Record Setting 71 Composite Plugs Drilled in Midland Basin with a HydroPull™
KOP 8,967 ft. TVD; PBTD 21,240 ft. MD
2-⅝” Coil Tubing
71 Composite Plugs
Case Study, Spraberry Trend, Martin County, TX
Casing 5 ½” 20 lb
KOP 8,587 ft. TVD; PBTD 20,365 ft. MD
2-⅝” Coil Tubing
69 Composite Plugs
Thru Tubing services from Oil States Energy Services employed the Tempress HydroPull to mill a total of 69 composite bridge plugs from a horizontal lateral almost 11,000 ft. long to a total measured depth of 20,365 ft. The liner was 5-½” and the job was run on 2-⅝” coiled tubing. The 2-⅞” BHA consisted of a weld-on coil connector, a dual back pressure valve, a set of jars, a hydraulic disconnect, a ball-actuated annular velocity tool, a screen sub, a 2-⅞” High Flow-High Impact Tempress HydroPull, a 2-⅞” Oil States Energy Services high torque motor and a 4-⅝” tri-cone JZ rock bit.
After milling several plugs and achieving slower than expected plug milling time, the company representative decided to trip out of the hole to check the motor status. The BHA was changed and the assembly was tripped back in the hole to continue milling the composite plugs. The remaining 55 plugs were drilled in approximately 55 hours with an average plug milling time of 10.0 minutes per plug. High viscosity sweeps were utilized in conjunction with a ball activated annular ported sub to clean debris from the wellbore at 4.0 bpm increasing to 6.0 bpm during times the ported sub was activated and isolating the HydroPull and Motor.
Gel sweeps in volumes ranging from 5-20 bbl followed the milling of each plug and no short trips were necessary during milling operations. The wellhead pressure ranged from 600 to 960 psi and the pump pressure ranged from 2,900 to 3,700 psi. Including the 8 hour round trip for the BHA change, this job was completed in approximately 79 hours and the average plug milling time was 10.1 minutes per plug.
Case Study, Spraberry Trend, Martin County, TX
Casing 5 ½” 20 lb
KOP 7,958 ft. TVD; PBTD 19,843 ft. MD
2-⅝” Coil Tubing
71 Composite Plugs
Thru Tubing services from Oil States Energy Services employed the Tempress HydroPull to mill a total of 71 composite bridge plugs from a horizontal lateral almost 10,500 ft. long to a total measured depth of 19,843 ft. The liner was 5-½” and the job was run on 2-⅝” coiled tubing. The 3-⅛” BHA consisted of a weld-on coil connector, a dual back pressure valve, a set of jars, a hydraulic disconnect, a ball-actuated annular velocity tool, a screen sub, a 3-⅛” High Flow-High Impact Tempress HydroPull, a 3-⅛” Oil States Energy Services high torque motor and a 4-⅝” tri-cone JZ rock bit.
After milling plug 45, the company representative decided to trip out of the hole to check the BHA components and to ensure the hole was free of debris and plug parts. Sweeps were pumped while tripping out of the hole at half way points in the lateral and curve. The BHA was changed and the assembly was tripped back in the hole to tag plug 46. The remaining 25 plugs were drilled in approximately 29 hours with an average plug milling time of 4.8 minutes per plug. High viscosity sweeps were utilized in conjunction with a ball activated annular ported sub to clean debris from the wellbore at 4.0 bpm increasing to 4.5 bpm during the final sweep and just prior to pulling out of the hole. During times the ported sub was activated and isolating the HydroPull and Motor, 6.0 bpm was pumped.
Gel sweeps in volumes ranging from 5-20 bbl followed the milling of each plug. The wellhead pressure ranged from 350 to 700 psi and the pump pressure ranged from 3,500 to 4,600 psi. Including the 18 hour round trip for the BHA change, this job was completed in 90 hours and the average plug milling time was 5.8 minutes per plug.
Case Study, Permian Basin, TX
Casing 4 ½” 13.5 lb/ft
Lateral Length 8,585 ft. to 17,903 ft.
Jointed Pipe – Workover Rig
72 Composite Frac Plugs
After an unconventional oil well was drilled in the Permian Basin, the operator ran 4 ½”, 13.5 lb/ft casing to a depth of nearly 18,000 ft. MD. After the wellbore was prepared for fracturing, a plug and perf method was used to complete the well. A total of 72 Composite Frac Plugs were placed at spaced intervals in the horizontal wellbore from 8,585 ft. MD to 17,903 ft. MD.
The operator utilized a workover rig and jointed pipe for conveying the BHA. The 2 ⅞” OD BHA consisted of a dual flapper valve assembly, a hydraulic disconnect, a 2 ⅞” OD High Flow-High Impact Tempress HydroPull, a 2.8” OD Baker Hughes Navi-Drill™ X-treme mud motor and a 3 ¾” OD Baker Hughes butterfly mill dressed with Glyphaloy™ carbide cutting structure.
Past operations possessing similar lateral lengths typically required multiple trips to change out BHA components. This record-setting job involved milling out a total of 72 composite frac plugs from a 9,318 ft. lateral in a 17,909 ft. MD horizontal well without incident and in a single HydroPull run. The average plug milling time was 20 minutes per plug and the operator saved 30 hours of rig time, saving extra BHA charges by eliminating a second trip to replace BHA components.