Advancements in SPOOLABLE Completions to Accommodate Wireline Operations

Abstract The benefits of SPOOLABLETM completion systems have become more apparent as the technology develops. Advancements in the first generation of center-set spoolable products have led to the development of concentric throughbore and wireline retrievable technology. This technology includes such products as through-bore, surface-controlled subsurface safety valves, tubing-retrievable, concentric, gas lift valves and wireline-retrievable center set gas lift valves. The advantages of these products is the ability to perform wireline operations, including bottom hole surveys, well control and gas lift valve installation and retrieval through the coiled tubing without pulling the string. This paper discusses the development and testing of these products along with manufacturing the system assembly and developing installation methods specific to spoolable completions. In addition, typical completion designs including options for hanging the completion and bottom hole seal assemblies are reviewed. Issues such as helical buckling and residual bend inherent in coiled tubing installations affecting the ability to perform standard wireline operations in coiled tubing completions are discussed. Extensive wireline testing has demonstrated the ability to set and retrieve a gas lift valve through several spoolable completion products. The results and implications of these significant tests are detailed in this paper.