Casing Corrosion Measurement To Extend A
Casing Corrosion Measurement To Extend A
Casing Corrosion Measurement To Extend A
Dalia Abdallah Corrosion challenges are not new to the oil and gas industry, and producers are
Mohamed Fahim
Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil continually seeking new ways to keep corrosion at bay. Experts have made advances
Operations in corrosion monitoring along several fronts. The implementation of these technolo-
Abu Dhabi, UAE
gies may help operators optimize infrastructure utilization, maximize production and
Khaled Al-Hendi
Mohannad Al-Muhailan
minimize negative impact on the environment.
Ram Jawale
Kuwait Oil Company
Ahmadi, Kuwait Oil and gas companies typically serve two mas- hand, environmental compliance requires that
ters. On the one hand, profitability dictates that companies conduct exploration and production
Adel Abdulla Al-Khalaf producers maximize long-term production while operations safely and in an environmentally
Qatar Petroleum
minimizing operating expenditures. On the other responsible manner.
Doha, Qatar
Zaid Al-Kindi
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Abdulmohsen S. Al-Kuait
Hassan B. Al-Qahtani
Karam S. Al-Yateem
Saudi Aramco
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Nausha Asrar
Sugar Land, Texas, USA
Abderrahmane Benslimani
Ahmadi, Kuwait
M. Aiman Fituri
Doha, Qatar Iron Ore (Oxides) and Corrosion Products Refined Metal or Alloy
Mahmut Sengul
Houston, Texas
> Typical refining-corrosion life cycle for metals. Energy is stored in a metal as it is refined from its
naturally occurring state (such as iron ore) to an alloy. Corrosion takes place spontaneously and
releases the stored energy, which returns the metal back to a lower energy state. That process can be
slowed by the application of one or more field-based mitigation measures.
18 Oilfield Review
The two mandates share a common enemy.
Problem Cause of Corrosion Control Methods Monitoring
Corrosion, which is the natural tendency for
materials to return to their most thermodynami- Oxygen corrosion • Oxygenated water • Resistant materials • Water and oxygen sampling
cally stable state by reacting with agents in the • Internal attack • Oxygen scavengers • Iron counts
surrounding environment, attacks almost every • External attack • Oxygen stripping • Corrosion probes
component of a well. Wells are constructed pri- • Improved seal design • Oxygen sensors
• Coatings • Coupon surveys
marily of steel, which is refined from naturally
• Cathodic protection • Wall thickness surveys
occurring iron ore. The process of refining ore
• Visual internal inspections
into a steel alloy suitable for oil and gas drilling
• Visual surveys
and production takes the ore to a higher energy
state. Corrosion reverses this process and brings Hydrogen sulfide • Water from • Degassing at • Probes
corrosion pitting production aquifer low pressures • Iron counts
metal back toward its original, lower energy state or other deep aquifer • Control of • Wall thickness surveys
(previous page).1 • Water contaminated contaminated gas
by stripping or lift gas • Use of resistant
The process of corrosion, which begins the
materials
moment steel is cast, is accelerated in the oil
field by the presence of acidic species—such as Sulfate-reducing • Anaerobic fluids • Biocides • Anaerobic bacteria
bacteria (SRB) • Stagnant fluids • Chlorination counts
hydrogen sulfide [H2S] or carbon dioxide [CO2]—
• Conditions under scales • Chlorine residuals
in many formation fluids and by the elevated measurements
or other deposits
temperatures and pressures in producing forma-
tions. The consequences of corrosion include a Carbon dioxide • Water from • Degassing at • Probes
corrosion production aquifer low pressures • Iron counts
reduction in wall thickness and loss of strength, or other deep aquifer • Control of • Wall thickness surveys
ductility and impact strength in the steel that • Water contaminated contaminated gas
by stripping or lift gas • Use of resistant
makes up the downhole tubulars, wellheads and
materials
surface piping and downstream processing equip-
ment (right). Hydrogen sulfide • Produced fluids • Suitable materials • Materials quality control
stress corrosion containing hydrogen
Failure to address corrosive attacks early cracking sulfide
impacts well profitability because operators must Hydrogen-induced • Anaerobic systems
then implement potentially expensive, and per- cracking contaminated with SRB
haps extensive, mitigation methods. Not only Acid corrosion • Stimulation and • Acid inhibitors • Acid inhibitor checks
does mitigation increase operating expenses, it cleaning acids
may force operators to shut a well in for some Galvanic (bimetallic) • Two metals with • Electrical isolation • Design reviews
period of time. In the worst cases, unattended corrosion different ionic potentials of metals
in a corrosive medium (cathodic coating)
corrosion can lead to a leak or rupture, which
• Improved design
may threaten the safety of oilfield personnel, lead
to production losses and introduce hydrocarbons Pitting corrosion (rapid • Immersion • Materials selection • Equipment inspections
corrosion at defects • Inert surface films
and other reservoir fluids into the environment. in inert surface film)
The total annual cost of corrosion in the US
Subdeposit • Wet solids deposits • Pigging • Equipment inspections
alone is estimated at approximately US$ 1.4 bil- corrosion • Biofilms • Biocides • Bacteria counts
lion, of which US$ 589 million is surface pipeline • Porous gaskets • Improved sealing and
and facility costs, US$ 463 million is downhole design
tubing expenses and US$ 320 million is capital • Minimum velocity design
expenditures.2 These estimates do not factor in Crevice corrosion • Poor design • Improved design • Equipment disassembly
the fines that may be levied by government regu- • Imperfections in metal • Materials selection and inspections
latory agencies against operators that experience • Leak detections
a corrosion-related discharge of production fluids Chloride corrosion • Salt solution • Materials selection • Equipment inspections
into the environment. The costs and risks (rapid cracking on
exposure to hot • Oxygen and heat • Oxygen analyses
may also increase as hydrocarbon sources are chloride media)
discovered in more-challenging environments—
Fatigue • Rotating equipment • Vibration design • Equipment inspections
deeper reservoirs with higher temperatures and • Wave-, wind- or
pressures that contain higher concentrations of current-induced loading
1. For more on the corrosion process: Brondel D, > Summary of corrosion problems and solutions. In the oil field, corrosion is pervasive and takes many
Edwards R, Hayman A, Hill D, Mehta S and Semerad T:
“Corrosion in the Oil Industry,” Oilfield Review 6, no. 2 forms. By properly identifying the source of corrosive attack, an operator can implement a suitable
(April 1994): 4–18. corrosion monitoring and control program.
2. Koch GH, Brongers MPH, Thompson NG, Virmani YP and
Payer JH: “Corrosion Costs and Preventive Strategies in
the United States,” Washington, DC: US Department of
Transportation Federal Highway Administration, Office of
Infrastructure Research and Development, Publication
no. FHWA-RD-01-156, September 2001.
Autumn 2013 19
Well Drilling and Well
Design Completions Production Decline Decommissioning
Production
acidic gases—which may present more-aggres- As with CRAs, coatings may promise a longer the Middle East demonstrate how corrosion mon-
sive corrosion environments. operating life with reduced maintenance, but itoring tools and mitigation technologies have
The industry has advanced several methods to they come at a cost premium.5 helped operators identify the location and sever-
combat corrosion and extend the operating life of Operators may use inhibition by chemical ity of corrosion in the subsurface infrastructure,
a well. These may be broadly classified into four means during the production stage of the well to which informed each company’s choice of mitiga-
main categories: mitigate corrosion on the internal surface of pip- tion solution.
• metallurgy—substituting traditional wellbore ing and equipment. Corrosion inhibitors are typi-
tubulars with those manufactured with a corro- cally surfactant-base chemical formulations that Corrosion and the Life Cycle
sion-resistant alloy (CRA) are added to the production stream in concentra- Corrosion is a major concern throughout the life
• chemical—modifying production fluids to tions ranging from tens to several hundred parts of a well, and specific considerations and mitiga-
reduce the intensity of corrosive attacks or cre- per million (ppm). The inhibitor molecules tion strategies are required at each stage. Asset
ating barriers that isolate the metal from pro- migrate and collect at surfaces; in the case of a personnel usually begin making corrosion miti-
duced fluids through the application of a well’s production infrastructure, the molecules gation decisions for a well before drilling.
protective coating collect at the metal surface to form a barrier During the well design stage, the operator con-
• injection—pumping surfactant-base fluids that between it and the corrosive fluid phase. In this ducts comprehensive reservoir studies, which
aggregate at the metal surface and block metal- way, they act in a manner similar to that of a coat- include reservoir simulation modeling, core
water contact, thus inhibiting corrosion ing, but at a lower cost than that of a permanent studies and fluid analysis from offset well data.
• cathodic protection—using DC current to cre- coating or a CRA. Unlike a coating, a corrosion Engineers use the information obtained from
ate impressed cathodic protection.3 inhibitor must be reapplied to replenish the these studies to develop risk assessments for
The first option—upgrading tubulars to those inhibitor film that is degraded or washed away by corrosion threats in subsequent stages of the
composed of CRA—may be cost prohibitive on a the flowing action of the production stream.6 well. Engineers then develop and implement
large scale. In the US alone, there are more than Corrosion prevention through cathodic pro- mitigation strategies that include appropriate
100,000 producing oil and gas wells with casing, tection works by forcing anodic areas of the materials selection, optimal production rates,
tubing, wellheads, processing equipment and metal—those susceptible to corrosive attack— monitoring programs and corrosion inhibitor
gathering lines. to become cathodic or noncorrosive. To accom- treatments (above).
Manufacturers may employ another mitiga- plish this, operators apply a DC current through During the drilling process, operators focus
tion option: applying permanent coatings, which the metal to counteract the corrosion current—a corrosion mitigation strategies on extending the
combat corrosion by forming a resistant barrier technique known as impressed cathodic protec- working life of drillpipe, which is exposed to high
between the corrosive fluid media and the metal tion (ICP)—or use sacrificial anodes, which are operational stresses as well as potentially corro-
surface. Many coating types exist and are gener- composed of metal that has a greater corrosion sive drilling muds and formation fluids. The drill-
ally categorized as follows: tendency than the metal to be protected.7 pipe may undergo one of several types of corrosion
• metallic—zinc, chromium and aluminum This article focuses on corrosion monitoring mechanisms, including localized pitting, in which
• inorganic—enamels, glasses, ceramics and and measurement techniques for downhole infra- H2S, chloride salts or oxygen in water-base drill-
glass-reinforced linings structure during production. Case studies from ing muds cause a corrosion rate that exceeds
• organic—epoxies, acrylics and polyurethanes.4 25 cm [9.8 in.] per year.8 Other corrosion sources
20 Oilfield Review
include the presence of CO2 at a partial pressure Operators realize a profit during a well’s pro- monitor and inspect the infrastructure to gauge
of 20 to 200 kPa [3 to 30 psi] or greater, microbio- duction stage, which may last from only a few the integrity of downhole and surface piping
logically influenced corrosion (MIC) caused by years to several decades. During this stage, cor- and equipment and the effectiveness of the
the presence of certain bacteria (microbes) in rosion mitigation efforts are generally focused mitigation.
produced fluids and crevice corrosion in which on keeping corrosion rates low and preventing Companies use a variety of corrosion monitor-
localized corrosion rates at metal-to-metal or leaks (below). The operator must continually ing techniques in oil and gas fields. Techniques are
metal-to-nonmetal interfaces, such as at joint
couplings or gaskets, reach elevated levels and Cement sheath
lead to pitting or cracking.9
The common ingredient in these various cor-
rosion events is drilling mud. To prevent drilling
muds from becoming corrosive, mud engineers
Corrosion-induced
use specific chemical treatments in the mud. cracks
These treatments focus on keeping the pH of the
mud within an acceptable range—typically
between 9.5 and 12—by dosing it with alkali or
adding oxygen scavengers to reduce dissolved oxy- Water sand
gen levels below 1 ppm or by adding sulfide scav-
engers that eliminate H2S from the mud system.10
The completion phase of a well refers to the
assembly and installation of downhole tubulars
and equipment such as packers and artificial lift
pump systems. Information collected during the Packer
well planning stage, including the temperature
and pressure of the reservoir and the composition Perforations
of the production fluids, helps inform the opera-
tor’s decision on corrosion mitigation measures to
Oil sand
be included in the completion. For example,
anticipation of H2S or CO2 production may lead
the operator to use CRAs in the completion casing
strings, control valves, permanent downhole
gauges and hydraulic and electric control lines.11
At the end of the well’s life cycle, hydrocarbon
production levels fall—often with a correspond- > Corrosion’s impact on casing integrity. Casing leaks typically arise from
ing rise in water production rates—to a point at excessive corrosion in the production system. These leaks, which can prove
which the well is no longer profitable and the costly and environmentally damaging, may allow additional formation water
and sand to enter the production string of the well (blue arrow). Alternatively,
operator must plug and abandon (P&A) it. The crossflows (green arrows) may result, which can be difficult to characterize
operator’s corrosion mitigation strategies shift to and treat, and in severe cases, the operator may have to pull and replace the
permanently prevent reservoir fluid releases to entire casing string.
the environment long after the well is aban-
doned. The basics of a P&A operation include
3. Nalli K: “Corrosion and Its Mitigation in the Oil & Gas 8. The corrosion rate is the thickness of metal that would
removing completion hardware, setting isolation Industry—An Overview,” PetroMin Pipeliner (January– be lost to corrosion in one year. This rate clearly
plugs and squeezing cement into the annular March 2010): 10–16. indicates that a hole would be created in drillpipe wall in
4. Heim G and Schwenk W: “Coatings for Corrosion far less than a year.
spaces at various depths to permanently seal off
Protection,” in von Baekman W, Shwenk W and Prinz W 9. For more on microbiologically influenced corrosion:
producing and water-bearing zones.12 (eds): Handbook of Cathodic Corrosion Protection, 3rd ed. Augustinovic Z, Birketveit O, Clements K, Freeman M,
P&A operations represent a pure cost, which Houston: Gulf Coast Publishing Company (1997): 153–178. Gopi S, Ishoey T, Jackson G, Kubala G, Larsen J,
5. Craig BD, Lane RA and Rose DH: Corrosion Prevention Marcotte BWG, Scheie J, Skovhus TL and Sunde E:
motivates operators to conduct these activities as and Control: A Program Management Guide for Selecting “Microbes—Oilfield Enemies or Allies?,”
quickly and efficiently as possible. At the same Materials, Spiral 2, 2nd ed. Rome, New York, USA: Oilfield Review 24, no. 2 (Summer 2012): 4–17.
Advanced Materials, Manufacturing, and Testing 10. Sloat B and Weibel J: “How Oxygen Corrosion
time, a P&A job must be carried out with strict Information Analysis Center, Alion Science & Technology Affects Drill Pipe,” Oil and Gas Journal 68, no. 24
adherence to government regulatory require- (September 2006): 40. (June 1970): 77–79.
ments. While these regulations vary widely in 6. Corrosion inhibitors are applied either continuously by 11. Saldanha S: “Intelligent Wells Offer Completion Solution
strategically injecting them into the well or production for Lower Tertiary Fields,” Offshore Magazine 72, no. 8
their severity and punitive measures, should a string at a steady rate to maintain a desired (August 1, 2012): 54–57.
regulator find a leak in a previously abandoned concentration or through batch application, wherein a 12. For more on plug and abandonment operations:
larger volume often called a batch, or slug, of inhibitor is Abshire LW, Desai P, Mueller D, Paulsen WB,
well, it is the responsibility of the operator to applied into the well on a periodic basis. Continuous Robertson RDB and Solheim T: “Offshore Permanent
return to make any necessary repairs and replug injection provides an added benefit in that the inhibitor Well Abandonment,” Oilfield Review 24, no. 1
can be applied without shutting in the well. (Spring 2012): 42–50.
the well—often at a significantly higher cost 7. For more on impressed cathodic protection: Brondel et al,
than that of the original P&A operation. reference 1.
Autumn 2013 21
Casing rate one or more of the various logging tools that
are deployed downhole via wireline, tractor or
coiled tubing.
Transducer Ultrasonic signal
22 Oilfield Review
defects and instantaneous in-field notification Tool outer , EM Pipe Scanner tool. The tool (left) makes
diameter
when a defect is encountered. In addition, the 2D discrimination Discriminator four measurements. The Z-properties
transmitter, TH measurement (bottom right) uses a transmitter
technique requires access to only one side of the TH (Tz ) operating at three frequencies and one of the
material to gauge the condition of the entire RP Pad Pipe tool’s two receivers (R z ). The impedance
object and obtain detailed exterior and interior receiver, RP response signal depends strongly on the
images of the object. However, inspection is diffi- dimensionless quantity, τ, which is a function of
the pipe internal diameter (ID), the angular
cult for materials that are heterogeneous in com- frequency ω and the electromagnetic properties
position, irregular in shape or thin; to improve of the pipe metal: the permeability µ and the
the results of the inspection, technicians must conductivity σ. The term µ0 is the constant
RP RP
prepare the internal surface prior to measure- permeability of free space. The average pipe wall
thickness, d, is determined using the low-
ment by scraping away scale or other debris. frequency transmitter (TL ) in the middle of the
Operators may also employ another corro- tool, along with two receivers above and two
sion monitoring method: electromagnetic (EM)- below the transmitter (center right). Two
TL
low-frequency receivers (RLL ) are termed
based inspection. The basic principle of this
RLL
long-spacing receivers and two are termed
technique involves measuring the changes to a 2D thickness short-spacing receivers (RLS ). The phase shift of
magnetic field as it passes through a metal TH the signal—which is a function of skin depth
object; the changes are related to the condition RP
Average thickness δ—as it goes through the pipe at the transmitter
RLL and again at each receiver is used to determine
of the material such as its thickness and its RLS
RLS the thickness of the pipe d/δ. Near the top of the
electromagnetic properties. tool, 18 caliper arms press pad receivers (RP )
The industry currently uses two EM corro- against the inside of the pipe (top right).
sion monitoring tools. The first, a flux leakage TL Combining measurements from these sensors
with the low-frequency signal from the
tool, magnetizes the metal object using an elec- transmitter (TL ) at the middle of the tool provides
RLS
tromagnet. When the magnetic flux encounters a 2D thickness measurement. The 18 sensors are
RLL also used with a high-frequency discriminator
a damaged section or hole in the material, part
of the flux leaks out of the metal; coils on the TL d transmitter (TH ) located on the tool mandrel
aligned with the sensor pads (top left). The
tool’s sensors detect this leakage. While this high-frequency signal does not penetrate the
method is useful for measuring abrupt changes pipe wall; this part of the tool provides a 2D map
in pipe thickness, such as pitting or holes in the from signals that discriminate damage on
inner string, and the location of those changes, RLS Skin depth decay the inside wall from signals that may indicate
RLL
other phenomena.
it is less effective for monitoring the steady
Z properties
increase of corrosion or corrosion that varies RZ
RZ RZ
gradually over a large section of pipe or concen- 1 1 µ
TZ RZ τ=
tric casing configurations. µ0 ID ωσ
TZ
The second EM-based monitoring technol-
ogy—the remote field eddy current tool—mea-
sures the signal of not only the primary EM field discriminator transmitter located on the tool large holes, casing splits and corrosion-related
but also the secondary field from the induced mandrel to generate signals that do not penetrate metal loss from both the internal and external
eddy currents in the surrounding pipe.17 the pipe wall, creating a 2D map that discrimi- surfaces of casing; the tool can also measure loss
The EM Pipe Scanner electromagnetic casing nates between damage on the inside and outside from an outer casing string when multiple strings
inspection tool makes four distinct measure- walls. Changes in the geometric properties of the are present. The tool consists of 18 radial arms
ments. Using a transmitter—which operates at metal, such as thickness or diameter, will cause with pad sensors affixed around a slim mandrel.
three frequencies—and two receivers, the changes to the mutual impedance, which is The sensors scan the interior surface and local
EM Pipe Scanner tool makes a measurement of caused by flaws in the casing. thickness of production casing; the mandrel
impedance (Z), which depends on the casing’s Since 2009, the EM Pipe Scanner tool has measurement helps identify average metal loss,
electrical and magnetic characteristics. Using a been used in wells around the world to detect damage and splits in the casing (above).
low-frequency signal transmitter in the middle of
13. “Introduction to Corrosion Monitoring,” Metal Samples: Zapata Bermudez F, Notoadinegoro DM and Sofronov I:
the tool and two sets of receivers—one set above Corrosion Monitoring Systems, www.alspi.com/ “Scanning for Downhole Corrosion,” Oilfield Review 22,
and the other below the transmitter—the tool introduction.htm (accessed March 20, 2013). no. 1 (Spring 2010): 42–50.
14. “Introduction to Corrosion Monitoring,” reference 13. Brill TM, Le Calvez JL, Demichel C, Nichols E and
measures the average thickness of the metal nor- Zapata Bermudez F: “Electromagnetic Casing Inspection
15. Hayman AJ, Hutin R and Wright PV: “High-Resolution
malized by the skin depth.18 Cementation and Corrosion Imaging by Ultrasound,” Tool for Corrosion Evaluation,” paper IPTC 14865,
Transactions of the SPWLA 32nd Annual Logging presented at the International Petroleum Technology
The remaining two measurements provide 2D Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, February 7–9, 2012.
Symposium, Paris, June 16–19, 1991, paper KK.
images of the pipe; the tool obtains these mea- 16. Hayman AJ, Parent P, Rouault G, Zurquiyah S, Verges P, 18. When the EM field encounters a conducting material
surements by pressing pad sensors against the Liang K, Stanke FE and Herve P: “Developments in such as the metal of a pipe, the amplitude of the field
Corrosion Logging Using Ultrasonic Imaging,” decreases exponentially with a characteristic rate given
inner wall of the pipe. One measurement uses a Transactions of the SPWLA 36th Annual Logging by the skin depth. A conductive and ferromagnetic
low-frequency signal to obtain 2D thickness Symposium, Paris, June 26–29, 1995, paper W. material, such as casing, has a short skin depth. All
media other than a vacuum have shorter skin depths at
information, and the other uses a high-frequency 17. For more on electromagnetic induction as a corrosion
higher frequencies.
monitoring method: Acuña IA, Monsegue A, Brill TM,
Graven H, Mulders F, Le Calvez J-L, Nichols EA,
Autumn 2013 23
True Vertical Depth, ft Operating companies can obtain these mea-
Forewarned Is Forearmed
65% metal loss of In 2011, using the EM Pipe Scanner tool, Saudi
62% metal loss of double casings
65% metal loss of double casings 63% metal loss of Aramco conducted a well-casing corrosion moni-
double casings double casings
toring campaign in a field containing both
onshore and offshore wells. Initial scans of seven
onshore wells indicated relatively little metal
loss and confirmed that the existing ICP system
was working satisfactorily. Because of the lack of
3,000 3,000 a sufficiently large power supply, the offshore
3,000
3,000 wells had limited ICP, which raised the possibil-
ity of higher corrosion rates.
The EM Pipe Scanner tool was deployed to
determine the extent of metal loss from well cas-
ings in the offshore portion of the field and to
help the operator geographically map wells
exhibiting the most severe metal loss. In one
campaign, in four adjacent wells that were origi-
nally completed in 1976, Saudi Aramco checked
4,000 4,000
4,000 to determine whether any of these well had con-
4,000
centric casings that might soon leak.19 If engi-
neers observed metal loss, they planned to
analyze the loss profile for the purpose of map-
9 5/8-in. shoe ping and anticipating the likelihood of casing cor-
9 5/8-in. shoe rosion in nearby, nonlogged wells.
9 5/8-in. shoe 9 5/8-in. shoe
The EM Pipe Scanner logs showed varying
degrees of metal loss in each of the four subject
wells, although the logs indicated a distinct depth
5,000 5,000 correlation among them. One noticeable correla-
5,000
tion occurred between 2,500 and 2,800 ft [760 and
> EM Pipe Scanner logs. The logs for four Saudi Aramco wells showed varying degrees of metal loss 850 m], where the four wells had casing metal
(red), remaining thickness (gray) and total measured thickness (green) with respect to depth. A distinct losses ranging from 62% to 65% (left). The operator
pattern correlation, as well as a similar decrease in total thickness with depth, existed among the
concluded that other wells in this geographic
wellbores. All wells showed metal losses in the range of 62% to 65% of the outer double casings at a
depth of approximately 2,500 ft. The operator used this information to anticipate similar metal loss vicinity were susceptible to significant metal loss
patterns and expected a comparable level of severity of corrosion in adjacent wells not yet logged. and at risk of casing leaks in this depth interval.
This conclusion may guide completion decisions
for future wells drilled in the area, which could
include landing the outermost casing string—
24 Oilfield Review
typically 13 3/8-in. casing—deeper than in the previ-
ous wells. The original landing depth of 700 ft
[213 m] could be extended to a depth of 3,000 ft
[914 m] to provide an additional layer of corrosion
protection to the inner string. Another solution
could be to add a further level of protection by run-
ning chrome alloy or coated 13 3/8-in. casing from
1,000 ft [300 m] to 3,000 ft.
The metal loss profiles from these wells also
may influence the operator’s decision to imple-
ment more cost-effective and efficient workovers
for repairing leaks. For example, the operator
Motorized
could reduce workover costs by running a cement centralizers
squeeze limited to the depth of significant metal
loss rather than incurring additional costs of a
liner, casing patch or scab liner, which might be
normally recommended if massive metal loss cov-
ered a long interval.20
Calipers
In addition to the acoustic and electromag-
netic monitoring techniques discussed, mechani-
cal methods are also helpful. A multifinger
mechanical caliper tool uses a fundamentally dif-
ferent approach. Caliper tools rely on direct
physical contact with the pipe wall to make mea-
surements and to detect small changes in the
tubular wall such as deformations arising from
the buildup of scale or metal losses from corro-
sion. While they are well established for evaluat-
ing internal problems, caliper tools provide no
data regarding the condition of the external wall.
Motorized
The Schlumberger PipeView multifinger cal-
centralizers
iper tool for PS Platform toolstring has been
deployed to investigate corrosion in many types
of wells but particularly in those with excessive
scale and corrosion in which acoustic-based
tools cannot be run. The tool can be deployed
with 24, 40 or 60 fingers and used in casing
diameters ranging from 13/4 in. to 14 in. It pro-
vides a mechanical image of the internal tubu-
lar corrosion using 3D analysis and visualization
software (right).
Autumn 2013 25
Average metal loss, 2009
X,500 Average metal loss, 2010
50 Average metal loss, 2011
30
20
X,550 10
1,000 ft Depth
30
20
Y,050
10
500 ft Depth
> Corrosion logs obtained from a caliper tool. PipeView service data (top left) and average metal loss versus depth (top right) were recorded in 2009, 2010
and 2011 for the tubing across the point of gas injection. The logs in Track 1 (top and bottom left) include a measurement for nominal internal radius (dashed
black line), nominal outer radius (dashed green line), eccentricity (dashed red line), minimum internal radius (solid blue line), maximum internal radius (solid
red line) and average internal radius (solid black line) above and below the point of gas injection (top and bottom left, respectively). Track 2 is a trace of
each caliper. Track 3 is an image log of thickness loss in the casing. Dark blue indicates the presence of scale, blue to white indicates 0% to 20% thickness
loss, white to pink is 20% to 40% loss and orange to red indicates 40% to 80% loss. Pure red (not shown) would indicate 100% loss and a hole in the casing.
The average metal loss above the point of gas injection (top right) did not change significantly during the three years, suggesting that the presence of the
gas had a mitigating effect on corrosion. A similar plot for the tubing below the point of gas injection (bottom right) showed greater metal loss, which
increased over the three-year period, suggesting more-aggressive corrosion.
tieback liner was run and cemented to the sur- The caliper logs revealed various degrees of drel did not contain lift gas, that section experi-
face to cover a corroded section of 9 5/8-in. casing. corrosion in two sections of the tubing string, one enced a higher corrosion rate.
The operator then drilled a single 5 7/8-in. horizon- below and one above the injection gas entry point ADCO engineers are still speculating about
tal well into a previously bypassed carbonate at the side pocket mandrel (above). The lower the exact inhibitor mechanism; one plausible
formation. This lateral was completed as a gas section, from the bottom of the tubing up to the theory holds that the injected gas adds turbu-
lift oil producer.21 gas injection point, had experienced a significant lence to the production flow and alters the flow
Company engineers used naturally produced degree of corrosion and subsequent metal loss regime, which reduces water holdup and water
gas with no corrosion inhibitor treatment as the that increased between 2009 and 2011. The upper contact with the tubing’s internal surface. This
injection gas, which entered the system through a interval, from the gas lift mandrel to the top of same phenomenon of less corrosion above the gas
gas lift side pocket mandrel. Concerned with the the tubing string, underwent minimal corrosion injection point has been observed in other gas lift
corrosion potential posed by the injection gas, over the same period and retained its original wells in which caliper surveys were acquired. A
ADCO engineers elected to run time-lapse moni- manufacturing dimensions. caliper log in a similar well, in combination with
toring surveys with the multifinger imaging tool to The operator postulated that the injection a FloView holdup measurement, corroborates the
identify, quantify and track the growth of internal gas, which enters the produced oil-water flow at theory that gas injection may be reducing water
corrosion in the tubing and estimate a corrosion the mandrel and flows upward, provides an inhib- contact with the tubing (next page). The opera-
rate and time-to-failure. ADCO conducted surveys itive effect on the production fluids. This effect tor plans to use these results to refine the design
over a three-year period—2009 to 2011—using a reduces the corrosion rate in the upper interval, of future gas lift well completions to take advan-
111/16-in., 24-finger version of the tool. but because the produced fluids below the man- tage of this effect.
26 Oilfield Review
Gamma Ray,
2011 Average Metal Loss, 2011
0 gAPI 100 0 % 100
Gamma Ray,
2010 Average Metal Loss, 2010
Depth, ft
0 gAPI 100 0 % 100 Water Holdup,
Gamma Ray, Image View Flow Volume
2009 Average Metal Loss, 2009 Corrected Flow Cross-sectional
0 gAPI 100 0 % 100 0 0.9 0.4 1 regime holdup
distribution
D,500
E,000
E,500
F,000
Above the
side pocket
mandrel,
F,500 gas breaks the
water/metal
contact.
G,000
Gas
injection
G,500
H,000
H,500
Below the
I,000 side pocket
mandrel, the
water/metal
contact is
I,500 stable.
J,000
> Changes to the water holdup profile. A caliper log run in combination with the FloView water holdup probes in an ADCO well
shows increasing corrosion over time (Track 2) below the point of gas injection and very little corrosion above the gas
injection point. This phenomenon is attributed to a decrease in water holdup above the gas entry point. Analysts believe there
is increased gas within the flow regime (right, red dots), which also includes significant water (blue) and oil (green dots).
Water holdup, corrected for flowline volume (Track 4), is reduced in the upper section; the corrosion rate is less in the upper
section than in the lower section, in which less gas is present. Water holdup is imaged (Track 3); blue represents water and
red represents oil and gas.
Combining Measurements for Improved Several factors, including the age, increased completed in September 2001 as a single pro-
Corrosion Monitoring commingling of formation water production and ducer—engineers discovered a leak in the well-
Operators may increase their understanding of the high CO2 and H2S content of the produced bore. To locate the leak zone by quantifying the
the location and extent of downhole tubular cor- fluids, prompted KOC to examine the corrosion
21. Gas lift is an artificial lift completion method in which
rosion by combining information from multiple potential of these wells. gas is injected into the production tubing to reduce the
tools. Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) did this for a During a workover designed to perform a hydrostatic pressure of the fluid column in the well and
the bottomhole pressure. This method allows reservoir
well in an onshore field that includes wells that cement squeeze on existing perforations and liquids to enter the wellbore at a higher flow rate.
have been producing for more than 60 years. recomplete the well—which had been drilled and
Autumn 2013 27
Section: 31/2 in. and 9 5/8 in. PipeView Multifinger Caliper Tool EM Pipe Scanner Casing Inspection Tool
X,000
Y,000 100%
metal loss
Z,000
> Side-by-side comparison. Logs from the PipeView multifinger caliper tool and the EM Pipe Scanner casing inspection tool run through the interval that
contained 3 1/2-in. and 9 5/8-in. casing strings showed damage and holes in the 3 1/2-in. tubing and showed metal loss (Tracks 4, 5 and 6, green shading) on the
9 5/8-in. casing, including one section that suffered 100% metal loss.
metal loss on the 3 1/2-in. tubing and the 7-in. and casing strings at the outset and subtracting the Based on these findings, KOC pulled the tub-
9 5/8-in. casing strings, the operator considered metal loss from the tubing, engineers were able to ing to confirm the damage. The processed caliper
pulling the tubing out of the hole and performing attribute any metal loss to the casing strings. log and a photograph of the damage from the tub-
pressure tests on the casing. However, this would The logging was divided into three sections ing show a direct correlation between the corro-
have added significant cost and taken the well according to casing design: The first section con- sion measurements and the location of the
off-line for several weeks. sisted of 3 1/2-in. and 9 5/8-in. casings; the second damage (next page, left). The results of this sur-
KOC engineers decided instead to evaluate section of 3 1/2-in., 7-in. and 9 5/8-in. casings; and the vey gave KOC confidence that it could accurately
the integrity of the tubing and casing strings using third section consisted of a 7-in. casing. The cali- measure corrosion and identify a leaking interval
the PipeView and EM Pipe Scanner tools. The log- per logs showed tubing damage in the interval of behind the tubing in wells in the future without
ging plan consisted of running the PipeView cali- the well with 3 1/2-in. and 9 5/8-in. casings, indicat- having to pull the tubing out of the hole.
per tool to assess the metal loss of the tubing and ing the presence of holes (above). Also in the first Qatar Petroleum also implemented a com-
using the EM Pipe Scanner tool to measure the section, the EM Pipe Scanner average thickness bined corrosion measurement strategy in a well
total thickness of the casing strings. By knowing measurement revealed metal loss in the outer in an offshore field. The well, which was drilled in
the total combined thickness of the tubing and string of the 9 5/8-in. casing.
28 Oilfield Review
Eccentricity
0 in. 1
3 1/2-in. tubing
Collar
9 5/8-in. casing
shoe
Autumn 2013 29
Water Water
Annulus Annulus
Ultrasonic Azimuth
Wave Amplitude Casing Casing
0 degree 0.5 Minus Maximum
Maximum Internal Maximum Internal Bonded
Cable Speed Radius Radius
Microdebonding
0 ft/h 1,000 –6 dB 0.5 5 in. 3.5 5 in. 3.5
Liquid
Wave Maximum Maximum Internal Minimum Internal Minimum Internal
Motor Speed Amplitude Radius Radius Radius Microdebonding Ratio
6 RPM 8 0 dB 100 4.2 in. 4.7 5 in. 3.5 5 in. 3.5 Minimum Thickness 1 0
Amplitude of Wave Minimum Average Internal Average Internal Average Internal 0.1 in. 0.6 Cement
Eccentricity Amplitude Radius Radius Radius Measurements/Total
Maximum Thickness
Depth, ft
0 in. 0.5 0 dB 100 4.2 in. 4.7 5 in. 3.5 5 in. 3.5 Internal Radii Average Cement Acoustic 1 0
Minus Average 0.1 in. 0.6 Casing Thickness Impedance Microdebonding
Casing Collar Wave Average Minimum Internal Average External Average External Gas
Locator, Ultrasonic Amplitude Radius Radius Radius Average Thickness Measurements/Total
–20 in. 20 0 dB 100 4.2 in. 4.7 5 in. 3.5 5 in. 3.5 –0.08 0.08 0.1 in. 0.6 –0.08 0.08 0 Mrayl 8.0 1 0 –2.0 Mrayl 8.0
300
310
320
330
340
350
No severe metal
360 loss detected Top of cement
370
380
390
400
410
420
430
440
> Top of cement. Engineers used logs from the USI tool to accurately locate the top of the cement behind the 9 5/8-in. casing (Tracks 10 and 11); standard USI
tool data indicated that the 7-in. liner and the 9 5/8-in. casing were free of significant corrosion.
retrieval (above). They could then directly evalu- data and pinpointed the precise location of the Qatar Petroleum had performed several work-
ate the 13 3/8-in. casing for corrosion defects. hole in the 13 3/8-in. casing. A PipeView multi- overs on another offshore well in the field and is
Engineers next deployed the EM Pipe Scanner finger imaging tool log was then run to evaluate using the well as a dump flooder, in which pro-
tool to evaluate the external casing strings. the 13 3/8-in. casing; the log showed that the casing duced water is injected into another formation.
Despite the fact that measurements were made was corroded and completely parted at the same Because the injected water is untreated, the pro-
outside of the recommended specifications, the depth where the EM Pipe Scanner tool had duction casing regularly experiences corrosion.
tool identified an anomaly at a depth above the detected the metal loss (next page). These mea- The well was originally cased with three sets
seabed; the amplitude level across the anomaly surements provided Qatar Petroleum with a clear of steel casing: a 20-in. surface casing, a 13 3/8-in.
was high, and the phase level was low, both of understanding of the location and extent of the intermediate casing and a 9 5/8-in. production cas-
which suggested that less metal was present at corrosion damage such that company engineers ing. After corrosion problems were detected in
the anomaly than would be expected under nor- could plan a strategy to retrieve the 13 3/8-in. cas- 2002, engineers overlapped the production cas-
mal circumstances. This information reinforced ing and perform a casing patch operation. ing with 7-in. casing. The well is perforated in one
the interpretation of the annular pressure test formation from 6,290 to 6,320 ft [1,918 to 1,926 m]
30 Oilfield Review
and in another from 6,523 to 7,030 ft [1,988 to Caliper, in.
2,143 m]. Produced water from both formations 6.250 6.359 6.469 6.578 6.688
is injected into a formation from 7,492 to 7,690 ft 74
[2,284 to 2,344 m]. Metal Loss
78
As part of regular operational monitoring and Double Coil B
assessment of the well, Qatar Petroleum engi- Long-Spacing Phase 82
20-in. casing
neers deployed the EM Pipe Scanner tool to eval- 40 degree 400
86
13 3/8-in. casing
uate the well for corrosion. The tool’s findings Double Coil B
9 5/8-in. casing Long-Spacing Amplitude 90
indicated significant metal loss across the 7-in. Depth, ft –60 dB 0
94
and the 9 5/8-in. sections. At approximately 6,250 ft
Depth, ft
[1,900 m], the tool indicated a thickness of about 98
90
0.28 in. [0.71 cm], much less than the expected 102
nominal thickness of 0.797 in. [2.03 cm], which
106
implied a metal loss of approximately 65%. The
well’s history and the operator’s local experience 110
6.688
in the field suggested that the entire 9 5/8-in. cas- 100
Caliper, in.
6.578 114
ing was completely corroded and the 7-in. casing 6.469
118
was partially corroded with about 10% metal loss. 6.359
6.250 122
The EM Pipe Scanner tool’s high-frequency
image measurement confirmed that the 7-in.
inner casing was not fully penetrated by corro-
sion, which indicated that the inside wall of the
pipe was in good condition.
Autumn 2013 31