How to avoid the need for well recompletion activity

It is well known across the energy sector that every well comes with its own set of challenges. While some wells will keep producing at a nearly constant rate for years and years, other wells present the operator with setback after setback. In some cases, a well offers so many problems that a recompletion is considered the only viable solution. During a recompletion, a separate well bore is drilled from an existing casing in order to reach the same reservoir, which typically is a costly endeavour.

However, with proper planning and some preventive measures, a CannSeal intervention can often negate the need for a well recompletion. Besides obvious benefits regarding to costs, this also significantly reduces emissions compared to a recompletion.

Maintaining well integrity

One of the key principles to extending the well lifecycle is maintaining the integrity of the well. As the well matures, the risk for uncontrolled release of formation fluids can increase. Typically, operators install several solutions within the completion to reduce these risks, like traditional packers, swell packers and cement annular seals. While these measures can provide some insurance against uncontrolled releases, they aren’t infallible and can fail.

At CannSeal, we have several solutions in place to mitigate these issues. By accurately delivering an epoxy sealant into the micro annulus, or sealing off a leaking production packer, we are able to quickly re-establish well integrity.

Restoring Zonal isolation

Besides establishing well integrity, maintaining zonal isolation is also vital in maximizing the economic life of a well. As the well ages and gets depleted, the water level in the production zones typically rises. This increased water fraction not only hinders production but also increases costs concerning dealing with the excess water production.

An added complexity is that this process doesn’t occur uniformly within the well. Some production zones might suffer water breakthrough quite early on, while other zones remain relatively unaffected during their life cycle. Furthermore, water from waterlogged production zones can spill over into other production zones, creating a cascade of water production issues that can eventually completely kill a well.

Properly maintaining zonal isolation is critical in mitigating these issues. Thanks to our ZonalSeal technology, we can restore zonal isolation in most cases. Run on standard electric wireline, our patented technology will precisely place an annular seal in a single run to stop or reduce water production. Tailored to each application, our epoxy solution will not segregate or slump, making it applicable even for horizontal wells.

The CannSeal advantage

While zonal repair can sometimes be executed using traditional methods, such as section milling or conventional cement seals, our epoxy technologies offer some clear benefits over competing technologies. As we are able to precisely place our epoxy plugs within the well using our custom downhole delivery tool, a CannSeal application often doesn’t need a rig in place. Using for instance an intervention vessel instead of a full rig, CannSeal can offer a much more cost-effective solution than other methods.