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04 Chapt 5 PD Section 5.4 Drilling - ENG - FINAL - Oct 04
04 Chapt 5 PD Section 5.4 Drilling - ENG - FINAL - Oct 04
Final Report
Additional reservoir penetrations will be achieved in the future by sidetracking the platform
wells described above.
As with the Azeri field, a number of the platform wells will be pre-drilled through a 12-slot
subsea template with a mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU) prior to the installation of the
platform. This allows for rapid tie-back of the wells to the production facilities after installation
of the platforms and thus boosts early production from the reservoir. It is envisaged that up to
nine producer wells and one CRI well will be pre-drilled through the template.
The DWG reservoirs are pressure affected due to 20 years of production at the adjacent
SWG field, which dictates that water injection, to increase pressure in the reservoir, is
required from the outset of Phase 3 production. The subsea water injector wells will be drilled
and completed with the MODU and tied-back to the platforms in order for injection to
commence coincident with the start of hydrocarbon production.
It is envisaged that the pre-drill template and subsea water injector wells will be drilled by the
MODU semi-submersible Dada Gorgud which has been utilised on the Azeri Project.
The Phase 3 platform wells plan is illustrated in Figure 5.16.
Figure 5.16
5/23
Final Report
A description follows of the generic well designs (Section 5.4.2) and drilling mud systems to
be used during the Phase 3 drilling programme (Section 5.4.3). Thereafter the description
concentrates more specifically on the following operations:
MODU drilling (Section 5.4.4) that describes the operations and activities of the pre-drilled
DUQ template wells and the subsea water injector wells;
Platform drilling (Section 5.4.5) that describes the operations and activities associated
with drilling from the DUQ platform.
The standard design for both MODU and platform wells has four casing strings to the top
reservoir as follows:
30 conductor;
20 surface casing;
The reservoir is drilled with 81/2 hole and a sand control completion will be installed.
31648-046 ACG Phase 3 ESIA Chapter 5
October 2004
5/24
Final Report
Extended reach (ERD) wells (i.e. those with a step-out from the platform >4.0 km) will have an
additional 16 intermediate casing string.
5.4.2.1
MODU Well
The generic well design for MODU drilled wells (i.e. template and subsea) including drilling
mud systems and cuttings disposal routes are presented in Table 5.1 below.
Table 5.1
Hole Size
(Drill Bit
Diameter)
Casing
Outer
Dimension
36
30
26
20
16
13 /8
Description
Surface
Top Hole
Drilling Mud
System
Setting Depth
1
(m TVD BRT )
350-375
+/-575
Intermediate
1,275-1,325
Top Pereriv
12
10 / 9 /8
Production
(~3,000)
+/-5 m below
base of
8
NA
Pereriv E
(~3,650)
TVD BRT: True Vertical Depth Below Rotary Table.
WBM: Water Based Mud.
SBM: Synthetic Fluid Based Mud.
OBM: Oil Based Mud.
Sodium Silicate /
Potassium Chloride
2
WBM
Sodium Silicate /
Potassium Chloride
2
WBM (with addition
of bentonite)
3
SBM/OBM
1
2
3
4
5.4.2.2
Cuttings Disposal
Seabed
Via caisson @ -11m.
Mud recovery system
utilised.
Ship-to-Shore
SBM/OBM
Ship-to-Shore
Ship-to-Shore
Platform Wells
The generic platform well design, including drilling fluids design and cuttings disposal routes,
is presented in Table 5.2 below.
Table 5.2
Hole Size
(Drill Bit
Diameter)
Casing Outer
Dimension
Description
Setting Depth
(m TVDBRT)
Drilling Mud
System
Cuttings Disposal
N/A
30
Conductor
350-375
NA
No discharge as
conductor is driven with
closed end.
26
20
16
13 /8
Top Hole
+/-575
Intermediate
1,275-1,325
Top Pereriv
(~3,000)
+/-5 m below
base of
Pereriv E
(~3,650)
12
10 / 9 /8
Production
NA
NA
5.4.2.3
Sodium Silicate /
Potassium
Chloride WBM
(with addition of
bentonite)
SBM/OBM
SBM/OBM
CRI
Salt weighted
WBM or OBM
CRI
The reservoir formations are weakly consolidated and as such would produce significant
quantities of sand if not controlled. As with the Azeri Project well completions, Phase 3
production wells will use Open Hole Gravel Pack (OHGP) completions for sand control. Open
hole means that no casing will be run for the 8 section through the reservoir and instead a
5/25
Final Report
gravel pack screen will be installed for sand control purposes. In addition, expandable sand
screens, an alternative sand control completion technology, may be used in some wells.
Water injection wells will employ Down Hole Flow Control (DHFC) valves to control injection
rates into the stacked reservoir zones. Sand control completions are also required in water
injection wells to prevent well bore sand fill caused by cross flow when the wells are shut-in.
The generic well completion designs for producer and water injector wells are shown in
Figures 5.18 and 5.19 below.
Figure 5.18
30 csg
20 csg
13 3/8 csg
DH Pressure Gauge
9 5/8 csg
Fibre Optic DTS
High Angle
Open Hole Gravel Pack
Figure 5.19
5/26
5.4.2.4
Final Report
The cuttings re-injection (CRI) well designs identical to those drilled for the Azeri Project.
They are essentially the same as the generic Phase 3 producer well designs as described
above. They will be cased and perforated in the 9 5/8 casing, although the target formation
for injection will be the shallower Sabunchi shale formation.
5.4.2.5
Completion Chemicals
The well completions will be installed in weighted brines as per the Azeri Project and a range
of chemicals will be required for well completion. A list of completion chemicals (as currently
planned) to be stored on the rig and to be used for well completion operations is presented in
Table 5.3. The estimated usage of these chemicals is based on past experience of ACG
completion operations. Chemicals used will primarily be OCNS Category E or D (see Table
footnote) and will comply with Phase 3 HSE Design Standards. Completion fluids will be
contained on the platform until injected down the cuttings re-injection well (preferred option),
discharged to the sea as permitted or transported to shore for recycling or disposal.
Table 5.3
Chemical
Completion Chemicals
Function
Estimated Use
(Tonnes)
150
150
7
7
(1)
OCNS Category or
(2)
OSPAR Group
E
E
E
E
5/27
5.4.3.1
Final Report
MODU Wells
Surface hole and top hole: The MODU surface 36 hole and 26 top hole sections will be
drilled with a low toxicity sodium silicate / potassium chloride water based mud. The mud and
cuttings from the surface hole will be discharged directly to the sea, as there will no marine
riser. In the case of the 26 top hole section the mud and cuttings will be returned to the rig,
using a submerged mud recovery pumping system located at the susbea wellhead. The mud
and cuttings will then be treated in a solids control unit, separating mud from the cuttings.
Recovered mud will be reused wherever possible. The cuttings will be discharged to the sea
via a caisson at 11 m below the sea surface. Any spent, excess WBM remaining at the end
of the Phase 3 MODU programme will be discharged to sea. It is predicted that 1,500 bbls of
WBM will be discharged to sea. However, where feasible this mud will be transferred to an
operating platform for reuse. Should the mud be discharged it will first be diluted to verify that
chloride levels are within the limit of 21,000 ppm (i.e. less than four times the concentration of
the receiving waters). The ingredients of the silicate mud for the surface and top hole
sections (as currently planned) are shown in Table 5.4.
Table 5.4
Chemical
Barite
Bentonite
Function
Estimated use
(tones)
200
20 (26 section
only)
150
230
3.6
3.6
OCNS
1
category
E
E
Weighting agent
Viscosifier and removal of
cuttings
KCL
Potassium chloride
Borehole stabiliser
E
Sodium Silicate
Sodium Silicate
Stabiliser / Encapsulater
E
Polypac
Poly anionic Cellulose
Encapsulater
E
Flo-Trol
Cellulose polymer/
Fluid loss control and
E
Modified starch
reduces the risk of drill string
sticking
Duovis
Bio-polymer
Viscosifier
3.6
E
1
Offshore Chemical Notification Scheme. OCNS Category E is the lowest rating. Category E chemicals are of low
toxicity, readily biodegradable and non-bioaccumulative.
Lower Hole: In order to improve well bore stability and optimise drilling operations for downhole conditions it is necessary to change to a non-water based mud (NWBM) for the lower 16
and 121/4 well sections. This NWBM system will either be a low-toxic oil based mud (OBM)
or a synthetic based mud (SBM) such as Linear Alpha Olefin (LAO).
For the 81/2 reservoir hole section either a NWBM or a salt weighted (viscosified brine) WBM
system will be used.
No drilled cuttings or associated muds generated from these lower hole sections will be
discharged to sea. They will be returned to the rig, treated in the solids control unit and
containerised for transfer to shore for further treatment prior to final disposal.
5.4.3.2
Platform Wells
Surface Hole: The platform well 30 conductor will be driven closed end and hence there
will be no requirement for drilling.
Top Hole: The 26 top-hole section will be drilled with a sodium silicate/potassium chloride
WBM, as per MODU drilling. The 26 top-hole section cuttings will be discharged to the sea
via the platform caisson at 138 m below the sea surface. As with the MODU drilling
programme, WBM will be reused wherever possible. Any excess, spent WBM generated will
be disposed via a dedicated cuttings re-injection well. If it is required to discharge the mud to
sea, it will be diluted to achieve a chloride concentration of less than 21,000 ppm.
Lower Hole: The 16, 121/4 and 81/2 lower hole sections will be drilled with the same mud
systems as outlined for the MODU wells (Table 5.2). Again no drilled cuttings or associated
5/28
Final Report
muds generated from these lower hole sections will be discharged to sea. They will be
returned to the platform topsides, treated via the cuttings re-injection system and re-injected
into the subsurface via one of the two dedicated cuttings re-injection wells. When the cuttings
re-injection equipment is not available, these cuttings will be contained and shipped to shore
for treatment and disposal.
Drilling Operations
The following sections briefly describe the pre-drilling programme at the DUQ platform and
subsea development sites. The programme is essentially the same as that undertaken for the
Azeri Project and includes the following major activities:
Utilities associated with the Dada Gorgud semi submersible rig are also discussed.
Pilot Holes
Before commencing pre-drilling a pilot hole will be drilled at a distance of approximately 50 m
from the template and both subsea manifold sites to determine whether any high-pressure
shallow gas zones are present in the area. The holes will be drilled with a 121/4 diameter drill
bit to a depth of approximately 1,000 m. The pilot hole will be drilled using seawater with gel
sweeps and the drilling mud system and cuttings will be discharged to the seabed at the
seabed. Approximately 80 m3 of cuttings will be generated and discharged.
There will be no well control devices used for the pilot holes rather ingress of any high
pressure gas (from isolated pockets) in to the well will be controlled through circulation of
heavy mud in the hole as required.
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Final Report
Drilling
Each of the wells drilled from the MODU will be drilled and completed in turn. With reference
to Table 5.1 and Section 5.4.3.1, the total predicted volume of cuttings generated for disposal
from all MODU well sections are detailed in Table 5.5.
Where lower hole section cuttings are returned to the rig, both they and the circulating mud
are passed through the MODU Solids Circulation System (SCS) to separate muds from
cuttings (i.e. via series of shale shakers, a vacuum degasser and dual centrifuges). This
allows the separated muds to be re-circulated down-hole and the drilled cuttings contained in
dedicated cuttings skips on the rig deck for subsequent transfer to shore for treatment and
final disposal.
Table 5.5
Total
Hole Size
Quantity of
3
Quantity
(Drill Bit
Description
Cuttings (m )
3
Per Well
Cuttings (m )
Diameter)
Total 9 Producer + 1 CRI Well + 8 Injector Wells (worst case)
36
26
16 & 12
& 8
Surface
Top Hole
Lower Holes
540
277
250
Drilling Mud
System
Cuttings Disposal
9,720
Sodium Silicate /
Potassium Chloride
WBM
At Seabed
4,986
Sodium Silicate /
Potassium Chloride
WBM (with addition
of bentonite)
4,500
SBM/OBM
(or salt weighted
WBM or OBM for
8)
Ship-to-Shore
5/30
Final Report
The cement will contain a number of chemical constituents, as per the Azeri Project, and
these and their respective volumes (as currently planned) are presented in Table 5.6.
Table 5.6
Additive
The present UK Revised Offshore Chemical Notification Scheme has operated in accordance with the
requirements of The OSPAR Harmonised Offshore Chemical Notification Format since 1 January 1996.
'Old OCNS numerical 'Categories' ceased to exist on 1 January 2000. From this date products have been re-tested
to fulfil the requirements of the HOCNF. The old numerical 'Categories' cannot be translated into Revised OCNS
'Groups' or hazard quotients, since these are derived from a more comprehensive set of tests.
Group Gold is the least hazardous category under the Revised OCNS.
5.4.4.2
The MODU drilling programme will include the flowback of some wells. This includes the
clean up of the well sandface and associated testing or drill stem testing. During these
tests, formation fluids will be flowed to surface and pressure, temperature and flow rate
measurements will be made to evaluate well performance characteristics.
Flowed
hydrocarbons will need to be flared although samples of the formation fluids may also be
collected for analysis.
The base-case plan includes well testing of two wells, with up to 15,000 bbls of oil flared,.
Each Phase 3 well test will not exceed 32 hours duration. If this is increased to 3 wells the
same volume will be flared by decreasing the flow back time. In line with the HSE design
standards for the project, the need to carry out well tests or clean ups and their duration will
be challenged prior to finalisation of testing requirements.
A high efficiency Green Dragon burner will be used to flare the oil during well testing to
reduce the release of unburnt hydrocarbons. During flaring, specialist operators will monitor
the mixture of hydrocarbons and air, to check that high burning efficiencies of at least 99%
are achieved and to minimise any oil drop-out to the sea surface.
5.4.4.3
Each template well will be temporarily suspended by filling the well with a heavy brine fluid to
protect the well from any pressurised formations. The well will then be closed with a
mechanical plug and a corrosion cap installed on the sub-sea wellhead following retrieval of
the riser system. The well suspension programme will be designed to allow future well reentry following installation of the DUQ platform.
5.4.4.4
Utilities
As previously mentioned, the MODU Dada Gorgud was upgraded for the Azeri Project. The
rig description and utilities have previously described in the Azeri Project ESIA reports and
are briefly summarised in Table 5.7 below.
5/31
Table 5.7
Utility
Supply Loading
& Offloading
Power
Generation
Description
Drainage
Standards
System does not require removal of sewage sludge for shipto-shore and disposal.
Cooling water
Sewage
Final Report
NA
NA
Bilge Tank:
- oil in water no
visible sheen.
US CG 33 CFR 159.121: Effluent must have a faecal coliform bacteria count of less than 1000/100 millilitres and
no visible floating solids. The US Coast Guard requirements do not specify a standard for chlorine. The ACG FFD
PSA stipulates however, that total residual chlorine will be between 0.5 mg/l to 2.0 mg/l.
5/32
Final Report
if the DUQ RB211 turbine is non-functioning. The temporary generators will be removed from
the platform when the PCWU is installed and operating.
Platform drilling operations will commence in 2007 and continue through to 2016 with
intermittent sidetrack drilling operations continuing through to the end of the AIOC PSA in
2024.
5.4.5.1
Drilling Operations
Ten of the 48 platform well slots available will be used to tie-back the pre-drill wells to the
platform, leaving 38 remaining well slots for the platform drilling programme. With reference
to Table 5.2 and Section 5.4.3.2, the total predicted volume of cuttings generated for disposal
from all 38 well sections are detailed in Table 5.8. Additionally, up to 98 reservoir
penetrations will be achieved by using sidetrack-drilling technology. At the time of writing it
was not possible to quantify volumes of cuttings generated from side-track wells but as with
the lower hole sections, these will be either re-injected or contained and shipped-to-shore
when the CRI system is unavailable.
Table 5.8
Description
Quantity
of
Cuttings
3
(m ) Per
Well
Total
Quantity
3
Cuttings (m )
Cuttings Disposal
Conductor
N/A
N/A
N/A
No discharge as
conductor is driven
26
Top Hole
277
10,526
Sodium Silicate /
Potassium Chloride
WBM
16 & 12
& 8
Lower Holes
250
9,500
SBM/OBM
(or salt weighted
WBM or OBM for 8)
Cuttings Re-Injection
Hole Size
(Drill Bit
Diameter)
Total 38 Wells
5.4.5.2
Cuttings Re-injection
Cuttings re-injection is a proven and reliable method for disposing of cuttings that BP have
successfully undertaken in a number of applications worldwide. The planned target for the
injection of the drill cuttings in the DWG field is the Sabunchi shale formation. Of the two
platform well slots dedicated to CRI wells, the first CRI well will be drilled from the Dada
Gorgud (Section 5.4.4) so that it can be completed and tied back to the DUQ platform soon
after its installation.
As with the Azeri platforms, facilities will be provided onboard the DUQ platform to collect,
treat, store and re-inject cuttings generated from well sections where NWBM have been used.
In addition, used drilling mud, spent drilling chemicals , spent completion fluids, and produced
sand may also be sent to the CRI well for disposal. Figure 5.20 illustrates the cuttings reinjection process, which is more fully described in the Phase 1 and 2 ESIAs.
Following slurrification and milling, the resulting waste slurry is pumped down-hole and into
sub-surface fractures that are initially created by injecting water at high pressure down the
CRI well. Once created, fracture size and geometry will be controlled by the cuttings downhole flow rate, injection pressure and the properties of the injected slurry. Waste slurry can
be injected either continuously or intermittently in batches to create a network of induced
fractures from the wellbore. It is anticipated that a viscosifier, oxygen scavenger and/or
biocide will also be added to the slurry to improve its handling characteristics and to minimise
corrosion in the cuttings re-injection facility
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Final Report
Cuttings batch sizes may range from 75 bbls to 4,000 bbls and are dictated primarily by the
volume of the slurry holding tank and the cuttings generation and slurry injection rates. Each
batch injection may last from a few hours to several days, depending upon the batch volume
and the injection rate. Injection rates can range from 2 bbls to 10 bbls per minute.
Figure 5.20
Hole Section
Surface hole
Geological
Formation
Apsheron
Potential Formation
Pressure / Fluid
Abnormal pressure in
paleo-volcanic
sequences.
Abnormal pressure in
paleo volcanic
sequences.
Potential
Hazard
Shallow gas.
26
Apsheron
Akchagyl
Shallow gas.
16
Surakhany
Abnormal pressure in
salt-water flow
sections.
Shallow gas.
12
Sabunchi
Balakany
Pereriv
No real well
control hazards
apart from
potential influx of
stray sand.
Oil pay zone
Large pressure
transition into
NKG.
Mitigation
Pilot hole drilled.
Drill with all returns to seabed.
Pilot hole drilled.
Drill with all returns to seabed.
Diverter installed
(platform only).
Mud weight.
Shallow gas precautions as
per BP procedures:
- BOP installed; and
- Kill mud on standby.
Mud weight.
BOP installed.
Pressure regression
Mud weight.
into Pereriv pay zone
Brine.
then large pressure
BOP installed.
increase at base into
NKG.
BOP (Blow Out Preventor): A BOP can be rapidly closed following an influx of formation fluids into the well bore. In
an emergency situation, gas will be vented at the surface and any oil will be contained in the rigs mud system.
A number of contingency chemicals will be retained for use in the event that difficulties are
encountered in a well. At the time of writing, the predicted list of contingency chemicals to be
stored on the rig and platform to be used for such contingencies is included in Table 5.10.
The estimated usage of these chemicals is based on past experience of Chirag and Azeri
5/34
Final Report
Project drilling operations. Chemical types and usage rates may be subject to change as
further lessons are learned from these ongoing drilling operations. All chemicals used will
comply with Phase 3 HSE Design Standards: their use will be continually challenged and
lower toxicity chemicals used preferentially, wherever practical, over those more toxic.
Table 5.10 Drilling Contingency Chemicals
Chemical
Function
Estimated Use
OCNS Category
(1)
Per Well
(tonnes)
Drilling Detergent
Detergent- dispersant
0.2
E
Glutaraldehyde
Biocide-Prevent Bacteria Growth
0.3
C
Sodium Bicarbonate
Calcium/pH control
1.2
E
Citric Acid
PH Control
1.5
E
(2)
M-I-X II, F.M
Fibre LCM
2.0
E
Starcarb C351
Calcium Carbonate LCM
5.0
E
G-Seal
Seepage losses - LCM
3.0
E
Nut Plug
Ground Nutshells LCM
5.0
E
Mica
Flake Mica LCM
5.0
E
Defoam A
Alcohol Defoamer
0.4
D
Spersene CF
Chrome Free Lignosulfonate Thinner
0
E
Tannathin
Chrome Free Lignite - Thinner
0
E
Tackle Plus
Polymer thinner
0
E
Ecotrol
HTHP Fluid Loss Control
5.0
E
SafeSolv
Well Cleanup Solvent
2.6
C
SafeSurf
Well Cleanup Surfactant
2.6
E
Safecor HT
Corrosion Inhibitor
2.4
D
Lubra Glide
Polymer beads Torque Reduction
0
E
1
Offshore Chemical Notification Scheme. OCNS Category E is the lowest rating. Category E chemicals are of low
toxicity, readily biodegradable and non-bio accumulative.
2
LCM: Lost circulation mud
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Final Report
5/36