2022 IADC
HSET &
Sustainability CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION
20-21 SEPTEMBER 2022
HYATT REGENCY HOUSTON WEST
HOUSTON, TEXAS
SILVER SPONSOR
www.iadc.org/event/ 2022-iadc-sustainability-conference-exhibition
For more information, contact IADC by phone at
+1.713.292.1945 or via email at iadcconferences@iadc.org
ment providers and two drilling contrac-
tors to place permanent BTR MPD systems
on two drillships.
Using BTR MPD in the Gulf of Mexico
required the submission of a new tech-
nology plan to the US Bureau of Safety
and Environmental Enforcement. Adding
MPD equipment to the rigs fundamentally
changed the way some operations, such
as tripping, were performed. This neces-
sitated the creation of more than 40 new
mandatory rig-specific procedures for
each of the rigs and the development of
classroom, simulator and onsite refresher
training. Before putting a single piece of MPD
equipment on the rigs, the team conducted
a five-step review that included a hydrau-
lics check, onshore flow test, RCD durabil-
ity test, HAZID/HAZOP workshop, and a
complete logic system review of the MPD
control system.
Achieving objectives
Their careful planning paid off. Mr Vaczi
called the application of deepwater MPD
highly successful, with all wells drilled to
total depth with no losses through the high
depletion intervals or the tight margins of
the intermediate section.
“We had no major safety incidents
throughout the implementation and exe-
cution of MPD, and all systems performed
as intended.”
Compared with offset wells drilled con-
ventionally, MPD successfully reduced
equivalent circulating density (ECD) by
0.5 ppg. Dynamic pore pressure tests per-
formed on all wells enabled the team to
further reduce mud weight while remain-
ing within the safe parameters identified
by borehole stability studies conducted
prior to the startup of operations.
They also successfully ran and cement-
ed all production liners in the campaign
using MPD and reduced cementing ECDs
by almost 1 ppg compared with conven-
tional operations.
“This is critical to the success of the
cementing job in achieving zonal isolation
in these intervals,” Mr Vaczi said. DC
For more information, please see IADC/SPE
208771, “Implementation of MPD Systems in
the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico to Drill Highly
Depleted Reservoir Sections.”
36 M AY/J U N E 202 2 • D R I L L I N G C O N T R AC T O R