2003 may not have been a banner year for the number of new records in the drilling and production sectors but the records listed below, and in the Drill Bit Records section that follows, are impressive indeed. The records confirm the industry's continuing technological innovation, particularly in deep, high pressure/high temperature operations.

The upstream records that were established in 2003 are listed below in their respective categories. Some categories may overlap. The editors and staff of Hart's E&P would like to congratulate all those who played a part in these record accomplishments.

To submit applications for next year's Drilling & Production Yearbook, fill out the form on page 87, include all the details, a picture and some form of documentation as proof of the new record, and mail to:

2005 Drilling & Production Yearbook
Hart's E&P
4545 Post Oak Place, Suite 210
Houston, Texas, USA 77027

Deadline is December 6, 2004.

CASING

Casing depth and weight records fall

On Aug. 25, 2003, Unocal ran a 16-in. liner weighing 1,395,360 lb (632,925 kg) prior to landing to a total depth of 22,554 ft (6,874 m) on the St. Malo #1 well in Walker Ridge Block 678 using Transocean's Discoverer Spirit drillship. On Sept. 13, Unocal set another record on the same well when it ran a 133/8-in. / 135/8-in. casing string that weighed 1,439,000 lb (652,719 kg) prior to landing to a total depth of 24,277 ft (7,400 m).

First expansion of solid tubular through a milled window

Kerr-Mcgee recently used new window exit capability from Enventure Global Technology on a deepwater well in the Gulf of Mexico. The successful application installed and expanded a 75/8-in. x 95/8-in. openhole liner (OHL) system inside 95/8-in., 53.5 lb/ft casing. The 2,222-ft (677 m) OHL system was expanded 1,964 ft (599 m) below the window and allowed Kerr-Mcgee to maintain completion size at total depth.

COILED TUBING

Coiled tubing records

The first CTD trilateral well was drilled in Alaska by Schlumberger, who set several other records.
In the United Arab Emirates, four coiled tubing laterals were drilled from the same well bore.
The deepest coiled tubing run from a floating platform, 27,240 ft (8,303 m) was performed from Shell's Ursa TLP in Mississippi Canyon area of the Gulf of Mexico.
The deepest stimulation through coiled tubing was performed in the Permian Basin of west Texas. The CoilFRAC stimulation unit placed 15 stages in 19 hours at a depth of 15,878 ft (4,840 m).

World record horizontal gravel pack

Baker Oil Tools completed a record-setting 8,305-ft (2,768-m) horizontal openhole gravel packed well in ChevronTexaco's Captain field in the UK sector of the North Sea.

COMPLETIONS

Record depth for setting HT/HP packer

Baker Oil Tools set an EDGE high temperature/high pressure (HT/HP) packer at 26,479-ft (8,071 m) measured depth, 17,008 ft (5,184 m) total vertical depth, for Shell in the Gulf of Mexico. The system uses a pulse frequency-based communication technique to actuate and manipulate downhole completion tools equipped with onboard electronics.

DRILLING

Highest temperature for MWD and LWD tools

Precision Drilling's HEL measurement while drilling system measured temperatures up to 375?F (191?C) while transmitting directional, gamma ray and downhole pressure data on a well in Duval County, Texas, for Newfield Exploration. The Precision logging while drilling (LWD) was used by Newfield Exploration in Wharton County, Texas, to obtain triple-combo LWD data at temperatures up to 347?F (175?C).

Deepest LWD quad combo logging run

Schlumberger successfully logged a 30,757-ft (9,375-m) well offshore Canada using a quad combo logging while drilling string comprised of the arcVISION Array Resistivity Compensated tool, adnVISION Azimuthal Density Neutron Tool and the iSONIC IDEAL sonic while drilling tool.

Deepest well with real-time image transmission

Schlumberger successfully transmitted images from its adnVISION Azimuthal Density Neutron tool from a depth of 27,099 ft (8,260 m) while drilling a well offshore Norway.

New records set for rotary steerable systems

The most rotary steerable footage in a single run for a 13-in. hole was set by Baker Hughes' AutoTrak tool for a 14,400-ft (4,389 m) run offshore Norway.

The most rotary steerable footage in a single run for a 16-in. hole was set by Schlumberger's PowerDrive tool for a 9,413-ft (2,869-m) run in the Gulf of Mexico.

The most rotary steerable footage in a single run for a 17-in. hole was set by Baker Hughes' AutoTrak tool for an 8,160-ft (2,487-m) run in the Asia/Pacific region.

Baker Hughes reports 242 drilling hours in a single run on a well for BP in the North Sea, while Schlumberger reports 315 hours below rotary table on a well offshore Canada.

Rotary steerable tools were used to drill some of 2003's deepest wells. Schlumberger reports running their PowerDrive tool to a depth of 29,917 ft (9,119 m) in a well offshore Canada. Baker Hughes ran its AutoTrak tool to a depth of 30,757 ft (9,375 m) on a well in the Asia/Pacific region.

Baker Hughes reports drilling a well for Brunei Shell that reached 167.5? of inclination.

OFFSHORE

Deepwater well test

Halliburton Energy Services recently performed a record-breaking deepwater well test operation for Statoil at the Ellida structure in the Norwegian Sea. The test was performed from the dynamically positioned drillship West Navigator at a water depth exceeding 3,983 ft (1,214 m) breaking the previous record of 2,812 ft (857 m).


PRODUCTION

Peak gas production rate set in Trinidad

BP Trinidad and Tobago set a production rate for a gas well of 247 MMSCF/day and 2,560 Bpd of condensate from the Mahogany MB13 well.

WELL CONSTRUCTION

New water depth record

ChevronTexaco set a water depth record in November when it spudded a well on the Toledo prospect in 10,011 ft (3,053 m) of water in the Gulf of Mexico. Transocean's Discover Deep Seas is responsible for drilling the well in Alaminos Canyon Block 951. The well employed a record 21-in. flanged drilling riser from ABB Vetco Gray rated to 2.5 million pounds of tensile capacity. The previous record of 9,727 ft (2,966 m), set in October 2001, was held by Unocal and the Transocean drillship Discover Spirit.

New MWD/LWD depth and pressure records

Schlumberger and ChevronTexaco established new measurement while drilling and logging while drilling depth and pressure records for the Gulf of Mexico while drilling on ChevronTexaco's deepwater Tonga Exploratory Prospect in Green Canyon Block 727. The Tonga #1 well reached a total vertical depth of 31,824 ft (9,700 m) exceeding the previous depth record by 700 ft (213 m), with a maximum downhole pressure of 26,138 psi (180 MPa).

Penetration rate for drilling with casing

Apache China and Weatherford set a rate of penetration (ROP) record for drilling with casing on the Zhao Dong D16 well in the Bohai Bay area offshore China. The hole was drilled using Weatherford's 16-in. Drill Shoe, 133/8-in., 65 ppf K55 casing and an extended spear for drilling and cementing through the wellhead. The 774-ft (236-m) section was drilled with an average on bottom ROP of 770 ft (235 m) per hour, breaking the previous record of 410 ft (125 m) per hour.

New Inductees to Five Mile Club

The Transocean's Deepwater Horizon drillship drilled a well in Mississippi Canyon Block 725 for BP America, reaching a total depth of 31,131 ft (9,489 m) on Oct. 16, 2003.
Unocal recently drilled three wells that qualify for induction into the Five Mile Club. All were drilled using Transocean's Discover Spirit drillship.

• Bohr #1 well in Mississippi Canyon Block 637 to a total depth of 26,900 ft (8,199 m) measured depth (MD), 26,840 ft (8,181 m) total vertical depth (TVD) and 4,066 ft (1,239 m) of water.
• Champlain #4 well in Atwater Valley Block 63 to a total depth of 27,869 ft (8,494 m) MD, 27,803 ft
(8,474 m) TVD and 4,418 ft (1,347 m) of water.

• St. Malo #1 well in Walker Ridge Block 678 to a total depth of 29,066 ft (8,859 m) MD, 29,011 ft (8,843 m) TVD and 6,853 ft (2,089 m) of water.


Comments