Managed Pressure Cementing, Drilling Successfully Implemented in First Deployment in Deep Jurassic Reservoirs of West Kuwait

Use surface backpressure to enable the customer to adjust the bottomhole pressure (BHP) instantly.
Enhance kick/loss detection capability and manage the BHP while maintaining pipe movement.
Reduce the potential nonproductive time (NPT) from a kick/loss scenario.
Minimize losses and influxes while cementing the 7 5/8-in. liner and improve wellbore integrity.

Weatherford managed pressure drilling (MPD) experts deployed the fully automated MPD system including a rotating control device (RCD) 7875, a fully automated MPD choke manifold controlled by the Victus™ Intelligent MPD System, and a Coriolis mass flowmeter to enable MPD and managed pressure cementing (MPC) techniques.
The team was able to develop and execute the first full MPC operation in this field while following the pumping schedule throughout the cement job to navigate in narrow pressure margin of well losses and gains.

The fully automated MPD system used surface backpressure to adjust the BHP and allowed the well to be drilled without any well control issues or stuck pipe events.
As a result of the implementation of MPD, constant equivalent circulating density (ECD) was maintained during pumps on and off, enabling the customer to understand the well behavior and operating pressure window. With a constant ECD, field personnel were able to manage the pressure while drilling, stripping the liner in the wellbore, and a successful cementing operation.
MPC improved zonal isolation by cementing the 7 5/8-in. liner in the narrow downhole pressure margin (PP 17.8 ppg and FP 18.7 ppg).
The cementing operation was performed without any gain/loss event and the integrity was positively confirmed by the cement bond log requested by the customer and compared to offset wells.
MPC techniques maintained the original cement slurry density, enabling placement of the cement at the optimal pumping rates and maximizing the cement strength.
No health, safety, or environment (HSE) incidents were recorded during the MPC job's flawless execution.
Weatherford’s comprehensive solution—customized to this well by a thorough understanding of the downhole conditions and boundaries—translated to a successful drilling and cementing engineering strategy with MPD.

Details

Location

West Kuwait

Well Type

Onshore development, deviated 42°

Formation

Limestone

Hole Size

9-1/4 in.

Production Casing Size

7 5/8-in. liner

Measuring Depth

16,945 ft (5,164 m)

Products/Services

Tubular Running Assurance