Abstract
As the worldwide search for hydrocarbons continues into the deepwater of the oceans, drilling extended reach wells have helped to drain the fields in the most cost effective way, thus providing the oil and gas industry the cushion to cope with the high cost of deepwater drilling rigs and development. The technical limitations and risks associated with extended reach drilling (ERD) in deepwater are uncertain. How far can we drill using existing rigs and upgraded rig components? This thesis details issues related to torque and drag prediction in ERD wells. The impact of drillpipe OD size, friction factor, length of bottom hole assembly, grade/wt of drillpipe, tapered strings and specialty drillpipe on torque, drag, buckling and weight on bit are examined. Results are presented from sensitivity analysis of extreme ERD trajectories at 1,200-ft kick-off point, bellow mudline in 5,000-ft of water; this is a shallow aggressive ERD well profile with an optimum build-up rate of 5o/100-ft. This thesis also examines the effect of drillstring design on the equivalent circulating density (ECD) and hydraulics. It identifies the technical issues for deepwater ERD, predicts the maximum achievable throw, and it also discusses ways of expanding drilling capability.
Akinfenwa, Akinwunmi Adebayo (2000). Limitations of extended reach drilling in deepwater. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -2000 -THESIS -A39.