Workover Well Control

WORKOVER WELL
CONTROL
SESSION OBJECTIVES
At the end of this session the participants will be able to:
• state the “reasons for workovers or well interventions”

• list the parameters necessary to enable a safe well kill
operation
• list the types of well kill available and their associated
advantages and disadvantages
• evaluate which type of well kill is required for a particular
situation
• list the equipment necessary to conduct a well kill
operation
• prepare well kill solutions kill charts for each type of kill
operation
• knowledgeably discuss problems in workover well kill
operations
REASONS FOR WELL
SERVICING
1. Remove obstructions to flow, e.g tubing blockage due
to sand, wax, asphaltene or scale
2. Eliminate excessive water or gas production
3. Repair mechanical failure of completion components
4. Enhance production through well stimulation (acid
wash, matrix acidising and fracturing
5. Increase production by bring other productive zones
onstream
6. Maintain control of oil, gas and water production from
various zones or layers in stratified reservoirs
MECHANICAL
FAILURES
Some mechanical failures of the production conduit can be
repaired by Live Well Intervention techniques using wireline,
coiled tubing or snubbing methods.
Failures that may require a well kill and full workover

programme to pull the tubing are:
• TRSV failure or leak

• Casing, tubing or packer leak
• Casing or tubing collapse
• Cement failure
• Artificial lift system failure or inefficiency, e.g. gas lift
optimisation
• Recovery of a fish unable to be recovered by
conventional methods
WELL SERVICING/
MAINTENANCE
WELL SERVICING
/MAINTENANCE
ROUTINE WELLHEAD LIVE WELL DEAD WELL EMERGENCY

MONITORING SERVICING INTERVENTIONS WORKOVERS SITUATIONS
Well C/T or Re- Well

Wireline Pumping Repairs Capping
Testing Snubbing Complete Kill
Production Service Units Drilling or Production Facility

Facility Workover Rig /Snubbing Unit
METHODS OF KILLING
A PRODUCTION WELL
• FORWARD CIRCULATION
• REVERSE CIRCULATION
• BULLHEADING
• LUBRICATE AND BLEED
• WORKSTRING DEPLOYED BY C/T OR SNUBBING UNIT
NOTE: The Forward Circulation method generally has little

application in production well killing. The Lubricate
and Bleed method is used only when none of the
others can be applied
FORWARD
IN
OUT
CIRCULATION
Annulus
Tubing
Circulating Device
Packer
W/L Plug
Perforations
Gas Oil Brine
FORWARD
CIRCULATION
ADVANTAGES :
• Little or no damage to the formation by foreign fluids
or contaminants from the tubing or annulus
DISADVANTAGES :
• Less safe as hydrocarbons are brought up through the
hanger spool outlets and disposal is more difficult
• Gas and oil will mix with the packer fluid due to
gravitation requiring special handling equipment
• High circulation pressures on the annulus
• No advantage at all over reverse circulation

FORWARD CIRCULATION
KILL CHART EXAMPLE
REVERSE
OUT
IN CIRCULATION
Annulus
Tubing
Circulating Device
Packer
W/L Plug
Perforations
Gas Oil Brine
REVERSE
CIRCULATION
ADVANTAGES:
• Hydrocarbons brought up through the Xmas tree to the
production facilities
• Gas and oil will remain segregated throughout
• Low circulation pressures on the annulus
• Little or no damage to the formation by foreign fluids

or contaminants from the tubing or annulus
• Little risk of accidentally fracturing the formation
DISADVANTAGES:
• Slower than bullheading
REVERSE CIRCULATION
KILL CHART EXAMPLE
REVERSE CIRCULATION
KILL CHART EXAMPLE
BULLHEAD
IN
Annulus
Tubing
Circulating Device (Closed)
Packer
Perforations
Gas Oil Brine
BULLHEAD
ADVANTAGES:
• Quick and easy method especially in smaller tubing
sizes
• No hydrocarbons brought to surface
DISADVANTAGES:
• Scale or contaminants in the tubing are pumped
against the formation
• Low formation fracture pressures may be exceeded

causing accidental fractures
• Gas may slip up the tubing if the pump rate is not

sufficient for larger tubing sizes
BULLHEAD KILL CHART
EXAMPLE
Tubing Head Pressure

plus Injectivity Pressure
Tubing Volume
Tubing Surface Pressure
Strokes
ALTERNATE CYCLING
IN AND OUT
LUBRICATE AND
BLEED
Annulus
(Last Resort Method)
Tubing
Circulating Device (Closed)
Packer
(Stuck) W/L Plug
Perforations
Gas Oil Brine
LUBRICATE AND
BLEED
ADVANTAGES:
• Only method which can be employed under extreme
circumstances
DISADVANTAGES:
• Very slow
• Pressures equalisation across the tubing is difficult to

achieve
• Requires higher surface pressures than circulation

methods
LUBRICATE AND BLEED
KILL CHART EXAMPLE
MASP
Tubing Volume
Tubing Surface Pressure
Minimum
Surface Pressure
to Prevent Influx
Strokes
WELL PREPARATION
FOR WELL KILL
1. Well must be closed in to stabilise
bottomhole pressure
2. Inspect and service the Xmas tree
3. Check whether the Sub-Surface Safety

Valve needs to be locked open or pulled
(if Wireline Retrievable)
4. Isolate the well from the Production

Control System and ESD if necessary
5. Ensure all Well Intervention Equipment

has been organised including pumping
equipment
WELL INFORMATION
REQUIRED
1. Levels
2. Wellhead Working Pressure Rating
3. Fracture Pressure Gradient
4. Casing and Tubing Sizes
5. Casing and Tubing Strengths
6. Injectivity Pressure
FORMATION DAMAGE
Formation damage may be caused during well operations
most notably when foreign fluids are pumped against the
formation. Typical damage mechanisms are:
• Pore, vug or fracture plugging by solids invasion
• Permeability reduction through filtrate invasion
• Sandface or cement breakdown due to the effects from

an acid stimulation
• Permeability reduction due to the formation of

insoluble precipitates when stimulating with acid
• Formation blocking with high molecular weight fluids

(rheology diversion)
• Clay swelling from incompatible brine or water

contamination
• Pore or perforation plugging during bullheading due to

tubing scale, wax, asphaltene or debris
FORMATION DAMAGE
PREVENTION
To prevent formation damage there is a minimum drawdown
between the bottomhole pressure where a well is able to
flow or be injected:
a
∆P = Pbh − Pres f
∆P < 0 for a well to flow
∆P > 0 for injection into the reservoir
Therefore, for a particular formation ∆P should be

determined to minimise flow from or into the reservoir
In general, during a well kill against the formation the

bottomhole pressure should be kept as follows:
Pres < Pbh < Pinj min.

USE OF CLEAR
BRINES
Clear brines are used to prevent formation
damage providing the following points are
considered:
• Compatibility of the brine with the
formation(s)
• Weight required
• Preparation of the brine
• Cleanliness
• Health and safety
• Pollution control
COMPOSITION OF
CLEAR BRINES
Potassium Chloride KCl 8.3-9.7 lbs/gal
Sodium Chloride NaCl 8.3-10.0 lbs/gal
Calcium Chloride CaCl 8.3-11.8 lbs/gal
Calcium Chloride/
Calcium Bromide CaCl /CaBr2 11.8-15.2 lbs/gal
Calcium Chloride/
Calcium Bromide/
Zinc Bromide CaCl /CaBr2 /ZnBr2 14.5-19.2 lbs/gal
Zinc Bromide ZnBr2 13.5-21.0 lbs/gal

PUMP EQUIPMENT
1. Pump - rating
- barrel/stroke
- relief valve setting
2. Surface Pump Lines
3. Choke Manifold
4. Isolation Valves
5. Pressure Gauges
6. Fluid Disposal System
7. Mixing Tanks
8. Reserve Tanks
9. Fluid
10. Chemicals - corrosion inhibitor
- oxygen scavenger
- biocide

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WORKOVER WELL

• state the “reasons for workovers or well interventions”

Failures that may require a well kill and full workover

• TRSV failure or leak

ROUTINE WELLHEAD LIVE WELL DEAD WELL EMERGENCY

Well C/T or Re- Well

Production Service Units Drilling or Production Facility

• LUBRICATE AND BLEED

• WORKSTRING DEPLOYED BY C/T OR SNUBBING UNIT

NOTE: The Forward Circulation method generally has little

• High circulation pressures on the annulus

• No advantage at all over reverse circulation

• Gas and oil will remain segregated throughout

• Low circulation pressures on the annulus

• Little or no damage to the formation by foreign fluids

• Little risk of accidentally fracturing the formation

Circulating Device (Closed)

• No hydrocarbons brought to surface

• Low formation fracture pressures may be exceeded

• Gas may slip up the tubing if the pump rate is not

Tubing Head Pressure

Circulating Device (Closed)

(Stuck) W/L Plug

• Pressures equalisation across the tubing is difficult to

• Requires higher surface pressures than circulation

2. Inspect and service the Xmas tree

3. Check whether the Sub-Surface Safety

4. Isolate the well from the Production

5. Ensure all Well Intervention Equipment

2. Wellhead Working Pressure Rating

3. Fracture Pressure Gradient

4. Casing and Tubing Sizes

5. Casing and Tubing Strengths

• Pore, vug or fracture plugging by solids invasion

• Permeability reduction through filtrate invasion

• Sandface or cement breakdown due to the effects from

• Permeability reduction due to the formation of

• Formation blocking with high molecular weight fluids

• Clay swelling from incompatible brine or water

• Pore or perforation plugging during bullheading due to

∆P > 0 for injection into the reservoir

Therefore, for a particular formation ∆P should be

In general, during a well kill against the formation the

Pres < Pbh < Pinj min.

• Preparation of the brine

• Health and safety

Sodium Chloride NaCl 8.3-10.0 lbs/gal

Calcium Chloride CaCl 8.3-11.8 lbs/gal

Zinc Bromide ZnBr2 13.5-21.0 lbs/gal

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