Lecture 2B M.

Tech PE /2011-12

WELL COMPLETIONS

BY

Prof. A. K. Pathak
Associate Professor & Head
Department of Petroleum Engineering
Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad – 826004

INTRUDUCTION: well completion means transformation of well from drilling

efforts to the production unit. The following operations are involved in well
completion.
i. Drilling through the producing zones, coring, logging of zone etc.
ii. Placing the proper production casing and cementing.
iii. Perforating.
iv. Installing tubing, packer and well head assembly.
v. Well activation and stimulation if required.
Earlier to proceeding ahead with operations in well completion, primary
decision to be taken is about the type of completion i.e. bottom hole setting.
The subsurface and well head equipments are to be selected. The basic types
of well completion methods are as follows-
i. Open Hole completion.
ii. Perforated completion
OPEN HOLE COMPLETION
The casing is set on top of producing zone.

ADVANTAGE:

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 i. No obstruction between formation and well bore.
ii. Full diameter opposite to pay zone is available for production.
iii. No perforation expenses.
iv. Easily converted to liner or perforated completion techniques.
v. With gravel pack provides excellent sand control method where
productivity is important.
LIMITATIONS:
i. Excessive gas or water production difficult to control.
ii. Selective fracturing or acidizing becomes more difficult.
iii. Casing set “in the dark” before the pay zone is drilled or logged.
iv. Requires more rig time on completion
v. May require frequent clean out operation s in bore hole.
PERFORATED COMPLETION

Casing is cemented through producing zone and perforated.

ADVANTAGE:
i. Excessive gas or water production can be controlled more easily.
ii. Can be selectively stimulated.
iii. Loose sand formation is available to assist in decision to set casing
or abandon.
iv. Full diameter opposite pay.

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 v. Will control most sands, and is adaptable to special sand control
techniques.
vi. Adaptable to multiple completion techniques.
vii. Minimum rig time on completion.
LIMITATIONS:
i. Cost of perforating long zones may be significant.
ii. Obstruction between formation and well bore.
iii. Poor perforation may reduce production capacity significantly.
The perforated type of completion can further be of two types.
- Single zone completion
- Multiple zone completion.
SINGLE ZONE COMPLETION

Factors leading to selection of single zone completion as compared to

other type completions are high producing rates, corrosive well fluids, high
pressures, government policies and operator traditions.
Various hooks up are possible depending on objectives. Basic
questions concern use of tubing and packers. Many wells are produced
without tubing. This possibility should be considered. Valid reasons for the
use of tubing may include-
i. Better flow efficiency.
ii. Permit circulation of kill fluids, corrosion inhibitors or paraffin
solvents.
iii. Provide multiple flow paths for artificial lift system.
iv. Protect casing from corrosion, anrasion or pressure.
v. Provides means of monitoring bottom hole flowing pressure.
Tubing should be run open ended and set above highest alternate
completion interval to permit thru-tubing wire line surveys and remedial
work.
A packer should be run only where it accomplishes a valid objective
such as-
- improve or stabilize flow.

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 - Protect casing from well fluids or pressure. However it should be
recognised that use of a packer may increase pressure on
casing in the event of a tubing leak.
- Contain pressure in conjunction with an artificial lift system or
safety in system.
- Hold an annular well killing fluid.
Where packers are used, landing nipples to permit installation of
bottom hole chokes or safety valves are sometimes desirable. Also a
circulating device is desired to assist in bringing in killing the well.
In a high volume, annular flow well, where casing can sustain
shut – in well pressure, and safety shut-in capability is required. It may
desirable to run a tubing string to bottom, but set a packer and surface
controlled safety valve within several hundred feet of the surface. Well
fluids then flow through both the annulus and tubing to point
immediately below the packer. Here all flow is brought in to the tubing
through the safety control valve, and then back in to both the annulus
and tubing the surface. Thus safety valve control is maintained, but
pressure restriction is minimized.
MULTIPLE ZONE COMPLETION
Factors leading to selecting multiple zone completion are high
production rates, faster pay out and multi-reservoir control requirements.
Numerous configurations are possible utilizing single or multiple string of
tubing

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 SINGLE STRING SINGLE PACKER SYSTEM
There is both tubing and annulus flow of the producing formation fluid. This is
the lowest cost conventional dual completion.
LIMITATION:
i. Upper zone cannot be produced through tubing unless lower zone
is blanked off.
ii. Casing subject to pressure and corrosion.
iii. Only lower zone can be artificially lifted.
iv. Upper zone sand production may stick tubing.
v. Work over of upper zone requires killing lower zone.
SINGLE STRING DUAL PACKER
There is both tubing and annulus flow of formation fluid. The cross overdevice
permits upper zone to be flowed through tubing.
LIMITATIONS:
i. Casing subjected to pressure and corrosion.
ii. Must kill both zones for work over of upper zone.
PARALLEL STRING MULTIPLE PACKER
This type of completion can lift several zones simultaneously. Co-centric
tubing and wire line work over jobs are practical in all zones without interfering
the other zones.

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LIMITATIONS:
i. High cost ii. Susceptibility to tubing and packer leaks iii Hesitation to
perform stimulation or work over jobs in individual zones.
SINGLE STRING MULTI PACKER SELECTIVE ZONE
Producing sections can be opened or closed by use of wire line.
LIMITATIONS: Difficulty of treating or re-perforating individual zones unless
well is killed and tubing is pulled out.
MUTIPLE TUBINGLESS COMPLETION
The multiple tubing-less completion technique is an out-growth of
permanent well completion (PWC) system and co-centric tubing work over
technology. It involves cementing several strings of pipes inside one well
bore. Originally this concept was applied to multi ple string of 2 7/8 inch pipes
but currently multiple string of 3 ½ inch and 4 ½ inch are used. The concept
should not be thought of as being limited entirely to low volume producing or
injection wells.

ADVANTAGE:
i. Reduced initial completion and future work over costs.
ii. Each zone is independent and can be worked on without disturbing
the other completions.
iii. Communication between strings is easily located and eliminated.
iv. Procedures are simplified.

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LIMITATIONS:
i. Restricted production rates.
ii. Corrosion and paraffin control more critical.
iii. Higher risk due to pressured well fluids.
iv. High rate stimulation treatment are difficult.
v. Long zones sand control more difficult.
The equipments used in well completion involve both sub-surface and
surface equipment.
The sub-surface equipments are casing, tubing, packers, nipples, blast
joints, subsurface safety valve, bottom hole chokes etc.
The surface equipments are wellhead assembly, christmas tree and
surface chokes etc.
Selection type and sizes of these surface and sub-surface equipment
affects the performance of the well in later life.

Permanent Type Well Completion

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Single Zone Completion ROD Pump

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TYPE OF COMPLETION

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