Annuals Pressure

Annulus Pressure Management

Mahmoud Farag Radwan

Subsurface & Integrity Operations Dept. Head
https:\\www.linkedin.com/in/mahmoud-farag-radwan-a9266626
Mahmoud Farag Radwan
Mahmoud Radwan is a Subsurface & Integrity Operations Dept. Head at AMAL Petroleum Company
(AMAPETCO) with more than 15 years of experience in oil & gas industry. Mahmoud worked in Well
Engineering, Intervention, Integrity & Work-over at several companies, including KDT Global Solutions,
Short Biography CUDD Well Control, Badr El-Din Pet. Co. (BAPETCO), Qarun Pet. Co. (QPC) and Wadi El-Sahel Petroleum
Co. (WASPETCO).
Also, a freelance instructor at upstream Oil & Gas in Egypt & GCC since 2008.
Mahmoud received a BSc degree in Petroleum Engineering from Al-Azhar University in 2007.

o Evaluating Sustainable Annulus Pressure (SAP) in Sour Wells and the Possible Causes to Avoid
Recurrence to the Well Integrity Annual Middle East Conference in Abu Dhabi; UAE in Apr 2015
o Implementing NDT methods for maintenance and inspection to the Asset Integrity Management North
Africa Conference in Cairo; Egypt in Nov 2015
o Feasibility Evaluation of Using Downhole Gas-water Separation Technology in gas Reservoirs with
Bottom Water; paper number: SPE-183739-MS to the 20th Middle East Oil & Gas Show and Conference in
Publications Mar 2017 http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/183739-MS
o Managing the Operational Challenges in Corroded Wells through Well Integrity Management System to
the Improving Brownfield Performance Technical Convention, in Cairo; Egypt in Dec 2019
o Safe and Economic Attractive Rigless Operations Using a Digital Slickline in Unmanned Platform with
Low Structure Loads and Spacing; paper number: SPE-202857-MS to the Abu Dhabi International
Petroleum Exhibition & Conference (ADIPEC) in Nov 2020 https://doi.org/10.2118/202857-MS
Annulus Pressure Management
Why monitor annuli pressures?
Definition :
“the area between two concentric circles”
Or “a ring shaped part , figure or space”
• The annular voids form the principal barriers between the produced
fluids and the atmosphere.
• By monitoring the annulus pressure we will be able to assess the
condition and integrity of the well tubulars.
• Anomalous annulus pressures may give the first indication of downhole
problems although it does not automatically mean there is a leak
• Thermal expansion or ingress of formation fluid could also cause an
increase in annulus pressure, regular sampling of annulus fluids may
also be undertaken
• Annulus temperatures should also be considered
Recommended Annuli Naming Convention
Annulus Monitoring
C BA A BC
Tbg A B C Formn
Depth
Formation
Increasing distance from tubing
Tubing, Annulus & Formation Temperature
Hot Cool
Types of Annular Pressures
1 Thermal Pressure (TP)
• Wells with fluid filled enclosed annuli will exhibit thermal pressure changes during warm-up and cool down periods. It is
important to recognize this fact and to monitor annulus pressure closely during start up of new wells. Pressure should
not be bled off in this instance unless MAWOP is breached. It is vital to monitor annulus pressure closely during initial
start up of new wells as pressure can build up rapidly and result in over-pressurized annuli.
2 Applied Pressure (AP)

• Pressure may be applied on an annulus for various purposes, including gas lift, compensating for bullheading loads or
to assist in annulus monitoring.
• This pressure may also come from pressure containment tests as part of preventative Subsurface Integrity Test (SIT)
activities. Care must be taken to ensure this pressure is bled down after testing to a suitable value to ensure that
thermal pressure does not result in MAWOP being breached.
3 Sustained Annulus Pressure (SAP)

• Pressure in any well annulus that is measurable at the wellhead and rebuilds when bled down, not caused solely by
temperature fluctuations or imposed by the operator (e.g., gas-lift pressure, gas- or water-injection pressure).
• This pressure comes from a pressure source such as reservoir, adjacent annulus etc and shall be investigated using
the WIMS whenever suspected or where observed pressure cannot be proven to be either AP or TP.
Risk Associated with SAP
➢ The most serious problems have resulted from
tubing leak
➢ When the resulting pressure on the production
casing causes a failure of the production
casing, the outcomes can be catastrophic
➢ The outer casing strings could also fail,
resulting in an underground blowout
➢ SAP represents a potential risk of losing
hydrocarbon reserves and polluting aquifers
and sea with hydrocarbons
Mud cake leaks
Casing
SAP Sources
leak
Well-head leak APB

CSG
Burst
Tensile cracks in cement
caused by temperature & Tubing leak
pressure cycles
Payne - SPE Forum
Low pressure sand
Corrosion Damage
High pressure sand
Underground blowout
Channel caused by flow

after cementing
Figure from “A Review

of Sustained Casing
Pressure (SCP)
Occurring on the OCS”
Micro-annulus caused by
by Bourgoyne et al
casing contraction
(March 2000) Harper - KDHE
Sustained Annulus Pressure (SAP)
Applicable Regulations
Norsok D-10: US Minerals Management

Service (MMS)
• Pressures in all accessible annuli shall be
monitored and maintained within min
Regulations:
and max operational pressure limits to
• Require elimination of SAP.
verify that the integrity status of well
barriers is known at all times • Also grants waivers (departures)
permitting operation of wells with
• A-annulus pressure in all wells and B-
small SAP problems.
annulus pressure in multi purpose and gas
lifted wells shall be monitored through • Diagnostic testing is required in any
continuous recording well exhibiting sustained annulus
pressure (SAP). The departure (waiver)
• Subsea wells, the B-annulus designed to
decisions are solely based on the
withstand thermal pressure build up, or
results from annulus pressure
have an acceptable pressure management
diagnostic tests.
system
• Results of the test determine if
• Shall be possible to secure well in the
immediate SAP removal could be
event of failure
temporarily waived (departure permit)
• If failed barrier, only activity in well and continuing operation of the well
should be to restore well integrity permitted.
SAP - Platform versus Subsea wellheads
Possible Leak Paths - Completion
Leak Paths – A annulus
Leak Paths – B annulus
Leak Paths – C annulus
Prevention Methods
➢ Preventive Practices for Well Construction &
Production:
▪ Well Planning & Design
▪ Detection & Diagnostics: SAP Sources and
Pathways
▪ SAP Barriers: Mechanical, Cement, Rock &
Chemical Sealants
▪ Thermal APB (Annular Pressure Build-Up):
Avoidance, Prevention & Venting
▪ Well Integrity Testing
SAP Diagnostic Methods
➢ Maximum Allowable Wellhead Operating
Pressure (MAWOP) Calculation
➢ Flow Testing & Sampling
➢ Well Log Analysis
➢ Pressure Bleed-Down Performance
➢ Pressure Build-Up Performance
➢ Upper & Lower Diagnostic Thresholds (DTs)
➢ Wellhead & Tubular Pressure Testing
➢ Data Record & Documentation
Thank You

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Annulus Pressure Management

Mahmoud Farag Radwan

Tubing, Annulus & Formation Temperature

2 Applied Pressure (AP)

3 Sustained Annulus Pressure (SAP)

Well-head leak APB

Channel caused by flow

Figure from “A Review

Norsok D-10: US Minerals Management

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