Total E&P Congo deploys the first cementless completion

Welltec has announced the first deployment of a truly cementless completion in the Republic of Congo during Q2 2019. Building on the experience gained through the continuous deployment of the Welltec Annular Barrier (WAB) in the Moho North Albian field, which was awarded Q1 2017, Total E&P Congo has pushed the boundaries of metal expandable annular sealing technology even further by deploying the world’s first cementless completion using the Welltec Annular Isolation (WAI) in open hole.

The WAI uses multiple metal expandable packers to provide long-length open-hole zonal isolation to replace the functions of traditional cement, leading to significant gains in efficiency in the overall well construction process. It significantly reduces the free annulus space between the liner/casing and the open hole, which can be beneficial in highly layered reservoirs of varying permeability where selective production, stimulation or water shut off is required. In addition to the efficiency gains, the simplified well completions operations enabled by the WAI eliminated multiple operational risks associated with the cementing process in depleted and over-pressured reservoirs.

“Total E&P Congo have utilized innovative technologies and methods to continually improve the drilling curve on the Moho North Albian field development project” Ronan Bouget, the Drilling and Completions Manager of Total E&P Congo, said. “We were early adopters of Welltec’s WAB technology, which has assisted in ensuring zonal isolation and annular sealing (liner to formation) during the development of our major oil project in the Republic of Congo. The WAI was deployed as part of the global efficiency drive to reduce drilling expenditure whilst maintaining the beneficial productivity index in this highly heterogenous carbonate field. Our Albian Asset team led by Manfred Bledou and the completion department led by Guillaume Viger worked with Welltec to develop the technology. The simplicity of the WAI enabled us to successfully deploy the technology the first time without operational issues. We delivered a step change improvement in our well construction record and plan to deploy the WAI in subsequent wells – especially those identified as high-risk.”

“The WAI technology will without doubt transform how future wells are constructed in the industry” Gbenga Onadeko, Senior Vice President of Welltec Africa, said. “We are proud of this collaboration with Total E&P Congo to demonstrate our ability to deploy game-changing innovation that can simplify, eliminate risks and enhance operational efficiency. This world-first deployment of the WAI technology is very important as we progress our mission – to develop and deliver ground-breaking solutions which enable our client to optimize the management and development of their assets.”