Express cleanup restores Caspian Sea well with zero flaring

Production ExPRESS™ rapid production response solutions restarted production in a sand-plugged well while avoiding greenhouse gas emissions. Barge mounting alongside the platform saved deck space. Brine recirculation saved additional costs.

A Caspian Sea operator had persistent issues with sand plugging its wells. Because of this, the total production rate in some wells dropped by 20%.

Resolving the issue involved several challenges: Using a workover rig was not an option because of cost and organizational considerations. Limited deck space on the offshore platform restricted the amount of equipment that could be staged there. Strict time constraints were another challenge—the region has harsh winter conditions, so work had to be completed in a short time frame.

The job required both a coiled tubing (CT) service to clean the well by pumping brine and a Production ExPRESS solutions fluid preconditioning service to prevent sand buildup. The issue of limited deck space was addressed by mooring a barge alongside the platform to hold the CT equipment. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the flowback and sand management components were deployed on the platform deck so that recovered fluids could be sent directly to the production line after cleanup, without flaring.

Collaboration and teamwork between the CT and Production ExPRESS solutions teams were required to make the operation a success. The CT was run in hole from the barge and the well was cleaned by pumping brine. At the same time, the Production ExPRESS solutions team processed returns at the surface by separating sand from the effluent. The sand was stored for later disposal by the operator and clean or conditioned brine was sent back to the CT tanks for recirculation. This process continued until the well was sand-free and the flow restored.

The sand management system was the first of its kind that SLB deployed in the region. Production in the revived well increased to nearly 1,500 bbl/d while the zero-flaring solution avoided more than 1,400 metric tons of CO₂e emissions. Brine recirculation also led to cost savings for the operator. SLB Production ExPRESS solutions has continued to provide similar services, reviving other plugged wells in the region and optimizing well production with this unique solution.