Towards the end of 2023 the TurboCaser 9-5/8” was deployed alongside a 9-5/8” casing within a field in Abu Dhabi for major Middle East operator.
You can find the case study here.
In this piece we guide you through the intricate details of this operation, from encountering tight spots with the 12-1/4” RSS Drilling BHA to successfully reaching the target depth of 14,884 ft. Read on to find out more.
Challenges encountered: While pulling out of hole with the 12-1/4” RDD Drilling BHA tight spots were encountered at 7,630 m. Quick thinking led to applying 15 klbs, followed by meticulous back-reaming from 7,700 ft at 150 RPM and 1,070 gpm. This initial hurdle set the tone for a drilling operation that demanded precision and expertise.
Testing and running the TurboCaser 9-5/8”: Once the Drilling BHA was out of hole the TurboCaser was picked up and tested before being run in hole on 9-5/8” casing. The tool and casing were run in hole to the previous casing shoe, filling every joint, at 2 minutes per joint. At 4,710 m the well was circulated at 4, 6, 8 and 10 bpm.
Navigating tight spots during casing run: As the TurboCaser and casing journeyed further into the wellbore, a tight spot was encountered at 5,834 ft. The drilling team slacked off 20 klbs, activating the TurboCaser with 3 klbs of slack-off. The interval was reamed to 5,933 ft at 4 bpm until the string weight was normalised, demonstrating the TurboCaser’s efficiency in overcoming obstacles within a challenging well environment.
Further challenges and solutions: The casing was then run in hole, filling every joint and breaking circulation every 500 ft, to 7,455 ft where another tight spot was encountered. The onsite team reamed the interval from 7,455 ft to 7,510 ft with 7 bpm. However, while attempting to pick up the string at 7,475 ft it was observed that the string was stuck and there was a circulation restriction/pack-off. This was due to the string centralisers scratching against the formation. 90 – 100,000 klbs of overpull was applied until returns normalised and the string was freed. The well was then circulated at 7 bpm while reciprocating the string.
Tripping and reaming success: Following resolution of the stuck string, alternating periods of tripping and reaming occurred with reaming between 7,754 ft to 7,921 ft, 8,044 ft to 8,358 ft and 8,364 ft to 8,437 ft with 8 bpm. From 8,637 ft the casing was run/washed down to bottom with no further tight spots encountered, at 2-4 bpm. In total, 707 ft of open hole was reamed with the TurboCaser.
Conclusion: Efficient use of the TurboCaser 9-5/8” resulted in a successful drilling operation. The entire trip to the bottom took just 113.5 hours, covering a depth of 14,884 ft, without encountering downhole losses. This operation stands as a testament to the capabilities of advanced drilling technologies and the expertise of the team involved in overcoming complex challenges.