Abstract
Impact of CO2 corrosion on well integrity is an issue in mature fields of Colombian foothill wells. Concerns in regard to corrosion of casing strings having access only through the existing 7" completion challenged the use of new technology to achieve both: log corrosion on outer strings and do not suspend the well to get a full column of fluid. Therefore, corrosion monitoring was performed through 7" chrome production tubing with a new Electromagnetic Scanning Tool (EMST), in a challenging scenario: shut-in well with 3 outer casing strings with a gas cap in the upper wellbore.
The job objectives were first to test the technology to detect metal loss from the outer casing strings as well as loss both inside and outside of production tubing (without pulling the production tubing) and second to establish a base line for future corrosion analysis after the immediate drilling rig intervention for sidetracking.
A careful candidate selection was performed based on criticality for CO2 corrosion, completion design, service years and operating status of the well including consequence analysis to get a pilot well for EM logging.
In production since 1998, the BA Y16 well was selected to be logged before a thru tubing deepening to reach two other reservoirs and further service conversion from oil producer into a gas injector well; the EMST was run in Q1 2013 and measuring the cumulative thickness up to three strings determining that no external corrosion was present in particular in the section of interest, also the high resolution image showed no presence of internal corrosion. Therefore, a successful operation was achieved meeting the proposed objectives with no HSE incidents and within budget.
This technology is proven and has become a solution for further wells where CO2 or bacteria damage has been evidenced including corrosion mapping through chromed and carbon steel in a single run avoiding the excessive costs related to pulling the completion to get access to the outer casing strings.
