Drilling And Completion Practices Developed For The El Paistle (Deep) Field Kenedy County, Texas

Abstract

The El Paistle (Deep) Field is a deep, abnormally pressured gas field located in Kenedy County, South Texas. A combination of factors make drilling and completing wells in this field as difficult a challenge as can be found in nearly any drilling area in the world today. These factors include abnormal pore pressures which routinely require mud weights of 18.0 to 19.0 ppg to control; short, difficult to detect pore pressure transition zones; and bottom hole temperatures in excess of 310 degrees Fahrenheit at 15,000 feet. Development in the field has now spanned a nine-year period. During the early stages, four out of the eight wells drilled in the field did not achieve the desired objectives due to the harsh drilling conditions. Since then, eleven additional wells have been drilled in the field with only one failing to achieve the desired objective. Improvements made in drilling techniques, well planning, supervision, well control practices, cementing procedures and well completion procedures are reviewed in depth in the paper.While some problems remain to be solved, drilling in the E1 Paist1e (Deep) Field has References and illustrations at end of paper.progressed to the point where it can now be considered almost routine.