Burst Pressure Analysis

Application

An operator sought to refracture a well and traditional inspection methods returned inconclusive results of the well’s condition. This ambiguity meant the operator must choose to either run a frac string, increasing frac costs, or risk the parent casing. Instead the operator turned to DarkVision to perform a thorough well integrity investigation and burst pressure analysis to assess refracturing the well without a frac string.

Results

DarkVision’s HADES-T® high-resolution acoustic imaging system scanned all 290+ joints in a single pass and inspected the casing for ID and OD defects. Based on the detailed report from DarkVision, the operator evaluated every defect and the maximum safe re-frac pressure and determined a re-frac string was not needed. With confidence in the integrity of the well, the operator executed a successful re-frac campaign without a frac string. Casing failure was avoided, and significant time and costs were saved during refracturing.

Results Are In The Details

The operator was able de-risk the re-frac operation and safely operate 6,000psi higher across this joint without compromising the integrity of the well. This was achieved by using a detailed Effective Area burst pressure calculation over Modified B31G and Barlow methods. Effective Area burst pressure calculations are an advanced analysis method that traditionally has been out of reach for downhole operators due to legacy tools providing insufficient coverage, resolution, and accuracy in remaining wall thickness measurements.