WELL COMMANDER Versatile multi-cycle ball-activated drilling valve for mitigating downhole hazards
Mitigating drilling and completion hazards before they get out of hand means the difference between a well that is constructed efficiently and one fraught with nonproductive time (NPT) and severe cost overruns. Potential issues are magnified in select applications such as extended-reach drilling (ERD), tortuous well paths, spotting lost circulation material (LCM) in loss-prone/ fractured intervals, and underbalanced and managed pressure drilling, to name a few.
However, all-too-often a restrictive BHA limits the flow rate and annular velocity required to clean the hole during drilling or displacement operations. BHA restrictions can also limit the size and concentration of LCM and wellbore strengthening material (WSM) needed to seal troublesome zones.
With our multi-cycle, ball-activated WELL COMMANDER? drilling valve, M-I SWACO, a Schlumberger company, provides an alternate circulation path that effectively bypasses BHA restrictions. Ideal for use with all types of drilling fluids and clear brines, the WELL COMMANDER tool is positioned above sensitive BHA components, measurements-while-drilling (MWD) tools, logging-while-drilling (LWD) tools, core barrels, mud motors, and the like. Once in place, the advanced hazardmitigation tool can be opened to create an alternate path used to boosts annular velocities that prevent drilling hazards such as the build-up of cuttings beds during drilling or debris removal in completion operations. Additionally, this state-of-theart drilling valve allows you to spot lost circulation and wellbore strengthening pills exactly where you want them, without having to worry about exceeding the size and concentration limit of tools in the BHA prone to plug.
The ultra-versatile WELL COMMANDER tool has demonstrated unmatched efficiency in a host of critical applications, including:
1.Drilling ERD and tortuous wells;
2.Spotting high concentration LCM or killweight fluid;
3.Removing cutting beds;
4.Operating in high-pressure applications;
5.Combining a drilling valve with other ball activated tools;
6.Boosting annular velocities in under reaming operation;
7.Conditioning fluid and displacing at high flow rates.
The WELL COMMANDER drilling valve has a generous area port designed to deliver high flow rates that save time while spotting LCM treatments or kill-weight fluids; its large total flow area allows the tool to be used to spot very aggressive treatments. The WELL COMMANDER tool also helps avoid problems such as cuttings beds and pack offs in high-angle, tortuous path and ERD wells, while reducing circulating time during large volume fluid conditioning and displacements.
In addition, by bypassing restrictive BHA equipment, the tool allows you to drain even small-diameter work strings during a trip. The WELL COMMANDER drilling valve avoids the risk of spilling drilling fluid at the rotary table by ensuring the viscous pill functions properly every time and at any angle, thus promoting a safer and cleaner work environment.
The WELL COMMANDER drilling valve is field-proven as the ideal tool for mitigating the host of hazards in operations prone to lost circulation, wellbore instability, or in wellbores with inherent hole-cleaning challenges. The WELL COMMANDER tool assists in removing cuttings beds in high-angle/horizontal wells by boosting annular velocities.
The extremely versatile and reliable tool also permits easy spotting of LCM during drilling or WSM during an M-I SWACO I-BOSS? wellbore strengthening operation. The WELL COMMANDER tool enhances hole cleaning during holeopening/ under reaming applications; this is only possible due to the unique design of the bypass ball catcher, which allows the placement of other ball drop operated tool below the WELL COMMANDER tool. The WELL COMMANDER drilling valve combined with an under reamer is powerful because the operator no longer has to choose between a circulating valve or an under reamer.
In ERDs and wells affected by low fracture pressure gradients, the WELL COMMANDER tool can help spot WSM pills in problematic zones without having to route treatments through the BHA and bit. To simplify underbalanced and managed-pressure drilling (UBD/MPD) operations, the WELL COMMANDER tool can be opened to permit the spotting and removal of kill-weight fluid in the vertical section prior to tripping and drilling ahead. It can remain open while tripping out of the hole to avoid swabbing and permit tripping dry.
As an added bonus, the WELL COMMANDER drilling valve is effective for use in conditioning wellbore fluids at high flow rates in any drilling or displacement string. The tool is also used to help drain the drillstring during trips, effectively minimizing swab pressures, while maximizing fluid discharge through the tool to enhance tripping efficiency.
Another example of the extreme versatility of the WELL COMMANDER tool is the design and positioning of the ports, which allow for jetting BOP cavities at high flow rates when tripping out of the hole, saving a dedicated BOP clean out trip.
Case History
The Situation
The rig encountered a drilling break in the 6 1/8 in section of the Prudhoe Bay well and took a kick 200 ft below the casing shoe. The rig pulled up 20 ft (6 m) off bottom. After the well was shut in, it was confirmed that it was not static and instead was taking gains. After pumping kill mud and controlling the well, the crew tried to pull on the drillstring during on-bottom circulation, at which time it was discovered the BHA was differentially stuck. A joint decision was made to try to fish the radioactive source through the BHA. The radioactive source was stuck 110 ft below the casing shoe and regulations dictated that a cement plug had to be set 200 ft above the source. If the sources were not removed, the well had to be abandoned.
The Solution
The fishing assembly selected to recover the lost radioactive sources would need to pass through the 5 in WELL COMMANDER ball-activated drilling valve and the bypass ball catcher. A team of Schlumberger and M-I SWACO engineers tested the selected fishing assembly at the local M-I SWACO facility. After confirming the 1.2835 in OD fishing assembly would pass through the 1.30 in drift of the ball catcher, the radioactive fishing operation commenced.
The Results
The radioactive sources were successfully fished through the 5 in WELL COMMANDER tool on the first attempt. The BHA was then backed off on top of the ball catcher and left in the hole after being cemented. This allowed the operator to sidetrack the well in open hole and continue drilling, thus avoiding major complications with the well and regulatory authorities.
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