Well Completion Design

• The well is our only communication with the

reservoir

• The effectiveness of that communication is a

large factor in reservoir drainage as well as
overall economics

• The individual well completion must be designed

to yield maximum overall profitability on a field
basis
Factors Influencing Well Completion Design

The ideal completion is the lowest cost

completion (initial and operating costs)

To design a well completion, a reasonable

estimate of the producing characteristics during
the well life must be made. Both reservoir and
mechanical considerations must be evaluated.
a) Reservoir Considerations:

The reservoir considerations involve the location of

various fluids in the formations penetrated by the
wellbore, the flow of these fluids through the reservoir
rock, and the characteristics of the rock itself.
Reservoir Considerations (continue)
Producing rate to provide maximum economic recovery is
the starting point for well completion design

 Multiple reservoirs penetrated by wellbore pose the

problem of multiple completion in one drilled hole

 Reservoir drive mechanism may determine whither or not

the completion interval will have to be adjusted as gas-oil
or water-oil contacts move

Secondary recovery needs may require a completion

method conductive to selective injection or production
Reservoir Considerations (continue)
Stimulation may require special perforating patterns to
permit zone isolation, perhaps adaptability to high
injection rate

Sand control problems alone may dictate the type of

completion method and maximum production rates

Work-over frequency, probably high where several

reservoirs must be drained through one wellbore , often
dictate a completion conductive to wire-line or through-
tubing type recompletion system

Artificial lift may means single completions even where

multiple zones exist
b)- Mechanical Considerations
The mechanical configuration or well hookup is
often is the key to being able to deplete the
reservoir effectively, monitor down-hole
performance, and modify the well situation.

Formation damage is related to the well hook-

up, both minimizing damage initially and relieving
the effects of damage later
Mechanical Considerations (continue)
Basic philosophy is to design to specific well conditions,
field conditions, and area conditions
1. Maximize profit considering the time value of money
2. Keep the installation simple, both from equipment and
procedural stand-points
3. Overall reliability depends on reliability of individual
components and the number of components
4. Anticipate all operating conditions, and associated
pressure and temperature force
5. Safety must be designed into the well, automatic shut-in
systems and well pressure control methods must be
considered
8
9
Method of Completion
There are two methods of completing a well:
1. Open-hole where casing is set on top of the producing
interval and has greater application in carbonate zone

2. Perforating casing where casing is cemented through the

producing interval and communication is established by
perforating

Each method has inherent advantages and limitations

1- Open-Hole Completion
Advantages:
1. Adaptable to special drilling techniques to minimize
formation damage or to prevent lost circulation into the
producing zone
2. With gravel pack, provides excellent sand control
3. No perforating expense
4. Log interpretation is not critical since entire interval is
open
5. Full diameter opposite pay
6. Can be easily deepened
7. Easily converted to liner or perforated completion
Open-Hole Completion (continue)
Limitations:
1. Excessive gas or water production difficult to control
2. Selective fracing or acidizing more difficult

3. Casing set in the dark before the pay is drilled or logged

4. Requires more rig time on completion

5. May require frequent clean-out

2- Perforated Completion
Casing cemented through producing zone and perforated.
Advantages:
1. Excessive gas or water production can be controlled
more easily
2. Can be selectively stimulated
3. Logs and formation samples available to assist in
decision to set casing or abandon
4. Full diameter opposite pay
5. Easily deepened
Perforated Completion (continue)
6. Will control most sands, and is adaptable to special sand control
techniques
7. Adaptable to multiple completion techniques
8. Minimum rig time on completion

Limitations:
9. Cost of perforating long zones may be significant
10. Not adaptable to special drilling techniques to minimize formation
damage
11. Log interpretation sometimes critical in order not to miss commercial
sands, yet avoid perforating submarginal zones

N.B. it should be recognized that a poor primary cement bond in effect

converts a perforated casing completion to an open-hole completion
Conventional tubular Configuration
The reasons for tubing are:
1. Better flow efficiency
2. Permit circulation of kill fluids, corrosion inhibitors, or
paraffin solvents
3. Provide multiple flow paths for artificial lift system
4. Protect casing from corrosion, abrasion, or pressure
5. Provide means of monitoring bottom-hole flowing
pressure

Tubing should be run open-ended and set above highest

alternate completion interval to permit thru-tubing wire-line
survey and remedial work.
Conventional tubular Configuration (continue)
The objective of run a Packer are:
1. Improve or stabilize flow
2. Protect casing from well fluids or pressure, however, it
should be recognized that use a packer may increase
pressure on casing in the event of a tubing leak.
3. Contain pressure on conjunction with an artificial lift
system or safety shut-in system
4. Hold an annular well-killing fluid

Where packers are used, landing nipples and circulating

devices are desirable to be installed
Conventional tubular Configuration (continue)
Types of completion configurations:
1. Single-zone completion
2. Multiple zone completion
Single String – Single packer
Single String – Duel Packer
Single String – multiple Packer – Selective Zone
3. Parallel String – multiple Packer
 Perforated Casing Completion
Open Hole Completion Multiple Zone Completion
Single Zone Completion

Single String – Single Packer

Interval Co-Mingling

Tubing

Packer

19
Dual Zone / Single String
Tubing

Packer

20
 Perforated Casing Completion
Multiple Zone Completion Parallel String
Multiple Packer

Single String – Duel Packer Single String – Multiple Packer Duel Completion
Selective Zone
Dual Zone / Dual String

Dual Packer

Single Packer

22
Dual Zone / Dual String

23
Multi Zone / Multi String
Triple
Packer
Flow
Couplings

Dual
Packer

Single
Packer

24
Concentric String
Tubing Strings

Packers

25
Interval Segregation

SSDs Packers

26
Flow Regimes in Vertical Two-phase Flow
As the pressure on a crude oil containing gas in
solution is steadily reduced, free gas is evolved; as a
consequence, the liquid volume decreases. This
phenomenon affects the relative volume of free gas
and oil present at each point in the tubing of flowing
well. If the bottom hole flowing pressure is above
bubble point of the crude, liquid only present in the
lower part of the tubing. The pressure on this liquid
drops as it moves up the tubing and gas bubble begin
to form and change the flow regime.
Flow Regimes in Vertical Tow-phase Flow
Bubble flow:
Bubbles of gas dispersed in a continuous liquid
medium
Slug flow:
As the fluid moves up the tubing, the gas bubble grow.
The larger bubbles grow by entrainment of the
smaller bubbles. A stage is reached these large
bubbles extend across almost the entire diameter of
the tubing. The flow regime become slug of oil
containing small gas bubbles are separated from
each other by gas pockets occupy the entire tubing
cross section except for a film of oil moving relatively
slowly along the wall of the tubing.
Flow Regimes in Vertical Tow-phase Flow
Annular Flow:
As pressure dropping, the gas pockets may have
grown and expanded. The gas forms a continuous
phase near the center of the tubing carrying droplets
of oil up with it. There is an upward moving oil film
close to the tubing walls with gas flow at the center of
the tubing
Mist flow:
Continued decrease in pressure resultant increase in
gas volume results in a thinner and thinner oil film until
finally it all but disappears and the flow become a
continuous gas flow carried oil droplets
Evidently within the tubing of any particular flowing well,
one or all of these flow regime may occur.
Flow Regimes in Vertical Tow-phase Flow

Factors affecting the pressure gradient at particular point

of the tubing

1. The viscosities of the oil and gas

2. the variations of these viscosities with temperature

and pressure
3. The PVT characteristics of the oil and gas

4. The bottom-hole flowing pressure

5. The tubing-head pressure

Uses of Pressure-Distribution Curves
Some of the uses of the pressure-distribution curves for
two-phase flow in the tubing are to determine:
1. The best tubing size for particular flow or lift
conditions
2. Whether a dead well can be brought back on natural
flow or whether some method of artificial lift required
3. Gas-lift possibilities
4. The bottom-hole flowing pressure and hence the IPR,
under certain circumstances.
Optimum Gas/Liquid Ratio
For any given tubing size and depth, there is an
optimum liquid rate for production with a fixed gas/liquid
ratio that results in the minimum pressure loss in the
tubing.
At rates less than the optimum the pressure loss
increases as the rate decreases because of gas
slippage and the attendant loss in ability of the gas to lift
the liquid.
At rates higher than the optimum, the increasing fluid
volumes being forced through the tubing per unit time
result in higher velocities and consequently increased
resistance losses
Optimum Gas/Liquid Ratio
At very low rates the pressure drop approaches the
static liquid column pressure, so the curve of pressure
loss against liquid production rate must tend to the static
pressure loss as the liquid production rate tends to zero.
The gas /liquid ratio that provides the minimum
intake pressure at any particular rate of flow is
termed the optimum gas/liquid ratio and the value of
this optimum as determine by Gilbert is shown by the
arrow opposite the gas/liquid ratio figure on each the
sets of curves
Sizing production Tubulars
The size of the production string casing depends upon
The diameter of flow conduit needed to produce the
desired flow stream,

 The method of artificial lift, if required or

 Specialized completion problems such as sand control.

Sizing production Tubulars (continue)
Size of the production tubing depends primarily on the
desired production rate which depends upon:
 Static reservoir pressure

 Inflow performance relation

 Pressure drop in tubing

 Pressure drop through the well-head constrictions

 Pressure drop through flow line

 Pressure level in the surface separating facilities

Prepacked Screen – minimum thickness
prepack
Prepacked liner with center screen – very durable but
plugs easily with fines.
The EXCLUDERTM Screen
A leading layered mesh or weave screen

Vector Shroud Vector Weave

Membrane

BAKERWELD® Base Pipe

Inner Jacket
g13.tif

Purolator
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