Single-Trip Subsea Completions

Abstract Reliability of completion equipment and rig time are becoming more and more critical for subsea completions because of continually increasing water depths in which operators are being required to complete wells. In addition, completion designs must reflect the more stringent economic requirements of today's oil and gas industry. This paper will describe the use of a single-trip completion system that has been successfully and economically installed in the offshore Marimba and Bonito fields of South America. This new completion system has the capability to land the tubing hanger and install it in the wellhead before setting the packer and compensating for subsequent tubing movement.1 The new system also can employ pre-job calculations — based on initial well conditions and anticipated conditions during production — that help determine appropriate completion configurations and bottomhole equipment compatibility. Many failures in offshore wells, whether platform or subsea, can be attributed to inappropriate application of downhole completion tools or methods.2 Use of pre-job calculations during the equipment design stage can facilitate proper selection of design criteria and can help ensure operational safety and cost efficiency. The development of this new completion system will be discussed in detail. Three case histories that document successful test completions will be reviewed along with the economic gains and advantages that the reduction in rig time generated.