Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Al-Matary 2014
1
Dr. Al-Matary 2014
3. PRODUCTION
Flowing Wells
Artificial Lift
Oil Treating
Storage and Sale of Oil
2
Dr. Al-Matary 2014
• Oil exploration, drilling, refining, storage and transportation
are some of the major stages of the entire oil production
process.
• Oil drilling is the process by which tubing is bored through the
Earth's surface and a well is established.
• After drilling the well flows by its self pressure or a pump is
connected to the tube and the petroleum under the surface is
forcibly recovered from underground.
• Oil drilling is a highly‐specialized business that grew into the
largest industry on the planet by the early 21st century
• A rig is the machine used to drill a wellbore.
3
Dr. Al-Matary 2014
4
Dr. Al-Matary 2014
• Whether employed directly by an oil company or under contract
from a private firm, geologists are the ones responsible for finding
oil.
• Their task is to find the right conditions for oil trap the right
source rock, reservoir rock and entrapment.
• Many years ago, geologists interpreted surface features, surface
rock and soil types, and perhaps some small core samples
obtained by shallow drilling.
• Modern oil geologists also examine surface rocks and terrain, with
the additional help of satellite images. However, they also use a
variety of other methods to find oil.
• Finally, and most commonly, they use seismology, creating shock
waves that pass through hidden rock layers and interpreting the
waves that are reflected back to the surface.
5
Dr. Al-Matary 2014
Locating Oil: Seismic Survey
• In seismic surveys, a shock wave is created by the following:
1. Compressed‐air gun ‐ shoots pulses of air into the water (for
exploration overwater)
2. Thumper truck ‐ slams heavy plates into the ground (for exploration
over land)
3. Explosives ‐ detonated after being drilled into the ground (for
exploration over land) or thrown overboard (for exploration over
water)
• Analysis of the seismic data provides vital information on petroleum
geology of the area of interest.
• This information can tell us the possibility of hydrocarbon reserve
availability, its depth from surface etc.
• Once these data are available, the company /government decide to
explore further for oil or abandon the project, if found economically
/ technically not feasible.
6
Dr. Al-Matary 2014
Locating Oil: Seismic Survey
• As the seismic waves pass through the earth and
encounter different materials, some of their energy
is reflected off the boundaries between the
different strata while other waves will pass through.
• The reflected energy returns to the surface, where
its speed and strength is measured by special
detectors, known as geophones.
• The geophones convert the movement of the
ground into electrical signals, which are then
digitized by seismometers.
• These signals are then processed by computers.
• The speed and strength of the reflected waves
depends on the density of the strata they encounter.
• Rock becomes denser the deeper underground it is
located, but pockets of gas and oil have a much
lower density.
• The denser the material is, the faster the waves will
be reflected.
7
Dr. Al-Matary 2014
Preparation for oil drilling
• Once the site has been selected, scientists
survey the area to determine its boundaries,
and conduct environmental impact studies if
necessary.
• The oil company may need lease agreements,
titles and right‐of way accesses before drilling
the land.
• For off‐shore sites, legal jurisdiction must be
determined.
8
Dr. Al-Matary 2014
Preparation for oil drilling
• After the legal issues are settled, the crew goes about preparing the land:
1. The land must be cleared and leveled, and access roads may be built.
2. Because water is used in drilling, there must be a source of water nearby. If there is no
natural source, the crew drills a water producing well.
3. The crew digs a reserve pit, which is used to dispose of rock cuttings and drilling mud
during the drilling process, and lines it with plastic to protect the environment.
• If the site is an ecologically sensitive area, such as a marsh or wilderness, then the
cuttings and mud must be disposed of offsite ‐‐ trucked away instead of placed in a
pit.
• Once the land has been prepared, the onshore rig is moved to location. As the rig is
moved part by part in many trucks, it needed to be assembled together at the site.
This preparation is known as rigging up.
• A rectangular pit called a cellar is dug around the location of the actual drilling hole.
The cellar provides a work space around the hole for the workers and drilling
accessories.
• The crew then begins drilling the main hole, often with a small drill truck rather than
the main rig.
• The first part of the hole is larger and shallower than the main portion, and is lined
with a large‐diameter conductor pipe.
9
Dr. Al-Matary 2014
Drilling a well
• Normally drilling of a new well may take few weeks, and there will be
cementing, perforation, well stimulation, well testing, well logging etc, before
they hand over the well to production.
• Mostly new wells will take about 2‐3 months to complete.
• For exploration wells, as the reservoir conditions are not known, every
moment the program is expected to change, though the entire drilling
process will be done according to the standard drilling manual of the
operating company.
• Once the drilling to a particular depth is over, a steel casing (large pipe) is
lowered and cemented, this will avoid any caving in.
• Then a little smaller diameter hole is drilled and at a particular depth it is
again cased and cemented. The drilling continues with smaller diameter hole.
• Just after the drilling is over, the test completion string is run in hole to test
the well to find out its characteristics. Perforation of pay zone, well
stimulation etc are may be required, according to the well drilling and testing
program.
• Once the well testing is over, the final completion is run and the well will be
handed over to production.
10
Dr. Al-Matary 2014
Drilling a Well
Whether drilling vertical or horizontal, making hole depends on:
• Dip of beds
• Hardness and rock composition
• Bit design
• Drilling parameters
• Faulting
• Fracturing
11
Dr. Al-Matary 2014
• When a drilling project is commenced, two
goals are governing all aspects of it.
• The first is to realize the well in a safe manner
(personal injuries, technical problems)
• and according to its purpose, the second one
is to complete it with minimum cost.
• Thereto the overall costs of the well during its
lifetime in conjunction with the field
development aspects shall be minimized.
12
Dr. Al-Matary 2014
Personal at rig site
• The people directly involved in drilling a well are employed either
by the operating company, the drilling contractor or one of the
service and supply companies.
• To drill an oil or gas well, the operating company (or simply called
operator) acquires the right from the land owner under which the
prospective reservoir may exist, to drill and produce from it.
• Usual, when a well has to be drilled, a tender is run by the operator
and various drilling contractors are invited to place their bid.
• Since drilling contractors are companies that perform the actual
drilling of the well, their main job is to drill a hole to the
depth/location and specifications set by the operator.
• Along with hiring a drilling contractor ,the operator usually employs
various service and supply companies to perform logging,
cementing or other special operations as well as maintaining the
mud in its planed condition.
13
Dr. Al-Matary 2014
• Most drilling crews consist of a tool pusher, a
driller, a derrickman, a mud logger and two or
three rotary helpers (also called floormen or
roughnecks).
• Along with this basic crew configuration the
operator sends usually a representative, called
company man to the rig.
• For offshore operations the crews usually
consist of many more employees.
14
Dr. Al-Matary 2014
Drilling Crews
He is the head of the drill site –
Representative of the oil operating company. The
rig crew and any service company at site should
report to him. He will be in close contact with the
shore / town office of the operating company
15
Dr. Al-Matary 2014
16
Dr. Al-Matary 2014
17
Dr. Al-Matary 2014
18
Dr. Al-Matary 2014
19
Dr. Al-Matary 2014
20
Dr. Al-Matary 2014
21
Dr. Al-Matary 2014
Rotary Drilling Rig
• The most common drilling rigs in use today
• Their main tasks are to create rotation of the
drillstring and facilities to advance and lift the
drillstring as well as casings and special
equipment into and out of the hole drilled.
• The main components of a rotary drilling rig
can be seen in picture
22
Dr. Al-Matary 2014
23
Dr. Al-Matary 2014
Types of rotary rigs
I. Land rigs:
1. conventional rigs (small‐medium‐large)
2. mobile rigs (portable mast, jacknife)
II. Offshore rigs:
1. bottom anchored rigs (artificial island,
submersible, jackup, concrete‐structured, etc.,)
2. floating rigs (drillship, semi‐submersible,
barge.)
24
Dr. Al-Matary 2014
Types of rotary rigs
• For offshore rigs, factors like water depth,
expected sea states, winds and currents as
well as location (supply time) have to be
considered as well.
25
Dr. Al-Matary 2014
26
Dr. Al-Matary 2014
27