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| Weatherford’s MCT is able to make multiple cuts per run and can cut in any deviation. (Image courtesy of Weatherford International Inc.) |
MCT recently introduced by Weatherford International Inc. cuts downhole tubulars without using chemicals or explosives. The MCT is able to make multiple cuts per run and can cut in any deviation. The tool also facilitates fishing by displacing the tubing cleanly, with no flaring and no debris left in the well. Cutting operations are monitored at the surface, from a notebook computer.
This new tool was used in the field by an operator that had a complicated situation. Concerned that a pipe would part when tension was applied, the operator was looking for an innovative solution that could be used in an explosives-sensitive environment. The operation was made more intricate by the presence of communication (holes) between the tubing and the casing. The client’s concern was so great that the company did not even want to remove the tree from the well because it would impart an overpull to the tubing. Cutting the pipe under compression and minimizing the amount of overpull were of paramount importance.
The Weatherford tool was recommended because it cuts pipe under compression more effectively than explosives and eliminates the risks associated with chemicals. In this case, the MCT removed 2 3/8-in., 4.7-lb/ft tubing inside of a 4 1/2-in., 11.6-lb/ft casing from a well that had been untouched for 16 years.
The MCT was deployed on electric line to 8,784 ft (223 m) and anchored into position to make the cut 15 ft (0.4 m) below a nipple in the joint above the packer set at 8,806 ft (224 m). The nipple had a 1.78-in. restriction, which the tool was able to pass through successfully with its small (1.69-in.) diameter.
The cut was made in less than 16 minutes, in one run, as planned.