Buoyancy assist extends casing reach in horizontal wells

摘要

This paper describes a case history of how a major operator operating offshore Luisiana, in the Gulf of Mexico, extended the casing-stting depth of a well by creating buoyancy in the leading section of the casing. The buoyancy was created when an air pocket was trapped between the float shoe on the end of the casing and drillable buoyancy-assisted casing equipment (BACE~(TM)) assembly located in the casing at a cacluated distance form the float shoe.