An operator with onshore production in Argentina required three wells to be prepared for production. The wells were shut in after fracturing operations were completed and each one needed a separate cleanup package for sand management and fluid disposal. The facility could not handle the expected amount of solids emerging from the well as a consequence of the fracturing process.
The operator’s objective was to assess the wells, remove solids, and process the effluent to meet the facility criteria before sending it into the production lines. The nature of the fluid was challenging because its temperature exceeded the normal operating range. A cleanup system would have to be designed that considered all aspects of the effluent.
To meet the challenge, SLB tapped into its Production ExPRESS solutions portfolio. Production ExPRESS solutions are a suite of services focused on the wellhead and surface facilities to help operators maximize production and generate cash flow through rapid diagnosis and intervention.
Solids production was flawlessly handled by the advanced capabilities of the sand management system, including a newly developed wellhead cyclonic desander that reduces solids content early in the flow stream and protects downstream equipment from erosion and blockage. Associated oil was recovered and trucked to the operator’s facility, while the separated dry gas was redirected into the pipeline to avoid flaring.
During the 7-day preconditioning period, the project recovered and monetized more than 100 MMcf of gas, which otherwise would have been flared. As a result it recovered nearly 9,000 metric tons of CO2e emissions. The high-temperature wet gas preconditioning was followed by a 2-month well test that measured a total production of 900 MMcf of gas and 7,500 bbl of oil. Additionally, the separated water was transferred for use in injection wells, utilizing every phase of the well effluent to help the operator reduce environmental impact.
