Achieving Improved Performance Through Drilling Optimization and Vibration Management at a GoM Development Project
Abstract:
The presented Gulf of Mexico (GoM) field presents drilling and evaluation challenges common to sub-salt deepwater plays. These include directional control, drilling efficiency, wellbore integrity and vibration management. Expandable reamers are used to drill challenging thin-bedded alternating sands and shales. This drilling configuration can result in high levels of vibration that can be detrimental to measurement while drilling and logging while drilling (MWD/LWD) tools. Worldwide estimated costs for vibration-related failures are in the order of $300 million per year.
A multidisciplinary team worked to deliver continuous improvement in drilling performance and risk management for the presented field during the last two years. This continuous improvement cycle has been based on comprehensive pre-well planning, downhole data acquisition with real-time diagnostics and thorough post-well analysis. This systematic approach provided the team with an accelerated learning curve from each well by enabling quick, informed decisions and learning from data, rather than failure patterns.
Although this cycle has been used throughout each well, it has proven particularly critical in the intermediate interval, which combined directional work and reaming while drilling using expandable reamers. In offset wells, before this drilling optimization approach was introduced, no well in this interval had been successfully drilled in one run.
State-of-the-art technology to monitor downhole environment in real time was introduced and enabled field personnel to react immediately to damaging vibrations by adjusting drilling parameters and applying best practices for improved borehole quality and drilling performance. As a result, this section was drilled in one run in the seven consecutive wells drilled, and all formation evaluation data acquisition and directional objectives were met with low hole tortuosity, facilitating casing placement.
This paper provides an overview of the challenges, drilling optimization process, lessons learned and best practices derived from advanced bottomhole assembly (BHA) modeling, and real-time vibration mitigation management.
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