M3-Schlumberger - World's First Level 6 Intelligent Completion Drilled
M3-Schlumberger - World's First Level 6 Intelligent Completion Drilled
M3-Schlumberger - World's First Level 6 Intelligent Completion Drilled
CHINA NATIONAL OFFSHORE longer horizontal borehole, as spread- optimizes slot utilization on offshore
Operating Company (CNOOC) and ing the production inflow across two or platforms or subsea templates. Fewer
Schlumberger recently designed, drilled more laterals reduces frictional pres- main wellbores reduce repeated expo-
and performed the world’s first TAML sure losses during production. sure to shallow drilling risks. Multilater-
Level 6 intelligent completion. The two- al wells also minimize the size, or foot-
leg multilateral well was drilled and print, of surface locations and mitigate
completed from the NE Intan “A” plat- environmental impact onshore.
form in the South Java Sea, Indonesia,
in approximately 75 ft of water, during LATERAL JUNCTIONS
the fall of 2002.
Lateral junctions are critical to the
The NE Intan A-24 well, in addition to effectiveness of multilateral comple-
being the world’s first intelligent com- tions. These completion components
pletion in a Level 6 multilateral well, is can fail when subjected to high forma-
the first TAML Level 6 multilateral well tion stress, temperature-induced forces
drilled in Indonesia. The TAML Level 6 and differential pressures during pro-
is the highest rating given in the TAML duction.
multilateral rating system.
Junctions are divided into two broad
The A-24 well provides an example of groups: those that do not provide pres-
how multilateral completions can bring sure integrity (Levels 1-4); and those
on new production at lower capital that do (Levels 5 and 6). Success
investment expense and reduce ongoing depends on junction durability, versatili-
operating costs. ty and accessibility.
32 D R I L L I N G C O N T R A C T O R March/April 2003
which uses standard drilling and com- branch included an ECP for zonal isola- form. It also reduces operating costs
pletion techniques in a low-risk well tion. through achieving greater production
construction process. It utilizes proven efficiency.
well technologies to achieve pressure Advanced well-completion equipment
integrity with the casing at the multilat- installed above the junction included: Further, major project savings in well
eral junction. construction costs, on a comparative
• Downhole hydraulic valves to mini- basis, resulted from use of the Schlum-
The RapidSeal junction is formed by mize water influx and selectively control berger RapidSeal multilateral comple-
integrating either two sections of 7-in the flow from either leg; tion system.
casing below the 9 5/8-in parent casing or • Sensors providing real-time pressure,
two sections of 9 5/8-in casing below the Incorporating an intelligent completion
temperature and flow rate measure- in both branches of this multilateral
13 3/8-in parent casing to provide two ments for each well branch;
identical outlets placed symmetrically. well, with its full mechanical and pres-
•A Schlumberger (REDA) electrical sub- sure integrity, will enable real-time data
In the RapidSeal junction manufactur- mersible pump to optimize oil flow from gathering and remote, selective flow
ing process, the two outlet sections are the wellbore. (The pump system lifts control for each branch.
plastically preformed to yield a reduced hydrocarbons to the surface through
effective outside diameter so that the This makes it possible to optimize
4½-in tubing and includes a downhole reservoir management and increase
junction can be installed through the MultiSensor* well-monitoring unit for
upper casing. production and reserves recovery over
submersible pump completions and a the life of the well.
This unique design features strong but variable-speed drive at the surface.);
highly ductile components. When the Taken together, the benefits of the TAML
• A SCADA system and multiphase flow Level 6 intelligent completion in the A-
junction is placed in the wellbore, the meters on the surface to monitor pump
junction is reformed to the original 24 well are helping CNOOC to maximize
parameters and well performance, and the return on its investment in the NE
geometry to provide full API drift in both transmit real-time data to CNOOC via
outlet sections. Intan field and the value of field
the Web. reserves.
The system allows dual laterals to drain The well was drilled in 25 days. Cost
the same reservoir, as was done in the * Mark of Schlumberger
savings for the well project as a whole
NE Intan A-24 well. amounted to about $1 million, compared ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
With RapidSeal, it is possible to control with the earlier AC-06 well, a Level 3
multilateral completion of similar depth This article is based upon an article in
the separation distance and prevent
and lateral lengths by CNOOC in the the Oilfield Review, Volume 14, Num-
communication between the laterals,
East Rama field. ber 3 (Autumn 2002), pp. 52-69, titled
providing increased production efficien-
New Aspects of Multilateral Well Con-
cy.
LESSONS LEARNED struction.
The ability to influence near-wellbore
The CNOOC A-24 well, the world’s first The article is authored by Jose Fraija,
flow patterns can improve control of
TAML Level 6 multilateral intelligent Herve Ohmer, Tom Pulick and Mike
water coning and gas migration.
completion, demonstrates the effective- Jardon, Schlumberger; Mirush Kaja,
This system also provides the flexibility ness of today’s rapidly evolving multilat- ENI Agip; Ramiro Paez, China Nation-
to produce from either isolated tubing eral well technology. al Offshore Operating Company;
strings with different pressure regimes Gabriel P.G. Sotomayor, Petroleo
It reduces project capital expenditures Brasileiro S.A.; and Kenneth Umud-
or an injector/producer application.
through contacting more reservoir via joro, TotalFinaElf. I
NE INTAN A-24 COMPLETION dual lateral branches and optimizing
limited well slots on the NE Intan plat-
After the 9 5/8-in RapidSeal junction was
oriented, expanded and cemented in
place at 2,770 ft, both lateral branches
were drilled with M-I Drilling Fluids syn-
thetic OBM.
March/April 2003 D R I L L I N G C O N T R A C T O R 33