SPE Drilling & Completion
Volume 27, Number 2, June 2012, pp. 223-232

Summary

Highly reactive Fiqa shale used to compel well engineers in The Sultanate of Oman to plan drilling phase of surface and intermediate sections primarily based on time exposure to aqueous drilling fluid water-based mud (WBM). The new approach of drilling the time-dependent Fiqa formation using casing-while-drilling (CwD) allows well engineers to plan prospective top/intermediate wellbore sections differently by enhancing the overall drilling performance. This reduces the risk of setting casing strings at unplanned depths, getting pipe stuck, or reaming continuously when drilling with conventional drillstring. The technical feasibility study, risk assessment, planning, execution, and the lessons learned during the process of drilling two top-section pilot projects are described in this document. The CwD team compares the drilling performance of several offset wells and suggests actions to improve the CwD technology in Oman.

Two 17 1/2- and 22-in. surface sections were drilled successfully with large-diameter casing strings and reached 754- and 894-m measured depths, respectively. The implementation of the CwD concept reduced the overall drill/case phase time up to 40%, in comparison with the average using conventional drilling in those fields. Exposure time of Fiqa to aqueous environment was reduced by eliminating conditioning trips and nonproductive-time (NPT) associated with wellbore instability. Drilling both sections with non-retrievable 17 1/2 - 13 3/8-in. and 22 - 18 5/8-in. CwD systems did not require modification of well design or rig. The optimization of this technology will support its implementation as the conventional drilling approach in some fields in Oman.

© 2012. Society of Petroleum Engineers

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History

• Original manuscript received: 13 December 2010
• Meeting paper published: 2 November 2010
• Revised manuscript received: 1 February 2012
• Manuscript approved: 7 February 2012
• Published online: 24 May 2012
• Version of record: 11 June 2012