Well Completion

Techniques

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 Objectives

At the end of this lecture, you should be able to:

„ Describe typical completion procedures
„ List and describe basic well completion techniques
„ List the advantages and disadvantages of the well
completion techniques

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 Well Completions

After drilling, the well is “completed” for production of oil or

gas

May use the drilling rig for the initial well completion or utilize
workover/completion rig

Decision is based on location and economics

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 Well Completion Operations
Consists of a series of operations whose aim is to provide the
means of communication between the reservoir and the surface:
„ Perforating
„ Sand control installation
„ Production packer setting
„ Running the tubing string (with its components)
„ Safety valve installation (SSSV, SCSSV)
„ Xmas tree installation

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 Well Completion Techniques

Open hole

Liner (cemented, slotted or perforated)

Cased hole

Tubingless or Slimhole

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Open Hole (Barefoot) Completion

Casing

New reservoir

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 Open Hole Completions

Advantages
„ Eliminate Casing and Perforating costs
„ Maximum wellbore diameter opposite production interval
„ Easy to deepen well if required
„ Easily converted to screen or perforated liner completion

Disadvantages
„ Excessive Water or gas production difficult to control
„ Not easy to stimulate producing interval
„ Open hole section may require frequent clean–out
„ Can only be applied in well consolidated formation
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Liner Completions
Slotted or
perforated Permanent

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 Screen/Slotted Liner Completions
Advantages
„ Relatively cheap because of casing cost savings
„ Eliminate perforating costs
„ Screen can be sized for sand control
„ Improves bore–hole stability

Disadvantages
„ Excessive water or gas production difficult to control
„ Mud cake not removed – can result in damage
„ Not easy to stimulate producing interval – n o selectivity
„ Reduced diameter across producing interval

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 Perforated Liner Completions
Advantages
„ Excessive water and gas easily controlled
„ Selective stimulation possible
„ Relatively cheaper than Perforated Casing configuration
„ Adaptable to sand control techniques
„ Adaptable to multiple completions
„ Production Logging easy to run

Disadvantages
„ Well bore diameter restricted
„ Perforating cost can be significant
„ Greater danger of productivity impairment from completion skins
„ Liner cementation not as easily or as good as primary cementation
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Cased Hole

Oil or gas
reservoir

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 Perforated Casing Completions
Advantages
„ Excessive water and gas easily controlled
„ Selective stimulation possible
„ Well can be easily deepened
„ Adaptable to sand control techniques
„ Adaptable to multiple completions

Disadvantages
„ Perforating cost can be significant
„ Reduction of wellbore diameter
„ Greater danger of productivity impairment from completion skins

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Tubingless or Slimhole

Two to three strings can be

run for multiple completions
Smaller diameter
tubing string

Oil or gas
reservoir

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Completions
Completion Type Advantages Disadvantages
Cased Hole - Pressure control - More expensive
- Isolation of zones - Limited communication
- Control of stimulation to reservoir
- Wellbore Stability - Possible cement damage
Liner - Less expensive than - Cementing more difficult
casing entire hole - No control of flow if not
- Pressure and cemented
stimulation control - Slots plugged w/formation
(when cemented) - Limited control of
- Wellbore stability stimulation
Open Hole - Maximum flow area - No control of flow
- Minimize damage - Limited or no control of
stimulation
- Hole collapse in weak
formations
Slimhole - Lower Cost - Limited Workover
capability due to small
hole
- Limited stimulation rate
- No zone isolation

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 Typical Casing Schemes

Conventional Cemented Cemented Liner Cemented Monobore

20” 18 5/8 13 3/8
13 3/8 13 3/8

9 5/8”

9 5/8” 9 5/8”
3 1/2”
tubing
4 1/2” 7”
7”
tubing

7” 5½” 5½”
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 Well Completions (Vertical Wells)

Single Zone

Multiple Zones

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Single Zone Completion
* Single zone completion - One reservoir is producing.

Open-ended Packer

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Multiple Zone Completion
* Multiple zone completion - More than one reservoir is
producing.

Open - ended
(Commingled) Dual packer

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 Deviated and Horizontal Wells

Special application of basic completion methods

Early approach was to utilize openhole completions in
horizontal wells
„ Problems with sand control
„ Problems with controlling fluids

Issues with standard completion equipment

„ Wireline tools, etc.

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 Deviated Wells

Deviations up to approximately 60-65o

„ Standard equipment generally suitable
„ Tool length and diameter of major concern

Radius of curvature of drilled wellbore

„ Affects ability to run casing
„ Limits tool length
„ Affects artificial lift installations

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 Horizontal Wells

Required new/modified completion equipment or

techniques
„ Zonal isolation
„ Placement of equipment in horizontal
„ Stimulation techniques
„ Perforating
„ Production logging
„ Intervention Issues

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 Horizontal Completions

Openhole Completion
„ True openhole
„ Slotted or preperforated liner/casing
„ Segmented uncemented liner/casing

Cased and Cemented Completion

„ Premium completion
„ Liner/casing run to end of horizontal and cemented in place

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 Slotted Liner
in Open Horizontal Hole
PACKER • Used worldwide
• Prevents hole collapse
• Eases re-entry
• Total lack of zone isolation
options
LINER HANGER • Do not use where water
breakthrough is anticipated
• Do not use where stimulation
is required
Slotted Liner

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 Cemented Conventional
PACKER
North Sea Europe
Far East Alaska
• Conventional completion
turned horizontal
• All zone isolation & flow
control options
LINER HANGER • High expense
• Loss of productivity
CEMENT . Formation damage from
cement
PERFORATIONS
. Perforation damage

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 West Africa - Horizontal Well

4 1/2” tubing

Seal bore
Packer SC-1LR receptacle
Bull plug

0.012” pre-packed 0.040” slotted liner

slim pak screens

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 West Africa - ECP with Slotted Liner

5 1/2” TR-SSSV

5 1/2” Tubing

Side Pocket Mandrel

(Gaslift) 1
4 /2” Tubing

Permanent gauges External Casing Packer

SPM (Circulation)

ELTSR

9 5/8” Packer (ca 60°)

8 1/2” Lateral drainage hole: 2000 - 3000 Ft.
9 5/8” Shoe (90°)

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 IT 4447485

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 Considerations

Type of formation
„ Homogeneous
„ Heterogeneous
„ Naturally Fractured

Type of well
„ Oil or gas
„ Near oil/gas contact or oil/water contact

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 Homogeneous Formation

Easy to accommodate completion design

Generally requires little isolation of zonal segments
Well adapted to openhole completion if reservoir is competent

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 Heterogeneous Formation

Reservoir quality and pressure can vary of horizontal length

May require “segments” be isolated to accommodate selective
stimulation
Depending on permeability, some sections may require little or
significant stimulation
Cemented and perforated or segmented uncemented liner
completion appropriate

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 Naturally Fractured Reservoir

Must pick proper wellbore orientation

Desire to intersect the maximum number of fractures by drilling
perpendicular to the fracture orientation
Must leave fractures in an undamaged state
Best suited for openhole or preperforated liner completion

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 Naturally Fractured Reservoir

If fracture density is low, then well may not be economical

without massive stimulation
Cased and cemented completion will allow hydraulic fracture
treatment to attempt to create fractures perpendicular to the
wellbore

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 Oil and Gas Wells

Stimulation requirements dictate best well completion approach

„ Can you obtain suitable stimulation with the casing
completion configuration?
„ Small acid treatments may be accomplished in an openhole
or uncemented liner completion
„ Large hydraulic fracture treatment will generally require
cased and cemented completion

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 Gas/Oil or Oil/Water Contacts

Need the ability to perform remedial actions in the horizontal

section
May require the ability to provide zonal isolation
Selective isolation ability is a major benefit in the completion
design
„ External casing packers (ECP)
„ New “sliding sleeve” or ported liners

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 - South America

CASING 7” - N80

Leg “B” Leg “A”

Azimuth 197° Azimuth 48°
TVD

MD = 1421 m KOP = 1040 m MD = 1435 m

Dev = 89.3° Dev = 90.6°
TVD = 1106 TVD = 1102
KOP = 1054 m
Casing 3 1/2”
Open Hole 6 1/8” Open Hole 6 1/8”

240 m 311m

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 Well Planning- Drivers

An “Effective” Well is that Well which contributes maximum

monetary value over its life cycle.
Key Drivers
„ Optimize well costs
„ Optimize well productivity
„ Optimize life-cycle operating expense

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 Summary

You should now be able to:

„ List typical and describe completion techniques for vertical,
deviated and horizontal wells
„ List advantages and disadvantages for the completion
techniques
„ Describe typical completion procedures

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