CORING OPERATIONS

Definition
Obtain undisturbed samples of solid, fractured, or weathered rock
formations

Primary Importance, quantitative measurements of following :

Porosity - The volume of voids within a unit volume of rock.

Permeability - The quality of the connections between the voids.
Saturation - The composition of the fluids filling the voids.

Secondary importance is the additional information relating to:

Formation boundaries, large scale sedimentary structures,
undisturbed paleontological data, and the opportunity for
uncontaminated geochemical sampling.

Core Point Selection

Correlation with known marker in databases including seismic
data, correlation wireline/LWD , mudlogs with offset wells or any
other petro-physics related data.

Two types of coring operations

1. Conventional coring (at the time of drilling)
Use a core barrel attached to the end of a drill rod string
Rod string and core barrel assembly are removed after each
cutting run to recover the sample
The core barrel is emptied and returned to the borehole for the
next run

Two types of coring operation(contd)

2. Wireline coring
More efficient that Conventional Coring Systems
Use an outer barrel and a core casing
An inner barrel can be lifted through the drill string to the
surface
The inner barrel is lifted to the surface with a wire-line device,
then lowered back in

Coring Operations sequence

- Drilling pilot hole to determined starting coring point at
prognosis depth ( watch for drilling break or any gas show or
cutting if core start depth might come shallower than prognosis)
- Core point is reached the usual routine is to stop drilling, flow
check, circulate bottoms up and evaluate all the data available
(cuttings for lithology, porosity, oil shows, gas shows, drilling
exponents, ROP, torque, LWD logs -etc.) prior to making the
decision to trip out of hole to change with Coring Assembly.

Coring Operations Sequence (contd)

- Run in hole with Coring Assembly to core start depth circulate hole
and make sure inner barrels is clean start cut the core pull out of
hole with core. At this stage the trip out of hole speed is one of
considerations to make sure core is safe until it recovered.
- Some problems regardless of the sophistication of the coring
equipment, is hole problems, typical hole problems are :

Lost Circulation --- Kicks --- Sloughing Formations --- Doglegs /

well shape --- Stuck Pipe --- Unconsolidated Formations --- Junk -- H2S

Coring Operations Sequence (contd)

Example of real time problems that may occurs :
Rock mass surrounding borehole not self-supporting
(unconsolidated formations)
Protruding material in borehole (junk)
Small diameter, vertical boreholes are generally more stable
(doglegs and well shape)
Friable sandstone and solution channeled limestone or
dolomite are more susceptible to wall failure (formation
factors)

Coring Operations sequence (contd)

To avoid those several problems, some consideration should be
have been decided upon prior to coring :
1. All drilling-related items in the prognosis are satisfactory,
including the rig equipment, gauges and indicators
2. The correct drilling fluid properties have been obtained
3. The borehole is cleaned
4. The core barrel has been assembled correctly
5. The type of core bit being used

Coring Operations sequence (contd)

Various core bit

6. The coring parameters

7. Positioning the core catcher for the best recovery
8. The length of the core to be cut
9. Coring BHA (Bottom Hole Assembly) design

Core Handling Procedures

Properly label and identify all samples (Top and Bottom

marker with depth and direction)

Marking

Cutting

Core Handling Procedures (contd)

After cutting a core barrels

into certain length ( every
1m for example), take core
chip from bottom-top depth
for quick sample description
including oil/gas shows
under microscope

Core chipping

Core Handling Procedures (contd)

Packaging and Shipping Core Barrels