Steam Injection Well Best Practices Venturi Choke Workover

Chevron 2005

DOC ID

Workover Drivers
Well and Equipment Failures
Perforation or nozzles plug Sand flowback

Tubing Failures
Packer/Cup packer failures Shear safety joint failures Casing and cement bonding failures

Profile Modifications
Poor steam vertical profile Heat management strategy
Chevron 2005 DOC ID

Workovers Venturi Choke Completion

Workover Equipments
Workover rigs Mast Truck

Equipment Failures Profile Modifications

Cup Packer

Cup Packer failures Nozzle plug/ wash-out Shear out joint failures

Venturi Mandrel
Shear Out Joint

Cup re-setting Nozzle replacements Drilled hole modification

Sand flow back

Limited entry drilled holes Bull plug

Perforation plug (scale) Drilled hole plug/wash out

Chevron 2005

DOC ID

Venturi Choke Setting/Placement

Bull Plug: Minimum 20 ft from PBTD
Cup Packers:
Minimum 4 ft above perforation

(tolerance of heat tubing expansion)

Minimum 10 ft below perforation

(rat hole/tolerance of sand fill)

Top Cup Packer: Double Facing down

Others: Single Facing up-Facing down

Do not set at casing collar

>10 ft

VC Mandrels
Set above perforations (avoid sand

>0 ft >4 ft >20 ft

fill)
Chevron 2005 DOC ID

Venturi Choke Workovers Pre-Installation Procedures

Preparation of VC Equipments
Prepare Sub-assembly at shops Put code on each sub assembly

Pre-Installation Equipment Inspections

Make sure the assembly in correct order Equipment inspections (Cup packers, tubing, VC mandrels, nozzles, safety joints, etc) Recalculate Tubing tally based on actual condition. Revised cup packer and mandrel setting should not change significantly Injector Shutdown Procedures
Chevron 2005 DOC ID

Injection shut in 3-5 days before workover

Venturi Choke Workovers Installation Procedures

Make up the pumping lines to allow pumping water continuously during running the cup packers
Run casing scrapper and Dummy tool

Run the cup assembly as per configuration design.

Pump water through string and fill up the annulus

while running in the assembly.

Keep pumping during connecting the assembly
Use temporary plug for Nozzles/ Drilled hole during

connecting the VC mandrel Drilled hole

Duri is recommended to use Landing Nipples to allow better well control during running the cup packers
Chevron 2005 DOC ID

Venturi Choke Workovers Retrieval Procedures - Normal

Pre-Retrieval Procedures:
Turn the steam off Tubing punch at right above top cup, below bottom cup and across all up facing cups for each injection intervals

Retrieval Procedures (Normal):

(Duri best practices) R/U workover rig

Pump water thru the tubing with high rate to circulate the sand above cup packers
Pull cups free while keep pumping water

Chevron 2005

DOC ID

Limited Entry Workovers Retrieval Procedures Stuck Cup Packers

Alternative 1 (shear safety joint installed):
Pull out (Jar out if necessary) until the safety joint sheared out.

Washover until top of cup packer (washover the cup packer if necessary)
Repeat the steps until all cup packer assembly recovered.

Chevron 2005

DOC ID

Retrieval Procedure DiagramsUse Shear Joints

Circulate with steam or high rate water Pull out the assembly Punch Tubing & Cups

Washpipe

If fail, shear-out the safety joint Washover tubing until above cup packer Pull out the assembly Repeat the steps until all assembly recovered

Chevron 2005

DOC ID

Limited Entry Workovers Retrieval Procedures Stuck Cup Packers

Alternative 2 (without shear safety joint):
Pull out (Jar out if necessary) If failed, Freepoint tubing (if possible). Cut tubing using chemical cutter at above the stuck point (s) If unable to freepoint tubing, then chemical cuts as per cup placement.

Washover the cup packers

Pull out (Jar out if necessary) the cups assembly Repeat the steps until all cup packer assembly recovered.
Chevron 2005 DOC ID

Retrieval Procedure DiagramsWithout Shear Joint

Circulate with steam or high rate water Pull out the assembly Punch Tubing & Cups

Washpipe
Cut Tubing (Chemical Cutter)

If fail, cut tubing above stuck point(s) Washover tubing and cup packers if necessary Pull out the assembly Repeat the steps until all assembly recovered

Cut Tubing (Chemical Cutter)

Chevron 2005

DOC ID

Limited Entry Workovers Retrieval Procedures Stuck Cup Packers

Alternative 3 (Chemical Cutter is not available):
Pull out (Jar out if necessary) If failed, Freepoint tubing (if possible).) Cut tubing below top cup packer using mechanical cutter Washover the cup packers & VC assembly until the stuck point Fish out the cups assembly

Chevron 2005

DOC ID

Retrieval Procedure DiagramsNo Chemical Cutter

Washpipe
Circulate with steam or high rate water Pull out the assembly Punch Tubing & Cups Cut Tubing (Mechanical cutter) If fail, cut tubing above top cup packer Washover tubing and cup packers until the stuck point Pull out the assembly

Chevron 2005

DOC ID

Shear-Out Joint
Backgrounds of Using Shear-out Joint External and Internal restrictions of VC mandrel Unable to washover and cut tubing below mandrel
Findings/Facts New mandrel design with smaller OD and larger ID Able to washover and cut tubing below mandrel

Findings of premature shear-out

Recommendation Discontinue the use of Shear-out safety joint as retrieval option for Limited Entry Completion
Chevron 2005 DOC ID