Managed Pressure Drilling in Marine Environments – Case Studies

Abstract

Abstract In around 340 BC, Plato wrote in The Republic, "Necessity, who is the mother of invention." Such is the case of a relatively new offshore drilling technology – Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD), a technology that addresses a litany of issues associated with drilling into "trouble zones". Drilling-related issues such as excessive mud cost, differentially stuck pipe and resulting well control situations associated with loss circulation issues contribute to defining the necessity for a more efficient drilling technology. A kick-Loss scenario, which may occur when drilling into narrow downhole pressure environments, is another. Drilling-related flat time further indicate a necessity for a technology that enables more precise wellbore pressure management when drilling in marine environments. These challenges to economic drill-ability apply to a growing percentage of offshore prospects for oil and gas, becoming more troublesome and costly with water depth. These challenges have one thing in common - they all may be addressed to some degree or other with more precise wellbore pressure management. Dictated: A technology that offers more precise pressure management with fewer interruptions to drilling ahead.