Achieving Excellence in Well Completion Projects in Iraq's South Oil Fields
Authors: El-Halfawi Sami , Al-Hashmi Loayd , Qutob Hani 
Published: October 2011

Oil fields in southern Iraq contain a wealth of the country's oil and gas reserves. Wells which were left uncompleted represent a valuable asset that needs to be utilized quickly and efficiently in order to increase the production of those fields. Through a carefully orchestrated operation involving workover rigs, rigless stimulation packages and gas lift packages, a complex project of completing key oil wells in one of South Iraq's oil fields was performed on time and with excellent results. Those results were achieved despite adverse technical, logistical and safety restrictions.

The project scope involved the use of workover rigs then rigless operations for perforation, stimulation and gas lifting (if required) of 30 wells in West Qurnah oil field in southern Iraq. The operations scope covered the use of three workover rigs to pull existing completions, run cased-hole logs and set the permanent production packers. After the rig moves to the next well, the rigless team works on completing the job in terms of perforations, acidization, gas lifting (when required) and flowing the well for cleanup prior to being put back on stream.

The project's operation phase duration was 5 months. Through the adoption of project management techniques, a rigorous project plan was set up aiming at aligning all involved parties towards successful implementation. The plan involved the alignment of facilities (camp and acid mixing plant), Equipment (4 workover rigs and 3 coiled tubing units), stimulation and gas lift packages (2 acid pumping units and 2 Nitrogen pumping units), consumables (completion strings, acid, additives and perforation) and personnel (12 different teams from operating and service companies) was essential for the successful implementation of the project plan. The project management had to keep the best means of coordination and communication with various parties involved at all times in order to orchestrate the project on time and minimize the non-productive-tine (NPT).

Careful planning was applied to streamline the operations among all involved workover rigs and rigless operations units to optimize the operations while maintaining the highest standards of quality, health, safety and environment (QHSE) measures.

The stimulation and gas lift part of the project was planned and deployed based on detailed well by well review of the wells under consideration. Fundamental well data (well design information, formation pressures and formation fluid information) were examined and quality assured before designing the suitable stimulation package aiming for a high success rate of the treatment.. Professional analysis of the operation results both on the job and after the job was used to improve the learning curve and obtain better results in the succeeding wells.

This paper discusses how to apply novel project management style of planning complex field- wide workover operations to the highest quality and HSE standards, while managing to complete the project ahead of the planned project deadline