Soil Well

Integrity
CEMENT

CONDUCTOR CASING
Aquifer
What you need
CEMENT to know

SURFACE CASING

Maintenance
Each well type is designed, constructed, operated,
maintained and finally sealed with specific well
integrity considerations in mind for each of its
life cycle phases.
During production, wells are regularly
checked and inspected to ensure their integrity
remains unaffected. This is done through:
internal and external inspection
to assess the corrosion rate
inflow test of wellhead valves
gas ‘sniffer’ test
casing corrosion surveys.
The frequency and details of those tests depend
on the well type, its risk profile and history.
When production ceases, the well is shut down and
the site rehabilitated. This process involves sealing the
hole fully with cement which prevents interconnectivity,
as well as isolating all down hole zones from the
surface and from other adjacent formations.
Cement samples are kept
to demonstrate that the
cementing process has been
successful and achieved CEMENT
the desired result.
PRODUCTION CASING
Under legislation, when sealing a well Arrow must: Coal Seam
isolate groundwater aquifers within the well
from each other and hydrocarbon zones
isolate hydrocarbon zones from groundwater
aquifers and zones with different pressure
Our Details
isolate surface casing or production
casing from the open hole
place a surface cement plug in the
top of the casing
recover or removing the wellhead. Find out more about Arrow’s well integrity processes
The cement mix used to seal the wells is configured by contacting the project team:
to provide strength and durability. Cement samples Freecall 1800 038 856
are kept to demonstrate that the cementing process
has been successful and achieved the desired result. Email info@arrowenergy.com.au
Arrow uses an excess volume of cement to completely Post Arrow Energy, Reply Paid 81 Hamilton Q 4007
fill the well when it is no longer in use, which ensures
the well is fully sealed for the future.

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MAY 2011

What is Well
Integrity?
Gas wells are the most
fundamental part of the coal
seam gas (CSG) industry.
They are the means by which gas
is accessed and brought to the
surface. CSG companies invest a
lot of time and money into drilling
Gas wells are
fundamental
to the CSG
industry –
their design,
construction
and maintenance
are vital.
gas wells and they make sure
the wells are constructed and
maintained to guarantee
continued and maximum gas
production. Arrow works hard
to ensure that gas cannot leak
from its wells. The safeguards
used avoid costly repair work
and provide security to the
community and environment,
by ensuring that gas and water
cannot enter or escape from the
well in an uncontrolled manner.
The process that ensures
that CSG wells are designed,
constructed and maintained
to preserve full production
potential for design life is
known as well integrity.
The term integrity is used
in the sense of ensuring the
well is sound, unimpaired and
complete. The key elements
of well integrity are:
design
construction
maintenance.
Wellhead systems
The wellhead systems used by
Arrow are constructed of materials
designed for gas production,
and incorporate appropriate
safeguards to maintain well
integrity. The materials and
products conform with Australian
and international design standards.
They are pressure-tested before
installation, and inspected during
regular scheduled maintenance
program to ensure that leaks,
if they occur, are identified and
rectified early.
Design
The most fundamental design objectives
of a well are that it should:
1. 
isolate the well from its surrounds,
both above and below ground
2. 
contain the produced gas
and water within the well.
Steel casing, cemented securely in place, is the
basic mechanism used to provide this isolation and
containment. This combination of steel and cement
provides a strong, seamless, secure and long-lasting
barrier to the movement of water and gas between
the well and its surrounds.
The design of a well is planned long before drilling
is undertaken. A team of drilling and petroleum
engineers compile and assess geological and other
technical data, such as the pressure and temperature
expected within the target formation to select
appropriate drilling equipment and methods.
This design draws on experience gained from previous
drilling in the local area, as well as established
techniques, equipment and materials used in the
oil and gas industry throughout the world.
The application of this expertise ensures the well is
completed successfully, and that the materials used in
its construction are durable and capable of providing
the required well integrity.
Construction
The drilling and construction of a gas well is a staged
process. It is broken into several parts in recognition
of the different formations that are drilled through on
the way to the target depth. The well is divided into:
the very shallow, near surface, or conductor
section which is commonly comprised of soil,
sand and gravel
the section of weathered and weakened rock that
can extend to 50m or more below ground surface,
known as the surface section
the fresh, hard and competent rock that extends down
to and includes the target coal formations, which is
known as the production section (the majority of the
well will be in this section)
Surface casing
Drilling of the well is staged, with use of different sized
drill bits to allow for insertion of a series of casing strings
(or connected pipes).
The end result is a telescopic arrangement, with the largest
casing in the conductor section, narrowing to the surface
section and finally to the production section. Each of these
strings is inserted into the well and pressure cemented in
place before drilling of the next section commences. Upon
completion, each section of casing will extend back to the
surface. The final stage of well construction is the fitting
of the above-ground wellhead system, which is attached
to the casing and used to both pump and pipe water and
gas to their respective destinations.
Intermediate or production casing
Steel Casing
The diameter and amount of casing inserted into
a well vary, depending on:
actual depth of the conductor, surface and target
formations (which will be confirmed during drilling
by an on-site geologist)
aquifer depths
well control requirements including the key safety
mechanism used during drilling of gas wells,
a blow-out preventer which is secured to the casing
inserted in the well
the expected life of the well, together with the nature
of the subsurface environment in terms of pressures,
temperatures, corrosion potential, etc
the cementing requirements and associated pressure
ratings of the steel casing.
Various additional safeguards are applied in selection and
use of steel casing, for example:
all casing is inspected, with both the diameter and
length checked prior to commencing the installation
to ensure there are no defects
safety factors are applied in casing selection to ensure
that it has ample capacity to maintain well integrity
and safety throughout its life. The principle safety
feature in this regard is its strength, with the casing
being extremely strong, and corrosion resistant
quality control requirements, which are included
in casing supply contracts
The drilling and
construction
of a gas well
is a staged
process in
recognition of
the different
formations
below ground.
casing used by Arrow, which conforms to Australian and
international design standards (eg the American Petroleum
Institute is the benchmark for many petroleum industry
products around the world)
variable wall thicknesses used, generally in the order
of 6.4mm. The casing is threaded, so as to ensure a water
and gas tight connection between each length
great care is taken to prevent damage to casing and
casing thread during transport and insertion in the well
casing centralisers are used to allow space for cement
to be pumped into the well.
Cementing
The purpose of cementing the casing into place is to:
isolate the well and prevent the transfer of
water or gas between the formation and the well
protect the casing from corrosive soils and/or water
isolate aquifers (apart from the target coal seams,
which are themselves aquifers)
isolate non-target coal seams
prevent leakage.
Arrow injects cement slurry into the well and displaces
this cement to the surface in the annulus between the bore
of the gas well and the outer casing surface.
Excess volume of cement is used to ensure that cement returns
to the surface and that a full column from base to surface
is established. This provides continuous external corrosion
protection over the full length of the string. Once the cementing
process is completed, the installed casing is pressure tested
to ensure that it does not leak. If it does leak, then remedial
cementing works are conducted to plug the leak.