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WWT FlexShoe Provides Solution For Challenging Well Paths

WWT International’s new casing running tool, the WWT FlexShoe, is a strong, flexible composite casing shoe designed to guide casing/liner through deviated wellbores to target depth in both offshore and onshore applications.

This new product has been run by customers in the US since its debut in November 2014 and is ideal for challenging well paths. It minimises risks encountered during casing installation in ERD and high-angle wells by guiding casing past planned and unplanned wellbore profiles such as severe doglegs and ledges. 

How The FlexShoe Works

Casing is stiff and it is often difficult to run casing through dog-legs, around ledges or faults, and over softer formations. The FlexShoe reduces the force required to traverse these difficult zones, reducing bending stiffness by 95% compared to steel casing. This helps to get casing to bottom faster, with less drag, and less chance of getting stuck.
 

Cement can be pumped through the FlexShoe and it is compatible with various connections, floats and other casing running equipment. WWT has tested the main structural components to 150% to 200% of the rated compressive load without failure. 

WWT supplies several nose configurations to use depending on well conditions. Polyurethane provides flexibility and impact resistance. Aluminum can be used in higher temperatures and with greater set down weights. The reamer shoe version enables reaming through tight spots while still being completely drillable, while slots and ribs on the nose prevent rotation of cement to ease drilling through the tool after running casing.

Successful Run in Deepwater GoM

The FlexShoe completed its first deepwater run in the Gulf of Mexico for Shell. An 18-inch WWT FlexShoe was successfully run from vertical to 28° inclination through doglegs of up to 3.5° per 100 feet to a target depth of approximately 8,000 feet in a soft formation. While running the liner to bottom, up to 60,000 pounds of string weight was safely placed on the tool while circulating for the final 140ft of the hole section, most likely to wash cuttings from the bottom of the hole. The run was successfully completed in 27 hours, with no problems running the casing to bottom, cementing, or drilling the next hole section through the WWT FlexShoe. 

This deepwater run was preceded by a successful 7-inch WWT FlexShoe run for Shell in a horizontal well in the Permian Basin in Texas. In this well, the casing run was completed in 13 hours to a target depth of approximately 11,000 feet, at 85° inclination, through doglegs of up to 20° per 100 feet. According to WWT, the FlexShoe worked as planned in both cases. “We are happy with its performance, and appreciate the support that Shell and their engineering team have showed for its development,” said Sarah Mitchell, for WWT International.

More Information On The FlexShoe

R&D Solutions and WWT are well placed in Australia to assist with products such as the FlexShoe and we look forward to distributing this tool to local operators. For further information contact R&D Solutions or speak directly with Doug Gillespie on 0433 332 365.