fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractThe Ram-Powell Unit encompasses eight OCS leases in the Viosca Knoll Area of the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. The blocks are located approximately 125 miles east, southeast of New Orleans and approximately 80 miles south of Mobile, Alabama in water depths ranging from 2,000 to 4,000 ft. Since the drilling of the discovery well on Viosca Knoll Block 912 in May 1985, five commercial pay sands have been logged between 5,500 and 13,500 ft subsea.This paper describes the planning and successful execution of the highly challenging A9 extended-reach well designed as the first development of the G sand interval. G sand represents the new geological play for the field as it is approximately 1,500 ft shallower than the main reservoir horizons of the field. The well was designed as a combined exploration and development project and a fast-track completion scheme was devisedThe authors will discuss the design strategy, which focused on hole cleaning and the urgency of getting the casing to bottom immediately after drilling. The drilling and completion team employed a systematic approach to planning and execution of the well, which integrated both drilling and completion.Along with detailing the planning and execution of the project, the authors also will detail the lessons learned, including the difficulty in distinguishing between borehole instability and hole cleaning problems when pulling out of the hole.
The paper presents planning and execution details for fluid loss control during workovers with extreme hydrostatic overbalance conditions, between 1,500 and 4,000 psi. Actual results for several wells from three deepwater fields in the Gulf of Mexico will be included. The information is applicable to operators that face similar requirements: 1) maintain well control throughout the workover, 2) mitigate any damage to the installed sand control or reservoir, and 3) complete removal of the fluid loss ‘barrier’ to re-establish production. The results will show that these workovers can be done effectively, with reliable sand control and high production rates maintained. Highlights and lowlights will be shared. Current choices of fluid loss pills, retrievable mechanical devices, and millable mechanical devices will be included; as well as a brief look forward. This paper establishes a knowledge base for extreme hydrostatic overbalance workovers in deepwater, which will increase in industry importance as more projects evolve to brownfield conditions.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.