Eni planned to install an uncemented 7-in slotted liner with washpipe in a horizontal well in the deepwater Baleine Field offshore Ivory Coast. Operational issues encountered during liner installation are often one of the highest sources of NPT during well construction, industrywide. Numerous challenges can arise, such as the liner string getting stuck before reaching target depth or the running tool not releasing. Resolving these issues can take several days or weeks and may even result in loss of the wellbore. To derisk liner installation, operator and service company experts conduct in-depth analysis, involving multiple studies. However, the inputs are dynamic, interdependent, and often require repeated manual data entry using diverse software packages. Ensuring that all parties involved in the analysis and review have access to the latest data is difficult to coordinate and can lead to errors in the final results.
To facilitate collaborative and coherent planning, Eni trialed the advanced liner installation planning analysis from SLB. The analysis spans the entire liner operation, from running in hole to liner hanger installation and packer setting. Using the extensive tool catalogs within the DrillPlan solution, Eni was able to configure the liner and running string to closely match its equipment. Automatic validation of the liner string configuration against all relevant operating parameters via torque, drag, and hydraulics analyses enabled Eni experts to easily identify potential operational risks and handle them accordingly. The interactive simulation review dashboard facilitated examining the outcomes, while automatic report generation expedited compilation of the >25 analyses in an easy-to-read format. Any subsequent changes to the job design prompted automatic updates to the report.
The Ivory Coast team configured their liner string of choice, including centralizers, running string, and washpipe, in a matter of minutes on first use of the advanced liner installation planning analysis. Automated workflows and comprehensive validations boosted confidence that the liner would reach TD without any issues, provided operational parameters (e.g., weight of the liner in open hole), and ensured setting of the liner hanger and liner top packer. The final prejob report compiling all analyses was generated automatically within 5 minutes of completing the computations.
During the liner installation, Connect BHA™ high-efficiency data streaming service coordinated data collection from multiple surface sources and confirmed that job execution aligned closely with the prejob analysis. Hookloads at TD, for example, were within 1% of predicted values, proving the accuracy of the planning tool and the value of deploying it.
