MANAGED PRESSURE DRILLING TO OPTIMIZE COSTS FOR HORIZONTAL WELLS IN THE VACA MUERTA FORMATION
Bulant, Ezequiel Caballero, Ernesto Velasco, Luis
MANAGED PRESSURE DRILLING TO OPTIMIZE COSTS FOR HORIZONTAL WELLS IN THE VACA MUERTA FORMATION - 10 p.
Operational cost optimization is a common practice globally and is continuously improved, focusing on maximizing profits to allow continued development of various areas. Companies exploring and developing targets in the Vaca Muerta formation (shale oil and gas) in Neuquén, Argentina are not exempt from this practice. Managed pressure drilling (MPD) applications have increased over the years, driven by the benefits obtained from drilling unconventional wells. Based on experience gained from projects by different companies, significant improvements were achieved to optimize rate of penetration (ROP) through pressure differential reduction, early kick detection, dynamic control, and managed pressure cementing (MPC). A current well drilled in the Fortín de Piedra area (FP.1015(h)) used MPD techniques, and a positive outcome was achieved, minimizing potential nonproductive time (NPT) resulting from well control issues and reducing auxiliary cementing operational costs. During drilling of the production section, pressure-while-drilling (PWD) data were received in real time and fed into proprietary software. When any variation was detected in bottomhole pressure (BHP), surface backpressure (SBP) was adjusted to control and circulate out of the well any input from the formation. This allowed continuous drilling by applying SBP without the need to kill the well conventionally, saving associated NPT and necessary components. For the first time in Argentina, cementing of a production section was performed applying automated managed pressure cementing (AMPC). Because of the narrow operating window available in this section, an auxiliary cementing operation was considered. However, as a result of real-time modeling fed by pump rate and pressure data, automatically controlling the constant BHP provided minimal cementing losses and no influx. The most relevant outcome was eliminating the need for an auxiliary cement operation resulting from losses during primary cementing. The technologies applied during this project helped mitigate potential additional costs resulting from well control issues and the need for an auxiliary cement operation, ensuring safe and efficient operations.
PD I116 1 0015668
MANAGED PRESSURE DRILLING TO OPTIMIZE COSTS FOR HORIZONTAL WELLS IN THE VACA MUERTA FORMATION - 10 p.
Operational cost optimization is a common practice globally and is continuously improved, focusing on maximizing profits to allow continued development of various areas. Companies exploring and developing targets in the Vaca Muerta formation (shale oil and gas) in Neuquén, Argentina are not exempt from this practice. Managed pressure drilling (MPD) applications have increased over the years, driven by the benefits obtained from drilling unconventional wells. Based on experience gained from projects by different companies, significant improvements were achieved to optimize rate of penetration (ROP) through pressure differential reduction, early kick detection, dynamic control, and managed pressure cementing (MPC). A current well drilled in the Fortín de Piedra area (FP.1015(h)) used MPD techniques, and a positive outcome was achieved, minimizing potential nonproductive time (NPT) resulting from well control issues and reducing auxiliary cementing operational costs. During drilling of the production section, pressure-while-drilling (PWD) data were received in real time and fed into proprietary software. When any variation was detected in bottomhole pressure (BHP), surface backpressure (SBP) was adjusted to control and circulate out of the well any input from the formation. This allowed continuous drilling by applying SBP without the need to kill the well conventionally, saving associated NPT and necessary components. For the first time in Argentina, cementing of a production section was performed applying automated managed pressure cementing (AMPC). Because of the narrow operating window available in this section, an auxiliary cementing operation was considered. However, as a result of real-time modeling fed by pump rate and pressure data, automatically controlling the constant BHP provided minimal cementing losses and no influx. The most relevant outcome was eliminating the need for an auxiliary cement operation resulting from losses during primary cementing. The technologies applied during this project helped mitigate potential additional costs resulting from well control issues and the need for an auxiliary cement operation, ensuring safe and efficient operations.
PD I116 1 0015668
