University of Benghazi
Faculty of Petroleum & Engineering – Galo
Department of Petroleum Engineering
Project Proposal Title:
Liner Tie-back installation to stop casing leak with high
Injectivity rate and high H2S reading
Prepared by:
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Supervised By: Ibrahim M. Yaquob
July : 2023
Outline
Introduction
Problem of statement
Objective of research
Significance
Background
Methodology
Tie back liner Installation
Timetables
X-01 well history
Introduction
Liner is a casing string that does not extend
back to the wellhead, but is hung from another
casing string. Liners are used instead of full
casing strings to:
Reduce cost
Improve hydraulic performance when
drilling deeper
Allow the use of larger tubing above the
liner top
Not represent a tension limitation for a rig
Problem of statement
Casing leak is one of the major reasons for wells to be worked over in oil fields.
It has a negative impact on well production and might damage the productive
zone depending on the leak severity, well completion configuration and well
integrity. It is also detrimental to well hardware and safety. In the worst case
scenario hydrocarbon reaches the surface causing an environmental spill and the
well has to be plugged and abandoned. Most of the reported casing leaks
occurred due to corrosion are the result of poor cement and long exposure to
corrosive gases. Other reasons for casing leaks could be drill pipe wear, damaged
casings owing to improper torque up practices, or wrong casing grade selection.
The production wells are to be drilled and completed with the intent to pump
hydrocarbons for the longest possible period of time before any work over (WO)
is due. Casing leaks could occur in the course of drilling operations or after
completion time.
Objective of project
The main objectives of this study include:
First to understanding why Production casing are used to isolate
the producing interval from drilling and completion fluid
properties
Second how to repair damaged or worn casing above the existing
liner
Third, to provide added casing protection against corrosion or
pressure
Significance
A section of liner that is run from a liner hanger back to the wellhead after
the initial liner and hanger system have been installed and cemented.
A tieback liner may be required to provide the necessary pressure
capacity during a flow-test period or for special treatments, and is
typically not cemented in place. In some cases, a tieback liner will be
installed as a remedial treatment when the integrity of the intermediate
casing string is in doubt.
A tieback involves linking subsea wells back to a remote host via one or
more flow lines. This facilitates the development of marginal fields as
well as deep water ones, where it is often more economical to finish the
well subsea and tie back to a host installation in shallow water.
Background
An imperfect cement seal at the top of a liner will allow gas
from below to leak into the drilling annulus above a
production liner. Conversely, with a pressure differential
toward the formation, fluid can be lost from the annuli
during drilling or during stimulation for production. Since
perfect liner cementation is an elusive target, this paper will
discuss briefly the cause and effect of the leaking liner top
and list the options available for solving the associated
problems.
Background
Water containing H2S from the
Paleocene zone between 5,500 and
6,000 ft caused corrosion that
resulted in the 9 5/8-in. casing losing
about 1/8-in/year in its wall thickness
and eventually led to casing leaks.
Squeeze cementing of the leaks
proved to be only a temporary or
difficult solution. used three
approaches for cementing the 7-in.
tie-back string based on the
respective well situation and the
severity of the leak in the 9 5/8-in.
casing.
Methodology
Tieback equipment allows existing liners with a receptacle to be
extended to the surface or farther up hole, and provides a high-
pressure seal at the top of a cemented or uncemented liner. Offers
variety of tieback seal nipples and tieback packers to
accommodate liner top extension and remedial operations some
new types of drilling liner tieback equipment are developed due to
the annular gas channeling in high-pressure oil-gas well even after
tie back cementing.
Squeeze cementing is a secondary cementing method in which
relatively large pressures are used to force cement into places
such as sealing off zones of lost.
Methodology
Thickening Time
Thickening Time T.T. = Mixing and Pumping Time + Displacement Time + Plug
Release Time + Safety Factor
Mixing and Pumping Time
Mixing and Pumping Time = Volume of Cement Slurry / Mixing Rate
Displacement Time = Displacement Volume / displacement rate
Weight of cement = Volume x density
Safety Factor = 30 – 60 min. normally used
Tie back Liner installation
Liners and tieback strings are special situations; however, the approach is
very similar to that of either the intermediate or production casing. The
thing that is different in the load curve for a liner or a tieback is that the
load curve is not just for the liner or tieback but for the casing in which it
hangs if it is a liner or the liner and tieback combination. Sometimes,
liners must meet the requirements of two functions.
liner or a tieback is never designed by itself but as a contiguous part of
another string of casing. The only thing that really differs as far as the
load is concerned is the tension load, since it is a separate part of a longer
string.
Tie back Liner installation
There are two liners: a drilling liner
and a production liner. On the left,
the intermediate casing serves its
normal purpose, but it also serves as
a portion of a second intermediate
string in conjunction with the liner,
so both have to be designed as one
string and the string has to satisfy
both functions. On the right, the
drilling liner is tied back to the
surface and a production liner run
below it.
Tie back Liner installation
The design depends on when the tieback is run. If the tieback is run
immediately after running the drilling liner, the intermediate casing
serves as intermediate only until the tieback is run, then the drilling liner
and tieback serve as a second intermediate string, and finally, in
conjunction with the production liner, they serve as a production string. If
the tieback is run after the production liner is run, then the intermediate
casing has to be designed to perform its first function as well intermediate
string with the drilling liner.
The tieback, the drilling liner, and the production liner all function as the
final production string. It may sounds more complex than it actually is,
but the only thing to keep straight is to be sure all strings are designed to
meet all the required loads to which they will be subjected in their
various roles during drilling and production.
Timetable of project
Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov.
Proposal & Data
Gathering
Introduction
Lecture review
Data& Methodology
Amal field
history
Case Study and
field visit
Result analysis
Thesis Preparation
Thesis Presentation&
Submission
X-01 well history
X-01 drilling well had been finished in June, 1995. First worked over was
ducted with objective to perforate Maragh interval 10099 – 10112 ft KB,
10119 – 10129 ft KB, 10136 – 10154 ft KB, 10158 – 10164 ft KB, 10172 –
10179 ft KB, 10184 – 10190 ft KB, 10201 – 10207 ft KB and Amal interval
10254 – 10282 ft KB. The well was completed using gas lift. Gas lift was
design with reservoir pressure 2900psi based on static survey 2746psi
@10105 ft. GL on 17 July 2009.
Five months later casing leaks reappeared in the 5894’-8925’ interval. After
P/T casing during workover operation with high H2S, currently the well
waiting to run Tie-back to repair casing leak and start production.
X-01 well history
X-01 production test data
QL WC THP CHP QO QW
Well Date TYP
bpd % psig psig Bpd Bpd
X01 01 Oct. 2012 2015 27 120 1000 1468 547 GL
X01 19 Apr. 2013 1953 27 120 1000 1422 531 GL
02 Feb. 2014 1970 29 120 960 1397 573 GL
X01
X01 5 Oct. 2016 1990 31 120 1000 1378 612 GL
X01 19 Dec. 2017 2052 34 120 1000 1362 689 GL
X01 28 Mar. 2018 2044 35 120 920 1329 715 GL
X-01 well history
X-01 Diagram
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k y
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T h
