OPTIMIZING WELL INTERVENTION
Schlumberger has developed a software program for streamlining wireline
intervention shifting operations. Among other things, it automates the process of
fl ushing clogged solenoids, a common cause of toolstring malfunctions.

through this log and immediately work on
troubleshooting,” Mr Li said.

Case study
At the conference, Mr Li presented the
results from a system integration test (SIT)
Schlumberger performed on the software.

The test setup consisted of a 333 ft-long
completion, including the following sec-
tions: 7-in. tubing, 4.5-in. tubing, 3.5-in.

tubing, 5-ft sliding sleeve and then an
additional 6 ft of 3.5-in. tubing.

The wireline toolstring used in the test
consisted of a four-section tractor, fol-
lowed by the shifting tool module. The
completion mapping information was
loaded into the software.

The depth control panel was used to dis-
play the shifting toolstring inside the com-
pletion. The position of the toolstring was
defined per the winch depth measurement
and an offset correction. The depth of the
end of the 6-ft section of 3.5-in. tubing was
set at an artificial depth of 10,302 ft.

The objectives of the SIT were to use the
depth control panel to deliver the tool 7 ft
above the sliding sleeve lower profile, and
then start the automated seeking/shifting
sequence to latch and shift the sliding
sleeve down to open. The SIT was started
with the toolstring inserted at the uphole
end of the tubing. The tractor was used to
tractor down. As the CCL module passed
through the 7-in. tubing to the 4.5-in. tub-
ing, the CCL signal was recorded. The trac-
tor controls were set so the tractor stalled
as the bottom-most drive hit the restric-
40 tion. The first drive was closed while the
other three drives were kept open. This
allowed the toolstring to move forward
until the second drive hit the restriction.

The tractor navigation sequence was
continued by opening the first drive, clos-
ing the second drive and tractoring down
again. This allowed the tool to move down
until the third drive hit the restriction.

The second drive was opened and the
third drive was closed, allowing the tool to
move down until the fourth drive hit the
restriction. At this point, the shifting tool was
opened in seek mode, incorporating
a suspension system that allowed it to
compress to pass through restrictions or
expand into openings. The third tractor
drive opened, and the fourth drive was
closed. The tractor was started, and the
tool moved down until the tractor stalled.

The higher tractoring force was selected,
causing the shifting tool to be compressed
and pass through the 4.5-in. to the 3.5-in.

restriction. In seek mode, a profilometer
option can be used to isolate the hydraulic
chamber in the shifting tool. Fluctuation
of the pressure then gives an indication of
the change in diameter.

The shifting tool diameter change mea-
surement can then be used to measure
change in diameter up to 1 in. In this case,
the shifting was compressed from 3.9-in.

diameter to 2.99-in. diameter, another indi-
cator that Mr Li said helped to locate the
toolstring in the completion. The shifting
tool was opened near the end of and inside
the 4.5-in. tubular, after which it was com-
pressed to pass through the restriction and
enter the 3.5-in. tubular.

After the shifting tool passed the restric-
tion, the next indication came from the
CCL module passing through the 4.5-in. to
3.5-in. tubing restriction. The tractor then
stalled when the bottom-most drive hit
the 4.5-in. to 3.5-in. restriction. The tractor
navigation was executed, and the fourth
and last drive hit the restriction. This was
the last indication before the shifting tool
entered the sliding sleeve.

The depth control panel, the CCL signal,
tractor motor stall indicator and shifting
tool ID measurement were used to deliver
the shifting tool 5 ft above the sliding
sleeve. The shifting tool pressure was then
increased to use it as an anchor and pre-
vent the toolstring from sliding inside the
tubing. The tractor drivers were closed.

Afterwards, the operation was complet-
ed using the automated seeking/shifting
sequence, which consisted of activating
the tool using pre-selected parameters so
that it moved in an inchworm-like motion
toward the profile and latches, shifting the
sleeve. In this case, the downhole direction
was selected. The shifting tool latched and
shifted the sleeve without stopping.

Ultimately, Schlumberger hopes to
enable “one-click” operation with the soft-
ware, Mr Li said, although he noted this
would require the software to be fully auto-
mated over the wireline. To accomplish
this full automation, automated winch
operation must be incorporated into the
workflow, and a decision-making method
that better incorporates artificial intel-
ligence will likely be needed to identify
different phases of the operation.

Further improvement on linear actua-
tor displacement measurement would
also allow micro-level correlation with
submillimeter-grade accuracy. Mr Li said
this could potentially be achieved by fus-
ing multiple measurements, including the
accelerometer measurement, the tractor
speed, the pumping motor speed of the
shifting tool, and the winch depth mea-
surement. DC
For more information, please see SPE 208992,
“Advanced Software
Features to
Enable Smart Downhole Valve and Sleeve Shifting
Operation.” M AY/J U N E 202 2 • D R I L L I N G C O N T R AC T O R