Well Completion

Once a natural gas or oil well is drilled, and it has been verified that commercially viable quantities of natural gas are present for extraction, the well must be 'completed' to allow for the flow of petroleum or natural gas out of the formation and up to the surface. This process includes strengthening the well hole with casing, evaluating the pressure and temperature of the formation, and then installing the proper equipment to ensure an efficient flow of natural gas out of the well. There are two main types of conventional natural gas wells: natural gas wells and natural gas condensate wells. In addition, there are oil wells that contain associated natural gas. In an oil well with associated gas, the natural gas is often used to add pressure to the well and enhance the extraction of the well. Sometimes associated natural gas exists in large enough quantities to allow its extraction along with the oil. Natural gas specific wells are wells drilled exclusively for natural gas, and contain little or no oil. Shale-gas drilling is an example of wells being drilled for their natural gas resources. Condensate wells are wells that contain natural gas, as well as a liquid condensate. This condensate is a liquid hydrocarbon mixture that is often separated from the natural gas either at the wellhead, or during the processing of the natural gas. It is important to remember that natural gas, being lighter than air, will naturally rise to the surface of a well. Because of this, in many natural gas and condensate wells, lifting equipment and well treatment are not necessary. Completing a well consists of a number of steps: installing the well casing, completing the well, installing the wellhead, and installing lifting equipment or treating the formation should that be required. Click on the links below to learn about these aspects of the well completion process: Well Casing Completion The Wellhead Lifting and Well Treatment
Source: Anadarko Petroleum Corporation

Well Casing Installing well casing is an important part of the drilling and completion process. Well casing consists of a series of metal tubes installed in the freshly drilled hole. Casing strengthens the sides of the well hole, ensures that no oil or natural gas seeps out of the well hole as it is brought to the surface, and keeps other fluids or gases from seeping into the formation through the well. A good deal of planning is necessary to ensure that the proper casing for each well is installed. The type of casing used depends on the subsurface characteristics of the well, including the diameter of the well and the pressures and temperatures experienced throughout the well. The diameter of the well hole depends on the size of the drill bit used. In most wells, the diameter of the well hole decreases the deeper it is drilled, leading to a type of conical shape that must be taken into account when installing casing. To review the drilling of a natural gas well and the history of drilling practices, including casing, click here. There are five different types of well casing. They include: Conductor Casing Surface Casing

A Small Auger Drill

Source: USGS