Wellheads Systems & X-Mas Tree

Petroleum production engineering

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Wellhead/Christmas Tree

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Cellar Pit

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Downhole completion
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2 1. Tubing hanger (Upper annulus barrier)

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2. SC-SSSV (Sub-surface barrier)
4 3. Control line
5 4. Tubing (Vertical barrier)
9 5/8” 5. A annulus (tubing-casing)
Production
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Casing
6. Gas lift valves (in SPMs)
7. Expansion joint: Tubing Seal Receptacle
8 8. Anchor seal assembly
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9. Production packer
9 10 10. Packer sealing element (Lower barrier)
11. Tailpipe
11 12. WEG
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Well Design : Basic Construction

1 1. 30” conductor
2 2. Conductor setting depth
3 3. 20” surface casing
4 4. 20” shoe
5. Cement
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6. Formation open to C annulus
6 7. 13 3/8” casing
7 8. Formation open to B annulus
8 9. 9 5/8” production casing
9 10. Liner hanger
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11. 7” Liner
12. TD – Total Depth
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Summary of Well Construction

 Well construction based on a

repeated set of processes.
 Drill a hole, run and cement steel
casing
 Install a wellhead section and
nipple up BOP.
 Drill a hole, run and cement steel
casing and run another wellhead
section
 Process is repeated several times
weld
until the hole total depth ( TD) is
reached

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Summary of Well Construction

Hole Size Casing Size Casing Name

30” 26” Conductor
23” 20” or 18 5/8” Surface
17 ½” 13 3/8 Intermediate
12 ¼” 9 5/8” Production
8 ½” 7” Production Liner

weld

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Well Head Assembly

• A wellhead is part of an oil/gas well that terminates at the surface, whether

on land or offshore.
• The primary role of the wellhead is pressure containment and to hold the
casings and the production tubing.
• Every oil or gas well has some type of wellhead.
• Conventional wellhead assemblies include the casing head Housing ,
casing hangers, spool sections, tubing head, tubing hanger, valves and
fittings.
• The assembly of valves and fittings that sit on top of the wellhead are also
known as the Christmas tree.

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Conventional Wellhead and
Christmas Tree Assembly

Section D
Production Tree

Section C
Tubing Spool

Section B
Casing Spool

Section A
Casing Head with
Landing Base 9
Mono-block tree

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Wellhead Main Functions

• Casing/Tubing suspension.
• Pressure sealing and isolation between casing at surface when many casing
strings are used.
• Provides a means of attaching a blowout preventer during drilling.
• Provides a means of attaching a Christmas tree for production operations.
• Provides a reliable means of well access. (Tubing Head)
• Provides a mean of attaching a well pump. (Artificial Lift)
• Provides pressure monitoring and pumping access to annuli between the
different casing/tubing strings.

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Wellhead Classification

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Component Requirements Applicable To All Wellheads

Wellhead equipment that meets API Specification 6A (equivalent to

ISO10423) is available in standard pressure increments:

– 13.8 MPa (2000 psi)

– 20.7 MPa (3000 psi)
– 34.5 MPa (5000 psi)
– 69.0 MPa (10,000 psi)
– 103.5 MPa (15,000 psi)
– 138.0 MPa (20,000 psi)
– 207 MPa (30,000 psi)

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Component Requirements Applicable To All Wellheads

Standard temperature ratings are defined by an operating range:

• Conventional operations span -60 to 121⁰C in 8 ranges (K, L, P, R, S, T, U, V).
K and U are the largest and overlap the other ranges

• Elevated temperature operations span -18 to 345⁰C in 2 ranges (X, Y). Y has
the highest temperature rating

Product Service Level (PSL) defines the degree of testing applied to the wellhead
component
– PSL-1 is the baseline. PSL :Product Specification Level
– PSL-2, PSL-3, PSL-3G, and PSL-4 include additional and ever more stringent
requirements to confirm component suitability for challenging operations (e.g.
high pressure, elevated temperature, sour)

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Basic Components Of A Wellhead
• Casing Head (Housing)
• Casing Hanger
• Casing Spool
• Annulus Seals
• Tubing Head Spool
• Tubing Hanger
• Tubing Adaptor

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Casing Head (Housing)

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Casing Head (Housing)
• The lowest part of the wellhead that is almost
always connected to the surface casing string, and
provides a means of suspending and packing off
the next casing string.
• The starting casing head attaches to the surface
casing by either welding or threading on to the
surface casing.
• The top of the starting casing head has a flange to
mate with the bottom of the BOP.
• The flange must meet both size and pressure
requirements.
• The starting casing head has a profile located in
the inside diameter (ID) that will accept a slip-and-
seal assembly to land and support the next string
of casing.
• The slip-and-seal assembly transfers all of the
casing weight to the surface casing while
energizing a weight-set elastomeric seal.
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Casing Head (Housing)

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Casing Head Components

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Casing Head (Housing)
• Casing head is the primary interface for the surface pressure control equipment, for
example blowout preventers (while drilling) or the Christmas tree (while production).

• Casing Head has a straight bore bowl with 45°landing shoulder design which avoids
damage to sealing areas by drilling tools and prevents test plug and bowl protector.

• Most casing heads allow for the pressure readings to be taken on the annulus and
provide the means to pump out or into if necessary.

• The top of the casing string and annulus is usually sealed.

• Casing Head provided are normally furnished with threaded outlets and studded outlets
and also can be manufactured by request.

• Bottom connections can be furnished threaded or slip-on for welding.

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Casing Head (Housing)

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Casing Head (Housing)

Top Connection Size 7 1/16″ – 21 1/4″

Bottom Connection Size 4 1/4″ – 20″

Side Outlet Threaded / Studded Flange

Pressure Rating 2000 – 20000 PSI

Performance Requirement Level PR 1 / PR 2

Material Class AA / BB / CC / DD / EE / FF / HH

Temperature Rating K/L/N/P/S/T/U/V/X/Y

Product Specification Level PSL 1 / PSL 2

Design Standard API 6A

End Connection Standard API 6A

Test Standard API 6A

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Casing Head (Housing)

Pressure testing:
• A pressure test must be carried out using hydraulic oil after cooling of the
base flange.
• Do not exceed 70% of API casing collapse pressure rating.
• During this test, no sweating should occur.
• Upon completion of the test, install a wellhead protection cap to prevent
objects accidentally falling into the wellbore.
• Re-install the 3/4” NPT plug in the test port.

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Casing Spools

• The casing spool in a conventional wellhead is the

component that allows for an additional string of casing to
be set in the well.
• Depending on the casing program for the well, there can
be one or more casing spools and they perform the
following functions:
• Allows for suspending the next casing string in the well.
• Supports the blowout preventers (BOP’s) while drilling.
• Provides a means to test the blowout preventers while
drilling.
• Has a seal area in the bottom flange for a secondary seal
between the casing annulus and the flanged connection.
• Utilize a test port in the bottom flange that allows for seal
and the flanged connection to be pressure teste

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Casing Spool Components

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Casing Spool

• The bottom prep of the spool has been engineered to contain a pack off
seal and flange for either a clamp-hub or a standard flange connection.

• It also provides a seal in the bottom bowl to pack off the previous
casing string and isolate the ID seals from internal casing pressure.

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Casing Spool

The casing spool has a straight bore bowl

with 45°landing shoulder design which
avoids damage to sealing areas by drilling
tools and prevents test plug and bowl
protector wedging problems when pressure
is applied.

Casing spools are normally furnished with threaded

outlets and studded outlets and also can be manufactured
by request. they can be used for single completions and
model of dual completions.

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Casing Spool Features

Versatile straight-bore design, uses a 45°landing shoulder.

• Three different types of outlets: Line pipe, Flanged (Studded)

and Extended flanged outlets.
• Allows use of lock screws to retain hanger.

• Has a additional lock screws for Bowl protection.

• Accepts a wide variety of slip and mandrel casing hangers.

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Casing Hangers
• Casing hangers are devices that allow casing to be set in the
well bore during the drilling phase of an oil or gas well.
• There are two basic designs of casing hanger:
 Slip-Type
 Mandrel.
• The slip-type is the conventional and most commonly used.
• The mandrel-type is normally used when special needs
arise during drilling of the well.
• Both allow for the Tens of Thousands of pounds in weight of
the casing string weight to be transferred from the derrick of
the drilling rig to the load shoulder in a casing head or spool.

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Casing Hangers
• A Casing Hanger performs the following functions:
• Suspends the casing load
• Transfers casing weight
• Centers casing
• Provides a primary seal in the casing annulus
• Creates an annular space
• Allows for testing of connections

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Casing Hanger
Casing Hanger (Load-carrying components)
• It is that portion of a wellhead assembly which provides support for the casing
string when it is lowered into the wellbore.

• It serves to ensure that the casing is properly located. When the casing string
has been run into the wellbore it is hung off, or suspended, by a casing
hanger, which rests on a landing shoulder inside the casing head or casing
spool.

• Casing hangers must be designed to take the full weight of the casing, and
provide a seal between the casing hanger and the spool.

• Has a sealing device to isolate the casing annulus from upper wellhead
components

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Casing Hangers
 Casing weight is transferred to the starting casing
head and intermediate spools with two different
types of hanger systems:
 A Slip-and-Seal Casing-Hanger Assembly.
 A Mandrel-Style Casing Hanger.
Casing
Hanger

Slips

Casing
head

Bowl

20” casing

Casing hanger
13 3/8” casing

Elastomer Landing profile 34

Seal element
Casing Hanger Types
There are two types of casing hanger in common use. Wellheads can be designed to
accept both types of hanger.

1- Mandrel Type Casing Hangers:

• This type of hanger is screwed onto the top of the casing string so that
it lands in the casing housing when the casing shoe reaches the
required depth.

• Short lengths of casing, known as pup joints may have to be added to

the string so that the casing shoe is at the correct depth when the
hanger lands in the wellhead.

• The calculation which determines the length of pup joints required to

achieve this positioning is known as spacing out the string.

• Although this is the most common type of hanger it cannot be used if

there is a risk that the casing will not reach bottom and therefore that
the hanger will not land in the wellhead.
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Casing Hanger Types

Slip Type Casing Hangers:

• This type of hanger is wrapped around the casing

and then lowered until it sits inside the casing
spool.

• The slips are automatically set when the casing is

lowered (in a similar fashion to drillpipe slips).

• This type of hanger can be used if the casing

stands up on a ledge and cannot reach its required
setting depth.

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Slip Casing Hanger Components

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Tubing Head introduction
• Tubing head is a body with two flange that can supports the tubing string on
a oil well, seals off the pressure between the casing and tubing annulus, and
connect with tubing adapter on the top.
• Tubing Heads &tubing spool are a straight bore bowl with 45° landing
shoulder design which avoids damage to sealing areas by drilling tools, and
provides wedging of the tubing hangers, bowl protectors and test plugs.

Main Parameters:
• Working pressure: 2000-15,000PSI
• Working medium: oil, natural gas, mud etc.
• Working temperature: -46℃ - 121℃（Class LU）
• Material class: AA、BB、CC、DD、EE、FF
• Specification level: PSL1-4
• Performance level: PR1
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Tubing Heads Spool
• The Tubing Head Spool is the top spool on a surface wellhead. It is typically installed over the
last string of pipe suspended in the well, the production casing.
• It allows for suspending the production tubing in the wellbore.
• Provides a seal bore for the Tubing Hanger.
• Incorporates Lock Down Screws to retain the Tubing Hanger and energize its seals in the seal
bore.
• Supports the blowout preventers (i.e. “BOP’s”) while drilling.
• Provides outlets for fluid returns.
• Provides a means to test the blowout preventers while drilling.
• Has a seal area in the bottom flange for a secondary seal between the casing annulus and the
flanged connection.
• Utilize a test port in the bottom flange that allows for the secondary seal and the flanged
connection to be pressure tested

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Tubing Head Spool

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Tubing Head Spool

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TUBING HANGER

Functions
The tubing hanger fulfils several different tasks in the completion
string:
 It transfers the weight of the completion string to the wellhead.
 It seals the top of the production annulus (this is a barrier function,
i.e. it prevents pressure in the annulus from leaking past the tubing
hanger to the Xmas tree or out to the atmosphere or the sea, or
vice-versa).
 It allows an internal plug to be installed.
 It provides a seal around hydraulic and electrical control lines which
have been “drawn” through the tubing hanger.

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Tubing Hanger

• Tubing Hangers are

manufactured in a wider
variety of types and sizes than
any other single component in
the wellhead system.

• Can be manufactured for

single or multiple string tubing
completions.

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Tubing Hangers

• Are manufactured with a internal back pressure valve (BPV)

profile to seal the ID of the tubing string(s) and provide additional
well security prior to BOP removal.

• Can be manufactured in configurations including but not limited to,

Chemical Injection ports, Fiber Optic Instrument ports and multiple
ESP Penetrator profiles

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Tubing Hanger Components

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Functions Of Tubing
Hangers
 The tubing with a production packer and 0-Rings
completion accessories are run inside the
production casing. BPV Threads

 The tubing hanger is screwed to the top

joint of the tubing Tubing Hanger

 The tubing hanger lands in a special

profile inside the tubing head spool. Tubing

 Isolate the completion from the completion Set screws

for activating
annulus tubing

 A plug can be installed inside the hanger

hanger seals

body to test the x-mas

Tubing Spool 46