RapidConnect Junction, Nigeria
In March 2000, Total installed the first 7-in. RapidConnect junction system in Ofon 26, a new well located offshore Nigeria, West Africa. The design called for a cased and cemented main wellbore with a cased and cemented lateral liner connected to the primary casing, but not cemented at the junction.[note 2]

The main wellbore targeted two productive zones; a single lateral tapped a fault-isolated section of the upper zone.

Total individually gravel packed the two producing zones in the main wellbore, oriented a whipstock using an ICC in the 7-in. primary casing and then milled an exit window to drill a 6-in. lateral.
 
A 4-in. dropoff liner with stand-alone wire-wrapped screens below an upper 4 1/2-in. temporary liner stabilized the lateral borehole during cementing operations. A primary and a backup external casing packer (ECP) isolated the completion interval before cementing.

After cementing the 4-in. dropoff liner and cleaning out excess cement, the operator retrieved the upper 4 1/2-in. liner assembly.

The junction system was deployed in two runs: first to place a RapidConnect template across the casing window; and then to insert a tieback liner and seal assembly into the 4-in. PBR and lock a RapidConnect connector into the template.

Production tubing and completion equipment were connected to the RapidConnect template; a sliding sleeve adjacent to the junction isolated and selectively controlled lateral flow. An isolation packer between the lower screen assemblies in the main wellbore allowed selective production from either interval.

 
2. Ohmer H, Brockman M, Gotlib M and Varathajan P: “Multilateral Junction Connectivity Discussion and Analysis,” paper SPE 71667, presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, September 30–October 3, 2001.