Expert: Salim Taoutaou, business development manager, Middle East & Asia, Schlumberger
Cement placement is a critical component of well architecture for ensuring casing mechanical support, protection from fluid corrosion, and most importantly isolating permeable zones at different pressure regimes in order to prevent hydraulic communication.
It has been estimated that 1% of the total operating costs of the petroleum industry could be saved by the correct application of existing corrosion protection technology.
By predicting problem areas, prevention budgets may be spent wisely. It is worthwhile to monitor for weak points since corrosion or damage prevention is cheaper than repair. Finally, precise identification of failure can be used to minimise repair expense.
How should I approach my well integrity programme?
Well integrity management is looked at in three distinct stages. The first stage is during the well design which includes material selection, engineering design, cement design, coating and inhibitors and cathodic protection. The second stage is monitoring of well integrity during the life of the well, locating possible leaks and/or loss of metal. The last stage is how to manage and control any well integrity issues, using specialised products and services.
Schlumberger has a full portfolio of unique cementing technologies that can be used during the design and construction of the well for primary and remedial cementing. In addition, we have a full suite of logging tools namely ultrasonic cement and casing evaluation tools, electromagnetic metal thickness tools and mechanical calipers that will help during the pipe integrity monitoring and inspection of the well. With our logging tools we can identify internal and external wall loss, holes and pits and total metal loss in addition to cement evaluation.
What are the advantages of using this technology?
Using these technologies will primarily ensure the long term well integrity, which will increase the longevity of the well.
This provides more production, less workover and finally big savings to our clients. In addition, for wells that suffer from integrity problems, we can help find the problem using our logging tools before catastrophic failure occurs and if possible, correct it.
What would be your top tips for 2010?
Well integrity is a serious business and needs collaboration between service companies and operators to ensure the long term zonal isolation at the design stage and also to find out the root cause of the loss of the well integrity and how to remedy it.
