Investigating the Benefits of Rotating-Liner Cementing and Impact Factors
Authors: Wilson Adam 
Published: June 2017

This article, written by Special Publications Editor Adam Wilson, contains highlights of paper SPE 180578, “Investigating the Benefits of Rotating-Liner Cementing and Impact Factors,” by Quek Khang Song, SPE, Hao Wang, and Weicun Dong, Halliburton, and Roger Bradshaw, SPE, Wei Cui, and Johnson Njoku, ConocoPhillips, prepared for the 2016 IADC/SPE Asia Pacific Drilling Technology Conference and Exhibition, Singapore, 22–24 August. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

Effective primary cementing in the wellbore is critical to achieving positive wellbore isolation. This paper discusses an expandable-liner-hanger (ELH) system that provides liner rotation during the liner deployment and the cementing operation while providing a hydraulically energized liner-top seal upon setting. The case histories of the wells using the system verify the key consideration factors presented in this paper, which help improve the quality of the liner cementing bond.

Liner-Hanger System

The ELH system incorporates bonded elastomeric sections. The elastomeric element provides the hanging capacity for the liner and a gas-tight seal. The liner-hanger/packer body contains no setting mechanism or external components, such as slips, hydraulic cylinders, or pistons. The hydraulic setting mechanism is contained in the setting-tool assembly and is retrieved, eliminating potential leak paths in the flow stream. This running/setting-tool-assembly system provides the necessary expansion mechanics, cementing pack-off seals, a collet assembly to carry the liner weight and transfer the liner weight to the drillstring, and an end-of-expansion indicator assembly. As required, the liner system can be rotated and reciprocated when incorporated with an ELH high-torque running/setting tool and high-torque liner connections. The liner system can be rotated and reciprocated while running in the hole or during cementing operations (Fig. 1).

Liner-Hanger Operation

The key to a successful liner deployment is prejob planning. As part of the preplanning, several iterations of the torque-and-drag analysis are simulated with software to determine the ideal run-in-hole solution.

The ELH system is run much like conventional liner-hanger systems, with minimal differences. The key difference is that the liner with the ELH system is cemented before setting the hanger because the hanger provides hydraulic isolation when it is set. Cementing before setting the liner hanger enables rotation and reciprocation, which should improve the cementing. No liner reciprocation during the cementing operation was planned because of rig limitations. In addition, rotation was preferred over reciprocation because the liner must be in the position across the zones of interest at all times and prevent any potential operational risk (e.g., stuck pipe or liner set high). The ELH standard setting/running tool has a torque rating limitation of 15,000 lbf-ft. Consequently, it was deployed as a non-rotational liner hanger. The ELH high-torque running/setting tool, with a torque rating of 39,071 lbf-ft, was used with the rotational liner-hanger system. During the cementing operation, the liner string was rotated at 10 to 20 rev/min. The next step is to set the hanger, which is performed hydraulically after releasing a set-ting ball. After the hanger is set, the liner top can be washed using conventional or reverse-circulation techniques. The tools are then retrieved from the wellbore, and the well is ready for completion.