Offshore

High Temperature, High Pressure Completion Challenges 







  



	The North Sea provides valuable lessons on how to handle extreme operating conditions. 


	
	
by Jackie Wilkerson, Weir Oil & Gas 


	

	



	

	

	Whether operating in the North Sea or a North American shale play, high temperature, high pressure (HTHP) wells present unique challenges to oil and service companies. Drilling and completing a well at 4,000- to 7,500-foot water depths is no easy task. The depth requires wells to flow at increasingly higher rates without damaging the wellbore, which raise the wellhead temperatures.




	High Temperature, High Pressure Wells




	The accepted industry definition of an HTHP well is one that has an undisturbed bottomhole temperature greater than 300 degrees Fahrenheit and has a pore-pressure gradient in excess of 0.8 psi/foot or require the use of well-control equipment at more than 10,000 psi working pressure.




	These high temperatures and pressures require equipment and products designed to operate safely at such extreme levels.




	A Harsh Environment




	One of the harshest environments in the industry, the North Sea’s volatile conditions include battering from the wind, cold temperatures, constant moisture from storms and mist from the high winds.




	This environment makes the North Sea one of the most demanding of all offshore oil and gas exploration territories.




	It is also the nucleus for the development of products that not only perform under extreme conditions but have operated in a safety-conscious and heavily-regulated area.




	This knowledge and innovation is being applied in the North Sea to emerging fields in Russia, Poland, the European community and North America




	Lessons Learned




	Operations in the North Sea can help educate operators working in similar hazardous conditions. One important and valuable lesson learned from North Sea production is that smaller sizes and lighter weights are vital product attributes.




	With confined platform space, smaller footprint equipment is needed for easier manual manipulation. Smaller pods and lifting aids are often used to help with manual handling of drilling equipment. Containers and shipping baskets are also smaller to take up less space.




	As equipment is exposed to harsh elements at sea, it becomes heavier with the increase in water weight. It is important for manufacturers to continue to develop lighter weight products using more waterproof materials that do not compromise safety or performance.




	A Valve Solution




	A new valve has been engineered for safety and designed to meet the U.K. Health and Safety Executive (HSE) lifting requirements in the North Sea.



	
	







			
	

  


  

    

          
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