Hydraulic Workover Unit

A Snubbing System is basically a well servicing system capable of running and retrieving jointed pipe under live well conditions (but not necessarily high pressure). A snubbing unit or Hydraulic Workover (HWO) unit can be used for: drilling new wells (underbalanced if required) side-tracking existing wells (underbalanced if required) completion (underbalanced if required) fishing (underbalanced if required) gravel packing (underbalanced) perforating (underbalanced) clean-out (underbalanced) Advantage is that the well does not require killing. Can carry out some work as a rig as long as tubulars are less than 103/4 OD. HWO Unit useful for pulling CT completions

Live Well Workovers

less fluids lost to formation = less damage shorter time with well off-line less problems with kill fluids

 HWO Definitions
Snubbing

Hydraulic Workover Unit

= process of tripping pipe in well which as a surface pressure great enough to eject the pipe from the well if no restraining force is applied. Stripping = relates to the same operation, but where the surface pressure and workstring combination would result in the workstring failing into the well under its own weight if unrestrained. Lubrication = process of inserting and removing BHA and toolstrings from the well. Hydraulic Workover (HWO) = Unit to run/pull tubulars in/out of well (with or without surface pressure), using hydraulic power to transmit the required forces to the pipe.

Snubbing - An Introduction
Snubbing is a live well workover process that uses standard jointed tubulars Rig (cable) assisted snubbers date from the 1930s Hydraulic snubbers a later addition.

Components
A pipe movement system - cable assisted or rig assisted A sealing stack of pipe rams that allows passage of tool joints and equipment into and out of a well under pressure.

A view of the pressure connection tube between the upper isolation chamber and the well.

Hydraulic snubber - top of stroke.

Schematics from Cudd Pressure Control

Pipe slip elements in hydraulic snubber

1. Close upper or traveling slips.

2 Open lower or stationary slips. 3. Activate hydraulic pressure to pull down on pipe and force it into the well.

Weight Necessary to Pull Wire into a Wellhead Under Pressure

500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 Well Head Pressure, psi

Weight Necessary to Pull Wireline into the Well, lbs

0.072" Wire 0.092" Wire 0.108" Wire 0.125" Wire 3/16" Wire 5/16" Wire

Snubbing Pressure vs. WHP and Wire or Tubing Size

Snubbing Force or Weight Required to Enter Wellhead, lbs
50000 45000 40000 35000 30000 25000 20000 15000 10000 5000 0 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 Well Head Pressure, psi

0.108" Wire 3/16" Wire 1.5" CT 2-3/8" Tbg 2-7/8" Tbg 3-1/2" Tbg 4-1/2" Tbg

Hydraulic snubber nearing bottom of stroke.

1. Close lower or stationary slips.

2. Open upper or traveling slips. 3. Activate hydraulics to extend cylinders.

Tool joint nearing slips.

Stop tool joint immediately above top pipe ram on snubbing stack.

Pipe seal elements

Tool joint above top ram. System pressurized below.

Middle pipe seal closed

Ready to bleed off upper straddled area.

Upper straddled area bled off.

Open upper ram and pass tool joint into upper straddled area.

Close upper ram and prepare to pressurize upper straddled area.

Upper straddled area pressurized, prepare to open middle ram.

Open middle ram and pass tool joint into well.

Traveling slips

Braided line and pulleys on the rig floor.

Stationary slips

Rig assisted snubbing using rig draw works and snubbing stack below the table.

Perforating Guns Run Under Pressure

Description of job Length of guns 1,200 Location Depth of well 13,123 Surface PSI 2900

TCP guns 33/8 using DHSV TCP guns 33/8 w/auger system using DHSV TCP guns 41/2 w/ aligning knobs using DHSV Halliburton Deployment system TCP guns 41/2

Valhall/ N. Sea

250

Valhall/ N. Sea

12,467

2755

500

Valhall/ N. Sea

14,108

3190

850

Statfjord B

13,123

1957

Halliburton Deployment system TCP guns 41/2

TCP guns 41/2 using DHSV TCP guns 41/2 using DHSV Halliburton Deployment System TCP guns 4 TCP guns 4 using DHSV

1,100
450 600 2,800 1,800

Statfjord C
Gulfaks B Gulfaks C Statfjord B Sleipner

14,108
15,420 15,092 16,076 13,780

1812
1595 1740 3552 3045

TCP guns 4 using DHSV

TCP guns 4 Using FIV Valve Halliburton Deployment System TCP guns 4 Halliburton Deployment System TCP guns 4

3,200
1,400 950 1,100

Gulfaks B
Veslifrik Gulfaks C Gulfaks A

17,717
12,795 13,780 13,451

2755
2610 3190 2682