Annulus Pressure Management

Mahmoud Farag Radwan

Well Control and Intervention Specialist│Freelance Instructor
https:\\www.linkedin.com/in/mahmoud-farag-radwan-a9266626
 Mahmoud Farag Radwan

Mahmoud Radwan is a Well Control and Intervention Specialist with 17 years of experience in
Oil and Gas industry; worked in Well Engineering, Intervention, Integrity, Completion & Work-
over at several companies, including ALTEA Energy-SONATRACH, KDT Global Solutions,
Short
CUDD Well Control, AMAL Petroleum Co. (AMAPETCO), Shell, Badr El-Din Pet. Co.
Biography (BAPETCO), Qarun Pet. Co. (QPC) and Wadi El-Sahel Petroleum Co. (WASPETCO).
Also, a freelance instructor at Upstream Oil & Gas in Egypt and Worldwide since 2008.
Mahmoud received a B.Sc. degree of Petroleum Engineering from Al-Azhar University in 2007.

❑ Evaluating Sustainable Annulus Pressure (SAP) in Sour Wells and the Possible Causes to
Avoid Recurrence to the Well Integrity Annual Middle East Conference in Abu Dhabi; UAE
in Apr 2015
❑ Implementing NDT methods for maintenance and inspection to the Asset Integrity
Management North Africa Conference in Cairo; Egypt in Nov 2015
❑ Feasibility Evaluation of Using Downhole Gas-water Separation Technology in gas
Reservoirs with Bottom Water; paper number: SPE-183739-MS to the 20th Middle East Oil
Publications & Gas Show and Conference in Mar 2017 https://dx.doi.org/10.2118/183739-MS
❑ Managing the Operational Challenges in Corroded Wells through Well Integrity
Management System to the Improving Brownfield Performance Technical Convention, in
Cairo; Egypt in Dec 2019
❑ Safe and Economic Attractive Rigless Operations Using a Digital Slickline in Unmanned Platform with
Low Structure Loads and Spacing; paper number: SPE--202857-MS to the Abu Dhabi International
Petroleum Exhibition & Conference (ADIPEC) in Nov 2020 https://doi.org/10.2118/202857-MS
 Annulus Pressure Management
Why monitor annuli pressures?
Definition :
“the area between two concentric circles”
Or “a ring-shaped part , figure or space”

• The annular voids form the principal barriers between the produced
fluids and the atmosphere. w a n
R ad
• By monitoring the annulus pressure,
a rag we will be able to assess the
F
ud well tubulars.
condition and integrity ofothe
a h m
• Anomalous annulus M pressures may give the first indication of
downhole problems although it does not automatically mean there
is a leak
• Thermal expansion or ingress of formation fluid could also cause an
increase in annulus pressure, regular sampling of annulus fluids
may also be undertaken
• Annulus temperatures should also be considered
Recommended Annuli Naming
Convention

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 Annulus Monitoring
C BA ABC
Tbg A B C Formn

Depth w a n
ad
ra gR
Fa
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Formation Ma
Increasing distance from tubing

Tubing, Annulus & Formation

Temperature
Ho Co
t ol
 Types of Annular Pressures
1) Thermal Pressure (TP)
• Wells with fluid filled enclosed annuli will exhibit thermal pressure changes during warm-up
and cool down periods. It is important to recognize this fact and to monitor annulus pressure
closely during start up of new wells. Pressure should not be bled off in this instance unless
MAWOP is breached. It is vital to monitor annulus pressure closely during initial start up of
new wells as pressure can build up rapidly and result in over-pressurized annuli.
2) Applied Pressure (AP)
• Pressure may be applied on an annulus for various purposes, w a nincluding gas lift, compensating for
bullheading loads or to assist in annulus monitoring.R ad
• This pressure may also come from pressure a rag
d Ftaken to ensuretests
containment as part of preventative Subsurface
Integrity Test (SIT) activities. Care must
o ube this pressure is bled down after testing
to a suitable value to ensure that hmthermal pressure does not result in MAWOP being breached.
Ma
3) Ballooning of Adjacent Annuli
4) Sustained Annulus Pressure (SAP)
• Pressure in any well annulus that is measurable at the wellhead and rebuilds when bled down, not
caused solely by temperature fluctuations or imposed by the operator (e.g., gas-lift pressure, gas-
or water-injection pressure).
• This pressure comes from a pressure source such as reservoir, adjacent annulus etc and shall be
investigated using the WIMS whenever suspected or where observed pressure cannot be proven to
be either AP or TP.
 Risk Associated with SAP
• The most serious problems have resulted from
tubing leak
• When the resulting pressure on the production
casing causes a failure of thewproduction
a n casing,
R a d
the outcomes can be acatastrophic
rag
d F
• The outer casing u
ostrings could also fail, resulting
a h m
M
in an underground blowout
• SAP represents a potential risk of losing
hydrocarbon reserves and polluting aquifers and
sea with hydrocarbons
Mud cake
leaks
SAP Sources
Casing
leak

Well-head APB
leak
CSG
Burst
Tensile cracks in
cement caused by Tubing
temperature & leak
pressure cycles Payne - SPE
Low pressure Forum
sand Corrosion Damage
High pressure
sand

Underground
blowout
Channel caused by
flow after cementing

Figure from “A
Review of Sustained
Casing Pressure
(SCP) Occurring on
Micro-annulus caused the OCS” by
by casing contraction Bourgoyne et al
(March 2000) Harper - KDHE
 Sustained Annulus Pressure (SAP)
Applicable Regulations
Norsok D-10: US Minerals Management
Service (MMS) Regulations:
• Pressures in all accessible annuli shall be • Require elimination of SAP.
monitored and maintained within min and • Also grants waivers (departures)
max operational pressure limits to verify n
permitting operation of wells with
that the integrity status of well barriers is d a
w SAP problems.
a small
R• Diagnostic testing is required in any
known at all times
a rag
• A-annulus pressure in all wells and d FB-
u
oand gas
well exhibiting sustained annulus
a h m
annulus pressure in multi purpose pressure (SAP). The departure (waiver)
continuous recording
M
lifted wells shall be monitored through
decisions are solely based on the
results from annulus pressure
• Subsea wells, the B-annulus designed to diagnostic tests.
withstand thermal pressure build up, or
have an acceptable pressure management • Results of the test determine if
system immediate SAP removal could be
temporarily waived (departure permit)
• Shall be possible to secure well in the event
of failure and continuing operation of the well
permitted.
• If failed barrier, only activity in well should
be to restore well integrity
SAP - Platform Versus Subsea Wellheads

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Possible Leak Paths - Completion

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Leak Paths – A annulus

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Leak Paths – B annulus

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Leak Paths – C annulus

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 Prevention Methods
•Preventive Practices for Well
Construction & Production:
▪ Well Planning & Designadwan
▪ Detection & Diagnostics: ra gR SAP Sources
d F a
and Pathways o u
a hm
M
▪ SAP Barriers: Mechanical, Cement, Rock
& Chemical Sealants
▪ Thermal APB (Annular Pressure Build-Up):
Avoidance, Prevention & Venting
▪ Well Integrity Testing
 SAP Diagnostic Methods
•Maximum Allowable Wellhead Operating
Pressure (MAWOP) Calculation
•Flow Testing & Sampling
a n
•Well Logs Analysis R ad w
a rag
•Pressure Bleed-Downo u d F Performance
a h m
•Pressure Build-Up Performance
M

•Upper & Lower Diagnostic Thresholds (DTs)

•Wellhead & Tubular Pressure Testing
•Data Record & Documentation
 Triggers & Working Pressure
Casing Burst

MAASP
Watch Out !
MAWOP
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50%
R
ra g
Working 100% d a
Blowdown
F
o u
Pressures
h
Range m
Ma 50%
Watch Out ! Top-up
MINAP / MINDAP

Zero

Annulus Pressure Management - Triggers & Working Pressure

MAASP and MAWOP Calculations as
defined in Various Standards
Automated Pressure Bleed off System

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 Thank You
Mahmoud Farag Radwan