Expandable Liner Hanger Technology Provides Metal-to-Metal Sealing and Improved Anchoring Solution for ERD Wells: Case History in North Sea

Abstract

Abstract Extended reach drilling (ERD) wells provide challenges in achieving successful liner hanger installations and liner cement jobs. This paper reviews successful expandable liner hanger (ELH) installations in challenging ERD wells in offshore North Sea and discusses how the metal-to-metal sealing ELH provides a solution to these challenges. The paper discusses the advantages of the new ELH design, which adds metal-to-metal sealing technology to the existing proven elastomer-sealing technology. In addition, the new design offers improved ELH anchor capability. The paper also describes how the new features of this ELH design provide consistent results to meet the challenges of ERD wells. The paper also examines case histories of four metal-to-metal sealing ELHs set successfully in ERD wells in the North Sea since May 2015. The metal-to-metal sealing technology of the new ELH design (Fig. 1) provides gas-tight sealing at high and low temperatures, and the existing elastomer seals provide field-proven, gas-tight sealing capability in a wide range of applications. The improved ELH anchor design increases the anchoring capability of the hanger allowing operators to run extremely long liners and meet the demands of ERD wells. Another critical advantage of the ELH is the ability to reciprocate and rotate while running in hole and during the entire cement job preventing bridging and packoffs and providing a quality cement job. These case histories provide evidence the sealing and anchoring technologies combined with the reciprocation capabilities of ELH are critical to successful cemented liner hanger jobs in ERD wells. This paper presents technical information to increase industry awareness of an additional ELH technology. Because ERD wells are becoming more prevalent, solutions are needed that provide improved reliability, increased operational capabilities, and the ability to provide a quality cement job in a challenging application. The metal-to-metal ELH provides the industry with additional technologies to meet these requirements to successfully drill extended-reach wells.