Abstract
Wells that produce hydrocabons or provide injection into the reservoir may have a long life span and often require intervention, by wireline or coil tubing, in order to optimize the production rates and oil/water/gas ratio. Scenarios where the casing/tubing is deformed or contains depositions of materials like for example scale or sand provides a challenging environment for conventional plugs to seal and hold pressure.
This paper will provide insight into the field trial and development of a single run, multiple set barrier plug technology that was designed to mitigate the risks associated with conventional plug operations.
The plug and electric manipulation tool (EMT) was run on wireline in a deviated production well with gas lift and set at three different depths to verify the location of a leak and elimate that the leak was in the one of the side pocket mandrels (SPM). All of the operational features of the technology was tested on this one run, including the selective equalization method and the ability to latch on and off with the running tool.
In its first use the technology successfully verified that the leak was not in the SPMs and provided reliable data that shows that the ability to set and reposition a barrier multiple time can be useful in many applications as it improves operational efficiency and safety while at the same time reducing risk.
