DRILLING / WELL COMPLETION

Industry experience with solid expandable tubular technology

Part 2 – Three case history reviews by Shell E&P, including onshore field trial, deepwater testing and an ultra-deepwater installation

Kenneth K. Dupal, Shell Deepwater Development, Inc.; Donald B. Campo, Shell Exploration & Production Technology; John E. Lofton, Chevron Petroleum Technology Co.; Don Weisinger, BP; and R. Lance Cook, Michael D. Bullock, Thomas P. Grant and Patrick L. York, Enventure Global Technology, L.L.C.

Part 1 overviewed the technology, with a description of how the expansion system works, and provided detail on expandable openhole liners (OHLs) – one of three expandable products developed to date. Two case-history applications by Chevron on a Gulf of Mexico Shelf well and a BP/Vastar installation attempt in ultra-deep water were presented and discussed. A separate discussion reviewed several advantages of the technology in deepwater applications.

In keeping with the objective of this presentation to emphasize "problems" and "lessons learned" from each of the case histories to help advance the technology, this concluding article discusses results of three expandable tubular applications by Shell Exploration and Production Technology Co. These include: 1) an installation attempt in a 12,000-ft South Texas onshore well, 2) onshore field testing to validate implementation of an ultra-deepwater system, and 3) an actual tubular expansion project on a Gulf of Mexico well in 7,800-ft water. Lessons learned in all three projects are discussed. Concluding remarks note that the past one and one-half years has seen rapid evolution of solid expandable tubular (SET) technology from a "concept" to an "enabling technology" in the drilling environment.