Integrated Services in Well Construction Collaborate to Reduce Well Delivery Time by 45% in the Carabobo Area, Orinoco Oil Belt in Venezuela

Abstract

Abstract Billions of barrels of extra-heavy crude oil and bitumen deposits are present in Venezuela, with most located in the Orinoco Oil Belt (OOB). The OOB, which is situated in southeastern Venezuela, is one of the largest, essentially untapped, oil accumulations in the world. The belt stretches 700 km from east to west to the north of the Orinoco River, with an area of approximately 54 000 km2. The OOB is composed of soft, unconsolidated reservoir sands dating from the Miocene age. The Carabobo block extra-heavy oil reservoirs are categorized by three gross intervals—Lower, Middle, and Upper Morichal formations—which are at a shallow true vertical depth (TVD) of less than 3,500 ft and consist of abrasive sands. Development is typically through the use of extended horizontal wells. Cuttings bed circulation and removal is one of the main challenges in these well types and can normally be alleviated by increasing rotation speed, but the abrasiveness of these formations could cause additional vibration, wear, and/or damage to directional tools. In a coordinated effort, the operator followed several steps to apply best drilling practices in this area. The first phase was implementing a customized project management (PM) model that organized discrete drilling service contracts under a centralized structure. The ultimate purpose was to drill wells faster in a safe environment with the least nonproductive time (NPT) possible, delivering the wells to production while maximizing efficiency in the field.