Bridging technology overcomes depleted formations

摘要

A customized bridging solution aids drilling in Saudi Arabia. As fields mature, permeable formations can become depleted, often leading to problems related to lost circulation and differential sticking. When faced with depleted formations, there exists a dilemma over how to best address the borehole stability and well control requirements of higher pressured zones while mitigating the risks of differential sticking or mud losses from the depleted zones. In these wells, there is little or no operating margin between pore pressure and formation breakdown. The hydrostatic pressure required to stabilize higher pressured formations (like native pressured shale) is often higher than the pore pressure in depleted formations, leading to problems of differential sticking and lost circulation.