Fast Track Well Planning in Borneo

Abstract

This paper highlights the phenomenal achievement of a Malaysian operator's first fast track drilling operation in a deepwater well offshore Borneo. The collaborative well planning (CWP) method fundamental to the drilling success is discussed. The discussed drilling environment is an overpressured deepwater area that has not only forced the earlier A1 and A2 to early total depth (TD) and caused abandonment of geological targets, but also contributes to numerous operational problems. Despite the challenges, operations on A3 ST-1 required significantly less operational time cost than budgeted. The difference between the previous two wells and A3 ST-1 was that, during the planning period, multidisciplinary concerns were addressed more carefully in real-time by employing CWP to unite geoscientists, drilling engineers, and other stakeholders using 3D integrated platform technology. This CWP helped the operator meet objectives for A3 ST-1, a fast track well that required only two months of drilling time, rather than the typical 12 to 18 months. It resulted in one primary well location and six geological sidetrack scenarios being accomplished in only one day. Upon the end of the operation, Well A3 was drilled with one successful cased hole sidetrack to geological target objectives without significant operational problems. A significant portion of the success can be attributed to the proper accommodation of concerns and best practices of rig usage, engineering insights, tool usage, and geological conditions during the planning process through the common software platform that can seamlessly allow collaboration of both geoscience and engineering data. The process automation only requires key drilling parameters to construct well trajectories, which was also significant in terms of shortening the planning time. This paper describes the first application of the CWP concept in offshore Borneo, which has become a trendsetter in terms of efficient and safe deepwater drilling planning and operations.