Published on 11 April 2019
Xpandable Steel Annular Zonal Isolation Packer ensures effective zonal isolation
Openhole horizontal oil producer well successfully recompleted with AZIP Packers combined with active ICDs in Zelten field, Libya.

Context
With known reserves of 43.1 billion barrels of oil equivalent (36.7 billion barrels of oil, 37.7 trillion cubic feet of gas, 0.1 billion barrels of natural gas liquids), the Sirte (Sirt) Basin province ranks 13th among the world’s petroleum provinces. Ageing horizontal wells from the Zelten field tend to face excessive water breakthrough. The client experienced a similar case in one of his open hole porosity producer wells. Production tests showed a severely reduced oil rate of 210 barrels of oil per day (BOPD), and they noticed an increase in the water cut from 50 to 80% on natural flow. Schlumberger recommended a workover to recomplete the well with active in-flow control devices (ICD) and open hole packers, to reduce drastically the water cut, and take control of the production.
Solution
The completion after workover
Schlumberger recommended the following
recompletion string:
- 5in x 7in Liner hanger with Liner top packer
- 5 Saltel Xpandable AZIP-W 4.5in
- 12 Premium Port ICDs
Setting depths
