Micro-Flux Control: The Next Generation in Drilling Process

摘要

Drilling wells for oil/gas has been increasingly challengingrnwith the companies moving towards difficult environments.rnThe problems faced in these locations range from very narrowrnmargin between the pore (or collapse) and fracture pressures,rnpore pressure uncertainty, to high pressure and highrntemperature wells. Wells drilled in these scenarios using thernconventional drilling method often do not get to total depthrn(TD), and even so, drilling can be extremely risky, withrnseveral kick/loss situations.rnA new drilling method1 has been developed to overcomernthese problems, allowing a much safer condition, reducing thernrisks, and also permitting the wells to be drilled to TD muchrncheaper. Drilling is taken to the limit in a safe manner,rnextending each phase as much as possible, using the entirernavailable mud weight window for that well.rnThe method uses the new concept of micro-flux control,rnwhich is based on detecting a minimum loss or influx ofrnfluids, and instantly adjusting the return flow and,rnconsequently, the bottom-hole pressure to regain control of thernwell. The well is drilled closed at all times, and the return flowrnfrom the well is compared to the predicted and ideal one,rnallowing detecting the discrepancies in a very short time.rnThis paper describes the basis of this new method andrnsteps taken so far in the development. Field tests will be donernvery shortly, after the method has been tested in a simulatedrnwell condition. The use of this method allows wells to berndrilled where today it has been impossible, extending today’srntechnological limits way beyond the current boundary.