Offshore deep gas wells in Saudi Arabia present diverse challenges for drilling that must be overcome to reduce non-productive time. The nature of deep well design dictates multiple casing strings that require long drilling sections through problematic zones. The objective of arriving to the designated casing point is crucial to avoid jeopardizing the well requirements. Expandable liners have proven to be a viable solution that was implemented in offshore field X in Saudi Arabia. Field X is a challenging field in which numerous geological formations are troublesome. In order to meet completion size requirements, long drilling sections are required that combine different problematic zones. Even though the casing design takes into consideration these problems, the risks are still present. Lost circulation is one of the most prominent issues that have been tackled through different methods. Depending on the scenario, there may be cases where a section is terminated due to the severity of lost circulation and the casing is installed at a premature depth. Expandable liners provided a solution to this scenario. The case that will be discussed is an implementation of expandable liners in well X-1. Lost circulation was the main reason for terminating the casing point shallower than what was required. Even though significant efforts were made to cure the losses, the situation necessitated to conclude the section. The expandable liner implementation salvaged the remainder of the section whilst preserving the casing size rather than resorting to slim down the well design. Consequentially, this prevented further complications in subsequent sections avoiding further expense and NPT. The value of this method lies in its robust solution to premature casing points where it resumes the well to its original plan.
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