Well completion Equipment

Production Packers
• A packer is a downhole device used to provide a seal between the outside
of the tubing and the inside of the production casing or liner.
• The packer seal is created by resilient elements that expand from the
tubing to the casing wall under an applied force. When set, this seal
prevents annular pressure and fluid communication across the packer.
Production packers vs Service packers
• Production packers are those packers that remain in the well during
normal well production.
• Service packers, such as those used in well testing, cement squeezing,
acidizing, and fracturing are used temporarily and then retrieved from or
milled out of the well
Functions
Production packers are used to:
• 1. Isolate well fluids and pressures.
• 2. Keep gas mixed with liquids, by using gas energy for natural
flow.
• 3. Separate producing zones, preventing fluid and pressure
contamination.
• 4. Aid in forming the annular volume (casing/tubing/packer)
required for gas lift or subsurface hydraulic pumping systems.
• 5. Limit well control to the tubing at the surface, for safety
purposes.
• 6. Hold well servicing fluids (kill fluids, packer fluids) in casing
annulus.
Functions

• 7. Protect the casing from pressure and produced fluids.

• 8. Isolate casing leaks or squeezed perforations,
• 9. Isolate multiple producing horizons,
• 10. Eliminate or reduce pressure surging or heading,
• 11. Hold kill fluids in the annulus, and
• 12. Permit the use of certain artificial-lift methods.
 Packer Components
• Packers have four key features:
1. slip,
2. cone,
3. packing-element system,
4. Packer body or flow mandrel
• The flow mandrel provides the flow conduit for
production.
• packing-element form the tubing-to-annulus
pressure seal.
• The cone assists in positioning the slips, which grip
the casing wall and prevent the packer from
moving upward or downward.
• To set a packer, a compressive force is applied to
the mandrel between the slips and the resilient
elements. The force moves the slips outward to
grip the casing and then transfers the compressive
load to expand the packing element.
Packer Type: Permanent vs. Retrievable
• Retrievable packers are those packers that are designed to be
retrieved and reinstalled in the wellbore.
• Retrievable packers are normally run integrally with the tubing
string and are set with either mechanical manipulation or
hydraulic pressure.
• They are unset either by a straight pull or by a combination of
rotation and a straight pull or with a special retrieving tool on
drillpipe.
• Once unset, the compressible packing elements and slips or hold-
down buttons relax and retract, allowing the packer to be
removed from the wellbore.
• Permanent packers are those packers that cannot be entirely
retrieved and reinstalled in the well.
• This type of packer is normally run and set separately on electric
cable or slickline, a work string, or tubing, and the production tubing
is then either stabbed into or over the packer.
• A permanent packer may also be run integrally with the tubing string,
provided that there is a means of disconnecting the tubing above the
packer. Permanent packers must be milled out to remove them from
the wellbore.
Number of Packer Bores…?
• The packer mandrel, or bore, refers to a cylindrical, machined opening in
the packer. This opening is required to allow produced hydrocarbons or
injection fluids to pass through the packer.
• Normally, packers possess 1, 2, or 3 bores and are referred to respectively
as single, dual, or triple packers.
• The number of packer bores required is a function of the number of tubing
strings in the completion and whether electrical cables will be passed
through the packer.
• Single-string completions with no cable requirements use a single-bore
packer. Dual-bore packers are run with either dual completion strings or
single-string completions that require cables to be passed through the
packer
Hydraulic-set single-
string packer.
Hydraulic-set dual-string
packer
Packer Setting Method….
• All packers are set by applying a compressive force to the slips and rubber packing
elements.
• This force may be created in a number of ways, including tubing rotation, pulling
tension through the tubing, pressuring the tubing against a plug, or sending an
electric impulse to an explosive setting tool.
• These mentioned Packer setting methods can be classified as mechanical, hydraulic,
or electric.
• A mechanical setting method refers to those techniques that require some physical
manipulation of the completion string, such as rotation, picking up tubing.
• A hydraulic setting method refers to applying fluid pressure to the tubing, which is
then translated to a piston force within the packer.
• A electric line, involves sending an electric impulse through an electric cable to a
wireline pressure setting assembly. The electric charge ignites a powder charge in
the setting assembly, gradually building up gas pressure. This pressure provides the
controlled force necessary to set the packer.
 Packer Setting and Unseating Forces:
(Compression and Tension set packer)
• Certain packers rely on applying a force to the packer to maintain the
packer in a set position. These packers are referred to as tension- or
compression-set packers. They are set mechanically, since the tubing string
must be manipulated to provide the required compressive or tensile
forces.( A type of mechanical set packer)
• Compression packers require that a compressive load be continuously
applied to the top of the packer. Normally, this load is supplied by slacking
off tubing weight; therefore, compression packers are commonly referred
to as weight-set packers.
• The compressive load may also be provided by a pressure differential
across the packer; in this case, the pressure above must be greater than
the pressure below the packer. As a result, these types of packers are
suitable for injection wells.
Conveying the Packer

• Packer conveying is the manner in which the packer is run to its setting
depth.
• Conveying methods include running the packer (and any tailpipe) on
wireline, running the packer on a workstring or drillpipe, or using the
production tubing to convey the packer, either separately or integrally.
• The packer conveying method selected must be mechanically compatible
with the type of packer and the means of connecting the packer and
tubing. For example, a permanent type packer is normally conveyed and
set separately, and such packers are used with connections that allow the
tubing string above the packer to be easily retrieved.
Commonly used Packers and their Application
Hydraulic Retrievable Packers
• Hydraulic-set retrievable packers are designed to be set by pressuring
up the tubing string against a plugging device below the packer. Once
the packer is set, the tubing may be put into tension or compression or
left in a neutral mode.
• A hydraulic packer has bidirectional slips or a set of slips to resist
downward movement and a hydraulic hold-down system to prevent
upward movement. The packer is released by a straight pull on tension-
actuated shear pins.
• In general, hydraulic-set retrievable packers can normally be used in
applications with a BHT up to 275°F and a pressure differential of 6500
to 7500 psi.
Mechanical Retrievable Packers

• Mechanical-set retrievable packers are designed to be run and set on tubing,

released, and moved and set again without tripping the tubing.
• In general, these packers are capable of BHT up to 275°F and a pressure differential
of 6500 to 7500 psi.
• Mechanical-set retrievable packers may have slips above and below the seal
element.
• Depending on their internal locking mechanism, they can be set with tension,
compression, or rotation and, once set, the tubing can be left in tension,
compression, or neutral mode.
• Certain types of mechanical-set retrievable packers can be used for production,
steam injection, disposal, injection, testing and reservoir stimulation.
• Typically, they cannot be used in deep, deviated wells because it is difficult to
transfer sufficient tubing movement to set and maintain the packer.
Tubing Movement and Packer Forces
• Changes in downhole pressure and temperature can cause the tubing
to elongate or contract.
• If the tubing movement is not provided for, then the changes in
tubing length that cannot actually occur are translated into forces on
the packer.
• Any packer selected should be able to withstand such forces. If the
packer cannot withstand the induced force, it will move or unseat.
• If it is preferable to allow tubing expansion or contraction to occur
downhole, then the downhole equipment must provide that
capability.
Tail Pipe
• The tubulars and completion components run below a
production packer. All Length of the tubing below packer is called tail
pipe
• The tail pipe may be included in a completion design for several
reasons.
• It can provide a facility for plugs and other temporary flow-control
devices, improve downhole hydraulic characteristics, and provide a
suspension point for downhole gauges and monitoring equipment.
Wireline re-entry guide
• The wireline re-entry guide is run on the end of
the tubing string (or the tailpipe below the
packer) and is designed to facilitate re-entry
into the tubing string of those electric-line or
slickline assemblies.
• It has an internally beveled, bell-shaped ID that
eliminates any sharp edges or square shoulders
and helps align the tools as they are pulled
back up into the tubing string.
 Tubing Annulus Communication Equipment
• Tubing annulus communication refers to an opening or access
between the inside of the tubing string and the tubing casing
annulus.
• Such access is required to
 circulate fluids in a well, to treat a well with chemicals,
 to inject fluids from the annulus into the tubing string,
 to produce a zone that is isolated between two packers.
• In general two devices sliding sleeve and the side-pocket mandrel
provide communication between the inside of the tubing string and
the tubing casing annulus.
 Sliding Sleeves Door (SSD)
• A sliding sleeve is a cylindrical device with an internal sleeve
mechanism.
• Both the inner sleeve and outer body are bored to provide matching
openings.
• The inner sleeve is designed to move upward and downward, through
the use of a wireline shifting tool.
• When the sleeve is shifted to the open position, the sleeve openings
mate with the openings in the outer body, thereby establishing
tubing/annulus communication.
• When the sleeve is shifted to the closed position, the sleeve openings
are displaced from the outer body openings, which are then isolated
by the inner sleeve wall.
Sliding Sleeves
Sliding Sleeves
• Sliding sleeves can be used virtually at any point in the
completion string where circulation, injection, or selective
production is required.
• The device can be opened and shut by wireline and therefore
does not require the completion to be retrieved after
circulation is established.
• Sliding sleeves include a nipple profile above the inner sleeve.
This profile is often used to set a blanking sleeve inside the
device, to provide a means of shutting off flow if the sleeve is
stuck in the open position
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLvcseCaf6E
Side Pocket Mandrel
• A side pocket mandrel along with its through
bore, contains an offset pocket which is
ported to the annulus. Various valves can be
installed/retrieved into/from the side pocket
by wireline methods to facilitate annulus-to-
tubing communication. Side pocket valves,
which provide a seal above and below the
communication ports, include:
• Gas lift valves
• Chemical injection valves
• Circulation valves.
• Differential kill valves Dummy valves
Functions of Side Pocket Mandrel (SPM)
• To provide an emergency-kill capability, the SPM is fitted
with a dummy valve.
• This valve is normally closed and prevents communication
between the tubing and the annulus.
• The dummy valve is set to shear at a predetermined
pressure and can, therefore, be opened by applying pressure
to the annulus or the tubing.
• Since the dummy valve can be sheared open by applying
pressure to the annulus, SPM can also be used as a means of
circulation.
 Sliding Sleeves Door (SSD)
versus Side Pocket Mandrel (SPM)?
• SPM can be used as the principal circulation device.
• However, the SPM has a restricted flow area that limits the
rate of circulation. For this reason, most operators use a
sleeve as the principal circulation device and include an SPM
as an emergency, or backup, method for killing a well.
• In addition, the valve must be replaced once circulation is
completed
 Blast Joints
• Fluid-jetting may cause the abrasion of the
tubing at the point of fluid entry, ultimately
causing tubing failure.
• The blast joint the tubing deters the erosional
velocity of the produced fluids with the
formation sand from cutting through the tubing
string.
• The blast joint is simply a thick, heavy wall joint
of steel pipe.
• The blast joint delays the erosional failure of
tubing string. These are normally available in 20-
30-ft lengths.
 Flow Couplings

•Flow Couplings are run above and below any

seating nipple and sliding sleeve in which it is
anticipated that the turbulence created by the
flow through the nipple restriction can reach
erosional velocity and damage the tubing string.
•Because of its thick cross section, Flow Couplings
can extend the life of the completion because of
their thick wall.
Pump-out plugs
• Pump-out plugs act as a temporary
bridge that isolates the tubing from the
annulus in order to set a packer.
• Available in a variety of configurations,
the plug is removed by simply applying
pressure to the tubing.
 Subsurface Safety Systems
• If a catastrophic failure of the wellhead should occur,
the subsurface safety valve provides a means to
automatically shut off the flow of the well to avoid
disaster.
• There are basically two types of downhole safety
valves
1. subsurface-controlled safety valves and
2. surface-controlled subsurface safety valves (SCSSV).
Subsurface-Controlled Safety Valves
• This valve is normally closed, and the bottomhole pressure
must be higher than the preset pressure valve for the valve
to remain open.
• If the flow rate of the well becomes too great and the
bottomhole pressure falls below the preset value of the
valve, the valve will automatically close.
• It is reopened by applying pressure to the tubing string to
raise the pressure above the preset pressure value of the
valve.
 Surface-controlled subsurface safety valves (SCSSV)
• The SCSSVs are also installed in the tubing
string below the surface tubing hanger.
• However, they are controlled by hydraulic
pressure through a capillary (control) line
that connects to a surface control panel.
 Annular Safety Valves
• The purpose of an annular safety valve (ASV) system is to seal the
annulus between the tubing and the casing immediately below the
wellhead.
• This procedure protects surface facilities and personnel from any gas
in the tubing/casing annulus in the event that wellhead integrity is
compromised.
• The ASV system is usually set shallow and near the wellhead to limit
the volume of annular gas that would escape in the event of wellhead
failure.
• The primary application of annular safety valves is offshore platforms
where there is a concentration of personnel and surface facilities in
the immediate vicinity of production wellheads.
 Profile Seating Nipples/Landing Nipples
• The purpose of this device is to provide a profile at a
specific point in the completion string to locate, lock, and
seal subsurface flow controls, either through wireline or
pump down methods.
• These are short sections of thick-walled tubulars that are
machined internally to provide a locking profile and at least
one packing bore.
• Every subsurface control device set inside a landing nipple is
locked and sealed in the profile with a locking mandrel.
Profile Seating Nipples/Landing Nipples (continued)
The packing bore allows the slickline device to not only
land and lock into the nipple, but also to seal off.
Landing nipples can be used at virtually any point in the
completion string. For example
at the bottom of the tubing string for setting a
bottomhole pressure gauge.
Profile Seating Nipples/Landing Nipples (continued)
• There are two principal types of landing nipples.
no-go nipples,
selective nipples
No-Go Landing Nipples
• A no-go landing nipple includes a no-go restriction in
addition to the profile and packing bore.
• The no-go restriction is a point of reduced diameter, i.e. a
shoulder. This no-go shoulder is used to prevent the passage
of larger diameter wireline tools and offers the ability to
positively locate subsurface control devices in the nipple.
Selective Landing Nipples
• Landing nipples that do not include a no-go, or
diameter restriction, are referred to as selective.
• For a given tubing size, all selective nipples run in the
tubing string will have the same internal diameter.
• In many completions, a no-go landing nipple is
preferred for the deepest nipple location, providing a
no-go barrier to protect against a tool
string being run or dropped below the tubing string.
Selective Landing Nipples
 Travel/Telescopic/Exapansion Joints

• A travel joint is used to allow tubing movement while

maintaining pressure integrity. A travel joint consists of two
concentric tubes that telescope relative to one another.
• Seal elements on the inner tube isolate annulus pressure and
fluids from the tubing string as the travel joint strokes open
and close.
• Typically, a travel joint is placed in the completion string above
the shallowest packer to accommodate tubing movement.
 Blanking Plugs
• Blanking plugs may be landed in profile seating nipples or
sliding sleeves to temporarily plug the tubing string, allowing
pressure to be applied to the tubing string to test tubing or
set a hydraulic packer, or to isolate and shut off the flow from
the formation.
• The basic blanking plug consists of a lock sub-assembly, a
packing stack, and a plug bottom. Each size and type of
blanking plug is designed to fit a specific size and type of
profile seating nipple or sleeve
Bottomhole Choke

•Bottomhole chokes are flow-control devices

that are landed in profile seating nipples.
The bottomhole choke restricts flow in the
tubing string and allows control of
production from different zones.
Common Downhole Designs
Single packer Single-string completion for two zones
Requirements:
• Normal pressure in the upper zone
• No corrosive fluid and/or No
abrasive fluid (sand) in the upper
zone
Dual packer Single-string completion with cross-over flow
for two zones
Requirements:
• Normal pressure in lower zone
• No corrosive fluid and/or No abrasive
fluid (sand) in the lower zone
 Multiple-Zone Single-String
Selective Completion

Requirements:
• Normal pressure in the zones
• No corrosive fluid and/or No abrasive
fluid (sand) in the zones
• Produced fluids are compatible
• Can be used for comingled flow
Dual-Zone Completion Using
Parallel Tubing Strings
Feature:
• Can handle high pressure in the
zones
• No conditions of corrosive fluid
and/or No abrasive fluid (sand)
in the zones
• Artificial lift compatible for the
zones