Technology Focus: Drilling Management (September 2011)

Abstract

Technology Focus Drilling management—management of the drilling process or the process of managing well-drilling operations. Much of this activity is not easily perceived by the outside viewer. Even though the final result of an operation is easily observed, what almost always goes unnoticed is the complexity of the issues involved in the planning and execution of a drilling operation and the number of topics involved in such a process. In recent years, I have been involved in several challenging deepwater-drilling operations, either as an operator or as a nonoperating partner. In all those cases, the planning phase required at least 1 year between the decision to drill on a certain location and the actual well spud-in. And that time frame was for well-established companies with most, or all, service and equipment contracts in place and all key personnel already hired. Off course, the time frame may double, or triple, if a company is initiating an operation in a new region or country where it never operated before. Well planning alone will require (as it must) several months. And this is done before you can even begin to apply for the necessary drilling permit, which in its turn may take several months to be obtained. Also, there is the need for internal reviews, budget approval (internally and with partners), and a necessary peer review, which will result in the need for additional time for implementation of associated recommended changes in the well program. Equally important is a well-prepared risk-analysis study in which risky aspects of the operation will be identified so that preventive measures can be taken to avoid or manage those risks. And then comes the most-visible part of the entire process, the drilling operation itself. Certainly, there must be good management during this phase, which includes the ability to make the necessary changes while dealing with the many aspects of the operation that may not develop exactly as initially planned. And most important, all this must be carried out within responsible and very-strict safety and environmental standards. Ideally, we want an operation to be concluded successfully without surprises or unexpected setbacks, or at least to keep those at a minimum. Careful planning certainly can help to achieve this task. As the famous Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen once said, “Adventure is just bad planning.” Drilling Management additional reading available at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org SPE 140023 • “Integrated Prewell-Planning Process Improves Service Quality and Decreases Risk Through Cooperation Between Drilling and Geosciences” by J.M. Aldawood, Baker Hughes, et al. SPE 139995 • “Can Safety Improvement Increase Drilling Efficiency?” by S.M. Boutalbi, SPE, Weatherford, et al. SPE 136296 • “Real-Time Data Management and Information Transfer as an Effective Drilling Technique” by Steve Vogel, SPE, National Oilwell Varco, et al. SPE 140145 • “Well-Construction Hydraulics in Challenging Environments” by A.L. Martins, Petrobras, et al.