SPE 102436
Cleaning Effectivity of Concentric Coiled Tubing in Horizontal Wells, Cerro Negro Area,
Carabobo Field, Venezuela
I. Benzaquen, J. Romero, J. Zambrano, P. Henao, and A. Ortiz, Petroleos de Venezuela S.A.
Copyright 2006, Society of Petroleum Engineers
This paper was prepared for presentation at the 2006 SPE International Oil & Gas Conference
and Exhibition in China held in Beijing, China, 5–7 December 2006.
This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE Program Committee following review of
information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper, as
presented, have not been reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to
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Abstract
The Orinoco Oil Belt is the largest heavy oil
accumulation in the world with 1.2 trillion of in situ
reserves in an area of 54.000 square kilometers
covering the southern portions of three states in the
Eastern Venezuela Basin. Carabobo is one of its more
prospectives areas with very thick sands with excellent
petrophysical properties. The study area has 120 square
kilometers corresponding to the Extraheavy Oil Unit of
the Morichal District, Monagas State. In the early 80s
explotation began in this area with drilling of 150-300
meters spaced vertical wells. Further secondary
recovery method (including alternate vapor injection)
evaluations were conducted in order to enhance a more
commercial production. In late 80s and early 90s the
new uprising drilling technology was used in the area,
with 400 meters spaced deviated and inclined wells
where further alternate vapor injection was applied. In
the late 90s and 2000s drilling campaigns of horizontal
wells and multilateral wells, respectively, were performed
in the study area, with very dense drilling of heavy and
extra-heavy oil sand reservoirs with horizontal wells of
extended section that generated a very problematic
large sand production. Thus, reaconditioning and
cleaning up of these wells was needed in order to
optimize oil and sand production within desired levels
avoiding the damage of equipments after completion.
Cleaning up of horizontal wells gets difficult due to
circulation loss, high permeabilities and low reservoir
pressure; therefore use of the 2 3/8'' tail tubing was
substituted by the new Concentric Coiled Tubing
(CCT) technology and a Vacuum pump. CCT was tested
in selected wells where it was used; evaluating
parameters such as oil sand petrophysics, production
behavior, cleaning up services conditions and
associated costs during productive life of wells. The
main results of using CCT are prolonging recurrent
sanding that implies short term recurrent cleaning up
services, avoiding additional expenses in repair services,
equipment replacements or well closure among other
disadvantages. Repair services result in money waste,
disturbance of routine operational field activities and
subsequent costs increase of produced barrel due to
restrictions in production. Economic indicators have
shown evident rentability of using this tool in horizontal
wells of Extraheavy Oil Unit of Morichal District.
Introducción
The heavy oil reservoirs which belong to Morichal
District, they are based on unconsolidated sands,
therefore as long as the pressure decline the effective
strengths increase themselves, as a result sanding
shows up in some wells. Furthermore, there are zones
where the water production has increased; this fact
causes the rock cohesion decline. Thus, the sand
production begins to go up, and for this reason it is very
common that the Orinoco belt’s wells after having
increased the water production, huge amount of sand
are found.
Due to the Morichal District wells are drilled in formations
with these properties, they tend to produce sand in any
stage of their productive life; most of them start with the
formation fines production, which are even smaller than
the liner’s slots. As the time went on, the formation fines
started to accumulate in the bottom, causing the drastic
oil production decrease afterwards, therefore the well
closure in order to be cleaned up.
By using suitable techniques with tools and special
chemical products such as foamy fluids and others,
which avoid the formation damage, it could extent the
productive life expectancy of the wells. Among the
equipments that are used, it is found CCT, which is
implemented in order to achieve effective cleaning up of
sand in spite of low reservoir pressure. According to the
explanation above, it was evaluated the cleaning up
effectiveness among many horizontal wells in our area
using CCT, this argument with the main purpose to study
2 SPE 102436

its further utility within different wells, by helping the early among wells which had already been cleaned up.
production of the wells and allowing to recover higher oil Moreover, it was done a petrophysical description within
volume. (Figure N°1). the sands that correspond with the candidate wells.
On the other hand, it was analyzed the selected wells’
Liner in Horizontal
Direction Open
production behaviour, by setting comparative
Hole parameters among wells with similar characteristics,
cleaned up or not, using CCT. At last, the study was
finished with an economic analisys of each cleaning up
Pre-Drilled
Liner
services and the rentability of them as well.

Selection Process Amongst Horizontal Wells Which

Fines Were Used CCT.

Poorly consolidated sands In order to identify the horizontal well candidates of our
area, it was necessary to get production data programs,
well service operational summaries that were found in
Figura N° 1. Transversal Section where it is shown the pipe folder files and CCT reports. It was selected some
with slots in open hole, and it can also be viewed the formation cleaning up horizontal wells using CCT; besides it was
fines migration through the pipe. picked out non-cleaning up wells with CCT although they
had similar characteristics than the previous ones, this
hypothesis was set with the main purpose of establishing
Geographic Location of the Morichal District /
many comparisons which allowed to evaluate cleaning
Extraheavy Oil Unit / Orinoco Oil Belt.
up services effectiveness using CCT. (Table N°1 and 2).
The Orinoco Oil Belt (OOB), it is located amongst the
Petrophisical Description of the oil sands which
southeast Venezuela, across the Northern section of
corresponds with the selected wells.
Orinoco River and covering southern portions of the
following states: Guárico, Anzoátegui and Monagas as
The Petrophjsical Properties, in the horizontal wells
well, embracing a 54000 square kilometers (km2)
drainage area, were determined by setting estimations
extension approximately. This is one of the most
for each of them, averaging parameters from the closest
important areas around the world due to their huge
stratigraphic, pilot and vertical wells; this procedure was
heavy and extra-heavy oil accumulations, and for
carried out since it did not have available information of
Venezuela this zone is acknowledged as the main
the selected wells. These associated properties were the
source of energetic proven reserves in the future,
following: net oil sand thickness, permeability, porosity,
considering that is right there where it is gotten the sixty
water saturation and shaliness percentage. The previous
per cent (60%) over the global sum of the oil proven
information was considered in order to establish the
reserves for our nation.
suitable comparisons which reinforced the evaluation of
the cleaning up services effectiveness using CCT.
In an East-West section, it is divided in four
(Table N°3).
administrative areas whose petroleum accumulations
and the condition of the geological knowledge are
different, they are needed of specific exploration
Analyzing selected wells production behaviour.
programs for each of them. These oil accumulations are
distributed in the Carabobo, Ayacucho, Junin and
In this stage of the study it was done some productivity
Boyaca areas. One Carabobo’s block was granted to
index calculations (Graphic N°1), considering that the
Morichal District.
pressure measurement date had gotten matched as
near as being possible to the official production test
Morichal District has an area of 132 km2 (in the
date, in order to get the flowing pressure roughly (Pwf)
Carabobo field), which is located to the Eastern Orinoco
which correspond with the respective production rate.
Belt. The Cerro Negro sector (8.000 km2) is located
between the limits of the Anzoátegui and Monagas
During the productivity curves building process, it was
states, in the southern direction of Maturin city and the
also necessary to estimate the bottom hole static
Puerto Ordaz city northern direction.
pressure and the flowing pressure (Pwf) for different
dates, thus, for the wells with sanding. These curves
General Objective.
were built by setting four different cases such as: initial
production stage, before the cleaning up service, after,
Evaluation of the cleaning up services effectiveness
and the current behaviour (December 2004); all of these
using CCT amongst horizontal wells which belong to
cases were set with the purpose of analyzing the well
Carabobo field, Morichal District. In order to support the
influx behaviour and determining how effective the
argument above, it was made a selection process
cleaning up process was (Figure N°2). Furthermore, they
SPE 102436
were made productivity index curves for the other
horizontal wells (non-cleaning up) but they were only
determined the initial production curve and the current
production curve. (Figure N°3).
According to the information in the paragraph above, it
was checked the pressure reports from permanent
bottom sensors set in the completions and for the wells
without bottom sensors the pressure was estimated by
using the dynamic fluid levels which were supplied for
the sonic registers (Echometer). From the initial stage of
the wells, it was determined the pressure referring to the
pump intake level assuming frequency equal to zero.
This figure was considered as the static bottom hole
pressure.
The mathematic model applied in order to calculate the
productivity index was Vogel, due to the majority of the
well flow pressures are lower than the bubble pressure,
the major production mechanism in these reservoirs is
related to foamy oil, which hinge upon little gas bubbles
dissolved in oil helping to the mobility ratio.
Well’s comparative parameters with similar
conditions, worked over or not, using CCT.
This stage was carry on setting several comparisons
among certain parameters depending on worked over
wells and non-worked overs, in order to evaluate the
cleaning up effectiveness with the CCT tool. For this, it
was picked out non-worked over wells with similars
characteristics related to the ones which were cleaned
up using CCT, the main criterion are that follows:
reservoirs, oil sands, net reservoir thickness, horizontal
length, effective length and artificial lifting method
(Figure N°4). After having done the selection process, it
was also set some parameters which help with the
comparisons such as: average production rate, numbers
of services and associated costs, in order to show
cleaning up services effectiveness in horizontal wells
(Ver Gráfica N°2 y 3).
Economic evaluation process of the cleaning up
services among different wells.
The economic post-mortem evaluation was made by
using a mathematic model that was developed in order
to plan ahead the heavy oil reservoir exploitation; which
include the production process and the associated costs
The math model is based on the main equations to
calculate technical variables referring to the oil
production process and the unit cost basic definitions.
Therefore, it was evaluated the following ecomonic
parameters: net present value, invesment efficiency,
return’s payment time and payment time from these
figures was estimated the rentability of each work (Table
N°4).
3
Conclusions.
1. – The productivity index increase about wells with
sanding problems it mainly causes to cleaning up
treatment using CCT.
2. – Earlier production in wells which have been cleaning
up immediately after having been drilled.
3. – The average time to get some operational problems
due to sand production in horizontal wells which had not
treated after drilling is about from 1 to 2 years.
Meanwhile the average period of time over cleaned up
wells using CCT is from 3 to 4 years.
4. – Larger life expectancy of the lifting equipments and
tubulars in cleaned up wells.
5. – The cleaning up treatment with CCT does not
cancel out of the sanding in horizontal wells, although it
prolongs the recurrent services considerably whether it
tries to establish a comparison with the other methods
that were applied in our area.
6. – The final results about the economic indicators
showed the rentability regarding to the implementation of
this tool over the Morichal District’s horizontal wells
maintenance services.
Recommendations.
1. Realizing extraction sediment test on wells, which
will allow taking charges ahead, by carrying out
preventive maintenance programs, avoiding
recurrent services and prolonging the life
expectancy of the equipments and tubulars.
2. Setting cleaning up services immediately after
having drilled horizontal wells in order to remove
sand, drill in fluids, and other colloidal solids into the
T
liners. 2
3. Considering granulometric analysis from channel
samples of the different drilled formations during the
drilling process in future wells
4. Establishing an optimum pre-drilled liner design,
hinging upon on the final granulometric analysis.
5. Implementing new technologies in order to get
mechanical completions done such as: perforated
shrouds or screens, with or without gravel pack.
6. Extending the use of this technology amongst new
wells and those which get sanding problems.
Acknowledgement
The authors would like to acknowledge PDVSA Distrito
Social Morichal for the opportunity to present this work,
which was made during 2005 in Desarrollo de
Yacimientos Dtto. Social Morichal.
4 SPE 102436

POZOS FECHA DE LIMPIEZA

ESTACIÓN POZOS J-20 DESDE HASTA
CI-246 22-05-02 24-05-02
CI-226 CI-230
CI-247 24-05-02 27-05-02
J-20
CI-233 CI-248 06-06-02 08-06-02
CI-249 27-06-02 30-06-02
CD-39 CD-48 CI-250 06-09-02 08-09-02
O-16
CD-46 CI-228 CO-07 17-07-02 19-07-02
O-16 DESDE HASTA
TOTAL DE POZOS SIN LIMPIEZA: 7 CD-40 06-05-00 10-05-00
CD-41 21-06-00 23-06-00
CD-42 25-07-00 27-07-00
Table N° 1. Selected wells without treatment from O-16 and
J-20 flow stations. CD-43 15-08-00 17-08-00
CD-44 01-06-00 04-06-00
CD-45 13-07-00 15-07-00
References
CHB-43 05-11-01 07-11-01

1. Bernardo R. “Técnicas de Rehabilitación para CHB-44 10-11-01 12-11-01

recuperar pozos horizontales arenados en los CHB-45 31-10-01 02-11-01
miembros Morichal, Jobo y la Formación Oficina de CHB-46 02-11-01 04-11-01
los Campos Jobo y Pilón”. Universidad de Oriente,
CI-240 24-10-01 26-10-01
Anzoátegui.” 1998.
CI-241 26-10-01 28-10-01
2. Marcano, B. "Evaluación de la aplicación de tubería CI-242 28-10-01 30-10-01
concéntrica con herramienta de vacío como método CI-243 12-11-01 15-11-01
no convencional para la limpieza y remoción de
CI-245 30-07-02 03-08-02
daño de formación en pozos horizontales ubicados
en el yacimiento Morichal-01, perteneciente al TOTAL DE POZOS CON LIMPIEZA: 21
campo Jobo al Sur del estado Monagas”.
Universidad de Oriente, Núcleo Anzoátegui. 2002.

3. Silva, J. “Estudios Petrofísicos de Evaluación de

Formaciones”. Puerto la Cruz. Mayo 2005. Table N° 2. Selected cleaned up wells with CCT from O-16
and J-20 flow stations
4. Tineo, M. “Evaluación De La Efectividad De
Limpieza Con Tubería Continua Concéntrica En
Pozos Horizontales De La Unidad De Explotación
De Bitumen, Pdvsa Campo Cerro Negro.”
Universidad de Oriente, Monagas 2005.
 SPE 102436 5

(47-71)
32%
>6000
(8-20)%

(5-10)%

(34-68)
"Curva Voguel Pozo C I-239"
1.400
31%
1.200

>5000 1.000

Presión (lpca)
800

(5-20)% 600

400

(6-11)%
200

0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900
Tasa (B PD )
C urva IPR (O riginal)
C urva IPR (Antes de la limpiez a)
C urvas IPR (D espués de la Limpiez a)
C urvas IPR (Actual)

Table N° 3. Petrophisical properties of the oil sands which

correspond with the selected wells.
Figure N° 2. Influx performance of the CI-239, well not treated
after drilling.
4,00

3,50 3,37

3,00
IP (BBPD/lpca)

2,50
2,24

2,00
1,65
1,49
1,40 1,33
1,50 1,25
1,10
0,99 1,03
1,00 0,78
0,73 0,73
"C u rv a V o g u e l P o z o C D -4 1 "
0,38 0,44 140 0
0,50 0,31
120 0

0,00
100 0
CD-39 CD-46 CD-48 CI-226 CI-228 CI-230 CI-233 CI-239
Presión (lpca)

80 0

Antes de la Limpieza con CCT Después de la Limpieza con CCT 60 0

40 0

20 0

Gráfica N° 1. Treated and not cleaned up wells productivity

index. 0
0 1.00 0 2.00 0 3.00 0 4.0 00 5.0 00 6. 000 7 .000
T a sa (BP D )

C u r va IP R (O r igin al) C ur va IP R (Actual)

Figure N° 3. Influx performance of the well CD-40.

6 SPE 102436

E Q U IP O D E
AR E N A AR E A J -2 0 Y A C IM IE N T O L H T ( p ie s ) L H E (p ie s ) A N P ( p ie s )
L E V A N T A M IE N T O
C O -07 2127 2030 71
MO5 M o r ic h a l- 9 3 BCP
C I- 2 3 1 2014 1828 62
C I- 2 4 6 1989 1989 68
C I- 2 4 7 2000 2000 67
MO6 C I- 2 5 0 M o r ic h a l- 9 2 2007 2000 70 BES
C I- 2 3 5 2026 1966 58
C I- 2 3 7 2030 1958 61

P O Z O S C O N L IM P IE Z A P O Z O S S IN L IM P IE Z A
Tasa Real de Petróleo (BBD)

P o z o s C o n L im p ie z a

P o z o s S in L im p ie z a

T ie m p o (A ñ o s )

Figure N° 4. Production comparison among treated and non-cleaned up wells using CCT.

PER FO R A C IÓ N
C I-226 A R (C C T)

C I-230 PER FO R A C IÓ N A R (C C T)
J-20
C I-233 PER FO R A C IÓ N A R (C C T)

CD -39
Pozos

PER FO R A C IÓ N A R (C C T)

CD -46 PER FO R A C IÓ N A R (C C T)

CD -48
O -16
PER FO R A C IÓ N A R (C C T)

CI-228 A R (C C T)
PER FO R A C IÓ N
CI-239 PER FO R A C IÓ N A R (C C T)
A R (C O LA )

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Tiem po (años)

Graphic N° 2. Number of services summary for the wells which have not been cleaned up with CCT after drilling.
SPE 102436 7

CI-246 CAMBIO DE CAMBIO DE

CI-247 BOMBA BOMBA

CI-248
CI-249
PERFORACIÓN J-20
CI-250 CAMBIO DE
BOMBA
CO-O7
CD-40
CD-41
Pozos

CD-42 PERFORACIÓN
CD-43
CD-44
CD-45
CHB-43
CAMBIO DE
BOMBA
O-16
CHB-44 AR (CCT)

CHB-45
CHB-46 PERFORACIÓN
CI-240
AR (CCT)
CI-241
AR (CCT)
CI-242
PERFORACIÓN
CI-243
CI-245 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Tiempo (años)

Graphic N° 3. Number of services summary for the wells which have been cleaned up with CCT after drilling.

POSITIVO
> 15%
>1
1-2

Graphic N° 4. Economic Evaluation of the cleaned up wells which belong to O-16 and J-20 flow stations.