Minimizing Shoe Track Length in Production Casing: A New Reamer Float Shoe Design for Wet Shoe Applications

Abstract In unconventional horizontal wells, conventional production casing shoe track configurations typically result in a non-stimulable interval of up to 50 m due to cemented shoe track length and associated float equipment spacing. While Wet Shoe configurations can reduce this interval, their widespread adoption has been limited by concerns related to well integrity and the reliance on conventional float valve systems for high-pressure gas containment. This paper presents the development and validation of a new reamer float shoe specifically designed for Wet Shoe applications in high-pressure/high-temperature gas wells. The system integrates the functions of a float collar and reamer shoe into a compact, single-unit assembly, enabling a reduction of the internal shoe track length to approximately 1.6 m while maintaining a robust primary well barrier. The valve system was optimized using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to minimize turbulent flow and valve seat erosion under typical cementing flow rates. Performance was validated through a modified API Spec 10F testing protocol, including 62 hours of circulation with sand, hydraulic and gas backpressure testing up to 15,000 psi at 400°F, and zero-bubble gas integrity verification. Field implementation demonstrated reliable performance and reduced the effective non-stimulable interval to approximately 6 m when accounting for completion hardware, resulting in a significant increase in stimulable lateral length. The results confirm the system's suitability as a high-performance barrier for Wet Shoe applications in unconventional gas wells.