Coil Tubing Unit- A Second Generation Work

over Rig
INTRODUCTION
The Coiled Tubing (CT) is a second-generation hydraulic system for well
servicing under pressure. It is a versatile tool and its use has many
advantages such as:
1. Allows live well servicing.
2. Since kill fluid is not used, there is no formation damage
3. Allows circulation while RIH & POOH
4. Faster method with maximum handling speed of 250 ft/min.
5. Only method for packer completed wells.
6. Logging & perforating of highly deviated wells.

Coiled Tubing Applications:

Use of coil tubing for well servicing or others can be classified in two groups:
B.

A.
Conventional CT operations
Advance CT operations

Conventional CT Operations :

A.1. Jetting for production/activation:

Years ago when most drilling was performed in virgin reservoirs, initiating flow was not
a problem. Most reservoirs had enough pressure to unload the completion fluid without
any artificial help. However, with declining reservoir pressure, an external aid is often
required to initiate flow.
Until recently, swabbing was very commonly practiced method to
unload the well.
But swabbing is very slow and can be very
dangerous.
With the advent of CTU, many operators gave up
swabbing.

The CTU is rigged up on the well. There should be an adjustable

choke in the flow downstream of the wing valve or a choke body that
could be used if needed. The flow-line must be secured to prevent
movement, should high volume flow occur. All surface equipment
should be pressure tested prior to going in the hole.
The normal procedure when jetting for production is to circulate gaseous nitrogen
through CT as soon as it RIH and return is monitored. Well is unloaded up to
desired/designed depth or till the well is active.
If the well could potentially exceed 5,000 psi at surface, the CT is
POOH before the well has a chance to reach that pressure.

Fig. 1: Jetting for production

It is a fast, controlled and economical means of relieving the hydrostatic weight of well
bore fluids. In certain cases like deeper wells or packer completed wells its the only
choice.
There are basically no calculations to be performed when jetting for
production. The nitrogen injection rate required is dependent on pipe
sizes and depth. For most tubular a rate of 150 to 350 SCFM is
usually adequate.
A.2.

Jetting for under balance perforation:

Often a well to be completed is to be perforated in a reservoir of

known pressure.
Since the reservoir pressure is known, the
hydrostatic weight of the well-bore fluids can be adjusted to give a
positive differential pressure towards the well bore when the zone is
perforated. This differential is thought to be very advantageous to
many people. The theory is that with the pressure differential towards
the well-bore, when the zone is perforated, junk from the perforating
gun and any solids around the well-bore will be pushed into the wellbore rather than into the formation. Also, this prevents any of the
well-bore fluids from entering the formation.
Jetting to achieve a pressure differential is very simple. The CTU
should be rigged up and tested as if jetting for production. However,
the depth needed to run the CT is predetermined. The tubing is RIH
while circulating nitrogen. After the desired depth is reached and the
well blows dry, the CT is POOH and rigged down.
As an example consider a well 10,000 feet deep with 9 PPG fluid in the
well bore and having a bottom hole pressure of 2000 psi. The
hydrostatic weight of the well-bore fluid would be 10,000 x .052 x 9 =
4680 psi. Obviously, there is a great pressure differential towards the
formation. If a 500 psi differential is desired towards the well bore,
the depth (X) to which we would have to jet would be as follows:
(10,000-X) x 9 x 0.52 = 1500
Or 10,000-X = 3205
Or X = 6795 feet
If all the fluid up to 6795 feet from surface were jetted from the well bore, there would
be 1500 psi. Hydrostatic weight, which would equal a 500 psi. Differential towards the
well bore.

A.3.

Jetting for zone evaluation:

After a well is drilled to a predetermined depth and open hole logs are
run the well may be found to contain several possible productive
zones. Especially if the well is in unknown area, the operator may
want to evaluate each zone. He can get some information on a zones
potential from a drill stem test or a wire line formation tester, but for
an accurate zone evaluation, the zone must be produced.
The zones in a well may be tested either in open hole or after casing
has been set. If they are tested in open hole, the zone to be tested is
isolated by means of packers. If tested after casing has been set, only
one zone is perforated, thereby isolating it.
Whether tested open hole or through casing, there is normally a rig on
the well. After the coiled tubing unit is rigged up, the coiled tubing is
lowered into the hole while circulating nitrogen as if jetting for
production.
After flow has been initiated or the zone proves to be non-productive,
the tubing is pulled out of the hole and the unit rigged down. If
another zone is to be tested soon, the injector may be set to one side
on the rig floor.
Zone evaluation using CT and nitrogen is advantageous is many ways.
It is fast, thereby saving on costly rig time. It is controlled on the
return line by means of choke and valve and on the CT by means of
hydraulic stripper rubber and blow out preventer. It is economical-often the most economical method that can be used.
A.4.

Jetting to back-flush disposal or Injection well:

Almost all disposal and injection wells experience high pump in

pressure at some time. These high injection pressures may be caused
by several things: (A) Bacteria; (B) introduction of hydrocarbons
through pump plungers or other means; (C) ferrous salts; (D) clay
swelling; (E) foreign fluid filtrates; and (F) emulsions; Regardless of
the cause, it is of the utmost importance to remove the damage and
not enhance the problem by displacing it further back in the reservoir.
Back-flushing the reservoir will usually remove most of the damaging
elements. Back flushing is accomplished by relieving the hydrostatic
weight of the well-bore fluid and allowing the formation to feed into
the reservoir.

The CTU is rigged up on the well and tubing injected into the well
while circulating nitrogen. The CT is lowered to a depth at which flow
stabilized or to bottom, whatever requested by the indentor. The
returns should be monitored closely and the tubing be moved
accordingly as these wells usually give up large quantities of sand and
solids. The flow line should be checked periodically for leaks, as the
sand solids will wear away the metal on elbows and bends. The well
is normally jetted until the returns are free of sand or solids. The
coiled tubing can be picked up and the nitrogen stopped and supply
water turned into the well to observe injection pressure. If pressure is
too high, the well can be jetted longer. In some formations it may be
necessary to bleed the nitrogen off completely before injecting fluid
into the formation.
Some reservoirs may not quit giving up sand. They may be so
unconsolidated as to flow with the formation water. On these wells
injections must begin before flow ceases. These forces the sand in
suspension in the well bore back into the formation. If flow is allowed
to cease, the sand in suspension will fall out and bridge in the well
bore.
Back-flushing a formation utilizing CT and nitrogen is a fast, effective,
and economical method of lowering injection pressures.
This
technique cleans the area around the well bore, which is where the
majority of the problems occur.
The nitrogen injection rate is dependent upon pipe size and depth of
formation. The desired rate would be one that would give a constant
flow without excess gas or spray.
A.5.

Sand washing with Water:

Sand in the well bore of any type well can be a problem. Sand may fill
up to a point that it totally blocks production or injection. This sand
may be formation sand, fracturing sand, or sand from injection fluids
depending on the formation completed in and types of well. In nearly
all cases the sand presents a problem and must be removed from the
well bore.
There are several methods used to remove the sand, including bailing
and circulating. Probably the most common method is to circulate
water to wash the sand from the well bore. Until recent years the only
way to do this was to run concentric tubing into the well bore to
circulate through.

The introduction of CT was a boon to the oil and gas industry. CT

provides quick, efficient, and economical means of cleaning sand and
other solids from a well bore. The design of the CT allows circulation
of fluids or gases while the pipe is being lowered or raised regardless
of depth. With concentric tubing circulation must be stopped while
adding or removing a joint of tubing.
CTU should be rigged up on the well to be washed in the normal
manner. Flow lines should be checked to make sure they are secured.
The choke should be of proper size for well conditions. The CT and all
related surface equipment should be pressure tested before job. The
fluid pump should be hooked up and enough water on hand. The fluid
pump operator should know the maximum pressure allowed on the
CT.
The tubing is RIH at thirty to forty feet per minute while circulating
fluid at a slow rate. Maintaining circulation prevents the tubing from
becoming plugged if it enters solid or plug. The addition of a good
friction reducer to the water will allow circulation at a much better
rate.
When the fill is tagged, circulation should be established to surface
before washing down. At this point caution must be used not to wash
down too fast. In 7 -in casing which holds 22 lbs. of sand per foot,
circulation at a rate of 1/2 bpm, fluid would be laden with 1 lb. of sand
per gallon if washing / penetration rate is 1 foot per minute. With
limited velocity it is evident that a faster washing rate would be
dangerous. If at any time fluid pump stops or circulation stops, the
tubing should be POOH until pump resumes pumping or circulation is
established.
The washing should be continued until the desired depth is reached.
From bottom at least one well volume should be circulated to ensure
removal of all solids. After returns clear up tag bottom again to make
sure no fill has fallen back.
CTU is a safe, quick and versatile tool for cleaning out a wellbore. It is
highly mobile and rigs up and down quickly. The smooth tubing with
no collars is a distinct advantage when washing sand.
A.6.

Sand washing with nitrified water:

Washing sand from well-bore using water as the circulating medium

has been a standard operating procedure for many years. However,
in recent years due to the decline in reservoir pressures, washing with

a column of water is sometimes impossible, especially in deeper wells

with low bottom hole pressures. Often the hydrostatic weight of the
water will overcome the reservoir pressure making it impossible to
circulate to surface.
There are several methods used to overcome the problem of lost
circulation when washing sand. One method is to use a lost circulation
material to plug the zone taking fluid. This will usually work, but
often-irreparable damage is done to the formation. The best and
safest method is to lighten the circulating fluid with gas to a degree
that the hydrostatic weight of a column of the aerated fluid weighs
less then the reservoir pressure.
The CTU unit is rigged up in the normal manner. The fluid pump and
the nitrogen unit are connected together through Y connection into
the CTU reel. After the tubing unit and all surface equipment have
been tested, the tubing is lowered in to the hole while circulating
water and nitrogen. It is wise to circulate the aerated fluid from
surface in order to have an aerated column once the fill is reached.
After tagging the fill, the sand is washed, as would normally be done
using water alone. Caution should be used not to wash too fast.
Judgement must to used in determining wash rate with pipe size,
water pump rate, and nitrogen pump rate considered.
The nitrogen to fluid ratio should be determined prior to starting a job.
This ratio may be determined by using the fluid gradient charts. As an
example let us assume a well with 3000 psi reservoir pressure and
washing with fresh water. From trial and error using different nitrogen
to fluid ratios, we see that 200 scf per barrel will give us a hydrostatic
weight of 2300 psi. Added to the hydrostatic weight will be approx.
500 psi friction pressure for a total circulating pressure of 2000 psi.
This gives us a 200 psi well bore differential, which should be
adequate.
After washing the fill out to the desired depth circulation should be
maintained until the returns are clean. Bottom should be checked to
be sure that no sand has fallen back into the hole. At this point, the
hole may be unloaded by stopping the fluid, or it may be loaded by
stopping the nitrogen. The CT may be POOH and rigged down.
Washing sand from well bore using CT as the work string and aerated
water, as the circulating medium is a fast and economical technique
in low BHP wells. The use of a low-pressure gradient fluid is far
superior to using lost circulation materials.

A.7.

Sand washing with foam:

The simplest method of washing sand from a well bore is to circulate

water through CT. However, if the reservoir pressure is too low to
support a column of water, the water must be lightened with gas. As
aerated water system still may not be practical if the sand to be
washed is at a great depth or is in large diameter pipe. The velocity
achieved in large holes may not be sufficient to carry the sand from
the well bore. The greater carrying capacity of foam may be required.
Foam has long been recognized as a low-pressure gradient fluid with a
very good sand carrying capacity. Foam is a homogeneous mixture of
gas in water emulsion comprised of 65% to 95% gases. Ideally the
gas is nitrogen. Pumping a mixture of 99% water and 1% surfactant
through an atomizer where it is mixed with nitrogen gas generates
foam.
The atomizer acts as a foam generator. Since foam is
comprised mostly of gas, temperature and pressures affect its quality
and rheological properties.
To wash sand from well-bore using foam, the coiled tubing unit is
rigged up in the normal manner. It is a must that an adjustable choke
is provided in the flow line to hold back pressure to maintain foam
quality. The nitrogen discharge and fluid pump discharge are tied into
the atomizer with care being taken that all connections match
correctly. After everything is tested and checked, the CT is RIH.
Circulation of foam should be started at surface. This will displace
any fluids in the hole as the tubing is lowered and assures circulation
of foam once the sand is reached. Back pressure at surface must be
controlled at all times to assure correct foam quality at bottom.
Caution should be used not to wash too fast. Even with the excellent
sand carrying capabilities of foam, it is possible to get the sand
concentration too great. In order to calculate the nitrogen to fluid
ratio a bottom hole treating pressure must be assumed. This pressure
should be somewhat less than the reservoir pressure to assure
circulation without any loss to the formation. After deciding on the
needed bottom hole pressure, the foam calculations are done. Since
a circulating system is being used, a surface back pressure equal to
the bottom hole pressure less the hydrostatic weight of the column of
foam must be maintained to assure foam quality at bottom.

Options:
1. Low
pressure
injection
into
pressurized suction.
2. High pressure
Fig. 2: Sand washing with foam
Once the sand has been washed to the desired depth, circulation should be maintained
until the returns are clean. Bottom should be tagged several times to be sure all sand has
been removed. Once the hole is clean, the well may be jetted in or filled with fluid by
stopping either the water or nitrogen.
The use of foam through CT is safe, fast, and economical and
sometimes the only way to wash sand from a well bore. The sand
carrying capabilities of foam allows sand to be washed from deep,
large diameter holes with limited pump rates and low velocities. This
makes the use of CT practical on wells that might otherwise require a
larger work string.
A.8.

Clean out with a positive displacement motor (PDM)

The CTU is a very good tool for washing sand and other solids from a well bore.
However, there are times when the coiled tubing cannot wash through the fill by jetting.
The fill may be compacted sand, cement, scale or any one of many solids. To wash this
type of fill it must first be drilled through and broken up so it can be washed from the
well. The PDM enables this type of fill to be removed with CT.
PDM Equipment:
The PDM is a tool operated by fluid pressure. The motor is essentially multi-stage pump
run in reverse. The specially designed motor consists of an obround-shaped spiral,
passage stator containing a solid steel rotor, which rotates eccentrically. Shaped in a
regular recurring wave from, this rotor is free to move at the upper end, while the lower
end is attached to a connecting rod. The other end of the connecting rod is attached to
drive shaft. When fluid is pumped under pressure through the tool, it is directed through
the cavity between the rotor and the rubber lined stator. In order to flow to occur, the
rotor is displaced and rotated by the pressure of the fluid column, which rotates the
connecting rod, the drive shaft and finally the bit or mills.
The gelled water is used as driving fluid for drilling. Air should be avoided as far as
possible. Nitrogen should not be pumped through the PDM because the gas dries out
and impregnates the rubber lined stator. Diesel oil, acid, solvent should not be pumped
through PDM. The PDM, however, should not be used to drill materials for which it is
not designed such as nipples, storm chokes, etc.
Installing the PDM on CT:1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

The tubing needed for the job should only be carried as

far as possible. Extra tubing adds to friction pressure and
reduces amount of torque that can be produced by PDM.
The pumper that is meant for PDM job should be capable
of pumping at smooth level rate. In case of surging
discharge, the PDM may not work.
Run the tubing down the injector and take out 2 ft of
tubing down the BOP to work with. Cut the tubing end
with pipe cutter to have a smooth end.
Flare the down end of CT and file the burs if any. Slip the
bowl of the adapter up, then the O-ring. Screw in the flare
nut and tighten with the 'T' wrench.
Make up the bit on the rig floor into the bottom of the
PDM. The rest of the changeover apparatus should be
made up in the bowl of the adapter.
Screw the PDM on. Make sure all connections are tight.
The PDM will be turning at about 850 RPM, if it stalls and
any connection loosens more than likely the tool will break
off.

CT tool assembly
Drill
Drill Bit
Scale Buildup

Scale Build up

Fig. 3: Clean out with PDM

PDM operational procedure: 1.
2.
3.

4.
5.

6.

Install a lubricator long enough to house the PDM without

allowing it to obstruct the master gate valve and just
sufficient to allow injector to be installed at well head.
Record all the measurements of bit, PDM, change over sub
before lowering into the well.
Test PDM at surface before lowering in the well by
establishing pumping rate of 1/2 to 3/4 bb1 per minute
(18 to 22 GPM). Note the pump pressure for future
reference. It is very important that the fluid pump
operator knows to pump at a constant rate and what his
maximum pressure should be.
Pressure the CT to that of well- head pressure. Open the
master gate valve and run in at a very low speed. Run in
the tubing to the desired depth while doing circulation.
Tag obstruction and pick up approximately 25 ft. and
establish a constant pump rate and steady pressure. The
drill is then lowered on the fill. A pressure increase of 250
psi is desired. This differential indicates rotation of PDM at
desired rpm. If a greater pressure differential is read, it
means the bit has stalled. A pressure drop could mean a
hole in the CT or washed out seal or bearing in the PDM.
Keep the drilling rate fairly low. If the pressure differential
goes above 300 psi tool should be picked up untill the
original pressure is obtained and then lower back on the
fill. Keep close watch on pump pressure, weight indicator
and return from well.

7.
8.
9.
10.

A.9.

In case of small diameter pipes, water with friction

reducer can be used for removal of cuttings, but in larger
pipes guar gum gel should be used to lift cutting / sand.
After drilling for 10 ft. pick up to original depth and make
two to three passes in new hole and then drill further.
When drilling is finished, pick off the bottom and circulate
to the bottom untill it is clean. Keep the string
reciprocating up and down.
After the return is clear of any debris of cutting, pull out
the string. Remove the PDM from tubing and rig down the
unit
Paraffin Removal

A problem that has plagued producers since the discovery of the first
oil well is that of paraffin deposition on well tubular. This is especially
true for oils with a high asphaltine base. The low ends of oil may build
up on the tubular to the extent of completely shutting off production.
There are several factors that influence the degree of paraffin build
up:
1.
Chemical composition of the produced oil.
2.
Bottom hole temperature of producing reservoir.
3.
Rate of production.
4.
Interval length of fresh water sands.
5.
Heat transfer of media in annulus
Often there is more than one contributing factor leading to paraffin
build up. The whole cause of paraffin deposition is the cooling of the
produced oil, which causes the low ends of the oil to solidify. These
solids begin adhering to the tubular walls and to each other and will
eventually reduce or stop flow.
An effective method of relieving paraffin build-up is to melt the
paraffin with hot oil/hot water/chemicals. Specially designed HOT OIL
UNITS are used to heat the lease oil/water to a temperature of 200 to
500 F and either bullhead it into the well or circulate it through a
work string. If the paraffin depositing is solid it will often have to be
washed out with a work string.
The CT is an excellent tool used in conjunction with hot oil for the
removal of paraffin. The CTU is rigged up in standard manner. A high
temperature pack-off rubber should be used in the pack-off. The hot
oil trucks discharge line is connected to the rotating hub of the CTU

reel. Hot oil/hot water/chemicals should be circulated through the CT

until the CT is hot prior to going in the hole.
Circulation of the hot fluid should be maintained from surface to
approximately 500 feet below the fresh water zones. Circulation
should be maintained for at least two hours after reaching the desired
depth. This will ensure melting away all the paraffin rather than
simply washing a hole through it. Returns should be monitored to be
sure the oil is hot enough to melt the paraffin before circulation is
stopped.

Fig. 4: Paraffin removal with Hot Oil

Extreme caution should be used when working around hot
oil/chemical. If the hot oil/chemical should come in contact with
someone, it adheres and creates a much more severe burn than
would hot water. Extreme care should be used when moving the
coiled tubing while circulating hot fluid.
The design of the CTU makes it ideal for use with hot fluid. No other
work string enables continuous circulation from surface to bottom.
The CTU also has a very effective blowout preventer and pack-off

assembly. Its operation is fast effective and economical. Usually

production can be restored in hours where days or weeks may be
spent bailing.
A.10.

Acid Spotting

Sometimes we come across a problem that there is practically no

injectivity or very poor injectivity, while checking injectivity prior to
stimulation job. One such condition may be a lack of penetration on
initial perforating. Re-perforating sometimes alleviates this problem.
Another condition that sometimes exists is severe well-bore damage
caused by drilling fluids. Whatever be the problem, spotting acid
across the perforations will usually clean the well-bore and formation
face sufficient to allow fluid penetration into the reservoir.
The use of a CTU is an ideal means of spotting acid-across-a formation. The CT is run
to the bottom of the perforations. The volume of acid required to cover the perforated
interval is pumped down the CT. The acid is followed by water to displace the acid.
After the acid is displaced out of the CT, the tubing is picked up above the perforations.
This prevents the acid from being displaced up the hole. If the production tubing is full
of water, the wing valve may be closed and fluid pumped down the CT to check ability
to pump into the formation. If the production tubing is not full of fluid, it should be
filled with fluid or pressured up with nitrogen to determine if formation is open. If still
unable to pump into the formation, it may be necessary to wash the formation face with
more fresh acid.
A.11.Spotting a Cement plug
There are occasions when an operator would need to seal off a set of
perforations for various reasons like (a) Gas shut off, (b) Water shut
off or (c) Abandoning a well. A common method to seal off an
unwanted zone is to spot a cement plug above the zone.
CTU is rigged up on the well and the tubing and surface equipment
tested. The exact tubing capacity is determined by pumping water
with food coloring or dye from a calibrated tank.
After the CT is lowered into the well to the desired depth, which may be checked
against known plug back or with tubing end locator, the cementing truck may begin
pumping. The number of feet of pipe that the volume of cement pumped will fill, should
be calculated. With the CT located at the depth of the bottom of the cement plug, cement
is pumped into the CT followed by displacement fluid. When the measured capacity of
the CT has been pumped, the CT should be raised at a rate corresponding to the pump
rate. This will ensure leaving a solid plug of cement without getting the cement up
around the outside of the CT. By the time all of the cement has been pumped through

the CT, end of the tubing should be located at the top of the plug. The CT should be over
displaced by at least one barrel. The tubing can now be POOH and rigged down.
The cement plug should be allowed to set. The plug can then the
tested with pump pressure for sealing and with wire-line for depth
placement.
The CTU provides an excellent method of spotting cement plug. No rig
is required and the entire operation can be completed in a matter of
hours. The well can be returned to production much quicker.
A.12.Zone Squeezing with Cement
There are times when an operator needs to abandon a perforated
interval near a proposed zone. There may not be adequate space to
set a cement plug between the zones; therefore, the unwanted
interval must be squeezed off. The cement is squeezed back into the
perforations leaving none inside the pipe.
The CTU is rigged up, tested and the tubing capacity accurately
determined. Large diameter CT is preferred because of high friction
pressures involved in pumping cement slurries. The mud gel or sand
slurry of specific gravity, higher than that of cement slurry is
circulated below perforation to be squeezed. The cement is pumped
down the tubing just as if spotting a plug. After the cement has been
spotted and the tubing over displaced, the tubing should be raised
100 feet above the cement. If the well is full of fluid the wing valve
should be closed and water pumped down the CT. Pumping should
continue until the production tubing reaches approximately 1000 psi.
This pressure should be maintained for about 15 minutes. If unable to
pressure up to 1000 psi, it may be necessary to run another batch of
cement. The pressure is then bled off and a contaminate solution
( bio-polymer ) is circulated through the cement left in the casing so
as not to allow cement to settle in the casing. After circulating
contaminant solution the CT should be raised 500 ft. above the
interval or POOH depending on the operators choice. After cement in
the perforations has had sufficient time to set up, contaminated
cement from well bore is circulated out using water. The well should

then

be

pressured

up

to

1000

psi

and

should

hold

Fig. 5 : Cement squeeze through CT

that pressure for one hour. If it does not hold the pressure, the
cementing process is repeated until the pressure holds. A higher
pressure may be applied at the discretion of the operator.

Squeezing the cement while it is in the CT should not be done. This method has been
attempted and has not proven successful. Several strings of CT have been cemented up
trying this.
The CTU provides an excellent means of squeezing off a zone
furnishing following advantages.
1.

Costly and damaging post-squeeze drill out procedure are

eliminated.

2.

More accurate placement of cement with lower required

cement volume.

3.

Cement squeezes may be performed through tubing and

below permanent packer.

4.

Cement squeezes can be performed successfully in highly

deviated wells.

A.13.Circulating to kill a well

Often an operator will need to kill a well for various reasons. He may
need to change some tubing, work on the tree, run some down hole
tools or to control a near blow out condition when there is no tubing
inside. The mechanical condition of the well may prevent pumping of
killing fluid into the well from surface. Even if able to pump into the
well, the operator may not want to force the fluid into the formation.
The other method of killing the well would be to circulate water or
mud down a work string until sufficient hydrostatic pressure is
established.
A proven method of killing a well is by circulating water or brine down
the CT. The CT is used just as a work string except it offers the
capability of circulating as it is lowered into the hole.
It is very important to have an adjustable choke in the flow line. As
the tubing is lowered and fluid circulated, as much back pressure as is
practical should be held on the production tubing by means of the
adjustable choke. By using the adjustable choke correctly, the gas is
bled off and the fluid remains in the hole.
After running the CT to bottom or to a depth sufficient to establish a
hydrostatic weight greater than the bottom hole pressure, circulation
is maintained and gas bled off until a solid column of fluid is

established. The greater the pump rate, the faster this is

accomplished. After the well is subdued, it is wise to circulate a
volume equal to the well-bore capacity to be sure no gas pockets
remain in the well. The CT can then be POOH and rigged down.
The process of killing a well can be very time consuming. Many factors
such as pressure, well productivity index, and pipe sizes affect the
case with which a well can be killed. However, the speeds of rigging
up and going in and out of the hole make the CTU an excellent means
of killing a well.
A.14.Gelled sand slurry placement
Placement of sand plugs to temporarily isolate one or more
perforation or creating a base for cement plug or cement squeeze job
is very popular in oil industry.

Well # XX

Coil Tubing.

Casing 5.1/2"

563
=
~6"

CT Connector.
Check Valve
Assembly.
Wash Nozzle.

Sand Plug.
upto 594m.
715

4.0MT Sand

Fig7: Sand slurry placement

Deployment of CTU enables to carry out these jobs very effectively.
Initially well bottom or top of the obstruction is checked by CTU.
Depending on the hole size and length of fill, exact volume of sand is
pumped through pumper (without CTU) and is allowed to settle down.

Again bottom is checked by lowering CT and if excess sand is found it

is cleared by circulation so that sand top is at the desired depth.

B.

Advance CT operations

B.1.

Completion with Coil Tubing

Coil tubing can be utilized as a production or an injection string. This has been proved to be
more cost effective than conventional integral joint tubing.
Three primary applications in which coil tubing can be used as a permanent installation are I)
II)
III)
I)

Well Treating Strings,

Gas Lift
Production Siphon / Velocity String.

Well Treating Strings

There are wells that need treatment at regular intervals or sometimes continuously. These
treatments may be to rectify various problems such as corrosion, paraffin deposits, salt deposits,
chemical deposits and many others. Often treating fluids are injected down the annulus and
allowed to flow back up the tubing. However, packer completed wells cannot be treated in this
manner. In these wells, the treating fluid is often bull- headed into the well and can load the well
and stop production. To alleviate this problem, a treating string is run into the well to allow
regular or continuous circulation of treating fluids.
CTU allows installation of a treating string quickly, economically and with no loss of production
or down time. CT as a treatment string permits injection up to one BPM & 5000 psi. Typical
treating fluids are as follows: 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Fresh water to dissolve salt and to keep it in suspension.

Methanol to avoid hydration problem in gas wells having combination of CO 2, H2
S and free water.
Water and inhibitor or diesel and inhibitor to protect the tubular from corrosion.
Solvents or hot oil to keep paraffin deposits dissolved.
Acids to treat deposits such as salt of iron and calcium.

II)

Gas Lift String

An oil-producing reservoir may have a decline in pressure to the extent that the hydrostatic
weight of the produced oil overcomes the reservoir pressure. Increase in water cut will increase
hydrostatic head & subsequently leads to ceasure of production. In all these cases, the gas lift can
lighten the well bore fluids to the extent that they can be flowed to surface. CTU offers a fast and
economical means of installing a gas lift system.
There are many ways to set up gas lift system. Each system must be designed to operate
effectively under the circumstances involved with a particular well. The well may require only
single-point lifting or multi-point gas lifting. In multi-point gas lifting, ports are drilled in the
coiled tubing walls. External valves may be affixed to the CT to promote fluid up the CT. The
type of gas lift system needs to be designed and preparations to be made for its installations prior

to rig up the CT on the well. A CT string for gas lifting is very effective in evaluating the
feasibility of a gas lift in a particular well. After evaluation, the CT can be retrieved. If the tubing
is left in the well permanently, it is an effective and economical means of gas lifting a well.
III)

Production siphon / velocity string

In depleted gas reservoirs with liquid production, the flow rates through the production tubing
may not provide sufficient velocity to lift the produced fluids. In these wells, the produced fluid
falls back and increase the flowing bottom-hole pressure, decreasing the flow rate and often
building a hydrostatic head sufficient to kill the well. Manually unloading and/or soaping or
swabbing are usually required to re-establish production. Higher velocities through the smaller
ID coiled tubing/CT-Tbg annulus will continuously lift produced fluids and decrease the flowing
bottom-hole pressure sometime allowing dramatic production rate increase.
To determine whether a well has been slugging or exhibiting a sharp decline in production rate
might be a candidate for a siphon string, a computation should be made of the maximum pipe
I.D. that will deliver the necessary velocity in gas to support continuous lifting of the produced
fluids. Optimum CT size and depth can be determined through software (considering IPR and
tubing performance curve) and economics may be worked out.
If the calculated maximum allowable I.D. is less than the I.D. of the present production tubing,
the well may experience liquid loading problem and it can be alleviated by installing CT as
siphon string. It is an intermediate step before installing artificial lift.
For installing the CT as permanent string requires special kind of tools like:
1.

Tubing Hanger Spool: - This is available in various pressure rating and different
flange connections to fit directly on existing X-mas tree. It houses the hanger
packer assembly. These are basically of two types; one is to lower coil tubing in
live wells and other one is to use in dead wells. Both are shown in the figures.

Fig. 8: Tubing Hanger

2.

Hanger / Packer Assembly: - The hanger / packer assembly holds the coil tubing
with the slips and isolate the coil tubing from coil tubing / production tubing
annulus with the help of viton packer. The weight of tubing is taken by pack off
packer. Hold down & hanger screws keep the coil tubing in the center.

Fig. 9: Hanger/ Packer Assembly

B.2.

3.

Pump -off Check Valve: - The pump-off check valve provides a convenient
means of preventing back flow through the tubing and then removal, leaving a full
opening for flow through the coil tubing. The removal is accomplished by
pumping the trip ball down to seal and applying the required pressure. The
number of brass shear screws adjusts shear pressure.

4.

Back Pressure Valve: - By installing the back pressure valve nipple with valve in
place, at the hang - off point, prior to starting the tubing installation, the tubing
can be run under pressure with no fear of collapsing the coil tubing. After the
tubing has been landed and the tree re-installed above the Tubing Hanger, the
valve can be retrieved and the well resumes production. Should the coil tubing
need be retrieved for any reason, the Back pressure Valve must be re-installed and
the tubing can be pulled out.

5.

Back Pressure Valve Retriever: - This removes back pressure valve from
landing nipple under pressure.

6.

Safety Clamp: - The safety clamp holds the coil tubing while inserting hanger/
packer assembly; to ensure safety of personnel working; in case slip ram or B.O.P.
fails.
CT Conveyed Inflatable Packer

CT conveyed inflatable packers have increased the demand for CT services many fold. Some of
the applications are:

1.
To seal off water production or depleted zone
2.
For leak detection in tubing
3.
Acidising through a gravel pack screen with straddle packer
4.
Seal off the top of a gravel pack
5.
Acidising beneath gas lift mandrels or tubing leaks
6.
Selective acidising of multiple zones
7.
Applications with velocity string
Among all these applications, selective acidization is the most popular in ONGC.

Fig. 10: CT conveyed packer

Fig. 11: Through tubing packer operation

Selective acidization:
To remove formation damage, acid spotting through CT is very common. But acid has a
tendency to go into the path of least resistance i.e. with less skin or damage whereas the main

aim of acidization is to remove maximum formation damage. Hence for better control of acid
job some diverter has to be used depending on completion type.
Depending on completion types inflatable flow control devices or gas liquid emulsion can be
used. Some common completion types are:
(a)
Open hole completions: Offers minimum well-bore flow
control. Irregular bore hole surfaces make running of CT
and stimulation tools difficult. Inflatable packers or bridge
plugs have been effective for zone isolation.
(b) Slotted liner completions: Offers no isolation between casing
and bore hole. Fluidized diversion is recommended.

B.3.

(c)

Gravel pack completions: Also offers minimum flow controls of treatment

fluid placement. Foamed diversion is often used.

(d)

Perforated casing completions: Cement isolation is well suited for positive

flow control with mechanical or fluidized diverter. CT conveyed packers
(single or straddle) are used to acidize each of the perforations or part of
the perforation selectively for best result.

Under reaming

Normally drill bits/milling tools are lowered with CT conveyed PD motors to drill within
production tubing. With the development of CT under-reamer in 1990, many wells have been
under-reamed eliminating the need of deployment of rigs. Cost saving is enormous when
performed in offshore wells.
An under-reamer is a tool designed to pass through a restriction, open up below the restriction to
clean the hole full gauge and then close up again to be retrieved from the hole. Most common
application is removal of cement left from CT cement squeeze operations. It is also used to clean
out scale and hard fill that can not be removed from liners by jet washing with CT nozzle.

Fig. 12: Under-reaming with coil tubing

Fig.13: Under-reamer
Some essential tools for under-reaming operation are:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)

CT with sufficient torsional strength (size 1-1/2-in or more)

Connector with fishing neck
Two check valves
Hydraulic disconnect
Circulating sub (optional)
Down-hole motor having torque capacity compatible with CT
Under-reamer

B.4.
Fishing
Fishing is always known to be an uncertain job and time consuming. But
even with its limited strength CT is quite popular to carry out fishing
operation to fish out CT, CT conveyed tools, wire-line, lock mandrel stuck in
profile nipples etc.
Advantages and limitations: CT has several distinct advantages. It offers additional tensile strength above that of braided line
and the ability to use heavier tools is helpful in most applications. The capacity to circulate fluid
through the system can also be helpful in some situations. Relatively low cost, quick rig up and
fast trip time are advantages in certain applications.
While CT has many advantages, it also has disadvantages when compared to conventional work
over rigs. Relatively low tensile strength capacity restricts over pull and inability to rotate limits
the use of bent subs, wall hooks and some types of releasing mechanisms that are incorporated

into conventional overshot and spears. CT is more expensive than braided line operations and
cannot use spang jar as effectively due to limited running speed.
Actual well conditions and operational objectives determine whether coiled tubing fishing should
be attempted. To properly evaluate a well as a candidate for CT fishing and make proper
decisions during the operation, supervisors must fully understand the advantage, disadvantage,
strengths and limitations of CT. They must also understand the many available tools and their
appropriate applications. Using this knowledge, the chances of success can be evaluated against
operational cost to determine if CT fishing should be attempted, continued, or if a work over rig
should be used to complete the operation.
Early Coiled Tubing Fishing: When fishing with CT was first undertaken, specialty tools were not available. Overshot and
spears used in wireline fishing operations were modified for use with CT tools. Hydraulic
disconnects and other tools, which were designed for standard coiled tubing applications were
also used for fishing.
These early operations met with some success, but the tools were not optimized for fishing
applications. Overshot that could be shear released with wireline had no such flexibility when
used with CT. Hydraulic disconnects that performed well in other applications had serious
limitations when used with hydraulic jars. Additional or improved tools were needed to
overcome these problems.
A range of CT fishing tools is now available in the market for the operator to choose from to suit
the specific job requirements.
B.5.

Coiled tubing job in Horizontal Well:

The technology of drilling deviated wells has improved to the stage where wells can be
successfully drilled at angels up to 90 from vertical. Servicing of these wells with work over
rigs is time consuming and quite costly when performed in offshore.
Now well servicing in high angle and horizontal well bore is no longer a problem due to
availability of CT. It has the ability to push tools due to its rigidity.
Design for the conventional CT jobs when to be carried out in a well having more than 45
deviation or in a horizontal well is entirely different. As the CT enters deviated portion, axial
friction/ compression force is generated on CT. Initially CT forms a sinusoidal mode then helical
buckling mode. When CT is pushed further, it acts as a spring and fails only when flexibility is
lost. Various software programs are available to analyze tubing force and critical buckling mode.
Using different tools or chemicals operator's choice is to minimize the drag/ axial forces and
perform the operation.

B.6.

Logging and perforating:

Highly deviated extended-reach, horizontal and even inclining well bores are being used
to meet the requirements of increasingly cost and environmental conscious oil and gas
development efforts. High-angle holes have been drilled and completed effectively in
sensitive areas, in zones with little vertical standoff from undesirable fluids, for increased
production over conventional vertical wells and for many other reasons. These
completion types have resulted in new logging and perforating challenges.
Wireline, the most common logging method, is not suitable for high-angle use since it
relies on gravity to help convey tools to desired targets. When well deviation increases
above 60o, the vertical gravity component is often too low to assure that tools will slide
along the well bore, especially in high coefficient of friction environments. Mechanical
problems such as rolled-over casing ledges or squeezed perforation cement nodes
decrease the maximum hole angle in which wireline-conveyed tools can be used. Rollers
or motivators may add an additional 10o of deviation to the functional range of wireline in
optimum hole conditions, but about 70o is considered the upper limit for gravity
conveyed systems.
Mud-pulse logging while drilling (LWD), drill string-conveyed logging and pump down
stringer techniques are available options when drilling or work over rigs are available, but
when a rig is not available or desirable, options are few. CT is currently the most flexible
tool available to convey logging tools in high-angle wells.
Logging with coiled tubing (CTL) is outwardly simple, offering advantages that may, in
some applications, not be available with other methods.(Fig. 35). There are, however,
costly and potentially hazardous pitfalls if the technology is not used properly.
A Brief History
CT used to convey wireline tools is generally credited to Wilbur L. Daniel, U.S. patent
3,401,749, dated September 17, 1968. It was not until 1985, however that CT-wireline
logging became a reality. The delay was due in part to generally poor CT performance
and reliability in the 1960s. By the middle-to-late 1980s, confidence has increased to the
point that operation such as cementing, under reaming and fishing with CT were
becoming commonplace.
In 1985, CTL services were being pioneered independently in two areas for different
reasons. One effort began in April in Alaska's North Slope and involved installing 1/4-in.
7-conductor wireline inside 11/4-in. OD by 0.095-in. WT coiled tubing. Wireline was
installed by laying 15,450 ft. of CT along a reasonably straight pipeline access road with
only a few doglegs and very little traffic. A 0.109-in. OD slickline was pumped through
the CT using shop-fashioned swab cups and a stuffing box on one end of the tubing. The
electric line reel was then attached to the distal end of the slickline. Combining pull from
the electric line end of the CT successfully completed installation. Probably the most
difficult task was backing the lowboy while reeling the coiled tubing-electric line (CTEL)
up off the road. Although wireline installation was completed in August, the first logs

were not run until November 1985 when all the specialized peripheral equipment was
available.
Concurrent with Alaskan efforts, another company developed a CT-conveyed system for
logging horizontals and highly deviated wells. This effort culminated in the logging of a
600-ft horizontal section with a collar locator, gamma ray and acoustic cement bond tool
in 1985. Since then, CT has been used to perform hundreds of logging and perforating
jobs and is available throughout the world. It can now be manufactured with wireline
installed, or arrangements can be made through tubing manufacturers to install electric
line in existing CT reels.

Fig. 14: CT Logging

Advantages of Coiled tubing conveyed wireline operations

B.7.

Convey tools over long distances in high-angle extended-reach and horizontal

wells.
Allow for continuous movement.
Convey tools through short sections of corkscrewed or twisted pipe.
Introduce or reverse circulate fluid down hole
Provide constant pressure control.
Minimize the danger of being "blown up hole".
Record data while drilling, stimulating or performing other tasks.
Electric line remains inside the CT for higher reliability.
Assist specialized applications, like bore hole seismic.

Sand control:

Sand production can severely impair well performance and profitability by damaging production
equipment or by plugging well bore. Sand control in existing wells may be required because of
inadequate initial completion design, re-completion to new intervals or changes in reservoir
production characteristics. The most durable and reliable sand control is by conventional gravel
packing, but in some cases, conventional packs may not be economical or feasible.
Improvements in CT technology and reliability have resulted in better application and increased
acceptance of through tubing sand control. Concentric gravel packing and sand consolidation is
being used more because of advances in equipment, services, down hole tools and fluids.
Candidates for these techniques include conventional completions that begin producing sand and
wells with gravel pack failures. Economical jobs have been performed successfully in several
different well configurations. Some initially non-gravel packed wells are now being designed for
possible through-tubing gravel packing, anticipating sand production later in the completion's
producing life.
Candidate Selection
There are a number of different concentric sand control alternatives that can be performed using
coiled tubing techniques without incurring the expenditure on a conventional gravel pack.
Through-tubing sand control is considered when:
-

Harsh conditions or remote locations make it impractical to perform conventional,

rig-supported gravel pack operations.
Reserves will not pay out conventional gravel pack expense.
Multiple or thin zones cannot be gravel packed individually.

High-pressure formations require potentially damaging and expensive heavy

brines for well control.

Other factors to be considered include interval length expected or required production rates,
water production and overall project costs and economics.
Mechanical Gravel Packs
Mechanical gravel packs are through tubing screens that can pass through minimum production
tubing restrictions and be installed concentrically inside production casing. These small diameter
conventional and pre-packed screens are now being manufactured with greater precision and
higher quality than in the past. In addition, stronger materials, larger tube sizes, heavy-duty units
capable of increased push or pull and better fluids are making concentric installations and
pumping viscous slurries easier and more effective.
There are two through-tubing mechanical gravel pack methods:

Over-the-top squeeze
Wash down.

If properly placed, flow limitations should be about the same as for conventional packs.

Fig. 15: Over the Top Squeeze Pack

B.8.

Fig. 16: Wash Down Pack

Spool able gas lift string:

With the development of CT technology, Spoolable gas lift strings are also available in the
market. Depending on reservoir potential, gas lift valves are fitted within CT at a pre-determined
length by the coil-tubing manufacturer and ready to install in a particular well.
B.9.

Cleaning out flow lines:

It is just as important to keep the flow line operational and in good working order, as it is to keep
the well bore in good condition. If the flow line from a well or a group of wells is plugged, the
well or wells are off production. There are times that solid, paraffin, or other materials build up
and completely shut off production through a flow line.
There are several ways of unplugging a flow line, probably the most common of which is to dig
the line up, cut it and remove the material or replace that section which is plugged. This method
is fine if the line is easily accessible. However, there are flow lines in places that would make
removal very expensive and often impractical.

The CT unit offers an operator another way of unplugging this flow lines. Of course, there are
some flow lines that have excessive bends and other physical shapes that would prohibit running
the CT unit inside. The physical properties of the flow line such as size, number and degree of
bends, and access to operating end must be considered when contemplating the use of CT for
clean out. The radius of the bends should be at least three times the radius of the pipe. The total
number of bends should not equal to or more than 90o.
The rig up of the injector head will usually be abnormal of conventional rig up. At times the head
will have to be leaned at an angle or even laid on its side. Timbers or blocks may be needed to
build up under and support the head. Care must be taken that the oil in the planetary and motor
side of the head does not leak out the vents. Provisions may need to be made to run the vents
upward. The head may be set upright if the operator is able to weld a riser pipe with a threeradius bend to the flow line. Tubing should be run with shoe to prevent the tubing and from
hanging on welds.

Fig. 17 : Cleaning out flow lines

CT should be stopped every 200 feet and retrieved a few feet to check for drag. If the drag
becomes excessive, the operator should be notified of this and the decision to run CT further
should be his. The injector pressure required to push and pull the coiled tubing will be somewhat
higher than when working in a well bore due to the friction of the CT laying horizontally. CT
may be run to what ever length conditions will permit, but from previous experience about 5000
feet is maximum.
CTU allows flow lines to be cleaned that would otherwise have to be replaced. Circulation of
any type fluid or gas can be performed through the coiled tubing so that almost any type of
obstruction can be washed or dissolved from the flow line. The CT has also been used to remove
stuck pigs from flow lines.
B.10. Drilling:
Drilling through CT is probably the fastest growing CT service in recent times. Coil tubing
drilling (CTD) started in 1991 with 3 wells drilled (2 vertical, 1 directional), which grew to 410
wells in 1996 of which 100 vertical wells and 310 directional well.
Continuity of CT gives it several advantages over conventional drill strings like:
Drilling under balance safety
Significantly reduced trip time
Continuous circulation
Smaller surface requirements
Current CT drilling operations has the following limitations:

Conventional rig assistance is required for well preparation though combo

rigs are already being used.
Conventional rigs must assist in running long protective and production
casing strings or liner.
Hole sizes are smaller.
Working depth capabilities are shallower.
Coiled tubing fatigue life is less.

Applications of Coiled Tubing Drilling

Drilling with CT may not replace drilling with conventional drill strings, however, it is well
suited for many slim hole, and re-entry drilling applications. Potential applications of CTD, all of
which can be performed under balanced, include:

Horizontal re-entries from existing vertical wells for increased well productivity
and ultimate recovery.
Horizontal re-entries from existing vertical wells to mitigate water or gas coning.
Horizontal re-entries from existing vertical wells to reconfigure drainage patterns
in water floods and EOR projects from radial to linear flow.

Horizontal re-entries from existing vertical well for exploration and formation
evaluation purposes.
Directional re-entries from existing vertical wells to access bypassed reserves in
heterogeneous reservoirs.
Deepening existing vertical wells.
Lengthening existing horizontal wells,
Re-entry drilling from existing horizontals wells to alter wellbore placement in
the reservoir.
Vertical drilling in and below lost circulation zones.
Expandable, slim-hole exploration wells.
Slim-hole production wells.

Coiled tubing drilling can also be used in conjunction with conventional drilling operations for:

Drilling in or below lost circulation zones.

Coring pay zones.
Under-balance drilling of the pay zone.

In these applications a conventional rig would be used to drill most of the well and the CTU
would be used to finish the hole.
Shallow vertical wells do not require sophisticated equipment hence use of CTU for vertical well
is restricted to drill the pay zone under balance or extending the horizon. Whereas directional reentries require window milling and directional control equipment which itself is very advance
operation and CT is used to its true potential.