Introduction to Chemical Engineering and Petroleum Engineering

Drilling

Dr. Julie D. Bell RPG, PhD bellj@lsbu.ac.uk

Drilling Preliminaries The Mechanics The Problems Techniques Testing a well Completing Surface Treatment and Storage Offshore drilling and completion Workover

These lectures are based on Petroleum Geology, Exploration, Drilling and Production 2nd Edition by Norman J. Hyne

 A geologist, geophysicist and/or engineer will locate the wellsite. Drilling targets are identified. Wellsite is a location to drill and possibly find commercial oil and gas Drilling target is a potential reservoir.

The average depth a well is drilled in the US is

5080 ft or 1549 m

LSBU students at a Wellsite

Types of wells - exploratory

Wildcat or controlled exploratory well a well drilled to discover new oil or gas reserves The exploratory well can be drilled to
Test a trap that has never produced (new-field wildcat) Test a reservoir that has never produced in a known field that is deeper or shallower than producing reservoirs Extend the known limits of a producing reservoir in a field. A (rank wildcat) is drilled at least 2 miles/3 kms away from any known production.

Types of wells - discovery

Discovery well a well that locates a new petroleum deposit, either a new field or a new reservoir. Appraisal well a well drilled out from the side of a discovery well to determine the area of a new field.
If the oil-water or gas-water contact can be located on all four sides of the discovery well, the area of the field can be determined.

Types of wells - production

Developmental wells a well drilled in the known extent of a field. Infill wells well drilled between producing wells in an established field to increase the production rate. Injection well a well used to pump fluids down into producing reservoirs for pressure mainenance, waterflood or enhanced oil recovery

DRILLING Drilling Preliminaries

Important parts of preliminaries consist of Land and Leasing Private Government controlled Contracts Authority for expenditure Joint operating agreements and support agreements Site preparation

DRILLING The Mechanics

Almost all wells are drilled with rotary drilling rigs which rotates a long length of steel pipe with a bit on the end of it to cut the wellbore. The rotary rig consists of four major systems including the power hoisting rotating circulating systems

DRILLING The Problems

DRILLING Techniques

DRILLING Testing a well

DRILLING Completing

DRILLING
Surface Treatment and Storage

DRILLING
Offshore drilling and completion

DRILLING
Workover