Introduction

to
Well Completion

Hatem Hussein
Senior CWI Engineer
 2022

1) Why Complete?

Content 2) Well Completion Types

3) Completion Components

Introduction to Well Completion 2

 1) Why Complete?
2022

• Completion design is the process of converting a drilled wellbore into a safe and efficient production or injection system.

• The well completion provides the access within the well structure between the reservoir and surface flow line for production or injection
purposes.

• The well completion therefore typically includes the perforations, sand exclusion system, tubing, wellhead, tubing accessories, packers,
associated safety equipment and Xmas tree.

Converting a drilled and cased wellbore into a production system

Introduction to Well Completion 3

 2) Well Completion Types
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Open Hole Completions

Lower Completion
Connects reservoir to wellbore
Cased Hole and perforated
/ liner Completions

Well Completion

Upper Completion
The link between lower completion
Completion Equipment
and surface

Introduction to Well Completion 4

 2.1) Open Hole Completion
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• In this style of completion, the production casing shoe would be set just
above the reservoir section and cemented in place, then the reservoir
section is drilled with non-damaging drilling fluids.

Advantages Disadvantages

• Low cost and simple (especially for • Mud filter cake will reduce productivity
long intervals) unless it was cleaned up

• Save perforation cost • No protection against wellbore

collapse of the producing interval
• Maximum diameter across reservoir
section • Limited zonal isolation

• Easy to deepen well • Separate zone within the section are

difficult to be stimulated selectively
• Prevent formation damage by cement

Introduction to Well Completion 5

 2.2) Cased Hole & Perforated Completion
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• The majority of well completions are designed with cemented production casing
string which is then perforated to establish communication with the formation
• A small diameter liner may be used across the producing intervals “hang off” on
the inside of the bottom section of the main casing string by using a Liner Hanger
System
• The perforations penetrate the cement and damaged regions around the
wellbore area.

Advantages Disadvantages
• No need to clean up filter cake • Possible in-flow restriction due to lack of
360o perforation coverage
• Perforations bypass the damaged zone
• Permeability impairment due to crushed
• Good zonal isolation
zone & perforation debris (can be
• Multiple / Selective completion minimized by perforating underbalance)

• Good well integrity if properly • Liner cementing can be difficult at higher

cemented angels

• Protection against hole collapse • Cementing, Perforating and additional rig

time can be costly for offshore operation
Introduction to Well Completion 6
 3) Completion Components
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• A conventional completion typically contains components such as

 Packers

 Subsurface Safety Valve

 Expansion and anchoring devices

 Accessories includes:
• Landing nipple

• Gauges

• Side Pocket Mandrel

• Sliding Side Doors

• Bottom hole chokes and regulators

• Flow coupling and Blast joints

• Perforated joint

• Wireline Re-Entry Guides

 Xmas tree & Tubing Hangers

Introduction to Well Completion Typical Permanent Completion 7

 3.1) Packers
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• A packer is defined as a subsurface tool used to provide downhole seal within the casing / tubing or between the two
to prevent movement of fluids past the sealing point.
• Packers are also used in open hole, as in drill stem testing.
• Not all wells are completed with packers, such as wells that require artificial lift by means of beam pumping or Electrical
Submersible Pump (ESP).
• Packers are generally a necessary accessory within completion design, hence the common reference to “Production
Packers” But generally this term is used with reference to the permanent class of packer.
• Other classes of packer include:
 Retrievable packers used for well intervention activities, like stimulation, well testing, well integrity testing,…
 Bridge plugs which bridge off to prevent fluid movement within the casing or tubing

Introduction to Well Completion 8

 3.1) Main reasons to use packers
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• The principle reasons for running a packer are

 Production control (i.e., zone isolation, gas lift,…)
 Production testing
 Protection of equipment (i.e., corrosive production
fluids and / or pressure away from casing)
 Safety (i.e., Offshore wells, high pressure wells) used in
conjunction with SSSV (Subsurface Safety Valve)
 To hold kill fluids or treating fluids in the annulus

Introduction to Well Completion 9

 3.1) Packers Classification
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Packer types

Permanent Permanent / Retrievable Retrievable

• Run as an integral part of the tubing

• Set within the casing and the setting • This class combines the advantage of
• Set mechanically, hydraulically or combination of
mechanism (tubing / wireline) can be permanent packers (large bore, withstands
both
released higher pressure differentials,….)
• Released by manipulation of the tubing either by
• Set mechanically , Hydraulically or electrically • But when required can be released and
rotation or pulling (shearing lock pins)
• Cannot be retrieved but can be destructively recovered entirely from the well.
• Generally used where the well may have to be
removed (i.e., milling)
worked over regularly (i.e., Electrical
• Called production packers
Submersible Pump), temporary completions
• Used in high pressure differential applications
(production testing) or well intervention activities
(i.e., stimulation or casing leak detection)

Introduction to Well Completion 10

 3.2) Subsurface Safety Valve (SSSV)
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• The prime purpose of the subsurface safety valve (SSSV) is to protect people, property and the environment against uncontrolled
production while safeguarding the hydrocarbon resource asset.

• The uncontrolled situations may arise as a result of sabotage, collision, equipment failure, human errors, fire or leaks.

• The incorporating of a SSSV in the well completion depends on a number of factors:

 Capacity of the hydrocarbon source

 Characteristics of the hydrocarbon reservoir

 Government regulations

 Operator requirements

• The general recommendation in the light of the potential effect of oil and gas spills on the
environment, is that all wells capable of SUSTAINED NATURAL FLOW be equipped with
subsurface safety valve.

Introduction to Well Completion 11

 3.2) SSSV types
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1) Tubing Retrievable (TR-SSSV) is well suited for:

• Subsea completions, where wireline operations are costly and where valve
reliability and longevity are of utmost importance.

• Wells that have high volume of oil production due to large bore of TR-SSSV

• Multiple zone completion where it is necessary to perform wireline jobs

frequently on equipment that is installed beneath safety valve (replacing GLV,
perforation, Survey,..)

• Situations where the retrieval and installation of WR-SSSV are difficult because of
wax or scale deposition in the landing nipple.

2) Wireline Retrievable (WR-SSSV) is well suited for:

• Extreme hostile environment, where high temperature, aggressive well fluid or

abrasive production tend to shorten the life of valve components.

• Extremely high pressure service.

TR-SSSV WL-SSSV
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3.3) Anchor / Seal assemblies and Expansion devices

1) Seal assemblies are employed with permanent type packers, providing the isolation
between the producing zone and the annular space above the packer when the
tubing is located into the packer.

• The seal assemblies are designed with external seals on the tubing which pack off in
the polished bore of the packer and it is called Polished Bore Receptacle PBR

2) Expansion joint is a telescopic tool that compensate for tubing movement, it is

mainly intended as a simple space out devices for landing the surface tubing hanger.

Introduction to Well Completion Polished Bore Receptacle (PBR) 13

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3.4) Completion Accessories

• To achieve the functional requirements of the completion, completion accessories are included in the well
conduit for a variety of reasons, the majority of which are to aid well intervention techniques.
• The following illustrates typical examples of completion functional requirements:
 Reservoir management (Pressure & Temperature surveys – Zonal isolation – Perforation)
 Well / Flow control (Circulation / Selective production using “Sliding Side Door”)
 Integrity management (Chemical injection, Wax / Scale removal)
 Artificial lift (Gas lift using Side Pocket Mandrel “SPM”)
 Well Circulation

• Accessories includes:
 Landing nipples
 Gauges
 Side Pocket Mandrel
 Sliding Side Doors
 Bottom hole chokes and regulators
 Flow coupling and Blast joints
 Perforated joint
 Wireline Re-Entry Guides

Introduction to Well Completion 14

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3.4.1) Landing nipples

• Landing Nipples:

 A landing nipple is a short tubular component machined with tubing thread

top & bottom, compatible with completion tubing.

 It is internally machined to provide a locking recess and sealing bore into

which the locking device is installed

 Types: Non-Selective and Selective

• Advantages of using landing nipple in a single string completion:

 The well may be plugged from above or below or from both directions

 The tubing string may be pressure tested

 SSSV, Check valves, … may be safely set in the tubing string

 Bottom hole pressure and temperature gauges may be installed

 The nipples may be used as a reference point for checking depth

Non-Selective Selective

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3.4.2) Gauges

• Gauges:

 Downhole date is required, such as flowing well pressure & temperature

surveys to enable petroleum engineer to manage the hydrocarbon
reservoirs.

 To obtain the data, either permanent downhole gauges (PDGs) need to

be installed with the completion or well intervention using wireline or
coiled tubing is employed.

Downhole Pressure & Temperature Gauge in combination with a Flowmeter

Introduction to Well Completion 16

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3.4.3) Side Pocket Mandrel (SPM)

• Side Pocket Mandrel (SPM):

 Originally used for gas lift, but can be used as an alternative circulation device.

 The SPM, uses valves that can be set or retrieved on wireline using a kickover tool,
which positions the device in the side pocket mandrel

 When no communication is required between tubing and annulus, a dummy

valve is located in the SPM.

Introduction to Well Completion Side Pocket Mandrel 17

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3.4.4) Side Sliding Door (SSD)

• Side Sliding Door (SSD)
 The capability of establish tubing / annulus communication in order to equalize pressures and for circulation is a
desirable feature in many completion designs.

 SSD or sliding sleeves provide communication between the well production conduit and various annulus.

• Various applications include:

 Fluid displacement

 Well killing (by fluid circulation)

 Commingled production

 Kicking off wells (gas lift)

 Pressure equalization

 Selective testing or producing multiple zones

 Chemical injection

• Various applications include:

 Wireline / coiled tubing methods

 Pressure applied to the tubing after dropping or running a shifting dart

 Pressure applied to the annulus acting on the differential piston area Side Sliding Door

• They may be selected in the either the shift down to open or shift up to open versions.
Introduction to Well Completion 18
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3.4.5) Bottom hole chokes and Regulators

• They are usually wireline run / retrieved calibrated orifices to restrict fluid flow in the
tubing, usually set in landing nipple

• Used to:

 Reduce oil / gas ratio under certain conditions

 Prevent freezing of surface controls

 Prolong the flowing life of the well by maintaining bottom hole pressure

• This by maintaining bottom hole pressure

Introduction to Well Completion 19

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3.4.6) Flow Couplings & Blast Joints

• These are important aspects of life-of-the-well completion planning.

• They are designed to inhibit the effects of erosion / corrosion caused by flow turbulence
and jetting actions.

• Flow Coupling:
 Flow couplings are short sections of thick walled pipe.

 Flow couplings should be considered above and below any major ID change (i.e., Crossovers, TR-SSSV,
Landing nipples,..)

 The purpose of this is to withstand any internal erosion caused by turbulent flow through differing
tubing IDs and therefor promotes enhanced completion reliability of the production life of the well.

• Blast Joints:
 Blast joint withstand erosion externally, and are normally positioned at perforated production zones
where the jetting action of the fluid can erode the outside of the tubing.

 A blast joint is a joint of tubing with enhanced wall thickness, and usually manufactured from a heat
treated alloy, also can be coated by a tungsten carbide.

Introduction to Well Completion 20

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3.4.7) Perforated Joint

• The perforated joint is located in the tail pipe section of completion below the production
packer and above a landing nipple.

• Its purpose to provide an alternative flow path in cases where wireline deployed memory
gauges and flow meters are required for monitoring bottom hole condition

• Its disadvantage with the monitoring system and under production condition, the pressure drop
across the perforated joint can cause debris fall out, which in turn is deposited on top of the
wireline lock, this have caused several serious instances of stuck tools, fish and troublesome
workovers.

• The perforated joint design is based on that total cross-sectional area of the holes is equal to
cross sectional area of tubing ID

Perforated Joint

Introduction to Well Completion 21

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3.4.8) Wireline Re-Entry Guides

• There are two types: ( The mule shoe guide – The bell guide)
 The mule shoe:
• Most commonly used guide in completion installations.
• Generally it is 1 ft and consists of a female thread at its upper end and a
flat bottom with 45 degrees cut in it at the lower end.
• The 45 degrees taper eases the running of the tubing completion
through restrictions, such as liner hangers.
• Also while pulling a wireline tool string back into the tubing, a 45
degrees chamfer on the taper will guide the rope socket and tool string
back into the tail pipe assembly.
 The bell guide:
• It’s shaped like a bell with 45 degrees taper cut in its lower end.
• The upper end is like the mule shoe type, has a female thread cut in it.
• The 45 degrees taper allows easy re-entry of the wireline tool string
when it is pulled back into the tail pipe assembly.
• This guide generally used in completion where the end of the tubing
does not need to bypass the top of a liner hanger.

Introduction to Well Completion 22

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3.5) Wellheads, Xmas & Tubing Hangers

• Wellheads

• The “Wellhead” is usually defined as the assembly of spools and housings which
provides:

 The means to suspend and seal the various strings of casing and production
tubing within the well bore.

 Access the annular space between successive string of casing, including the
annulus between production casing and tubing.

 The connection for a Blow Out Preventer (BOP) or Xmas tree.

Introduction to Well Completion Conventional Spool Type Wellhead 23

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3.5) Wellheads, Xmas & Tubing Hangers

• The Xmas tree: is the series of valves and related instrumentation above the wellhead which becomes a crossover between the wellhead and
the flow line.

• Xmas tree provides means of isolating the reservoir from the environment in both normal operations and emergency shut downs.

• Basic Tree types:

 Solid Block tree (machined from single block)

 Composite tree (consists of standard valves bolted together about a central body

Solid Block type Composite type

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Introduction to Well Completion
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3.5) Wellheads, Xmas & Tubing Hangers

• Tubing Hangers:

 This is the primary interface between Xmas tree, wellhead and tubing.

 During wellhead maintenance and other operations a back pressure valve is

installed in the tubing hanger.

• The main functions of tubing hanger are to:

 Suspend the tubing.

 Seal the annular space between tubing & Casing.

 Locked in place in tubing head spool.

 Provide a base for the Xmas tree.

 Provide access to the “A” annulus (between tubing and casing).

Tubing Hanger with control line port

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Introduction to Well Completion
 Hatem Hussein
Senior CWI Engineer

Enghatemahmed@hotmail.com

00201003607896

Thank you