A Unique Spinoff of Inflatable Packer Technology To Enhance the Ability To Circulate Casing Down On a Top or Side-Drive Rig (1990)

A Unique Spinoff of Inflatable Packer Technology To Enhance the Ability To Circulate Casing Down On a Top or Side-Drive Rig C.O. Stokley; C.O. Stokley TAM Intl. Inc. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar S.R. Scott; S.R. Scott TAM Intl. North Sea Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar L.B. Sanford; L.B. Sanford TAM Intl. Inc. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar R.A. Jordan; R.A. Jordan Mobil Producing Netherlands Inc. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar J.M. Mounteer J.M. Mounteer Mobil Producing Netherlands Inc. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Paper presented at the IADC/SPE Drilling Conference, Houston, Texas, February 1990. Paper Number: SPE-19925-MS https://doi.org/10.2118/19925-MS Published: February 27 1990 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Get Permissions Search Site Citation Stokley, C.O., Scott, S.R., Sanford, L.B., Jordan, R.A., and J.M. Mounteer. "A Unique Spinoff of Inflatable Packer Technology To Enhance the Ability To Circulate Casing Down On a Top or Side-Drive Rig." Paper presented at the IADC/SPE Drilling Conference, Houston, Texas, February 1990. doi: https://doi.org/10.2118/19925-MS Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex Search Dropdown Menu nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentAll ProceedingsSociety of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)SPE/IADC Drilling Conference and Exhibition Search Advanced Search AbstractProblems are often encountered in running casing into a wellbore which require the "rig-up" of a circulating head in order to lower casing farther into the hole. A method of quickly and safely achieving circulation through the casing will be discussed in this paper, including tool development, deployment and field applications.IntroductionSuccessfully running casing in directional wells often required circulation of some or all of the pipe as it is run in the well. The above rotary drive systems have, in part, lead to ever increasing higher angles of deviation and thus increased well displacements. These displacements in turn have increased the necessity of casing circulation and require revised procedures and tools to efficiently fill and circulate casing. This paper outlines the work done by a development team composed of representatives of a major oil company and an inflatable packer manufacturer to improve the safety and efficiency in filling up and circulating casing strings.The prototype tool was tested in a well in the Dutch Sector of the North Sea while running 13 3/8" casing. As the casing running procedure did not encounter any problems in getting to bottom, the tool was problems in getting to bottom, the tool was used only to fill the casing and activated several times for testing only. Slight modifications were required to improve the ease of operation and these modifications were made prior to the running of the 9 5/8" casing string on the same well. A second test was performed during the running of the 9 5/8" casing with tool activated for circulation fifty-five times for test purposes only. purposes only. The purpose of these tests was to develop a reliable tool which could be quickly activated to seal in the top of the casing and allow circulation through the casing in the event that the string could not be lowered into the well due to hole problems such as sticking, bridges or drag.As a result of this development project, an inflatable tool was designed and field tested which achieved the desired results of providing an efficient and safe method of providing an efficient and safe method of circulating casing to bottom, with an added benefit of providing a safe and efficient method of filling casing while running.DESIGN CONCEPTAn inflatable packer was selected as the sealing mechanism and several methods of inflating the packer were reviewed as to reliability and ease of activation. As the rig, which would be used for the development testing, was equipped with an above rotary drive system, the tool could be easily attached to the above rotary drive system by using a drill pipe pup joint which would space the packer seal element inside the casing joint when the elevators were latched. The simplest method of activating the packer for inflation and circulation through the casing was through normal motion used by the drillers manipulation of the traveling blocks and inflation/circulation by using the rig mud pumps.Figure 1 provides a sketch of the tool design. An inflatable packer element is placed over a tubular mandrel and sealed at placed over a tubular mandrel and sealed at both ends. The tubular mandrel is slotted near the bottom of the mandrel.P. 165 Keywords: inflatable packer technology, swage, circulate, mandrel, application, side-drive rig, circulation, reliability, unique spinoff, drilling operation Subjects: Drilling Operations, Casing and Cementing, Casing design This content is only available via PDF. 1990. IADC/SPE Drilling Conference You can access this article if you purchase or spend a download.