Completion Methods

By
Huner Kareem
 Well Completion Techniques

• Cased hole
• Liner (cemented, slotted or perforated)
• Openhole
• Tubingless or slimhole
• Gravel pack (special case required for control
of formation sand)
 Casing Scheme
Surface

Conductor/
stovepipe

Surface
casing

Immediate
casing

Production
casing

Production
liner
 Cementing
Hole
 Provides zonal isolation.
Casing
 Supports axial load of casing. Cement
 Protects casing against
corrosion and erosion
 Provides support to borehole gas zone
in plastic or unconsolidated
formations

oil zone
 Casing/Cementing Procedure
Cement
Mud
Displacement

Set Cement Top plug

Bottom plug
Casing
New hole
Mud Cement
circulating Drill pipe
Top plug
Float shoe Drill bit
Bottom plug

Continue Drilling
 Cementing Problems
• Contamination of cement by mud
• Reduction in cement bonding to formation
caused by mud cake, solids
• Channeling caused by laminar flow in annulus
• Lost circulation caused by additional
hydrostatic head of high-density cement
 Casing
Cement

Openhole
Completion Casing Shoe

Oil
Sand
 Slotted Liner
Cement
Completion
Casing
Hanger
(usually with a packer)

Casing Shoe

Slotted Liner

Oil
Liner Shoe
Sand
 Cemented Liner
Cement Completion
Casing
Hanger
(usually with a packer)

Casing Shoe

Cemented Liner

Oil
Liner Shoe
Sand
 Gravel Pack

GP Packer
Crossover

Washpipe
Blank Pipe

Screens Gravel (sand)

Sump Packer Fracture created,

sometimes propped
 Comparison of 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
 Perforating
• Establishes communication with the reservoir
by “shooting” holes through the casing
Perforated
Casing
Wellbore Conditions While Perforating

• Overbalanced

• Underbalanced
 Overbalanced Perforating

Completion fluid
in wellbore
Casing

Cement
Perforations can be plugged
with debris in wellbore
Perforating gun

Pressure controls well Oil or gas

during completion reservoir

Pres< phyd > pres

 Underbalanced Perforating

Completion fluid
in wellbore
Casing

Cement
Perforations will be clean
from surge in wellbore
Perforating gun

Well will be ‘live’ and

Oil or gas
need control after
reservoir
perforating

Pres> phyd < pres

Completion Equipment
• Wellhead
• Tubing
• Packers
• Bridge plugs
• Seating nipples
Components of a Typical Well
Wing valve Pressure gauge

Choke Tee
Master valve
Casing valve
To production
Tubing head
equipment
Casing head

Tubing

Casing
Packer

Perforations
Oil or gas sand
 Wing valve

Wellhead Choke
assembly

Dual
master
valves

Tubing hanger

Tubing
head

Casing
head

Braden
head
Casing
strings Tubing
 Well Components
‘Angel’

Wellhead monitors and

controls well pressures ‘Christmas tree’

Tubing

Casing
Packers

Oil or gas sand Perforations

Wellhead

Tubing head
Suspend casing and
tubing in well

Casing head
 Wellhead
Wing valve
Controls
production line Master valve

Stops fluid flow, shutting in

well

To production
equipment Casing valve
 Wellhead
Pressure gauges

Choke Tee

To production
equipment
 Tubing
Tubing

Casing
• Type and size depend
on well conditions
• Diameter must be
designed for expected
flow rate

Fluids flow into

tubing
Pressure drop in tubing can restrict
Producing flow/injection rate.
perforations
 Packers
Packers

• Protect annulus from fluid

Fluids flow into flow
tubing

Producing • Provide seal in well to isolate

perforations formation for production or
stimulation
• May be permanent or retrievable
 Packers
Straddle Packers
Isolated
• Prevent fluid from entering tubing
perforations

• Used in gas zones, cases of

excess water production
Packers
Fluids flow into
tubing

Producing
perforations
 Single Packer
• Most common retrievable packer in use
• Commonly made of elastomers

Hold down
buttons prevent movement of the packer

Sealing or packing element

expands against the casing either hydraulically or
mechanically

Slips
Friction
blocks
Dual Packer
Dual tubing strings
• Prevents commingling of produced
fluids

Unidirectional slips

Sealing or packing element

Bridge Plug
• Isolates intervals above and below
or plugs off formation
• Retrievable plugs
– safety valves to plug well during repairs or
abandonment
– can be repeatedly set and released without
coming out of hole
• Permanent plugs
– commonly used for zone abandonment
– must be drilled out of hole
Standard Seating Nipple
• Provides a place to ‘set’ tools or
equipment in well
– Temporary plugs, downhole pumps, pressure
gauges, etc.
• Prevents unwanted passage of certain
diameter tools
• Isolates zone to control pressure
• Serves as a safety device for logging
tools not to exit the end of tubing
– Equipment normally run on slick line (small,
non-electric wireline)
Well Stimulation
 Reasons to Stimulate
• Increase production efficiency or flow capacity
– Overcome formation damage
– Enhance production from lowpermeability
wells
• Connect with natural fracture system
• Increase effective drainage area
• Produce complex reservoirs (e.g., discontinuous
sand bars)
• Increase wellbore stability (minimize drawdown)
 Stimulation Treatments
• Matrix treatments
– Near-wellbore region
– Chemicals such as acids, surfactants and
inhibitors

• Hydraulic fracturing
– Acid fracturing
– Proppant fracturing
 Matrix Treatments
• Acids remove damage
• Other chemicals plug excess water
Wellbore
or gas production

Reservoir
Damaged
Sandstone, 1 ft
region
Carbonates, a few feet

rd
 Matrix Acidizing
Pressure distribution for
same production rate Matrix stimulation
results in
radial flow
After stimulation

Before stimulation

Wellbore
Pressure Stimulated zone

Distance from wellbore

Coiled
Tubing

Pump
Acid

(a)
(b) Production
Tubing

Casing

Perforations

Circulating Squeezing
acid down acid away
 Acid Fracturing
• No proppant
• Acid injection above the formation parting
pressure
 Hydraulic Fracturing
Highconductivity pathway for reservoir fluids Width may be mm’s

Shale

Fracture
Zone Pack with sand or other proppants

(low-permeability formation)

Shale

Water
Fractured zone between rock
barriers Lf
(May be several feet)
 Flow Patterns

rw

Fracture
Lf
 Good Stimulation Candidates
Damaged wells

Shale

Naturally fractured
Tight reservoirs with
reservoirs
economic potential
(sometimes)

Shale

Water
Unconsolidated, highpermeability
reservoirs (sometimes)
 Poor Stimulation Candidates
Reservoirs where stimulation fluid reaction
with reservoir fluid leads to severe damage

Shale

Low-pressure reservoirs where Reservoirs with

cleanup of hydraulic fracture fluid is limited reserves
difficult

Shale

Water

Reservoirs where stimulation can penetrate water zones and cause excess water
production
 Effect of Reservoir Permeability on Overall
Pressure Drop
Pressure
High Permeability pe

Low Permeability
pwf

Flow Rate Fixed

rw Distance From Well re
 Effect of Skin Factor on Pressure
Pressure

pe
pwf
(Skin = 0)
Pskin
Flow Rate Fixed
pwf
(Positive Skin) Damage
Zone

rw rd Distance From Well re r

 Reading Assignment
Drilling and Completion

• SPE/IADC 37613, “The Evolution of

Profitable Drilling in Prudhoe Bay: A Case of
Adapting to Survive”
• SPE 26596, “An Evaluation of Prudhoe Bay
Horizontal and High-Angle Wells After 5
Years of Production”
 Summary
Well Stimulation

• Reasons to stimulate
• Stimulation treatments
– Matrix acidizing
– Hydraulic fracturing
• Stimulation candidates
• Effects of skin factor on pressure
 Summary
Drilling and Completion

• Rotary drilling rig

• Drilling fluids
• Types of drilling rigs
• Deviated wells
• Drilling problems
• Completion methods
• Well stimulation
 Exercises
Completion
 Exercise 1
• What are some of the functions of casing?
• Give four reasons why casing is cemented into
the well.
• Describe gravel packing.
 Exercise 2
• Describe possible wellbore and formation
pressure while perforating, and explain the
advantages and disadvantages of each.
• List and describe the equipment commonly
used in completing a well.
 Exercise 3
• Describe two stimulation techniques.
• What kinds of wells are good candidates for
stimulation?
• What kinds of wells are poor candidates?