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A major requirement to make drilling a cost-effective exercise is to maximize the performance to cut well delivery days (and therefore well associated cost) to the minimum. The area of interest experienced challenging startup. However, quick learning curve, and therefore a clear well–on–well improvement, is achieved while pursuing the technical limits of the downhole drilling equipment. A recent well having a record-breaking performance will be covered. The optimization efforts are reproduced on all wells aiming to surpase the newly established performance records. Offset wells were thoroughly analyzed to identify all potential areas for improvement and a detailed performance improvement plan was then prepared for all sections. Starting from surface sections (16-in and 12-in sections), clear road maps are followed taking into considerations each formation characteristics and previous real-time data for optimum parameters. Then moving to the 8-½-in combined vertical/curve/lateral sections, the most aggressive improvement plan is applied. This was achieved by adjusting the drilling strategies, revising the drilling systems used, and modifying the bottom-hole assemblies to reach reducing the number of runs required to clean-out previous casing and drilling the combined vertical/curve/lateral sections to one. Engineered solutions and continuous pursuit of the technical limits of the performance/directional equipment/systems succeeded to speed up the learning curve of the drilling performance, and then resulted in a continuous improvement along the journey of the development of the area of interest. The 16-in and 12-in sections are having back-to-back performance records. The work is continued with the consistent spirt of "limit is still to come" to maintain the good results and ensure repeatability (if not improving) on a well-on-well basis. Moving to the 8-½-in section, the one-BHA (bottom-hole assembly) approach succeeded and proved to be a major contributor to reducing well delivery time; it is now the standard practice on almost all new wells drilled, combining cleanout out previous casing and drilling vertical/curve/lateral sections to well total depth. Connection and surveying procedures were revised on all sections, and optimized to the minimum. This allowed cutting the average weight-to-weight connection time from 14 minutes to 7 minutes. As a result, the well delivery days’ duration was cut to 16 days on average from 24 days in the previous year until delivering a country record well with spud-to-total depth in 12.8 days, and spud-to-rig release in 16 days. This country record-breaking well will be discussed in details. |
