ONS: Welltec launches WellLIT

Welltec, in partnership with Saudi Aramco, has produced what it it describing as the industry's first e-line tool designed to provide reliable, efficient, rigless access into laterals from the main wellbore.  

WellLIT detects each sidetrack window depth and then directs unmodified, third-party, e-line tools into the selected lateral, while providing real time, diagnostic feedback that each lateral was entered.

WellLIT can be run standalone in vertical wells, in combination with downhole tractors for deviated/horizontal wells or conveyed on e-coil to enable CT access into laterals for clean-out or stimulation, the firm says.

Seven field trials have been performed where the WellLIT successfully passed from cased hole into cased hole, cased hole into open hole, and open hole into open hole laterals on e-coil while conveying third party logging tools and a commercial version of the tool is now available.  

The WellLIT. Photo from Welltec.

 

"WellLIT is a collection of several diagnostic components utilizing a novel combination of established sensor and hardware technology," says Welltec, which launched WellLIT today at ONS. "It consists of the Welltec Hardware Scanner (WHS), the Welltec Ultrasonic Scanner (WUS), a wireless communication package and the Welltec Steerable Access Sub (SAS).

"The Welltec Hardware Scanner utilizes a high resolution, magnetic flux measurement to provide depth correlation, distinguish between cased hole and open hole and identify the lateral windows. 

"The Welltec Ultrasonic Scanner relies upon ultrasonic signals to generate a unique "fingerprint" of the wellbore which can be compared over multiple passes to provide confirmation of the toolstring into the desired wellbore or lateral. It independently analyzes the environment surrounding the tool and provides standalone data to be used in collaboration with the data from the Welltec Hardware Scanner. 

"The Welltec Steerable Access Sub is an electronic-hydraulic actuating arm that can be oriented to guide the toolstring into selected laterals. It provides a high number of different angle settings that can be set from surface command permitting or preventing access to the nearby lateral.

"The tool also adds a sonar-based communication system that allows third party tools to be run between the diagnostics section and the steerable joint. Battery packs provide power for the steerable joint so through-wiring is not required and standard hardware connects the steerable joint to the 3rd party tools. This permits operators to deploy existing, off the shelf technology from their e-line partner of choice to diagnose their laterals, says Welltec."