The present invention addresses to a method for the identification of operational problems based on the hydrodynamic characterization of the gas-lift and production well/lines set, by means of the injection of an alcohol, preferably ethanol, in the gas-lift line. The detection of the passage and the return of the alcohol is carried out by the direct analysis of information about the process variables (pressure and temperature at the bottom of the well, at the Christmas tree and at the surface, gas or liquid flowmeters, etc.). Preferably, this detection should also be confirmed by measuring the alcohol concentration at the return, either by sequential collection of samples of the liquid produced by the well and subsequent physicochemical analysis in the laboratory, or by an online meter specially installed for this purpose. A practical sample collection procedure has been developed for application together with this invention.

Chemical analysis methods for the determination of small amounts of water in alcohol are known from the State of the Art, but the reverse is not found. Thus, procedures for analyzing small amounts of alcohol in water have been specially developed for application together with this invention.

The present disclosure describes methods and systems for downhole well integrity reconstruction in a hydrocarbon reservoir. One method for downhole well integrity reconstruction in a hydrocarbon reservoir includes: positioning, a laser head at a first subterranean location, wherein the laser head is attached to a tubular inside of a wellbore; directing, by the laser head, a laser beam towards a leak on the wellbore; and sealing the leak using the laser beam.

The present disclosure describes methods and systems for downhole well integrity reconstruction in a hydrocarbon reservoir. One method for downhole well integrity reconstruction in a hydrocarbon reservoir includes: positioning, a laser head at a first subterranean location, wherein the laser head is attached to a tubular inside of a wellbore; directing, by the laser head, a laser beam towards a leak on the wellbore; and sealing the leak using the laser beam.

A system may include a connector coupled to a wellhead assembly. The system may also include a hydraulic power unit coupled to the connector and a valve of the wellhead assembly. The system may further include a controller in communication with the connector and the hydraulic power unit. The controller may be operable to receive one or more conditions associated with the connector and a valve of the wellhead assembly. The controller may also be operable to operate at least one of the connector and the valve through the hydraulic power unit based on the one or more condition.

A system may include a connector coupled to a wellhead assembly. The system may also include a hydraulic power unit coupled to the connector and a valve of the wellhead assembly. The system may further include a controller in communication with the connector and the hydraulic power unit. The controller may be operable to receive one or more conditions associated with the connector and a valve of the wellhead assembly. The controller may also be operable to operate at least one of the connector and the valve through the hydraulic power unit based on the one or more condition.

Example methods and systems are described for automatic pumping control for a leak-off test (LOT) of a subterranean region. In some aspects, injection fluid is flowed into a closed wellbore in a subterranean region. Wellbore pressure in response to flowing the injection fluid into the closed wellbore is measured. A plot representing a wellbore pressure in response to cumulative injection fluid volumes is substantially linear is determined. After determining the plot is linear, a first injection fluid pressure measured in response to flowing the injection fluid deviates from the substantially linear plot by a first variance greater than a threshold variance is determined. A second injection fluid pressure measured in response to flowing the injection fluid deviates from the substantially linear plot by a second variance greater than the threshold variance is determined. In response to the above two determinations, flow of injection fluid into the closed wellbore is stopped.

A method of plugging a well extending into a formation to facilitate temporary or permanent abandonment of the well. The method comprises conveying a plug placement and verification tool (PPVT) through the well, to a plug formation location, the PPVT comprising a stinger for delivering a plugging material into the well, an expandable packer disposed at one end of the stinger and a pressure sensor disposed below the expandable packer, and operating the expandable packer to form a seal in the well above the pressure sensor. The method further comprises delivering a plugging material from the stinger into a region of the well above the expandable packer, thereby forming a plug in the well, and thereafter creating a pressure change above the plug and verifying the integrity of the plug using the pressure sensor.

A method of plugging a well extending into a formation to facilitate temporary or permanent abandonment of the well. The method comprises conveying a plug placement and verification tool (PPVT) through the well, to a plug formation location, the PPVT comprising a stinger for delivering a plugging material into the well, an expandable packer disposed at one end of the stinger and a pressure sensor disposed below the expandable packer, and operating the expandable packer to form a seal in the well above the pressure sensor. The method further comprises delivering a plugging material from the stinger into a region of the well above the expandable packer, thereby forming a plug in the well, and thereafter creating a pressure change above the plug and verifying the integrity of the plug using the pressure sensor.

The present invention relates to a barrier testing method for testing a production casing in a borehole (4). The method is applied before initiating production in a well and comprises the steps of connecting a drill pipe (10) with a first end (20) of a first production casing having annular barriers (17), which annular barriers (17) comprise a tubular part forming part of the casing and an expandable sleeve circumferenting the tubular part, thereby defining an expandable space; inserting the drill pipe (10) and the first production casing (3) via a drill head (6) arranged at a top (7) of the well into an intermediate casing (11) extending in a first part (18) of the borehole (4) closest to the top of the well and at least part of the first production casing into a second part (19) of the borehole; sealing a second end (21) of the first production casing (3); pressurizing the first production casing (3) from within and expanding one or more of the expandable sleeves (22) of the annular barriers (17) to abut a wall of the borehole; pressurizing the first production casing (3) from within to a predetermined pressure; and testing the first production casing (3) after expansion by measuring if the predetermined pressure is kept constant during a predetermined time period. Furthermore, the invention relates to a completion system for oil production from a well and to an oil production facilitated by the method barrier testing method.

A hydrophone array tool as described herein is configured to locate leakages throughout a borehole with improved accuracy using acoustic beamforming techniques with acoustic velocity estimation. An acoustic beamforming processor generates an initial beamforming map and corresponding initial estimated leakage location using acoustic measurements throughout the borehole. The acoustic beamforming processor generates additional beamforming maps at the initial estimated leakage location, each additional beamforming map corresponding to an acoustic velocity within a range of anticipated acoustic velocities. An acoustic velocity estimator determines an acoustic velocity corresponding to a beamforming map with spatial statistics that indicate a most prominent leakage location. The acoustic beamforming processor updates the leakage location according to this beamforming map for improved accuracy.