New Approaches for Producing and Repairing Wells
Authors: Hutchison S.O. 
Published: December 2007

This paper was prepared for the 40th Annual California Regional Meeting of the Society of Petroleum Engineers of AIME, to be held in San Francisco, Calif., Nov. 6–7, 1969. 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 OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY or the SOCIETY OF publication in the JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY or the SOCIETY OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERS JOURNAL is usually granted upon request to the Editor PETROLEUM ENGINEERS JOURNAL is usually granted upon request to the Editor of the appropriate journal 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.

A low density stable foam has been developed to achieve a very low bottom hole circulating pressure which minimizes or eliminates formation damage and lost circulation. Some uses of stable foam have been: as a drilling fluid for completion intervals; to remove solids from well bores and from over and around stuck tools; to wash perforations and clean up behind liners; and, to provide a safe blanketing medium where noxious gases or high temperature steam has been encountered.

A technique has been developed for using thermal energy to break the formation-to-pipe bond which has permitted recovering liners up to 500' long with 2-7/8" tubing work string. Tubing has been used to drill in the replacement liners with stable foam. A novel whipstocking technique permits sidetracking unrecovered liners. permits sidetracking unrecovered liners. The use of these new approaches has reduced solids removal and well repair costs by approximately 50% and improved production responses. production responses

Introduction

The need for and the initial development of a low density stable foam which can effectively remove drilled and produced solids from unconsolidated, highly permeable, low pressured hydrocarbon producing, permeable, low pressured hydrocarbon producing, formations has been previously reported. Development work has been continued to define new uses for stable foam, to simplify the foam mixtures, and to determine equipment and manpower requirements and the feasibility and economics of its use in various operating areas.

The use of stable foam has reduced both the direct cost of removing solids from wells and subsequent production costs as the result of improved sand stabilization. In addition, subsequent oil production has been improved both by the stimulation effects from improved well bore cleanup and the increased number of producing days available when the rate of sand influx is reduced. Its use has permitted lowering fishing job severity and costs, better liner cement jobs, more efficient placement of profile control materials, and provides a safe blanketing medium where noxious gases and high temperature steam are encountered.