Well Construction Efficiency Processes Yielding a Significant Step Change

Abstract

In the past, serial drilling operations have been employed for the conventional well-architecture construction process. In this paper, new technological advancements from initial design planning to execution processes will be discussed. These advancements produce a "step-change" well architecture with a uniform well diameter and fullbore production delivery conduit called a monowell. From the well-construction processes to the "end" product, efficiency is driven in the technologies and processes described. Technical improvements in mechanical and chemical solutions can help achieve a well architecture with a uniform diameter in reduced serial operations. Technological advancements in the areas of composite technology and real-time downhole monitoring can enhance deployment efficiency compared to conventional methods. The efficiency processes yield a well architecture with more efficient reservoir penetration and oil-production delivery by:Reducing formation/reservoir evaluation time and well placement through better methodsIncreasing penetration rateReducing the volume of drill cuttings and the oil content contained on the cuttingsReducing fluid requirements (i.e. drilling fluids and cements)Reducing casing size and the number of casing strings requiredReducing overall rig timeReducing overall flat timeImproving well productivityReducing required horsepower and rig size The unique design and planning features of the monowell are discussed, including reservoir focus, geomechanics, and design requirements of drilling systems, formation evaluation equipment, fluid systems, and wellbore hardware. Multiple "uniform diameter" well-construction execution methods, including multiple deployment methods, are discussed. Together, the well-architecture change and execution-process changes result in a monowell with improved well construction design, execution, and production efficiencies. The monowell provides a significant industry step change in reducing cost per barrel of oil equivalent through improved efficiencies through a multitude of technologies. Factors to Consider during the Monowell Well-Construction Process A higher level of engineering and technological precision is needed to deliver the monowell compared to traditional well-construction processes. When a monowell is drilled, increased precision is required in the following areas: Upper BoreholeClear understanding of the formations to be drilled and being drilledBorehole stabilityDrilling hydraulicsEffective management of equivalent circulating density (ECD)Borehole qualityMethod of strengthening the borehole (borehole management)Well-life integrityReliability and run life of the bottomhole assembly (BHA) componentsLonger cementing and casing execution intervalsBorehole structural support Reservoir SectionCompletion, beginning with drilling of the reservoir barrierBorehole qualityBorehole stability across the reservoirReservoir evaluationReservoir productivityFormation damage minimization

Mechanical mechanism and removal effect of efficient vortexing cuttings removal tool

“…The experimental results show that the device can reduce the time of hole cleaning, and can better destroy the cuttings bed in both highly deviated and horizontal well sections. Wylie et al 15 and Rodman et al 16 introduced a cuttings removal tool of DBS company, the tool is called Cuttings Bed Impeller (CBI) (Figure 1(b)), which can clean the wellbore effectively. Heitmann et al 17 has developed a cuttings removal tool with a helical blade, the tool is machined with a helix on the drill string.…”