| Popis: |
The objective of this research was to investigate the potential impact of expandable casing technology on the remediation of Sustained Casing Pressure (SCP). Varying magnitudes of SCP exist in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), where over 80% of casing strings exhibiting SCP are production and surface casings, representing a great technical, economic, and environmental risk. Situations in which SCP is observed usually result in costly and frequently unsuccessful remediation efforts. The technique proposed in this project with expandable casing can be done during drilling, producing, or during the abandonment process. A unique bench-scale physical model was used to simulate expansion of a previously-cemented casing under field-like conditions. Experimental measurements obtained during low-percentage casing expansion exhibited improvement of cement integrity with significant changes in the cement sheath. Successful multi-rate flow-through experiments with nitrogen gas showed the effectiveness of this technique in complete closure of microannular gas leakage pathways, providing ideal cement remediation. If implemented, this technology has potential to become a cement remediation technique for leaks behind the casing. |
