THE CHALLENGE
A major operator in the UK sector of the North Sea needed to run a 9⅝-in. casing string in a 12¼-in. hole to a planned TD of 8,662 ft.
The section inclination at TD was 53°, and offset wells had shown pack-off tendencies while drilling and running casing, indicating the potential for challenging downhole conditions.
THE SOLUTION
Centek 9 5/8 × 12 1/4 in. S2 single-piece bow spring centralizers were selected for their combination of strength and flexibility and their suitability for challenging wellbore conditions.
THE RESULT
The casing string reached 6,265 ft without issue before poor hole conditions required it to be pulled out of hole.
Following retrieval, all Centek S2 centralizers were present and intact, with no visible damage or deformation. No movement of the stop collars was observed.
The existing centralizers and stop collars were subsequently re-run with the casing string, avoiding the delay and additional cost of replacing the equipment.
