FourPhase, the solids and production performance specialist for the oil and gas sector, has said it has carried out the first-ever successful desander operation in the wider Trinidad region.
The company said it had completed the operation successfully for an unnamed major oil and gas operator in the region.
"During production, the well experienced a heavy accumulation of solids in the injection line resulting in a well shut-in. A plug was set above the production packer by the operator. When the gas lift valve was pulled from the lowest gas lift station, debris from the A annulus entered the tubing. A coiled tubing operation was selected as the best course of action to clean out the solids, pull the plug, and gain access to the lower zone," FourPhase said.
"This was the first time a desander has been used in Trinidad and the DualFlow 5K cyclonic separation system was selected as the best technology to undertake the job. The coiled tubing cleanout operation was completed using seawater as the main cleanout fluid with gel pills used to assist lifting the solids," the company added.
FourPhase deployed its DualFlow 5K desander, flow meter manifold, dual choke manifold, Surface Safety Valve (SSV), and FourPhase production specification pipework. In total, 348 kgs solids were returned and accurately measured by the 560 sensors built into the system. A fluid sample taken from the well showed an average particle size of 4 to 100 microns.
"The FourPhase DualFlow was chosen due to the limited space on the platform deck. The technology is the only dual cyclone desander on the market with a 6.7 x 6.7 ft (2X2 m) footprint. The smallest desander available, its modular design was strategically developed to create a flexible, stackable, and compact solution also incorporating a choke manifold skid within this footprint," the company said.
The operation required a four-person (two + two) crew to operate and the DualFlow was controlled from a remote location on site to minimize the exposure of personnel.
"As the first automated solids management system with remote operation capabilities available on the market, the system has the capability to remove POB completely and be fully remote where the rigs infrastructure allows. The system delivers solids-free production flow while reducing operational costs, reducing emissions from personnel logistics and eliminating risks related to human error," the company said.
Øyvind Heradstveit, CEO at FourPhase, comments: "Removing nearly 350 kgs of solids from a well is an achievement. Given it was the first time a desander has been used in the region, it makes it even more special. We look forward to working with more clients in the region and pushing our technology to new and exciting limits.
"We are fully committed to bringing our cleaner technology to the Americas. This was a big month for us as we retrofitted two desanders to cater specifically for the region, as well as appointed our Executive Vice President for the Americas, Caleb Roquemore.”