Frank Hartley
Drilling & Production Editor
HOUSTON -- Swellable elastomer packers can provide assurances for zonal isolation when primary cement jobs are difficult, or in critical areas of well construction to ensure long term well integrity, said Tim Davis with TAM International at the 2008 DOT conference in Houston.
Davis said the deepwater environment presents numerous challenges when it comes to cementing casing such as at shallow depths, low temperatures, where small differences between pore and frac pressures require special cementing practices. He added that long openhole-highly deviated production intervals present problems with extreme temperature and pressure changes and hole cleaning when displacing primary cement jobs.
Davis said that often it is only after a well is placed on production that data suggests a lack of zonal isolation. The cost of remedial intervention at this point is large compared to the cost of including swellable packers in the initial well completion design.
02/13/2008
