A Solution To An Unconventional Duvernay Shale Formation Utilizing TenarisHydril Wedge XP® 2.0

A major Duvernay operator chose the TenarisHydril Wedge XP® 2.0 connection for a challenging formation in Western Canada, given its improved running and exceptional over-torque performance.

The customer was drilling an extended reach well in the Kaybob field located in the unconventional Duvernay shale formation and needed a high torque connection that could handle excessive tortuosity.

Tenaris offered the new threaded and coupled TenarisHydril Wedge XP® 2.0 connection as an extra torque solution for longer laterals that offers superior runnability for shale applications.

The Wedge XP® 2.0 connection provided the customer an operating torque of 35,500 ft-lbs. The connection’s torque capacity is achieved thanks to the robustness of the TenarisHydril Wedge thread design combined with a pin-to-pin backup mechanism.

The TenarisHydril Wedge XP® 2.0 connection is an extra torque solution for longer laterals.

The connection was put to the test during extended periods of rotation and reciprocation. With the on-site assistance of Tenaris field services and technical sales teams, the operator was able to reach total depth of the well.

“Today, more than ever, our customers are focused on gaining efficiencies in their operations. This new connection has demonstrated its ability to deliver the torque needed to reach extended laterals and to reduce running times while significantly decreasing the risk of rejects and re-makeups,” said Emad Hanna, Tenaris Technical Sales Director in Canada. “We believe the Wedge XP® 2.0 connection will become the standard for challenging unconventional wells,” he added.

Increased performance for complex well conditions

The operator was looking to improve running time and needed a robust connection that could withstand this well’s extremely challenging conditions. With TVD of 3,400 m and a total depth of 6,155 m, the customer had to sidetrack twice, in response to high levels of tortuosity as well as hole quality issues.

The customer ran a production string of 139.7 mm, 29.76 kg/m, P110-ICY with Wedge XP® 2.0 connections. Their lower threads per inch profile (3.4 versus 5 TPI of a typical modified buttress), rugged coarse thread design and deep stabbing helped reduce running times.

Tenaris’s Canadian Technical Sales team provided string design, material selection and torque and drag analysis for this project, with support from Tenaris’s global Product Engineering teams for fatigue analysis. The operator also received on-site support from Tenaris’s local field services team, which offered running assistance and worked side-by-side with the customer to ensure products were properly installed.

Facing challenges together

During the operation, the string got stuck at approximately 19 joints from bottom. Tenaris’s Technical Sales team calculated the cumulative fatigue in the string and recommended rotational RPMs based on the given well trajectory.

The rig crew applied a maximum operating torque of 22,000 ft-lbs and switched between circulation and rotation at 10-20 RPMs for approximately six hours and successfully reached total depth of the well. This running resulted in zero rejects and, prior to getting stuck, achieved running speeds of up to 24 joints per hour. These challenging unconventional well conditions truly put the new Wedge XP® 2.0 connection to the test and proved its value for oil and gas operators.

TenarisHydril Wedge connections have been adopted in shale plays across North America. Launched more than 35 years ago, the TenarisHydril product portfolio has expanded to provide shale and offshore operations around the world what they need: best-in-class torque performance, shorter running times with reduced risk of rejects and the support of our global industrial and service network.

Tenaris is serving oil and gas operations throughout Canada and around the world.

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