An operator, offshore Indonesia, planned to set a tubing patch in one of their producing wells. Unfortunately the wellbore was obstructed by two nipple profiles which were restricting the inner diameter (ID) of the wellbore, preventing access with the patch to the desired depth.

The operator values Welltec’s capabilities and since 2008, nipple profile milling on e-line has been their preferred choice for removing these restrictions.

A toolstring consisting of a Well Stroker® and a Well Miller® NPR was run in hole. The Well Miller NPR was fitted with the appropriate sized bit developed specifically for nipple profile removal. The first nipple profile was tagged and milled through in just 18 minutes, demonstrating the ability of the tools to perform machining downhole on wellbore components.

The toolstring then continued further into the wellbore to the second nipple profile. After tagging, milling commenced and proceeded for 3 hours and 46 minutes until the profile was completely removed. The success of the operation was confirmed by passing through the nipple profile area with the tool.

This was the first time that two nipple profiles have been machined away in a single run in the well and demonstrates the capabilities of this technology to accomplish workovers on e-line. The entire operation was completed very efficiently, in less than 15 hours and 30 minutes including rig up / down and experienced no non-productive time (NPT).

This job is testament to Welltec’s value proposition of doing more with less, providing workover solutions on e-line. Welltec’s equipment offers improved HSE due to a smaller footprint, reduced personnel requirements and eliminating the need for a support fluid barge. Mobilization is quick and the solution offers significant time savings, reduced costs and quickly restored production compared to traditional methods like CT.