Well intervention is a necessary practice in oil and gas operations, and teams can use many techniques to complete the job efficiently. Wireline, coiled tubing, and snubbing are among the most common well intervention methods used today. If you have a well intervention project scheduled, you may wonder which method will be most effective for your downhole environment.
Below, we’ll break down the pros and cons of each technique so you can make an informed decision for your worksite. Keep reading to learn where you can find well intervention components from Avalon Research equipped with durable downhole tool design and performance!
Wireline
Wireline well interventions involve inserting a mechanical (slickline) or electric (e-line) cable downhole for standard well maintenance, tool installation, and retrieval tasks.
Slickline is a single-strand that performs standard mechanical tasks, while e-line has additional features for data collection, logging, perforation, and tool performance analysis.
Pros: Both slickline and e-line are cost-effective, quick to mobilize, and simple to execute.
Cons: Wirelines don’t have the same reach as other methods, such as coiled tubing, which limits the depth of their intervention and performance. They cannot circulate fluids and may be limited in highly deviated or horizontal wells where gravity is no longer able to convey tools.
Coiled Tubing
Coiled tubing is a method that involves a continuous spiral, or ‘coil’ of tubing spooled on a reel and lowered downhole under pressure. It is commonly used for maintenance tasks like cleanouts, acid stimulation, fluid pumping, and tool deployment.
Pros: Coiled tubing supports fluid circulation, provides deeper reach into deviated wells, and enables more complex well interventions requiring pumping or mechanical force.
Cons: While this method is effective, coiled tubing is a very expensive well intervention technique, as it requires more specialized equipment for successful operations.
Snubbing
Snubbing uses hydraulic systems to run and retrieve tubulars under pressure without killing the well. It is typically used in high-pressure environments or where other methods cannot overcome wellbore forces.
Pros: Snubbing enables successful downhole intervention in highly deviated or horizontal well profiles, such as ERD wells, where geological factors create high friction between the well and wireline or tubing.
Cons: Snubbing relies on specialized equipment and expertise that is usually outside the scope of most wellsite operations. This may require overseers to hire additional workers with the qualifications to manage the snubbing equipment, which can add a very high expense to the project.
What Makes Sense for Your Well Completion Project?
So, what type of well intervention technique is best for your wellsite? Overall, the method you choose depends on the materials and information you require from your wellbore.
If you’re performing routine maintenance and intervention, slickline or coiled tubing are great options. Coiled tubing enables a more in-depth intervention, while slickline is great for the basics.
If you have a more complex task ahead of you that involves working with an unusual geological formation or detailed data collection, e-line is your go-to for information collection, while snubbing is ideal for more complex well environments.
Our Versatile Well Intervention Tools from Avalon Research
At Avalon Research, we aim to provide a versatile selection of oil tools that can accommodate a variety of well intervention projects, which is why many of our tools are designed for use with wireline, coiled tubing, and snubbing. Our products include:
- Avalon Electric Actuator: Can be deployed on e-line and slick-line for one-run plug setting operations.
- Quinn Ultimate Packer Retrievable Bridge Plug: Can be deployed and installed via slickline, e-line, and coiled tubing.
- Extreme Performance Permanent Bridge Plug: Compatible for snubbing equipment, coiled tubing, slickine, and e-line.
- Permanent Miniature Bridge Plug: Can be deployed on E-line, Slickline, and coiled tubing. This plug is designed to set and seal across the coiled tubing’s internal weld/seam and smooth bore tubings, and is ideal for pipe recovery.
All of our well intervention tools are built to the highest industry standards, in compliance with standards like NACE MR0175, ISO-9001, and ISO 15156. Each tool is precision-machined with 4140 alloy steel and tested in-house for durability and performance.
If you need quality well intervention tools, contact our team at Avalon Research& to place an order for your upcoming project.