C a s e H i s t o r y

An independent operator drilling a production well in the Eagle Ford basin in south Texas chose to perform a plug and perf completion. To ensure success, it was critical to use equipment that could withstand high pressure and also offer high-performance drillout and milling capabilities. In particular, the bridge plugs needed to have a high-pressure rating.

The operator planned to fi rst run a long string of 4½-in. 13.5-ppf (65.9-kgm) casing. This casing would then be perforated and hydraulically fractured in multiple zones with multiple frac plugs placed in the wellbore to provide zonal isolation for each frac.

After the hydraulic stimulation was completed, the plugs would then need to be removed from the wellbore. The operator needed to optimize the drillout bottomhole assembly (BHA) and use equipment that could reliably mill multiple plugs in one trip.

Benefi ts

n Drilled out 14 plugs 30% faster than industry average

n Milled plugs at an average of 19.75 minutes each

Well background and challenges

n Independent operator in south Texas wanted a plug and perf completion

n Horizontal well in the Eagle Ford shale

n Equipment needed to withstand high pressure and drill out multiple plugs quickly and efficiently

Baker Hughes solutions and results

n The Baker Hughes QUIK Drill 3.0 ball-style composite frac plug was used for the plug and perf operation

n A VIP series mud motor was deployed on CT to drill out the frac plugs

n A Baker Hughes Opti-Cut-dressed mill was used to mill out the plugs

Five-bladed Opti-Cut™ junk mills

QUIK Drill™ 3.0 ball-style composite 10K frac plug

VIP Motor and Opti-Cut Dressed Mill Quickly Milled Out Composite QUIK Drill 3.0 Frac Plugs Milled out plugs 30% faster than industry average

To meet the client’s operational goals and ensure a high-quality completion, Baker Hughes used the QUIK Drill™ 3.0 ball-style composite frac plug. The plug has a high frac pressure rating of 10,000 psi (689.5 bar) from above and incorporates a clutch mechanism to prevent spinning while milling out. A total of 14 plugs were pumped down on wireline and set below the zone to be perforated. After each ball was seated on top, the plugs provided the zonal isolation needed for the hydraulic stimulation.

For drilling out the plugs, Baker Hughes used its patented 35/8-in. diameter, five-bladed Opti-Cut™ mill with a 27/8-in. VIP™ series mud motor deployed on 2-in. coiled tubing (CT). The Opti-Cut inserts used to dress the mill have specially engineered carbide cutting edges that create smaller cuttings while milling out the plugs. These small cuttings are crucial in a deviated, unconventional

completion. The Opti-Cut insert performs consistently, with stall-free milling on motor applications. The Opti-Cut insert also mills more aggressively than conventional crushed carbide cutters, and thus accelerates the overall intervention operation. The Baker Hughes team chose the VIP motor for its reliability and ample torque available to drill out the frac plugs. A 27/8-in bidirectional jar completed the drillout BHA that was run in the wellbore.

A total of 12 plugs were milled from 11,739-ft to 15,196-ft (3578.1-m to 4631.7-m) measured depth (MD) in one trip with an on-bottom plug milling time of 237 minutes. On average, each plug was milled through in only 19.75 minutes, up to twice as fast as the industry average of 30 to 40 minutes per plug. Three plugs were milled out in 8 minutes or less.

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