How to Turn Over a Cemetery Well Section, into Efficient, Outperforming and Record Hole Size, in a Deep Gas Wells in the Middle East
Authors: Nunez Andres , Corona Mauricio , Goodkey Brennan , Hernandez Gerardo , Brahmanto Edwin , Finol Carlos , Ghali Raed , Pandey Mrityunjay , Alfaraedhi Sultan , Abdulmajeed Gari Abdulrahman , Marin Fernando 
Published: February 2022

This paper describes the successful implementation of a methodology developed in a Deep Gas field in the Middle East with the intent of increasing the performance in a common intermediate hole section known for its arduous environment and common challenges including anomalous geological features, tight hole events, swelling shales, hole instability, and total losses while drilling scenarios. The initiatives and methodologies presented, are supported by the implementation of new tools and technologies including a drilling automation system, a novel drilling fluid and an experimental downhole mechanics measurement system. Collectively, the strategies implemented have led to a substantial increase in well construction efficiency and well delivery with a variety of applicable lessons for project teams facing similar challenges.

Initially the field was mapped to identify localized risks and adopt a region-based engineering approach to overcome the various challenges. A comprehensive risk assessment of the existing practices was completed with the objective to categorize possible areas of improvement and the specific needs to capture and record essential downhole data. Once the gaps and opportunities were identified, special tools were selected and deployed in both Memory and Real Time mode targeting the capture of drilling mechanics data and its variations across different formations and its incluence across the different components of the drill string. Initially data was captured only using the Measurement While Drilling tools (MWD) in the string, in searching for more specific data a new tool helped to measure the drilling mechanics downhole at different positions on the BHA. The collected data helped to understand the different behaviours in each component and the final output came as an optimized BHA that is today giving the best performance and has eliminated all the tool failures. In parallel, a pioneering thixotropic drilling fluid system was implemented aiming to improve the stability across different formations.

As part of second stage of the implementations, an opportunity was identified to increase the overall rate of penetration across the section while monitoring the equivalent circulating density. The initiatives were bolstered by the inclusion of automation systems which allowed to standarize the drilling process and more efficient. Thereby enabling gradual increase in operational limits in four sequential wells thus minimizing the time required for routine operations such as drill pipe connections, while beating all the previously established ROP records in this cemetery intermediate section.

The third stage was a replication model consisting of the identification of the gaps and main differences in performance across different rigs for each specific activity in this section, the definition of critical zones where the performance gets naturally affected due to various roadblocks and the identification of actions to tackle and bring up the performance to the level required. Real time monitoring was enforced as a control resource for compliance with the measures established.

The implementation of 3-stage initiatives and development of standard methodology enabled surpassing the previously established best performance records in the field in the challenging intermediate section. The improvement in efficiency was achieved across all the subject rigs due to implementation automation technologies.