Multizone completion
Oil and gas operators require more and more robust single-trip multizone isolation systems. They must cope with high requirements from deep water and ultra deep water projects. More and more often, operators want to isolate the pay zone in the reservoir. They will look for completions allowing them to create zonal compartments.
Zonal compartments allow a better stimulation of extended pay zones with high differential pressures between them. To help maximize the reservoir production and asset value, the operators need a robust and reliable expandable steel Multizone isolation packer. Saltel Xpandable Steel Annular Zonal Isolation Packer can be part of a plain or perforated liner completion. This might include:
- an intelligent completion:
- feed-through features.
- On-off valves for zonal control.
The use of intelligent completions helps increase the production.
- The fluids produced from different reservoir zones will increase and accelerate the production.
- Selective zonal control effectively manages water injection, gas and water breakthrough, and individual zone productivity.
- At the same time, the selective zonal control also maximizes the ultimate recovery.
Increase the production rates, Reduce well construction costs.
Having a selective production zone enables better production rates.
- To meet such a purpose, they need annular isolation packers to separate the upper and lower production zones.
- Having high performance isolation packers in cementless completions also helps to reduce the well construction costs.
Xpandable Steel Annular Zonal Isolation Packer with dual compensation system: working principle.
How Saltel Xpandable Steel annular zonal isolation packer (AZIP 1-1) helps optimize the reservoir performance?
How can this packer ensure better control of the reservoir, with selective producing zones?
- The elastomer skin teams up with expandable dynamic seals for temperatures above 2750 degF [135 degC].
- The 1-1 AZIP comes with a pressure compensation valve at each extremity of the packer to balance the packer’s internal pressure with the highest annular pressure.
- The 1-1 AZIP maintains sealing performance in all well conditions during injection, production, and stimulation.
- The dual-pressure compensation valve manages annular pressure over the well’s life, regardless of whether the highest pressure is above or below the packer.
- The packer seals effectively in wells with oval, out-of-gauge, and irregular boreholes, and even through thermal cycling.
Operators might have similar requirements in injection configurations. Therefore, the purpose is slightly different. By the way, the process remains the same: compartment the lower completion into selective injection zones. The Xpandable steel AZIP has to withstand the differential pressure reversals. The packer differential pressure rating has to remain applicable for any configuration of the upper and lower zone flow path.
Besides, the Multizone isolation packer, once expanded, has to show significant axial load capacity. On top of that, the packer should guarantee a constant sealing efficiency regardless of the thermal cycles.
The AZIP 1-1 uses Saltel patented expandable steel technology and a thin layer of elastomer. This elastomer layer allows for achieving zonal isolation. The elastomer can be used together with expandable dynamic seals for temperatures up to 275 degF [135 degC].
Multizone isolation and dual compensation system.
The AZIP 1-1 comes with pressure compensation valves at each extremity of the packer. The valves balance the packer’s internal pressure with the highest annulus pressure. The dual pressure compensation valve enables up to 15,000psi annulus differential pressure rating on both sides of the packer.
- Ovalized boreholes.
- The Xpandable Steel AZIP is designed to seal the annulus in difficult open hole conditions.
- The packer has been qualified to provide an effective sealing in boreholes up to 9% ovality.
- The AZIP 1-1 maintains sealing performance in all well conditions, during stimulation and production, regardless of temperature variations.
- Differential pressure rating
- Qualified under ISO14310 V3 / API19OH V1 standards, the AZIP 1-1 can seal annular sections in cased and open hole conditions.
- The packer can hold up to 15,000 psi pressure reversals in HPHT environments.
- The pressure compensation system perfectly fits dual production with selective lower and upper zones.
- These zones are likely to stress on each side of the packer, with alternate pressure compensation requirements.
- Axial load.
- The annular packer also provides up to 200klbs axial load capacity.