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Abstract
Tubular restrictions from scale buildup can significantly reduce
hydrocarbon production, and buildup must be removed to restore the production capacity of a well. Although scale buildup
is a global problem, the material composition and characteristics
of scales can vary drastically, even within the same field, making
most tools on location insufficient for scale removal. A customized jet cleaning tool has recently been developed to address the
problems associated with tubular cleaning operations.
Traditional jet cleaning tools are insufficient for removing
scale buildup because they do not reliably control jet dwell time.
Jet dwell time is the relationship between the difficulty of tubular
cleaning and the time required for scale removal. Jet dwell time
increases with an increase in the hardness of the buildup material.
Ability to control dwell time is a measure of cleaning efficiency.
A new, slow-rotating jet cleaning tool can help optimize jet dwell
time for cleaning operations without repetitive cyclic effects on
a coiled tubing (CT) workstring.
The slow-rotating jet cleaning tool can also be used for
cutting tubulars. Previously, tubulars were cut by mechanical,
explosive, or chemical methods, and CT was used to deploy
positive-displacement motors (PDMs) and pressure-activated
firing devices (used for rotating the mechanical cutters and
initiating the firing sequence in explosive or chemical cutters,
respectively). For many through-tubing applications, traditional
cutting methods created significant safety risks and obstacles
such as long bottomhole assemblies, increasing service costs.
With its capability to control jet dwell time and pump abrasive
fluids, the new jet cleaning tool can reduce the safety risks and
the costs associated with traditional cutting methods.
This paper discusses the design and application of the slowrotating jet cutting tool, and provides case histories of the tools
use in removing scale and production buildup on tubing walls.
The paper also discusses application of the tool for performing
through-tubing cuts.
Introduction
Scale deposits on tubing walls and perforations can stop well
production, inhibit the injection of well fluids, and plug downhole
production equipment. Such problems are compounded if the
buildup is left untreated.
Early Use of CT for Cleaning. The choice of a scale-removal
treatment is often affected by cost; treatment methods such as
acidizing or milling with small-diameter tubing can be expensive.
When CT was developed in the 1970s, it provided a low-cost
option for scale removal because operations could be performed
under live well conditions, reducing downtime.
CT provided a washing action for removing buildup materials. Acids could be placed through the tubing where they
chemically reacted with the scale, allowing waste material to be
extracted from the tubing and the flow path of the fluid to be
returned to the base pipe. However, removing scale buildup with
CT was inefficient.
Several factors affected the cleaning efficiency of CT. The
fluid-pumping equipment delivered more hydraulic horsepower
to the CT than it could withstand. Approximately 80% of the
available horsepower was lost to the small string diameters and
pressure ratings of the tubing. The tools that were placed on the
end of the CT to assist with cleaning caused an additional 15%
loss of available power. Consequently, only a small percentage
of the hydraulic horsepower from surface-pumping equipment
was available for removing buildup.
Additionally, the scales varied characteristics, inconsistent
composition, and lack of uniform distribution increased inefficiency because the cleaning energies required for removing the
buildup of materials were not clearly understood. Some buildup
materials (sludges, paraffins, wax complexes, etc.) are soft and
easily removed from the tubing wall. Harder buildup materials
(water scales, calcium sulfate, calcium carbonate, etc.) and materials such as barium sulfate or strontium require more energy for
removal.
Industry Improvements. Several developments in the CT industry helped increase cleaning efficiency. First, pipe suppliers
improved tubing alloys. Manufacturers increased pipe diameter,
enabling operators to deliver more available horsepower
downhole. New quality-assurance programs encouraged CT
users to expand operations to include methods such as jet
cleaning, and the introduction of gel polymers helped reduce
friction in small-diameter tubing strings, allowing carrying mechanisms to remove waste particles from the well more efficiently.
Research on the cleaning energy required to remove various
buildup materials from tubulars led to the benchmark development of a calculated wash rate based on the type of buildup. The
wash rate correlates the fluid pump rate with the pressure drop
through CT pipe and wash nozzles. The wash rate provided a
method for calculating the speed at which tubing can be moved
though the wellbore during cleaning operations, changing the CT
cleaning process from empirical to scientific. For this approach,
the type and material composition of buildup material, the type
and rheology of pumping fluids, the length and diameter of
tubing, and the parameters of the well had to be considered. This
research was applied to jet cleaning operations, establishing a
complete process approach for wellbore cleanouts with CT.
Fluid Jet Theory
High-pressure fluid jet systems such as the slow-rotating jet
cleaning tool offer many advantages over mechanical and chemical methods of scale removal.1 Fluid jets are more efficient than
hydraulic motors because no power is lost during the transfer of
fluid energy to available torque. Jet cleaning systems can be used
to clean irregular surfaces, and damage to tubulars is minimized
because cleaning is not dependent on rotating mills.
For effective cleaning, the pressure that the fluid jet delivers
to the formation must be greater than the scale deposits compressive strength.1 Scale deposits are porous and typically deposited
in layers that are easily penetrated by fluid jets. After the jet
penetrates the scale, it forces a stream of fluid between the deposit
and the tubular, increasing pressure below the formation surface
and rupturing the deposit. The fluid then strips the deposit away
from the tubing wall. Because care must be taken to prevent
particles from bridging in the workstring, continuous reeled CT
is optimal for jetting operations.
Cleaning Energy. The ability of a fluid jet to remove buildup is
dependent on three factors1:
jet size
pressure drop across the fluid jet
the material characteristics of the deposits
The jet dwell time required for scale removal varies according
to each scales ability to bond to the pipe and to itself, the
characteristics of intermediate hydrocarbon deposits, and the
conditions causing buildup.2 Table 1 summaries the jet cleaning
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The software calculates the data entered into the form and
provides outcomes for the following entries. Common entries for
output data are listed as follows:
annulus velocity
annulus volume
circulation time
CT volume
pressure drop in coiled tubing
required polymer volume
time to clean 100 ft
total fluid required
total job time
vertical travel speed
Case History
The slow-rotating jet cleaning tool was first used on four gasstorage wells where salt/paraffin deposits and sand fill decreased
well production. Previous attempts had been made to restore well
production by running casing and perforating the tubing above
the storage interval. Downhole video was used to photograph the
casing before and after treatment. Figs. 6 and 7 show the
condition of the well before treatment.
Treatment Procedure. Foam treated with an acid/solvent blend
was pumped through the cleaning tool over the storage interval.
After the tubing was tripped over the storage interval, a treatment
fluid containing an acid/solvent blend was pumped and allowed
to soak for approximately 2 hours. Next, nitrogen was pumped to
remove the cleaning fluids until the well was flowing only gas.
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Results. Well production for gas-storage wells cannot be measured accurately for at least 1 year after treatment, but production
on all four wells is expected to increase based on results of the
post-job downhole video survey. Figs. 8 and 9 show that the jet
cleaning tool thoroughly cleaned the casing walls and perforations, and removed sand fill from the bottom of the casing. The
choked flows for two of the four treated wells showed immediate
improvement.
Cutting Tubing with the Slow-Rotating Jet Cleaning
Tool
During development of the slow-rotating jet cleaning tool for
scale-removal operations, designers realized that the tool could
also be used in tubing-cutting applications. Testing was conducted to verify the tools effectiveness for pumping sand-laden
fluids during cutting operations.
Testing. Four cutting tests were conducted for the slow-rotating
jet cutting tool:
Test 1. The tubing was not cut completely, because of the
sand settling from the fluid and the insufficient pressure drop
across the nozzles.
Test 2. To increase the pressure drop across the nozzles, the
jet cleaning tool was fitted with smaller nozzles. The test
slurry was mixed on-the-fly (on location) to prevent settling.
Breakthrough occurred after 9 minutes; 4 minutes later, the
pipe was completely severed.
Test 3. The sand was mixed at a slightly lower concentration.
A sleeve was also installed over the tubing to determine the
possible damage to casing strings external to the tubing. The
CT was completely severed after 6 minutes, and casing
damage was minimal. No damage was found on the casing
wall farthest from the tubing, and the casing string had a
slight groove (approximately 0.06 in. 4 in.) where the tubing
contacted the casing.
Test 4. The tubing used for testing was more representative
of standard oilfield tubing than the softer linepipe grade used
for the first three tests. Pressure was applied to the tubing
joint to simulate downhole pressure conditions. Breakthrough
occurred at 20 minutes, and the tubing was cut completely
6 minutes later (Fig. 10).
Results. The rotational speed of the slow-rotating jet cutting tool
is optimal for cutting operations, and testing shows that hydrostatic pressure does not significantly affect the cutting efficiency
of the tool.
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Conclusion
The slow-rotating jet cleaning tool unites proven high-pressure
fluid jet technology with new downhole tool technology to
provide an optimized scale-removal system. The tool helps
prevent the problems associated with traditional methods of
removing scale from tubulars by ensuring constant and predictable rotational speed, which enables operators to control the jet
dwell time for cleaning efficiency.
Applications for the jet cleaning tool include removal of
scale, deposits, and fill in live well situations. Additionally, the
jetting tool can be used for tubing-cutting operations, reducing
the safety risks associated with explosive and chemical cutting
methods. The tool also provides an alternative to mechanical
cutting tools, which tend to be much longer and require more
lubricator length.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. for permission to publish this paper. We also thank Dan Jockel for contributing information for the case history.
References
1.
2.
Cleaning Energy
(lb per ft/in. 2)
7,000
Silicates
6,000
5,500
4,500
3,800
3,200
Coal tar
3,000
2,500
2,000
Paraffins
1,200
Sludges
1,000
800
Semiliquids
500
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Indexing Tool
Jetting Tool
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ccd01114
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10