Chapter 1

WELL COMPLETION OPERATION

1.1 Well completion configuration and equipment

Well completion operations involve activities which are sequentially conducted after drilling in
order to safely, efficiently and effectively produce hydrocarbon from reservoirs. The following
are highlights of well completion operation:
• Wells are completed immediately after drilling operations
• Well completion provides a safe, secure and dependable conduit for production from or
injection into a hydrocarbon reservoir
• Well completion involves the assembly of down hole tubulars and other safety equipment
required to enable the safe and efficient production of oil or gas from the well after it has been
drilled
• Completed wells must therefore serve as safe and efficient means of producing hydrocarbon

Two sectional completion configurations will be discussed: 1) surface completion and 2)

subsurface completion.
1.2 Surface completion
The surface completion involves the installation of Christmas tree and well head. The wellhead
contains tubing and casing hangers and access to the well annuli. The Christmas tree controls
production (choke) from the tubing (flowing wing) or injection into the tubing (kill wing). It provides
access into the tubing to run tools to perform well intervention procedures via the swab valve it
also provides access to hydraulic line for surface controlled subsurface safety valve (SCSSSV)
and serves as electrical interface for instrumentation and equipment for electric submersible pump.

1.2.1 The Christmas tree its component parts

A Christmas Tree is a piece of equipment machined from a block of steel. It consists of valves,
spools and fittings used in controlling oil, gas or water production from the tubing (through primary
or production wing valve), fluid injection into the tubing (through secondary or kill wing) and access
into the tubing (through swab valve).

The major component parts of a Christmas tree are valves, spools and fittings (see Fig. 3).

i) Primary and secondary master valves lie in the flow path through which oil, gas or water must
pass to get to surface. The secondary master valve will normally be operated manually while
the primary master valve is often actuated hydraulically. The hydraulic wing valves however
require active hydraulic pressure to stay open. Master valves will have the ability to hold the
entire system pressure that may occur to ensure well safety. This master valve therefore
typically remains unblocked and not used as a butterfly valve (or throttling valve) for production
flow control.

ii) Wing valves are customarily used to shut a well. A production wing valve can be either a multi-
round opening valve or a quarter-round opening. Plug valves are frequently used, ball valves
are becoming increasingly popular due to operational ease and great economical value. There
are two types of wing valves

a) The primary or production wing valve is placed along the flow path the fluids pass
through to the production facilities.

b) The secondary wing valve is often referred to as the kill wing valve. It is mainly
used for the injection of fluids such as surfactants, corrosion inhibitors, polymers
or methanol.

iii) The swab valve is positioned at the upper part of the Christmas tree and it is primarily used
during well interventions such as wireline and coiled tubing.

iv) The choke valve is used to control the flow rates and can also be used to create a back
pressure at the downstream. Chokes could be either stationary or adjustable.

1.2.2 The well head

The well head is used to maintain the integrity of the well structure and drilling equipment beneath
it. It provides the pressure seals and the suspension point for the casing and tubing strings. It
consists of the casing spool and tubing spool assembly. The casing spools contain the casing
hangers which suspend the casing and the tubing spool contains the tubing hanger which
suspends the tubing.

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 (a) (b)
Fig. 3 (a) A Christmas tree and well head (b) Annotated parts of a Christmas tree and well head

Fig. 3 (c) A typical wellhead and Christmas tree

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1.3 Subsurface completion
The subsurface completion consists of all well completion equipment and configuration below the
well head. The subsurface equipment can be subdivided into two major parts:

1.3.1 The upper subsurface

The upper subsurface completion consists of the following component equipment:

a. Gaslift mandrels
Conventional gaslift mandrels are permanently attached to the side of the tubing to allow
installation of gaslift valves.

Figure 4: Gaslift mandrel

b. Packers (metallurgy / elastomers)

▪ Packers are used in production control, testing, stimulation, workover and safety
▪ Packers isolate zones by packing off the annulus between the casing and the tubing
▪ Flow of hydrocarbons is channelled through the tubing as opposed to the dead annulus
space using the packers
▪ Pack off is accomplished by two systems: elements and slips
▪ Types include permanent, retrievable and open hole

Figure 5: Packer
(Courtesy: Halliburton)

c. Sliding sleeves
Sliding sleeves allow communication from annulus to the tubing. It can be opened or shut by
wireline or coil tubing.

Figure 6: Sliding sleeve

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 d. Blast joints

Blast joint is a thick, heavy wall joint of steel pipe used to deter the erosional velocity of the
produced fluids and formation sand from cutting through the tubing string.

e. Flow couplings

Flow couplings are used when a flow-control device (e.g. seating nipple or sliding sleeve) in
which it is anticipated that the turbulence created by the flow through the restriction can reach
erosional velocity and damage the tubing string.

Blast joint is a thick, heavy wall joint of steel pipe used to deter the erosional velocity of the
produced fluids and formation sand from cutting through the tubing string

Figure 7: Flow coupling and blast joint

f. Flow-control accessories
i. Wireline re-entry guides
A wireline re-entry guide, with its internal bevel or chamfer, guides the wireline or slickline
toolstring for reliable re-entry from the casing into the tubing string. Wireline re-entry guide
are threaded on the top end only, attached to the bottom end of the production string and
are designed with a bevelled guide and a fully open internal diameter. Guides are available
in bevelled, full- or half-muleshoe configurations and in low-alloy steel and premium
materials.

(a) (b) (c)

Figure 8: Schlumberger (a) Bell wireline entry guide (b) Muleshoe wireline
entry guide (c) Half-muleshoe wireline entry guide.

ii. Profile seating nipples

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 The seating nipple is an integral part of the tubing string. It is a completion component
fabricated as a short section of heavy wall tubular with a machined internal surface that
provides a seal area and a locking profile.

g. Bottomhole choke
Bottomhole choke is a downhole device used to control fluid flow. Downhole chokes are
generally removable with slickline intervention and are located in a landing nipple in the
production tubing string.

h. Safety valve systems

Subsurface safety valves are designed to automatically shut in the flow of a well in the
event surface equipment becomes damaged or surface controls fail. They are classified
based on the location from which they are controlled – surface or subsurface.

Figure 9: A schematic of SSSV and its subsurface location.

Installation of a secondary means of closure (i.e. safety valve) for all wells capable of
producing fluids to the surface under natural flow is advisable and in most cases
mandatory. This is aimed at providing an emergency closure capability for the well.
Recommended minimum setting depth is 50m below the deepest pile penetration offshore
and 100m below ground level onshore. SSSVs can be deployed and retrieved via wireline
(wireline retrievable) or through tubing (tubing retrievable).
i. Subsurface-controlled subsurface safety valves (SSCSSSVs)
ii. Surface-controlled subsurface safety valves (SCSSSVs)
Safety valves can be flapper type or ball-valve type (Figs. 10a and 10b). The opening and
closing of a flapper type is shown in Fig. 11 and wellhead, SCSSSV control line and
surface control panel is shown in Fig. 12.

Figure 10: Subsurface safety valve (a) flapper type (b) ball valve type (Courtesy Halliburton)

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 Figure 11: Opening and closing of a flapper type safety valve.

Now pause this video and watch the operating mechanism of a subsurface safety valve
by clicking on this link: (SSV operating mechanisms )

Control
line

Wellhead
system

Wellhead
control panel

Figure 12: Wellhead, SCSSSV control line and surface control panel

i. Permanent downhole gauges (PDHG)

PDHG are used in measuring subsurface internal and external pressure and temperature.
They operate on piezo-electric crystals, strain gauges or optical Bragg grating. Data
transmission is done through electric wire or fibre optics or remote interrogation (radio).

Figure 13: Permanent downhole gauge

1.3.2 The lower subsurface

The lower subsurface consists mainly of the completion configuration and equipment associated
with the reservoir unit. This includes equipment associated with:
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 a. perforations and fracturing
b. sand control
c. zonal inflow control
d. smart completion

1.4 Activities involved in well completions operations

When a well has been drilled, it will be decided whether it should be completed or not. If the
decision was to complete the well, then, the following activities will be carried out:
i) Drill stem test (DST)
ii) Running production casing
iii) Running production tubing in conjunction with downhole equipment
iv) Installing surface safety equipment
v) Starting production flow

On the other hand, if the well will not be completed, then it will be plugged and abandoned.
Activities involved in well plugging and abandonment is beyond the scope of this course.

1.4.1 Drill stem test (DST)

A DST is normally conducted in order to determine the potential of a formation to produce
hydrocarbon or to determine whether the well can be produced. The DST operation is usually
carried out by a special crew called DST-crew. The crew conducts the test by making up the test
tool on the bottom of the drill stem, then lowering it to the bottom of the hole. Weight is applied to
the tool to isolate the bottom of the hole by using a hard rubber sealer also known as a packer.
The tool ports are then opened to allow the formation pressure to be tested.
A DST can be used to determine:
i) formation permeability
ii) boundary conditions of reservoir
iii) formation pressures
iv) fluid (oil and water), and gas recovery from formation

Figure 14: DST assembly schematic Figure15: DST data

A typical DST operational procedure is outlined below. You can also watch the following video on
DST operational procedure here DST operation

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 1. DST tool is lowered down the hole and opened to atmospheric pressure at total depth
(TD) or the desired depth of the test and a pressure drop is recorded almost
instantaneously. This will help to relieve the hydrostatic pressure from the annular space
within the tested interval.

2. Pre-flow (or initial flow) time duration is determined by the surface blow monitored on
the drill floor based on the following observations:
Approx 5 minutes if estimated k > 15 md
Approx 10 minutes if estimated k < 15 md
Note
• If the pre-flow time duration is too short, the hydrostatic pressure will not be
dissipated and the subsequent shut-in period may be influenced by hydrostatic
pressure.
• At the end of the pre-flow period the DST tool is closed and the pressure below the
packer allowed to build up with a pressure termed initial shut-in pressure (ISIP).
• The ISIP is the reservoir pressure before the commencement of any fluid production.
• The initial shut-in period should be long enough to extrapolate a maximum reservoir
pressure.

3. Main flow commences by opening the DST tool after the initial shut-in period is
complete and should last about 60 to 180 minutes depending on system conditions and
estimated permeability

• This is to allow reservoir fluid and gas to enter the drill string.
• Analysis of the final flow data will help determine the flowing capabilities of the
tested reservoir.
• During this period the pressure is expected to drop from reservoir pressure to the
pre-flow pressure (#2) and will record the weight of the formation fluid entering the
drill string.
• If gas is present the flowing pressure will reflect the upstream pressure of the gas
flow.

4. After the final flow period the DST tool is shut-in again (i.e. final shut-in period) for a
period of about 1.5 to 2 times as long as the main flow depending on system conditions
and estimated permeability.

• During the final shut-in period, the flow of fluid and gas into the drill string is
stopped.
• The pressure below the packer is then allowed to build.
• During the final shut-in period the reservoir pressure is measure again after a
certain amount of production has occurred. Note that, during this period, fluid
and/or gas is not being recovered; only pressure is being measured.
• Data obtained will help determine if the tested reservoir is of limited areal extent
or not.
• Other data obtainable are skin, permeability, radius of investigation.

5. After the final shut-in period, the packer is released and the drilling fluid allowed to flow
from the borehole annulus into the test zone.
• Hydrostatic pressure is recorded again for the second time
• The packer can be easily unseated from the borehole walls so the tool can be
recovered in case of the packer gets stuck due to unequal pressure.

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1.4.2 Setting production casing and perforation
During well drilling operation, the final casing to be set is the production casing. In some cases, a
production liner is installed. The production casing is set and cemented in place in a similar
manner to other casings.

1.4.3 Running production tubing along with downhole equipment

Wells are produced through pipes also known known as

production tubing. A well is usually produced through
production tubing inserted down the production casing. The
tubing is held in place by one or more hard rubber sealer known
as packers. Several strings of tubing are joined together with
couplings to make a tubing string.

Production of oil and gas is considered more effective and

efficient through the tubing than through the production casing
since the former is of smaller diameter. Production tubing is run
into the well in a similar manner as the production casing, but,
they are smaller in diameter and are removable. Other
downhole equipment includes safety valves (eg surface
controlled subsurface safety valve, SCSSV), gas-lift valves,
hydraulic control, side pocket mandrel.

Side pocket mandrel provides a means of removing and

replacing the gaslift valves without having to remove the
tubing-strings. Removing and replacing the gaslift valves can
be performed by using wireline, through - flow line (TFL) or
coiled tubing methods depending on the final well completion
configuration.

Wire line units are light and portable and are generally more
expedient in well operations with vertical access, particularly in
remote, offshore or other hard- to-reach locations.

Figure 16: Production tubing

TFL and coil-tubing on the other hand are easily deployable in with some downhole equipment
well applications requiring tubing loops, such as extremely
deep wells, highly deviated wells and any well where wireline
service will not be suitable.

1.4.4 Installing surface safety equipment

The surface safety equipment is required to manage and control fluid flow and production of oil
and gas from the bottom of the well through the production tubing and to the surface pipelines.
The surface equipment will consist of several components of different configuration depending on
well design objectives. The component of the surface safety equipment includes master valve,
electronic controller, motor valve, switch gauge, arrival sensor etc.

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 Figure 17: A typical surface safety
equipment

1.4.5 Starting production flow

In order to put a well to production, flow is initiated by a process known as ‘washing-in’ the well
and setting the packer. During washing-in, water or brine is pumped to flush out the drilling fluid.
Wells will normally start flowing following washing-in. However, wells may need to be unloaded
or swabbed to remove some of the brine if flow does not get initiated after washing-in. If the well
will still not flow after swabbing, then, high-pressure gas pumping might be required to kick start
the flow into the well before the packer is set. If the well is unable to flow on its own, then, the well
may have to be stimulated or artificially lifted in order to produce hydrocarbon.

1.5 Example
Figure 18 shows the well completion profile for well FN01A. Three casings 13-3/8”, 9-5/8” and 7”
were installed at 660’, 3305’ and 5847’ respectively. The production tubing and other subsurface
completion accessories were installed as indicated in the schematic.

Tutorial exercise 1
1. Briefly describe well completion operation.
2. List and fully explain all the activities involved in well completion operation.
3. With the aid of annotated diagram, explain drill stem test (DST) operation.
4. Suggest three (3) methods of bringing a newly completed well into production.
5. Discuss the reasons for the installation of subsurface completion equipment indicated in
Fig. 3.

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 Figure 18: Well completion profile for well FN00A

Tutorial exercise 2
1. Identify Figure T1 and label all the highlighted components.
2. Identify all the component parts and configuration for the well completion shown in Figure
T2.

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 Figure T1

Figure T2
Reading list
1. Nind, T.E.W (1964). Principles of well production. McGraw-Hill.
2. Gudmundsson J. S. (2008). Production/Well Technology and Processing.
3. Beggs, H. D. (2003). Production optimization: Using NODAL Analysis, 2nd ed., OGCI,
Petroskills.
4. Bellarby, J. (2009). Well Completion Design. Elsevier, Amsterdam, Netherlands
5. Garrouch, A.A., Lababidi, H.M. and Ebrahim, A. S. (2004). An integrated approach for the
planning and completion of horizontal and multilateral wells. Journal of Petroleum Science
and Engineering, 44 (3). Pp 283-301.

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