Subsea Well Intervention Services

Increasing Operational Efciency

Welltec has a proven record of optimizing intervention efciency and is dedicated to shifting operators away from heavy well interventions such as coiled tubing (CT) and snubbing towards lighter interventions. While those traditional methods require the use of a derrick, Well Tractor conveyed methods are light weight and efcient in both mobilization and operations due to the wireline solution that enables for more operations to be performed more frequently.

Welltecs Light Well Intervention Services

As a part of our continued development to meet the demands for interventions in subsea wells, Welltec now includes complete subsea intervention services to our existing portfolio. This establishes Welltec as a complete service provider with the ability to provide integrated solutions to the benet of our clients. As shown below, one of our major clients, StatoilHydro, has since 1996 implemented a strategy of moving from heavy interventions to light weight tractor related interventions, which has increased their operational scope.

Snubbing, Coiled Tubing, WL Tractor and RLWI operations for StatoilHydro (xStatoil) operated elds (1992-2008)
160 140

Subsea Light Well Intervention

Operations per Year

120 100 80 60 40 20 0 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
WL Tractor

Riserless Well Intervention (RLWI) and subsea well intervention through rigid riser has become more and more actual in the oil and gas industry the last six years. As the industry moves into deeper water offshore, more new elds are being developed subsea than from platforms. One problem the industry faces with subsea wells is that recovery factors are much less compared to recovery from platform wells. A major contributing factor is the low frequency of interventions performed on subsea wells.

Light well interventions are important for subsea operators to realize the full potential from their subsea elds. These operations are becoming more routine but there are increasing challenges and demands on technology as the water depths increase. To reduce the overall risks, new technology and improved operational efciency are required to meet the ambitions for light well interventions.

2007

2008
RLWI

Snubbing/RAS

Coiled Tubing

Deployment Options for Subsea Services

There are three classes of vessels from which to perform subsea intervention work: 1. Riserless Light Well Intervention (RLWI) vessel 2. Heavy intervention vessel with lightweight high pressure riser system 3. Semi-submersible rig hull type Traditionally, expensive semi-submersibles have been used to do interventions and completions in subsea wells. With the RLWI system, these operations can now be performed from a Light Well Intervention vessel in a more cost and time effective way. This will allow more frequent interventions which will improve recovery factors for subsea elds, while also reducing the carbon footprint. Welltec does not provide the vessels but we enable this migration to lighter well interventions by using lighter conveyance and mechanical services to accomplish many of the same tasks that heavy interventions perform. Welltec solutions are mostly electric wireline conveyed which offers many benets: Faster and more cost efcient operations Surface readout data collection for diagnostics of well conditions Less people on board and less equipment to mobilize No surface pumping and uids handling equipment to deal with

Generic Riserless Light Well Intervention vessel

Demanding Environments R e q u i r e R o b u s t To o l s
Welltecs subsea well intervention services are designed to withstand hostile well environments around the world.

Operating specications
25,000 psi working pressure 0 - 400 F temperature rating 10,000 ft water depth* Compatible with horizontal and conventional XT Variety of wireline operations Technology development plan with the operator Compatible with any length and size of lubricator

Typical applications
Data gathering (PLT) Perforating/re-perforation Zone isolation (plug/straddle) Inspection/repair/installation of insert DHSV Milling of short scale bridges Camera runs: visual or x-ray Scale treatments (IWS) Selective tracer injection or sampling Change-out of gas lift valves Sleeve operations DIACS valves

* Interventions at this water depth are possible, but have not yet been achieved

Integrated Solutions

At Welltec, we are well recognized as the worlds leading provider of precision robotics. We can now provide the following range of services from our portfolio that can be provided either as a Welltec standalone service or as a part of an alliance:

Mechanical wireline services (slickline & braided line)

Fishing operations Plug/packer setting and retrieval

E-line services (mono & multi conductors)

Cased hole logging services Tubing/pipe inspection and repair Perforating Plug/packer setting and retrieval

Well Tractor & associated services

Scale and metal milling Shifting sliding sleeves and valves Sand/debris clean out Production enhancement services Crown plug pulling Downhole snubbing capability Swaging of deformed tubing/pipe Nipple prole milling Fishing with DH snubbing unit Installing and pulling plugs, straddles and patches

Value Proposition

Welltec has a strong interest in minimizing well intervention cost and is working to shift from heavy well intervention operations towards lighter and more efcient methods. While coiled tubing and snubbing require the use of semi submersibles, Well Tractor conveyed subsea interventions can be performed from a vessel of opportunity. Our ambition is to reduce operating cost and increase production output by developing and qualifying new technologies for subsea well intervention operations, which can be run independently of drilling rigs.

Apart from reducing intervention costs, we create substantial return on investment (ROI) for our clients by increasing their production, revenue and prolonging the producing lives of their wells and reservoirs. We provide reliable services that add value to our clients businesses through our eld proven cutting edge technologies. Our dedication to certainty of execution and desire to move towards lightweight interventions are particularly important in subsea wells where the operational and logistical challenges are higher. As illustrated by the graph below, operators can generate millions of dollars in value creation when applying Welltecs wireline equipment.

We conduct our services with the highest consideration for the environment and strive to increase our business performance through excellent HSE awareness. Thus, we are able to mobilize for a job in a matter of hours along with a small crew of experienced eld engineers. Compared to conventional intervention methods, Welltecs technologies represent a shift in the mobilization time and personnel requirements, especially for difcult interventions.

As illustrated by the gure below, we can signicantly reduce the many tons of equipment and people on board that are required by the more conventional and heavy interventions techniques such as coiled tubing.

600 500

599 460

[Million USD]

400 300 200 100 0 50 43

Source: StatoilHydro

Cost

Value Creation

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Our Powerful Solutions for Subsea Services

Case Histories

Removing 250 Liters of Sand

Well Miller

Cleaning Area prior to Setting Plug

An offshore operator wanted to clean an area of sand and debris in order to set a plug. The challenge was to pass a restriction of 4.67 at 17,142 ft TD and clean an ID of 8.54 approx. 300 ft deeper in the well. It was decided to run the Well Tractor in conjunction with the Well Cleaner WBH (Wishbone Honer) since this tool is set up to pass a small restriction and still be able to brush a bigger ID. The Well Tractor was activated from 4,593 ft and run with the Well Cleaner WBH down to the area that needed to be cleaned. The Well Cleaner WBH successfully passed the minimum restriction of 4.67 at 17,142 ft depth and cleaned the planned area at 17,427 ft. During the second run, the plug was set successfully. Achievements Well cleared of debris from a depth of 17,388 to 17,427 ft Allowed plug to be set according to plan Cleaning operation performed in 1.5 hours 100% job satisfaction

When attempting to run a PLT, an offshore operator had to cancel the job due to sand production early in the wellbore. The strategy was to run the Well Cleaner PST (Power Suction Tool) in order to remove the sand and then run a PLT to indicate the production of water and oil for the various intervals. The Well Tractor , Welltec Release Device and Well Cleaner PST congured with 20.5 ft 4 bailer sections were run in hole and successfully recovered 250 liters of sand.

Well Cleaner

Previously, no one had gone in deeper than 12,831 ft in this well, but Welltec went down to 12,920 ft MD with the Well Cleaner PST and reached 13,484 ft MD during the PLT run. Achievements 250 liters of sand successfully removed to surface Wireline vacuum bailing proved more efcient than standard surface pumping methods CT could not provide the necessary rate for lifting the sand Lightweight solution: reduced heavy lifts

Well Stroker

Well Key

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Case Histories

Removing Tubing Collapse

Offshore a well was shut in due to failure on a downhole safety valve, and an insert valve was to be installed in order to put the well on stream again. The OD of the insert valve was 6.05 and when trying to install the valve, the operator could not pass 121.4 ft MD. A caliper log was run that showed a collapse in the 7 26# tubing (6.184 ID) at approx. 121.4 ft MD. The caliper logged the ID to be 6.033 at 123.4 ft MD. The Well Miller NPR (Nipple Prole Removal) was run in hole and after milling for 32 minutes, the rst pass up and down through the restriction went according to plan. After two attempts, the toolstring went through the restriction without any resistance.

Pipe Recovery
In an offshore well, the drill pipe had become stuck with no circulation for six days. Because of the 68 hole angle and inability to circulate, a backoff with prima-cord could not be run without mobilizing coiled tubing (CT) or a tractor. The Well Tractor was chosen because of its much quicker mobilization time and ability to safely and reliably convey explosives. The objective was to back-off the drill pipe at the deepest point; the back-off charge was run in hole and held up at 7,100 ft due to the hole angle in the deviated section. The Well Tractor was engaged and conveyed the back-off charge down to 17,600 ft. The depth was correlated and the charge was pulled back to 17,213 ft where it was detonated above the stuck point. Achievements The drill pipe was successfully backed off in one run Job performed in 14 hours from rig up to rig down Mobilization time reduced to 12 hours versus ve days for CT Crew reduced from six to two people A run length of 11,589 ft was achieved

Achievements
Operation only took six hours (from rig up to rig down) Effective milling time as short as 40 minutes Insert valve was installed after the Welltec intervention Well was returned to production

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Case Histories

Scale Milling on Wireline

A major operator was experiencing a build-up of scale from an insert subsurface safety valve (SSV) at 1,715 ft below surface. They decided to rst utilize slickline and pumping operations, which were performed several times without being able to pull the insert valve or make it stay open during production. Traditionally, the next method would have been CT, but in this case the mobilization costs were excessive. Instead they applied the 318 Well Miller in combination with the 318 Well Tractor to remove the scale. A new bit was custom-designed by Welltec that enabled the Well Miller to mill from 910 to 1,715 ft in one day. Welltecs keyhole surgery intervention made it possible to change out the SSV on slickline afterwards. Achievements The operation was completed one day ahead of time Estimated cost savings of US$3 million compared to CT HSE benets were achieved in the form of avoiding heavy lifts Less people on deck and being exposed to fewer risks

Scale Milling in Well with Restricted Diameter

A dual completion oil producing well had CaCO3 scale build up problems since it was put on production in 2004. In the middle of 2008, the scale had accumulated severely in the short string of the well, reducing the tubing internal diameter from 2.992 to approx. 1.50 all the way to the end of tubing. The scale had reduced the oil rate from an average of 2,000 bbl/day to almost 70 bbl/day. Due to the limited deck space and crane capacity on the platform, the operator chose mechanical milling on electric wireline utilizing a combination of the 218 Well Tractor and 212 Well Miller. A customized 2.70 outer diameter scale milling bit was manufactured to pass the minimum restriction of 2.813 in the well. Achievements A total of 1,631 ft CaCO3 scale interval was milled A path with an internal diameter of 2.70 was obtained The operation was performed in 14 hours (rig up to rig down) Approx. four days were saved compared to CT Oil production was increased

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Case Histories

Shifting Several Sleeves on Wireline

A deviated well featured a dual-zone completion where each of the two independently completed zones included two sliding sleeves that needed to be opened. Braided line had made various attempts to shift the valves but was unable to reach the desired well depth due to the well geography. Rig conveyed tubing and CT were initially contemplated but were considered to be too time consuming. Instead, the Well Tractor and Well Stroker were run in hole with a third party shifting tool to engage the shifting proles of the sleeves. During the operation, the anchors of the Well Stroker locked the upper part of the toolstring in place while the stroking rod below the anchor section applied the necessary pushing or pulling force. Achievements Signicant cost savings were achieved due to reduced operating time (compared to rig conveyed tubing or CT) All four sliding sleeves were opened in one run Time to close the valves was 12 hours

Setting of Failed Production Packer

A production packer failed to set via the primary method of pressuring the tubing as this did not activate the sleeve actuator. The preferred contingency was to slide open a setting module and then pressure up the tubing to set the packer, which required a plug to be set inside the tubing below the setting module prior to pressuring up. As the well was highly deviated (85), the work needed to be performed either on drill pipe, CT, or conveyed by the Well Tractor. Initially, the operator had considered CT, but chose Welltec due to lower cost and reduced time compared to CT or drill pipe. For the production packer operation, the Well Tractor conveyed the Well Stroker to the desired depth to set the plug in the tubing, and then the setting module was opened by the Well Stroker. The rig pressured up on the tubing and set the upper completion packer. Finally, the Well Stroker pulled the plug. Achievements Welltecs wireline equipment provided a number of benets over CT and drill pipe: Faster runs required Four days of oater rig-time saved More cost-effective operation Avoided rigging-up of CT lifting frame and heavy lifts

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Contact Details

Welltec Global HQ Gydevang 25 DK-3450 Alleroed, Denmark Phone: +45 48 14 35 14 Fax: +45 48 14 35 18

Contact Person Director of Subsea Interventions Ole Eddie Karlsen Phone: +47 92 46 55 52 Email: oekarlsen@welltec.com

Copyright 2009 Welltec A/S All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of Welltec A/S. Welltec, Well Tractor, Well Stroker, Well Key, Well Cleaner, Well Miller and Welltec Release Device are trademarks of Welltec A/S and may be registered in Denmark and/or in other countries. All products are protected by patents or patent pending.

Subsea Well Intervention Services