Better Performance of Gulf Coast Wells
Authors: Bruist E.H. 
Published: December 2007

This paper was prepared for the Society of Petroleum Engineers of AIME Symposium on Formation Damage Control, to be held in New Orleans, La., Feb. 7–8, 1974. Permission to copy is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words. Illustrations may not be copied. The abstract should contain conspicuous acknowledgment of where and by whom the paper is presented. Publication elsewhere after publication in the JOURNAL paper is presented. Publication elsewhere after publication in the JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY or the SOCIETY OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERS JOURNAL is usually granted upon requested to the Editor of the appropriate journal, provided agreement to give proper credit is made. provided agreement to give proper credit is made. Discussion of this paper is invited. Three copies of any discussion should be sent to the Society of Petroleum Engineers office. Such discussion may be presented at the above meeting and, with the paper, may be considered for publication in one of the two SPE magazines.

Possible causes of production impairment and mechanical well failures of Gulf Coast wells have been investigated. Based on studies of the performance of the South Pass Block 24 and 27 Fields located at the mouth of the Mississippi River, guidelines and recommendations for improved techniques are presented. Various aspects of drilling and presented. Various aspects of drilling and cementing practices, completions and workover fluids, perforating, sand control and stimulation have been analyzed.

Introduction

Considering the current energy crisis, drilling and completing a well for optimum productivity is more important than ever. productivity is more important than ever. It can be compared with the launching of a multi-stage-rocket, to reach its target all stages must work perfectly. The same is applicable for a typical Gulf Coast well—optimum productivity can only be achieved if all stages of the drilling and completion sequence have been properly designed and executed.

This has become very much apparent from an investigation of the South Pass Block 24 and 27 Fields, in East Bay located near the mouth of the Mississippi River off the Coast of Louisiana. These fields, like many others along the Gulf Coast, have multiple pay zones of relatively thin unconsolidated sands ranging in depth from about 5,000 to 10,000 feet. Over 1,000 wells have been drilled, and about 600 are still producing of which one-third is dually completed. Almost all the productive zones require some form of sand control.

In 1966, the incidence of inflow restrictions and mechanical well failures reached alarming proportions. The annual sand control failure rate of the producing wells requiring remedial rig work had increased to over 15 percent (see Figure 1). An engineering task force supported by research was organized in 1967 to investigate and correct this problem. The task force approach was rather successful. Besides helping to gain a better understanding of the problems, it has been instrumental in the accelerated development and implementation of improved well completion and workover techniques.