Wireline Solution Helps Operator Avoid Costly Extra Rig Time

Overview 

Having just drilled the intermediate section, a North Sea operator ran casing that was a combination of thick-walled casing (0.82 in.) at the top and standard-thickness casing (0.625 in.) to total depth (TD). As part of a casing wear modeling survey going forward, the operator required detailed casing inspection data of the thick-walled casing to act as a baseline before further drilling. Equally important to the overall objective was to determine the cement bond quality in the standard-thickness casing. 

Challenge 

The thick casing presented a challenge for gathering the casing thickness data using standard ultrasonic scanning tools. Typically, standard ultrasonic are only capable of logging casings up to 0.75-in. thick. The casing design, featuring a combination of thick-walled casing and standard-casing thickness, meant that potentially two separate logging runs would have to be conducted to gather all the data – a situation the operator was hoping to avoid. The operator reached out to Halliburton to develop a onerun solution that would save considerable rig time.

Solution

Halliburton proposed a one-run solution for gathering the cement evaluation and casing inspection data by combining the Circumferential Acoustic Scanning Tool – Extended Range (CAST-XR™) service with the first commercial use of the Pad Bond Tool (PBT) service. The CAST-XR tool, with its state-of-the art low-frequency transducer for high-fidelity signals, would provide high-resolution casing inspection data in the thick-walled casing thanks to the extended range of the transducer frequency. The new PBT tool would gather azimuthal cement evaluation data to give the client the information necessary to make informed decisions concerning the cement integrity. The Halliburton operations and technology teams worked closely with the operator during the planning of the service to ensure that the CAST-XR tool was properly configured and the correct logging parameters were selected through the proprietary CAST™ planner software.

Result 

With the CAST-XR/ PBT/Borehole Sonic Array Tool (BSAT) tool combination, Halliburton was able to provide the operator with the cement evaluation and casing thickness information it required in just one run, saving considerable rig time. With the CAST-XR tool in casing inspection mode, the client obtained the high-resolution casing inspection data that was required for the casing wear prediction model in the thick-walled casing. Fast-turnaround cement evaluation from the Halliburton Formation Reservoir Solutions (FRS) team ensured that the operator could continue with its operations without delays.