Mutilateral Wells - Oil and Gas Well Completions

A: 5–10°C temperature drop during shut-in is enough to open a micro-annulus if cement sheath bonding is marginal, and that explains why pressure tests passed but crossflow appears only when the well cools. Cement top issues would show up during pressure testing, and ICD tuning or elastomer aging wouldn’t switch on and off with temperature alone.

A: Zero requirement for lateral re-entry is the boundary. Level 1 avoids junction hardware and reduces rig time, while Levels 2–4 add complexity strictly to gain access, isolation, or pressure integrity that isn’t needed here.

A: At CO2 levels above ~10% and 120°C, carbonic acid corrosion rate dominates even without H2S crossing sour thresholds. SSC needs higher H2S partial pressure, and oxygen pitting or Cl-SCC require oxygen ingress or tensile stress conditions that aren’t driving the base design here.

A: Clearance on sliding sleeves is measured in millimeters, so residual swarf is enough to jam it even if surface tests passed. Choke sizing or PVT effects wouldn’t fully prevent unloading, and a dead gauge doesn’t explain zero returns at surface.