ua lll IHiTiirnyyy TECHNICAL NOT UT W Subsurface Sealing of Tubing Thread Leaks MARTIN. TRUE WM ORSILY ABSTRACT A technique, equipment, and a compound have been developed and field tested for sealing tubing joint thread leaks without removing the tubing from the well. This eliminates the necessity of killing the well with possible damage to the producing formation, whick could result if it were exposed to drilling mud. A thread sealing com pound, developed and tested in the laboratory, is intro- duced into the tubing and squeezed into the joint to elimi= nate the leak. A high percentage of successful field appli- cations have effected an appreciable cost reduetion in repairing leaking tubing strings in East Texas and in the Louisiana Gulf Coast area. INTRODUCTION In producing oil and gas wells the industry has been plagued with a never ending problem of tubing connec- tion leakage. This situation is becoming increasingly more significant as more gas wells are placed on pro- duction “and as higher pressures are encountered at ‘greater depths of current drilling Substantial progress has been made in minimizin thread leaks by careful handling and cleaning of joints and by the use of improved sealing compounds in com- bination with controlled makeup. But even with the use of the best known methods and sealing materials during initial makeup, occasional leaks through tubing joint threads appear inevitable. In some instances, tubing joints in high-pressure gas wells have been found to leak gas at relatively less pressure than that at which the tubing had been tested satisfactorily using liquid. Many expedients have been employed to prevent the physical replacement of tubing when leaks have devel- ‘oped. Perhaps the most commonly used is the sodium sllieate treatment in which the solution is lubricated into the tubing to form a erystalline plug in the leak. Generally, any benefit reslized is of a temporary nature. In addition to field studies on handling and makeup of tubing, extensive laboratory work has been under- taken on the development and testing of thread dopes.’ Also, substantial effort has been devoted to testing tubing joints using high-pressure gas es a pressure ec ely TO ane Revol menu igt reel on Now Bh TE. aoer presented at Petroleum Branch Pall Meeting tn haw Angeles ones ‘Spesmee HOUSTON, TEx medium, The results of this work have emphasized that tubing joints are susceptible to occasional leaks, especially when subjected to relatively high differential pressures To cope with the problem of leaking connections, fan extensive investigation was undertaken to devise ‘means of sealing leaks without removing the tubing from the well and without reducing the inside diameter of the tubing. The purpose of this paper is to present a technique, together with the associated equipment and compound, which have been developed for effecting a seal of leaking tubing in place. DISCUSSION Work was initiated simultaneously on two ventures: (1) to develop a satisfactory leak sealing compound and (2) to develop tools necessary to find the leak and place the compound, Leak SEALING ComPouns Tn the development of a sealing compound, tests were conducted on those compounds commercially available which include: (1) conventional thread Tubri- cans, (2) thermo-setting resins and (3) other materials which held promise of effecting a seal. Although none proved completely satisfactory in their available form, ‘wo commercial compounds proved nearly equally effective in sealing leaks during laboratory tests after proportioned quantities of graded silica had been added. Field usage has indicated that the preferred compound is one prepared of an aluminum-stearate base thinned tw the proper constituency and carrying a mixture of fine mesh graphite and graded silica. The compound de- veloped by Humble Oil & Refining Co. is designated as ‘Tubing Thread Leak Sealant 800. PLACEMENT Toots ano TECHNIQUE In developing tools to detect joint leaks and to place the sealing, compound, work was done initially on wireline equipment, Preliminary designs were com- pleted of a tool somewhat on the order of a pressure homb to fest individual joints with gas at high pressure to determine if the joint was leaking. An entirely differ- cent toot equipped with opposed packers was intended for placement of the sealing compound at high pressures jn each leaking joint. The application of these toolswould have consumed appreciable time since each joint would have required individual testing, Although this technique would have been useful in sealing leaks which were evident, undetected leaks and those joints of near leaking conditions would not have been serviced. Development of these tools was not com= pleted after an entirely different approach was proposed and has proven applicable in field operations for the sealing of tubing thread leaks. FIELD OPERATIONS Several years ago, a gas well in the East Texas arca was leaking to an extent that the leak had to be stopped ‘even if the tubing had to be pulled. Since killing wells in this area sometimes results in mud damage to the producing formation, it was decided to attempt to seal this leak using the sealing compound which had been effective in laboratory tests to that time. The position fof the leak was determined by a temperature survey. then a tubing-stop under a pack-off anchor was placed in the tubing slightly below the leak. It was intended to displace the gas inside the tubing through the Ieak which would then be sealed by the sealing compound. It is believed that some of the com- pound gravitated ahead of the Separation plug as it was Pumped down the tubing. A partial shutoff lengthened the time for displacement; “however, the operation satisfactorily shut off the leak and served as an initial field test of the sealing compound. ‘The new approach proposed for the scaling of tubing thread leaks included the use of two batches of com- pound, As shown in Fig. 1, a regulator is set in the lower portion of the tubing, either slip-set or in a landing nipple which is not uncommon equipment in Wells where troublesome leaks are usually found. A back-flow by-pass, essentially a ball check valve, is made up with the regulator assembly to permit cleaning the ‘well by formation flow when the operation is complete ‘A tubingstop with mating surfaces for the lower Fic. 1-Piaciaene oF Lear Sratine Conroun, pumped plug is set about 100 ft above the regulator which serves as a pressure seal when the plug contacts the tubing-stop. The first batch of compound is intro: duced between separation plugs into the tubing. Fol- lowed by water, this batch is pumped down to compress the tubing contents until a pressure is attained which opens the regulator. At this point, the second batch of compound, isolated between plugs, is introduced into the tubing. Displaced by water, the tubing contents ass through the regulator and back into the formation ‘After the regulator opens, a steady squceze pressure is maintained until the lowermost plug contacts the tubing-stop where it seals off, The basic idea is that a high-pressure placement of the compound is desirable and that a maximum pressure is not normally attained until the tubing contents, usually gas oF light hydro: carbons, have been compressed to the pressure to be employed during the squeeze, The second batch of com pound, introduced at the maximum pressure, effectively treats the upper portion of the tubing string while the first batch is being squeezed against the lower portion down to the tubing-stop. After the placement oper is completed, the well is opened and flowing through the by-pass, formation pressure has been used lo remove exeess compound and clean the tubing. The regulator assembly and tubing-stop are set and removed by wireline Improved equipment has heen developed to perform this work. Fig. 2 shows the regulator currently employed to minimize hysteresis in opening and closing pressures. Conventional cup-type plugs did not provide adequate separation of the sealing compound, particularly as they traversed tubing connections, and a type was developed which employed = long series of dise-type rubber ele- ments as seen in Fig. 3. A tubing-stop which allows sealing by the lowermost separation plug was readily adapted using high pressure pack-off elements against the internal tubing wall, Laboratory tests have indicated that differential pres: sures across the tubing couplings in combination with the length of time the pressure is maintained are major factors influencing the success of the thread leak sealing operation. In each job performed, the casing annulus pressure was reduced to a minimum, and a maximum internal pressure employed consistent with the safety limitations of the associated well equipment. ‘The length of time of exposure is determined by the quantity of compound in the batch and the pumping rate, Laboratory tests indicate the initial effective squeeze should consume at least 30 minutes. This means that in using a batch of compound 150 ft long, 2 pumping rate of 5 ft/min would be satisfactory while doubling the batch permits » pumping rate of 10 ft/min, Maximum pumping pressure primarily depends on the regulator setting which, at present, must be calculated for individual wells. After the lower plug seats and seals with the tubing-stop, experience has indicated that beneficial results are obtained if a static high pressure is maintained for 2 shut-in period of not less than 24 hours, Investigations of performance during field operations indicated that calculations to determine the setting of the regulator must include several major factors. Fig 4 illustrates the behavior of indicated and calculated pressures at points in the column at various stages as the operation progresses. Relatively close similarity of calculated pressure behavior to observed pressure. be- havior during recent jobs confirms that sufficient factors are included to allow reliable calculations to be made.Sore Fie, 2 Recetaron Useo 15 Tleax Statine Orraarion. Fic, 3—Sevanariow Pune Super-compressibility of the tubing contents must be considered in changing value as it reacts to the condi- tions of pressure and temperature while the lower batch is being pumped in. Stabilization is effected for prac- tical purposes after the regulator opens. The increasing hydrostatic head inside the tubing as the batch is pumped down is also a major factor influencing the regulator setting, making the net effective differential from the inside to the outside of the tubing coupling de- pendent on the hydrostatic head of the contents of the casing annulus. ‘An alternate procedure may be employed to service only a portion of the tubing string if the position of the leak is known. A tubing-stop is positioned below the Teak area and a single batch of compound, sufficient to cover the leak, is pumped in using a conventional circu- lation plug as the lowermost separation plug. A max- imum pressure consistent with the conditions present should ‘be imposed for at least 24 hours against the positive seal of the circulation plug with the tubing-stop, In wells where tubing joint threads were leaking, Fic, 4-Parssuee Arrainsn oumxe Tostne Leax Stauine OFeRaO. approximately 89 per cent success has been attained in sealing leaks in tubing strings in place since the tech- nique Was first applied several years ago. Tubing strings have been replaced in most wells where this work was not successful and in each instanco, a hole has been found in a place other than the connection, or it was apparent that the leak had been at the tubing packer. Although this procedure has proved effective in dealing With a majority of leaks from tubing connections, it should not be considered applicable where evidence exists of advanced corrosion of otherwise faulty tubular 2oods. CONCLUSIONS 1. A technique, equipment, and a compound have ‘been developed and field tested for sealing tubing joint thread leaks without removing the tubing {rom the well. This technique eliminates the possible damage to the producing formation which could result if exposed to the fuids normally used in killing wells. 2. By employing this technique, 89 per cent of the jobs attempted have been successfully sealed, including early field experiments. 43. Substantial savings have been effected by employ- ing this technique to repair tubing joint leaks. REFERENCES 1, Mayberry, M. G.: “Development of an API Thread Com: pound™, Drill and Prod. Prac. APL (1981), 205. 2, True, Mastin Ey, and O'Reilly, W. Mr “Tubing Joints for High Pressure Service", Paper No. 887-G, Presented at Fall Meeting of Petroleum Branch, ATMIE (Oct, 1951).