Recommended Practice: CTU Overview Page 1 of 8

Alaska Wells Group

RP: CTU Operations Overview
Formerly: Rigless Operations Manual: Coiled Tubing Operations Section: Overview

NSU ADW Wells NSU ADW Wells

Authority: Custodian:
Operations Supervisor Engineer
Document
Document Control
Scope: Wells: Coiled Tubing Control
Specialist
Administrator:
Alaska Wells Group
Issue Date: January 22, 2002 Issuing Dept:
(WELS)
Revision Date: June 3, 2008 Control Tier: Tier 4
Next Review Date: August 14, 2011

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE

© 2009 BP America Inc. (for all US copyright notices) All rights reserved.
This document contains confidential information, which is the exclusive and proprietary property of BP America Inc. and affiliates.
In whole or part, this document or its attachments MAY NOT be reproduced by any means, disclosed or used for any purpose
without the express written permission of BP America Inc. or affiliates.

1.0 Purpose/Scope
This section provides an overview of the coiled tubing equipment for the Wells Production
Engineers that are supervising coiled tubing units on the North Slope.

Note: Section 7 contains Lessons Learned from the field.

2.0 Definitions
CTU – Coiled Tubing Unit
PE – Wells Production Engineer
BOP – blowout preventors

3.0 General Requirements

This section provides information on the equipment and recommended rig up procedures for
coiled tubing operations on the North Slope.

4.0 Key Responsibilities

Well Operations Supervisor is:
 To designate the person to update manual as necessary to incorporate new policies or
procedures

Wells Production Engineers are:

 Responsible for identifying and submitting changes to the procedures and methodology
based on new technology and new and better ways of performing work
 Update the manual based on changes as a result of Root Cause Investigations

5.0 Process

5.1 Introduction - Coiled Tubing Overview

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The coiled tubing units used in Prudhoe Bay have been specifically designed and outfitted to do
the work required in the field while operating under the harsh weather conditions of the Arctic. A
standard Arctic design of coiled tubing units used at Prudhoe Bay is depicted in Figure 1. All the
components are mounted on one large float for more rapid deployment in the field, rather than
several skid mounted sections. The Arctic design eliminates the need of a crane to pick up the
BOPs and injector head by using a hydraulically operated mast. The mast incorporates a
hydraulic trolley and heavy winch. The trolley is used to deploy the BOP. After the BOP is
flanged to the production tree swab valve, the injector head is pinned to the trolley, moved over
the BOP and connected to the BOP using a lubricator. The entire structure becomes relatively
rigid for maximum stability during a job.

There are weather related limitations to be considered when rigging up or rigging down the coiled
tubing unit. These limitations are a function of wind and/or ambient temperature and are
discussed in the Coiled Tubing Rig Up and Well Entry section

5.2 Coiled Tubing Unit Components

The major components of a Prudhoe Bay coiled tubing unit are as follows:
 Long, high capacity float - to transport the mast, work deck, engine / hydraulic power pack
room, coiled tubing reel house, and operations control cab. The float incorporates 2-3 sets of
outriggers to maintain stability and support for the massive load during rig up and rig down.
This also eliminates the possibility of load imbalance during operations if a tire should
rupture.
 Mast- supports the trolley boom ("T" bar) and the injector head winch as well as the injector
head itself. The mast has a working height of up to 55 ft. This allows the use of a lubricator
plus BOP which is made up to the top of the production tree (flanged onto the swab valve).
The useable length of the lubricator depends on the height of the production tree and the
well house.
 Blow Out Preventors - hydraulically and manually operated, consisting of the following, in
order, from top to bottom of the BOP stack (with a maximum working pressure of 10,000 psi)
:
- Blind / shear combination rams (to cut coiled tubing and seal)
- Blind / shear combination rams (to cut coiled tubing and seal)
- Coiled tubing slips (sized to hold the specific coiled tubing used)
- Coiled tubing pipe rams (sized to seal around the specific size of coiled tubing used)
- The CTU blow out preventors, lubricator, and injector head assemblies are shown in
Figure 2.
Note: The BOP’s and lubricator are rated at 10,000 psi working pressure but the pump-in
sub and wellheads are 5000 psi working pressure so the maximum working pressure of
the well control equipment is 5000 psi (limited by the wellhead and pump-in sub)
 Engine Room (power pack) - contains the main diesel engine (~250 HP) and hydraulic
pump to power the injector head, reel, BOP system, mast, and pack-off equipment. It also
contains a small diesel fired, 10 kW generator to supply 110v AC power to the control cab
panels, outlets, etc. The accumulator bottles for the BOP system are normally housed inside
the engine room.
 Injector Head - a hydraulically operated continuous chain and gripper block system that
pushes coiled tubing into the well, pulls coiled tubing out of the well and holds coiled tubing
stationary in a well. The injector head uses two sets of chains with profiled gripper blocks
that hold and prevent damage to the coiled tubing. The inner profile of the gripper blocks is
such that the greater the tubing hanging weight and/or internal pressure, the more retaining
force that will be applied. The hydraulic gripping force is applied through three sets of ram
and skate mechanisms on the back of the chains. The chains are driven down or up with a
hydraulically powered sprocket drive. The injector heads presently being used on the 1.75"

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units are 60,000 lb capacity drives, capable of moving the coiled tubing at speeds ranging
from 0.1 to 210 feet per minute.
Note: At times 2 3/8” coil may utilize an 80,000 lb injector. If this injector is used, the weight
cells and weight indicators must be changed so that the range of the larger capacity injector
can be accurately measured.
 Pack-off Assembly - a hydraulic seal assembly just below the injector head that forms a
high differential pressure seal around the coiled tubing via a piston-actuated plastic pack-off
with brass guides and retainers that are slightly larger than the coiled tubing. As the well
head pressure (WHP) increases, more pack-off pressure is required to isolate the WHP.
Pack-off pressure is kept at a minimum to reduce wear on the pack-off due to excess friction.
To further reduce friction drag through the pack-off, the coil is lubricated with diesel
immediately above the pack-off while running in the hole. Without such lubrication, the
excess friction can cause enough heat to soften the pack-off elements so they will
completely grip the coil and prevent movement. Operating with excess pack-off friction will
also wear out the pack-off elements very quickly (in one trip in or out of the hole). Pumping
large volumes of high temperature fluids, i.e. hot oil, will have the same effect on pack-off
elements.
 Lubricator - a high pressure (10,000 psi), cold weather and H2S rated riser assembled in
various lengths with threaded "quick-connect" connections, to provide a pressurized area
between the BOPs and the CT pack-off. The lubricator allows running and pulling tool strings
of various lengths while operating with a positive WHP. With this type of system a well does
not have to be "killed" prior to rigging up tools to run in hole (RIH).
 Pump-in Sub - a high pressure (5000 psi working pressure), cold weather, and H2S rated
spool, with flanged connections that is made up between the base of the BOPs and top of
the production tree swab valve. It has an integral flanged 2" outlet with two (2) flanged 2"
5000 psi valves, to allow circulating up or down the backside of the coiled tubing (i.e.
between the production tubing and the coiled tubing).
 Fluid Pump - a high pressure, medium-volume, triplex pump capable of generating up to
400 hydraulic horsepower. The fluid pump is mounted at the rear of the tractor and is
powered by the tractor engine. Power is transferred from the truck engine to the fluid pump
via a special transmission arrangement. Maximum flow rate is generally around 4.5 BPM at
3600 psi.

5.3 Coiled Tubing Unit Hydraulics Summary

One of the most critical components of a coiled tubing unit is the hydraulic system. If it fails, the
coil unit can be in serious trouble. Generally, the hydraulics system of the coiled tubing units is
quite reliable if proper preventative maintenance is performed.

The following is a brief summary of the primary hydraulics system of the coiled tubing units
generally used on the North Slope.

The main hydraulic pressure is generated by three 6000 psi hydraulic pumps which are driven by
a single 6 cylinder diesel engine via a special gear box. Each of the three pumps are split duty,
which allows 6 separate hydraulic circuits with their own pressure controllers. Each circuit
powers different items on the coil unit.

One circuit is dedicated to the injector head which has the greatest requirement for hydraulic oil
volume. The common injector head is the Hydra Rig HR260. It is rated for a maximum pull of
60,000 lb with a maximum hydraulic pressure of 3500 psi. Like most hydraulic systems, speed
is governed by the hydraulic volume (pump rate) and the force is a function of the pressure.
With the engine at full power, the injector head uses 92 GPM while pulling coil at 99 ft/min in low
gear. In high gear, the HR260 can pull pipe at 198 ft/min using the same volume. From a dead
stop, the injector head can pull 38,000 lb in low gear with 3500 psi on the wellhead at about 2500

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psi hydraulic pressure. In high gear it can pull only 18,000 lb with the same hydraulic pressure.
Therefore, one should not attempt to pull out of the hole in high gear until the string weight is less
than 18,000 LB for this model injector head. A common force-pressure conversion factor for this
head is 15.34 LB pull/push per psi of injector head pressure in low gear. In high gear, it
generates only 6.81 LB per psi, but the speed is higher as stated above.

The other hydraulic circuits power the reel, mast and level-wind, hydraulic hose reel, and BOPs.
The coil reel circuit is rated at 14 GPM and incorporates a 2500 psi pressure relief system. The
mast/level-wind circuit is rated at 27 GPM and also has a 2500 psi maximum. The BOP circuit is
rated at 10 GPM and 3000 psi.

5.4 Coiled Tubing Tools

The following is a brief description of the coiled tubing tools that are commonly used on the
North Slope. The tools are provided by either the CTU contractor or by one of the rental tool
companies located in Deadhorse.
a.) Connector – The coiled tubing connector allows the bottom hole assembly (BHA) to be
connected to the coiled tubing reel. The commonly used types of connectors are a roll-on
connector and a dimple connector (uses set screws to attach connector to coil and an ‘O’ ring
to effect a seal between the connector and coiled tubing)
b.) Dual check-valves - Check-valves are run as part of the tool string in most operations. They
prevent an uncontrolled back-flow of fluid into the coil. The check valves used are flapper
type checks that allow a ball to pass through the checks.
c.) Hydraulic Disconnect - A tool used for disconnecting the tool string downhole. A ball is
dropped down the coiled tubing from the surface. The ball seats within the tool. Pressure is
applied to the coiled tubing which shears pins in the disconnect and allows the tool to come
apart, releasing the coiled tubing from the BHA. The ball and seat are recovered and a
fishing neck remains as the top connection on the tool string left in the well. The hydraulic
disconnects are normally pinned to shear at a differential of 3500 psi. It is recommended
that the shear value is verified with the service company prior to running the BHA. In order
to disconnect, there must be enough circulation to allow the ball to be pumped over the
gooseneck.
d.) Circulating Sub - Typically run in the tool string below a hydraulic disconnect. The circulating
sub has a port which can be opened by dropping a ball and applying pressure to the coiled
tubing (similar to the hydraulic disconnect). The ball used to actuate the circulating sub is
smaller than the ball used for the hydraulic disconnect. Circulating subs often have a rupture
disk that can be sheared if the ball does not shift the sleeve and open the circulating port or
circulation is not possible through the nozzle. The rupture disk is usually set to shear at
about 4500 psi while the circulating port is set to open at about 3000 psi. The circulating sub
is used to establish circulation if the nozzle plugs or the tubing is stuck and circulation
through the coil is not possible (If the tubing is plugged, opening the circulation port/sub will
only be possible if there is a rupture disk below the ball seat in the circulating sub). A
circulating sub may also be used in the tool string to allow circulation or for spotting fluid
above an inflatable packer.
e.) Motor Head Assembly – a single assembly that has dual check valves, a hydraulic
disconnect and a circulating sub. The hydraulic disconnect and the circulating sub have
different sized balls to shift the appropriate sleeve and function the tool.
f.) Downhole Motors - Downhole motors are similar to a mud motor as they are powered by
pumping fluids down the coiled tubing and through a turbine which is part of the motor
assembly. The high torque motors are used in milling and under-reaming operations. Low
torque motors may occasionally be used in fishing operations.
g.) Drill Bits/Mills - A variety of bits and mills are available to drill cement, obstructions,
formation, or metal. The bits are rotated using a downhole motor.
h.) Inflatable Bridge Plug - A temporary or permanent isolation tool used in a wellbore to isolate
flow between zones, or protect zones from other workover activities. The tool is run on coil

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through the production tubing string. The bridge plug is inflated by dropping a ball and
pumping through the coiled tubing. Continuing to increase the pump pressure disconnects
the coiled tubing from the bridge plug.
i.) Inflatable Packer - A temporary isolation tool used in a wellbore to isolate flow between
zones, or protect zones from other workover activities. The tool is run through the tubing
string, and can be inflated/deflated and moved within the wellbore using the coiled tubing.
Some inflatable bridge plugs are an inflatable packer with a plug inserted on the bottom.
j.) Nozzles - A variety of nozzles are available to use with coiled tubing. The most common are:
down or side jet, jet-swirl, reverse (or big hole), and cement/combo. Special nozzles can be
designed for specific purposes. Many sizes are available for using in a variety of operations
and tubing sizes.
k.) Selective Stimulation Tool - Similar to inflatable packer, but consists of two separate packer
elements to isolate short intervals up to 15 ft. The tool is run through the tubing string, and
can be inflated/deflated and moved within the wellbore.
l.) Tubing Tail Locator - A mechanical or hydraulic tool for locating the tubing tail and/or nipples
in a tubing string. The TTL has spring-activated arms that cause an increase on the weight
indicator when pulling through a restriction. A TTL is used to more accurately make a depth
correlation with coiled tubing.
m.) Underreamer - A specialty drilling tool used to drill a larger diameter hole in the casing that is
below a tubing tail or restriction (up to the casing ID). The underreamer ''arms" collapse or
fold, allowing the tool to be run through tubing. Pump pressure will activate the arms, and
they will extend out to near fullbore diameter. Underreamers may be used to cleanout
cement after a squeeze so that a well can be reperforated or completed in a deeper zone.
n.) Jars – Downhole tool which provides a means to deliver a sudden shock or impact to the
BHA. Jars may be up jars or bi-directional.
o.) Accelerator - With action somewhat like a shock absorber, the accelerator is used in
conjunction with jars to accentuate jarring action by increasing jar momentum.
p.) Centralizers – Centralizers are used to center the toolstring in the casing or tubing. There
are two types commonly used– the mechanical, bowspring type and a hydraulic centralizer
which is actuated by pumping through the coiled tubing above a minimum rate. The orifice
size in the hydraulic centralizer determines the minimum rate.
q.) Swivel Joint – The swivel joint allows tools to be made up when tools are deployed into the
wellbore without a lubricator, i.e. extended length perforating or when it may not be desirable
to rotate tools, e,g, fishing operations.
r.) Hydraulic Overshots and Spears – the most common are the GS spear and JDC overshot.

6.0 Key Documents/Tools/References

BP Getting HSE Right

BP’s Golden Rules of Safety
BP Drilling and Well Operations Policy
Alaska Safety Handbook
North Slope Environmental Field Handbook
Wells Group Rigless Operations Manual
BP Alaska PE Manual
ARCO Alaska Wells Group Policies, Guidelines and Resources Manual
Wells Stack Analysis Report - analytical report of the Zeta Model analysis for MPL-01 well
intervention stack.

7.0 Lessons Learned

Further LL information can be viewed in TeamLink by using the LL tracking number.
1) TeamLink LL # 620, Wells Coil Tubing, June 2007.

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When bleeding or PT's of the MHA on coils, a night cap will be installed on the BOP's. This will
prevent any leaking fluid from spilling if the valves do not hold properly, prior to the pressure test.

2) TeamLink Lesson Learned # 10261, July 2008

CTU working off/with the WWP; needing accurate and up to date data on the wells BHP before
the flo-pro and basic kill weight fluid is pumped for hydrostatic conditions. A drift run is always
required before starting off this type of work. Consider using SLB’s sub that can be run (at no
extra charge) that will record the BHP and BHT giving us immediate accurate data.

Revision Log
Revision Date Approving Custodian/Aut Revision Details
Authority hor
Steve Andrew Pfaff Original Issue
January 22, 2002
Rossberg
December 21, 2004 Doug Joe McInnis Added 2-3/8” coil and removed GPB
Cismoski specific references.
March 30, 2006 Jerry L. Bixby Wells Revised Approving Authority and
Operation Custodian. Extended next review
Supervisor date. Changed SOP to RP.
August 15, 2007 Wells Chris Tzvetcoff Section 7.0 added to document.
Operation
Supervisor
June 3, 2008 Andy Kirk Chris Tzvetcoff Added link to section 6.0.
November 19, 2008 Wells Chris Tzvetcoff Added LL 10261 to section 7.0.
Operation
Supervisor
March 17, 2009 Wells Chris Tzvetcoff Added LL 10440 to section 7.0.
Operation
Supervisor
June 8, 2009 Well Chris Tzvetcoff Removed LL 10440
Operation
Supervisor
July 22, 2010 Andy Kirk Chris Tzvetcoff Add BP Confidentiality Statement
(or, see attached e-mail )
Approving Authority signature Date

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Figure 1

Mast
Injector Head
Coiled Tubing

Reel
Lubricator
(10,000 psi) Control Room

Pump
BOP Stack Room

Well Head

Casing Engine Room

Production
Tubing
Coiled Tubing

Coiled Tubing Unit

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Figure 2

Injector Head

Pack-Off

Coiled Tubing
Lubricator

Blind/Shear Rams

2” Kill Line Outlet

Slip Rams

Pipe Rams

Pump-In Sub w/ 2” Outlet

(5000 psi Working Pressure)

Production Tree Swab Valve

(5000 psi Working Pressure)

Coiled Tubing Blowout Preventer, Lubricator,

and Injector Head

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