SPE 143293

Influence of Downhole Fluid Behavior Changes on Slickline Operations in

Burgan and Magwa Oil Fields, Kuwait

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M. Bouhanna, Kuwait Oil

Copyright 2011, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE/ICoTA Coiled Tubing and Well Intervention Conference and Exhibition held in The Woodlands, Texas, USA, 5–6 April 2011.

This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper have not been
reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not necessarily reflect any position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its
officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is prohibited. Permission to
reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of SPE copyright.

Abstract
Slickline down-hole flow control devices are always subjected to forces created by differential pressure where
they are setting in tubing.
The standard practice for retrieving a flow control device (e.g. Plug from landing nipple) is to equalize pressures
prior any retrieving attempt.
Slickline operators are always focusing on a mechanical surface wire manipulation of down-hole tools and surface
pressure gauge to monitor equalizing pressure, while they overlook the effect of influential down-hole conditions
such as: fluid level, fluid gradient, gas segregation and phase changes which based on we can calculate and
determine the actual equalizing pressure.
In some cases, the equalizing pressure could not be completed properly due to reservoir fluid behavior change
while operating or sometimes equalizing ports might be plugged, therefore any retrieving attempt can lead to an
unknown events such as:
• Slickline tool string blown up due to differential pressure during retrieving plug from a landing nipple.
• Slickline tool string blown up due to huge differential pressure created by asphaltenes bridge plug
formation in the tubing.
• Slickline toolstring blown up during a flowing gradient survey with a portable well test due to choke
changes.
• Slickline plug stuck in landing nipple, due to the hydrostatic pressure head acting on the plug.
• Collection of a non representative single phase bottom-hole sample due to downhole phase change.

This paper will discuss the newly developed procedures (best practices) resulting from a meticulous study of
downhole fluid behavior changes and their influence on slickline operations. These best practices allow slickline to
reduce this risk to a controlled level and provide a high service performance at low cost. Case histories from
Burgan & Magwa oilfields will be used to illustrate overlooked slickline job failure root causes and how best
practices contribute in providing innovative low cost service options.

Introduction
The greater Burgan field of Kuwait has been producing for more than 64 years from a sandstone reservoir rock of
oil production. As shown in figure-1, the upper zone in some of wells is producing sand while the lower zone
reservoir is close to bubble point pressure at flowing condition. Genarally during production, downhole fluid
behaviors have been changing.

On the other hand deep wells of Magwa oilfield are facing asphaltenes deposition problem in tubing which make
slickline intervention complicate in some cases.
Slickline intervention is performed in these fields with increased likelihood of slickline operation events which
present a negative impact on the production.
Nowadays most of these events still not analyzed deeply, thus reoccurrence of these problems which may causes
irreparable damage of completion system or at the very least a costly exercise in equipment recovery remain
likely expected.
2 SPE 143293

Operators look at new technologies as the potential problem solvers instead of analyzing and finding out actual
root causes to address a suitable remedial work plan, however, right procedures resulting from a thorough
problem analysis could provide the cost efficient alternatives they want.

Slick-line operator shall have a clear perception as to what goes on inside of the wellbore during slick-line
intervention.

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Downhole fluid behavior changes factors:
• Gas segregation
• Drop of downhole pressure bellow bubble point pressure
• Change in fluid gradient
• Asphalenes deposition
• Change in differential pressure acting on downhole flow control devices

Case histories

Case history #1: Slickline tool string blown up due to a drop of downhole pressure to bubble point
pressure.
As shown in figure 1, a common slickline operation like zone isolation which consist of setting plug in the landing
nipple to isolate a lower production zone and opening of bottom SSD to flow the upper zone and conduct a well
testing job while recording a FBHP Survey.
When these works are completed a BTN (Back to Normal) job which consist of closing a bottom SSD and
retrieving a plug from a landing nipple will be conducted.
In many cases, during testing the upper zone figure 4, sand particles fall down and form a 5 to 10 ft sediment of
sand on top of the plug. After retrieving sand with a slickline sand bailer, the equalizing prong of the plug will be
retrieved as well figure 3.
Supervisors are usually observing a wellhead pressure as an indicator to monitor the equalizing pressure prior to
retrieve a plug.
As a common practice the well will be flown to clean all sand surrounding a top end of a plug.
At this moment a drop of pressure on the plug will happen figure 3, therefore a bottomhole pressure reach a
bubble point pressure thus gas start coming free from liquid, consequently a hydrostatic pressure will decrease
dramatically.
As shown in figure 2, after 20min of well flowing, a retrieving tool was lowered at shut in condition to retrieve a
plug, in the first upward jarring, plug plus a slickline tool string were blown up by a differential pressure, so a
costly fishing job accompanied with a loss of production for more than 10 days was happened, in other case it will
require a rig work-over remedial work.
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Figure 2, 3, 4: Plug and slickline tool string blown up event

Best practice:
• Check a fluid level and calculate differential pressure acting on the plug.
• If it is safe retrieve the equalizing prong.
• Flow the well to remove sand around the plug fishing neck, shut the well and give more time to allow BHP
build up, gas segregate on the top and fluid level stabilize figure 5.
• Check your fluid level while running with a pulling tool, and calculate differential pressure acting on the
plug, if it is safe proceed to retrieve a plug.

Figure 5: After 03 hours well shut-in, BHP reaches a maximum SBHP, fluid level will stabilize
And a differential pressure on the plug will be at the minimum.
4 SPE 143293

Case history #2: Slickline tool string blown up while running a flowing bottomhole survey with a surface
well testing job on multi choke sizes.
The job consists of flowing the well to separator for surface well testing on the different choke size (32/64”; 36/64”;
48/64” and 64/64”) while recording a flowing bottomhole pressure survey with a slickline memory gauge.

As per figure 4 the 1st flow period on 32/64” choke FBHP was stable, in the 2nd flow period a drop of a bottomhole
pressure was registered, in the 3rd flow period a net drop of pressure was observed accompanied with increase in
GOR, in the last flow period a big drop of pressure was recorded with a huge increase of GOR recorded,
consequently a slickline toolstring was blown up and fallen down to the bottom after a rupture of wire.

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Conclusion: Slickline toolstring blow up can happen during FBHP survey with a surface well testing on multi choke
sizes due to bottomhole fluid behavior changes.The increase of chock size will decrease a BHP, consequently:
-Hydrostatic pressure decrease (if bubble point pressure has been reached in tubing)
-Bubble point pressure can be reached in downhole therefore gas com free from the liquid at perforation depth.
-Well start Surging with accumulation of a huge amount of gas in tubing which cause’s a slickline tool string
blow up.

Figure 6: FBHP Survey pressure plot during job events

Figure 7: Summary of a surface well testing data during four (4) flow periods
rd th
Increase choke size consequences: Increase of GOR in 3 and 4 flow period, decrease
In wellhead pressure, reservoir becam below a bubble point pressure and tubing free from liquid.
SPE 143293 5

Best practice:
y Keep a good communication between surface well testing and slickline supervisor during all testing job.

y Slickline supervisor keep observing continuously a tool-string weight while testing supervisor keep
observing continuously GOR during choke change.

y After changing choke, open a valve slowly while slickline supervisor keep observing continuously his tool-
string weight.

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y If any significant change of tool-string weight is observed, stop and ask testing supervisor to close the
upstream valve.

y During a job design it is necessary to mention a reservoir bubble point pressure in order to keep a flowing
bottomhole pressure above a bubble point pressure.

Case history #3: Influence of hydrostatic pressure change on the down-hole flow control devices (Test
tool, plug) during a slickline rig job.
After run in hole a completion string and before setting a packer, reservoir pressure is overcame with drilling fluid
figure 10. A stable fluid level in tubing before setting packer will be a zero point from where we calculate a
downhole hydrostatic pressure.
To set a packer, usually the empty part of tubing above a fluid level is filled with water plus a required applied
pressure from the surface to set packer. As shown in figure 8, after setting plug in the landing nipple P1 = P2
figure 9. After setting packer P2>P1, Pressure P2 acting on the top of plug is increased due to hydrostatic
pressure created by a column of water d2.
Unfortunately the equalizing pressure could not be seen on surface pressure gauge and a slickline supervisor
always relying only on the high upward jarring impact to retrieve a downhole flow control device, in some cases a
continuous upward jarring can lead to a costly fishing job with a considerable rig downtime.

Figure 8; 9 & 10: Slickline rig job for setting a production packer

Hydrostatic pressure head acting on the plug can create a serious concern during slickline rig job such as:

1. Long equalizing time.

2. Long jarring time leading to fishing job.

3. Non Productive Time (NPT).

4. Rig program disturbance.

6 SPE 143293

Best practice
• Check fluid level during run in hole to set plug

• Communicate fluid level to company man

• Calculate volume to fill tubing.

• Calculate a hydrostatic head on the plug.

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• Check fluid level while run in hole to retrieve equalize prong of the plug.

• Give enough time for equalizing.

• If you could not retrieve the plug, move up your tool string in the lubricator and monitor a fluid level every
15 min.

• Equalizing pressure can be completed only if the fluid level return back to its initial position (in the first run
in hole with plug)

• If the pressure equalizing is not completed, discuss with the company man the equalizing option through
a swabbing operation.

• During opening SSD, shifting tool can stick due to differential fluid level in tubing/casing.

Case history #4: Influence of a fluid gradient change on differential pressure acting on the plug after
flowing of the upper zone during a slickline rig job.
Slickline plug was set in landing nipple under drilling fluid to set a hydrostatic production packer figure 11, at this
stage pressures above and below the plug are equal to a hydrostatic pressure at landing nipple depth.
After flowing upper zones the fluid gradient changed in the tubing thus a considerable differential pressure was
created on the plug figure 12. At the end of the flow period SSD was closed and well was shut-in in order to
retrieve a slickline plug.
On the first attempt the equalizing prong was retrieved, a small variation of pressure has been seen, in the next
attempt to retrieve a body plug, a blow up of slickline tool string and plug was happened as shown in figure 13.
Consequences:
¾ 48 hrs rig downtime.
¾ Costly fishing operation.
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Figure 11; 12 & 13: Illustration of a slickline rig job event

Best practice:
y Check a fluid level in tubing during RIH to retrieve a plug.

y Calculate a new hydrostatic pressure on the plug by considering a fluid gradient change.

y Calculate equalizing pressure.

y Retrieve a plug after equalizing.

Case history # 5: Slickline blow up in deep wells due to asphaltenes accumulation in tubing.
Asphaltenes deposition occurs in the tubing when a pressure drops to asphaltenes deposition onset pressure.
As shown in figure 14, asphaltenes deposition can plug tubing and create a huge differential pressure above and
below this clog, which is one of a slickline toolstring blow up reason.

While RIH for tubing check, asphaltenes accumulation can happen below the gauge ring and also lead to slickline
toolstring stuck figure 15, thus a special care shall be taken while operating in wells producing asphaltenes. As a
common practice to avoid Asphaltenes accumulation below a slickline tool string, tubing check was conducting by
running a small size gauge ring prior to run inhole memory gauges to perform a pressure survey.

While run in hole with a gauge ring (gauge cutter) with a small size, tool was penetrated inside the asphaltenes
plug creating a communication between above and bellow this clog thus a huge upward differential pressure
released, caused a blow up to slickline tool string, consequentlu a total of 7 days has been taken to perform a
necessary remedial work.
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Figure 14 & 15 Asphaltenes deposition

Symtomps of presence of Asphaltenes clog in deep well tubing:

¾ Decrease in FWHP
¾ Decrease of liquid flow rate
¾ Increase of gas flowing sound in the flowline.
¾ Decrease of downstream flowline temperature.

Best practice:
y Run tubing check with different sizes, starting with the biggest (e.g, in deep well with 3 ½” tubing
12.95lbs, run first 2.45” GC

y If tubing is not clear, proceed to clean it with CTU. Preferably a tubing check will be conducted just after a
POOH of CT.

y Tubing check for wireline (logging toolstring), run the above size with the same length of wireline
toolstring, in the last run add a wireline centralizer to slickline tool string to confirme that there will not be
other asphalteen accumulation around the centralizer.

y Decrease surface choke size if possible during wireline production logging job

Case history #6: Single phase bottomhole sampling job from a reservoir close to saturation pressure.
As a normal practice if the reservoir pressure reaches a bubble point pressure a surface sampling from a
separator will be a solution instead of a bottomhole sampling, on the other hand when a reservoir pressure is
close to bubble point pressure in flowing condition figure 16, a singlephase collection will be a challenge, at this
reservoir condition a best practice was set and an impressive success in collecting a siglephase bottomhole
sample was achieved.
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Figure 16: When the well is shut in for a short period, BHP reachs the initial SBHP.
Flow the well for 10 min before the sampler tool close.
A draw done and formation of gas bubbles will be too small to affect the validity of the sample.
In order to positon sampler tool at a suitable sampling depth while having a bottomhole
information in a real time, it is recommended to convey sampler tools with a wireline.

Best practice:
y Reduce a surface choke to a minimum possible in order to increase FBHP

y Be sure that the well is stabilized

y Preferably, convey a sampler tools with wireline (real time) if not, a slickline flowing gradient survey can
be performed prior to run the sampler.

y Determine a suitable sampling depth

y Run at least 02 sampler tools.

y Once on depth, shut in the well in order to reach the initial value of SBHP.

y Flow the well for 15 min before the sampler close. At this time the FBHP will stabilize above the bubble
point pressure and in case of any liberated gas, it will be too small to affect the validity of the sample.

Conclusion
Fluid behavior changes represent a considerable concern for slickline operations, actual downhole fluid
behavior changes information prior any slickline operation step must be taken in consideration. As illustrated
in these 06 case histories, best practices had a major impact. It is confirmed that these new slickline operating
procedurs have been resulting in cost saving and operational efficiencies.
10 SPE 143293

Acknowledgement
I have to thank KOC well surveillance management groupe that gave me this great opportunity to participate
in this international conference, as well to KOC TRC (Technical Review Committee) where paper has been
reviewed and approved. Special thanks to my team leader MR. Riyad Quttainah who encouraged me to
convert these ideas to an SPE paper. Many thanks to all well surveillance field personnel for their moral
support.

Nomenclature:
P = Pressure
FBHP = Flowing Bottomhole Pressure

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SBHP = Static Bottomhole Pressure
BHP = Bottomhole pressure
Psi = Pound per saquare inch
CTU = Coiled Tubing Unit
RIH = Run in hole
POOH = Pull out of hole
SSD = Sliding side door
BTN = Back to normal
d = Depth
GOR = Gas oil ratio