Real Time Monitoring of Cement Barrier (P&A)

Challenge

The client needed to perform a validation verification on the tubing/casing cement for a permanent plug and abandon campaign performed abroad. Inorder to prove the regulator that these techniques can be used successfully, the quality of the cement needs to be verified by a positive pressure test.

Solution

Monitoring would be provided by connecting a 3.60in OD IconicDigitalTransponder (iDT) to the Bridge Plug, where the iDT would deliver wireless live well pressure data and transmit the data set directly to the E line receiver mounted in the string. In addition, recording to memory function enables extraordinary sample rate to be stored within the iDT and collected at surface for the end of well reporting.

Operation

The tool string was correlated into place between two sets of perforations. When the plug setting sequence was performed, iDT communication were established and base line pressures above and below the barrier where logged. Before pressurizing the tubing above the barrier, a single iDT command was transmitted to engage “hyper logging mode”. This command allows the iDT to transmit a higher frequent datasets and displays the data in real time at surface via the E line telemetry.  

The client was pleased to see that the iDT performed at a high level of accuracy during the testing and the assurance log from the iDT to prove a successful validation of the cement barrier.

Value Created

Installing monitoring needed no additional runs and conventional bridge plug operations were conducted with the added benefit of real time data. The operation to prove the cement barrier were performed in one run with zero NPT accrued on delivering the result of the leak test. The iDT enabled the client to act according to the test results from the iDT attached to the Bridge Plug and make a quick operational decision to proceed with the permanent plug and abandonment operation.

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