Field Measurements Validate Transient Annular Pressure Buildup Model

The average geothermal gradient in the subject deepwater field in Nigeria is 4.37°C/100 m, nearly twice the gradient in most fields. As a result, the magnitude of the expected annular pressure buildup (APB) during steady-state production is large enough to threaten well integrity. Therefore, an insulating packer fluid (IPF) was used in Annulus A to reduce heat transfer to the outer annuli and to regulate the APB within acceptable values. The complete paper reports the results of a study that compares the temperature and pressure measurements from these wells with model predictions.

Introduction

Though APB has been studied by well designers for decades, the use of downhole measurements to study APB has been somewhat limited.