In order to improve the cost efficiency of petroleum exploration and production, it is required to develop improved technology. The Reelwell Drilling Method (RDM) is a multi purpose drilling method with a unique arrangement for Extended Reach Drilling and Managed Pressure Drilling. A conventional drill string with a special inner string forms a dual concentric drill string, which is used to remove drill cuttings from the bottom of the well. A separate hydraulic fluid system is used to push the drilling assembly forward using fluid pressure from the surface. The development of RDM started in 2004 and has since then been through several full scale operations in Norway. In 2009 RDM was successfully used to directional drill the 8 ½" section of a land well. The proof of concept and the practical application on conventional drilling rigs has been verified, as well as the features of the system, such as: - Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) – Unique isolation using a new downhole valve solution. - Very precise well pressure management and flow control (gain/loss). - Efficient hole cleaning and cutting removal from wellbore - Efficient hydraulic traction and WOB control. The RDM is currently planned to be used for drilling horizontal wells in Canada. The potential to increase the reach for horizontal wells is here further discussed.

As oil is produced from a reservoir, the free-water-level (FWL) rises. Monitoring the FWL during oil production is of high value for the operators. This knowledge can aid placement of new wells on the field, improve the production strategy on a well level and reduce the production of water. We propose a new method for continuously measuring in-situ water pressure in an oil reservoir and investigate, both experimentally and by simulations, how this information can be used in reservoir monitoring. Laboratory experiments with Berea sandstone and Mons chalk core samples were performed using mineral oil and synthetic brine in a test setup designed for this study. The pressure in the water phase is measured with hydrophilic probes at five locations on the core during drainage and imbibition processes. Data including temperatures, pressures, resistance, water production, and pump logs were continuously collected in a cloud solution for live monitoring during the experiments. The experimental results were interpreted using a numerical simulator (IORCoreSim) to identify key mechanisms behind probe response and upscaling to reservoir scale. A new setup with 5 internal pressure probes for measuring in-situ water pressure with higher oil pressure was successfully designed and tested. An advanced watering system to inject water to the probe tips was included in the test setup and can be operated automatically. Experimental results showed that the water-wet probes can measure low water pressure inside high pressure oil column. The change in water pressure during drainage of low permeable Mons core and medium permeability Berea core was continuously measured. The probes were able to measure water pressure in different sections of the core with change of water saturation in the core. After the drainage process, the water pressure at one side of the core was increased. The propagation of water pressure at low water saturations were then detected in the 5 probes along the core sample. This paper presents a revolutionary technique to measure pressure in a thin film of water with low mobility. Continuous monitoring of water pressure inside the hydrocarbon phase can be used to enhance the production on a well level and improve the strategy on a field level. This results in increased production, reduced operational costs and environmental impacts.