Constructed completely of an engineered alloy material, the MILLITE plug does not contain any heavy metal or ceramic parts. The plug’s wear- and preset-resistant design virtually eliminates preset risks, enabling safe run-in rates in excess of 600 ft/min (183 m/min). A field-ready wireline adapter kit simplifies assembly, and the plug’s proven friction-slip anchoring system and packing element keep it firmly anchored in the casing at pressures up to 10,000-psi.
“The unconventional market requires continuous innovation to drive increased efficiencies and lower costs,” Chris Johnson, Product Line Director, BHGE Unconventional Completion Technologies, said. “The MILLITE plug’s unique lightweight alloy material offers something completely new to the industry to further accelerate post-frac interventions so that customers can start producing sooner.”
Transitions among composite, cast iron, and ceramic materials often cause rate of penetration fluctuations as each plug is milled, accelerating tool wear and, in some cases, necessitating extra trips. The MILLITE plug mills more rapidly and more easily with less torque, helping to improve motor life and reduce drilling costs. With a specific gravity of only 1.8, the plug’s fine debris can float up and out of the well without the aid of additional cleaning sweeps or costly chemicals. At under 13 in. long, its compact design also contributes to a lower overall volume of debris per plug compared to standard plugs.
Built completely out of a robust, engineered alloy material that is 70% lighter than conventional plug material, the MILLITE™ lightweight frac plug drills out smoothly and flows out easily to cut costs and get customers to first oil faster.
Although the design and the material properties of frac plugs affect how quickly and efficiently they can be removed from wellbores post-fracturing, conventional plugs contain hard, heavy components like cast iron slips and ceramic buttons that make them tough to mill out, and their debris even tougher to circulate out.
The MILLITE plug’s compact design features proven friction-based slips—versus heavy cast iron slips or ceramic buttons—to keep it firmly anchored in the casing at pressures up to 10,000 psi (690 bar).
With a specific gravity of only 1.8, and a lattice structure that generates smaller cuttings, the MILLITE lightweight frac plug improves debris flowback, minimizing cleanout requirements and accelerating post-frac intervention. Its compact design also contributes to a lower overall volume of debris per plug compared with standard plug debris volumes.
And, when MILLITE plugs arrive on location, their field-ready wireline adapter kit simplifies assembly. No special screws or tools are required. During run-in, the plug’s wear- and preset-resistant design virtually eliminates preset risks, enabling safe run-in rates in excess of 600 ft/min (183 m/min). A proven friction-slip anchoring system and packing element create a reliable seal that reliably holds pressure during fracturing.
Applications
- Unconventional oil and gas wells
- Plug-and-perf completions
- Reservoirs with low bottomhole pressure
- Extended-reach laterals
On a recent job, an operator in Colorado performing plug-and-perf completions used MILLITE lightweight frac plugs to minimize intervention time and reduce coiled tubing cycling costs. The well had a measured depth of 10,800 ft (3,292 m) and lateral of 4,400 ft (1,341 m), and the completion plan called for a total of 22 plugs to be set at regular intervals. The plugs were deployed at an average speed of 750 ft/min (229 m/min). After fracturing operations were complete, the MILLITE plugs were milled without any motor stalls or short trips, and the average millout time was only five minutes per plug. The plugs milled out with significantly smaller cuttings, leaving minimal debris, which easily circulated out of the wellbore, without the need for specialty chemicals.
A customer performing plug-and-perf completions on a low-temperature, lowpressure well in Oklahoma was looking for a way to accelerate plug milling and improve debris removal. Because of the low bottomhole pressure, the well had significant lift issues, making hole cleaning an arduous process.
Understanding the customer’s challenges, Baker Hughes, a GE company (BHGE), suggested running a combination of MILLITE™ lightweight frac plugs and SPECTRE™ low temperature disintegrating frac plugs to minimize debris in the wellbore.
Unlike conventional plugs that contain hard, heavy components such as cast iron slips and ceramic buttons, MILLITE lightweight frac plugs are built completely out of a robust, engineered alloy material that is 70% lighter than conventional plugs—enabling smoother milling and easier, more complete debris removal.
Futhermore, this particular well had bottomhole temperatures as low as 150F (66C), which can decrease the rate of disintegration resulting in the need for additional milling and cleanouts to remove the non-disentegrating components. SPECTRE low temperature disintegrating plugs were selected for the bottom portion of the well, as they react based on temperature and salinity, and completely disintegrate downhole after fracturing, even in low temperature environments.
Flawless execution
The well had a total vertical depth of 9,487 ft. (2,892 m) and a lateral length of 10,015 ft. (3,053 m). The completion plan called for a total of 31 MILLITE plugs and 31 SPECTRE low temperature plugs to be set at regular intervals.
In addition to being lighter and more compact than conventional composite plugs, MILLITE lightweight frac plugs are also wear- and preset-resistant, virtually eliminating preset risks during run-in. Because of this, the customer was able to deploy the MILLITE plugs at an average speed of 300 ft/min (91 m/min). Clear pressure signatures were observed as balls were landed on the plugs at 15 bbl/min, confirming the plugs remained anchored in place during treatment diversion.
After fracturing operations were complete, a milling bottomhole assembly was deployed and all of the MILLITE plugs were milled using a Versa-Drive™ 3⅜- in. outer diameter (OD) through-tubing motor and Vanguard™ plug bit. Because the well had low bottomhole pressure, nitrogen was used to lift the well to maintain circulation while drilling out. The MILLITE plugs enabled the successful circulation of debris from the well, despite extreme amounts of nitrogen being utilized, and the job was successfully completed with zero stalls or additional motor trips.
Due to the well’s depth and lateral length the drill out assembly was unable to reach the toe of the well, however because the customer opted to use SPECTRE disintegrating plugs, they are able to continue producing from the lower zones
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