Cementless completion packers to replace the cement
Saltel Expandable Steel Packers can meet requirements from most challenging applications. Likewise, we can find cementless completions among these applications. Annular Zonal Isolation Packers (AZIP) offer a life-of-the-well annular sealing efficiency.
Nowadays, primary cementing is the most common technique to.
- Achieve sealing between the casing and the formation.
- Isolate individual zones and prevent annular flow.
Primary cement is critical but it fails
Field statistics proved it many times. Primary cement is a critical phase in securing a gas, water, injector, or oil producer well. The cement sheath seals between the casing and the formation. It isolates key zones and prevents annular flow. As such, the oil field considers primary cementing as one of the most vital steps in well construction. By the way, as an isolation option, primary cementing is likely to fail. Subsequently, these potential failures might jeopardize the expected life of well annular isolation.
Operators need this critical downhole annular isolation. Many use annular packers based on hydromechanical or rubber swellable packers to secure cement.
More and more operators rely on Saltel Xpandable* expandable steel packers. The metal packers overcame many issues related to conventional cement operations. Likewise, Saltel metal packers provide superior zonal isolation under various well conditions.
In addition, using Saltel metal packers simplifies and reduces the well construction process’s risk. Besides, It provides significant cost savings due to reductions in rig time and materials.
On top of that, Saltel designed life-of-well pressure compensation valves at each extremity of its Packers. This brought a robust feature in the packers’ ability to back up or replace cement in the long run.
This page proves how Saltel packers work.
- As reliable hydraulic seals between the formation and the casing.
- As a backup and robust alternative to primary cementing.
These statements explain the utility of expandable steel in cement replacement.
The importance of zonal isolation
Zone isolation is one of the essential functions of designing, and executing a cement job.
To achieve end objectives, clients must think casing integrity and primary barriers. Zone isolation considers many variables and different downhole challenges such as.
- Weak formations.
- Excessive washouts.
- Over pressurized gas and fluid zones.
- Deviated and horizontal well trajectories.
- Poor casing centralization.
- Salt formations.
- HPHT conditions.
These issues often lead to pumping complex and expensive cement systems to achieve a hydraulic annular seal. This consequence always comes up coupled with demanding operations in terms of equipment and conveyance costs.
Expandable steel packers, (AZIP and ECP) are getting more and more considered as dependable barriers for cement backup and cement replacement.
This is further complicated because the amount of zone isolation required is often difficult to qualify, and measuring the success of a cement job can be difficult.