T
herootsofcoiledtubing (CT)gobackto1944,whenBritish
engineersdevelopedandproduced long,continuouspipelines
fortransporting fuel fromEnglandtotheEuropeancontinent
tosupplytheAlliedarmies.Today,CT isoneof the fastestgrowing
segmentsof theoilfieldservicessector.Accordingto ICoTA (Intervention
andCoiledTubingAssociation), intheUSthecoiledtubingunitcount
hasgrown from217units in1999tomorethan568 in2013.Drivenby
advances intechnologyandattractiveeconomics,coiledtubing isused
toperformanever‑growing listof fieldoperations.Whilewellserviceand
workoverapplicationsstillaccount formorethan75%ofCTuse,withthe
expansionof fracturingtechnology,CTusehas increaseddramatically in
horizontalwells.
Amissioncriticalcomponentofanymodern
completionsprogramme
Untilafewyearsago,theuseofcoiledtubing infracturingwasuncommon.
Historically,CTfracturingmethodswere limitedtoplacementofsmall
fractures intheformation,oruse insomeacidisingsituations.However,
theabilitytotap intovastnewoilandgasresources inshaleformations is
drivinganewwaveofCTutilisation.Theshifttodrillinghorizontal laterals
inshaleoilandgasplayshas ledmorecompaniestoemploycoiledtubing
unitsforwellcompletionand interventionwork.
InNorthAmerica,CT israpidlybecomingthe ‘toolofchoice’ inmost
horizontalwellstomillupfracplugsorcleanupafterthestimulations.The
reasonsfor integratingCT intoawellprogrammearesimpleandpowerful:
greaterefficiencyandfastertime‑to‑production.Generallyspeaking,CT is
two‑to‑threetimesfasterthandoingthesame jobwithaworkoverrig.As
aresult,operatorscancompletemoreofthewells intheirdrillingportfolio
andgetthemonlinequicker,sohydrocarbonscangetflowingsooner.
Workinglive,savingtime
AprimarybenefitofCTistheabilitytoperform interventionson livewells.
WhenusingCTforthecompletionofanoilorgaswell,there isnoneed
tokillthewell.Livewell interventionseliminateunforeseenformation
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