Coil Tubing

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Sand Cleanouts With Coiled Tubing: Choice of Process, Tools and Fluids

Article in Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology · August 2010

DOI: 10.2118/113267-PA
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PAPER: 2009-10-12
Sand Cleanouts With Coiled Tubing:

Choice of Process, Tools and Fluids
J. Li, J. Misselbrook, M. Sach, BJ Services Company
circulation modes to remove solids: either forward or reverse circu-

Abstract lation mode. However, using conventional water-based fluids,
Cleaning fill from wellbores is the most common coiled tubing a conventional sand cleanout method may apply excess hydro-
(CT) application. The process is a function of multiple variables static pressure on the formation, resulting in some lost circulation
including fluid properties, flow velocities, wellbore geometry to a sub-hydrostatic reservoir(2). If the losses are significant this
and deviation, pipe eccentricity, particle properties, fill penetra- makes sand removal impossible. Also, such losses can damage the
tion rate and wiper trip speed. Removing fill from wells with formation. Nitrogen can be used to reduce hydrostatics, but this
low bottom hole pressures (BHP) can be challenging especially necessitates a very specific job design and execution, and in larger-
if wells are completed with smaller diameter production tubu- diameter wellbores, and especially in horizontal wells, can result in
lars which significantly reduce circulation flow cross-section and using large amounts of nitrogen with corresponding logistical and
choke flow(1). Such challenges are further compounded by high economic consequences.
deviation or horizontal well trajectories especially in large diam- To mitigate challenges associated with large nitrogen require-
eter wellbores. ments, a sand vacuuming technology has been developed and
A variety of cleanout methods have been developed in the past, proven in field operations worldwide(3). This vacuuming system
often incorporating high circulation rates, special fluids, wiper consists of a specialized downhole jet pump connected to a CCT
trips, or reverse circulation to remove solids. Many of these con- string. The tool can be operated in three modes: sand vacuuming,
ventional sand cleanout methods often apply excess hydrostatic well vacuuming and high-pressure jetting. The tool provides a
pressure on the formation, resulting in lost circulation in pressure localized drawdown wherever it is positioned in the wellbore and
depleted reservoirs. The conventional solution to overcome ex- is effective in removing sand in the sand vacuuming mode and re-
cess hydrostatic pressure has been to include nitrogen to reduce moving localized mud damage in the well vacuuming mode.
fluid density and thus lessen the hydrostatic head; however, sand The selection of the most appropriate sand cleanout method has
vacuuming technology using a concentric coiled tubing (CCT) to be based on both logistical and technical issues. Factors such as
with a downhole jet pump is an alternative technique for re- equipment cost, reel weight (string length and diameter), and avail-
moving fill without placing a hydrostatic load on the reservoir. ability/cost of N2 will be deciding issues in many sand cleanout
This paper reviews the individual sand cleanout systems and operations. Technical issues include the consideration of formation
discusses the advantages and limitations related to each method. damage potential, degree of pressure depletion, small completion
In recent years, cleaning sand using the wiper trip method has tubular and particle size/type of debris. For a wellbore with large
become the preferred technique. However, an appropriate pump or heavy junk, a venturi basket may need to be deployed to clean
rate and reservoir pressure are needed to maintain a proper return the wellbore(4). If large or heavy fill is associated with more nor-
flow rate to carry the sands to the surface. For pressure-depleted mally sized fill, the cleanout may encompass elements of multiple
reservoirs completed with horizontal wells, a sand vacuuming cleanout methods.
system can be used to efficiently remove the debris without cir- This paper reviews individual sand cleanout methodologies and
culating nitrogen and without high pump rates. When the fill their advantages and limitations. Case histories demonstrate how
cannot be removed from large-diameter deviated wellbores using to select the proper cleaning method based on both operational and
conventional low-cost cleanout fluids, then fluids with high logistical considerations
solids suspension capability (under shear conditions) in con-
junction with wiper tripping may be an economical option. The
main application for the reverse circulation technique is cleaning
sand from large diameter wellbores when the necessary pump
Sand Cleanout Methods
rates for conventional “forward” circulation are not achievable. The use of coiled tubing to convey circulation fluids and tools to
A venturi junk bailer is often used to retrieve larger or heavier remove material such as formation fines, drill cuttings, frac prop-
material which cannot be circulated out by traditional methods. pant, scale and milling debris and so on out of the wellbore is a
Field cases are provided, demonstrating how to select the proper routine industry practice. Several cleanout techniques have been
cleaning method and how to efficiently remove sand from a well- developed over the years, these include stationary circulation,
bore based on both operational and logistical conditions. wiper tripping(1,2,4–18), reverse circulation(19–22), sand vacuuming
technology(23–35,36,37), and venturi sand/junk bailers(4,22,38-40).
For a typical sand cleanout process, the fluid could be circu-
Introduction lated in two different directions (Figure 1): forward circulation and
reverse circulation. In the forward circulation mode, the carrying
CT fill cleanouts have been in existence for over four de- fluids are pumped through the CT down through a wash tool, and
cades and today account for approx 30% of the services per- they flow back to surface through the CT/completion annulus. In
formed with CT. Both CT and conventional jointed pipe offer two forward circulation, high energy jets or drill bits run on motors
August 2010, Volume 49, No. 8 1
1
Minimum Relative Liquid Velocity

0.9 Minimum erosion velocity in stationary circulation mode
0.8 Minimum velocity for wiper trip/POOH with forward circulation
0.7 Minimum liquid velocity for RIH with reverse circulation
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
FIGURE 1: Two typical sand cleanout circulation modes.
Deviation Angle, o
can be used to help break up and disperse any compacted fill in FIGURE 3: Effect of deviation angle on the minimum liquid velocity
the wellbore. For reverse circulation, fluids are pumped down the needed to clean the hole: a) CT RIH with forward circulation cleaning
CT/completion annulus with returns back up the coil. Options for mode; b) CT RIH with reverse circulation cleaning mode; c) CT POOH
with forward circulation cleaning mode; d) CT POOH with reverse
breaking up compacted fill when reversing are limited. Customized circulation cleaning mode.
nozzles are available that will deliver high energy jetting in the for-
ward circulation mode but will allow reverse circulation without the years the absolute success of this method has been highly vari-
incurring any pressure drop penalty. Clearly if one encounters a able. In most cases, this general approach has not delivered com-
compacted sand “bridge” when reversing it will be necessary to plete fill removal.
first empty any solids inside the CT string and then switch to for- When the tubing string is stationary, the hole cleaning time is
ward jetting mode to break up the “bridge” and then subsequently affected by fluid velocity, pipe eccentricity, deviation angle, fluid
switch back to reversing mode. For safety reasons, certain limita- properties and particle properties. The interaction of these factors
tions apply when reversing up the coiled tubing. makes it challenging to predict hole cleaning time. Fluid velocity
is the primary parameter influencing the hole cleaning process. In a
horizontal well, the sand retreat speed for a given pipe eccentricity
Conventional Hole Cleaning Method increases exponentially with liquid velocity (Figure 2). Here, the
The traditional approach to remove sand has been running in
with CT to the top of fill, increasing the flow rate and then begin-
ning penetration into the fill. The cleanout might be carried out
by continuous slow penetration into the fill followed by stationary
circulation or else penetrating, say, 15 to 50 ft of the fill followed
by moving the CT uphole over the last penetration interval and
continuing circulation while running back in hole. The operation
might continue taking “bites” of the fill and reciprocating the CT
a) CT RIH with forward circulation cleaning mode
until the target depth (TD) or bottom of the wellbore is reached.
At TD, the sand in transit to surface is intended to be circulated
out with one to two hole volumes of circulated fluids, with the CT
generally remaining stationary at TD followed by pulling out of
the hole. In some cases, the traditional cleaning method might in-
volve pumping a certain amount of fluid for every penetration in-
terval, then circulating a bottoms-up volume and then penetrating
another interval and repeating the process until TD is reached.
These stationary circulation or multi-bite methods often involve b) CT RIH with reverse circulation cleaning mode
the use of larger diameter coiled tubing, higher flow rates, and in
some cases, using more costly bio-polymer fluid systems. Over
100
Stationary hole cleaning mode
90 Inner pipe is fully concentric
ε=0
Sand Retreat Speed, ft/min
80 Achievable flow rate

range with CT
70
60 POOH or RIH with reverse circulation

Inner pipe is fully eccentric, ε=1
c) CT POOH with forward circulation cleaning mode
50
40 Inner pipe is fully eccentric
ε=1.0
30
20 Inner pipe is partially eccentric
ε=0.81
10 POOH with forward circulation
ε=0 to 1
0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Liquid Velocity, ft/min

d) CT POOH with reverse circulation cleaning mode
FIGURE 2: Effect of liquid velocity and pipe eccentricity on sand
retreat speed in a horizontal wellbore with different hole cleaning FIGURE 4: Typical sands cleanout methodology/process during RIH/
modes. POOH.
2 Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology
sand retreat speed is defined as an average solids front travelling It can be seen from Figure 3 that the minimum liquid velocity
speed. The CT offset or eccentricity also has a significant effect on while running into the hole with reverse circulation is much lower
the solids retreat speed. This is because once the CT is resting on than it is for stationary or pulling out of hole during forward cir-
the bottom of the wellbore, the velocity of fluid in the “wedge” re- culation. This means that reverse circulation can effectively clean
gion between the CT and the completion becomes very low, which sand out of a hole with a lower flow rate than is required with for-
in turn slows the entrainment of solids and their subsequent trans- ward circulation.
port along the hole. When the CT is lifted to a more concentric
position, the velocity profile near the bottom of the well changes
and the solids retreat speed gets higher. The plot also indicates that Wiper Trip Hole Cleaning(2,4–18)
the sand retreat speed for the wiper trip with both forward and re- A comprehensive experimental test program conducted over the
verse circulation modes would be higher than it is for the stationary past 15 years(7–12) has investigated solids transport for both sta-
mode. This is especially relevant at the flow rates typically achiev- tionary circulation and wiper trip cleanouts. The effect of multi-
able with CT. The sand retreat speed for run in hole (RIH)/pull phase flow, rate of penetration (ROP), deviation angle, circulation
out of hole (POOH) with reverse circulation is higher than it is for fluid properties, particle density and size, fluid rheology, pipe ec-
POOH wiper tripping with forward circulation. centricity, wiper trip speed, and nozzle type on solids transport was
If the pump rate is lower than the flow rate corresponding to the examined in detail. Figure 2 shows that wiper trip hole cleaning
minimum liquid velocity for solids transport, there will always be has a higher hole cleaning efficiency than stationary hole cleaning
fills left in the hole regardless of how slowly the CT is pulled out in the achievable flow rate range for most CT operations.
of the hole. Figure 3 shows how these minimum liquid velocities Based on this research, an effective solids-cleanout method-
change with deviation angle. For the stationary circulation mode ology/process using CT (see Figures 4a and 4c) has been devel-
(i.e., zero wiper trip speed), the absolute minimum liquid erosion oped and proven by field operations(1,2,4,6,14–18). This patented(13)
velocity for a wellbore with 30o deviation angle is twice that of methodology is embodied in a comprehensive solids-transport
a vertical wellbore and triple for the critical angles between 45o simulator(10) and the method is further enhanced by a specialized
and 65o. The absolute minimum water erosion velocity for a hori- downhole cleanout tool (Figure 5). Empirical formulas are applied
zontal wellbore is only 1.5 times that for a vertical wellbore. How- to predict surface and downhole pressures, fluid velocities, and
ever, extreme care should be exercised when reviewing “absolute” solids-transport efficiencies. The simulator is a powerful analyt-
values, because although the sand bed may be eroding, the actual ical tool that can characterize wellbore hydraulics and solids-trans-
erosion rate may be too low for any practical use. port for various downhole conditions, especially when applying
In the wiper trip/POOH with forward circulation mode, the crit- the concept of removing solids from wellbores using wiper trip-
ical deviation angle is between 30o to 60o. This is because of a con- ping. Its use has resulted in better-designed and successfully exe-
dition called the “avalanche” effect where settled solids are sliding cuted cleanouts. The detail information related to the development
downward to the bottom of the wellbore. The “avalanche” effect of the simulator is cited in Li et al.(10).
does not exist for deviation angles between 65o to 90o. The devia- The specialized downhole cleanout tool(6) (Figure 5) offers the
tion angle has very limited effect on the minimum liquid velocity option of using downward facing, high-energy jetting nozzles or a
to clean the hole for the RIH with the reverse circulation mode. positive displacement motor (PDM) to ensure sufficient penetration
FIGURE 5: Solids-cleanout/drift-BHA with PDM/mill and specialized downhole cleanout-tool.

energy needed for harder solids depositions. Having penetrated the While reverse circulation presents an alternative cleanout mode
targeted solids (see Figure 4a), this specialized “circulation valve” that can overcome some of the limitations of forward circulation,
allows the fluid pumped during the cleanout to be redirected to low there are some corresponding risks. The two major risks associated
energy upward facing jets simultaneously stopping the fluid stream with reverse circulation with CT are (a) coiled tubing collapse and
through the jetting nozzle or PDM. The pressure change resulting (b) an uncontrolled release of reservoir fluids if the CT breaks or
from the tool switching provides a surface indication of the posi- starts leaking on surface. In normal forward circulation operations,
tion of the tool for the CT operator. well control is maintained in the event of a failure of the CT on
By selecting the uphole-facing nozzles and controlling the trip- surface because the CT is equipped with a check valve to prevent
ping out of hole rate, as determined by the associated solids-trans- reverse flow. Clearly the check valve has to be removed or tempo-
port simulator, settled solids can be “swept” out of the hole with rarily disengaged for reversing to take place.
practically 100% efficiency (see Figure 4c). The cleanout fluid is A further technical consideration for reverse circulation is con-
circulated through low energy uphole-facing nozzles which re-en- trolling the rate of penetration (ROP) of the CT into the fill because
train solids that have settled on the low side of the hole for sub- this is an additional parameter critical to success. If the fill is too
sequent transport along the wellbore. The methodology/process highly compacted to be broken up by high energy fluid jets, then
takes advantage of improved hole cleaning from jetting in the up- multiple trips with motors and mills may be necessary in between
hole direction, while tripping out of hole at a computed wiper trip cleaning trips (in order to remove the motor prior to reversing
speed(14–18). “Wiper tripping,” as defined in this paper, is the move- operations).
ment of the CT and bottom hole assembly (BHA) out of the hole a
certain distance or to surface, while continuously circulating clea-
nout fluid through the wash nozzle or circulating valve if used.
Sand/Well Vacuuming Cleanout(3,23–37)
For certain more challenging cleanouts, several cleanout stages Sand vacuuming technology has been developed and proven
may be required to reach the required depth(6). The process of pen- worldwide in operations on low-pressure reservoirs. The system
etrating into the solids to a targeted depth and performing wiper consists of a specially designed jet pump fitted on concentric
trips can be repeated numerous times during one run in hole. A coiled tubing. The cleanout fluid, called the power fluid, is circu-
version of the “circulation valve” that can be opened and closed lated down the central string and returned through the coil-coil an-
multiple times without tripping to surface and without the use of nulus (between the two CT strings). The action of the power fluid,
multiple activation balls is available. typically water, passing through the jet pump effectively vacuums
In most cleanout applications using fluids with low solids- the formation liquid and the fill out of the wellbore, and the fluid-
suspension properties, equilibrium solids-beds would be formed ized sand stream returns up the inside of the coil-coil annulus. Be-
behind the BHA as the CT is run into the well. Continuously cir- cause of the small annular areas involved, the velocities are quite
culating through the CT while tripping in causes a redistribution high and under most circumstances the sand cannot settle out while
of the solids in the wellbore. By definition, an equilibrium solids- circulation is maintained. This process can be employed in wells
bed is formed once the velocity of the cleanout fluid is sufficiently with low BHPs because no fluid hydrostatic pressure is exerted on
high so that no further solids particles can settle out, and the solids the formation.
bed cannot grow any further. The remaining solids particles will The main components of a jet pump are the power nozzle,
be transported out of the hole. Solids trapped in the equilibrium throat, and diffuser. Fluids are pumped through the nozzle at high
solids beds will be removed from the wellbore during the wiper- velocities into a throat where suction is generated and then into
trip phase. the diffuser, where the velocity of the fluid is gradually reduced
and kinetic energy is converted back to potential energy (i.e., pres-
In some cases, the sand can only be removed from highly devi-
sure). The re-gained pressure is sufficient to lift the fluid and en-
ated/horizontal large wellbores by the combination of using fluids
trained sand back to surface. As the fluid expands through the
with high solids-suspension property and the wiper-trip tech-
nozzle, it creates a venturi effect which draws sand into the fluid
nology(1,11,16). For pressure-depleted reservoirs(2), nitrified fluids
stream before it enters the throat portion of the jet pump. The sand
have to be circulated. Wells with low BHP can be particularly chal-
intake ports are positioned between the nozzle exit and the throat
lenging to clean because the introduction of nitrogen often results
entrance. The pump is specially designed to handle the high-vel-
in a necessary reduction in the liquid phase that can be circulated
ocity sand-laden fluid and has been configured to optimize both
and which consequently results in an overall reduction of the in-
intake rates and drive pressures, based on the fluid rates attain-
situ liquid phase velocity.
able through the internal CT string. Although the jet pump can be
Overall, proper selection of fluid type and rates, CT RIH and driven with a variety of different liquids, a mixture of formation
POOH speeds is crucial to ensure a successful cleanout with the water with a low dosage friction reducer is often used to improve
wiper trip cleaning process. Effective job design is achieved by overall system performance efficiency(28).
using powerful computer simulation software developed specifi- The tool can be operated in three modes. In sand removal mode,
cally for this application. a portion of the power fluid is diverted through front and rear-fa-
cing swirl jets to fluidize the sand to allow ingress into the pump
Reverse Circulation Cleaning(5,19–22) suction. In most cases, the tool is set up to balance the jetted fluid
rate with the suction rate. In fluid recovery mode, the external swirl
In some cases the forward circulation mode cannot effectively jets are shut off, resulting in net fluid removal from the well. The
clean the fill out of the wellbore because the size of CT limits tool can be shifted back and forth between modes as many times
the achievable circulation rate required for circulation/wiper trip as necessary. Typically, the tool would first be run in hole in fill
methods. Because of the smaller internal flow area of CT, it is removal mode and then switched at the toe of the well to fluid re-
often possible to achieve higher circulation velocities inside the covery mode and pulled back through the horizontal section.
CT and, where appropriate, fill can be effectively transported by The well vacuuming system provides a localized drawdown at
reverse circulating up the CT. every point in the wellbore where the tool passes, removing local-
While reverse circulating is normally conducted while run- ized mud damage and increasing the well production(24–31). The
ning in hole, there are some circumstances where reversing while tool can be used to evaluate the production profile(24,28,35) (oil,
POOH might be encountered. This situation could arise during an- water and even sand cut) across the horizontal sections.
nular CT fracturing operations where sand is introduced into the The third operating mode is “jetting.” In this mode, all the
well from surface while the CT is already in the well. In this in- power fluid is directed out of the forward fluidizing nozzles. The
stance, reversing while POOH could be a consideration for wells increased velocities will break up virtually any compacted fill.
with deviation angles greater than 65°. However, factors such as Once the “bridge” is broken up, the tool can be switched back to
the eccentricity of the reversing nozzle now become part of the de- sand vacuuming mode and the broken fill can be removed from
sign process the well.
The CCT strings are available in different sizes although 1.25-in. 40
in 2.375-in., 1-in. in 2-in., 1-in. and 0.75-in. in 1.5-in. are the most Biopolymer 1
35
Viscosity @ 100 sec-1, cP

common. The smaller CCT has reduced flow areas and, therefore,
higher fluid friction. The sand/well vacuuming system is versatile 30
because the jet pump nozzle and throat sizes can be adjusted to suit Biopolymer 3
both a given CCT string and specific well parameters. 25 Biopolymer 2
The existing sand/well vacuuming BHA can be 2.5-in., 2.125- 20

in. or 1.75-in. outside diameter (OD) for the different completion
15
internal diameter (ID) applications. The sand/well vacuuming can
be run in conjunction with a downhole memory gauge to collect 10 Biopolymer 4
the pressure and temperature data. The tool can also be combined
with a lateral entrance guide system to access each leg of a multi- 5
lateral well(3).
0
119
124
125
142
157
161
161
176
195
199
200
212
242
252
254
254
254
273
289
292
293
293
292
283
269
254
240
225
211
198
185
172
161
149
137
127
74
96
Temperature, ˚F
Special Fluids: Biopolymer and
Foam(1,11,16,41) FIGURE 6: Thermal stability of biopolymer gels up to 300oF.
show the wide variations in the transition and breakdown tempera-

The most common fluids used in sand cleanouts include forma-
tures that occur with different polymers, gel loadings and water sa-
tion water, sea water, brine, and occasionally diesel or base oil,
linities. Results also show that the high gel loadings and increased
any of which can be co-mingled with nitrogen. However, in some
water salinity increase the gel thermal stability.
cases, because of the wellbore completion size and low reservoir
pressure, it is sometimes necessary to use fluids with improved Figure 6 plots gel viscosity at 100 1/s shear rate with a 20
solids suspension capabilities; these can either be water-based lb/1000 gallon gel load in 6 ppt Na2SO3 solution. The test results
polymer systems with or without nitrogen or even foamed fluids. indicate that each polymer has specific optimum operating ranges
and biopolymer 1 in particular has significantly better temperature
The properties of the circulation fluid have a fundamental effect stability than the other polymers tested. However, biopolymer 1 is
on solids transport. The shear stress at the solids bed and liquid in- also significantly more expensive than any of the other polymers
terface for a near horizontal wellbore plays a key role in the trans- 2. Biopolymer 3 has a similar thermal stability trend as biopo-
port of solids. The flow regime, geometric combination of hole/CT lymer 2 but is dramatically cheaper. The cleanout designer there-
and eccentricity also affect the rheological state of the liquid and fore has the opportunity to evaluate lower-cost polymers run at
have a significant impact on solids transport efficiency. There is a higher concentrations against higher-cost polymers run at lower
need to differentiate between the superior solids suspension capa- concentrations.
bilities of the liquid and its hole cleaning effect produced when in A set of full-scale flow loop tests were also conducted. The test
motion. The most important concept is that, under “specific oper- investigated the solids-carrying capacity and suspension properties
ating conditions,” the greater the solids-carrying capacity a fluid performance of each fluid through the transition temperature and
has, the more efficiently the hole can potentially be cleaned, pro- the degree to which the gel suspension properties are adversely af-
vided that the additional annular friction pressure does not hinder fected by temperature change. Transport data from the study was
the circulation of returns to surface. The “specific operating condi- incorporated into the cleanout simulator to allow engineers to se-
tions” require that once the solids settle out and form a bed within lect the optimum fluid for a fill cleanout design at specified down-
the wellbore, one needs a method of re-entraining the solids to hole conditions.
transport them further along the hole.
The rheological properties of foam are uniquely influenced by
Previously published studies(8,11) demonstrate that these types of its physical structure. Because the structure is affected by many
gelled fluids bring some advantages and disadvantages. The car- parameters (e.g., foam quality, bubble size, downhole pressure
rying capacity and suspension properties of these fluids are supe- and temperature, shear rate, the choice of surfactant, the base fluid
rior but are hindered by other geometric influences on the velocity polymer type and concentration and the method of foaming), it be-
profile. Solids entrainment and re-entrainment into the fluid, as comes very challenging to accurately predict foam flowing behav-
would be expected, is difficult to achieve without mechanical as- iour in the wellbore. The foam stability/half-life is also affected
sistance. Therefore, it is critical to use the jetting effect in the wiper by any contaminants in the wellbore, especially residual oil or
trip hole cleaning process when the circulated fluid is a high gel condensate.
load polymer. Flow loop tests under real downhole conditions38 show that the
Furthermore, the polymers available with an appropriate level sand-carrying capacity will increase with increasing foam quality
of particle suspension capability and low fluid flow friction are all for polymer-stabilised foam. Adding viscosifiers, such as water-
subject to some level of temperature degradation, some of which based polymers, will increase the fluid sand-carrying capacity and
may be irreversible. Many of the common polymers degrade to the foam stability. However, test data in the horizontal position is
the consistency of water at 100°C. A comprehensive laboratory limited. Further investigation is necessary to reliably predict solids
test program has been conducted to study the rheology of biopoly- transport for other deviated angles, hole cleaning time and the
mers at different shear rates (0.061,012 s–1), temperatures, polymer wiper trip speed for the whole sand cleaning process using foam.
loadings and water salinities to determine the transition and break- Currently, the primary candidates for foamed cleanouts are
down temperatures for each fluid. Results of the rheology testing vertical wells with low BHPs and large diameter completions.
Table 1: Equivalent circulation density/pressure gradient generated by different fluids.
Fluid type ECD psi/ft bar/10m Remarks

Water/biopolymer 1 0.434 0.98 Hydrostatic or higher pressure wells, generally good hole cleaning
efficiency
Diesel 0.84 0.365 0.82 Wells just below hydrostatic, water sensitive formations, poor solids
transport
Nitrified water/biopolymer 0.45 0.195 0.44 Wells below hydrostatic, lower hole cleaning efficiency than straight liquid
Foam 0.20 0.087 0.20 Very low BHP vertical wells, good vertical cleaning efficiency
Jet pump vacuuming + water 0.14 0.062 0.14 Ultra-low BHP wells, doesn’t need nitrogen, requires concentric CT string

0 9,000 3.0
Equivalent Circulation Density, s.g.

Wiper trip cleanout SandVac cleanout
8,000
2.5
5,000
7,000
20,607, 7,254
TVD, feet
6,000 2.0
BHP, psi
10,000
5,000
1.5
21,781, 13,871 4,000
15,000
3,000 1.0
Wells cleaned with sand vacuuming
Wells cleaned with wiper trip 2,000

20,000 0.5
1,000
0 0.0
0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
Measurement Depth, feet Job #
FIGURE 7a: Operation depth envelope in different sand cleanout FIGURE 8: Bottom hole pressure and equivalent circulation density in
applications. different sand cleanout applications.
However, the complexity of mixing and handling foams and the Overview of Sand Cleanout Operations
additional annular flow friction created by foamed fluids if the
completions tubulars are flow-restrictive often eliminates it as well Several thousand cleanouts including conventional circulation,
cleanout option. wiper trip, sand vacuuming and reverse circulation jobs have been
Table 1 lists the equivalent circulation density (ECD)/pressure executed worldwide since engineered wiper trip cleanouts were
gradient generated by different fluids. Nitrified fluids can have introduced.
pressure gradient as low as 0.2 psi/ft, foam 0.1 psi/ft and the sand Figures 7a and 7b plot the operating depth envelope and de-
vacuuming system as low as 0.06 psi/ft. Based on the BHP and true viation angle for two different sand cleanout techniques for chal-
vertical depth of the well, a fluid type can be short listed. lenging wells. These are wiper trip cleanouts in the Norwegian
sector of the North Sea and sand vacuuming operations from the
American continent. The wiper trip cleanouts in Norway were in
Sand/Junk Bailers(3,21,38–40) monobore wells with 7-in. or larger completions, where annular
fluid velocities are low throughout the entire completion and solids
Over the years different types of sand bailers have been devel- transport velocities are correspondingly low. The maximum depth
oped for use with jointed pipe, wireline and CT for the removal of is 21,781 ft measured depth (MD) with a maximum TVD of 13871
large and/or heavy particles and debris. By far the commonest type ft. Because the well bore volumes are large as are the number of
of bailer used for coiled tubing is the venturi junk basket(4,22,38). hole volumes pumped, the chosen cleanout fluid was either sea
This tool is not dependent on hole size to work, so, for example, water or nitrified sea water. The pump rate varied between 2 bpm
a 21/8-in. OD BHA can be used to retrieve debris from 95/8-in. and 6 bpm (Figure 9).
casing. The materials typically cleaned using a venturi junk basket The majority of concentric CT sand vacuuming jobs(3) has
are not likely to be circulated out with any of the previously men- been performed below 5,000 ft MD as shown in Figure 7b. These
tioned cleanout methods. wells have a 95/8-in. intermediate casing with either a 7-in. or 51/2-
Fluid pumped down the CT passes into the venturi tool, where in. slotted liner running along the horizontal section to TD. The
it exits through a forward angled jetting nozzle into the wellbore. deepest sand vacuuming job captured in the data shown in Figure 7
The jet velocity creates a pressure drop inside the body of the ven- was at a MD of 13,200 ft and TVD 3,713 ft, and the average TVD
turi tool, which results in fluid in the wellbore being drawn into a for these wells is approximately 5,700 ft. The deepest TVD well
chamber in the tool. A debris filter screen is placed before the ven- worked on with CCT to date is 9,500 ft, although a program of
turi chamber to prevent debris from blocking the venturi tubes and work is currently being planned at TVDs around 10,400 ft.
a hollow “basket” section with a finger type trap retains the fill. Figure 8 plots the BHP and the equivalent circulation density
When the tool basket is full, the tool must be POOH. The volume (ECD) for both wiper trip and sand vacuuming sand cleanout oper-
of fill that can be removed from the hole is limited by the size of ations, respectively. Compared with the wells cleaned by the sand
the “basket.” Often multiple runs have to be made, emptying the vacuuming, the BHP and the ECD in these wells with wiper trip
basket after each trip. Junk baskets are generally only practical if cleanout are relatively high, and the average of BHP is approxi-
the volume of fill is relatively small. mately 4,500 psi and the ECD is 1.22. The average BHP and the
25,000 180 9.0
Wiper trip cleanout SandVac cleanout
Maximum Reach Depth (MD), feet
Reverse Circ. cleanout
Surface pump rate

160 8.0
Reverse Circ. cleanout
Wiper trip cleanout

20,000
140 7.0
Deviation Angle, o
Max depth Max deviated angle

Pump Rate, bpm
120 6.0
15,000
100 5.0
80 4.0
10,000
60 3.0 Effective return rate
40 2.0
5,000
SandVac cleanout
20 1.0
0 0 0.0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
1
6
11
16
21
26
31
36
41
46
51
56
61
66
71
76
81
86
91
96
101
106
111
116
121
126
131
136
141
146
151
Job # Job #
FIGURE 7b: Maximum measurement depth and deviation angle in
different sand cleanout applications. FIGURE 9: Pump rates in different sand cleanout applications.
Table 2: Summary of the feature for different hole cleaning methods.
Hole Fluid Fluid Rate CT Fluid

Cleaning Method Type (bpm) Movement Circulation Mode Remarks
Stationary circulation Water, diesel, higher is better No movement Forward circulation Needs higher flow less rate, lowest
gel, nitrified hole cleaning efficiency, longer time,
and foam fatigue life damage on CT
Wiper trip Water, diesel, gel, 2 to 6 POOH Forward circulation Needs relative low flow rate, high
nitrified fluid hole cleaning efficiency, higher
penetration capacity
Reverse circulation Water, diesel, gel 1 to 2 RIH or POOH Reverse circulation Needs low flow rate, high hole
cleaning efficiency, no penetration
capacity
Sand vacuuming Water, diesel 0.25 to 0.75 RIH or POOH Forward circulation Needs low flow rate, with certain
penetration capacity for ultra-low
BHP wellbore
Sand/junk bailers Water, diesel 0.5 to 1 RIH forward circulation Needs low flow rate to catch large
particles/junks, no penetration
capacity
ECD in the wells with the sand vacuuming are 960 psi and 0.68, However, with such a low liquid ratio, the in-situ liquid velocity
respectively. The lowest ECD is 0.09 A typical pump rate for the was insufficient to suspend the proppant and transport it out of the
sand vacuuming operation is between 0.3 bpm to 0.75 bpm (Figure 5-in. liner section with nitrified water alone.
9) depending on the size and length of the CCT string. Small-diameter concentric CT to suit intervention through 27/8-
The average depth of wells cleaned by reverse circulating is be- in. tubing was not locally available at the time, and so sand vacu-
tween 5,000 ft and 10,000 ft (Figure 7b). The maximum depth is uming was rejected as an option.
16,500 ft. The typical effective return rate is between 0.4 bpm to Because the well was significantly below hydrostatic, then re-
1.25 bpm (Figure 9). The typical surface pump rate is between 1 verse circulation would require circulating a nitrified fluid. The
bpm to 6 bpm. disadvantage of reversing with nitrified fluids is that gas/liquid
Table 2 summarizes the features of different cleaning methods. slippage in the annulus can result in the leading edge of the cir-
Figure 10 is a flow chart to guide the engineer to select the appro- culation fluid having a slightly depleted gas/liquid ratio and hence
priate cleaning method and how to optimize the process with the too high a hydrostatic gradient. This imbalance is magnified when
assistance of a cleanout simulator. After collecting the necessary the fluid enters the CT (because the CT internal volume is small
well data regarding the completion geometry, well survey, BHT compared to the wellbore volume) so it becomes necessary to es-
and fill size/type, the cleanout simulator can be run to analyze the tablish returns by nitrifying whatever liquid is inside the wellbore.
hole cleaning process with each option among the stationary hole This inevitably introduces the risk of producing hydrocarbons up
cleaning, wiper trip and the reverse circulation and optimize the the CT. Wellbore conditions, local operating practices, regulatory
hole cleaning process. If the wellbore BHP is too low and the well requirements and environmental considerations ruled out reversing
cannot be cleaned using conventional CT, then sand vacuuming as an option.
with CCT can be evaluated. For large particles more than 0.5-in. or Foam was considered, but the practicalities of handling foam
for metal junk, a venturi junk basket may be a viable option. returns on the location, together with the lack of documented suc-
cess using foam at the specified temperature, eliminated it from
further consideration
Field Cases A nitrified biopolymer gel was considered the best choice for
this well because of its excellent shear thinning properties. It has
Over 1,000 successful solids-cleanout applications have been a low viscosity when pumping through CT but exhibits high vis-
completed worldwide using the wiper trip methodology/process. cosity with very strong carrying capabilities when it is in static or
More than 600 sand/well vacuuming cleanouts have been executed low shear rate. The simulator predicted returns to surface pumping
in Canada, USA, Venezuela and the Middle East. More than 1,600 nitrified biopolymer gel at 0.125 to 0.15 bpm and nitrogen at 1,060
reverse circulation CT sand cleanout operations have been com- scfm. The carrying properties of the gel would ensure the fill could
pleted in Alaska, North Sea, Colombia, California and GOM. The be lifted in the low shear region encountered in the 5-in. liner in
operations were designed and optimized using the solids-transport addition to being transported up the small-diameter annulus where
simulator. Details of six solids cleanout operations with different shear rates would be much higher.
methods are discussed in the following section. The operation went ahead as planned with the nitrified biopo-
lymer gel. The penetration rate was designed based on the sand
Case 1: Stationary Cleanout With Nitrified cleanout software(10). After reaching the hold up depth above the
top of the fill with 11/2-in. CT, nitrified brine was circulated bot-
Gel in Forward Circulation toms-up at the proposed cleanout pumping rates to ensure that cir-
The subject well was completed with a 5-in. liner between culation without losing returns was possible. When circulation to
10,745 ft and 12,152 ft and 27/8-in. tubing landed at 10,827 ft. The surface was confirmed, the well was then successfully cleaned out
BHP was estimated at 1,600 psi with a BHT of 250oF. The perfo- using nitrified biopolymer gel at the proposed pump rates. This
rations were covered with a mixture of sand and frac proppant and was confirmed by tagging end depth after the cleanout operation.
the top of the fill was tagged at 12,090 ft. Subsequently, the perforations were washed with acid, resulting in
The challenge was achieving adequate annular velocity in the the well doubling its production.
liner to lift the solids while minimizing both the hydrostatic pres-
sure and annular friction losses in the production tubing. The
cleanout methods outlined in the flow chart shown in Figure 10,
namely stationary circulation with nitrified fluids, reverse circula-
Case 2: Wiper Trip Cleanout With Water
tion, foam, sand vacuuming with concentric coiled tubing and ni- This well is located in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea.
trified fluid wiper tripping, were all considered. A tractor run on electric wireline to set a plug and add new per-
The simulator determined that returns could be maintained forations could not reach the required depth because of produced
using nitrified water (0.15 bpm of water and 1,060 scfm of N2). sand deposits in both the deviated and horizontal section of the
8
Start
Gathering wellbore survey and completion information

Particulates size If particle size >0.5" Using sand/junks bailer Considering the feasibility using the sand/junks bailer
Gas or oil well, production rate
If particle size <0.5"

Is the well can be cleaned with a higher Is the well can be cleaned with a higher Is the well can be cleaned with a higher
density fluid by stationary circulation? density fluid by wiper trip? density fluid by reverse circulation?
If NO
If NO
If NO
If NO
If YES
If YES
If YES
Run simulator to select Run simulator to select CT Run simulator to select CT size,
Select low Select low
FIGURE 10: Flow chart to select hole cleaning method and to optimize the process.
CT size and estimate Select low density fluids size, estimate POOH speed estimate RIH/POOH speed and hole
density fluids density fluids
hole cleaning time and hole cleaning time cleaning time
If YES
If YES
If YES
If NO
Run simulator to select CT Run simulator to select CT size,

Run simulator to select
estimate RIH/POOH speeds
If NO
If NO
CT size and estimate size, estimate POOH speed
and hole cleaning time and hole cleaning time
hole cleaning time
Is the well can be cleaned by

sand vacuuming?
If YES
Comparing with other options

Run simulator to select CCT
size, estimate RIH/POOH
speeds and hole cleaning time

Optimize the hole cleaning process with the computer software to select the best method to clean the hole
Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology

well. A sand cleanout was required .The well was completed with 100 10
7-in. tubing and a 7-in. liner down to 15,715 ft. An additional chal- 90 9
Deviation angle
lenge was a 1,119-ft section of 95/8-in. casing between the end of
80 Completion size 8
7-in. production tubing and the top of the 7-in. horizontal liner.
Completion Size, in
Deviation Angle, o
The wellbore deviation angle profile and the completion informa- 70 7
tion are shown in Figure 11. 60 6
The well had been cleaned out 2 years prior with a rig assist 50 5
snubbing unit and 3.5-in. drillpipe. The cleanout produced signifi-
cant amounts of solids, including mostly produced sand with trace 40 4
amounts of scale material. Because of the large completion volume 30 3

Cleaned length 4,430 ft
(in excess of 628 bbl) and returns from the well being introduced 20 2
to the platform’s production system during the cleanout operation,
10 1
the use of a specialized cleanout fluid was considered logistically
impossible. Seawater with hydraulic friction reducer for increasing 0
0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000
0
10,000 12,000 14,000 16,000
the pump rate would have to be used during the entire operation.
Measurement Depth, feet
Design work with the solids transport simulator indicated very
early that pumping the maximum possible rate through the 23/8-in. FIGURE 11: Well deviation angle profile and completion information
CT stationary at bottom would be insufficient for complete solids for Case #2.
removal. However, a high efficiency cleanout was required in order
to perform subsequent wireline tractor work. A total of approxi- gauge with surface readout, the location of the solids-plug created
mately 4,430 ft of wellbore from 9,514 ft to 13,944 ft had to be in the annulus was clearly traceable to just above the BHA.
cleaned, including 1,119 ft of 95/8-in. casing. A cleanout strategy The BHA was moved back into the 95/8-in. section, circulation
involving multiple cleanout stages using a specialized downhole re-established and the wiper trip performed to surface at a slightly
cleanout tool and wiper tripping was developed. reduced speed. It must be understood that because of the lack of
The original plan was to have the well flowing during the clea- annular fluid velocity in an application such as this, solids are
nout in order to assist the solids removal from the wellbore. How- “swept” through the wellbore by the aid of the uphole facing jet-
ever, the process became more complicated when the well became ting action of the specialized downhole cleanout tool. Solids are
overbalanced in the early stages of the operation because of insuf- always located directly above the BHA, and adopting the correct
ficient pressure support from the reservoir. A nitrogen-seawater wiper trip speed, also allowing the removal of larger solids-parti-
(nitrified) cleanout was attempted, but the window for the required cles, is of utmost importance.
flowing BHP was too small (approximately 150 psi) for a reliable First solids were observed at surface when reaching approxi-
cleanout to be executed. mately 5,000 ft during the wiper trip. It is interesting to note that
the amount of fluid pumped during the wiper trip and before any
Because the reservoir pressure was insufficient to support a
solids are confirmed at surface equals approximately 8–10 bot-
column of water, a kill pill was bullheaded into the well through
toms-up volumes based on the starting depth of the wiper trip. The
the existing perforations and into the reservoir. The kill pill allowed
observation provides clear operational evidence that circulation
pressure testing of the well to a sufficient level for supporting a
rates up to 5.3 bpm are insufficient for complete solids removal in
column of water and some additional wellhead pressure. Simul-
this application with the CT stationary on bottom. Wiper tripping
taneously, the PDM and mill BHA was laid down and the spe-
with the specialized downhole cleanout tool activated provides a
cialized downhole cleaning tool was equipped with a high-energy,
new dimension of cleanout efficiency and enabled the operation to
downhole-facing jetting nozzle. The jetting nozzle would provide
be performed with CT.
sufficient penetration energy while creating a slick OD cleanout
Altogether 4 cleanout stages and wiper trips (9,514 ft–11,319
BHA. (Note: because further losses might occur during the opera-
ft, 11,319 ft –12,303 ft, 12,303 ft–13,419 ft, 13,419 ft–13,944 ft)
tion, the risk of getting stuck with a PDM and full-bore mill was
were performed in this well using wiper speeds as high as 23 ft/
considered too high.)
min inside the 7-in. and 6–9 ft/min inside the 95/8-in. casing. No
To summarize, the cleanout in this well was challenging for the further difficulties were encountered after the wiper trip speeds
following reasons: had been adjusted to also take larger solids-particles into account.
1) Low BHP Changes in wiper trip speed were implemented gradually in order
2) Large completion (7-in.) and liner (95/8-in.) to allow the equilibrium solids-bed time to redistribute. The esti-
3) Horizontal and deviated well mated amount of solids recovered from the wellbore was between
4) Expected compacted sand and scale deposits, requiring suf- 13,000 lb–26,000 lb. Attention was given to avoid large solids vol-
ficient forward penetration energy umes reaching surface in a short period of time, which would cause
The first cleanout stage was from the top of the kill pill at ap- problems with chokes and separators.
proximately 9,514 ft down to approximately 11,319 ft, coming out In order to provide a full bore drift for the 7-in. tubing/casing
of the 7-in. production tubing and entering approximately 919 ft for subsequent operations, the very last cleanout stage was per-
into the 95/8-in. liner. The specialized downhole cleanout tool was formed using a combination of the specialized downhole cleanout-
activated, circulation rates increased within the same surface circu- tool together with stabilizer, PDM and mill as shown in Figure 5.
lation pressure and a wiper trip commenced. The wiper trip speed As previously mentioned, by having a stationary PDM/mill (not
inside the 95/8-in. casing section was kept between 6–9 ft/min. rotating), the BHA can be safely pulled through the completion
With the BHA back inside the 7-in. tubing, the wiper trip speed during wiper tripping while pumping higher circulation rates and
was increased to 16.5 ft/min. Approximately 66 ft higher, the an- without risking damage to any completion items. In fact, the well
nulus above the BHA bridged off with solids. This caused a loss of completion includes several components (downhole safety valve,
returns to surface, wellhead pressure dropping at the test separator, gauge carrier etc.) with internal diameters around 6 in., which is
and the CT pressure increasing quickly. Pumps were stopped and very close to the 57/8-in.mill used. The rearward facing jets of the
the CT was found to be free to move in hole again. Having a slick specialized downhole cleanout tool ensure that the large-diameter
OD cleanout-BHA was clearly an advantage in that situation, com- BHA components (stabilizer and mill) are kept free of contacting
pared to a BHA involving a PDM and mill. any solids. As the stationary mill passes through the cleaned well-
Later during the operation, it became clear that the incident was bore, it provides a drift during wiper tripping out of hole and a sep-
caused by a combination of much larger than expected solids parti- arate drift run can be eliminated.
cles and increasing the wiper trip speed too fast. At the time of oc- After the cleanout operation, a full-bore plug was successfully
currence, the BHA was still inside the horizontal section and solids installed on CT just above 13,944 ft. Electric wireline was con-
particles would not tend to fall back by gravity. Because of the well veyed on a tractor multiple times to perform perforating and other
being equipped with a permanently installed downhole pressure operations in the wellbore. Clear operational evidence has been
100 10 software program, the hole cleaning time was estimated with var-
90 9
ious approaches. In each case, 2,500 lb of perforation sand is re-
Deviation angle moved. Reverse circulation pump rates were only 60% of the
80 Completion size 8 forward circulation rates.
Completion Size, inch

Option 1: With the CT stationary, forward circulate through
Deviation Angle, o
70 7
60 6
the CT. To cleanout 40% of the initial sand volume
takes approximately 4,360 minutes. Because of the
50 5 relatively large completion and the resulting low
40 4 velocity in the annulus, the redistributed sand bed
between 4,101 ft and 4,921 ft could not completely
30 3
removed with the optimized flow rate, as shown in
20 2 Figure 13.
10 1 Option 2: Keep the CT stationary, but this time reverse cir-
0 0
culate. Again, solids cannot be completely cleaned
0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 out.
Measurement Depth, feet Option 3: Consider forward circulation again but this time
POOH from 7,375 ft to surface. Solids cannot be
FIGURE 12: Well deviation angle profile and completion information completely cleaned out at the optimized flow rate.
for Case #3. After 170 minutes of wiper trip, the redistributed
delivered that the cleanout efficiency of the new methodology/pro- solids are shown in Figure 14. Because of the low
cess has allowed CT to perform the operation (instead of snubbing), velocity in the annulus, the jetting at the end of
using friction reduced seawater only and providing a cleanout ef- BHA still cannot sweep the sands out of the sec-
ficiency that allows subsequent operations to be performed in the tion between 4,593 ft and 4,757 ft (around 55o
wellbore as planned. deviation).
Option 4: Reverse circulate while CT is pulled out of hole to
the top of distributed perforation solids bed at 7,129
Case 3: POOH With Water in Reverse ft. Cleanout takes 50 minutes including the time to
Circulation sweep solids to surface through 7,545 ft of CT.
In this case, Option 4 represents the only way to clean the hole
A horizontal well in Canada (Figure 12) was planned to be hy- given the large completion size. The actual job did use Option 4;
draulically fractured at five different zones between 7,379 ft and cleanout of perforation solids took 80 minutes with the CT being
5,440 ft. The well was completed with 7-in. casing to 5,157 ft and pulled to 5,250 ft.
with a 6-in. ID liner from 4,813 ft to 7,615 ft. The total measured Although we have concentrated on cleaning out solids from
depth was 7,628 ft and TVD is 4,633 ft. 2-in. CT with a specialized the abrasive perforating process, a more significant problem is
BHA was used to abrasively perforate multiple cuts in each target the cleanout of fracturing proppant after each treatment. Once
interval. The general operating procedure is as follows. the stimulation is complete, the same cleanout method can be ap-
Rig up surface equipment and pressure test to 7,250 psi. Run in plied—namely, reverse circulate down the annulus as the CT is
the hole with a minimal circulation rate to 4,409 ft; at this point, the POOH to the top of the fracture proppant bed, which, depending
well deviation reaches 50°. Increase flow rate and RIH continuing on the fracturing process used, may well extend to the heel of the
to TD cleaning any left over completion debris prior to abrasively build section.
cutting the first set of the perforations. POOH to 7,379 ft for the
first zone perforating cut (four cuts between 7,379 ft to 7,375 ft). Case 4: RIH With Nitrified Water in Reverse
After perforations are made, use reverse circulation and POOH CT
to 5,233 ft to clean up the perforating sand. Move the CT up hole Circulation
to the second zone and frac zone 1 by pumping an annular fracture A vertical gas well in Texas was completed with 23/8-in. tubing
treatment. Tail in the fracturing treatment with a sand plug con- at 9,400 ft and 7-in. casing to TD 10,500 ft. The BHP was approxi-
taining a lightweight sand additive. This process is then repeated mately 1,250 psi and the production rate was low because the per-
for each zone of interest. After all the treatments, CT is used to forations were covered by formation sand. Because of the small
clean out the sand plugs in the horizontal section of the wellbore. completion tubulars, the size of CT that could be used was lim-
In the following section we will concentrate only on the first ited. Because of the low BHP and the sensitivity of the reservoir
cleanout of the solids used for the abrasive perforating process. to gelled fluids, only nitrified water with a high gas ratio could be
After incorporating the latest test data into a proven computer circulated. The small annular clearance between the coiled tubing
Solids Bulk Cross Sectional Area Solids Bulk Cross Sectional Area
Solids in Completion (%) Solids After Penetration (%) Solids in Completion[%] Solids After Penetration[%]
Solids After Circulation (%) Solids After Wiper Trip (%) Solids After Circulation[%] Solids After Wiper Trip[%]
60 60
Solids % of Total Cross
Solids % of Total Cross
50 50
Sectional Area
Sectional Area
40 40
30 30
20 20
10 10
0 0
0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000
Measured Depth, feet Measured Depth, feet

FIGURE 13: Predicted solids bulk cross area after 4360 minutes FIGURE 14: Predicted solids bulk cross area after 170 minutes wiper
stationary circulation cleaning time for Option 1 in Case #3. trip time for Option 3 in Case #3.
and the production tubing and the low BHP effectively dictated
the allowable nitrified water flowrate. At the restricted flowrate,
there was not enough liquid phase annular velocity to lift the sand
up the 7-in. casing. Therefore, a reverse circulation cleanout was
selected.
The general procedure/guideline for the reverse circulation clea-
nout is listed as follows:
1. RIH to top of the fill and circulate N2 and water at the prede-
termined rates based on a cleanout simulator.
2. Maintain 100 – 150 psi at choke; maintain a pump rate at less
than 2,000 psi on CT annulus; maintain constant fluid rates,
wellhead pressure and return pressure. Start penetration of
CT while monitoring the return fluid and injection pressure.
3. RIH at programmed speed.
In order to manage and minimize risk during reverse circulation, FIGURE 15: Well profile and completion information for Case #5.
a contingency plan has to be put in place. Pressure relief valves
set at 2,000 psi should be installed in the pump lines to prevent sand vacuuming system was accordingly chosen for the cleanout
coiled collapse. Additionally, the CT string used on this job was operation.
specifically designed with heavy wall pipe on the uphole end of The CCT string consisted of 1.25-in. CT inside 2.375-in. CT.
the string. This design feature was employed to minimize the risk Total string length was 7,448 ft. A 2.5-in. sand vacuuming BHA
of an erosion hole in the pipe. Also, a rotating joint with a “straight was used on this job. The following is the operation procedure for
through” flow path was used owing to erosion concerns. The bed this job (Figure16):
wrap on the reel was also inspected daily for wall thickness loss
using an ultrasound probe. Because of the limited ability to break Run 1
through hard fill, a surface manifold system has to be set up that
can be used to quickly switch from reverse circulation to forward - Surface tests were performed before RIH.
circulation to remove a sand bridge. Two hole volumes of kill fluid - RIH in sand-vacuuming mode with the pump idling.
should be on site. The CT reel should sited remotely from any ig- - Pick up pump rates to initiate the sand-vacuuming cleaning at
nition sources. 1,050 ft (45o deviation)
- Sand in returns at 2,264 – 2,874 ft.
1.5-in. CT was used for this job. The length of the string was
- RIH weight being lost at 3,018 ft, work pipe and pick up
designed to have 500 ft over the length required to reach bottom in
pump rates, some difficulty working through, no sand in the
the well. This minimized the flow friction up the pipe to allow for
returns.
greater pump rates while maintaining returns. A significant amount
of solid debris (1,100 ft in well) was removed out of the well. The - Large quantity of sand at 3,048 ft, continue to RIH with sand
production of gas for this well increased more than threefold after returns, weights back to normal.
the sand was removed. - At 3,510 ft, start seeing oil in returns.
- Continue to RIH to 4,222 ft, sand and some oil in returns.
Reverse circulation on a well using a cleanout fluid with a hydro- POOH to change out tool.
static gradient less than the reservoir pressure is not normal prac-
tice. In this instance, surface injection rates were precalculated and Run 2
subsequently maintained at such a level as to ensure that bottom
hole circulating pressure was above reservoir pressure. This en- - RIH, large quantity of sand from 4,029 to 4,219 ft.
sured that nitrogen (and some water) was feeding to the formation - RIH to 4,826 ft, gassy returns at 4,665 to 4,780 ft, flush
and had displaced gas away from the wellbore. Injection rates were screens occasionally.
adjusted to continuously ensure that bottom hole circulating pres- - At 4,833 ft, hold up, reach maximum set down weight, pull
sures stayed above reservoir pressure. Computer analysis on loca- back and hold up higher.
tion during the job confirmed that significant volumes of nitrogen - POOH as unable to progress.
were entering the formation and thus were displacing gas away Significant quantities of sand were removed from the wellbore.
from the wellbore. Confirmation of the predictions was obtained The largest quantities of sand came from the low points in the hori-
when the well was put on production, because for several hours zontal section of the hole (as is typically seen). Approximately 70
after the job, the well was only producing nitrogen, and at least 24 ft3 of sand was reported as being recovered, which equates to 2.24
hours passed before burnable gas reached surface. tonnes of sand.
The sand-vacuuming BHA was unable to reach TD. The hold
up depth was 4,833 ft, which is just at the start of an 8-ft climb in
Case 5: Sand Vacuuming Cleanout TVD. It is possible that a hard bridge of sand may have built up
The well was drilled in an oil-producing formation in Canada. 10 1,358
The TVD was 1,365 ft, and MD was 6,414 ft. The BHT was ap- Sand removed in 1st Run
1,360
9
proximately 284oF (as a result of steam breakthrough) and BHP Sand removed in 2nd Run
1,362
8
Sand Removed, lb/ft
was approximately 226 psi. The well was completed with 85/8-in. TVD
1,364
casing to 2,441 ft with a 51/2-in. liner from 2,382 ft to TD (see 7
1,366
Figure 15). The length of the horizontal section was 4,167 ft.
TVD, feet
6
1,368
A study was initiated to evaluate cleanout strategies for this 5
1,370
well. Two cleanout strategies were investigated: pumping nitri- 4
1,372
fied water through conventional 23/8-in. CT vs. using the sand 3
1,374
vacuuming cleaning system with CCT. Because of the low BHP 2 1,376
and large volume of sand in the horizontal liner, the nitrogen re- 1 1,378
quirements for a conventional cleanout using nitrified water were
0 1,380
enormous and simply impractical. Furthermore, a tubing force
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
5,500
analysis indicated that a conventional 23/8-in. CT string was not

able to reach total depth in this well while a 1.25-in. by 2.375-in. Measured Depth, feet
CCT could. For the sand vacuuming system, only formation water
needed to be pumped to conduct an underbalanced cleanout. The FIGURE 16: Sand removal rate and TVD profile for Case #5.
100 6 The pump rate during the milling run was limited to 2 bpm be-
90 Nipple restriction cause of the motor. This flow rate provided insufficient annular
5 velocity to circulate solids out of the wellbore and therefore the
Completion size, inch

80
70
milling run was followed by a second switchable jetting tool clea-
Deviation, o
4
60
nout. Significant debris was removed with the second switchable
jetting tool run.
50 3
After cleaning the wellbore, the first gun run was carried out.
40
2 However, something remained in the well which resulted in the
30
gun failing to reach the target depth. This led to suspicion that there
20
1 were large pieces of debris in the well, pieces so large that the ac-
10 tion of the switchable jetting nozzle could not transport them.
0 0 In response to the suspicion that large junk remained in the
0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000
well, a venturi junk basket was deployed. The venturi junk basket
Measurement depth, feet removed a quantity of large pieces. Figure 18 shows material
retrieved using this method. This debris included fine barite and ce-
FIGURE 17: Well deviation angle profile and completion information
for Case #6. ment, which had consolidated into a material that required milling
plus some large “rocks” that couldn’t be circulated nor swept out
in the trough of the well at this point (see sand volumes recovered with rearward facing nozzles. After the venturi junk basket run, the
vs. TVD in Figure 16). The force analysis predications with a com- perforation gun was successfully run to the setting depth.
puter software prior to the job indicated that TD would be reached.
A coefficient of friction of 0.3 is used in slotted liner force anal-
ysis, but this number may have been too low for this particular
well. Steam breakthrough is known to cause significant hardening Conclusions
of sand bridges. This paper reviews the individual sand cleanout methodology as
The job was successfully executed as planned except without well as the advantages and the limitations related to each method.
reaching the TD. In summary: Case histories demonstrate how to select the proper cleaning
Pumped fluid: 340 bbl method.
Removed sand: 5,000 lbm
In summary:
Recovered drilling mud: 52 bbl
1. Solids transport in wellbores is a complex problem. A proper
Recovered oil: 60 bbl
sand cleanout selection process has to be followed to ensure
Total pumping time: 9.5 hrs
that solids are completely and efficiently removed from the
wellbore.
Case 6: Venturi Junk Basket Cleanout 2. Compared with other sand cleanout processes, wiper trip
A well was drilled and completed but had yet to be perforated. technology has become the preferred and most efficient sand
The well deviation angle profile and the completion information cleanout process, especially for deviated and horizontal well.
are shown in Figure 17. The total measured depth (TMD) and total However, it needs a simulator to ensure that proper return
vertical depth (TVD) are 21,146 ft and 11,953 ft, respectively. This flow rates and tripping speeds are maintained to carry the
well has a 60o slant section and a 75o to 90o reservoir section at the solids to surface. For pressure-depleted reservoirs, nitrified
bottom. The well was completed with a 51/2-in. tubing to 8,246 ft fluids can be used.
and 5-in. liner at the bottom section. The reservoir is a gas/conden- 3. Sand vacuuming systems can be used to efficiently remove
sate reservoir, with a static pressure of approximately 6,300 psi and both debris and fluids from low-pressure wells without
the BHT of 250oF. needing nitrogen. This technique is especially useful for hor-
Before deploying the perforation gun, debris in the wellbore had
izontal heavy oil wells. The circulation liquid rates are usu-
to be cleaned out. A 2-in. CT string with a downhole switchable
ally less than 1 bpm.
nozzle was used to clean the hole. During the first run, a very hard
4. Low-return fluid rates are needed in the reverse circulation
sand bridge was encountered and the jetting action of the tool was
not sufficient to break through the bridge. A downhole motor and sand cleanout owing to the small flow cross area of coiled
mill was run and it was able to break through the hard spot and tuning. Because of the lack of control of hydrocarbon fluid
continue into the wellbore. returning to the surface through the CT, enough hydrostatic
pressure is required to keep the well at the overbalance condi-
tion. Therefore, the most common application for reverse cir-
culation is cleaning sand from water injection wells. In most
cases, the injection fluid rate is much higher than the return
fluid rate because much of the circulation fluid leaks into the
formation.
5. Gelled fluids with high suspension capabilities are an effec-
tive option when the debris cannot be removed from highly
deviated/horizontal large-diameter wellbores using low sus-
pension fluids such as water or diesel. However, sand can be
efficiently cleaned only when the gel systems are designed
with regard to bottom hole temperature and the effects for
thermal thinning and/or degradation, and when combined
with the wiper trip jetting effect that re-entrains solids that
have settled into a sand bed.
6. The venturi junk bailer can be a useful tool to retrieve large
particulates, especially junk, which are likely not circulated
FIGURE 18: Debris retrieved by a venturi junk basket for Case #6. out by all other methods.
7. Foam could be an alternative option to nitrified polymer sys- 7. Li, J. and Walker, S. 2001. Sensitivity Analysis of Hole Cleaning Pa-
tems. However, because of the complexity of the fluid, its rameters in Directional Wells. SPE J. 6 (4): 356–363. PA-74710-PA.
high apparent viscosity, the additional logistical issues as- 10.2118/74710-PA.
sociated with handling it at the surface and the current lack 8. Walker, S. and Li, J. 2000. Effects of Particle Size, Fluid Rheology,
of reliable predictive methods regarding solids transport and Pipe Eccentricity on Cuttings Transport. Paper SPE 60755 pre-
efficiency in deviated wellbores, it is not common to use sented at the SPE/ICoTA Coiled Tubing Roundtable, Houston, Texas,
foam for sand cleanouts in deviated or horizontal wells. USA, 5–6 April. doi: 10.2118/60755-MS.
8. As a result of the multitude of parameters influencing the 9. Walker, S. and Li, J. 2001. Coiled-Tubing Wiper Trip Hole Cleaning
transport of solids in wellbores, a computer software simu- in Highly Deviated Wellbores. Paper SPE 68435 presented at the
lator is the only way to balance all the variables involved in SPE/ICoTA Coiled Tubing Roundtable, Houston, Texas, USA, 7–8
the design and optimization of an effective sand cleanout. March. doi: 10.2118/68435-MS.
10. Li, J., Walker, S., and Aitken, B. 2002. How to Efficiently Remove
Sand From Deviated Wellbores With a Solids Transport Simulator
and a Coiled Tubing Cleanout Tool. Paper SPE 77527 presented at
Acknowledgements the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, San Antonio,
The authors would like to express their appreciation to BJ Ser- Texas, USA, 29 September–2 October. doi: 10.2118/77527-MS.
vices Company for the opportunity to present this paper. We wish 11. Li, J., Wilde, G., and Crabtree, A. 2005. Do Complex Super-Gel Liq-
to further thank BJ Services field operation crews for the execu- uids Perform Better Than Simple Linear Liquids In Hole Cleaning
tion of these treatments. The special thank goes to Robert de Jonge, With Coiled Tubing? Paper SPE 94185 presented at the SPE/ICoTA
Mounir Ababou and Robledo Barros for providing the detailed op- Coiled Tubing Conference and Exhibition, TheWoodlands, Texas,
eration information of field cases. USA, 12–13 April. doi: 10.2118/94185-MS.
12. Li, J. and Wilde, G. 2005. Effect of Particle Density and Size on
Solids Transport and Hole Cleaning with Coiled Tubing. Paper
NOMENCLATURE SPE 94187 presented at the SPE/ICoTA Coiled Tubing Conference
bpm = flow rate, bbl/min and Exhibition, The Woodlands, Texas, USA, 12–13 April. doi:
scfm = gas rate, standard cubic feet per minute 10.2118/94187-MS.
13. Walker, S.A., Li, J., and Wilde, G. 2006. Coiled Tubing Wellbore
SI Metric Conversion Factors Cleanout. US Patent No. 6,982,008.
14. Ovesen, M., Sach, M., Laun, L., Gill, G.E., and Juel, H. 2003. Effi-
tonne × 1.0* E + 00 = Mg cient Sand Cleanouts in Larger Wellbores Using Coiled Tubing: A
*Conversion factor is exact. New Approach Making an Old Problem Simple. Paper SPE 81727
presented at the SPE/ICoTA Coiled Tubing Conference and Exhibi-
SI Metric Conversion Factors tion, Houston, Texas, USA, 8–9 April. doi: 10.2118/81727-MS.
bbl × 159 E +00 = litre 15. Hobbs, D. and Liles, C. 2002. Technique, nozzle enhance coiled-
ft × 0.3048 E +00 = m tubing wiper-trip efficiency. Oil & Gas Journal 100 (13): 52–56.
in. × 25.4 E–03 = m 16. Gilmore, T., Leonard, R., and Steinback, S. 2005. Software, Fluids
psi × 6.895 E +03 = Pa and Downhole Tools for Successful Sand Cleanouts in Any Wellbore
Geometry Using Small Coiled Tubing. Paper SPE 97080 presented at
the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Dallas, 9-12
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in Easter Venezuela. Paper SPE 60696 presented at the SPE/ICoTA
Coiled Tubing Roundtable, Houston, 5–6 April. doi: 10.2118/60696-
MS. This paper (SPE 113267) was prepared for presentation at the SPE Eur-
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Venezuela’s Orinoco Belt. Paper SPE 69532 presented at the SPE June 2009. Revised paper received for review 22 April 2010. Paper peer
Latin American and Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference, approved 28 April 2010. 
Buenos Aires, 25–28 March. doi: 10.2118/69532-MS.
27. Ali, S. A., Hibbeler, J., and Di Lullo, G. 2002. Coiled Tubing Vacuum
Remove Drilling Induced Damage. Oil & Gas Journal 100 (13): 43– Authors’ Biographies
47.
28. Hibbeler, J., Duque, L., Castro, L., Gonzalez, A., and Romero, J. Jeff Li has been a senior project leader with
2002. Underbalanced Coiled-Tubing Technique Leads to Improved BJ Services since 1996. His particular ex-
Productivity in Slotted Liner Completions. Paper SPE 74846 pre- pertise is with multi-phase fluids flow and
sented at the SPE/ICoTA Coiled Tubing Conference and Exhibition, solids transport studies in sand cleaning,
Houston, 9–10 April. doi: 10.2118/74846-MS. gravel packing and drilling process. He
29. Selle, C., Ansari, A., and Portman, L. 2002. Removing Mud Damage holds B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from Xian
from Depleted Horizontal Wells Using Jet Pumps and Concentric Jiaotong University, P.R. China. He also
Coiled Tubing. Oral presentation SPE 77210 given at the IADC/SPE holds M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in mechan-
Asia Pacific Drilling Technology Conference and Exhibition, Jakarta, ical engineering from the University of
9–11 September. Saskatchewan. Li has published over 30
30. Benzaquen, I., Romero,J., Zambrano, J., Henao, P., and Ortiz, A. technical papers and holds several patents,
2006. Cleaning Effectivity of Concentric Coiled Tubing in Horizontal and is a technical reviewer of SPE Drilling and Completion. He is
Wells, Cerro Negro Area, Carabobo Field, Venezuela. Paper SPE a member of SPE and ICoTA.
102436 presented at the SPE International Oil and Gas Conference
and Exhibition, Beijing, 5–7 December. doi: 10.2118/102436-MS. John Misselbrook is Senior Advisor for
31. Putra, R.A., Azkawi, A., Bharti, S., and Oyemade, S. 2007. Well Coiled Tubing for BJ Services. He is a
Cleanup Issues in Field with Sand Coproduction Philosophy in “Mechanical Sciences” graduate of Cam-
Oman. Paper SPE 107677 presented at the SPE European Forma-
bridge University (Masters Degree) and has
tion Damage Conference, Scheveningen, The Netherlands, 30 May–1
worked continuously in the coiled tubing
June. doi: 10.2118/107677-MS.
service industry since joining Nowsco Well
32. Portman, L. 2003. Reducing the Cost of Coiled Tubing Cleanouts by
Conducting Them Without Nitrogen. Paper SPE 81744 presented at
Services in 1977. He took up his current
the SPE/ICoTA Coiled Tubing Conference and Exhibition, Houston, role following Nowsco’s merger with BJ
8–9 April. doi: 10.2118/81744-MS. Services in 1996. During the past 30 years
33. Kuchel, M., Clark, J., and Marques, D. 2002. Horizontal Well he has worked in various operational, en-
Cleaning and Evaluation Using Concentric Coiled Tubing: A 3 Well gineering, research, business develop-
Case Study from Australia. Paper SPE 74820 presented at the SPE/ ment and management roles involving coiled tubing in areas as
ICoTA Coiled Tubing Conference and Exhibition, Houston, 9–10 diverse as the North Sea, Canada, South East Asia and the USA.
April. doi: 10.2118/74820-MS. He has been intimately involved with many of the coiled tubing
34. Rafferty, P., Ennis, J., Skufca, J., and Craig, S. 2007. Enhanced technologies developed by BJ and was one of the original team of
Solids Removal Techniques From Ultra Low Pressure Wells Using engineers directly involved in the development of improved engi-
Concentric Coiled Tubing Vacuum Technology. Paper SPE 107010 neering techniques for under-balance drilling in Western Canada
presented at the SPE/ICoTA Coiled Tubing and Well Intervention in 1991. He subsequently became responsible for Nowsco’s ini-
Conference and Exhibition, The Woodlands, Texas, USA, 20–21 tiative to develop under-balance drilling technology using coiled
April. doi: 10.2118/107010-MS. tubing. More recently, he has been actively involved in the de-
35. Kutch, M. 2007. Evaluation of the Inflow Profiling of the Well- velopment and exploitation of BJ’s coiled tubing fracturing tech-
bore with the CCT Vacuuming. Paper SPE 110161 presented at nologies. Misselbrook is the holder of several US patents and is a
Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, Jakarta, 30 Oc- former chairman and lifetime honorary member of the Interven-
tober–1 November. tion & Coiled Tubing Association. He has written several SPE pa-
36. Skufca, J. and Li, J. 2009. Cleaning Large-Diameter Proppant in pers, served on numerous SPE Forum and Conference committees
Low-Bottomhole Pressure, Extended-Reach Wells with Concentric involved with coiled tubing and is a member of the JPT editorial
Coiled Tubing Vacuuming Technology. Paper SPE 121498 presented committee.
at the SPE/ICoTA Coiled Tubing and Well Intervention Conference
and Exhibition, The Woodlands, Texas, USA, 31 March–1 April. doi:
Manfred Sach is the manager of the Tech-
10.2118/121498-MS.
nical Support Services at the BJ Services
37. Gunther, O., Higgins, G., Li, J., and Lambert, M. 2009. Ultra-Low
Pressure Wellbore Cleanouts Using Micro-Vacuuming Technology
Coiled Tubing (CT) Research and Engi-
and Concentric Coiled Tubing. Paper SPE 13168 presented at the neering Facility in Calgary, Alberta. He
International Petroleum Technology Conference, Doha, 7–9 De- has worked in several international loca-
cember. doi: 10.2523/13168-MS. tions and has been directly involved in the
38. Haughton, D.B. and Connell, P. 2006. Reliable and Effective Down- development and application of several CT
hole Cleaning System for Debris and Junk Removal. Paper SPE technologies, ranging from CT drilling,
101727 presented at the SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Confer- spoolable connectors and CT wiper tripping
ence and Exhibition, Adelaide, Australia, 11–13 September. doi: for achieving increased cleanout efficien-
10.2118/101727-MS. cies. He holds a M.Sc. degree in petroleum
39. Grassick, R. 2007. An Electric Line Solution for Sand and Debris and fluid mining engineering from the German Technische Uni-
Removal. Paper presented at the ICoTA European Chapter Working versität und Bergakademie Freiberg. He is a member of SPE and
Lunch. ICoTA.
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Article in Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology · August 2010

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Sand Cleanouts With Coiled Tubing:

circulation modes to remove solids: either forward or reverse circu-

Minimum Relative Liquid Velocity

0.8 Minimum velocity for wiper trip/POOH with forward circulation

0.7 Minimum liquid velocity for RIH with reverse circulation

80 Achievable flow rate

60 POOH or RIH with reverse circulation

Liquid Velocity, ft/min

FIGURE 5: Solids-cleanout/drift-BHA with PDM/mill and specialized downhole cleanout-tool.

Viscosity @ 100 sec-1, cP

The existing sand/well vacuuming BHA can be 2.5-in., 2.125- 20

show the wide variations in the transition and breakdown tempera-

Table 1: Equivalent circulation density/pressure gradient generated by different fluids.

Fluid type ECD psi/ft bar/10m Remarks

August 2010, Volume 49, No. 8 5

Equivalent Circulation Density, s.g.

Wells cleaned with wiper trip 2,000

Reverse Circ. cleanout

Surface pump rate

Wiper trip cleanout

Max depth Max deviated angle

Hole Fluid Fluid Rate CT Fluid

Gathering wellbore survey and completion information

If particle size <0.5"

Run simulator to select CT Run simulator to select CT size,

Is the well can be cleaned by

Comparing with other options

Comparing with other options

Comparing with other options

Comparing with other options

Comparing with other options

Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology

amounts of scale material. Because of the large completion volume 30 3

Completion Size, inch

Measured Depth, feet Measured Depth, feet

analysis indicated that a conventional 23/8-in. CT string was not

Completion size, inch

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