During a North Sea operation which involved milling, EV was called upon to diagnose the condition of a downhole fish, so the customer could decide on the best method to retrieve it.
As the camera is run into the well, the wellbore fluid is too cloudy and the viewing dome is spotted with oil. Although the cage protecting the camera can be seen, fluid conditions are, by far, less than ideal for diagnosis quality images. However, the Optis™ RT-120, EV's continuous tilt and rotate camera system, is designed to run primarily on Drill Pipe, which allows up to 10 bbls/min of clear fluids to be pumped as the operation progresses, thus enabling quality video capture in less than ideal conditions.
A murky silhouette comes into view as the camera approaches and tags the fish. Although some features are just about visible and the tag depth is confirmed, it is not possible to accurately assess the condition of the fish.
In the next segment of video as fluid continues to be pumped to the front of the RT-120, visibility has improved significantly, and the condition of the fish is starting to become more defined, too.
In the final segment, the minimum required fluid clarity has been achieved, and even the camera dome has been washed clean. It is now clear that the fish was partially milled. Visibility is so good, in fact, that a yellow Teflon nozzle which was ripped off a jetting sub in a previous operation can also be seen trapped beside the fish.
Once again, EV's downhole video-based well diagnosis services, have enabled another satisfied customer in making the right decisions.