Publications

Schlumberger and a major independent oil company have been performing sand control completions in Indonesia's Natuna Sea since 2000. The frac-pack treatments were initially performed by placing the pumping equipment directly on the decks of jackup rigs, tenders, semisubmersibles, etc. In the second quarter of 2012, a multizone sand control campaign was initiated and employed two platform-based rigs drilling two subsea wells in parallel. The pumping requirements called for pumping up to 40 bbl/min of high-proppant concentration fluid. Additional equipment and materials were needed to supplement the standard 20 bbl/min pumping setup used in previous operations. Three wells in the campaign were completed successfully from the rig, although significant inefficiencies were noted due to rig deck space requirements. Additionally, the high-volume pumping and frequency of the work in a multizone completion increased logistical demands and health, safety, and environmental (HSE) risks that had not been a factor in previous campaigns. After identifying these operational inefficiencies, Schlumberger proposed to install the fracturing equipment on the deck of a platform supply vessel. Because the concept was introduced in the middle of the campaign, the installation of the flexible fleet had to be completed in a short period of time to avoid disrupting the ongoing operations. Proper planning in the installation process played a significant role in meeting the scheduled expectations. The transition from a rig-based temporary skid rig to a dedicated supply vessel resulted in numerous benefits, including approximately 2 days of rig time savings per well, improved operations efficiency and cost savings from servicing two rigs in parallel using a single set of stimulation equipment, significant and noticeable improvement in equipment maintenance and process delivery, elimination of more than 140 offshore lifts and associated risks per well, and isolation of hazardous chemical mixing and storage facilities on the supply vessel to improve drilling rig personnel safety.