Well completion and workovers are becoming safer, more efficient, and more cost-effective due to technological advances. New, innovative retrievable bridge plugs (RBP) are lowering operational costs, reducing risk, and maximizing well output.
With multiple downhole applications, understanding retrievable bridge plugs is vital to unlocking the full potential of reservoirs.
Retrievable Bridge Plugs: The Basics
A bridge plug is a specialist downhole tool designed to isolate wellbore at a chosen depth. When set, bridge plugs prevent fluids from a lower zone reaching an upper zone or the surface. Once in place, the upper zone can still undergo workovers such as surface equipment maintenance, well cleanup, stimulation or temporary abandonment of the lower zone.
Retrievable bridge plugs (RBPs) include mechanisms to release and retract the plug for retrieval from the wellbore after work is carried out. RBPs are usually composed of slips anchoring the plug to the casing, a main inner mandrel, outer housings and a sealing element.
Applications of Retrievable Bridge Plugs in Well Intervention
Many situations in the mining, oil and gas, and geothermal industries require a wellbore to be sealed off from the surface after drilling is complete. Some of these applications include well testing, zone isolation, or temporarily shutting in of a well for completion servicing.
Retrievable bridge plugs are ideal for any of the downhole tasks where a secure, retrievable pressure barrier between different parts of a well is paramount.
Once set in place, a bridge plug enables operations on a distinct part of the well to be carried out without affecting the other.
These versatile workhorses can eliminate the need for multiple trips, making them a cost-saving deployment option.
Post time: Feb-06-2024
