Well Completions

COMPLETIONS

What is a Completion?
The design, selection and installation of tubular, tools and
equipment, in the wellbore, for the purpose of conveying,
pumping or controlling production (or injection) fluids
Three Basic Functions of a completion
Let reservoir fluids into the well, from where it can then flow or be
pumped to the surface.

Keep over or underlying water out of the well.

Keep the formation out of the well.

Top Level Completion Design Objectives

Optimize Production
Adequate Monitoring & Servicing
Suitable Components for Well Environment and Changes
Consistent with Reservoir Strategy
Ensure ROI via:
Cost efficient Installation
Reliability
Risk Management

Safe: Well security, environment

Secondary Level Completion Design Objectives

Production Conduit with optimized flow
Component selection and evaluation
Installation, Stimulation, Production, and Removal
Identify Failure Modes & Prioritize by severity and probability
Generate Contingency Plans and integrate into design
Ensure consistency with top level objectives

Completion Design
Process
No

Define & Justify

Define
& Justify
Key Well
Objectives
Key Well Objectives
Well Proposal
Well Proposal
Define Completion
Define Objectives
Completion
Objectives

Res.
Res. Exploitation
Exploitation Strategy
Strategy
Surface
Surface Constraints
Constraints
Well
Well Lifetime
Lifetime Requirements
Requirements
Monitoring
Monitoring Requirements
Requirements
Workover
Workover && de-completion
de-completion
Cost
Cost Model
Model

Confirm Feasibility
Confirm Feasibility

Analogues
Analogues and
and Field
Field Data
Data
Well
Well Geometry
Geometry
Reservoir
Reservoir Communication
Communication
Reservoir
Reservoir Rock
Rock Data
Data

Inflow Model
Inflow Model
Yes

Outflow Model
Outflow Model
Detailed Design
Detailed
Drill & Design
Complete
Drill & Complete

Feasible
Feasible

Operate & Maintain

Operate & Maintain
No
No

Requirements
Requirements
Met?
Met?
Optimized
Optimized
Solution
Solution

Fluid
Fluid Data
Data
Stimulation
Stimulation
Sand
Sand Control
Control
Tubing
Tubing Size
Size
Artificial
Artificial Lift
Lift
Well
Well Design
Design Model
Model
Facilities
Facilities Model
Model
Cost
Cost VS
VS Benefit
Benefit Analysis
Analysis

Completion Design Parameters: Location

Land
Remote
Urban
Offshore
Shelf
Deepwater

Completion Design Parameters: Reservoir

Physical Parameters

Depth
Pressure
Temperature
Size
Shape

Height/Thickness
Rock Composition
Sand Stone, or Carbonate
Consolidated or Weak
Cementation material

Rock Properties

Permeability

Completion Design Parameters: Reservoir Fluid

Physical Parameters
Oil Density (API gravity)
Gas Gravity
Bubble Point
Viscosity
Gas Oil Ratio
Water Oil Ratio
Chemical Properties
Composition
Wax and Asphaltenes
Corrosive & Toxic impurities
Scaling agents

Completion Design Parameters: Wellbore Configuration

Geometry

Vertical
Horizontal
Casing Size
Open Hole Size
Trajectory
Perforation requirements
Intervention requirements

Reservoir Interface

Produce / Inject

Parts of a completions
Lower Sandface Completion: Productivity

Vertical or Horizontal
Open hole (Bare foot)
Cased & Perforated
Screens
ICDs
Active Down Hole Flow Control
Monitoring

Upper Completion: Safety & Connectivity

ESP
Safety Valve
Nipples
Sliding sleeves
Injection Mandrels
Monitoring

Packers

Cased hole packers

Open hole packers
Swell Packers
Multiport packers

http://gotech.nmt.edu/gotech/Petroleum
_Data/General.aspx

http://gotech.nmt.edu/gotech/Petroleum_Data/General.aspx
http://www.petroleumoffice.com/functions

https://breakingintowallstreet.com/biws/oil-gas-modeling?utm_source=biws&

Oil Drilling | Oil & Gas Animations

https://youtu.be/SfazJ6P_g7w
Process Safety Management Training
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20-z4d_vrTE
How to Draw a P&ID (Piping and Instrumentation Diagram) - Separators

http://www.reocities.com/irbyhl/Peteng.htm

THE RESERVOIR

Henry Darcy
In 1856 Darcy (1803-1858) performed experiments for the design of
sand filters for water purification in France
Henry Darcy's law of fluid flow through porous media forms the basis
of hydrogeology.
Experiments on water flow through sand led Darcy to formulate the
empirical law that he published in1856 as an appendix to his book Les
Fontaines publiques de la ville de Dijon.
THE PUBLIC FOUNTAINS OF THE CITY OF DIJON
EXPERIENCE AND APPLICATION PRINCIPLES TO FOLLOW
AND FORMULAS TO BE USED IN THE QUESTION OF THE
DISTRIBUTION OF WATER
by
HENRY DARCY
INSPECTOR GENERAL OF BRIDGES AND ROADS
1856

Darcys Equation
Darcys equation for liquid flow in Laminar regime through a permeable
medium

7.08 10 k h p pwf
3

re 3
o Bo ln s
rw 4

Radial Flow Model

Pe
Pwf

rw

re

dr

Critical Matrix
The area of formation that is 3' to 5' from the wellbore.
Why is it critical?

P1

P2

Radial Flow

V1

V2
V2
V2

V1

V1

P3

Pressure Drop in Critical matrix

Even if there is no damaged zone, pressure drop is greatest close to the
wellbore radius.
As fluids approach the wellbore, the area available to flow is
decreasing (2rh)
Pressure losses increase as fluids approach wellbore.

NODAL ANALYSIS

Journey from reservoir to the separator

There are four major segments between the reservoir and
the separator where pressure loss occurs (energy is used) .
Reservoir (Inflow performance curve)
Sandface completion (Perforation, Screens, GP)
Wellbore (Tubing Intake curve)
Flow Line (Wellhead to separator)
NODAL Analysis
System graph
Solution node

What is NODAL Analysis ?

Tool to analyze pressure losses through different parts of the well
Segments the reservoir & well system into areas where pressure
losses occur
Fluid & Reservoir properties
Wellbore configuration
Inflow performance curve (Reservoir & Sandface Completion)
Outflow performance curve (Tubing and surface flow lines)
Solution node
System graph

Pressure Losses in Well System

P4 = (Pwh - Psep)
Pwh

Gas

Psep

Sales line

Liquid

Stock tank

P1 = Pr - Pwfs = Loss in reservoir

P2 = Pwfs - Pwf = Loss across completion

P3 = Pwf - Pwh

Pwf

P3 = Pwf - Pwh

= Loss in tubing

P4 = Pwh - Psep

= Loss in flowline

PT = Pr - Psep

= Total pressure loss

Pwfs

Pr

Pe

P1 = (Pr - Pwfs)
P2 = (Pwfs - Pwf)
Adapted from Mach et al, SPE 8025, 1979.

NODAL Analysis
P4 = (Pwh - Psep)
Pwh

Gas

Psep

Sales line

Liquid

Stock tank

P1 = Pr - Pwfs = Loss in reservoir

P2 = Pwfs - Pwf = Loss across completion

P3 = Pwf - Pwh

Pwf

P3 = Pwf - Pwh

= Loss in tubing

P4 = Pwh - Psep

= Loss in flowline

PT = Pr - Psep

= Total pressure loss

Pwfs

Pr

Pe

P1 = (Pr - Pwfs)
P2 = (Pwfs - Pwf)
Adapted from Mach et al, SPE 8025, 1979.

Inflow Performance Relationship

Inflow Performance is the ability of the
reservoir to deliver oil or gas through the
formation and is described by the
pressure drop to flow rate response of the
reservoir.
The IPR depends on reservoir parameters
and reservoir fluid characteristics.

Inflow Performance Relationship

Darcys equation for single phase liquid flow in Laminar
regime through a permeable medium

qo =

-3

7.08 x 10 kh (Pr - Pwf)

For Gas
4

qg

re

B ln
0.75 s

rw

2
r

7.03E k g h P Pwf2

re
0.75 S t Dq g
g Z T ln
rw