An AirLock buoyancy system

CASE HISTORY
Simple, passive buoyancy system cuts casing running time
and cost in a Marcellus lateral
Casing landed at the toe, and the entire casing operation took only 21.5 hours

Situation
Operators are experimenting with longer laterals in the Marcellus and Utica shale
plays, as well as other shale plays around the world. Landing casing in these extended
horizontal sections is dicult and often requires rotating the casing string, which in
turn requires costly premium connections. Existing oat systems require pumping a
plug to open a sleeve after casing is landed.

Challenge
For a 17,212-ft TMD (8175-ft TVD) well in the Marcellus Shale, the operator sought a
buoyancy system that is less complicated than existing oat systems while ensuring a
successful casing operation.

The AirLock seal is a dome-shaped, ceramic barrier

that fragments at a predetermined dierential
pressure, leaving an unrestricted wellbore.

Solution
The operator chose NCS Energy Services AirLockTM casing buoyancy system, a simple
interventionless solution that adds buoyancy to the lateral section while allowing the
vertical section to be lled with uid, providing weight to help drive the casing to the
toe and reducing casing and connection stress and strain. The system comprises only
two components that run as part of the casing string:
The seal sub contains a proprietary ceramic seal and is inserted at the bottom of
the vertical section. The seal captures air in the lateral section while the vertical
section is lled with uid.

The aluminum AirLock debris trap ensures ample

ow area for cementing, while preventing seal fragments from reaching the oat valves.

The clog-proof debris trap plate is installed in a casing coupling just above the
oat equipment at the toe of the well.
After casing is landed, increased pressure fragments the ceramic seal, uid is circulated to the bottom, and cementing operations proceed as usual. The debris trap
prevents seal fragments from reaching the oat equipment. No lead plug is needed.

Results
The AirLock seal performed as designed, holding the required hydrostatic pressures
(13.8 ppg mud) during the running operation, and reducing casing weight in the lateral by 81.2 percent. After casing was landed, the seal was sheared within the 5% tolerance. A lead plug was pumped as a precaution to ensure the fragments were clear
for the cement job, and the cement was circulated as planned. Total time to make up
shoe track, run-in-hole, fragment the seal, and circulate bottoms up was 21.5 hours,
at least 12 hours less than similar wells.

Fluid weight in the vertical section, combined with

greatly reduced drag forces in the lateral section,
help drive casing to the toe of the well.

NCSEnergyServices,Inc.
Houston +1 281.453.2222
Calgary +1 403.720.3236
ncsfrac.com
Copyright 2013, NCS Energy Services, Inc. All rights reserved. Multistage Unlimited and AirLock
are trademarks of NCS Energy Services, Inc. Patents pending.

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