3-3/8” Radial Cutting Torch (RCT) To Cut 9-5/8” AHC Packer Mandrel In South China Sea

Overview

Challenges

  • Narrow Cutting zone 16.67” due to the design of the 9-5/8” AHC packer for old completion
  • 2ppg zinc bromide

Solutions

  • MCR EMA & RCT Deployed utilising E-line
  • Rapid mobilisisation
  • Clean and non flare cut, no damage on the outer of 9-5/8” AHC packer

Details

One of the key Oil & Gas operators in South China Sea conducted an offshore lower completion operation for plug and abandonment. The operator deployed Eline to cut the old upper completion, so that it can be retrieved and replaced with new designed completion.

Challenging: RCT was choosen by the Operator as primary option as it gave the best solution (due to nature of the Halliburton  9-5/8” AHC packer cut to release feature). The cutting length is 16.67”, no single mistake is allowed in this high profile job. RCT field specialist has to manually measure the space out.

Series of operational meetings was conducted in town with with all relevant 3rd parties to ensure a successful operation, since this was the first time for the operator cutting the packer.

The mandrel had to be severed inside the 9-5/8” AHC packer to allow the sleeve relax and pull out of the hole.

As a result, the 9-5/8” AHC packer was sucessfully cut by 3-3/8” RCT safely at depth of 3563.54mMD. It produced a clean and non flared cut, no damage on the outer of 9-5/8” AHC packer. The success of this operation enabled the operator to pull the upper completion string and move forward to next operation.

9-5/8” AHC Packer at Surface
9-5/8” AHC Packer internal mandrel cut image
No damage to the outer of the AHC Packer.
The Red star indicates where the mandrel has been cut inside the AHC Packer, it has moved. Arrow marks where the initial position of the cut was before the packer sleeve relaxed.