Well Integrity Technical Section

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  • 1.  Use of non-metallics for wells

    Posted 02-15-2023 10:45 PM

    Dear Community members

    I am looking for information for use of non-metallics in wells.

    Its more logical to look for solution based on the challenge, but I would like to hear from the experts around the globe for their experience in design considerations, challenges and where (casing / tubing) it has been used. 

    Also, some information about the type of material would be helpful.

    Regards

    Manish



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    ManishSrivastava
    Specialist, Well Integrity
    ADNOC Offshore
    msrivastava@adnoc.ae
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  • 2.  RE: Use of non-metallics for wells

    Posted 02-16-2023 02:59 AM

    Hi Manish,

    Geothermal fields in the Paris Basin have accumulated a wealth of experience. Some of it is summarized in the technical sheet 33, p.81-90 of an excellent report by BRGM (the French geological survey). The long document is in French, but you can download it from http://infoterre.brgm.fr/rapports/RP-69450-FR.pdf and then use a mixture of Google Translate and the closest francophone you can grab to extract the info you need.

    Otherwise, TNO (the Dutch research organisation) have been working for some years on enabling the use of composite pipe. You could contact @GertJan Heerens to get more info. Or Rader Abdul Fattah, whom you may already know.

    There are also a couple of good SPE papers on past experience, especially in the Gulf, but I think you know about them.

    Best regards,



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    Matteo Loizzo
    Well integrity consultant
    matteo.loizzo@mac.com
    Berlin, Germany
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  • 3.  RE: Use of non-metallics for wells

    Posted 02-18-2023 07:34 AM

    Hi Manish, this may or may not be helpful, i do not have any detail; around 6 yrs ago, Aramco had run some casing with a couple joints of - I believe - fiberglass (or something equivalent), I think 7", in a well, for some type of reservoir monitoring purposes. if you happen to know anyone there perhaps you could check.

    aside from that, only application i've seen personally is using fiberglass tubing to set cement plugs, and of course composite bp's, squeeze packers, etc. probably not what you're looking for



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    Scott Myers
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  • 4.  RE: Use of non-metallics for wells

    Posted 02-19-2023 01:16 AM
    Dear Sir,
    For Australian, QLD Coal Bed Methane industry, fibreglass production casing is used for air drilled well intersection.
    Boat laterals are drilled from 2Km remote through the coal seams conventionally.
    A magnetic source is lowered into the vertical intersect hole.
    The MWD BHA in boat lateral wells, steers towards the magnetic signal, so provides a very simple form of DD.
    The fibreglass casing is drilled out by the intersecting wells.
    The vertical well is then completed: AL device (gas-lift; PCP, etc).
    The vertical well is dewatered (water pumped-off).
    Thereafter coal-cleats desorb and release gas.

    Regards
    Gerard Mckay
    Sent from Mail<https: go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid="550986"> for Windows


    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Use of non-metallics for wells

    Posted 02-19-2023 06:51 AM

    Hello Manish

    Did a lot of research on that one 20 years ago for CO2 sequestration. Burst was the limitation with casing, but I do remember that fiberglass tubing was used in EOR. The issue was that when pulling the string back to surface, a large number of joints were destroyed because the CO2, during the injection process, found its way between the layers of fiberglass and that trapped CO2 was not depressurizing to atmosphere as they were pulling the tubing resulting in large chunks "exploding"




  • 6.  RE: Use of non-metallics for wells

    Posted 02-19-2023 09:47 AM

    Manish,

    There is a brief entry in PetroWiki under Tubing Specifications and Materials Selection

    I believe that the limitations with thermoplastic tubulars was collapse, wear and temperature rating.

    The performance of non-metallic sucker rods have been steadily improving.

    https://petrowiki.spe.org/Sucker_rods

    Fibreglass casing is often used in slim-hole observation wells to facilitate logging operations and for the laterals in some coal bed or coal seam methane (CBM or CSG) wells, when mining if the de-gasified coal is anticipated at some future date.

    This is an area of great promise as the performance of composites increases and the costs come down.

    I suspect that Carbon-Fibre based composites offer even greater promise if CCUS initiatives result in a technology breakthrough that drives down the costs.

    It is my understanding that this has been an area of intense R&D for the last 50 years.

    Therefore, I'd suggest reposting this question to the R&D Technical Section.

    Hopefully, the SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) responding to this post will update the recommendations for further reading in PetroWiki and/or write a new chapter on the topic.

    Regards

    Bob



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    Bob Pearson
    Technical Director,
    Glynn Resources Ltd.
    Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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