Welltec, well intervention and well construction solutions provider, has announced the first deployment of a cementless completion in the Republic of Congo during the second quarter of 2019
Building on the experience gained through the continuous deployment of the Welltec Annular Barrier (WAB) in the Moho North Albian field which was awarded in the first quarter of 2017, Total E&P Congo has pushed the boundaries of metal expandable annular sealing technology even further by deploying the world’s first cementless completion using the Welltec Annular Isolation (WAI) in open hole.
The WAI uses multiple metal expandable packers to provide long length open hole zonal isolation to replace the functions of traditional cement, leading to significant gains in efficiency in the overall well construction process.
It significantly reduces the free annulus space between the liner/casing and the open hole which can be beneficial in highly layered reservoirs of varying permeability where selective production, stimulation or water shut off is required. In addition to the efficiency gains, the simplified well completions operations enabled by the WAITM eliminated multiple operational risks associated with the cementing process in depleted and over-pressured reservoirs.
Ronan Bouget, the drilling and completions manager of Total E&P Congo, said, “Total E&P Congo have utilised innovative technologies and methods to continually improve the drilling curve on the Moho North Albian field development project.”
“The WAI was deployed as part of the global efficiency drive to reduce drilling expenditure whilst maintaining the beneficial productivity index in this highly heterogeneous carbonate field,” he added.
“Our Albian asset team led by Manfred Bledou and the completion department led by Guillaume Viger worked with Welltec to develop the technology. The simplicity of the WAI enabled us to successfully deploy the technology the first time without operational issues. We delivered a step change improvement in our well construction record and plan to deploy the WAI in subsequent wells - especially those identified as high-risk,” he stated.
Gbenga Onadeko, the senior vice-president, Welltec Africa, added, “The WAI technology will, without doubt, transform how future wells are constructed in the industry.”
