The data collected via monitoring and metering applications are increasingly viewed as central to assessing production performance and in decision making to optimize field development and operations. Intervention and workover operations can significantly affect the structural integrity and fatigue life of subsea-wellhead systems. Methodologies for wellhead-fatigue analysis have improved, but have yet to account for thermal effects along the well. Moving to higher-capacity wellhead systems for high-pressure and high-temperature (HP/HT) environments will require a larger mandrel and conductor-casing size.

The complete paper discusses the advancements in mud-displacement simulation that overcome the limitations of the previous-generation simulator and provide a more-realistic simulation in highly deviated and horizontal wells. Operators in the North Sea have been concerned about the ability of the cement sheath to maintain sealing integrity because of the increasing number of reported failures in mature wells. This paper presents results from a new laboratory setup to visualize the source of issues. Many wells in the Cana-Woodford shale suffer from chronic sustained casing pressure (SCP) because of poor cement-sheath bonding. As deeper and more complex well designs proliferate throughout oil and gas fields, well completion methods are challenged and new technologies are emerging to ensure safe, cost-efficient, and optimized completions.

Operators in the North Sea have been concerned about the ability of the cement sheath to maintain sealing integrity because of the increasing number of reported failures in mature wells. This paper presents results from a new laboratory setup to visualize the source of issues. Many wells in the Cana-Woodford shale suffer from chronic sustained casing pressure (SCP) because of poor cement-sheath bonding. This work demonstrates cement design that includes evaluating cement-sheath mechanical integrity in intercalated salts.

In this paper, the application of a real-time T&D model is demonstrated. The process of T&D analysis was automated, and the time and cost required to run physical models offline was reduced or, in some cases, eliminated. Precise casing-wear prediction is important for improving well integrity and longevity, while simultaneously making casing designs more cost-effective. There are no industry guidelines for casing-wear prediction. This article presents a validated predictive model.

Brazing technology allows metallurgical joining of dissimilar materials by use of a filler material. This paper provides a review of recent technology advancements and addresses practical considerations associated with drillpipe and drillstem components for extreme drilling applications.

Wells often end up producing oil and gas far longer than expected. But that often requires the operator to commit to building and maintaining facilities for the long haul. Archer’s Stronghold Barricade well decommissioning system leaves the casing in place, while perforating, washing, and cementing the annulus to create a cement barrier in a single trip. The combination of ultrasonic pulse-echo and flexural-attenuation measurements was adopted in this project in the South China Sea for cement-integrity evaluation.

The time spent waiting on cement to reach sufficient strength to proceed with operations.

In tectonically influenced regions, potential hydrocarbon traps are subject to complex states of stress. The cementing services market size in the US is expected to drop 50% year-on-year from 2019. The significant drop in Permian Basin activity will account for 40% of the total market size reduction. The complete paper presents a case study in which offline cementing improved operational efficiency by reducing drilling times and provided significant cost savings. This year, excellent papers have been presented, augmenting our knowledge and responding to the challenges of complex wells and efficiency requirements.

This course covers all the relevant subjects needed to understand the structural mechanics of downhole tubulars. Discussions begin with the fundamental design principles and progresses through materials, performance, loads and design. Participants will also learn to calculate tension, compression, burst collapse, yield and threshold strength. This intensive hands-on course will give you the proficiency and confidence you need to design safe and cost-effective casing and tubing strings. This course is for drilling and completion engineers, and drilling supervisors who want additional insight into casing and tubing design.

Tubular structures in thermal applications are subject to unique design challenges that cannot be addressed with conventional methods. In conventional design, the structure "fails" when thermally induced loads yield the pipe, but thermal wells often must operate under such conditions and industry experience demonstrates that wells can do so reliably. Designing a structure that remains stable requires knowledge of strain-based design: the distinction between strength and stiffness, the effects of variability in strength and stiffness, load path dependencies, post-yield material behavior, and strain localization. Collateral considerations for resistance to environmental effects, geomechanical loads and production management can also challenge intuition developed in conventional well design. In this course, participants will learn to "think strain, not stress" for well structure design and gain exposure to other aspects of thermal well design.