Innovative Drilling Fluid Design and Rigorous Pre-Well Planning Enable Success in an Extreme HTHP Well

Abstract

TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractDrilling in the Qiongdongnan Basin, offshore China's Hainan Island Province, has often resulted in failure to reach desired objectives.Bottomhole temperatures up to 475°F, and pressures requiring mud weights up to 19.5 lbm/gal equivalent, place severe limitations on the performance of drilling fluids and often contribute in failure to reach the desired drilling objectives.Well Yacheng 21-1-4 was drilled in this basin with the COSDC semi-submersible rig Nanhai V and was spudded on 27 th November 1998. TD of 5,250 meters was attained on 20 th May 1999 where the bottomhole static temperature was 414°F and the pore pressure was 18.5 lbm/gal equivalent. Logs were run to bottom without incident with no significant drilling fluid related problems and the primary drilling objectives achieved. The success is attributed to innovative, fit-for-purpose drilling fluids and rigorous pre-well planning over a 2-year period prior to the well commencing.The paper describes the holistic approach to drilling fluid engineering for extreme well conditions. The development of innovative drilling fluids specific to these well conditions, and the rigorous laboratory testing necessary to generate detailed engineering guidelines, are described. Large-scale abrasion and pressure tests were also conducted. Modifications made to the rig design facilitated the management of drilling fluid properties at high density with high flow line temperatures. A portable drilling fluids laboratory, staffed with trained technicians, was installed on the rig to continually pilot test drilling fluid samples and treatments under simulated downhole conditions. The importance of good communications and global technical support networks proved invaluable during the pre-well planning and for the execution phase of extreme high temperature and high pressure wells drilling.

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