Applying a Real-Time Engineering Methodology To Drill Ahead of Potential Undesirable Events

Current methodologies for drill planning, widely implemented by Oil Companies to optimize the definition of technical and economic options for the drilling process, are based on a scrupulous analysis of the production requirements, the technical risks, and the geological uncertainties. Planning and designing drilling projects begin by considering the problems observed in correlation wells drilled in the same field, in order to obtain a successful mechanical model. Once the drilling process begins, an evaluation of the continuing operations allows drilling engineers to control and adjust the differences that may arise between the drilling plan and the actual conditions observed while drilling. These identified variations are related to uncertainties in the critical operational parameters, such as pore pressure and fracture pressure gradients, salt intrusions, and changes in the planned lithology column, such as, shale domes, and gas shows. Dealing with these variations is imperative, as they can determine either the success or the failure of the well. This Paper proposes a Real-Time Drilling Engineering Methodology that allows operations staff to drill ahead in depth and time by anticipating geological, mechanical and operational conditions, thus allowing preemptive actions. This Methodology allows forecasting the adequate drilling parameters by visualizing the current conditions of the well. These include the analysis of the interaction between the drill string and the fluid with the formation, the normalization of mud densities in the areas of interest, and the analysis of geopressures from logging-while-drilling data. Other parameters that need to be considered might include the variation of casing and hydraulics designs, and the optimization of the well path from Real-Time Trajectory and Log Data. This Real-Time analysis leads to immediate engineering recommendations that can eliminate and avoid ongoing and potentially undesirable situations while drilling, such as stuck pipes, gasifications, and runoffs, thereby allowing a preemptive response to the variations that may occur between the proposed drilling plan and the actual drilling conditions. By applying this Methodology in several oilfields in Southern Mexico, an observed 20% increase of the technical efficiency of the drilling process has been reported, resulting in over 80% of the wells operating under normal conditions, with a reduction in the average cost of the well for the operator.