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Copyright 2005, by BJ Services. All Rights reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced in any form or
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Training Department
BJ Services
11211 FM 2920
Tomball TX 77375
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INDEX
Subject Page
Introduction 4
History of CT 5
CT Reel 7
Injector Head 12
Gooseneck 17
Power Pack 18
Control Cabin 20
Well Control Equipment 22
Bottom Hole Assemblies 32
CT Manufacturing 69
CT Fatigue 75
CT Selection Criteria 80
Circa 83
Cycle 85
Monitoring Equipment 87
Health & Safety 89
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Over the past decade the number of applications for coiled tubing services within
the petroleum industry has been increasing exponentially and coiled tubing
services continues to be one of the fastest growing sectors in the industry. BJ
Services currently owns and operates about one hundred fifty five (155) Coiled
Tubing Units worldwide - Second largest World CTU Fleet, of which more than
half are operated on land.
• Gas Lifting
• Stimulation – Fracturing & Acid treatments
• Fill Cleanouts
• Cementing
• Scale Removal
• Workover Drilling / Milling
• Electrical Applications – Logging & perforating
• Fishing
• Force Application -
• Ultra-high Pressure
• Pipeline Servicing
• Permanent Installations – Completions & Gravel Packs
• Vertical / Horizontal Under Balanced Drilling – DUCT
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• The ability to operate on live wells – does not require well to be killed, thus
reducing risk of formation damage.
• Quick mobilization and rig up.
• Ability to work Rigless – no associated rig costs.
• Reduced surface footprint and crew configuration.
• Efficient offshore mobilization – skid mounted units.
• Ability to perform operations while well is producing – minimizing production
downtime.
• No connections and thus ability for continuous circulation during live well
intervention.
In 1944 the first coiled tubing pipeline treatment was executed; Project PLUTO
(PipeLines Under The Ocean). The job consisted of laying 23 three-inch (76.2 mm)
diameter pipelines across the English Channel to supply allied forces with fuel to
sustain the liberation of occupied Europe during World War II. Each pipeline consisted
of pre fabricated 4,000 ft (1219 m) sections of pipe, butt-welded together and spooled
onto 40 foot (12.2 m) hub diameter reels. Of the 23 pipelines, 17 were about 30 mi.
(48.3 km) long and the remaining six were 70 mi. (112.6 km) long.
Injector head designs were first developed for use with submarines. In the early 1960’s
Bowen Tools was contracted to deploy a radio antennae from submarines. The concept
was very similar to that of a coiled tubing injector.
In 1962 the California Oil Company and Bowen Tools developed the first coiled
tubing unit. The unit was called a ‘continuous-string light workover unit’. The size of
pipe used was 1.315” OD.
The coiled tubing was fabricated from 50ft segments. The steel used was low alloy
Colombian tubing. The 50ft segments were butt-welded and spooled onto a 9ft-
diameter work reel with a total length of 15,000 ft. Through 1963 and 1964 this unit
performed numerous jobs in the Louisiana area. The continued development of coiled
tubing may be described as follows:
• 1964: Brown Oil Tools and Esso introduce a new coiled tubing injection system.
The unit was built to run ¾” coiled tubing.
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• 1967: Bowen introduces a downsized version of the original injector design. The
injector is the 5M capable of handling 5,000 lb. of ½” coiled tubing. NOWSCO
contracted Bowen Oil Tools to build 12 “5M” coiled tubing units.
• 1968: Bowen developed the “8M” coiled tubing injector head capable of running
8,000 lb. of ¾” coiled tubing.
• Late 1960’s to mid 1970’s: Modifications and new designs for coiled tubing units.
The common size of coiled tubing in use increased to 1” OD More than 200 coiled
tubing units were built in this time frame.
• Late 1970’s: New coiled tubing equipment manufacturers emerged; Uni-Flex Inc.,
Hydra Rig Inc., Otis Engineering. The new injectors built were similar to that of
Bowen Tools.
• 1975: Uni-Flex introduces a new injector head design. Many of the new features
influenced future injector designs of other manufacturers.
• 1978: All construction of Uni-Flex and Brown Oil Tools coiled tubing equipment
was stopped.
• Late 1970’s to early 1980’s: Many design changes and revisions made to improve
coiled tubing equipment. The main suppliers of coiled tubing units were Bowen
Tools, Hydra Rig Inc. and Otis engineering.
• 1989: Quality Tubing Inc. awarded patent for bias weld procedure. This
dramatically improved the fatigue life of the coiled tubing.
• 1993: Quality Tubing received a product patent for continuous coiled tubing.
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1. Tubing Reel.
2. Injector Head & Gooseneck
3. Power Pack.
4. Control Cabin.
5. Well Control Equipment.
• Stuffing Box (Stripper, Packoff).
• Blow-Out Preventers (BOP).
Note: This tension is not intended to aid the injector head in pulling the coiled
tubing from a well.
The tubing is spooled on/off the drum using a hydraulically raised & lowered
levelwind assembly. The levelwind allows for travel along an adjustable diamond
lead screw and is powered by rotation of the reel itself and incorporates a floating
tubing guide to allow for height adjustments. A manual override facility is
incorporated to allow for compensation of spooling errors.
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Levelwind
Assembly
Floating Tubing
Guide
Reel Motor
Lead Screw
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The reel is equipped with a rotating joint (swivel) to allow pumping through the
coiled tubing while the reel is rotating; this rotating joint is flange mounted onto
the reel shaft. The inboard end of the coiled tubing is connected to drums external
iron plumbing, via a welded 1502 WECO thread
External plumbing may consist of:
• 2” Fig1502 chicksan
• 2” Fig1502 tee
• 2” Fig1502 plug valves CT connection to reel iron
• Pig launcher assembly
Stopper Pin
Keeps ball or plug from falling
backwards prior to pumping
Pressure Transducer
For operations where the offshore platform crane limit is a problem, Drop in
Drums can be shipped as two separate loads. The drum with the coiled tubing is
sent as one load and the support frame as a second load. Once the two separate
sections have been lifted onto the platform, the spool is then fitted into the support
frame. The spooler is fitted with the same pumping facilities as the standard reel
and can also facilitate e-line coiled tubing.
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The length of coiled tubing of a certain size, which can be stored on a reel, is
known as the reel capacity. The reel capacity differs for different coiled tubing
size. Consideration should also be referenced to the reels Core Diameter and its
bending radius – reference COP’s manual aforementioned extract.
Diameter (in)
Core 60 76 84 84 96
Flange 100 119 135 148 168
Drum Width 60 70 70 70 82
CT OD (in)
1.25 15,000 22,500 25,000 25,000 25,000
1.5 10,000 15,100 22,000 25,000 25,000
1.75 - 11,200 15,000 20,000 25,000
2 - 8,500 11,000 15,000 22,000
2.375 - - - - 15,000
Diameter (cm)
Core 152.4 193.0 213.4 213.4 243.8
Flange 254.0 302.3 342.9 375.9 426.7
Drum Width 152.4 177.8 177.8 177.8 208.3
CT OD (mm)
31.8 4,572 6,858 7,620 7,620 7,620
38.1 3,048 4,602 6,706 7,620 7,620
44.5 - 3,414 4,572 6,096 7,620
50.8 - 2,591 3,353 4,572 6,706
60.3 - - - - 4,572
Depth Measurement:
A mechanical odometer for depth measurement with 5-digit read out is usually
installed on the level wind assembly. The measured depth is the length of coiled
tubing that is deployed below the injector head into the well. The measured depth
can be directly measured in several places on a coiled tubing unit using a friction
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wheel, which is in contact with the coiled tubing. Other than the reel, a depth
counter may be installed on the injector or the gooseneck. Depth can also be
obtained indirectly by measuring the rotation of the injector head gear drive shafts.
It should be noted that measured depth might be different to actual depth of the
coiled tubing due to the following, well profile and the helical effect, thermal
expansion, stretch and counter efficiency.
• The drive system must have a higher top speed than the injector
• The shaft torque should be 1.5 times the line pull required for the biggest, heaviest coil
to be utilized
• The minimum core diameter needs to be forty-eight (48) times the maximum pipe OD to
be run on the reel. As large as possible i.e. 1.25” / 72”, 1.50” / 90”, etc. (31.8 mm / 182
cm, 38.1 mm / 228 cm)
• Dynamic and mechanical reel brakes are required
• The levelwind needs to be able to handle 80 degrees of elevation
• The internal piping needs to be integral and have a minimum 10,000 psi (70,000 kPa,
690 bar) working pressure rated with at least one plug valve and ball drop “Tee”.
• The rotating joint shall be rated at 10,000 psi (70,000 kPa, 690 bar) working pressure.
• The rotating joint to have a non obstructed ID equivalent or larger than the maximum
coil ID except 2 7/8” (73 mm) and 3 1/2”(88.9 mm)
• All reels shall be counter drilled for “Stiff Wireline” applications.
• The plug launcher shall be part of the internal plumbing.
• There shall be a hydraulic fail-safe clamp on the levelwind.
• A mechanical depth counter shall be mounted on the levelwind.
• A pipe lubrication system, non hand spray, will be located somewhere on the unit (i.e. -
the stuffing box or levelwind)
• Reel capacity is not the same for different coiled tubing sizes. Capacity for any given
reel can be calculated as follows;
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Contra-rotating chains
The chains and their motor and gearbox drive system are mounted in a subframe,
one side of which is hinged. The opposite lower side can rest on a hydraulic load
cell, which is connected to the weight indicator in the control cab. The forces
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exerted by the action of the drive system and the tubing weight are all applied
along the centerline of the tubing and cause the subframe to pivot; the resulting
deflection measuring direct force or load acting on hydraulic load cell bladder.
Individual hydraulic load cells will measure either pipe-heavy (positive weight) or
pipe-light (negative weight, less than zero, snubbing).
Another type of weight indicator is an electric strain gauge model. This type of
weight indicator measures the applied load by strain gauges, with output signals in
mAmps (4-20mA) or Volts (0-5 V), which are converted in the cab to measure
applied loads – tension (pulling) or compression (snubbing). The load is defined as
the tensile or compressive force in the coiled tubing just above the stripper. It is
one of the most important measurements used in the operation of a coiled tubing
unit. Load may be effected by several parameters other than the hanging weight of
the coiled tubing, including wellhead pressure, stripper friction, reel back-tension,
gooseneck alignment and the density of the fluids inside and outside the coiled
tubing.
Note: Reference individual unit manuals for hydraulic pressure to Lbs. pull/snub
ratios, to ensure correct operating guidelines and to cross-reference weight
indicator reading with hydraulic pressure applied to the injector motors.
CT Weight
Pivot
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Figure 8 Injector Gripper Blocks & Chain Figure 9 Injector head & Gooseneck
Depth Encoder
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Maximum Rate Pull - (lbs.) 32,000 42,000 40,000 60,000 18,000 60,000 100,000 100,000 200,000
Maximum Snub Capacity -( lbs.) 10,000 10,000 15,000 15,000 5,000 20,000 40,000 60,000 60,000
Approx. Weight w/Gooseneck- (lbs) 7,500 10,000 8,000 11,000 3,600 7,200 13,500 11,500 11,500
Maximum Rate Pull - (daN.) 14,234 18,683 17,793 26,689 8,007 26,689 44,482 44,482 88,964
Maximum Snub Capacity -(daN.) 4,448 4,448 6,672 6,672 2,224 8,896 17,793 26,689 26,689
Approx. Weight w/Gooseneck- (kgs) 3,402 4,536 3,629 4,990 1,633 3,266 6,123 5,216 5,216
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Gooseneck:
To complete the injector head package there is a tubing roller guide or
gooseneck positioned on top off the injector head. The gooseneck aids in
supporting, straightening and aligning the coiled tubing as it comes off the
work reel and into the gripper blocks on the injector. This is done by a series
of contoured rollers and cages that contain the coiled tubing as it travels over
the gooseneck. The gooseneck base should also pivot or be flared at reel
facing end, to enable for spooling across a work reel as the coiled tubing
travels along the width of the drum. The gooseneck is designed with a
nominal radius of curvature appropriate to the coiled tubing size; the radius
needs to be at least 48 times the coiled tubing OD. This is to enable the
maximization of coiled tubing life and thus reduce the effect of fatigue.
Common gooseneck sizes are: 72”, 96” and 120”(183 cm, 243cm and
305cm).
• Needs to be adjustable. The pipe should enter and exit the guide arch tangent to
the curve of the guide arch
• The guide arch radius needs to be at least 48 times the coiled tubing OD.
Note: A radius larger than 100 inches (254 cm) does not gain significant advantages.
• The closer the rollers are spaced, the better.
• The gooseneck needs to be strong enough to handle the combined bending of the
pipe, withstand the bending moment that maximum reel back tension would
apply and a 5% side moment (fleet angle) that happens when you are spooling at
the extreme sides of the reel.
• The end of the gooseneck should be flared. This flare should accommodate the
maximum fleet angle that it will see without the pipe seeing another strain
reversal.
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The most common type of power pack is diesel driven skid/trailer unit made
up of a system of hydraulic pumps, hydraulic pressure control circuits,
hydraulic tanks and accumulators to enable the efficient operation of the
coiled tubing package. Power packs are built in many different
configurations depending on the operating environment e.g. Electric Units,
Zone 2 Certified, Sound Proof, ‘Wet Units – trailer tractor driven’ etc.
The type of injector drive circuit generally classifies power packs:
• Standard Open Loop Power Pack – The standard open loop injector
drive circuit utilizes a fixed displacement double vane pump and a 4-way
valve. The valve is a pressure compensating directional control valve that
controls the speed and direction of the injector motors. The system is
capable of operating at 3,000 psi. (20,684 kPa) and works on the
principle of oil going from the tank, through the pump and valves and to
the injector motors; oil returns through a filter and air cooler into the
hydraulic tank.
• High Pressure Open Loop Power Pack – The high pressure open loop
injector drive circuit utilizes a load sensed, variable displacement,
pressure compensated piston type pump. The system is capable of
operating at 5,000 psi. (34,473 kPa) and works on the principle of oil
going from the tank, through the pump and valves and to the injector
motors; oil returns to the pump inlet (supercharging the pump) after
passing through a filter and heat exchanger. A pressure relief valve in the
return line ensures oil that is not required by the pump is routed back to
the tank; an advantage of this system, is that less heat is generated.
• Closed Loop Power Pack – The closed loop injector circuit utilizes a bi-
direction, variable displacement pressure compensated piston pump. The
pump actually comprises of three pumps: main pump, charge pump and
servo pump (shifts the swash-plate for directional control). The system is
capable of operating at 5,000 psi. (34,473 kPa) and is a less complicated
system when compared to the high-pressure open loop system. The
system works on the principle of oil going from the tank, through the
pump and valves and to the injector motors; oil returns through a filter
and goes directly back to the pump inlet. A charge pump and auxiliary
flushing circuit are always present to replenish fluid that leaked from the
high pressure elements into the pump’s case and to add cool oil into the
low side of the loop to stabilize the oil temperature.
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• Injector controls
• Reel controls
• Dual stripper packer controls
• BOP controls
• Auxiliary shear seal BOP controls
• Hydraulic circuit pressure gauges
• Weight indicator
• Coiled tubing internal pressure
• Wellhead pressure - WHP
• Data Acquisition unit
• Remote power pack control
The unit is fully insulated with a heater for cold climates and space for air
conditioning unit in warm climates.
All necessary hoses to control and operate the Injector Head, BOP’s, Power
Pack and Tubing Reels are incorporated on hydraulically powered reels on
the front of the skid.
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Power Pack and Control Cab Minimum Purchase Standards– Extracted from BJ
Services CT Operations & Procedures (COP’s Manual)
• The engine size needs to be able to handle the injector plus the auxiliary systems at
maximum load with a 50% safety factor.
• The hydraulic system to be able to dissipate maximum heat output.
• The control cab window shall be protected or have bullet proof glass.
• The blind and shear ram controls on the control panel shall have positive locks.
• The accumulator charge shall be sized to handle Close, Open, Close scenario of all
rams at the maximum BOP rated working pressure.
• The hydraulic system for the BOP’s and stuffing box shall have two back-ups (i.e. air
and manual).
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Stuffing Box
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Doors
Stripper Rubber
Top Bushings
Non-Extrusion Rings
Stripper Rubber
Bottom Bushings
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Note: Two causes of excessive stripper rubber wear are dry, rusty pipe and
dry gas. Lubricating the coiled tubing prior to it going into the stuffing box
will reduce the wear on the element; this can be done by lubricating the
tubing at the reel or utilizing an adapted stuffing box with an inhibitor
injection port.
The positioning of the top of the stuffing box should be kept close as
possible to the bottom of the injector chains to help prevent buckling of the
coiled tubing while running in hole (minimize void between the bottom of
the gripper blocks & chains and the top of stuffing box). This is usually
achieved by adding an Anti-buckling device (extra set of bushings) which
reduces the gap to approximately 4 inches.
Stuffing Box Minimum Purchase Standards– Extracted from BJ Services CT Operations &
Procedures (COP’s Manual)
• Approved vendor
• Complies with or exceeds NACE MR 0175 and API standards for well control
equipment
• Minimum 10,000 psi (70,000 kPa, 690 bar) working pressure with a 15,000 psi
(100,000 kPa, 1032 bar) test pressure
• H2S compatible
• Have an injection port below the pack-off
• Have a “chemical injection port” above the packer elements to allow 360ºcoverage of
the pipe with a wide variety of anti corrosion chemicals or lubricating oils
Preference is given to :
• Systems where the distance from the top of the upper bushings to the chains is
minimized
• “Side removable” packer element designs (i.e. side-door, radial, etc.)
• Dual acting hydraulic pack-off, ones that hydraulically energize and release
• The hydraulic energizing system should have “weep holes” to signify worn
orings/seals
• Benoil is the only approved stuffing box packer/energizer vendor for wellhead
operation with pressures exceeding 3000 psi (21000 kPa) and or temperatures
exceeding 2120 F (1000 C)
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Blind/Shear Rams
Blind Rams
Shear Rams
Slip Rams
Pipe Rams
Pipe/Slip Rams
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Minimum pressure rating for new BOP’s is 10,000 psi (68,947 kPa) and
15,000 psi (103,421 kPa) working pressure. The Quad BOP has two
equalizing ports, one on each sealing ram – their function is to equalize
pressure across the ram face if required. The BOP will also have a pump in
side outlet in-between the slip and shear rams, to enable well
killing/pumping facility if operationally required.
Note this port is not to be used as a flow-line or take returns.
Blind Ram
Slip Ram
Pipe Ram
Shear Ram
Figure 16 Ram insets
Figure 18 Quad BOP
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BOP Minimum Purchase Standards– Extracted from BJ Services CT Operations & Procedures
(COP’s Manual)
• Approved vendor
• Complies with or exceeds NACE MR 0175 and API standards for well control
equipment
• Minimum 10,000 psi (70,000 kPa, 690 bar) working pressure with a 15,000 psi
(100,000 kPa, 1032 bar) test pressure
• Minimum 3 1/16” (77 mm) ID
• All shall be H2S compatible
• All BOP hoses will be fire proofed the first 50 feet (15 m) from the well
• All rams to be able to close in 15 seconds or less at minimum temperature
• Minimum configuration will be blind, shear, slip and pipe or combination of these
• Have a kill port with a minimum 2 1/16” (52 mm) flange
• Ability to monitor wellhead pressure below the pipe rams
• Pressure equalizing valves across all pressure containing rams
• Use of only flanged/metal-to-metal connections below the lowest blind rams
• Slip design shall minimize fatigue/deformation damage (interrupted profile, diamond
or other pattern)
• Slip rams shall be capable of holding the pipe up to the minimum yield point at the
maximum rated working pressure in a hang-off mode. In a “snub” mode, the should
hold a minimum of 50% of the minimum yield of the coiled tubing
• Have shear/seal feature
• Shear rams capable of shearing the heaviest wall and highest yield OD pipe the BOP
is designed to accommodate at its maximum rated working pressure. Hydraulic
pressure utilized to make this cut will be less than 3000 psi (21,000 kPa, 206 bar)
• Shear rams shall be capable of two or more successive cuts of the above pipe while
still leaving a fishable profile plus flow path through the pipe
• Shear rams must be capable of cutting slick or braided line cleanly
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• All rams to have a manual locking device capable of holding maximum working
pressure ratings as well as hydraulic operating pressure. The rams can only be
opened hydraulically after the lock has been disengaged
• Accumulator should be sized to operate all rams one-and-a-half cycles (close, open
close) at the maximum rated BOP working pressure
• All BOP’s will have telltale weep holes. Reason: If a seal fails the well fluids or
gasses will leak at the BOP rather than travel through the system back to the
hydraulic reservoir at the unit
Annular BOP’s
The annular BOP will close and seal blind on wireline, bottom hole
assemblies and coiled tubing up to full-bore. Designed primary as a static
sealing element it will allow stripping into or out of the well. The annular
serves as a redundant or backup seal for both the pipe and the blind rams and
can also be used in a deployment system.
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Tubing End Connectors (TEC) are used to attach tools or tool strings to the end
of the coiled tubing. There are many types and variations and there are
operating guidelines for which connector to use for a specific operation. The
size of the coiled tubing is also a factor, as some connectors cannot be used with
certain coiled tubing sizes.
The connectors discussed here are the ones most commonly used and include
the roll-on, external grapple and DimpleonTM.
Roll-on
The roll-on connector, fitted with threads on one end, is used to connect the
coiled tubing end to a tool or tool string. A double roll-on can be used to splice
two coiled tubing strings together (in emergency situations) or to retrieve a
hanging string. This connector is used primarily with smaller tool strings and
jobs not involving torsion.
Installation
A roller is used to press the walls of the coiled tubing into groves that are
machined into the roll-on. O-rings are used to prevent leaks so the coiled tubing
weld seam has to be removed prior to installation to prevent damage to the O-
rings. The correct roller size and profile are necessary for correct installation.
Over-rolling the coiled tubing, when installing the roll-on connector can
significantly reduce the coiled tubing yield strength at the connection.
Operational Details
• There is a correct roll-on fitting size for each size and thickness of coiled
tubing.
• Roll-ons with sharp shoulders give variable performance. BJ roll-ons have
rounded shoulders.
• Any thread type can be used.
• The roll-on connector is an inline connector, so it does not normally increase
the OD of the coiled tubing but it does decrease the CT inside diameter.
• This type of connector is not robust enough to be used in some kinds of
operations such as drilling, percussion or work that involves jarring,
vibration and torsion or high axial load operations.
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External Grapple
The external grapple is a robust connector that is recommended for milling,
fishing and heavy duty coiled tubing operations. There are various models and
designs but the BJ model gives the best performance.
It consists of a grapple that bites into the coiled tubing. The number of slots in
the grapple varies between manufacturers and has a major effect on
performance. The grapple bites harder as the pull on the coiled tubing increases
(unless not installed properly). A stepped design allows the grapple to bite all
along its length. The tubing should be cleaned prior to installation to ensure the
O-rings seal properly. Several pull tests, using a C-plate, are normally needed to
get a proper bite into the coiled tubing.
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Designs that use set screws are inferior, as only one set screw tends to hold the
applied torque. The BJ and BDK models do not use set screws.
Operational Details
• Since this tool increases the OD of the coiled tubing, it cannot be run through
the injector and stuffing box.
• Used for all sizes of coiled tubing although not common for 1-1/4” (31.8
mm) and 3-1/2” (88.9 mm).
• The grapple should be replaced after each job.
• Grapple surfaces are hardened to enable them to bite.
Dimpleon™
This connector is an internal TEC and accordingly is flush with coiled tubing
OD; note that it will therefore decrease the available through Id. The Dimpleon
connector is considered secondary compared to the BJ Grapple, as field studies
have shown, prolonged exposure to a H2S environment can cause the coiled
tubing to crack in the dimple depressions.
The connector slides inside the coiled tubing. The coiled tubing is dimpled into
the connector using a bushing and hydraulic press arrangement. The internal
weld bead is removed using reamers.
Note: Special fitting tools are required and the connector is CT wall-thickness
specific.
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Operational Details
• Used for all sizes of coiled tubing.
• Has larger through bores than conventional roll-ons.
• Strong in tension and torsion.
• Fitting is easier and more consistent than for roll-on or grapple connectors.
• The connection is more resistant to H2S than the dimple or grapple
connection.
• The connector can be reused.
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Valves
Valves are an important part of a coiled tubing tool string and there are very few
applications in which some type of valve would not be. The primary types that
are discussed here include check valve, sequence valve and dual activated
circulation sub.
Check Valves
A check valve is required on all jobs, except reverse circulating operations.
Check valves are installed as a precaution against back flow up the coiled tubing
to surface. The two main types of check valves are the double dart and double
flapper type.
Dart
A “double dart” configuration should be run on simple jobs with slick tool
strings. It cannot be used with a hydraulic release tool since its configuration
will not allow the passage of a ball.
Double Flapper
The double flapper check valve is the favored valve for most operations since it
has a full bore ID that can accommodate passage of a ball to activate a hydraulic
release tool or other tools. It contains two cartridges each with a flapper and
spring that provide a positive seal. It seals well at low and high pressures.
Operational Details
• Both cartridges should be individually pressure tested at high and low
pressures.
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• The cartridges should always be staggered by some angle but not completely
opposite to each other. This can prevent a ball from seating between them in
high angle wells.
• Always placed above the disconnect tool in the tool string. This prevents
flow up the coiled tubing when the tool string is disconnected.
Sequence
A sequence valve is a valuable tool that is generally under utilized. Typical
operations where the tool is used are cementing, setting inflatable packers,
drilling and any situation where coiled tubing collapse is a possibility.
Coiled tubing collapse scenarios occur in high-pressure gas wells. The most
common use of a sequence valve is to provide hydrostatic pressure control in
low-pressure wells, or when a high-density fluid like cement is used.
Pressure settings can vary with a spring and piston mechanism. Flow through a
sequence valve will only occur when the pressure at the tool is greater than the
combined pressure of the tool setting and the pressure outside the tool. For
example, if the tool is set to 2000 psi and the bottom hole pressure is 2000 psi,
then a pressure of 4001 psi would be needed inside the tool to allow flow.
Operational Details
• Some sequence valves are suitable for abrasive fluids, such as cement; while
others have to be dressed with tungsten carbide inserts to prevent erosion.
• Sequence valves can be stacked in the tool string to provide a higher overall
differential opening pressure.
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Operational Details
• Placed below the hydraulic disconnect and above the mud motor in milling
jobs or remaining tool string.
• Has large ID for high flow rates.
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Disconnects
Some method of disconnect is needed on most coiled tubing jobs since the
bottom hole assemblies (BHA) are typically larger than the coiled tubing OD’s,
thus potentially making them susceptible to becoming stuck.
However, disconnect tools may not be needed if the BHA OD is the same size
as the coiled tubing (slick). Examples of types of jobs using a slick BHA would
be gas lifting or unloading fluid from a well.
For stiff wireline jobs the tool of choice is the Bakke flow release cable head
tool. An advantage of this tool is that both flow and tensile load are required to
execute the release mechanism. This means that in the normal mode of
operation, the shear pins are not subjected to an external load and unintentional
release is minimized.
Other tools include a shear release tool, which relies solely on shear pins and a
tension release tool that uses a spring loaded collet instead of shear pins. The
disadvantage of these tools lies in the fact that the shear pins or spring have to
be set high enough to avoid accidental activation while still allowing release in
all circumstances. This can be difficult in deviated or horizontal wells.
Operational Details
In order for the tool to work a ball has to be circulated down through the coiled
tubing string. For this reason the coiled tubing reel should contain a ball
launcher or a method of launching a ball. There are required minimum flow
rates for each size ball and coiled tubing diameter in order to circulate the ball
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around the reel and over the gooseneck. Once the ball is in the vertical section,
pumping should be discontinued and the ball allowed to freefall. This is to
avoid a water hammer effect when the ball seats in the tool. If the tool was
situated a considerable distance into a horizontal section, the ball may have to be
pumped in order to reach the BHA.
• The smallest hydraulic disconnect size is 1.75” (44.5 mm) which is suitable
for many jobs involving 1.25” (31.8 mm) or 1.5 (38.1 mm) coiled tubing.
For larger coiled tubing sizes a larger hydraulic disconnect would be used.
• The Bakke disconnect leaves internal and external fishnecks.
• Normally placed below check valves in the tool string. It can be run below
jars and accelerators.
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Locators
Locators are used as part of the coiled tubing tool string to locate nipples in
production tubing, the tubing end, crossovers or sliding sleeve profiles. The
locators are used so the BHA depth can be determined precisely and the coiled
tubing depth counter corrected. The easiest and most common method to
determine BHA location is by locating on a profile or the end of the production
tubing.
In many jobs accuracy in depth measurement is necessary i.e. jetting acid across
a small set of perforations in a deep well. Generally, the section of the well to
be treated will be close to the end of the production tubing. After correlating to
the production tubing-end the additional error in reaching the perforations is
typically negligible. Many times it is not possible to tag TD of the well and
calibrate the depth counter as the well may be full of debris in the rat hole and
therefore TD is uncertain.
Mechanical Depth Counters (odometers) are reasonably accurate although even
an accurate one (i.e. +/- 0.1 %) gives significant errors in deep wells.
Odometers can be affected by debris or coating on the odometer wheel; fast
running speeds may cause the odometer wheel to skip and introduce error.
Stretch and temperature effects change the depth of the tool string. Large
completions also have an effect as the coil tends to helix or corkscrew.
Operational Details
• The shear pin should always be changed before running in hole and it should
be checked to ensure it fits snugly.
• Pull tests should be done carefully to prevent damage to the arm.
• Debris can collect in the location of the arm and hinge to prevent the arm
from folding back properly.
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Nipple Locator
This tool can be used to locate most tubing nipple profiles. Normally, three
profiled arms, attached to leaf springs, are used to locate the nipples. The arms
are sized larger than the minimum nipple ID. The arms are also profiled or
contoured so that they pass through the nipple easily but require an overpull to
pull back through it. The leaf spring can be adjusted with a screw to increase or
decrease the amount of overpull.
Operational Details
• The profile arms need to be gauged with a gauge ring. The tool should drop
through on its own weight. A load cell should be used to measure the
amount of pull required to pull the tool back through the gauge ring.
• Leaf springs lose strength if they are used for a long time.
• Not a good idea to use this tool as a tubing end locator as there may be
considerable drag while running in hole. A slightly smaller ID in the tubing
could cause a problem because there may be insufficient overpull available
to retrieve the tool string.
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Centralizers are used to center a tool string in tubing or casing. Without any
centralization, the tool string would tend to lie on the wall of the tubing, casing
or open hole. This can make passage through restrictions such as landing
nipples and side pocket mandrels difficult. Residual curvature in the coiled
tubing is a contributing factor to this condition. Centralizers are used to provide
standoff in perforating and jetting operations.
Stabilizers are often used to stabilize and centralize tool strings. They are used
for milling, drilling and fishing operations.
Centralizers and stabilizers can be fixed or hydraulically operated.
Hydraulically operated types are more commonly used with coiled tubing.
Fluted Stabilizer
The fluted stabilizer uses fins that have shaped or rounded shoulders to provide
centralization and stabilization. Fixed stabilizers are normally used when there
is no downhole restriction. Non-rotating stabilizers are more common and they
reduce whirling generated from rotating equipment.
Operational Details
• The minimum number of fins to give reasonably good centralization is five.
More fins than five or six could create a flow restriction problem.
• Typically run below the disconnect tool and above the motor in milling jobs.
• Often used in pairs to provide added stability in drilling operations.
Bow Spring
A collapsible centralizer designed for slick tool strings. Some models fit over
the tools or coiled tubing. Bow springs collapse in the restriction and expand to
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full OD once past the restriction. Should not be used with coiled tubing due to
numerous problems, such as, trapped debris in spring arm and spring arms
failing in the well.
Operational Details
• Needs to be robust.
• Disadvantage is that there can be a significant amount of wear when running
through the completion.
• Long, thin bow springs do not centralize well.
• It is possible to become stuck when pulling back into the production tubing.
Operational Details
• Capable of large expansion with a small retracted diameter.
• Expansion of the springs can be adjusted.
• The bulk of the load is usually at the base of the bow springs, so these areas
should be checked for cracks.
• Typically run below a hydraulic disconnect tool and a dual actuated
circulating sub.
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Knuckle Joint
Knuckle joints are used in long tool strings to provide flexibility. This may be
useful in maneuvering through tight bends in deviated and horizontal wells.
Sometimes they are used in conjunction with a hydraulic centralizer in fishing
operations as they reduce the weight that the centralizer has to support.
Problems have been associated with their use. Some designs have flat shoulders
that can hang up on restrictions. They are usually the weak link in the tool
string. Pump pressure can reduce the bending that does occur. Two knuckle
joints can be used but are not recommended. Lock up can occur when two
knuckle joints are used.
Operational Details
• The knuckle joint will pivot to maximum of 11 degrees.
• Single and dual types are available.
• In fishing operations they are positioned above a centralizer.
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Wash Tools
The type of wash tool used depends on the application. Applications range
from simple fluid displacement, to filter cake removal, to difficult scale
removal. Lift assistance may be necessary with the use of nitrogen. Other
fluids that may be pumped include gelled water, foam or acid. Completion size
and type will affect the choice of nozzle although a variety of sizes are available
for each tool.
Cleanout Nozzles
These types of nozzles include straight jet, jet down, jet up and tangential. The
choice of nozzle orientation is chosen based on the type of job. Most often they
are used for gas lifting, sand cleanouts and spotting fluids such as acid and
cement. These jets are not effective for removing filter cake or scales. The
nozzles usually have 5 ports and forward jetting is often optional.
The straight jet nozzle has a single forward jetting nozzle that allows a high flow
rate with low backpressure. This nozzle is used when it is necessary to circulate
fluids at high rates such as cement or when ‘bullheading’.
Jet down nozzles are used to jet fluid on the wellbore sides. Normally have 5
ports, four sets at 30-degree angles from the tool centerline and one forward to
penetrate fill (optional). This nozzle may be used for acid washes.
Tangential jets are used to maximize jetting contact with the completion as the
jets exit the tool tangentially. Tangential jets provide good mixing of the fluids
in the wellbore. These are also used for acid washes and cement placement.
Vortex Nozzle
The Vortex nozzle generates a vortex or fast swirling mass of fluid in the
completion tubular or open hole. Rotational speeds of the vortex can exceed
8,000 rpm. The vortex entrains debris, which improves hole cleaning. The
Vortex nozzle is normally used for cleaning wax from tubulars, washing
perforations or washing mud filter cake from open-hole well bores. It is
effective against some scales.
The tool uses 4 tangentially offset nozzles. The nozzles are more efficient than
conventional designs because specially designed flow guides ‘pre-swirl’ the
fluid and jet orifice geometry has been optimized.
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Operational Details
• The tool is available in a number of sizes {1-3/4” (44.5 mm), 2-1/8” (54
mm) and 2-7/8” (73 mm)} with 3 jet orifice sizes (A, B, or C).
• A downhole magnetic filter should always be used with the Vortex nozzle.
• The Vortex nozzle is placed below check valves and hydraulic disconnect
tool in the tool string.
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Roto-Jet™
The Roto-Jet™ tool delivers a powerful jetting stream that can be used to
remove hard scales, waxes, filtercake and tar. The nozzles rotate at controlled
speeds to create stress cycling in the scale or filter cake.
The components of the Roto-Jet™ consist of a downhole filter, a governor
section, a turbine section, upper and lower bearing sections, and a jetting mole.
The turbine section consists of stator and rotor stages. Momentum transfer from
the pumped fluid causes the rotor shaft to turn. The governor section consists of
rare earth magnets attached to the drive shaft and housed in a copper tube. The
rotating magnets induce an electric field. Eddy currents are created in the
copper tube, which resist rotation and prevent over speeding of the shaft. The
jetting mole is connected to the bottom of the turbine shaft and has two jet
nozzles. Careful design of the internal flow geometry and orifice geometry has
made these nozzles extremely efficient.
Two different nozzle sizes are available for the Roto-Jet™ tool. One is directed
down at 45 degrees (R45) to the tool axis and the other is at 90 (R90) degrees or
perpendicular to the tool axis. The number of magnets may be varied to give
the required rotational speed for a given flowrate.
Operational Details
• Each tool size has minimum and maximum flow rates.
• An option is available to put all the flow through the turbine or divert a
portion through the turbine shaft.
• All types of fluids or nitrified fluid can be pumped through the tool except
toluene.
• Nitrogen does reduce the coherence and effectiveness of the jet stream. The
downhole separator should be considered for use with the Roto-Jet™ tool
when nitrogen is necessary.
• The tool generates only 8-12 ft-lbs (10.8 – 16.3 N*m) of torque, therefore
cannot be used in a ‘drilling’ mode.
• The Roto-Jet™ tool is run below check valves and a hydraulic disconnect
tool.
• A surface and downhole filter are required when running the Roto-Jet™ tool.
• A downhole magnetic filter must always be run.
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Operational Details
• Only a small pressure differential is necessary to fill the basket.
• Extensions on the tool of 100 ft or more can be used.
• Can be run under a motor to pick up debris from a milling operation.
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The downhole gas separator is used to separate gas from fluid above a jetting
tool or motor. This is useful since nitrogen is often needed to maintain an
underbalanced condition in the wellbore but detracts from the performance of
the tool. The Roto-Jet™ tool is the best example of this. Another example is
when the maximum rate allowed through the BHA, such as a motor, is
exceeded.
A centrifugal action is created within the tool, which separates most of the gas
from the fluid. The gas is dumped into the wellbore while the liquid continues
out the bottom of the tool. The pressure drop in the tool is small and less than
2% of the gas is carried through with the liquid. The best performance from the
tool is maintained when the gas ratio is between 25% and 75%.
Operational Details
• Tool sizes that are available are 1-3/4” (44.5 mm), 2-1/8” (54 mm) and
2-7/8” (73 mm).
• There are maximum combined flow rates for each size.
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Impact Tools
Impact tools are used to provide mechanical force to objects. They are used
extensively in fishing operations, pulling plugs and for special operations such
as opening sliding sleeves. These tools include impact hammers, jars,
accelerators and shock subs. They can be used in vertical and horizontal wells.
Important Note:
A shear pin release tool cannot be used with impact tools. The coiled
tubing, coiled tubing connector and release tool have to be properly sized
for the size of impact tool being used.
Impact Hammers
Also known as a “hydraulic percussion drill”. This tool acts like a jackhammer
to provide downward jarring force. They are typically used for opening sliding
sleeves, pulling plugs or for fishing operations. The quick repetitive blows are
useful for jarring/vibrating plugs free. Generally, hammers are more effective
than jars for generating downward force. Dual acting impact hammers are also
available that will provide upward impact as well as downward impact.
When the tool is not tagging anything, circulation is through the tool. As soon
as the tool tags and weight is applied, circulation stops and the pressure inside
builds causing the tool to stroke back until circulation ports open, then the tool
drops with considerable force back into the closed position. The stroke is small
and the frequency of impact varies according to the flow rate and set down
weight. Higher flowrates result in increased impact frequency but not harder
impacts. Pull up weight is necessary to activate an upward force for bi-
directional hammers.
The tool operates with water, acid or nitrogen. Acid should be inhibited.
Operational Details
• Shock subs or accelerators should always be used with impact hammers.
• Sizes vary from 1-1/16” (43 mm) to 6-1/4” (158.8 mm).
• A Double flapper check valve and heavy duty hydraulic release tool should
be used.
• A fit for purpose bit may be used on the end of the hammer, depending on
the type of operation.
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Jars
There are two types of jars, mechanical and hydraulic, and they are used to
provide a powerful upward impact. The hydraulic design is more effective and
normally used. Bi-directional jars that fire downward as well as upward, are
available. The design of jars and accelerators for a specific application is
difficult so it is very important that the services of a qualified and experienced
jar company be employed.
The hydraulic jar is cocked or loaded by pulling up on the coiled tubing. This
causes a piston to move in the jar, which transfers oil in a chamber from the top
to the bottom. The piston pulls slowly in a restricted area but accelerates once it
clears the restricted area to provide impact energy. The amount of overpull with
hydraulic jars does not affect impact energy as it does with mechanical jars. A
bypass port allows the jar to be reset quickly. Bi-directional jars require set
down weight to fire downward.
Operational Details
• Accelerators are always used with jars and they have to be compatible. A
weight bar is normally placed between the jar and accelerator to increase the
impact energy.
• Bi-directional jars may not be suitable with coiled tubing in all cases since
enough set down weight may not be available to impact downward with
sufficient force. An impact hammer may be a better choice for applications
needing downward force.
• A jar stroke length is about 6 inches. The stroke length of accelerator is
usually 7-8 inches (177.8 – 203.2 mm) and it must exceed the jar stroke
length to be effective.
• Oil used in jars is chosen based on bottom hole temperature and available
overpull. The oil heats during jarring and needs time to cool.
• Disconnect below the jars if possible (disconnect ball must be able
to pass through jar.
Accelerator
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The accelerator is either oil or gas filled and it acts like a spring. The stroke of
the jar releases the energy stored in the accelerator. The accelerator provides the
greater part of the total energy released by the jar/accelerator combination.
Operational Details
• Positioned above weight bars and jars.
• Disconnect below accelerator and jars if possible (disconnect ball must be
able to pass through jars and accelerator).
Shock Sub
A shock sub is used to cushion the blow from impact hammers and protect the
coiled tubing and coiled tubing tool string. They use disk or beveled springs
that compress and release.
Operational Details
• Disconnect below accelerator, jars and shock sub if possible (disconnect ball
must be able to pass through jars, accelerator and shock sub).
Shifting Tools
Shifting tools are used to open and close sliding sleeves. These can be in
vertical or horizontal wells. Examples of the tools that are commonly employed
for this service are the Baker HB-3 and Power Stroker.
HB-3
Designed to work on Baker HL and CM type sliding sleeves. The tool is
dressed to shift either up or down.
Circulation is through the tool while RIH. An increase in pump pressure
activates the tool by compressing a spring, which allows a second spring to
extend a set of linkage arms radial. These arms latch into the sleeve insert. The
sleeve can be shifted up or down by pulling up, setting weight or by using an
impact tool. Once the sleeve is shifted, the shifting tool releases. Decreasing
the pump pressure causes the linkage arms to retract so they should not contact
the completion tubulars.
Operational Details
• Activation pressure is low.
• Depth control is necessary.
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Power Stroker
This tool can be used in conjunction with the HB-3 shifting tool. It anchors in a
tubing profile after the HB-3 has located the sleeve. Pump pressure in the tool
gives a downward force to assist the HB-3 in shifting the sleeve. It can be run
between HB-3 shifting tools to enable sleeves to be opened and closed with one
run. It has an emergency shear release.
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These are used to connect tools requiring an electric line to coiled tubing. Used
primarily in logging and perforating operations, and also for electrical-setting
packers.
The Bakke flow release cable head tool has replaced the stiffwireline connector
and tension release tool in most operating locations.
Operational Details
• The shear pins do not see any load during normal operations.
• Tool is set up so as to ensure its possible to achieve pressures 20% higher
than the required release pressure.
• When pressure testing in the riser the pressure has to be bled off slowly so
that the tool does not experience a higher pressure drop than its set value.
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Fishing Tools
Items that fishing tools may be used to retrieve include broken or stuck tools,
packers and plugs, coiled tubing and junk in a well. There are many methods
and types of fishing tools but the most common types used with coiled tubing
can be grouped as spears and overshots. Hydraulic releasing spears and
overshots have been designed specifically for coiled tubing and they are a much
better choice than conventional wireline type fishing tools.
Generally, specific fishing tools are used for specific tasks. Sometimes a fish
has to be dressed by first latching on with a spear or overshot and then
activating the hydraulic release tool to leave behind a standard fishing neck. Or
a motor and mill may be used to dress the fish and make it retrievable.
It is very important that information about the fish be known, such as internal
and external dimensions, length and material hardness. This type of information
should be documented for each tool in the tool string before it is run into the
hole.
Fishing tools are commonly run with jars and accelerators or impact hammers.
Normally, two hydraulic disconnects should be run when jars and accelerators
are used for fishing. One would be placed above and the other below the
jar/accelerator combination. If only one hydraulic disconnect is available, it
should be run below the jars. Jars should never be left behind because they
are very difficult to fish.
Other coiled tubing tools that may be used to assist in removing an object
include motors, bits, centralizers, knuckle joints, indexing tools and bent subs.
Spears
Spears are used to engage internal fishnecks that may be either a standard
size or slick. Hydraulic spears are typically used with coiled tubing. A
spear, such as an ITCO type, is not good for CT fishing because it can not be
backed off but it may be used to bait a fish. In this case it would be run with
a disconnect tool that has a standard GS fishneck. A GS hydraulic releasing
spear is used to fish a GS internal fishneck.
Hydraulic Releasing Spear
These tools can be pumped through. A hydraulic releasing fishing neck spear
uses collets to latch into the profile of the fishneck. A slick ID hydraulic
releasing spear uses grapples or slips to catch the slick ID fishneck.
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In either case, the spear is run as far as possible into the fish. A small set down
weight releases the collets or slips, enabling them to latch on to the fish. An
increase in flowrate detaches the collets or slips from the fish.
The material of the slips has to be harder than the fish in order to grab into it.
The collets may also be hardened.
Fishing Overshots
The overshot is a versatile and efficient fishing tool that is widely used. There
are many different types but common ones are listed below. They will latch on
to standard fishnecks or slick OD objects. Some overshots are designed to
swallow coiled tubing and cut coiled tubing. Various types of shoes and guides
can be used to help to locate the fish.
These tools are designed to withstand stresses that result from jarring. Flow
through the tool washes debris from the top of the fish.
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not release, the pump rate can be increased to disengage the collets or grapples.
Jarring down may be necessary to break the grip from the grapples. The
material of the grapples has to be harder than the fish in order to bite.
The overshot can be dressed with either a spiral grapple or a basket grapple.
The spiral grapple is used when the diameter of the fish is close to the maximum
catch diameter of the overshot. The basket grapple is used if the fish is
considerably less (1/2”) than the maximum catch size. As the tool is lowered
and engages the fish, the grapple expands allowing the fish to enter it. Then,
with an upward pull, the grapple contacts the fish and the wickers bite into it.
Operational Details
• Extra length may be put on the front to swallow more of the fish.
• A cut lip guide on the end of the overshot with a kick off tool, indexing tool
or motor may be used to assist in locating a fish. A hollow mill may be run
on the end to mill on to the fish.
• A mill control packer may be used with a basket grapple to lightly dress the
fish before it is engaged although it is not normally used with coiled tubing.
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This tool is used when the fish is coiled tubing. It may be run with an extension
as it is advantageous to grab the coil as far down as possible. Once the overshot
is over the coiled tubing it will engage when the tool is raised. The grapple does
not put a high compressive load on the coiled tubing.
Operational Details
• A cutlip guide or mill guide may be used below the overshot to help locate
and bait the fish. Once the overshot is latched on a shear disconnect would
be sheared leaving the baited fish.
Kick-Off Tool
The kick-off tool is a reliable and versatile tool that is used to assist the BHA in
getting past obstacles or restrictions such as landing nipples, gas lift mandrels
and liner laps. To be effective, it has to be used with a kick-off (or mule shoe)
nozzle or shoe.
When an obstruction is tagged, the tool compresses and an internal key slot
causes it to rotate. A beveled shoe or nozzle on the end of the string deflects the
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tool and enables it to clear the obstruction. The tool then resets to its normal
position.
Indexing Tool
An indexing tool is used to rotate the BHA through a fixed angle. This can be
used for getting past an obstacle, orienting an overshot onto a fish or possibly
entering different legs in multi-lateral wells.
When an object is tagged the applied force or pressure moves a spring loaded J-
slot, which rotates the tool. When the pressure is released, the indexing pin
acquires a new position in the J-slot. This process can be continued until a
successful orientation is found. Another version of this tool works on pressure
drop caused by flow.
Operational Details
• Rotating angles usually 15 or 30 degrees.
• Tool often used with bent sub or centralizer in larger ID’s.
• Tools that work with set down weight could be a problem since the pin in the
J-slot has to handle the entire load (and it won’t take a big load).
• A kick off tool may be a better alternative in some instances.
Because straight bars are thicker walled they cannot be sheared with the BOP
rams and they should not be confused with deployment bars which are meant
for locating the tool string in the BOP's and which can be sheared with the shear
rams.
Impression Block
This is a pump through tool with a lead block that is used in fishing operations.
The impression left on the block after tagging a fish may assist the operators in
devising a strategy for recovering the fish.
This tool is used for fishing wireline. Barbs on the spear help to grab and hold
the wireline. A stopper on the top of the tool prevents wire from bypassing the
tool. It is often run with a motor so the tool can be rotated. Over rotation
should be avoided, as a large wire bundle on the spear may be difficult to pull
from the hole with the coiled tubing. A hydraulic disconnect is run above the
tool.
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Specialty Tools
Parabow
The parabow tool was designed for cement plug applications utilizing drill pipe
and has been adapted for use with coiled tubing. It is an inexpensive but
effective method of providing a stable base for cement plugs, thereby
eliminating gravity segregation or ‘density slumping’ from occurring.
Activation of the tool is initiated by circulating a ball; this shifts the circulation
ports and allows the parabow to extrude from the tool and expand across the
wellbore. There has to be fluid below to prevent the parabow from slipping
downhole.
Sand-Vac / Well-Vac
This tool consists of a modified jet pump and it is run on concentric coiled
tubing. It can operate in cleaning or production modes and is used primarily for
removing sand and drilling fluids from heavy oil horizontal wells.
In cleaning mode, external jets are used to fluidize sand and debris ahead of and
behind the tool. In production mode the external jets are shut off to maximize
production from the well. A lowering of the pump rate causes the tool to shift
from one mode to the other. Typically, the tool is run in hole in cleaning mode
and pulled out of hole in production mode.
Fluid is pumped through the inside string while returns are up the annulus of the
two strings. The primary components of a jet pump are a power nozzle and
throat and it works by energy conversion. High pressure passes through the
nozzle where it is converted to a high velocity and low pressure stream. This
induces flow from the well. The combined flow passes into a throat and
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Tornado
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Straddle Packer
The 3” (76.2 mm) straddle packer tool is used to isolate perforated zones or
open hole to allow placement of stimulation fluids. It can be reset up to 20
times for multi-zone treatment. It will seal in as large as 6-1/4” (158.8 mm)
hole. Circulating at a pre-set flowrate activates it; a valve mechanism prevents
over-inflation of the packer elements. Pulling up the coiled tubing causes the
packer elements to deflate and the tool to reset – time must be allowed for the
element to deflate fully prior to moving the tool in the wellbore, thus preventing
element damage. The packer elements are rated to a temperature of 284 °F (140
°C).
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The text in this section has been extracted from the Quality Tubing, Inc. web site.
Manufactured coiled tubing strings are designed to specified-length strings of
high quality materials, suitable for field operations.
In order to produce long lengths of pipe, QTI welds steel strips together, and
produces pipe from the strip by the high frequency induction (HFI) electric
welding process. This section of the Technical Catalog describes how QTI's
pipe is produced from steel strip, and the testing procedures to which both the
strip and pipe are subjected before release to the customer.
Early Designs
The original idea for coiled tubing came from the project "Pipe Line Under the
Ocean" (PLUTO) where range II line pipe was butt-welded, rolled onto spools,
and laid from boats under the English Channel in 1944 to support the Normandy
landings. Coiled tubing continued to be produced by butt-welding on a
relatively small scale into the 1960s. The weak link in this form of continuous
pipe is the butt-weld; it causes structural weakness and restricts internal flow.
A high percentage of the failures that occur over the life of butt-welded pipe are,
breaks that occur in the heat affected zone adjacent to the weld bead. The
material in this area fatigues much more rapidly than the parent material,
especially in a sour gas environment. The internal circumferential weld bead,
which is not generally uniform due to the effects of gravity, restricts fluid flow
and causes turbulence. It also restricts operations that require pumping tools or
steel balls through the tube.
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Figure 48
fins which extend down past the strip edges. The strip is worked against these
tungsten carbide fins to prepare them for the weld rolls. This is shown in the left
hand part of Fig 4.
During the welding process, the tube is welded slightly oversized, and then
reduced to final specifications in a set of sizing rollers. The tolerance on the
outer diameter produced by this process is +/- 0.010 inch.
Flash Removal
The application of pressure in the fin pass rolls causes hot metal to be extruded
towards the inner and outer diameter of the tube. Outer diameter flash is
removed with a carbide cutting knife that is contoured to the diameter of the
tube being produced. At customer request, inner flash is removed from pipe
with IDs greater than 1.25 inches with a contoured cutting tool. This flash is
subsequently pumped out of the tube.
Inner surface flash removal leaves a slight groove, which does not reduce the
wall thickness below the specified minimum wall. The finished flash removal
process produces tubes the dimensions of which meet or exceed the
requirements of API 5CT, API 5L, and API RP 5C7, the Recommended
Practice for Coiled Tubing Applications.
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Seam Annealer
The longitudinal weld seam is immediately heated to 1650 deg. F by a narrow
induction head in order to austenitize the weld and its heat-affected zone. This
area will then have a uniform grain structure throughout.
Welding Fittings: QTI will weld fittings onto finished tubing as requested by
the customer – most common are 1502 2” WECO Thread. An external
laboratory approves the welding procedures used for welding for each steel type
and grade fabricated at QTI. Once welded, the integrity of the weld is verified
by one or more of the following nondestructive testing techniques:
• X Radiography
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the weld to written procedures using qualified welders. Should the customer
accept butt-welded sections of QT-700, QT-800 and QT-1000, they will be
classed QT-70, QT-80 and QT-100 material respectively. Hangoff material and
pipeline product may also be butt-welded.
Nitrogen Purges and Blankets: Nitrogen is pumped through the coiled tubing,
when the tubing is expected to be shipped overseas, or stored indefinitely, the
ends are capped to maintain a blanket of nitrogen gas to help prevent the onset
of internal corrosion.
Crating: Should the customer require shipment on a QTI spool, the spool
may be shipped as is, or crated for export.
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• Bend radius
• Internal pressure
• Pipe material
• Imperfections
Bend Radius
The tighter the bend radius the high the strain on the coiled tubing. As the bend
radius decreases the number of cycles to failure decreases.
Internal Pressure
As the internal pressure increases the hoop stress imposed on the coiled tubing
increases. As the pressure inside the coiled tubing increases the number of
cycles to failure decreases. The failure characteristics for the various grades of
coiled tubing will be different. Also, failure characteristics may be different
between manufacturers of coiled tubing ie. QT-800 does not have the same
fatigue characteristics as HS-80. For most materials as the pressure increases
ballooning becomes much more predominant than fatigue.
Pipe Material
The fatigue life characteristics of coiled tubing will vary depending upon the
grade of material and the manufacturer of material. Presently Precision Tube
Technology and Quality Tubing Inc. are the two suppliers of coiled tubing. The
high carbon, low alloy steels used to make the coiled tubing are typically
classified by their minimum yield strength ie. 70 ksi, 80 ksi 90 ksi etc. The
fatigue characteristics for each grade of pipe will differ as well as the fatigue life
for an equivalent grade of pipe may differ between suppliers.
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Imperfections
The origin of a fatigue failure is typically some sort of imperfection in the pipe.
An imperfection in the pipe may be due to manufacturing methods, heat
treatment, environment, handling, residual stresses etc. Imperfections result in
stress risers. Increased stress translates into accelerated fatigue. A common
stress riser may be a nick in the pipe or corrosion pit.
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Ballooning
Ballooning is described as the diametrical growth of the coiled tubing. As the
diameter grows the wall thickness decreases. A decrease in wall thickness for a
given pressure will result in increased hoop stress, which in turn magnifies the
ballooning and fatigue of the coiled tubing. Ballooning will also cause the coiled
tubing to be less resistant to collapse pressure. Excessive ballooning will result
in the coiled tubing exceeding the stuffing box tolerances. This may result in
coiled tubing damage or stuffing box brass damage. The maximum allowable
ballooning limits are as follows:
Being that ballooning is the diametrical growth of the coiled tubing, it can be
physically measured. Ballooning is typically measured in thousands of an inch
(1/1000”).
• Another way we can increase coil life is to increase the wall thickness. This
reduces overall hoop stress, which increase the number of cycles to failure.
It also increases pipe cost, pipe weight, spool weight, and required
injector/spool torque. In order to investigate which is more effective -
increasing wall thickness or increasing drum core / gooseneck radius.
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• Increasing wall thickness has a greater effect when cycling at high pressure
as opposed to low pressure. This is because the thicker walls reduce hoop
stress which decreases the effects of dilation.
• For thin walled pipe at high pressures, increasing goose neck radius beyond
90" has minimal effect on cycle fatigue. This is because dilation is the
dominant damage mechanism for which goose neck size has little effect.
• At high pressures, increasing goose neck size only impacts cycle fatigue of
thick walled pipe. Chances are entire spools of thick wall pipe will never be
used, but this information is still applicable to taper strings, where cycling
normally occurs over the heavier walled portion of the string.
• At lower pressures, increasing goose neck radius has a greater effect than
increasing wall thickness. For example, Unit 5123, with a 90" drum core
diameter (minimal dilation effects) and 72" goose neck radius, would reap
greater benefits from increasing the goose neck to 90" versus increasing wall
thickness all the way to .190". The relative logistical concerns must be more
favorable for the goose neck option.
The three most prominent causes of coiled tubing failures are corrosion (35%),
mechanical damage (22%) and manufacturing flaws (20%) – 2004 statistics.
Presently, the issue of manufacturing flaws may not improve much at all, as the
standards for milling coiled tubing are very high. Areas we can improve upon
are mechanical damage and corrosion. Improvements in corrosion may consist
of better storage inhibition procedures, pigging the coiled tubing to remove rust
and debris and improving corrosion inhibition during acid treatments etc.
Mechanical damage involves the handling of coiled tubing. Wrapping, injecting,
transferring, shipping, improper equipment set-up etc. can all induce mechanical
damage on the coiled tubing. This is an area we can improve upon.
Note: Coiled Tubing pipe failures result in significant financial losses, not to
mention potential risk of human life.
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Coiled tubing pipe selection is critical to a coiled tubing business line. The size,
grade and supplier of pipe you select will impact your coiled tubing business. In
the past we have often relied upon work to define our string selection
parameters. Due to advancements in coiled tubing research we now have
scientific data to base our decisions on and a software program to analyze
fatigue and ballooning of coiled tubing. Some of the considerations to be made
when selecting a coiled tubing string are as follows:
• H2S?
No = Any Material
Yes = HS70 preferred
• Tapered String?
No = Any Material
Yes = QT1000 not allowed
• QT 1000 Required?
Internal Flash Removed Only (parallel string)
• High Pressure?
HS90 not recommended
D/t ratio < 15
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As can be seen from the above bullet list there are a number of considerations to
be thought through when selecting a string of coiled tubing. As with most
decisions trade-off will be present. It is up to the individual to determine what
the most critical parameters are and to recognize the pitfalls of the chosen string.
For example, 70 ksi coiled tubing is often selected as a work string in Canada.
The main reason behind this is due to H2S exposure. Many of the wells in
Canada have H2S present. 70 ksi pipe is recommended for sour service. It would
be beneficial at times to use a higher grade of pipe however the presence of H2S
is determined to be the over-riding factor in the pipe selection process.
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CT Material Selection
H2S ? Yes
No
No
Large Pull
Cycling at
Yes Capacity No
< 3,000psi
Required?
No
Yes
No
Cycling at
Yes Tapered String? Yes
> 5,000psi
No
No
No
No
No
No Specific
QT800 QT900 QT1000 HS90 HS80 HS70
Recommendation
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No circulation thru CT
Pressure (psi)
1500 300
All of the above listed parameters are output at various measured depths
between the wellhead and bottom of hole for both inside the coil and its
annular.
30000
Surface Weight
Friction Lock
gradients 0
-10000
Simulated Conditions:
-20000
Production: 15 MMscf/day
Wellbore: Gas Filled
analysis includes:
-40000
-50000
•
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 14000 16000 18000
All of the parameters output from CIRCA™ are available in report form or
graph.
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The purpose of the CYCLE™ program is to accurately estimate the life span
of coiled tubing strings based on fatigue, ballooning and corrosion. All of
the activity that the coiled tubing has been exposed to is recorded in a string
file. A mathematical model of fatigue determines the life expectancy of the
coiled tubing. Accurate knowledge of tubing damage can prevent fatigue
related coiled tubing failure.
The fatigue and ballooning calculations used to determine tubing damage are
based on the data provided by the string file. They are only as accurate as the
data provided. String file data is critical to safe and efficient coiled tubing
operations. Accurate knowledge of tubing damage can prevent fatigue and
related coiled tubing failure.
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Monitoring Equipment
Monitoring, recording and control equipment is crucial to job performance.
For this reason, BJ uses the most advanced instruments in the field to
monitor job progress. Among them being:
Job Master
BJ Services provide a unique data acquisition system capable of recording,
monitoring and displaying all necessary information during coiled tubing
operations. The system is designed to interact with the coiled tubing well
model and the cycle/fatigue life program to perform real time update during
the job. In addition, the system is simple to maintain, interacts with all
standard computing equipment and above all, is user friendly.
A Windows driven software program has been developed to ensure
simplicity of operation and download of information. The unique display
and keyboard allows our Engineers or Operators to interact with the system
to change operating parameters if well conditions change. This provides an
environment where decisions are taken that guarantee safety, maximize
efficiency and ensure well integrity.
Information can be downloaded via a CD or large capacity 100 Mb zip disk
and then printed out via a standard computer in the field or back in the
office.
Wireless LAN
The BJ Services Wireless LAN System replaces well site LAN cabling with
radio links allowing for zero time deployment at the wellsite of treatment
data communication. The units directly replace BJ LAN cables or may be
used interchangeable with LAN cables. Since cabling is not used, the
problems with maintaining conventional cables are eliminated and the
reliability of the signals are improved.
Features and Benefits
• Operates in extremely harsh environments with immunity from
interference.
• Eliminates the need to run LAN cables between units and the time it
takes to lay, retrieve, clean and store these cables.
• Supports wireless data transmission between 3305 and remote computers
via the computer serial port.
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https://powercenter.bjservices.com/__86256d48004debc5.nsf/WebByCatego
ry?OpenView&Start=1&Count=30&Expand=1#1
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Acknowledgements:
References:
API Recommended Practice for Coiled Tubing in Oil and Gas Well Services
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