Archive | 2009
Along-string pressure, temperature measurements hold revolutionary promise for downhole management
Posted on 12 March 2009 in 2009, Innovating While Drilling, March/April
It’s widely known that the majority of stuck pipe incidents occur while pulling out of hole. If we can detect where an incident might occur – for example, in a 20,000-ft well – that could mean a radical reduction in nonproductive time (NPT) related to wellbore stability or drillstring integrity…
High-strength, thin-wall, all-steel drill pipe may provide solution for ultra-extended-reach wells
Posted on 12 March 2009 in 2009, Innovating While Drilling, March/April
In planning for ultra-extended-reach (uER) wells, projected torque & drag (T&D) loads exceed the capabilities of existing high-strength drill pipe. As operators continue to evaluate uER well options, they have been forced to consider using non-steel drill pipe materials (such as aluminum, titanium, composite or other) for reduced surface loads…
Lightweight, ultra-high-strength drill pipe may meet demands of ERD, critical deep drilling
Posted on 12 March 2009 in 2009, Innovating While Drilling, March/April
Current and future extended-reach drilling (ERD) and other critical projects exceed the capabilities of conventional steel S-135 drillstring assemblies…
Company taking aerospace alloys to oil/gas
Posted on 12 March 2009 in 2009, Innovating While Drilling, March/April
It’s estimated that less than 1% of the oil and gas market uses aluminum drill pipe (Al DP). Although there are many claimed benefits – primarily its lighter weight vs steel – the higher costs involved have generally confined the pipe to niche applications…
New technologies make well intervention faster, more accurate, cost-efficient, more reliable
Posted on 12 March 2009 in 2009, March/April
In a down market, at least one sector of the oil and gas industry is holding steady – the well intervention business. Some service providers even anticipate an uptick in business that could sustain for the next two years…
Review & update: Expandable technologies gain traction through accumulated experience
Posted on 12 March 2009 in 2009, Completing the Well, March/April
As expandable technology matures, it has become a larger part of the wellbore construction toolbox. Operators no longer see expandables as problem-solving contingency tools, in part because of service companies’ aggressive development…
Innovative, application-specific drill bit designs prove value, help operators set drilling records
Posted on 12 March 2009 in 2009, Innovating While Drilling, March/April
A well is successful as a result of a drill bit with the correct configuration and hydraulic performance for the particular application. Designing the wrong elements can lead to low penetration rates, inefficient hydraulics for hole cleaning, and wellbores that may not reach the operator’s objective…
Maersk Drilling launches Green Rig project
Posted on 12 March 2009 in 2009, Drilling It Safely, March/April
In the A.P. Moller – Maersk Group, the environmental strategic ambition is to pursue energy efficiency in daily operations, across all business units…
Drilling Ahead
Posted on 17 January 2009 in 2009, Departments, January/February
This is the downturn everyone expected. They just didn’t expect it so soon. Anyone with a sense of history of the oil and gas business is wise to the reality that a ceaseless upward cycle just is not in the cards. The cards always come tumbling down…
Aging derricks could be a major problem for worldwide well servicing fleet
Posted on 17 January 2009 in 2009, IADC: Global Leadership, Global Challenges, January/February
The average age of the worldwide well servicing rig fleet is over 25 years old, and many of these rigs are much older. The idea of using 25- to 30-year-old equipment seems ludicrous in most industries, yet there are still more rigs working today over 25 years of age than there are under age 10…
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