With the discovery of new fields becoming less common and the need to maximize economic recovery in mature fields, operators are trending towards rig-less intervention work to reduce cost and delays to production related to traditional workover rig interventions. With its field complexities, from low bottom hole pressure (BHP) to high temperature/high pressure (HT/HP) reservoirs, and from consolidated sandstone to naturally highly fractured carbonates, and large producing intervals in various flow units with active aquifers, southern Mexico poses a highly significant challenge for rig-less intervention in water control and zonal isolation to assure placement and accuracy of treatment fluids.

This paper discusses the implementations and results of two case histories in which a cost-effective application involving coiled tubing and inflatable packer systems were used for water control in a high water cut producing well and for well abandonment of a newly completed well. The utilization of coiled tubing combined with the inflatable packer is able to precisely deliver the treatment fluids to the zone of interest while the production tubing remains in place, which enhances timely and cost effective intervention solutions1 when compared to workover rig operations.

Case 1 presents the water control application using a coiled tubing inflatable packer system in combination with an organic crosslinked polymer gel, and micro-fine cement slurry for a naturally fractured carbonate reservoir in southern Mexico. The result of this innovative rig-less approach exceeded the operator’s expectations. The case history well was producing 815 BOPD and 5.2 MMSCFD with a water cut of 77%. After the water control treatment with the coiled tubing inflatable packer system, organic crosslinked polymer gel and micro-fine cement slurry, the well was producing 1,459 BOPD and 5.15 MMSCFD with a water cut of 0%.

Case 2 demonstrates a newly completed well with production tubing and packer already set and the well producing with high water cut from an open-hole completion. By using the inflatable packer system through coiled tubing and squeezing cement slurry to abandon the open-hole, a new interval could be perforated and exploited in just 28 hours; in contrast, conventional abandonment with a rig can take up to 10 days.