Eliminating the need for a Flex Trip (to check/clear tubing of debris) prior to (onshore) DST

Dear all

At a recent TWOP, the topic of a flex trip came up.

This is a dedicated trip into the well with the tubing that will be used for the DST; it is then closed off at the bottom and pressured-up with the ballooning effect used to dislodge any rust/scale that may have accumulated, which is then (reverse?) circulated out.

This is not a pipe-pickling trip.

My background is mainly offshore and so this is an unfamiliar use of rig-time to me.  We did come across it for TWOPs in Kurdistan.

I've been told that the team would forego the flex-trip if the tubing was new, but that the availability of new tubing is a concern.

My questions to those with DIRECT experience of this are:

1. What makes new tubing so special, that a flex-trip could be omitted?
2. What can we do to ‘old’ tubing, offline, that would give confidence that is is ‘good as new’?
3. Having done so, how might it be preserved until ready to go in the hole?
4. What other options have you come up with?
5. What lessons learnt and best practice can you share with us on this matter?

As usual, experience will be more valuable than opinions.

Thanks in advance

Dave

4 Answer(s)

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