Implementation of Comprehensive Engineering Approach to Enhance Drilling Performance – Case Study of Drilling Intermediate Section in Offshore Field Abu Dhabi

Abstract

This paper outlines a comprehensive methodology to tackle challenging operation of drilling 12-1/4" hole section in one of the offshore field Abu Dhabi. This hole section is highly prone to various problems where significant Non-Productive Time (NPT) and Invisible Lost Time (ILT) have been recorded. Thus, the drilling team is seeking for a novel fit-for-purpose approach to deliver operational excellence systematically through continuous performance improvement. Drilling performance support group assist drilling engineering team by providing an integrated real-tome operation monitoring, reporting, and advanced BHA simulation capabilities. Initially the problem was identified as high BHA failure rate caused by varying vibration modes coupled with hole cleaning and wellbore instability. BHA simulation and Geomechanics modelling were then performed on past wells to identify the root causes of each failure event. These analyses leverage High Frequency (HF) operation data recorded through Real-Time function. Performance reporting is then presented through interactive dashboards accessible by all drilling team members. These steps are performed with dedicated tools to improve the team's efficiency while simultaneously reduce gross errors. The methodology was first implemented back in 2020 with real-time monitoring and reporting functions. BHA simulation and geomechanics modelling capability were included in 2021. The simulation provided the most optimum BHA stabilization configurations for each well profile. Geomechanics study allowed a calibration on Mud Weight and bridging material properties to limit borehole collapse and assist in cuttings evacuation. The full implementation has improved the performance through 14% reduction in ILT, 80% reduction in hole problem and stuck pipe cases, and 64% reduction in BHA failure rate, allowing the team to deliver more well based on annual target. The promising results indicated by the ILT and NPT figures allowed the operator to extend the 12-1/4" envelope further, which already captured in future well plans. This methodology has brought a greater technical understanding for the drilling team to deliver overall improvement in 12-1/4" hole section. A dedicated performance groups allows the provision of effective support for drilling engineering and operation teams. This approach allows each team to focus on their primary objective in parallel.