Zonal Isolation and Evaluation for Cemented Horizontal Liners

This paper discusses the novel application of technology in the cementing and bond evaluation from the world-record breaking extended-reach drilling (ERD) wells in Wytch Farm, where horizontal liners of the order of 800 to 1,300 m at TVD of approximately 1,600 m have been successfully cemented and perforated. Detailed analysis of the conditions by a multidisciplinary team provided some practical procedures that enabled the authors to achieve their objectives of zonal isolation and cement bond evaluation successfully. Important aspects of zonal isolation, such as the use of spiral-blade centralizers, rotating the liner, and trials of the external casing packer (ECP), are discussed in detail. Cement bond evaluation is also detailed, involving coiled tubing (CT) deployment and various bond-logging tools, including ultrasonic tools. The cement bond log (CBL) was found to be surprisingly reliable if used correctly.