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General CT Milling

The document provides guidelines for milling FAS DRILL packers or bridge plugs with coiled tubing. It outlines key factors to consider like wellbore conditions, fluid properties, milling assembly design, and procedures. A pre-job simulation is recommended to determine the appropriate pump rate needed to achieve sufficient annular velocity for cutting removal. Proper motor and mill selection along with adjusting pump rates and weight on bit are important for effective milling.

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Jose Leonardo Materano Perozo
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295 views3 pages

General CT Milling

The document provides guidelines for milling FAS DRILL packers or bridge plugs with coiled tubing. It outlines key factors to consider like wellbore conditions, fluid properties, milling assembly design, and procedures. A pre-job simulation is recommended to determine the appropriate pump rate needed to achieve sufficient annular velocity for cutting removal. Proper motor and mill selection along with adjusting pump rates and weight on bit are important for effective milling.

Uploaded by

Jose Leonardo Materano Perozo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Milling with Coiled Tubing:

The process of milling FAS DRILL packers or bridge plugs has a number of variables.
The following procedures and recommendations are based on field data an do not fully
represent all the means of milling FAS DRILL packers or bridge plugs with Coiled
Tubing. Some modification of these methods may be needed to optimize individual
drilling processes.

A pre- job well simulation based on specific well conditions is needed to optimize a
particular drilling process. Gathered data will be used to determine if and under what
conditions sufficient annular velocity will be achieved and maintained during the drilling
operation.
1. Static and if possible flowing BHP of each open zone that is encountered in the
wellbore.
2. Static BHT
3. Complete wellbore schematic with sizes, length and weight of tubulars.
4. Type and weight of fluids being used to clean well.
5. Check deviation

*In general, only the fluid used in circulating the wellbore will have enough density to
carry cutting from the wellbore. Gases such as nitrogen, which is added to the fluid to
reduce hydrostatic, will add a slip factor to the efficiency of the fluid. A good rule is that
once a desired pump rate is determined to meet minimum velocity required in the
annulus, the return line should be monitored to insure every barrel in is matched with a
barrel out.

General Instructions:

1. Rig up milling assembly on coiled tubing. Generally, a three or five-bladed mill is


used with a mud motor that will develop 400 to 1,400 rev/min.
2. Pump slowly through the assembly on surface to check the rotation of the motor.
Pump rate will determine the rev/min of the motor and the motor needs to be matched
with the desired pump rate to achieve both maximum efficiency on the motor and
desired annular velocity.
3. Run the motor/mill assembly to bottom of hole and tag the packer or plug to be
drilled.
4. Pick up at least 3ft and begin pumping at rate. Based on simulation.
5. Important:
Do not exceed the maximum allowable flow rate of the motor assembly.
Maintain sufficient fluid velocity in the annulus to carry cuttings away from
target and out of well. If sufficient circulation cannot be maintained, additional
milling times may be needed and re-evaluation of the simulation may be needed
before further milling.
Excessive pump rate can generate hydraulic forces that can an will lift the mill off the
target. An excessive pump rate would create an inability to stall the motor with
increased weight on mill. (500 to 6,000lbs)

6. Slack off the assembly until required weight is setting on the packer or plug.

Do not exceed maximum allowable weight on motor

7. As packer or plug material is removed, continue slacking off weight.

Milling Recommendations
As previously mentioned, operators may need to deviate from general instructions. The
following recommendations may improve milling results.
 Larger coiled tubing will have lower friction losses, which allow for higher pump
rates. Larger coiled tubing also reduces the annular flow area. Which increases the
annular velocity.
 Carefully select the drill motor for milling job. Motors have limited maximum flow
rates. If these rates are exceeded, the motor’s stator could be damaged. Some small
motors have only 1 bpm or less recommended rates and that may not be enough
to carry enough cuttings out of the hole.
 The best milling technique is one that tears rather than cuts. A flat mill has a larger
cutting surface, but it will not work as well as bladed mill.
 Five bladed mills work better than four bladed mills because the four bladed mills are
too aggressive and tend to stall the motor.
 If the OD of the mill is too large. Fluid may not circulate properly. Which can prevent
larger particles from passing by the mill and moving up the annulus.
 Slightly undersized mills perform better because of improved fluid movement around
the mill during milling operations. This improved fluid flow also allows better cutting
removal. The proper mill size is 88 to 92% of casing drift diameter.
 If drilling into higher pressured zone, great care needs to be taken to insure that
weight on bit and annular velocity is maintained during milling operations. As long as
barrel in barrel out balance is maintained, annular velocity will remain adequate to
remove solids.

Well Conditions
 Casing size will effect the annular flow area and either increase or decrease the
annular flow. Minimum velocity should always be figured in the casing.
 High pressure wells will reduce fluid velocity at the mill. Reduced velocity at the mill
may hamper cutting removal.
 High pressure wells may limit the actual flow and restrict the one in/one out
guideline. High pressure wells may also cause the internal pressure in the coiled
tubing to exceed it’s pressure rating. Check before the job by running simulation
 In deviated wells sufficient fluid velocities may be difficult to obtain. The eccentric
conditions causes reduced flow rates around the coiled tubing. Drill cuttings can drop
out and accumulate possibly causing the coiled tubing or bottomhole assembly to get
stuck in the wellbore.

Milling/Drilling Considerations
 To prevent motor stalling when milling sections of packers and plugs that ate
primarily composed of composites, use light weight loads of approximately 500lbs.
 When milling portions of the packers and plugs that are primarily composed of
rubber, apply weight up to the maximum allowable weight on the motor. Vary the
weight throughout rubber milling operation even though progress is slow.
 When milling/drilling through bridge plugs that have differential pressure
trapped below the plug proceed slowly through the top 6 in.(4 in. will penetrate
to the mandrel cavity) of the plug. Pick up at least 3 ft to let the vent pressure
through. During milling, intermittently lift the mill/drill off the bridge plug so
that it can vent through the ID of the mandrel and relieve the upward force on
the slips. This process prevents the plug from moving up the hole during
milling/drilling process.
 You can use commingled nitrogen to mill composite packers and plugs. The use,
however, should be limited to just enough to maintain returns.

Tool Considerations
Fas Drill squeeze packers and bridge plugs are constructed of lightweight, low-density
materials that easily circulate out of the hole. HPHT (high-pressure, high-temperature)
Fas Drill tools are constructed similarly, but they have tungsten carbide button inserts in
the slip mechanisms. Because tungsten carbide is denser than the button inserts in
standard tools, higher circulating velocities are required to circulate these buttons away
from the mill during the removal process.

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