Repair fracture port with restricted ID

An operator needed to restore well integrity to begin fracturing a well in Cochrane, Alberta, Canada. A prematurely open fracture port at stage 30 of 36 stages required a patch, but heavier-weight pipe uphole and lighter-weight casing in the zone to be sealed made the operation challenging. The largest ball size required to pass through the set patch had an OD of 3.25 in [82.55 mm] and the fracture ports could only be milled out to a maximum ID of 4.56 in [115.82 mm] to gain access to port 30.

Accommodate different inner diameter requirements with moldable patch

The well was killed using 7% KCl water before Saltel Industries placed a 5.5-in [139.7-mm] reinforced patch to seal the leaking fracture port. The top of the patch was set in 4.89-in [124.21-mm] nominal ID casing, pressed out over the restricted 4.56-in [115.82-mm] ID fracturing port, then pressed back into the nominal casing ID. A drift ring confirmed a final ID of 4.193 in [106.502 mm], enabling fracturing operations to restart with the largest fracturing ball passing through the patch easily.

Completed fracturing operation with no leaks

All 29 stages of the well were fractured at 8,400 psi [58 MPa] pressure with a pump rate of 44 bbl/min [7.04 m³/min]. The patch withstood all 29 stages of fracturing with no leaks. The repair was a major success for the operator, because the well became one of its highest-volume producers in the Cochrane area.