After running the liner, the liner lap shall be tested to a value based on the FIT at the previous casing shoe. If the test is unsuccessful then the liner lap must be inflow tested, but if successful the draw down shall be confirmed.
Inflow Testing
Liner laps shall be inflow tested if any of the following apply:
- Operations during the cement job give reason to doubt the success of the liner cementation.
- The liner lap pressure test leaks.
- The CBL/VDL and/or CET logs indicate that the liner lap section does not contain at least 65 ft of good cement bonding (i.e. amplitude of 10 mv or less), of which 30 ft shall be continuous.
- The well is completed with an underbalanced completion fluid, required for well performance reasons. These shall be specified on a per well basis at the completion meeting.
- The formation behind the liner (below the casing shoe) contain overpressured fluids.
- The liner shoe track is to be drilled out and the mud weight to be used is lower than the mud weight used during drilling of the hole section covered by the liner.
Inflow tests in (a), (b), (c) and (d) above shall be carried out under drawdown (500 psi) conditions placed across the liner that will approximate the maximum that is expected to be observed during the life of the well.
In the case of (e) above, the inflow test shall be carried out at the beginning of the pre-completion phase and while circulating out the mud for completion brine under controlled conditions (this means maintaining a constant pressure at the liner lap by holding back pressure and then bleeding off and observing the well).