Slim holes haul in savings

This article reports that during 1986 BP Exploration Company Ltd. successfully drilled six UK land wells with a Microdrill MD-3 ultra-slimhole drilling rig. The objective of the program was to evaluate the slimhole drilling technique, from both a technical and cost-effective viewpoint. Earlier studies indicated up to 30 percent savings in well costs compared to conventionally drilled UK land wells. The technology of drilling slim holes with small rigs is not new. For many years the mineral exploration industry has used small drilling and coring rigs. However, these rigs are not normally equipped with pressure control equipment, oilfield mud and cementing systems or the ability to run complex logs or production test. More recently, the oil industry has made efforts to adapt these rigs to slimhole oil and gas exploration, notably in Australia and Canada. The Microdrill MD-3 rig is a product of this evolution.