead pressure response monitored. Static bottomhole pressure was computed from gas-composition data, wellhead pressure, and temperature data. In an Arbroath platform well with functional downhole pressure gauges, bottomhole pressure calculated from wellhead pressure and single-phase-fluid gradient matched measured bottomhole pressure closely.
CONCLUSIONS

This article is a synopsis of paper SPE 50672, Nonintervention Solutions to the Loss of Downhole Data in a Subsea Field, by P .J. Lumsden, SPE, Amoco E&P Co., and A.H. Batten, SPE, and H.T. Phillips, Amoco (U.K.) Exploration Co., originally presented at the 1998 SPE European Petroleum Conference, The Hague, The Netherlands, 2022 October.
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1. Permanent downhole pressure gauges can satisfy data-gathering requirements in subsea developments. 2. A straight-line relationship between flowing wellhead and bottomhole pressures combined with an industry-recognized two-rate-flow-test analysis method allowed reservoir-pressure monitoring to continue after pressure-gauge failure. 3. After water breakthrough, lift gas was used to create a single-phase column of gas so static downhole pressures could be calculated. Please read the full-length paper for additional detail, illustrations, and references. The paper from which the synopsis has been taken has not been peer reviewed.
JULY 1999

Water breakthrough introduced a third phase into the wellbore that produced large errors in wellhead-to-bottomhole extrapolations. A proposal called for using a single-phase fluid to displace produced fluids back into the formation and create a single-phase column

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WELL INTERVENTION WITH A MULTIPURPOSE SUPPORT VESSEL

Semisubmersibles were developed by the offshore industry to provide a stable working platform with minimum motion during operations. Well-intervention services can be provided from a monohull vessel at significantly lower costs than from a semisubmersible. Monohull vessels have heave motion three to four times that of semisubmersibles in wave periods greater than 10 to 12 seconds, but their heave motion is approximately the same in wave periods less than 10 seconds. One challenge for monohull vessels is development of a wellintervention concept capable of operating with larger motions safely.
DYNAMIC POSITIONING

and quantified results of the project on the multipurpose support vessel Botnica during normal operations for a 10-day period in water depth greater than 3,000 ft and rough seas.
BOTNIC A

Botnica is capable of wireline operations through a rigid riser and a subsea lubricator and coiled-tubing operations through a rigid riser. Botnica was built to meet Norwegian Maritime Directorate Rules and Regulations for Mobile Offshore Units. The vessel includes a versatile derrick system and a 65/8-in.-outer-diameter, 10,000-psi rigid-monobore-riser sytem. DP System. Botnica is equipped with a fully distributed IAS. The system includes a dual, redundant thruster control system integrated with the vessel control system including power management, auxiliary control, and ballast-system control. The following reference systems were connected to the DP system. Two high-precision acoustic positioning systems that provide long-baseline and supershort-baseline capabilities. A new-generation global-positioningsatellite (GPS) navigation system. An integrated differential-GPS (DGPS)/ Russian-global-navigation-satellite system (GLONASS) navigation system.
TESTING

DP Capability. A vessels DP capability is defined by the most severe environmental conditions in which the vessel can stay on position. The Botnica DP-capability plot is an operator support tool predicting (1) operational margins, (2) equipment-failure effects, and (3) changing-environmentalconditions effects. Input includes wave height, period, and direction and wind speed and direction. Capability plots were confirmed by the test results. Motion Prediction. The motion-prediction system allows the operator to simulate drift-off and extreme motions under present and user-specified weather conditions. Drift-off tests were performed for a total blackout situation and loss of one switchboard. Drift-off distance was very accurate during the first minute, but heading change was greater than calculated. The system performed within requirements. High-Precision Acoustic Positioning. The high-precision, multiuser acoustic longbaseline system can be used simultaneously by more than one vessel, and its positionupdate rate is almost independent of water depth. This system was more accurate than the GPS system and its regularity more than acceptable for DP purposes. The test included position-update rates between 2 and 10 seconds. The system had the same accuracy with all update rates. Integrated DGPS/GLONASS. The 14 GLONASS satellites operating at the beginning of 1999 did not provide full 24-hour coverage for DP . During most of the test period, four to six GLONASS satellites were available and the integrated system was more stable than the DGPS system. Even when only two GLONASS satellites were available, their contribution to the integrated system was positive. Please read the full-length paper for additional detail, illustrations, and references. The paper from which the synopsis has been taken has not been peer reviewed. Copyright 1999 Offshore Technology Conference.
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Dynamic-positioning (DP) systems can position vessels reliably during complex work operations. Maintaining vessel position is critical during well-intervention and drilling activities. Data on DP-failure events indicate the following primary failure causes. DP reference systems were responsible for approximately 45% of the failures. Thrusters and propellers were responsible for 25% of the failures. DP Reliability. In 1995, a project was launched by technology companies, major oil companies, and government authorities to (1) improve dynamically-positionedvessel overall safety, (2) reduce risk of incidents that can cause drift-off, (3) improve existing DP performance, and (4) develop systems with acceptable reliability for operation in remote areas and in deep water. The project focused on reliability analysis and cost/effect of different system configurations. The products and functions developed in this project were implemented in the Integrated Automation System (IAS). A separate subproject tested

Redundancy and Critical Assessment. The redundancy and critical-assessment (RCA) system is an integrated on-line faultmonitoring and critical-assessment tool that monitors and confirms that equipment is available and working. The RCA system was used during the entire test period and proved to be a very valuable tool for DP operators and engine-room operators. Reference-System Processing. Positionreference-system failure is one of the most frequent causes of DP-failure incidents. When noise was introduced into the reference signal, all performance criteria were met and the new estimator was more accurate than the previous version.

This article is a synopsis of paper OTC 11074, Well Intervention Using MSV/DSV, by Cato Engebretsen, DSND Subsea A/S, originally presented at the 1999 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 36 May.
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DEVELOPMENT OF A WIRELESS COILED-TUBING COLLAR LOCATOR

Standard mechanical counters provided adequate depth control when coiled tubing (CT) was used primarily for well cleanout. As CT services have evolved, CT has been used for services that require greater depth accuracy, such as tubing-conveyed perforating, plug or packer setting, and critical fishing operations.
SURFACE MEA SUREMENT DEVICES

Weight increase is often minimal, making the tubing end difficult to locate. Drag against tubing walls in deviated wells can mask weight increases. Many wells are completed with casing and have no tubing. Memory Tools. A memory gamma ray collar-locator tool sometimes is run to the zone of interest, and the CT is marked with a flag at the surface. Flag depth is noted, and a memory log is run. The tools are pulled out of the well, and depth data are downloaded. The resulting log is correlated with the existing well log to determine depth correction. Memory tools require an extra trip into the well, and CT elongation between runs can be substantial. CT Logging Reels. Because of tubing-endlocator and memory-tool problems, operators have relied on CT logging reels that contain logging cable. These reels can convey conventional logging collar locators and gamma ray tools for critical depth-control situations. Their accuracy is equivalent to that of wireline. The cost of a logging unit and crew, a CT logging unit and crew, and associated tools can be three times the cost of a comparable job with a standard CT unit (CTU) and tubing-end locator.
NEW COLL AR LOC ATOR

collar. Slickline units have weight-measurement systems with enough sensitivity to detect small tension increases, but most CTUs do not. CT-collar-locator developers used many slickline-collar-locator design features but had to find a different means for signal transmission. Pressure-Pulse Feasibility. The most practical way to transmit data is by a pressure pulse transmitted through the fluid column in the CT. Developers used 20,000 ft of 11/2-in.-outer-diameter (OD) CT to test the feasibility of transmitting data as pressure pulses through fluid in the CT. A pressure transducer was attached between a pump and the CT reel, and a simple hand-operated ball valve was attached to the end of the CT. All testing was performed at the surface, and data were recorded on a computer. With the ball valve open, fluid was pumped at low rates through the CT. The ball valve was closed for 2 to 3 seconds and then reopened. The best flow rates for generating a log output were between 0.5 and 1.0 bbl/min. At these flow rates, 200- to 400-psi pressure pulses were detected easily.
TOOL DEVELOPMENT

Previously, CT depth was controlled with a steel measuring wheel that contacted the CT surface. When CT is raised or lowered, the wheel rolls along the tubing and rotates an output shaft coupled to a mechanical footage counter or optical encoder. The encoder sends pulses to an electronic counter located in the control cabin. Errors can result from wheel slippage or from wheel surface wear that reduces wheel circumference. Tubing stretch and thermal effects also can create inaccuracies. Surface measurement devices cannot predict CT location downhole reliably.
TUBING-END -LOC ATION DEVICES

Service companies sometimes use tubingend-location devices to ensure greater accuracy. These tools are run on the downhole end of the CT and rely on heavy bowsprings, collet fingers, or catch arms that expand when they exit the tubing. Once the tools are past the tubing end, the operator moves them back up into the production tubing while watching the CT weight indicator. Weight increases as the tubing-end locator collapses to fit into the production string. Tubing-end-locator tools have had limited success for the following reasons.

This article is a synopsis of paper SPE 54327, Development of a Wireless Coiled-Tubing Collar Locator, by M.L. Connell, SPE, R.G. Howard, SPE, and D.W. Moore, Halliburton Energy Services Inc., originally presented at the 1999 SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, Jakarta, 2022 April.
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Because of shortcomings with existing depth-control techniques, designers established the following design parameters for a new tool. Operate on a standard CTU without wireline. Provide real-time depth indication at the surface. Operate in tubing and casing during the same trip. Provide a flow path to the tools below. Generate an American Petroleum Inst. log format that can be correlated with existing well logs. Slickline Collar Locator. A new slickline collar locator uses drag blocks with electromagnets that energize to increase slickline tension slightly each time the tool passes a

A collar-locator sensor with magnets and coil like those used in logging collar locators was chosen for the initial design. In these sensors, a magnetic field is created by two opposing magnets and a coil is placed between the magnets. When a metal-mass change disturbs this field, the current changes. The biggest challenge in tool development was solenoid-valve-section design. A solenoid that could provide sufficient stroke and fit in the tool housing was not available. Instead, the tool designers used a smaller solenoid valve to route a small fluid volume to a piston that strokes down, blocking circulation ports on the tool sides. Nozzles in the ports create the differential pressure required to stroke the piston. Backpressure required for stroking the piston effectively is 300 to 400 psi more than hydrostatic pressure. The piston normally is pressure balanced except when the solenoid valve actuates.
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out the bottom of the collar-locator tool. Fig. 1 shows a cutaway of the wireless CT collar locator. The slickline collar locators electrical circuitry was modified for use in the CT collar locator. The circuit board allows a 25-minute test period for surface testing tool functions. At the end of that period, the collar-detection circuitry is disabled to preserve battery power during the trip into the well. The time the collar-detection circuity is disabled can be preset at the surface. When collar-detection circuity is reenabled downhole, any metal-mass change in the casing or tubing string will actuate the solenoid valve. Because the collar locator is designed to operate in any size casing or tubing, a sensitivity adjustment is built into the circuit board.
TESTING

formed well in the casing but was very sensitive in the tubing.
CONCLUSIONS

Because of current CT-depth-measurement-system inadequacy, a wireless CT collar locator that can operate at 300F maximum working temperature and 15,000 psi maximum working pressure was developed. The tool provides depth accuracy comparable with wireline at lower costs than CT logging reels. The tool can provide depth control for CT-conveyed perforating guns, drillable or retrievable plugs, cement retainers, inflatable tools, and many other CT tools.

The first full-scale test with a CTU was performed in a 2,200-ft test well with 11/4-in.OD CT. A string of 27/8-in. EUE tubing was run to 440 ft inside 133/8-in. casing. At 718 ft, the 133/8-in. casing was swaged back to 103/4-in. casing that extended to 2,200 ft. The collar-locator tool per-

Please read the full-length paper for additional detail, illustrations, and references. The paper from which the synopsis has been taken has not been peer reviewed.

Fig. 1Cutaway of wireless CT collar locator.

A pressure barrier below the solenoidvalve section prevents fluid from passing through the tool until the logging operation is complete. This barrier ensures that the pressure pulse can be detected easily at the surface. After depth is correlated, a ball is circulated down to a seat in the tool to block the side circulation ports. Pressure is applied to shear pins in the ball seat to shift a sleeve and open ports to allow flow
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HIGH-PRESSURE COILED TUBING INSTRUMENTAL IN DEEPWATER WELL WORK

The Troika field is located in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico in 2,700 ft of water. Troika wells are high-rate, high-pressure wells capable of flowing more than 30,000 BOPD and 60 MMscf/D gas. Shut-in tubing pressure is 6,000 psi with produced fluids in the wellbore. Coiled-tubing (CT) operations were performed from a semisubmersible in rough seas with waves as high as 9 ft.
OBJECTIVES

spotted across the completed interval inside the sand-control screens. If the productivity index (PI) was unsatisfactory after the pill was washed out, the screens would be stimulated with HCl.
CT

was moved back into the wells centerline, the injector was lowered, and the CT fed out until the connection between the CT and tool string was made up.
EXECUTION

Well 1. Well 1 was completed with 51/2-41/2-in. vacuum-insulated tubing, followed by 41/2-in. conventional tubing to 18,048 ft. The productive interval was completed with a 31/2-in., low-profile prepacked screen to a sump packer at 18,313 ft. This well did not perform as expected after completion because asphaltenes had precipitated in the completed interval. The objective was to stimulate the well while analyzing the injectivity index in real time from surface and downhole measurements. After stimulation, a radioactive-isotope log would be run to determine distribution of frac-pack proppant and a production log would be run to determine well production characteristics. A high-pressure, 11/2-in.-CT unit (CTU) was used as a conduit to place the treatment across the perforations. Well 2. Well 2 was completed with 51/2-in. tubing to 13,514 ft and 41/2-in. tubing to 17,545 ft. The productive interval was completed with a 31/2-in. prepacked screen to a sump packer at 17,850 ft. Total plugback depth was 17,952 ft. The objective was to wash out a calcium carbonate (CaCO3) fluid-loss-control pill that was This article is a synopsis of paper SPE 54504, High-Pressure Coiled Tubing Instrumental in Deepwater Well Work, by Henrik A. Larsen, SPE, Dowell; David A. Porter, SPE, BP Amoco plc; and Chad Peterson, SPE, Dowell, originally presented at the 1999 SPE/ICoTA Coiled Tubing Roundtable, Houston, 2526 May.
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A high-pressure, 11/2-in. CTU was used to convey fluids and tools. The injector head was capable of pulling 100,000 lbf and pushing 40,000 lbf. The entire CTU was similar to those used for high-pressure operations on fixed platforms. The high-pressure CTU was rigged up to a purpose-built lifting frame because it is not safe to rig up on a stationary surface test tree with lifting gear that moves with the waves. It is also undesirable for compensator actuation loads to act on the injector head. The sturdy metal lifting frame included a winch to rig up blowout preventers (BOPs) and the injector head and was attached to both the compensated block and surface test tree by elevators and bails. The lifting frame included movable work platforms and a roller support system to reduce injector-head pendulum movement while suspended from the winch. BOP . The BOP consisted of a 41/16-in., 15,000-psi-working-pressure quad BOP and two stuffing boxes. The bottom stuffing box was full bore and flanged to the BOP stack. All production and returns were taken through the surface test tree to a well-test separator package. Produced fluids were transferred to and stored in a tender barge while the well flowed. Rig-Up Height. Rig-up height is an important issue. Even with an optimized spaceout, the injector head was 70 ft above the rig floor. Lifting the injector head up into the lifting frame or making up a bottomhole assembly (BHA) was a challenging task. To make up a BHA, the injector head was moved out of the wells centerline. Tools were deployed against any or all three valves. Once the tool string was hung off from a clamp in the BOP , the injector head

Well 1. Treatment consisting of 7,000 gal organic solvent and a xylene soak was pumped from a dynamically positioned stimulation vessel through a flexible high-pressure hose. CT was run in the hole with the well shut in at approximately 6,000 psi. After tagging bottom to confirm free access to the perforated interval, the CT was flagged and pulled up to 5,000 ft. The stimulation vessel was positioned alongside the rig and rigged up. The stimulation treatment was placed into the CT and the CT run to 18,353 ft. The stimulation vessel pumped the treatment in stages with rates varying from 0.75 to 1.15 bbl/min. Total pumping time, including soak periods, was approximately 6 hours. Injectivity index increased four-fold during the stimulation treatment. The CT was retrieved to the surface and radioactive-isotope memory logging tools were picked up. When the CT was run back in the hole, a pressure increase caused by a hydrate plug was observed. The marine riser and CT were displaced with a methanol/seawater mixture, and operations were suspended for 8 hours to allow the hydrate plug to dissolve. When the CT was run back in the hole, a bottom-tractionskate retainer bolt broke at 10,000 ft. The CT was retrieved safely by use of the other two skates. The injector was repaired on deck, but operations were suspended because of rough seas. After the weather calmed, the radioactive-isotope memory log was run to bottom and the frac-packed interval was logged successfully. After analyzing the radioactive-isotope log, the decision was made to perform another stimulation treatment with xylene. CT was run to 18,448 ft and stimulation treatment started. Total pump time for this treatment was approximately 5 hours. Injectivity index did not change during the treatment.
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Post-Job Analysis. Marks were observed on the CT when it was retrieved on the last run. During post-job analysis, it was found that the injector-head chains, at approximately 30% of their life expectancy, had worn out prematurely and were stretched. This prevented the gripper blocks from aligning correctly with the CT and resulted in the gripper corners partially crushing the CT. Chain stretch may have been caused by very high forces or lack of sufficient lubrication during the runs. The standard prejob equipment-maintenance procedure was updated to include chainlink-spacing measurement. Well 2. Rig up was modified after Well 1 operations. Injector-head height was lowered 6 ft by reducing surface-tree space out to its absolute minimum, using the shortest available bails on the frame bottom, and rigging up the quad BOPs below the frame. The first run to pull a plug at 17,454 ft was unsuccessful because the CT could not latch onto the plug. Slickline was used to run an impression block and pulling tool to fish the plug. While running in the hole on the second run, the CT tagged the subsurface tree at

2,700 ft and had to be pulled out of the hole to change the BHA so it could pass through the tree. The CT then was run to 17,823 ft where it tagged fill. The wellbore was cleaned out to 17,890 ft. After retrieving the CT, a memory radioactive-isotope log was run to 17,905 ft to evaluate proppant distribution. One logging pass was made upward at 25 ft/min. After a flow test to measure PI, the decision was made to pump 500 gal HCl to dissolve any CaCO3 left in the screen. No acid was displaced into the formation. This treatment resulted in a 33% increase in PI. The last run was a memory productionlogging run. One downward pass at 20 ft/min was performed successfully before the primary-stuffing-box insert failed. The pipe ram was closed and the well controlled, but the emergency shutdown system already had been actuated by alert rig personnel. No further logging runs were made. Post-Job Analysis. While coming out of the hole, the brake on one of the four injector motors set and overheated because of an O-ring leak. Normal inspection and maintenance could not have prevented the brake setting because the O-ring is inside the

motor housing. Motor design included only one O-ring. Well 2 CT operations were ended prematurely because a stuffing-box insert failed. Because stuffing-box inserts are dynamic seals and prone to wear, a new insert had been installed specifically for this run. It is recommended that stripping rubbers be changed before going in the hole, after reaching working depth, and before coming out of the hole in future deepwater, high-pressure operations.
CONCLUSIONS

1. CT well-intervention operations can be performed safely from floating vessels in rough seas with 11/2-in. high-pressure CT. 2. CT-string component condition and life expectancy must be known. 3. Formal job-safety analyses must be performed on each CT operation to identify and reduce risks.

Please read the full-length paper for additional detail, illustrations, and references. The paper from which the synopsis has been taken has not been peer reviewed.

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INNOVATIVE COILED-TUBING SLIMWELL-COMPLETION TECHNOLOGY

Smaller riser and casing configurations have significant advantages over conventional well architecture in deepwater operations. A joint industry project to reduce wellbore size while overcoming the associated problems of surge and swab pressures when installing casing resulted in a unique liner-hanger system that mechanically seals the new liner to the shoe of the previous liner, forming a high-pressure metal-tometal seal while retaining original tensileload capacity. The novel conveyance system permits a high-fluid-circulation rate while the liner is deployed and landed in the well, with a conventional mode for hole-cleaning and cementing operations. The well-construction technique developed uses a series of liners with tiebacks to previous liner tops. A well with all necessary casing points can be accommodated inside a jointed riser as small as 11-in. inner diameter while maintaining hole size at reservoir depth capable of significant production. Coiled-tubing (CT) drilling, CT risers, and CT well-construction processes made possible with this innovative development offer the possibility of low-cost well construction for exploratory wells.
WELL CONSTRUCTION

previous liner shoe. Tiebacks would be installed to provide necessary pressure integrity. These tiebacks would either go to surface or terminate at an intermediate position higher in the well. The same conveyance and setting equipment is used throughout the construction process.
LINER INSTALL ATION

Figs. 10 and 11 in the full-length paper show liner-installation sequences for vertical wells and laterals. An innovative approach is used to ensure that high equivalent circulating densities encountered normally with small annular clearances do not occur. The novel circulation path includes a unique return-flow path through the liner running tool. There is only a slight returnflow area reduction while the liner is installed. The circulation path provides excellent hole cleaning while exerting minimum circulation pressure on the open hole. The liner can be rotated while running into the well. A reamer shoe can be used to ensure correct setting depth is reached. Operation. When running in the hole, fluid is pumped down the conveyance tubing and through the running tool and stinger tailpipe until it reaches the shoe. Once outside the liner, it flows through ports in the shoe and back up the annular area between the conveyed liner and the stinger tube. At the running tool, the fluid passes through ports into the annular space around the conveyance tubing above the running tool. Once the liner reaches setting depth, a ball is dropped that seats on the sleeve retaining the shuttle valve in its circulation position. Internal pressure is applied from the surface to shear pins and allow the shuttle valve to move to the closed position. The sleeve continues moving downward where it is stored in a catcher recess. This process allows dual nonreturn valves to become active for cementing operations. Liner Setting Tool. The liner setting tool supports the liner, provides circulation modes during conveying and cementing operations, and provides surface indication of correct landing position. It incorporates

Fig. 1Dimpled and sealed liner.

In a typical well construction with this technique, the wellhead housing and surface conductor would be jetted to the required setting depth and cemented and a riser would be used as a conduit back to the drilling unit. Instead of conveying casing that would be landed in the wellhead housing, liners would be installed to the necessary setting depth and terminated in the This article is a synopsis of paper SPE 54492, Slimwell ConceptInnovative Coiled-Tubing Completion Technology, by Phil Head, SPE, and Dan Turner, SPE, XL Technology; Gerald Cameron, SPE, Amerada Hess; Franco Bottazzi, SPE, ENI Agip SpA; Tim Hanson, SPE, Enterprise Oil; Tor-Kristian Holst, Saga Petroleum; and Salim Al-Rawahi, Shell Intl., originally presented at the 1999 SPE/ICoTA Coiled Tubing Roundtable, Houston, 2526 May.
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securing and sealing mechanisms and can release itself in an emergency for safe recovery to surface. Main running-tool features are a circulation port with check valve for high-rate-circulation mode, swaging expanders for energizing the metal-tometal seal, and dimple-type indents that deform the liner top into eccentric grooves cut into the previous liner shoe. This dimpling method is a successful development in CT connectors that can be used to connect liners where space is so small that a conventional hanger cannot be used. Fig. 1 shows a dimpled and sealed 6-in.-outerdiameter (OD) pipe inside a 61/2-in.-OD pipe. This 15-in.-long sample was tested with a 55-ton overpull with no movement. The swaged metal-to-metal seal held 5,000-psi differential pressure.
SLIMWELL BENEFITS

Slimwell wellheads can be smaller because they are subjected to lower tensile loads. The wellhead can have a higher pressure rating without increasing wall thickness because of its smaller internal bore. Because each new liner section is only as long as the openhole section drilled, the conveyance tubing is not overstressed. Hole-size reduction also influences drilling-fluid selection. Smaller hole volumes make use of high-quality drilling fluid more economical.

Please read the full-length paper for additional detail, illustrations, and references. The paper from which the synopsis has been taken has not been peer reviewed.
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