DRILLING REPORT

Extended reach drilling article. Complex well geometries in the West Sak field development on Alaska’s North Slope are approaching the limits of ERD technology. Authors from ConocoPhilips, ASRC Energy Services E&P Technology and Halliburton describe the mechanical and procedural ways to solve weight-transfer drilling challenges in this remote, environmentally sensitive area.

Wired drillpipe for HPHT. What do you do when you are drilling in a deep, hot, mean drilling environment and the fluid drops away? How do you communicate with your MWD tools and control the well? Authors from GrantPrideco and Sperry-Sun explain how it was done on a Central American well using IntelliServ network telemetry.

Directional control in soft sediment. This article presents a case study of the use of a large 26-in. ID, rotary steerable system. The reservoir to be accessed stepped out 1.4 mi at a depth of less than 9,000 ft below mudline. To intercept this reservoir, at an inclination that conformed to the drilling design, required deviation from vertical within 300 ft of the mudline. Authors from Schlumberger and BP tell the story.

Using an LWD “look ahead” and “see around” logging tool to guide horizontal drilling within a few feet of a formation interface. The reservoir was water driven and did not have a gas cap, so the challenge was to get as close as possible to the top of the reservoir without leaving it. This sort of precise placement allowed more reserves to be accessed and developed. Authors from Schlumberger and Chevron Nigeria describe how it was done. .

 RESERVOIR CHARACTERIZATION

A study in ExxonMobil-operated Means oil field, in the Permian basin, West Texas, has established porosity-permeability relationships for the Permian Queen, Grayburg and San Andres formations. The optimized workflow used borehole image and conventional log processing with calibration to core data. This approach allowed Schlumberger to quantify porosity and permeability heterogeneity in vuggy carbonate facies in the field. Petrophysical rock types have been differentiated using image and conventional log data and neural network processing. The integration of log-derived permeability and rock type with production data has provided the basis for interwell heterogeneity prediction and field-wide completion strategies.

A study of Lunnan field, an Ordovician carbonate buildup in the Tarim basin, West China, used 3D seismic visualization, Amplitude Variations with Offset (AVO), seismic attribute analyses and various well logging techniques to identify and characterize the reservoir. CNPC exploration success rate in the field has increased 85% due to the study. Lunnan field has been producing over 3.5 million bbl of crude oil annually. In terms of oil in place, Lunnan field is the biggest carbonate oil field in China.

 COMPLETION

Until recent times, explosives had been used to open up and fracture the reservoir. The technology featured here is a timing device that allows explosives to be pulsed in a precise manner to open up fractures through perforations. The result is small fractures that provide greater drainage for improved production. Case studies describe the operations and the results for lease operators.

 EXPLORATION

The recent buzz about wireless land seismic data acquisition is ubiquitous. But is it real? What, exactly, does eliminating wires do for you? And how is the data quality with the new systems. A review and discussion of the various systems made by I/O Vibetech (Sercel), Asend and others sets the data record straight.

 LNG MARKET REPORT

There easily exists enough natural gas in the world for more than doubling of LNG volumes. And markets in North America, Europe and Japan show no sign of improvement in conventional gas production. If the supply and demand potential is good, why are so many re-gasification terminals operating at half throttle? And what’s taking so long?

 RIG CENSUS

The ever-popular Reed-Hycalog Rig Census makes its annual appearance. Our industry is showing signs that newbuilds already ordered are displacing older rigs. Yet, there is still modest growth in drilling. All of which makes this year’s report more valuable than ever. This exclusive report, full of tables and figures, summarizes the firm’s annual survey of US drilling contractors' fleet status and key activity indicators. Content includes Canadian land rigs and some offshore international fleets. Industry professionals find the census especially valuable when forecasting day rates or future rig availability.

 PRODUCED WATER REPORT

Produced in cooperation with the Produced Water Society, this month’s story focuses on Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD). Although SAGD feed requires 100% quality steam, operators have typically used Once-Through Steam Generators, which produce 75-80% quality steam, then run the output fluid through a series of vapor-liquid separators to produce 100% quality steam for injection. A new method implemented in Alberta by Deer Creek Energy uses mechanical vapor recompression evaporation followed by standard drum boilers. This method is simpler to operate, is more cost-effective and results in significant increases in equipment reliability, on-stream availability and, ultimately, increased oil production. The plant has also achieved recovery of all liquid waste for reuse, resulting in zero liquid discharge.