Table Of ContentWELL CONTROL
FOR COMPLETIONS
AND INTERVENTIONS
HOWARD CRUMPTON
SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers),
Point Five (Well Services) Ltd. Isle of Skye, Scotland
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
In April 2010 I was teaching a Tubing Stress Analysis course to a group of
completion and drilling engineers from BP and Chevron at the Drilling
Training Alliance facility in Houston, Texas. On the morning of the 21st I
began to hear rumors of a major incident out in the Gulf of Mexico
involving the Deepwater Horizon; a semisubmersible drilling rig con-
tractedbyBPtodrillawellintheMacondofield.SwitchingonthenewsI
watched the first reports of the Macondo blowout. The BP engineers on
my course did not make it in that day, or for the rest of the week. In the
aftermath oftheMacondoblowout,Ibecameinvolvedin thecreation of a
Completion and Well Intervention Well Control course for the operating
companyShell.Itwasthewritingof aWellControlManualtoaccompany
thatcoursethatgavemethemotivationtowritethisbook.
Completions and Interventions covers an extremely wide range of dis-
ciplines and techniques; although I have spent almost 40 years working
exclusively in this field, I do not know everything and continue to learn.
In writing this book I have drawn heavily upon the huge range of litera-
ture available on the subject. I have also drawn upon the advice and
expertise of many subject matter experts. Thanks are due to Bob Baister
and Peter Plummer with whom I shared the challenging, but enjoyable
task of creating the advanced well control course for Shell. Thanks, are
also due to Jonathan Bellarby. His own experiences in writing the excel-
lent Completion Design book have enabled him to pass on a great deal of
very much needed advice and guidance. I would also like to thank Katie
Hammon and Kattie Washington at Elsevier for their endless patience; I
would originally thought this book would take about a year to write. It is
been nearer to 3 years!
This book was written from our home on the Isle of Skye; a wonder-
ful place to live, but far too many distractions. When the weather is fine
the urge to be up in the hills or out on the sea is sometimes irresistible.
On top of these distractions I have had to juggle writing with my many
overseas teaching assignments (Completion design and Intervention
courses). My wonderful wife, Anita, has had to put up with me disap-
pearing into my study to write—sometimes after long absences abroad.
xi
xii Acknowledgments
Despite this, her support throughout has been unstinting. She has shared
her scientific expertise (BSc Hon, PhD, Chemistry) and her advice and
guidance have been invaluable. She has read and questioned me on every
word I have written, and I could not have finished this book without her.
Howard Crumpton
Isle of Skye. January 2018
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CONTENTS
Acknowledgments xi
1. Introduction andWellControl Fundamentals 1
1.1 Introduction 1
References 64
2. Well Construction andCompletion Design 65
2.1 WellConstruction 65
2.2 TypesofCompletion 67
2.3 Summary 85
References 85
3. Completion Equipment 87
3.1 TheWellhead,TubingHanger,andChristmasTree 87
3.2 Tubulars 99
3.3 TubularConnections 102
3.4 ProductionLiners 104
3.5 WirelineEntryGuides 107
3.6 LinerTopSealAssembly 107
3.7 FluidLossControlValves 109
3.8 LandingNipple 110
3.9 FlowCouplingsandBlastJoints 112
3.10 ProductionPackers 113
3.11 PackerSetting 117
3.12 Packer-to-TubingConnection 117
3.13 ChemicalInjectionMandrels 120
3.14 DownholePressureandTemperatureGauges 121
3.15 SlidingSleeves 122
3.16 PortedNipples 123
3.17 InflowValves(IntelligentCompletions) 123
3.18 SidePocketMandrels 123
3.19 SubsurfaceSafetyValves 125
3.20 LubricatorValves 132
3.21 ControlLines 133
v
vi Contents
3.22 ControlLineClamps 134
References 136
4. Well Control Surface Equipment 137
4.1 Introduction 137
4.2 TheBlowOutPreventerStack 138
4.3 RoutineTestingofBlowOutPreventionEquipment 144
4.4 KillandChokeLinesandtheChokeManifold 148
4.5 Chokes 150
4.6 GateValves 153
4.7 AnnularPreventers 156
4.8 RamPreventers 163
4.9 BlowOutPreventerControlSystem 168
4.10 InPipeShut-OffDevices 174
4.11 MudGasSeparator 178
4.12 FluidStorage 180
4.13 Flanges,RingGaskets,andSeals(API6A) 183
References 186
5. Completion, Workover, andIntervention Fluids 189
5.1 Introduction 189
5.2 BrineSelection 189
5.3 BrineDensity 190
5.4 CrystallizationTemperature 196
5.5 SafetyandtheEnvironment 199
5.6 BrineCompatibility 200
5.7 BrineClarityandSolidsContent 206
5.8 BrineFiltration 207
5.9 FluidLossControl 207
5.10 HowMuchBrineIsNeeded? 212
5.11 AlternativestoBrine 214
References 215
6. Well Barriers 217
6.1 DefiningWellBarriersandWellBarrierElements 217
6.2 BarrierClassification 218
6.3 BarrierTesting 220
6.4 InflowTesting 221
6.5 NonconformanceWithBarrierPolicy 222
Contents vii
6.6 BarrierRequirementsinSubhydrostaticReservoirs 223
6.7 WellInterventionWellControlBarriers 223
6.8 HydraulicWorkover(Snubbing)Unit:LiveWellOperations 225
6.9 WellBarrierSchematics 225
References 234
7. Well Kill, Kick Detection, and Well Shut-In 235
7.1 Introduction 235
7.2 WorkoverandInterventionWellKillPlanning 237
7.3 WellKill:ReverseCirculation 240
7.4 Non-CirculatingKill:Bullhead 277
7.5 GasLawsandGasBehavior 287
7.6 ProcedureforControllingGasMigration 290
7.7 Lubricate-and-Bleed 294
7.8 CausesandDetectionofKicks 312
7.9 KickDetection 322
7.10 MinimizingtheInflux 323
7.11 Shut-InProcedures 326
7.12 RegainingWellControlFollowingaKick 329
7.13 CompletionandWorkover:WellControlContingencies 342
References 359
8. Pumping and Stimulation 361
8.1 PumpingEquipment 362
8.2 TemporaryHighPressureLines 365
8.3 PumpingOperations 372
8.4 WellControlConsiderationsDuringPumpingandStimulationOperations 376
8.5 OperationSpecificWellIntegrityandWellControlConcerns 389
8.6 ThePriceofGettingItWrong 390
References 391
9. Wireline Operations 393
9.1 WirelineInterventionsinLiveWells 394
9.2 TheWire 395
9.3 WirelineSurfaceEquipment 401
9.4 WirelineDownholeEquipment 445
9.5 WellControlDuringWirelineInterventions 449
9.6 WellControlDuringLiveWellWirelineInterventions 457
References 480
viii Contents
10.CoiledTubingWell Control 483
10.1 Introduction 483
10.2 CoiledTubingEquipment 484
10.3 WellControlEquipment 487
10.4 TheInjectorHead 500
10.5 DownholeToolsandtheCoiledTubingBottomHoleAssembly 511
10.6 CoiledTubingOperations 515
10.7 GeneralCoiledTubingOperatingGuidelines 530
10.8 WellControlandEmergencyProcedures 542
References 565
11.HydraulicWorkover (Snubbing) Operation 567
11.1 Introduction 567
11.2 HydraulicWorkoverOperations 568
11.3 HydraulicWorkoverUnits:TheAdvantages 569
11.4 RigUpConfiguration:AnOverview 570
11.5 HydraulicWorkoverUnit 570
11.6 WellControlandWellControlEquipment 582
11.7 OperationalPlanningandProcedures 604
11.8 WellControlandContingencyProcedures 623
11.9 WhyWellControlMatters 630
References 631
12.Well Control DuringWellTest Operations 633
12.1 Introduction 633
12.2 IndustryStandards 634
12.3 WellOffloadingandClean-Up 636
12.4 WellTestSurfaceEquipment 637
12.5 WellTesting:DownholeEquipment 653
12.6 DrillStemTestComponents 656
12.7 WellTestingOperations 663
12.8 EmergenciesandContingencyPlans 676
References 680
13.SubseaCompletion andInterventionRiserSystems 681
13.1 Introduction 681
13.2 SubseaBlowOutPreventerandMarineRiserSystems 681
13.3 SubseaWellheadSystems 690
Contents ix
13.4 SubseaWellConstruction 691
13.5 WellheadIntegrity 693
13.6 SubseaTrees 694
13.7 SubseaTreeRiserSystems 701
13.8 SubseaInterventionandWorkoverControlSystems 716
References 721
14.Well Control DuringSubsea Completion and Workover
Operations 723
14.1 SubseaWellControl 723
14.2 Shut-InProcedure 735
14.3 Shut-InProceduresWhilstRunningorPullingaCompletion 737
14.4 Pre-workover:PlannedWellKill 738
14.5 SubseaInterventions 743
14.6 RiggingUpUsingaCoiledTubingLiftFrame 743
14.7 WellboreAccess:HorizontalTrees 745
14.8 WellboreAccess:VerticalTrees 749
14.9 WellControlDuringSubseaInterventionOperations 749
14.10 InterventionRiserDisconnect 756
14.11 AdditionalWellControlandWellIntegrityConsiderationsforSubsea
InterventionOperations 762
14.12 CoiledTubingOperations 763
14.13 StimulationOperations:WorkingWithFracBoats 767
14.14 WellTestingOperations 767
15.SubseaWirelineLubricator Interventions 769
15.1 Mono-HullInterventionVessels 769
15.2 TheDerrick 771
15.3 SubseaInterventionLubricatorSystems 771
15.4 OperationsWiththeSubseaLubricator 780
15.5 LubricatorDeployment 780
15.6 WirelineWellEntry 781
15.7 WirelineOperations:WellControlProcedures 784
Reference 788
Index 789
CHAPTERONE
Introduction and Well Control
Fundamentals
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Wellcontrolistheprimaryobjectiveofanyworkoveroperation.1
The primary goal of every completion and workover is to complete the task in
asafeandefficientmanner.2
Well pressure control is the most critical consideration in the planning and per-
forminganywellservicingoperation.3
Three statements from three different manuals, each one dealing with
the management of well control during completion and workover opera-
tions. Most instructional documents covering intervention well control
have similar opinions. Clearly, our industry recognizes the importance of
well control during well servicing work. And yet, despite these concerns,
accidents and incidents still occur. Well control incidents attributable to
completion, workover, and intervention activities account for a significant
proportion of the total.
As the Table 1.1 shows, exploration drilling carries the highest risk;
this is to be expected. However, completion, workover, and intervention
activities account for more well control incidents than development dril-
ling, at more than one third of the total.
Whilst these statistics are the result of a study of one area (Texas and
the Gulf Coast), they are symptomatic of a worldwide problem. There
are several compelling explanations for why well control problems occur
so frequently during completion, workover, and intervention activities.
(cid:129) Many workover operations are carried out to repair or replace failing
equipment. Working on a well where integrity is already compro-
mised increases the risk.
WellControlforCompletionsandInterventions. ©2018ElsevierLtd.
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-100196-7.00001-4 Allrightsreserved. 1
