Casing Integrity Testing

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Casing integrity testing involves the testing of an entire borehole via a single packer or via a straddle packer system allowing the testing of specially sele d zones. Both methods provide reliable results with the use of each system dependant n the situation. The reliability of casing is extremely important for many reasons including support for the id loss into or dontamination of production nes, provides a drilled hole, preve smooth surface fo i tailing production equipment, all w the flow roduction of oil & ell. gas wells witho kage into the formation through t of casing i freshly drilled hole is dependant on do e conditions. recent years PVC has beco more common especially in watS. levels er of the well, pressures and tempera throughout the well, high or ay become corrosive), Dissolved solids such as It may also become corrosive to steel casing. Poor earthing of downhole pumps will cause r id corrosion through electrolys the current finds the shortest possible path to earth (steel asing). Dissimilar metals in a electrolyte such as salt water will also cause galvanic corro ion. PVC is resistant to pH corro e ectroFigi-alvanic corrosion. i4 Choosing between steel or i ercndant of the above issu s however even if the correct choice of casing was taken there . 'stil ay be problems Ath the ntegrity of a borehole such as liunaan-zrrorpr unforeseen circumst nces. PVC must be insta led correctly to retain its integrity, this creates a problem where 'Hers are under strict ti e constraints to finish a borehole. Co rion problems with PVC iistallation are related t the joins whereby a thread and ozzini*(ve used to seal, the o-ring ma be forgotten or the t ead miss-aligned. Also sealing pi-bblems occur in socket and glu joins where bad glue as been used or seating issues between the c ing \ \No Casing integrity testin thAPsingle packer is performed by lowering a single inflatable packer to the desired depth, inflating t e packer to Great al. At the surface a bulkhead o other sealing mechanism is required ater is then pumped o to a predetermined whiv pressure, a leak is thereby determ ed by a pressure drop. Identi where a leak is coming rom i as simple as starting a e bottom of a bor hole and slowly raising the packer te stroPii the up. -, 1111111 oratectint asing integrity testing w o oiliff cker ere down a- oreho with a peforated pipe creating the straddle. ''he strad pipe length may vary with std S and lengths from lm 6m. Once the packers hare been inflated water is pump iledown under pressure to the 'straddle zone' typically located over joins in casing and any specific leak locations as identified by downhole cameras.

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Replacement Inflatable Packers and Elements Pty Ltd 29 Wheeler St Belmont 6104, Perth Western Australia Tel: (+61 (08) 9475 0700 Fax: +61 (08) 9475 0770 packers@ripe-packers.com

www.ripe-packers.com

Supplier and rrianufacturers of well screen PVC rubber k-packers, well packer tri-seals, equipment and services.