PART Ⅱ: Casing drilling with directional steering in the US Gulf of Mexico

摘要

The directional programs involving casing drilling for South Timbalier 37 wells A-12 and A-13 in the US Gulf of Mexico were benign, but the experience gained while drilling them indicates that wells with a more challenging directional program can be drilled with a casing drilling system. Before drilling these wells, it was not clear what build rates could be achieved in the soft formations. Also, there was a concern that the drilling torque could be too high for the casing connections in wells with higher inclinations. A table shows the slide yields (total curvature/slide interval) achieved in well A-13 with the 1.83 degree bent housing motor. The average slide yield between the depths of 331 ft and 3,705 ft is 4.3 degrees/100 ft.