Slimming the Wellbore Design Enhances Drilling Economics in Field
Development

Tubbs, David Mark; Wallace, Joseph

doi:10.2523/102929-ms

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…As shown in Figure 17, using this system (called SET -solid expandable tubulars -by one manufacturer) means that much less clearance between successive casing strings is necessary and, therefore, the upper casings can be smaller for a given production zone diameter than with conventional casing 99 . When considering this system for geothermal drilling, there at least two potential vulnerabilities: the expandable tubulars depend on elastomer seals in some applications, so the temperature rating of the seals is critical; and the inside of the casing has a proprietary coating to ease the cone's passage through the pipe.…”

Section: Expandable Tubularsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Handbook of Best Practices for Geothermal Drilling

Report

Finger

Blankenship

2012

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This Handbook is a description of the complex process that comprises drilling a geothermal well. The focus of the detailed Chapters covering various aspects of the process (casing design, cementing, logging and instrumentation, etc) is on techniques and hardware that have proven successful in geothermal reservoirs around the world. The Handbook will eventually be linked to the GIA web site, with the hope and expectation that it can be continually updated as new methods are demonstrated or proven.

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Section: Expandable Tubularsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Handbook of Best Practices for Geothermal Drilling

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Blankenship

2012

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“…Right from the inception of SET, a long-term goal has been set for gradually elimination of the conventional telescopic well through the development of slim and monodiameter wells [25][26][27]. With the help of slim wells, the rate of penetration can be improved, optimal operation of solids control equipment and can achieve lower capacity rigs.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Indirect Extrusion: A Multifaceted Approach of Sub-surface Tubular Expansion

Pervez¹,

Qamar²,

Al-Abri³

et al. 2018

Extrusion of Metals, Polymers and Food Products

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Extrusion and indirect extrusion is a very old manufacturing process used in multitudes of applications mainly focused on transportation, household and power industries. Indirect extrusion has found an interesting application in petroleum industry, which resulted in resolving many unsolvable issues over the last few decades. The current and expected future global demand for hydrocarbons became a driving force for researchers to find new comprehensive and cheaper solutions for hydrocarbon production. The challenges faced in oil and gas fields, while drilling, constructing and operating new and old vertical/horizontal wells, are many. The use of indirect extrusion for insitu expansion of sub-surface tubulars used in wells revolutionized the drilling and completion as opposed to one and half decade back. The emergence of solid expandable tubular technology has changed the basics of how we design and construct wells. The original development of the technology was to overcome the challenges faced by the petroleum industry to reach ultra-deep reservoirs, off-shore drilling, drilling in highpressure/difficult zones and repair/maintenance of old/ageing wells. However, it gained significant interest of researchers and operators in providing solutions to wide-range problems. The development of a computational framework using finite element method (FEM) enabled to determine the force required for expansion and resulting dimensional changes in final product, which is of direct assistance to the field engineers. The effect of friction and stress variations along contact surface is also determined.

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Solid Expandable Tubulars Deliver on Promise and Potential

Holland

Jennings

Kaschke

2007

Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition

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With over 750 installations worldwide, solid expandable tubular systems have gone from an evolutionary idea to a technology that delivers on its promise. Long touted as a technology that can help operators mitigate downhole challenges, expandable tubulars are now being applied as enabling systems in wellbore construction, in field development, for casing repair and remediation and for field-wide revitalization. The installation records for these systems are as wide as the application realm and exemplify the adaptable nature of the technology. This adaptability has led to the technology evolving from being used strictly as a drilling-problem solution to an integral wellbore component. Solid expandable systems have been used in a variety of environments, such as HTHP and ultra-deepwater projects, and for a myriad of conditions such as control of lost circulation zones, casing shoe extensions and isolation of unstable formations. In cased-hole situations, these systems have been used to isolate old perforated intervals or protect weak casing, replacing less reliable conventional squeeze cementing techniques. Solid expandable systems have helped operators reach and produce reserves that previously were unattainable due to drilling conditions and economic constraints, have provided flexibility for exploration-well uncertainties, and have reduced well costs with a slimmer well design. Case histories will demonstrate how solid expandable tubulars have delivered on the promise and potential as an enabling technology. Case histories to be included will describe how solid expandable systems have been successfully incorporated in a field-development project in Malaysia, a casing-repair project in China and as a vital component in a total drilling-management project in the Arabian Sea. This paper will also validate the economic viability of these systems as a contributive and reliable technology. Wellbore construction technologies developed to make an impact in the energy sector must be applicable in severe and extreme environments as drilling and workover operations continue to reach further and deeper. Some of the most advanced technologies considered new and enabling include advanced seismic imaging, managed pressure drilling, real-time operations centers, dual-gradient mud systems and expandable casing technology. Solid expandable systems used as a well-construction technology have enabled operators to confront and alleviate drilling problems associated with some of the most unpredictable frontiers and inhospitable areas of the petroleum development business. The successful application of solid expandable systems in difficult and challenging areas have given well designers, geologists and production engineers viable options that can generate significant value during the entire life cycle in the planning, drilling and production phase of their asset. To reach productive intervals with adequate hole size in drilling scenarios, operators have used these systems proactively by incorporating them into the initial wellbore design, as well as in reactive situations to save casing points when unexpected troublesome formations are encountered. As planned-in casing strings, solid expandable tubulars have enabled operators to slim well profiles and still maximize hole size at TD. This proactive approach has proven to garner significant savings by reducing overall drilling costs 15 to 20% using slimmed wellbores vs. big-bore programs and to reap compelling process advantages, such as attaining a higher rate-of-penetration (ROP) in long intermediate casing sections (36% enhancement) and improving drilling performance and lowering equivalent circulation densities (ECDs) below the expandable system.1 Documented successes and benefits gleaned from the use of solid expandable technology have led well planners and asset teams to look for ways to apply and enlarge the application realm for these enabling systems. In theory, the systems can be any length and to any depth. To date, installations have encompassed the following:Shortest - 21 ft.Longest - 6,867 ft.Shallowest - Surface casing to top of wellheadDeepest - 28,750 ft. The effectiveness of the systems is the adaptability of the components for a myriad of conditions and environments as illustrated with the latest, empirical dataset from a broad application spectrum in the Asia-Pacific area.

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Slimming the Wellbore Design Enhances Drilling Economics in Field Development

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

Handbook of Best Practices for Geothermal Drilling

Handbook of Best Practices for Geothermal Drilling

Indirect Extrusion: A Multifaceted Approach of Sub-surface Tubular Expansion

Solid Expandable Tubulars Deliver on Promise and Potential

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