IADC/SPE 102026

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Underbalanced Drilling in Saudi Arabia-Start Up Experience
Muqeem, M.A., Al-Jeffre, A.M., Jarrett, C.M., Al-Khanferi, N.M., Saudi Aramco; and Killip, D.R. and Abdul, H.J.,
Weatherford Underbalance Services

Copyright 2006, IADC/SPE Asia Pacific Drilling Technology Conference and Exhibition
these wells are drilled with water based mud (WBM) requiring
This paper was prepared for presentation at the IADC/SPE Asia Pacific Drilling Technology mud weight (MW) that exceeds the reservoir pressure by
Conference and Exhibition held in Bangkok, Thailand, 13–15 November 2006.
approximately 200 psi. This overbalance pressure results in
This paper was selected for presentation by an IADC/SPE Program Committee following
review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the
mud filtrate invasion and drilled solids penetration into the
paper, as presented, have not been reviewed by the International Association of Drilling micro & macro fractures of the carbonate formation.
Contractors or the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction by the
author(s). The material, as presented, does not necessarily reflect any position of the Consequently, this results in formation damage requiring
International Association of Drilling Contractors, the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its
officers, or members. Papers presented at IADC/SPE meetings are subject to publication
extensive acid stimulation to bring back the injectivity of these
review by Editorial Committees of the International Association of Drilling Contractors and the PWI wells. Further, drillstring sticking and lost circulation
Society of Petroleum Engineers. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of
this paper for commercial purposes without the written consent of the International Association results in excessive non-productive time (NPT).
of Drilling Contractors and the Society of Petroleum Engineers is prohibited. Permission to
reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not
be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of where and by whom
the paper was presented. Write Librarian, SPE, P.O. Box 833836, Richardson, TX 75083-
Saudi Aramco has identified the minimization of drilling fluid
3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435. losses into the reservoir, formation damage, and less
operational problems as key well objectives. Saudi Aramco
Abstract has begun a campaign to optimize well design utilizing new
technology that will result in reduced unit well cost while
This paper describes Saudi Aramco’s initial experience maintaining safety as the bottom line of all operations.
introducing Underbalanced Drilling (UBD) technology in the Underbalanced Drilling is considered an enabling technology
Ghawar field. The intention was to prove that a step change in that can potentially help Saudi Aramco to achieve its
performance could be achieved by the application of this objectives. The long term goal is to evaluate whether the
technology. Thus the intent was to optimize well design that application of UBD can be extended in other areas safely and
will result in reduced unit well cost. The reasoning for effectively to reap its potential benefits.
applying this technology in power water injection wells (PWI)
was the low risk involved in drilling these wells. The primary
This paper summarizes Saudi Aramco’s experience gained
objective of drilling wells underbalanced was to eliminate
during the drilling of these wells and further discusses the
formation damage and improve injectivity, thereby
observed well performance. Formation damage was
eliminating the need for acid stimulation. Further, increased
minimized, thereby increasing initial injection rates. It also
rate of penetration (ROP) will result in reduction in drill time
eliminated the need for massive and expensive acid
and cost. A major campaign was implemented in the Ghawar
stimulation. ROP was increased significantly, lateral length
field to evaluate UBD in Saudi Arabia. Injection rates were
was able to be reduced, and this enabled several days of rig
dramatically improved and the need for acid stimulation was
time savings.
eliminated. ROP increased significantly when compared to
conventional PWI wells. By the time this paper was
The paper also describes various aspects of extending the
completed, three oil wells had been drilled underbalanced.
application of UBD in other areas within Saudi Aramco. Some
The drilling operations and some of the safety issues only will
groundwork for moving forward to the execution phase in
be highlighted. The operations and results are still being
complex wells and pitfalls to avoid are also outlined.
evaluated and hopefully will be presented in the near future.
Introduction and Background Planning Phase
Saudi Aramco drills power water injection (PWI) wells in the
The geology of the area drilled is a carbonate/dolomite with
Ghawar Field to maintain pressure for optimum production of
varying degrees of porosity. The lenses in Zone 2A are the
oil from the Arab-D reservoir. The Arab-D formation is a
most prolific zones with the highest porosity. Zone 2B is a
fractured, oil-bearing carbonate reservoir. Hydrocarbon
tighter zone and usually exhibits lower porosity values, and
recovery to date has been traditionally optimized through the
Zone 3 is the densest zone with the lowest porosity. The wells
drilling and completing of overbalanced vertical and deviated
drilled cut a path through all three zones.
wellbores. These operations in some instances have been
complicated by drilling related problems (i.e., loss of
circulation and related stuck pipe problems). Traditionally, Due to the low risk involved in PWI wells, it was decided to
first utilize UBD technology in drilling the PWI wells.
2 IADC/SPE 102026
The UBD concept was a simple one. Apply the Flow-Drilling
technique based on the prevailing reservoir pressure using
water as the circulating medium and apply surface choke
pressure to create the amount of underbalance required, while
drilling horizontally through the Arab formations 1.
Crew Training
Prior to the startup of UBD operations, extensive crew
training was conducted by third party consultant specializing
in Underbalanced Drilling Operations. Saudi Aramco key
personnel were also part of the training process. Both onsite
hands-on as well as classroom training was conducted.
Furthermore, all key personnel were certified with IADC
approved UBD Well Control Supervisory course.
The trained personnel included Rig Contractor Drillers,
Assistant Drillers, Toolpushers, Saudi Aramco Drilling
Foreman, Drilling Superintendent and Drilling Engineers.
Some of the key personnel from the UBD service providers
were also certified.
Hands-on training included a video presentation and UBD site
specific induction for all rig personnel. This induction
included the Rotating Head and ESD system as well as safety
& changes to drills. The training also included tour of the
UBD equipment and the rig interfacing with the new
additional equipment on site. Furthermore, the training
incorporated ‘simulated’ UBD procedures before drilling out
the shoe that included well control, connection, tripping as
well as purging the drill string 2.
Early Wells
The first three wells drilled in the current campaign
encountered several problems due to lack of an integrated
approach to equipment selection and well design.
Problems
The first package of surface control equipment was “cherry
picked” from a number of service providers which resulted in
confusion as to who was responsible for what and no overall
leadership of the project from a single service company. This
continued well into the project on the first package, although
steps were eventually taken to have a single service provider
supply all the surface equipment for this package.
No changes to well design were made for the early wells. Dual
laterals and very long single laterals were the norm. This
resulted in questionable underbalanced conditions in the
second of the dual laterals as no attempt was made to isolate
the first lateral while drilling the second. In addition the very
long single laterals resulted in fishing jobs due to hole
tortuosity and probable poor hole cleaning, as the toe end of
the wells became overbalanced due to the high influx at the
heel end.
The early wells had a single waste pit system aligned to be
downwind of the rig at the prevailing wind direction. Reversal
of wind direction could commonly occur in desert locations,
and at such times operations had to cease due to blow-back of
sour gas from the water in the pits. The long laterals also
meant that the rig was drilling for much longer and producing
much more water to surface. Coping with this vast amount of
water became a logistic and environmental challenge.
Lessons Learned
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Utilization of a single service provider for all the surface UBD
equipment resulted in greatly improved operational efficiency
and execution. A single focal point for the UBD operation on
site improved planning, communication and safety.
Health and Safety procedures were more rigorously pursued
and full HAZOP and HAZID programs were initiated
complete with change management procedures. Many items
were identified during these processes and the appropriate
measures taken to solve the problem or mitigate the risk
involved. All parties involved worked towards a process of
continual improvement and rigorous documentation of
changes made.
H2S and gas detectors were employed at critical areas around
the rig, including the discharge lines at the waste pit. The
ability to work safely in the presence of H2S gas was verified
on the early wells drilled.
Data acquisition was continually enhanced during the
campaign, giving added value to the operation and greater
knowledge of the reservoir as it was being drilled.
A dual produced water pit system was introduced so that fluid
could be diverted to either pit depending on the prevailing
wind direction. This only partially solved the problem as the
pits had to be built on the same side of the rig at a ninety
degree angle to each other and there were times when this
solution was less than optimal.
Well Design
In a typical PWI UBD well design, only the reservoir section
was drilled underbalanced. All other well design remained the
same. In the initial stages of the UBD project, the 7-inch liner
was set about 2 ft TVD below the Arab-D in Zone 2A
reservoir top to cover the anhydrite layer as was the practice
in conventional drilling. This created problems in UBD since
Zone 2A usually had a higher pressure than Zone 2B. This
design most of the times resulted in underbalance in Zone 2A
and overbalanced conditions in Zone 2B. Consequently, this
culminated in cuttings buildup in 2B that led to hole cleaning,
torque and drag related problems. Detailed discussions with
various members of the asset team were held. After thorough
brainstorming sessions, all members agreed to a step change
in well design. Consequently, UBD candidate wells were later
designed to isolate Zone 2A of the Arab-D formation thereby
placing the entire lateral length in Zone-2B, the target
reservoir. Thus, the 7-inch liner/casing point was set 2 ft TVD
below the Arab-D Zone 2B reservoir top. The reservoir
sections were drilled as underbalanced open hole. This
configuration paved the way for optimum UBD operations
resulting in getting the most out of this enabling technology.
IADC/SPE 102026
Figures 1 and 2 illustrate the step change in well design.
Realization of performance improvement (increased
injectivity) with UBD resulted in dual-lateral wells to be
redesigned as single-laterals. Furthermore, this rationalization
of well design also led to shorter laterals being drilled. This
yielded into savings in rig days from a point of shorter drilling
length and increased ROP, and yet still achieved or surpassed
the projected injectivity requirements of the candidate wells.
Similarly the requirement for a less tortuous wellpath was
adopted and the focus was changed to keep the wellbore as
smooth as possible within the bounds of the targets set.
Shorter drilling times led to less overall fluid produced to
surface, reducing the size needed for storage pits. Figure 3
portrays a typical well design for the PWI wells.
Documentation
By implementing UBD technology in Saudi Arabia for the
first time, the project generated a lot of documentations which
were additional to the conventional drilling operations.
Several operational procedures new to Saudi Aramco were
written and additional pieces of equipment were introduced.
All theses extra documents need to be controlled and the
information in them need to be disseminated thoroughly
among the team members directly involved with the UBD
operations. As part of this philosophy, a UBD Manual specific
to Saudi Aramco UBD Operations is currently being reviewed
and hopefully will be finalized in the near future. This manual
includes the following among many other UBD specific
operations:
• UBD Equipment
• UBD Operations (e.g., connection)
• H2S Management
• Corrosion Control
• UBD Well Control
• Snubbing Operations
Most of the wells are sour in varying degrees. H2S
Management plays a key role in ensuring that proper safety
measures are in place depending on the specific well types
before any UBD operation commences. For example, a
guideline has been established in conjunction with Safety &
Environmental Compliance Group that includes UBD pre-
startup checklist, UBD HSE equipment requirements among
other safety related items 3.
Later Wells
Using the single source approach for a UBD surface package,
and going through a more thorough HSE planning process
paid dividends. A second complete UBD package was also
mobilized and ten wells were subsequently drilled
underbalanced with very few major problems, although many
other lessons were learned along the way. The very nature of
drilling UB water injectors was not common practice
worldwide and the service companies involved had an equal
learning curve to optimize the equipment for the purpose.
3
Figures 4 to 6 show comparisons between conventionally
drilled offset wells and UBD wells. In all cases there is a
marked difference between conventional and underbalanced
drilled wells.
Mud Costs
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In the power water injection (PWI) wells, the light fluid used
to reduce the wellbore hydrostatic pressure was simply
produced formation water with some caustic added to control
the pH. This resulted in immediate cost savings over
conventional muds. Furthermore, since the wells were no
longer damaged by conventional mud filtrate and fines
invasion, there was no need to perform acid cleanouts after
drilling operations.
Bit Life
In previously drilled conventional wells, it was common
practice to use more than two bits to drill the long laterals and
the average life achieved for a bit run was of the order of 653
ft. Underbalanced wells are now routinely drilled with a single
bit, and of the twelve wells in the study the average bit run
achieved approximately 3,163 ft. This is illustrated in Figure
4. Increased bit life obviously leads to other savings such as
reduced tripping time as well as the cost of the bit itself.
ROP
Rate of penetration (ROP) can be affected by many variables
including hydraulics, weight-on-bit, rotational speed, bit wear,
lithology and bottomhole circulating pressure. It is this latter
factor that is most important when ROP is mentioned /
discussed in relation to underbalanced drilling. The increase in
ROP is attributed to the reduction in the confined strength of
the rock associated with the lower bottomhole circulating
pressure. Also inflow from the reservoir, due to the positive
pressure greatly assists in the removal of drill cuttings at the
bit, thereby reducing and/or eliminating the common
phenomenon known as chip hold-down. During UBD
operations in Saudi Aramco, the average ROP achieved was
more than three times the conventional performance in the
nearest offset wells. This is again illustrated graphically as
Figure 5. The threefold increase in ROP in conjunction with
the increased bit life means savings of rig time and greater
efficiency of the operation.
Injectivity
The higher injectivity in a shorter lateral length is the final
piece of the puzzle. Figure 6 shows the injectivity index
results of the ten offset wells compared to the twelve UBD
wells. The average UBD well has twice the injectivity index
of a conventionally drilled well even after acid treatment.
Case History of an Early Well
The well was to be drilled as a single horizontal lateral with a
target length of approximately 8,300 ft. After drilling 1,050 ft,
high standpipe pressure was observed and a decision was
made to pull out of the hole and investigate. When the
drillstring was recovered no obvious indications were present
so the motor and bit were changed and the string was run back
in hole. After a further 2,811 ft was drilled, difficulty in slide
4 IADC/SPE 102026

drilling was occurring and so the drillstring was again tripped
to reconfigure the position of the HW drillpipe in the string. A
further 1,106 ft of hole was drilled before high standpipe
pressure was again encountered. At this stage 4,967 ft of
reservoir had been drilled and the time taken was 11 days.
To drill the oil wells additional equipments were added to the
UBD package. To remove the solids from the produced fluids
a centrifuge system was introduced into the semi-closed
system. Also to ensure that the produced crude was either
stored or exported, a Coflexlite pipe was used for shipping.
This Coflexlite is a re-inforced flexible pipe that can be used

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After another trip, during which it was discovered that the for temporary shipping of the produced crude to the nearby
standpipe pressure increase had been due to scale buildup GOSP (Gas-Oil Sepration Plant) that was run from an export
inside the BHA components, the motor was changed out and pump to an existing offset producer.
the new assembly run back to bottom. After a further 929 ft of
formation had been drilled sliding problems re-emerged. A Further Lessons Learned
decision was made to trip the pipe to reconfigure the string
In an effort to further enhance the environmental and safety
components but the pipe became stuck whilst pulling out.
aspects of the operation a better method for dealing with the
Attempts to free the pipe resulted in the pipe backing off
produced water was required. Same principle was used in this
downhole. Further attempts were made to screw back in but
case as was done in the Oil Well UBD operations. This
during this time strong flowback was observed up the drillpipe
enabled a virtually fully closed system to be implemented
and the shear rams were deployed to shut the well in. Eight
which reduced emissions to atmosphere and provided a safe
days were subsequently spent fishing the two pipe sections.
conduit for the sour fluids to the process plant whilst
Drilling then continued and a further 409 ft was drilled before
minimizing the exposure of personnel working on site. Line
another trip to reconfigure pipe became apparent. The next
capacity is still a restricting factor however, and a small
drilling session achieved a further 256 ft before directional
amount of fluid still has to dumped to the pits along with the
control problems necessitated a trip to change the BHA again.
slurry discharge from the separator.
Drilling then resumed and an additional 1753 ft was drilled
before excessively high torque made further drilling
Sour gas cold venting from the tank farm was also an issue as
impossible and TD was called.
the passive scrubbers being used caused too much back-
pressure in the system and forced the tank safety valves to lift.
Total time taken over the reservoir section was 30 days and
They were also not very efficient at scrubbing the sour gas.
the injectivity results were similar to a conventionally drilled
Zero back-pressure active scrubbers were sourced for the
well. This could have been due to the repeated killing of the
project and proved to be very efficient in their scrubbing
well with brine for every trip made and during the fishing
ability and caused no lifting of the tank safety valves. Trials
operations. Time and unnecessary expense could have been
with various chemicals in the scrubbers also allowed the best
saved had the well design been optimized earlier on with a
product to be selected.
shorter lateral length. An injectivity test should have been
conducted at the 11 day mark when nearly 5000 ft of well had Next Steps
been drilled to ascertain the injectivity of the well.
UBD wells so far have been confined to high pressure areas
where the Flow-Drilling technique is applicable. A move to
Despite the setbacks, lessons were learned and improvements
depleted parts of the reservoir where a two-phase approach is
made in terms of well planning and operational procedures.
required is high on the agenda for future wells. Nitrogen
Case History of a Recent Well injection will be the gas and method of choice and will be
trialed on water wells initially before moving on to low
This well was to be drilled as a single horizontal lateral with a
pressure oil wells.
target length of approximately 3,235 ft. Drilling the section
was achieved in a single bit run in a time of approximately 53 Summary and Conclusions
hours, maintaining good underbalance and inflow at all times.
A stepwise approach to UBD operations was used, allowing
The well was only killed once with filtered brine to allow
lessons learned to be implemented continuously without the
removal of the BHA from the hole and the injectivity was the
usual management pressures that new technology brings. The
highest yet achieved in the UBD drilling campaign.
first few wells were used to safely develop the technology and
the subsequent wells used to mature it.
Oil Well Safety and Operational Issues
Operational issues that need to be implemented immediately
After drilling fifteen PWI wells, the UBD campaign extended were addressed individually until confidence and competence
to oil wells. Three wells were drilled in the Arab D carbonate were achieved.
reservoir in the Uthmaniyah Area/Field. The oil wells like the
PWI wells were all high pressured reservoirs containing Team continuity allowed focus from conception to
varying amounts of H2S ; therefore all three wells were drilled implementation and continuous improvement, including
using Flow Drilling (single phase) technology. excellent teamwork between all contractors.

The philosophy of closed/semi-closed loop operation was

implemented while drilling the oil wells underbalanced.
IADC/SPE 102026
Conflicts were avoided due to good supervisory management
in addition to the appropriate education of the UBD process
allowed individuals to understand their role and responsibility.
Close scrutiny and qualification, including auditing by third
party specialists, of all equipment and drillpipe components
were critical to the project’s success.
UBD technology was proven to be a safe method of drilling in
Ghawar Field. No major safety or environmental incidents
have occurred in the project so far.
UBD resulted in improved ROP and longer bit lifes.
Reduction in formation damage has resulted in improved
injectivity.
Selection and capacities of the rig, drill pipe, BOPs, RCD
(Rotating Control Device), separation system, scrubber system
and flare stack will be critical for future operations to ensure
the safety & environmental compliance as well as success of
this enabling technology.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Saudi Aramco management
for permission to submit the paper for presentation. Their
5
unwavering support and encouragement has allowed the UBD
Team to implement this enabling technology slowly and
safely while maintaing the technical integrity and know how
within the team. They would also like to thank all the people
involved with this UBD Project in making it a success. Their
dedicated effort and team spirit have helped this project to
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come to this stage successfully without any major incidents
and will eventually lead it to a better and safer future.
References
1. “Underbalanced Drilling of Power Water Injector Wells,”
Saudi Aramco internal report, 2002.
2. Pinkstone, H., Timms, A., McMillan, S., Doll, R. and
Vries, H.: “Underbalanced Drilling of Fractured Carbonates
In Northern Thailand Overcomes Conventional Drilling
Problems Leading To A Major Gas Discovery,” SPE 90185
presentaed at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and
Exhibition held in Houston, Texas, USA, 26-29 September,
2004.
3. Jansen, S., Brett, P. and Kohnert, J.: “Safety Critical
Learnings in Underbalanced Well Operations,” presented at
the SPE/IADC Drilling Conference held in Amsterdam,
The Netherlands, 27 February-1 March, 2001.
6 IADC/SPE 102026

ANHYDRITE

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PA Arab-D Z-2A
7” LP

Arab-D Z-2B
Cuttings Bed
PB

PWD

Figure 1: Casing Setting Point in Conventional and Underbalanced Well Design

Anhydrite

PA Arab-D Z-2A

7” LP

Arab-D Z-2B

PB
PWD

Figure 2: Step Change in Underbalanced Well Design

IADC/SPE 102026 7

Production Casing
Size: 9 5/8 inch
WT: 40 lbs/ft
MD: 4,269 ft
TVD: 4,269 ft Drill Pipe

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Incl. 0 deg Size: 4 inch
WT: 14 lbs/ft

HW Drill Pipe
Size: 4 inch
WT: 28.3 lbs/ft

Top of 7" Liner

MD: 2,234 ft
TVD: 2,234 ft

BHA
Motor: 4 3/4 inch PDM
(180-250 gpm)
Liner
Size: 7 inch
WT: 26 lbs/ft
MD: 7,748 ft
TVD: 7,140 ft

Open Hole
Size: 6 1/8 inch
MD: 10,837 ft
TVD: 7,195 ft

Figure 3: A Typical UBD Well Design

8 IADC/SPE 102026

Comparison of Bit Life for OBD vs. UBD

5000.0 UBD Wells

4500.0

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4000.0

3500.0

3000.0
Bit Life (ft/bit)

2500.0 Conventional Wells

2000.0

1500.0

1000.0

500.0

0.0
VG V)

)
42

95

20

YH 9

YH 3
45

YH 2

YH 0

TM 453

TM 316

TM 351

TM 352

TM 353

TM 318

7
09

23

29

31

5
D
41

43

45

45
46

31
N

B
2

-4

-4
-3

-3

-3
O
-1

-1

-1

-1

-1

-1

-1

-1

-1

-1
-
-

(U
H

YH

YH

YH
(C
N

N
D

D
TM

TM

TM

TM

W
W
R

R
VG
H

H
H

H
A
U

U
A

Figure 4: Comparison of Bit Life.

Conventional and Underbalanced Drilling in the Reservoir Section
IADC/SPE 102026 9

Comparison of ROP for OBD vs. UBD

90.0

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80.0
UBD Wells

70.0
Rate Of Penetration (ft/hr)

60.0

50.0

40.0 Conventional Wells

30.0

20.0

10.0

0.0
) D)
0 9 2 3 29 31 42 95 20 19 33 45 NV 72 6 0 5 5 5 6 35 53 1 6 51 52 53 18 1 7
H-3 H-3 H-3 H-3 -12 -12 -13 -14 H-4 H-4 O (UB H-4 H-4 H-4 H-4 H-3 H-4 -13 -13 -13 -13 -13 -13
D D D D MN MN MN MN Y Y C Y Y Y Y Y N N N N N N
HR HR HR HR UT UT UT UT
(
G AVG RD W TM TM TM TM TM TM
HW HW HW HW HW HW H H U
AV U U U U U

Figure 5: Comparison of ROP.

Conventional and Underbalanced Drilling in the Reservoir Section
10 IADC/SPE 102026

Comparison of Injectivity Index for OBD vs. UBD

120.0
UBD Wells

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100.0
Injectivity Index (bpd/psi)

80.0

Conventional Wells
60.0

40.0

20.0

0.0
) D)
0 9 23 29 31 42 95 20 19 33 4 5 NV 7 2 6 0 5 5 56 35 53 1 6 51 52 53 1 8 1 7
H-3 H-3 H-3 H-3 -12 -12 -13 -14 H-4 H-4 O (UB H-4 H-4 H-4 H-4 H-3 H-4 -13 -13 -13 -13 -13 -13
D D D D MN MN MN MN Y Y C Y Y Y Y Y N N N N N N
HR HR HR HR UT UT UT UT
(
G AVG R D W TM TM TM TM TM TM
HW HW HW HW HW HW H H U
AV U U U U U

Figure 6: Comparison of Water Injectivity Index.

Conventional and Underbalanced Drilling in the Reservoir Section