Leave nothing behind TM

Pinpoint frac isolation on coiled-tubing

Predictable, verifiable, optimizable multistage fracturing

Predictable, verifiable, optimizable completions
The most efficient field frac network starts with predictable adjust and evaluate frac spacing and frac design for subse-
frac spacing and predictable propped volume. Multistage quent wells. Plug-and-perf completions, on the other hand, are
Unlimited frac isolation delivers both. Add downhole data not predictable, verifiable, or repeatable, and they provide no
recording and you have repeatable frac-delivery that helps you downhole data for use in optimization.

Predictable: Multistage Unlimited cemented casing sleeves

PLANNED REAL WORLD

Unpredictable: plug-and-perf

PLANNED REAL WORLD

An ideal field frac network would comprise equally spaced fracs of equal propped volume resulting in the maximum number of
stages without interzone communication and maximum frac length and height without bashing other wells or poaching other
formations. Optimization means getting as close to the ideal as possible as long as it makes economic sense.

An ideal optimized field frac network A likely plug-and-perf frac network

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Features and benefits overview
Unlimited stages and spacing is pulled from the hole, the well is ready to produce; there is no
need to drill out plugs or ball seats. The bore is full-open, with no
With Multistage Unlimited technology, you don’t have to com- restrictions.
promise your completion design because of operational limita-
tions or cost. You can have any number of stages at the desired Two-thirds less pumping horsepower
spacing needed to optimize production.
Because Multistage Unlimited systems concentrate pumping at
Easy-to-run sleeves a single frac point instead of across multiple perforation clusters,
ample frac rates through the sleeve ports are achieved with
Multistage Unlimited sleeves for a project are all identical, so they about a third of the horsepower needed for plug-and-perf or
can be run in any order. The sleeves come with pre-torqued pup ball-sleeve completions. Pump rates for Multistage Unlimited
joints so they are handled and made up into the casing string just completions are typically 35 bpm or less, with the full rate con-
like casing joints. centrated at the injection point. Plug-and-perf and ball sleeves
require 85–100 bpm. The Multistage Unlimited system has been
No rig-up/rig-down between stages
used successfully with both slickwater and cross-linked fluids.
Unlike plug-and-perf, Multistage Unlimited completion opera-
tions are streamlined and continuous, with no need to shut down Less equipment at the wellsite
the completion sequence between stages. It takes only minutes
Less pumping horsepower means fewer frac units. A typical
to unset the frac-isolation assembly, move it up to the next
Multistage Unlimited completion requires three to five frac units,
sleeve, reset it, and shift the sleeve open.
compared with 12 to 14 units needed for plug-and-perf and ball-
Downhole data acquisition sleeve completions.
Two gauge/recorders—one above the bridge plug and one Less water, less chemicals
below—measure and record pressure, temperature, and forces
acting on the tool string during a completion. This data is in The ability to circulate facilitates water and chemicals manage-
addition to the actual frac-zone pressure that can be observed in ment. Leading-edge fluids can be circulated down to the target
real time. The pressure data is analyzed post-job to verify stage zone before fracs are initiated, so less fluid is pumped into the
isolation. Temperature and force data is used for various diagnos- formation, compared to bullheading fluids down the casing. Fluid
tic purposes. By contrast, neither plug-and-perf nor ball-sleeve requirements are further reduced by not having to pump plugs
systems provide any downhole data. and sleeve-actuating balls.

Less environmental impact

More effective proppant placement Smaller frac spreads means less equipment, less fuel consumed,
The coiled tubing work string serves as a deadleg during fractur- less engine exhaust, less noise, less traffic, and a smaller wellsite
ing, so you can monitor pressure response of the formation in footprint. That’s in addition to water and chemicals saved and
real time. This gives you the information you need to control frac less need for water treatment and disposal. Less equipment
growth and avoid screenouts by adjusting proppant loading, sand onsite also minimizes the number of personnel on the road and
working on location, reducing overall exposure to HSE issues.
ramp, and pump rates.

Quick screenout cleanup

With the coiled tubing serving as a deadleg, you can observe
frac-zone pressure (not simulated pressure) in real time, allowing
you to respond quickly if a screenout is indicated; for example,
you can adjust pump rates or sand loading, or pump fluid down
the coiled tubing to dilute the proppant concentration. Even if a
screenout occurs, excess proppant can be quickly circulated out
of the well.
Unrestricted, production-ready wellbore
When the last stage is completed and the resettable frac plug

The Multistage Unlimited gauge/recorder

captures pressure, temperature, and force data
during the completion.

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The Multistage Unlimited system
Frac sleeves Sleeve locator
Multistage Unlimited frac sleeves deliver all the benefits of The robust, one-piece mechanical sleeve locator has a profile
predictable frac spacing and predictable propped volume, that matches a recess at the bottom of the sleeves. As the
along with a nonstop frac operation. With their unrestricted ID, frac-isolation assembly is pulled up through the sleeve, the
the sleeves permit normal cementing operations, and they do keys snap into the recess. The instant increase in overpull is
not impede production or future well intervention. The sleeves positive surface indication that the assembly is properly posi-
are built to match the host casing, have high-torque capabil- tioned inside the sleeve.
ities, and are shipped with pre-torqued pup joints for easy
handling and make-up into the casing string. Data recorders
The system can also be used to sand-jet perforate blank casing There are two data recorders on each downhole assembly, one
in lieu of running sleeves (see page 6). above the resettable bridge plug and one below. These preci-
sion gauge/recorders measure pressure both inside the tool
Resettable bridge plug string and in the coiled tubing/casing annulus, temperature
The Multistage Unlimited resettable frac plug has three and linear forces. The data is used for verifying stage isolation
functions: isolate the frac zone from the hole below, grip the and for diagnostics.
sliding sleeves for shifting, and anchor the isolation assembly
during frac pumping or sand-jet perforating. It incorporates an Sand-jet perforating sub or flow sub
automatic J-slot mechanism that sets, releases, and resets the Sand-jet perforating is used to add stages in blank casing. It
tool with straight up/down coiled tubing motion. The bridge is also used in lieu of sliding sleeves when the well is already
plug’s proprietary seal material, construction, clearances, cased. The perforating sub also enables forward circulation.
and self-flushing design make it extremely sand-friendly and When the completion incorporates MultiCycle sleeves, a
reliable for frac operations. An integral equalization valve facili- simple flow sub replaces the perforating sub, because perfora-
tates releasing the bridge plug under high differential pressures tions defeat the purpose of the reclosable sleeves.
and also enables reverse circulation.

Frac ports Inner sliding barrel Recess for locator keys

MultiCycle sleeve

Flow sub or sand-jet Equalizing valve Resettable bridge plug Sleeve locator
perforating sub

Data recorder Frac-isolation assembly Data recorder

Sleeve located, bridge plug unset

Bridge plug set, sleeve open for frac

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 Typical completion sequence
As the frac-isolation assembly is pulled upward, the sleeve lo- Add stages on the fly
cator keys snap into a recess at the bottom of the sliding sleeve.
Then coiled tubing set-down weight is applied to set the reset- If the formation at a sliding sleeve will not take fluid, the isolation
table bridge plug. The bridge plug grips the inner barrel of the assembly can be released, moved up, and set in a section of
sleeve and isolates the target zone from the wellbore below. An blank casing. Sand-laden fluid is pumped down the coiled tubing
increase in wellbore pressure from above forces the assembly and through the perforating sub nozzles. The high-velocity slurry
and the inner barrel down, opening the sleeve’s frac ports to the cuts through the casing and cement and into the formation in
formation. Sleeve shifting is clearly indicated at the surface by about 45 minutes, providing a fresh frac-initiation point. See
weight and pressure changes (see chart at right). As the sleeve page 6 for details on Multistage Unlimited sand-jet perforating.
shifts, the locator recess closes, disengaging the locator keys and
providing an additional verification that the sleeve has shifted
(useful in the event that the formation will not take fluid).
The frac is pumped down the coiled tubing/casing annulus,
except in the case of low-rate fracs, when it can be pumped
through the coiled tubing (see the Half-Straddle system, page 6).
During the frac, the coiled tubing serves as a deadleg, transmit-
ting bottom-hole treating pressure (see chart at right) to the
surface to assist in adjusting pad size, sand concentration and
ramp, and pump rate in real time.
After the frac is away, a pull on the coiled tubing opens the
equalizing valve and unsets the bridge plug. The isolation assem-
bly is moved up to the next sliding sleeve, and the sequence is
repeated. In about 10 minutes, the stage is ready to frac. With
planning and coordination, stages can be completed quickly and A complete Multistage Unlimited sleeve frac stage, including moving the
smoothly at a rate of more than one per hour. isolation assembly to the next stage and shifting the sleeve open.
After the last stage, the isolation tool assembly is pulled from the
well and the unrestricted wellbore is ready for production.

MultiCycle sleeves: a new way to frac, and more

Locate the sleeve Open sleeve and frac Close sleeve, let frac heal Open sleeves, produce well

New MultiCycleTM frac sleeves (shown on opposite page) deliver MultiCycle sleeves offer a number of new capabilities:
unprecedented options for completing a well, managing produc- • Prefrac injection test along the lateral, not just at the toe
tion and secondary recovery operations, and performing refracs or
• Prevent proppant inflow after a frac, while frac heals
other remediation. Now, you can fracture stages out of sequence,
and you can close and reopen selected intervals as needed over • Frac stages in any desired order, exploit stress shadowing effects
the life of the well. For completions, the frac-isolation assembly • Shut off water production, unwanted gas, and thief zones
locates the sleeve, isolates the stage for stimulation and shifts the • Manage waterflood or other EOR
inner barrel down to open the frac ports. The sleeve can be closed • Restore wellbore integrity for refracs
after the frac by pulling on the coiled tubing. During production
or remediation, a similar tool locates the sleeve for reclosing and
reopening as required.
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Half-Straddle option for low-rate fracs
The Half-StraddleTM option is ideal for completions in thin forma- • Low frac rates and volumes help control frac growth.
tions with water-bearing zones nearby. These wells are usually • There is no need for a high-pressure wellhead stack because the
best completed with a large number of stages and smaller frac- coiled tubing contains all frac forces.
tures to avoid the water zones. The lower frac rates (10 bpm or
less) are pumped through the coiled tubing instead of the coiled The only equipment difference between the Half-Straddle and the
tubing/casing annulus. Multistage Unlimited annular-frac system is the addition of a frac
valve above the resettable bridge plug. The sub permits fracs to
It’s called the Half-Straddle option because it resembles a be pumped down the coiled tubing and out the sleeve ports.
coiled-tubing straddle with only a lower seal; the upper seal is
achieved by closing the annulus at the surface. A ball-seat feature allows flow to be diverted temporarily through
the sand-jet perforating sub to add stages in blank casing. After
Whenever the Half-Straddle option can be used, it provides three perforating, the ball is pumped through the ball seat, and the frac
important advantages: is pumped down the coiled tubing.
• It reduces water consumption even more—up to 50%
compared to plug-and-perf and ball-sleeve systems.

A frac valve is added to the Multistage Unlimited assembly

to permit pumping fracs through the coiled tubing.

Sand-jet perforating
Multistage Unlimited zone isolation with sand-jet perforating When the perforations are complete, frac pressure is applied
uses a high-velocity abrasive slurry to cut perforations to access down the annulus. As with Multistage Unlimited sleeve com-
the formation. This option is used to add stages on the fly or for pletions, the coiled tubing serves as a deadleg, providing actual
completions when a well is already cased. pressure at the frac point to assist in adjusting sand concentration
and ramp, fluid viscosity, and pump rate in real time.
Typical completion Peforating parameters are matched to formation characteristics
The frac-isolation assembly functions the same as with Multistage and coiled tubing length and size. Parameters include slurry densi-
Unlimited sleeve systems. The completion begins at the toe of ty, slurry flowrate, slurry pressure, and cutting duration.
the well, with the frac-isolation assembly positioned at the lowest
With planning and coordination, stages can be completed quickly
planned stage. The resettable frac plug isolates the zone from the
and smoothly. After the last stage, the isolation assembly is re-
well bore below and anchors the assembly. Then abrasive slurry
trieved, and the full-open wellbore is ready for production.
is pumped through the perforating sub nozzles. High-velocity
jets cut through the casing and cement and into the formation in
approximately 45 minutes.

Sand-jet perforate via the coiled tubing Frac via the coiled tubing/casing annulus

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How NCS Multistage works with you
With Multistage Unlimited technology you don’t have to compromise your
completion because of technological and operational limitations, as you often do
with plug-and-perf and ball-sleeve systems. You can have as many fracs as you need
and put them exactly where you want them for optimum production and recovery.
Feel free to consult with NCS when planning your completion; we will be happy to
work with you on the stimulation and completion design.
For sliding sleeve completions, NCS provides sleeves to match your casing string and
hole size. We also work with you to select a coiled tubing contractor. Any qualified
coiled tubing contractor can operate Multistage Unlimited systems.
During the completion operation, NCS specialists at the wellsite coordinate with
both the pumping service and coiled tubing contractor. All our service supervisors
have extensive downhole tools and coiled tubing experience.

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Leave nothing behind TM

Multistage Unlimited pinpoint frac isolation on coiled-tubing

WORLD HEADQUARTERS
NCS Multistage, LLC.
19450 State Highway 249, Suite 200
Houston, TX 77070
Ph: +1 281.453.2222
Fx: +1 281.652.5846

CANADA
NCS Multistage, Inc.
800, 840–7th Avenue SW
Calgary, AB T2P 3G2
Ph: +1 403.720.3236

On the web: ncsmultistage.com

Email inquiries: [email protected]

© 2015 NCS Multistage, LLC. All rights reserved.

Multistage Unlimited, MultiCycle, Half-Straddle, and “Leave Nothing Behind” are trademarks of NCS Multistage, LLC.