Downhole problems delay Davy Jones flow test

July 30, 2012
Mechanical difficulties with a seal assembly will delay flow tests of the Davy Jones-1 ultradeep well on the Gulf of Mexico shelf into August, said McMoRan Exploration Co., New Orleans.

Mechanical difficulties with a seal assembly will delay flow tests of the Davy Jones-1 ultradeep well on the Gulf of Mexico shelf into August, said McMoRan Exploration Co., New Orleans.

Before removing the blowout preventer to install a production tree, McMoRan ran a routine pressure test that indicated that the seal assembly at 16,400 ft needed to be replaced. The company believes the assembly was affected by the increased use of high-density mud used in operations designed to suppress flow in the well.

Once the well is stable, McMoRan plans to install a production packer above a new seal assembly that would enable a double seal completion. The company said it encountered flow in the well before setting all of the production tubing earlier this month. The well, on South Marsh Island Block 230, is perforated in 165 ft of Wilcox sands (OGJ Online, July 23, 2012).