Shell applies managed pressure drilling in the Gulf of Mexico

摘要

As reservoir depletion becomes com-monplace in existing Gulf of Mexico fields, the oil and gas industry needs new tools and techniques to deal with the resulting challenges. Shell has identified managed pressure drilling (MPD) as one of the key technologies in support of efficient continued development of their deepwater GoM projects. Shell selected its Mars TIP as the test bed for a new MPD technique called dynamic annular pressure control (DAPC). The operator deployed the system to solve lost circulation and hole instability problems, which brought a previous sidetrack attempt to an unsuccessful conclusion. It required a good bit of clever engineering to apply the technology in a TLP environment, with simultaneous drilling, production, and construction activities. Shell has successfully drilled the first planned MPD well using automated pressure control in the deepwater Gulf, using the first rotating control device ever installed on a TLP rig.