AT A GLANCE
Scope: To support the operator in a complex well P&A by installing an abandonment barrier outside of their normal operating envelope
Where: UK Continental Shelf, North Sea
When: Q4-2023
CLIENT CHALLENGE
The 13-3/8“ casing is classified as non-standard in HydraWell’s internal Well Screening Process. This is due to additional complexities that the large casing and annular volumes create for fluid movements and, therefore, additional engineering steps were required in this campaign to ensure a satisfactory end result.
“We have supported this client on several campaigns over the last six years, however, this well was a more complex challenge allowing us to showcase some of our additional capabilities."
“It required a huge team effort to ensure the client was confident that what we planned to deliver would meet their objectives. Effective communication during the planning stages, followed by efficient execution, meant we more than met their expectations.”
- George Handsley
UK Operations Engineer
BACKGROUND
Since 2018, HydraWell has been supporting one of the world’s largest energy companies with its P&A requirements in both subsea and platform campaigns.
This scope of work was the first of its kind for HydraWell operating with larger casing sizes. The company’s technical knowledge and planning expertise, along with digital twin technology utilising Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling, were deployed to ensure client confidence that HydraWell could successfully install the barrier.
HYDRAWELL SOLUTION
HydraTyphon™, an evolution of HydraWell’s flagship PWC® technology, was deployed due to its unique capabilities to deliver improved reliability for challenging well characteristics including high cement content in annuli, shallow barrier depth and large annuli. The solution logged two significant firsts for HydraWell:
Combining the benefits of Jet and Cup-based washing and cementing systems, HydraTyphon™ has been designed to improve the efficiency of the downhole hydraulic activity over any other system available. The combined advantages of these two systems reduces perforating and operating costs as well as minimising environmental footprint.
The upfront planning focused on the following key areas:
By gathering reliable data-driven results to validate job design, we received both client approval with technical authorities also fully on board and satisfied the operation would be delivered in line with the designed modelled parameters.
HydraWell’s experience of nearly 600 barriers installed and a database of physical test data used to compare CFD results with real operations gives us confidence that this methodology is both valid and robust. Since our initial introduction of this approach, we have cemented our position at the forefront of this significant industry step change.
The value for our clients includes access to a wider database of generic project designs and, thanks to the growth of our experience in recent years, our clients can rest assured they are in the best hands when it comes to validation through CFD simulations and successfully designed operations, as proven by our continuingly successful track record.
