SEAL-N-PEEL

Maximum fluid-loss protection

with easy cleanup in sand-control completions
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Fluid losses during and after sand-
control completions can severely
jeopardize a wells productivity. Once
fluid invades the formation, remedial
treatments cannot only inflate costs
dramatically, but lead to a host of
additional problems, not the least
of which is the risk of formation
damage. Even with the additional
costs and risks, it is extremely diffi-
cult, if not impossible, to completely
rid a formation of the ill effects of
invading fluid.
The SEAL-N-PEEL pill is a uniquely
engineered fluid-loss control system,
designed specifically as a contingency
for frac-pack, gravel-pack or stand-
alone completions. It provides superb
supplemental fluid-loss control when
mechanical fluid-loss-control devices
either fail or are unavailable. The
SEAL-N-PEEL pill deposits an impen -
etrable, thin, filter cake against the
inside surface of the screen assembly.
When the well is ready to go on pro-
duction, the cake simply peels away,
using production pressure and flow
as the lift-off mechanism.
Theres no invasion into the for -
mation or gravel pack. No damage
from remedial cleanup measures.
No impediment to downhole comple-
tion hardware. And no resistance to
production initiation.
A safety net for your
gravel-pack completions
Until now, there werent many options
for controlling fluid loss in sand-control
completions, and quite often, they
had negative consequences. Popular
mechanical controls, such as spring-
loaded flapper valves, have been
known to fail and are sometimes
unavailable or incompatible with
the completion scheme.
The only other option was to pump
minimal-solids or solids-free fluid-
loss-control pills. Sized-salt pills and
those containing some solids are usu-
ally of the all-in-one-sack variety,
which eliminates the ability to cus-
tomize particle-size distribution.
Such a non-specific approach to
bridging raises the risks of particles
invading the gravel-pack medium
or the formation.
On the other hand, solids-free pills
cannot be fully effective without
some invasion into the gravel-pack
and formation matrix. They also have
to be pumped in large volumes to
control losses effectively.
Regardless of the pill type used, once
its job is done, it must be removed
with acid, oxidizers or enzymes.
All too often, pumping anexternal
breaker is corrosive to screens and
other downhole components. There
is also the threat of leak-off and
serious formation damage.
One SEAL-N-PEEL pill protects
your completion, the formation
and your production

A P P L I C A T I O N S
Wells where sand-control completions
are being used. All types of gravel-pack
screens from wire wrapped through
premium designs can be sealed.

P R O B L E M S
Clear brine completion fluid losses
during and after sand- control com -
pletions can severely jeopardize a
wells productivity.

S O L U T I O N S
SEAL-N-PEEL
*
technology is a
uniquely engineered fluid-loss
control system, designed specifically
as a contin gency for frac-pack, gravel-
pack or standalone screen comple-
tions, by sealing the internal face
of the sand-control screen.

E C O N O M I C S
This pill controls loss of expensive
brines during completion operations
and readily releases during produc-
tion, eliminating the need for
remedial treatments.

E N V I R O N M E N T A L
Controlling losses downhole not only
prevents formation damage, but also
reduces well-control risks and subse-
quent potential spills. By controlling
losses, the amount of produced
startup water is also reduced.
Features
Supplements or replaces
mechanical fluid-loss-
control devices
Particles sized specifically
for each screen
Specially engineered additive
reduces adhesive and cohesive
tendencies
Contains minimal solids
Benefits
Minimally invasive pill
Easily peels from the screen
Requires no remedial washes
Non-damaging to the formation
High-pressure test device evaluates SEAL-N-PEEL to 5,000 psi (345 bar).
The SEAL-N-PEEL approach
The flapper valve has failed. Without
the backup protection of a SEAL-N-PEEL
pill, fluid invades the formation. Losses
could vary from tens of barrels to hundreds of
barrels per hour. All fluid lost is either produced back or
remains in the formation. Brine production offsets/ limits hydrocarbon
production and ultimate recovery.
When it is time to commence produc-
tion, there is no need to intervene with
a mechanical or chemical treatment.
Natural hydrocarbon production easily removes the
SEAL-N-PEEL barrier from the face of the production screen.
Despite fluid-loss-control-device fail-
ure, the SEAL-N-PEEL fluid is placed
inside the sand-control screen. The pill
seals the inside face of the screen and generates an
impenetrable barrier to prevent further loss of fluid to the
formation. Once established, the barrier can remain stable
for extended periods of time at downhole conditions.
With a SEAL-N-PEEL pill, the calcium
carbonate particles are specially sized
for each application. This promotes
the immediate deposition of a thin,
tough filter cake on the inside surface
of the gravel-pack screen. Once in
place, the cake becomes an impene-
trable shield that effectively reduces
fluid invasion into the formation.
When its time to produce the
well, the releasing agent within
SEAL-N-PEEL fluid will have reduced
the cohesive and adhesive forces
that bind the filter cake together
and to the screen surface, respectively,
allowing it to be completely removed
with very little differential pressure.
In fact, production from the well
removes the filter cake entirely.
The evolution of the new
standard in fluid-loss control
To understand why SEAL-N-PEEL
technology works so well, its helpful
to see how it evolved in the labora-
tory and how it has succeeded in the
field. Each component is the result of
a painstaking development and test-
ing program that has resulted in a
superior product.
M-I SWACO* has developed bridg-
ing agent guidelines for all types of
completion screens from premium to
expandables to wire wrapped. These
guidelines have been incorporated
into the M-I SWACO OPTIBRIDGE
*
software program. The sealing
capability is evaluated under down-
hole conditions on the expected filter
media. Additional laboratory test-
ing is undertaken to confirm the
laboratory formulation effectiveness.
We look at the rheological stability
of the pill to make certain it will
remain intact during sometimes
lengthy stays in the wellbore envi -
ronment. We look at its damage
potential and how it should be placed
inside the screen to optimize sealing
capacity and facilitate easy removal.
What grows out of this comprehen-
sive investigation is a non-damaging
pill that provides a highly effective
seal, that remains stable for several
days at bottomhole conditions, and
will easily be removed when the
well produces.
A proven track record
of more than 10 years
SEAL-N-PEEL technology has been used
successfully to seal a wide variety of
screens for more than 10 years. It has
been applied in prepacked, wire-
wrapped, shrouded metal-wrapped
premium and expandable screens.
Densities have varied from 8.3 to
18.5 lb/gal (1 to 2.2 SG) and tem -
perature from 70 to 400 F (21
to 204 C). Filter-cake lift-off pres -
sure has been recorded as low as
2 psi (0.1 bar) which has saved
operators millions of dollars in
chemical/ mechanical filter-cake
cleanup intervention. In some appli-
cations, SEAL-N-PEEL technology has
replaced the mechanical formation
isolation valve and has sealed the
inside of screens for over 30 days
while simultaneous operations
were conducted.
Depleted reservoirs: Extending
SEAL-N-PEEL technology
With the recent need to re-enter and
work over depleted, formerly high-
pressure, deepwater reservoirs,
M-I SWACO has developed a high-
pressure flat-screen tester that
enables design engineers to test
the SEAL-N-PEEL system at higher
pressures before it is applied in the
field. This simulation can apply up
to 5,000 psi (345 bar) on the screen
coupon to prevalidate the seal in
high-overbalance conditions. This
has been particularly helpful in estab-
lishing burst and collapse pressures
of downhole completion screens.
The SEAL-N-PEEL system is used by
many screen suppliers to establish
these parameters. It has also enabled
M-I SWACO to expand the SEAL-N-PEEL
technology to depleted reservoirs
with ultra-low formation pressures.
To learn for yourself how SEAL-N-PEEL
is performing for our customers
worldwide, contact your local
M-I SWACO representative.
SEAL-N-PEEL success stories
A well in the Gulf of Mexico that
encountered 160-bbl/hr losses after
the mechanical flapper failed to close,
used a 12.9-lb/gal (1.5-kg/L) calcium-
bromide-base SEAL-N-PEEL pill. It effec-
tively sealed the 125-micron premium
screen. The pill remained stable over
eight days while the upper completion
and production tubing were run. The
well was put on production without
a remedial treatment and a 1 skin
was determined.
Another Gulf of Mexico well encoun-
tered losses of 150-bbl/hr while attempt-
ing to set the production packer. A
15.7-lb/gal (1.9-kg/L) zinc-brine-base
SEAL-N-PEEL pill was used to seal the
8-gauge wire-wrapped screen while
re-running the production packer. This
pill had been designed for four days of
stability at a bottomhole temperature
of 216 F (102 C). The well started up
at the expected production rate with
a calculated skin of 2. No remedial
treatments were required.
A series of five gas wells offshore
Trinidad required SEAL-N-PEEL treat-
ments to limit uncontrolled losses dur-
ing production-tubing-replacement
operations. These wells used 110-micron
premium screens. The SEAL-N-PEEL sys-
tem was designed to maintain a stable
seal at 135 F (57 C) for 18 days. In all
cases, losses were controlled to permit
the recompletion operations, and the
wells were restarted without impairment
or remedial treatments.
2009 M-I L.L.C. All rights reserved. *Mark of M-I L.L.C.
CBR.1909.0901.R1 (E) 2.5M Litho in U.S.A.
This information is supplied solely for informational purposes and M-I SWACO makes no
guarantees or warranties, either expressed or implied, with respect to the accuracy and use
of this data. All product warranties and guarantees shall be governed by the Standard Terms
of Sale. Nothing in this document is legal advice or is a substitute for competent legal advice.
P.O. Box 42842
Houston, Texas 77242-2842
Tel: 2815611300
Fax: 2815611441
www.miswaco.com
E-mail: questions@miswaco.com
Technology Centers:
HOUSTON, TEXAS
Tel: 2815611300 Fax: 2815611441
ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND
Tel: 441224334634 Fax: 441224334650
STAVANGER, NORWAY
Tel: 4751577300 Fax: 4751576503