Hard-core libertarians may disagree, but in the vast stew of activities funded by the US federal government a few morsels actually return value for money spent. Unlike the infamous Alaskan “bridge to nowhere” — the poster project for government waste — high-decibel bang for the buck can be seen in smaller, sharply focused programs.

One such program can be found in the US Department of Energy (DOE). Whether all or most of DOE’s activities are useful is a debate for another day, but in one small corner of this enormous anthill is a group that stands to make an impact on the industry out of scale with its importance to Congress.


DOE’s modest Microhole Technologies Program has helped to focus early interest and enable many advances in critical small-hole technologies including coiled-tubing (CT) drilling. You’ve read about CT drilling in these pages before. Many in the industry are convinced that this will be a key tool as brownfield development activities increase in scope and technical sophistication.


As Roy Long, Technology Manager in DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory, said recently at the most recent (and possibly the last) Microhole Technology (MHT) Integration meeting, “…there looks to be an explosion of CT drilling in the coming years aided by the environment of overall limited rig availability.” As Long pointed out, a CT rig can be built in far less time than a conventional rig.


At the meeting he also noted “...the amazing results BP had from their Vulture project in the Texas Panhandle. Out of a 10 well program they only had three confirmed successes. However, the results were so amazing — as much as 140% better results on 4 ½-in. drillout multilaterals versus grass roots wells — that BP has formed a North America Gas Group from their Sharjah group to essentially develop thousands of wells in existing fields. This has to be the most significant advance in brownfield development to date. I don’t think it would be an understatement to say that the surge in the BP focus should enliven the CT drilling industry in the lower 48 and help take it to unprecedented heights.” The Sharjah group achieved great success and gained much experience in CT drilling in the United Arab Emirates.


The MHT Integration meetings are the scene of regular progress reports on a number of associated technical developments, much of it important work done by lesser-known companies. Many of these projects are fascinating, and outside this circle other interesting ideas are also popping up. These ideas include — believe it or not — rotating CT (described elsewhere in this publication) and a concept that combines casing drilling and CT drilling capabilities in a single hybrid rig.


Unlike the product of many government agencies — paper — ideas nourished by the Microhole Technologies Program are fast becoming real tools that will help accomplish a crucial task. You read above that the most recent MHT meeting was possibly the last. Sad but true; budgetary pressures and political machinations are blunt instruments. It would be a loss if the MHT program disappears, but this is not a write-your-congressman plea to right an outrage. Rather, it’s a pat on the back for a job well done and a wish that they are allowed to keep up the good work.

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