Designing a

Well
September 2012

As the July and August issues of PatchWorks explained, there are several steps in the
lifecycle of a well including gathering seismic data, and getting mineral and surface rights
to a parcel of land. The next steps are preparing a well plan or design, and getting a
license to drill.

Provincial regulatory bodies grant licenses to drill to exploration and

production (E&P) companies. In Alberta, for example, licenses are
granted by the Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB).
The job of provincial regulators is to ensure the safe, responsible, and
efficient development of the provinces energy resources including oil
and gas. The ERCBs requirements are meant to safeguard the
environment and public safety. The ERCB is very busy with
applications. In 2006 it received over 38,000 applications relating to
energy facilities (including wells, pipelines, batteries, and gas plants),
resources and utilities. (Source: ERCB)
To apply for a drilling license, an E&P company must submit a detailed drilling plan. Each
company in the oilpatch has its own process of planning or designing a well. However,
there are usually two key pieces required for the creation of a well plan.
The first key piece is a geological prognosis which is the prediction of the probable
layout of the rock formation where oil and gas is expected to be. This plan is created by a
multi-disciplinary team at the E&P company which often includes geologists, petroleum
engineers, drilling engineers and geophysicists using seismic data, knowledge of rock
formations and wells drilled nearby or offsetting well information.

PatchWorks explains
how the oilpatch works
in a series of short,
monthly articles.
PatchWorks is part of
PSACs Public Outreach
Program, designed to
strengthen the
partnership between the
oil and gas industry and
the communities where
we operate.

The second key part is a land survey which is prepared by a land surveyor with a
construction lead from the E&P company. The land survey contains the well surface
location, existing structures on the property, potential and existing roads, distances from
water bodies, and well site elevations. An average of 10,000 wellsites are surveyed in
Alberta each year. (Source: Alberta Land Surveyors Association)
Using the information from the land survey, the multidisciplinary team at the E&P company
updates the prognosis report. This is an important stage of the well planning process as the
site of the actual well can move a significant distance from the original plan due to factors
on the lease such as water, roads or structures.
With this updated information, a stick plan or drill plan summary can be developed.
This plan is a comprehensive overview of how the well will be drilled. The plan outlines the
well type (e.g. exploration or re-entry), the well profile (what direction the path will take) and
the coordinates of the bottom of the hole. It also details the drilling schedule and the
specific equipment and supplies needed for each stage of the drilling process, such as drill
bits and cement. (Source: Manitok Energy, Precision Drilling)
The stick plan is key to getting a license to drill and to getting to the next stage in the
lifecycle of a well moving a rig.

Coming up in
PatchWorks:
Moving a Rig

For other PatchWorks

articles and more oil
and gas information,
please visit:
www.oilandgasinfo.ca

Please send your

PatchWorks questions
and article ideas to:
pw@oilandgasinfo.ca