Mechanical safety analysis of the gas lift completion string used for a high-pressure sandwich layer

Document Type : Article

Authors

1 Petroleum Engineering Institute of Yangtze University, Wuhan, Hubei 430100, China

2 Logging Technology and Engineering Research Institute of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei 434000, China

3 Research and Development Center, Tuha Oilfield Company, CNPC, Shanshan, Xinjiang, 838202, China

4 - Research Institute of Exploration and Development, Tuha Oil eld Company, PetroChina, Hami, Xinjiang 839009, China. - CNPC AMERICA LTD., Venezuela

Abstract

This study examines the mechanical safety of a gas lift completion string in a certain oilfield, Algeria 438B block, having complex geological characteristics (a high salt and high-pressure sandwich). When an annulus is not supported within fluid column after unloading using conventional single-tube gas lift completion with positive lift oil production, inner pressure is so low that the pressure differential between the annulus and external casing is very large, which may damage the casing. Hence, a dual tube completion annulus filled with fluid that can resist pressure was used to overcome this problem, in the adjacent blocks using a gas lift production string with positive and reverse lift oil. However, this technology is complex and characterized by poor system reliability, large construction costs and maintenance difficulty. Considering the three aspects of a casing string, the squeeze strength, tensile strength and internal pressure strength, a gas lift completion string with dual concentric tubes and positive lift was preferably selected under conditions that have been verified as safe for production and a shut-in state. It was shown that this gas lift completion string design is feasible.

Keywords

References

References:
1. Tian, J., Wang, Q., Guo, Q., et al. "Casing integrity evaluation in deep well with extreme heavy mud in tarim basin", SPE EUROPEC/EAGE Annual Conference, Vienna, Austria. SPE140982 (2011).
2. Wang, X., Mechanics Analysis and Application of the Casing String in Deep Well Cementing, Northeast Petroleum University (2011).
3. Li, J., Application Study on Casing Strength Design of Deep Horizontal Well, Yangtze University (2011).
4. Zhou, X., The Research of Casing String Strength Design in Deep Well, Xi'an Petroleum University (2012) .
5. Zhang, X., Research on Optimization Design of Casing String under Complex Conditions, Northeast Petroleum University (2013).
6. Qu, Y. and Jin, Sh. "Applications exploring of casing strength design in deep and horizontal well", Chemical Industry Management, 24, pp. 34-34 (2014).
7. Zou, Y., Strength Safety Analysis for Perforated Casing in High Temperature and High Pressure Deep Well, Xi'an Petroleum University (2012).
8. Wang, B., HPHT Completion String Mechanics Analysis and Safety Evaluation, Southwest Petroleum University (2014).
9. Wu, X., Depleted Reservoirs Gas Storage Casing Mechanical Analysis and Safety Evaluation, China University of Petroleum(East China) (2013).
10. Kinik, K. and Wojtanowicz, A., Identifying Environmental Risk of Sustained Casing Pressure, Wiertnictwo, SPE143713 (2011).
11. Rocha-Valadez, T., Mentzer, R.A., Hasan, A.R., et al. "Inherently safer sustained casing pressure testing for well integrity evaluation", Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries, 29(1), pp. 209-215 (2014).
12. Salehabadi, M., Jin, M., Yang, J., et al. "Effect of casing eccentricity on casing stability analysis in wellbores drilled in gas hydrate bearing sediments", SPE EUROPEC/ EAGE Annual Conference, Barcelona, Spain, SPE131236 (2010).
13. Deng, K., Liu, W., Xia, T., et al. "Experimental study the collapse failure mechanism of cemented casing under non-uniform load", Engineering Failure Analysis, 73, pp. 1-10 (2017).
14. Farshad, F.F., Garber, J.D., Rieke, H.H., et al. "Predicting corrosion in pipelines, oil wells and gas wells; a computer modeling approach", Scientia Iranica, 17(1), pp. 86-96 (2010).
15. Kannojiya, V. and Kumar, S. "Assessment of optimum slurry pipe design for minimum erosion", Scientia Iranica, 27(5), pp. 2409-2418 (2020).
16. Kiran, R., Catalin, T., Younas, D., et al. "Identification and evaluation of well integrity and causes of failure of well integrity barriers (A review)", Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, 45, pp. 511- 526 (2017).
17. Shen, C. "Transient dynamics study on casing deformation resulted from lost circulation in low-pressure formation in the Yuanba Gasfield, Sichuan Basin", Natural Gas Industry, 2(4), pp. 347-353 (2015).
18. Liu, J., Guo, X., Liu, Z., et al. "Pressure field investigation into oil & gas wellbore during perforating shaped charge explosion", Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 172, pp. 1235-1247 (2019).
19. Zhang, Z., Shao, L., Zhang, Q., et al. "Environmentally assisted cracking performance research on casing for sour gas wells", Journal of Petroleum Science & Engineering, 158, pp. 729-738 (2017).
20. Grassick, D., Kallos, P., Jardine, I., et al. "Risk analysis of single and dual-string gas-lift completions", Journal of Petroleum Technology, (USA), 42(11), pp. 1374-1419 (1990).
21. Grassick, D.D., Kallos, P.S., Dean, S., et al. "Blowout risk analysis of gas-lift completions", Spe Production Engineering, 7(2), pp. 172-180 (1992).
22. Zhang, F., Ding, L., and Yang, X. "Prediction of pressure between packers of staged fracturing pipe strings in high-pressure deep wells and its application", Natural Gas Industry, 2(2-3), pp. 252-256 (2015).
23. Li, Z., Zhang, C., and Song, G. "Research advances and debates on tubular mechanics in oil and gas wells",Journal of Petroleum Science & Engineering, 151, pp. 194-212 (2017).
24. Liu, K., Gao, D., and Arash, D.T. "Analysis on integrity of cement sheath in the vertical section of wells during hydraulic fracturing", Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 168, pp. 370-379 (2018).
Scientia Iranica
Volume 29, Issue 1
Transactions on Mechanical Engineering (B)
January and February 2022
Pages 1-12

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics