Drilling Overview

How a Well is Drilled?

1
 How a Well is Drilled?
Step 1: Digging a Cellar

On land, a majority of wells

begin with digging a cellar
from three to fifteen feet in
depth. The purpose of a
cellar is to align the
production Christmas tree at
ground level, providing
easier access to the valves,
chokes, and other
equipment.
2
 How a Well is Drilled?

Step 2: Running a Conductor Pipe

The first string of pipe used in a well is

called the conductor pipe, or drive pipe.
The pipe is usually 30-36 inches in
diameter. A large diameter hole is
drilled to
a specified depth, usually one or two
hundred feet, and the pipe is driven into
the ground..

3
 How a Well is Drilled?
Step 3: Connecting the
BOP

An adapter flange, or
drilling flange, is welded to
the conductor pipe to
connect a
diverter system or a
blowout preventer system
to control wellhead
pressure.

4
 How a Well is Drilled?
Step 4: Running the Surface Pipe
A hole is drilled for the well’s first
string of pipe, the surface pipe, and
the pipe is run in
the hole. There may be several
strings of pipe in a well, each run
to a different depth. The number of
strings is determined by the
number of zones being drilled
through. These can include fresh
water, salt water, and potential
production zones. Each zone is
isolated, or cased off, until it is to
be produced. .
5
 How a Well is Drilled?

Step 5: Connecting the

Surface Pipe

The surface pipe is cemented

in place back to the surface.
This holds the pipe in place
and seals off the zone. A
cement plug is left in the pipe
so that the BOP system may
be disconnected safely. The
BOP is then removed from the
adapter flange.

6
 How a Well is Drilled?
Step 6: Cutting the Conductor
Pipe and Surface Casing

The surface pipe is drained,

the adapter flange (or drilling
flange) is cut off, and both
the conductor pipe and the
surface casing are cut to the
proper height to allow the top
of the completed wellhead
to be at ground level.

7
 How a Well is Drilled?

Step 7: Installing the

Casing Head Housing
and Base Plate

The casing head housing

is welded in place on the
inside diameter and the
outside diameter of the
surface casing. The
housing is then tested to
assure there are no leak
paths in the welds.
8
 How a Well is Drilled?

Step 8: Installing the BOP

System

The BOP system is installed

above the casing head
housing and then tested. To
test the BOP system, the test
plug is made up on the drill
string and lowered through the
BOP system onto the casing
head bowl. Pressure is applied
from above the plug to test the
BOP system.
9
Step 9: Installing the Casing
Head Wear Bushing

A wear bushing is
installed to protect the
interior of the casing head
from damage
by drilling equipment.

10
 How a Well is Drilled?
Step 10: Installing the
Intermediate String

A hole is drilled for the

intermediate string and
the casing is run in the
hole and
cemented in place. A
cement plug is left in the
intermediate casing, just
as it
was in the surface casing.
. 11
 How a Well is Drilled?
Step 11: Installing the Casing
Hanger and Casing Spool

The intermediate casing is

suspended from the block
above the rig floor, the BOP is
picked up, and the casing
hanger is installed on top of
the casing head. Holes are cut
in the casing to allow the
drilling fluids to drain out of the
casing riser. When the fluid
has drained, the casing is cut
off to the appropriate height
and the casing spool is
installed. 12
 How a Well is Drilled?

Step 12: Installing the BOP

System

The BOP system is installed

above the casing spool and
then tested. To test the BOP
system, the test plug is made
up on the drill string and
lowered through the BOP
system onto the casing head
bowl. Pressure is applied from
above the plug to test the BOP
system.
13
 How a Well is Drilled?

Step 13: Installing the Wear

Bushing

The wear bushing running tool

is made up on the drill string
and the wear bushing
installed on the running tool.
The wear bushing is then
lowered through the BOP
system, until it rests in the
casing spool bowl, then is
locked into place. The running
tool is removed and drilling
resumes.
14
 How a Well is Drilled?

Step 14: Running the

Production Casing String

The production casing string is

usually run to the total depth of
the well. A hole is
drilled for the production casing
and the casing is run in the hole
and cemented
into place. A cement plug is left
in the production casing, as in
the previous steps.

15
 How a Well is Drilled?
Step 15: Installing the Casing
Hanger and Tubing Spool

The production casing is

suspended from the elevators
at the rig floor, the BOP is
picked up, and the production
casing hanger is installed in the
same way as the previous
casing hanger. The tubing
spool is installed in the same
way as the casing spool. After
the spool has been installed,
the seals and connections are
tested, and the BOP system is
reinstalled.. 16
 How a Well is Drilled?

Step 16: Running the

Production Tubing

The production tubing is

installed inside the
production casing. Unlike
casing, the production
tubing is not cemented in
the well so it may be
removed later, if
necessary.
17
 How a Well is Drilled?

Step 17: Installing the Down

hole Packer Assembly

A down hole packer

assembly (a type of seal
assembly) is run and
installed in the
production casing to seal
the reservoir from all
strings of pipe, except the
production tubing.

18
 How a Well is Drilled?

Step 18: Installing the Tubing

Hanger

The tubing hanger is installed

on the tubing at the rig floor,
then lowered into
the bowl of the tubing spool.
The packer seals are tested,
and a backpressure valve is
installed in the tubing hanger so
that the BOP can be removed
safely. After the valve has been
installed the
BOP is removed. . 19
 How a Well is Drilled?
Step 19: Installing the Christmas Tree
The production Christmas tree, sometimes called
the flow assembly, controls the flow of the well. It is
made up of a seal flange, or tubing head adapter, a
series of valves, and a choke. The valves are
stacked vertically and horizontally to provide backup
should a valve fail. Each Christmas tree has at least
one actuated surface safety valve to shut down the
well in an emergency and prevent damage to
equipment downstream. The Christmas tree is
connected to a flowline, which transports the well’s
fluid or gas.

The Christmas tree is oriented properly, picked up,

lowered over the neck of the tubing hanger, and
connected to the tubing spool. The connections and
seals are tested, and the well is now ready for
production testing. 20
21