Newest Pumpdown (TFL) Completion Capabilities

ABSTRACT The latest pumpdown (TFL) completion methods and capabilities are now being used with consistent reliability worldwide including the North Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Borneo, and on land United States. These capabilities allow placing the H-member at well bottom, full alternate multiple zone dual completions, surface selective downhole shifter/locator system, and downhole gas lift and safety systems; all of which are adaptable to subsea manifolds and atmospheric chambers, riser systems, floating platforms and standard platform completions. INTRODUCTION The search for oil has pushed the oil industry into deeper and less accessible waters. The costs for production platforms and pipelines have increased accordingly. For a well to be profitable under these conditions it must be able to produce large amounts of oil and be easily maintained. The result has been an increased demand for pumpdown (TFL) completions with large bores specially designed for deep water. These completions, in addition to the basic pumpdown (TFL) requirements, must also incorporate other certain features as discussed below.The capability to perform maintenance and service work on subsea wells with flow lines up to 20 miles long. This distance results from cluster and satellite wells being placed further from fixed or floating platforms.The capability to locate downhole equipment selectively. This is more a demand on the deep or long flow line wells where the pressure response is minimal.The capability to perform limited maintenance work on wells with BHT up to 450½F and BHP's over 20,000 PSI that are in excess of 20,000 feet deep.Maintaining pressure integrity and response and keeping fluid losses to minimum While performing service operations. This is very important in wells having low bottom hole pressures and subsea wells having extremely long flow lines.The compatibility of downhole equipment within the whole system.The incorporation of a circulation path (H-member) of some sort, whether downhole or in the wellhead.Surface controlled subsurface safety systems. This is a necessary safety precaution with the ever present threat of damage to wellheads and flowlines. As will be discussed in this paper, recent innovations in pump down (TFL) equipment now provide these features and offer solutions to the problems of well maintenance. DESCRIPTION OF EQUIPMENT In the past three to four years much development work and testing has taken place to help answer the problems faced by deep water completions. The developments include wellhead plugs, pumpdown retrievable ball valves and tubing retrievable ball valves for pumpdown use, pumpdown kickover tools with side pocket mandrels and side-pocket H-members, 'Select-20' shifter and locator systems, upper H-members with emergency circulating shear discs, sliding sleeve H members for gas lift in tubing less completions, and equipment for servicing deep, high pressure land wells.