Cost Effective Water Shut-Off: Slickline Conveyed High Expansion Ratio Through Tubing Bridge Plug

Abstract

In the recent low oil price environment, a cost-effective solution was proposed to use through tubing bridge plugs to perform water-shut-off (WSO) in an offshore field. The solution consisted of using slickline to set a plug with a high expansion ratio followed by a cement dump. After three WSO jobs in different wells, the method has successfully proven itself. Watercut was reduced from 100% to 0% with a minimal cost of only USD100,000. The through tubing bridge plug used is capable of passing through 2-7/8-in. tubing and expanding into 9-5/8-in. casing. After running a Gamma-Ray log, the plug was set across the perforation interval to give the anchor contact with a rough casing surface. The top of the plug, however, was above the perforation interval and became the base for cement. Cement was then continuously dumped on top using a slickline dump bailer in a static condition until the designed cement height was reached. Static conditions ensured no movement of cement during operation. The plug differential pressure limit is directly proportional to the cement height. The first WSO job was a complete success with watercut reduced from 100% to 0%. The second job however, was partially successful as the cement dump was not completed due to unexpected appearance of a hold-up-depth (HUD). The HUD was created by leftover cement which had accumulated at the end of the tubing. Despite the setbacks, the end result was successful in reducing water production from 1000 bwpd to 200 bwpd. The third job faced a completely different problem. The original plug fell off deeper into the well after it was set. To rectify the situation, a second plug was set at the target interval. Despite the successful execution, there was no change in watercut after the well was brought back online. Since the same method was proposed for another upcoming well, Memory-Production log (MPLT) coupled with Temperature-Noise log was performed to assess the effectiveness of the WSO. The log results confirmed that the WSO was successful and the post job water production was caused by channeling behind the casing. The results so far concluded that the through tubing bridge plug WSO method was both reliable and cost-effective. It is exceptionally suitable for zones located at the bottom of a well and can be deployed using slickline. The paper provides valuable insight to a WSO solution which should be a first-choice option due to its relatively inexpensive cost and high reliability. The solution has proven to provide tremendous cost saving for production enhancement activity.