INSTITUTO TECNICO DE IDIOMAS DEL EJÉRCITO

ITIE. FILIAL SANTA CRUZ

BOLIVIA

DRILLING AND COMPLETION OF OIL WELL

I. INTRODUCTION
The only way to really know if there is oil at the site where geological research
proposes that a hydrocarbon deposit could be located is by drilling a well.

The depth of a well is variable, depending on the region and the depth at which
the geological structure or selected formation is located with possibilities of
containing oil (for example, there are wells from 1,500 to 1,800 meters deep,
and 4,000 m.).

Reservoir pressures and temperaturas are also taken into account.

II. DEVELOPMENT
1. Well drilling
The drilling stage (ANNEXE 1) begins with the conditioning of the terrain
through the construction of "ironing" and access roads, since the drilling
equipment mobilizes bulky and heavy tools and vehicles. The first wells are
exploratory in nature, these are done in order to locate the areas where
hydrocarbon is located, then the development wells will come. Now to
reduce transportation costs, the first exploratory wells in remote areas can
be drilled by much smaller equipment that makes wells with a small
diameter.

Exploratory wells require a variety of information: drilling, open well logging,

sample collection and cementation.

According to the projected depth of the well, the formations that will be
traversed and the conditions of the subsoil, the most suitable drilling
equipment is selected.

There are different ways of drilling, but the most efficient and modern way is
rotary drilling or trepanation with mud circulation.

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The drilling equipment itself consists of a mechanical or electromechanical
system, consisting of a tower, about twenty or thirty meters high, which
supports a differential rig*1: together they form an instrument that allows the
movement of pipes with their respective tools, which it is driven by a
transmission energized by electric or explosion motors. This same assembly
simultaneously or alternatively drives a rotation table that contains the stem
(Kelly*2), top of the drilling column and transmitter of the rotation to the pipe.

The bit (ANNEXE 2) is the cutting tool that allows drilling. It is and has been
permanently modified over time in order to obtain the appropriate geometry
and material to overcome the different and complex formations of the land
that interpose between the surface and the hydrocarbons, those that
increase in consistency in direct relation to the depth in which they are found.

There are of 1, 2 and up to 3 cone bits mounted on rollers or special

compound bushings; these cones, originally located concentrically, are
manufactured in high hardness steels, with teeth carved on their surface or
with inserts of tungsten carbide or other hard alloys: their geometry responds
to the nature of the terrain to be traversed.

The bit has one or several passages of fluid, which oriented and through
holes (jets) allow the circulation of fluid. The range of bit diameters is very
wide, but 12 ¼ and 8 ½ inches can be indicated as more common.

The set of pipes that is used for drilling is called column or drill string
(ANNEXE 1), and consists of a series of tubular pieces interconnected with
each other by threaded joints. This assembly, in addition to transmitting
direction of rotation to the bit, located at the lower end of the column, allows
the circulation of drilling fluids.

The first component of the column that is located on the bit is the drill collars,
steel tubes with an external diameter almost similar to that of the used
trepan, with a length of 9.45 m., with fluid passage that respects a good wall
thickness. Drilling pipes, steel or aluminum tubes, holes, which serve as a
link between the trepan and / or drill holder and the rod (kelly) which gives

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the rotation rotation to the drill holders (or the drill) are lowered. The spine.
The outer diameter of these tubes is generally between 3 ½ and 5 inches.

The speed with which it is drilled varies according to the hardness of the
rock. Sometimes, the bit can drill 60 meters per hour; however, in a very
hard stratum, it is possible that it will only advance 30/35 centimeters in one
hour.

The fluids that are used in the drilling of a well are administered through the
so-called circulation system and injection treatment.

The functions of the system are the following: prepare the drilling fluid,
recover it when returning to the surface, and keep it clean (get rid of the
cuttings produced by the trephine), treat it chemically, as required by the
drilling conditions, and pump it into the well.

The elements and materials necessary to drill a well: Its design and
composition are established according to the physical-chemical
characteristics of the different layers to be traversed. The qualities of the
selected fluid, density, viscosity, pH, filtering, chemical composition, must
contribute to fulfill the different functions of the same, namely: to cool and
clean the trepan.

As base drilling fluids, different liquid and gaseous elements are used, from
water, fresh or salt, to hydrocarbons in different proportions with water or
one hundred percent hydrocarbons. The selection of the fluid to be used and
its additives depend on the characteristics of the ground to be drilled, final
depth, availability, costs, care of the environment, etc.

Likewise, small blocks of rock are extracted which are called "hearts" and
which are analyzed in the laboratory to obtain a better knowledge of the
layers that are being crossed.

With all the information acquired during the well drilling, it is possible to
determine with certainty aspects that will contribute to the success of a
completion operation, such as:

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 ▪ Depth, thickness and petrophysical properties of the area of interest;

▪ Detection of possible disturbing agents in the production of the well, such

as sand supply;

▪ Identification of layers with potential to generate problems (presence of

aquifers, layers with corrosive gases, etc.).

At the end of the drilling, the well is literally cased (coated) from the surface
to the bottom, which guarantees its consistency and will later facilitate the
extraction of oil at the production stage.

2. Multilateral drilling
The use of this technique is to define a multilateral well (ANNEXE 3) as one
that, from the same wellhead, is accessed with two or more branches, to one
or several productive horizons.

To date, no way has been found to classify the type of multilateral well since
the form and variety is only limited to our imagination and the characteristics
of our reservoirs. So we can have:

 Vertical and horizontal to the same reservoir.

 Vertical and horizontal to different reservoirs.
 Two or more directed to the same or different productive horizon.
 Horizontal with two or more branches.
 Vertical and several horizontal to different reservoirs.

The final structure of a multilateral well will be a function of the field and
available technological resources.

2.1. Degrees of complexity

Generally, oil producing companies require 3 ideal conditions for this
type of technology:

1) Connectivity of the main enclosure with each one of the branches

2) Possibility of re-entering branches selectively

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 3) Hydraulic seal between the mother hole and the branches in the
measure that any of these conditions is not essential, the project
decreases in complexity and cost.

2.2. Integrity of pressure in the union carried out:

 By the termination
 By the casing
 Special tools

When these types of wells are made, there are tools whose use is almost
constant, and they are:

-Deviating wedges: they can be permanent or recoverable and are used

to divert the wells towards the intended purpose, fixing them from the
mother pipe. There are also wedges for open well, although these are
not recoverable.

-Inflatable packers: They are generally used to hang pipes in open wells
and / or isolate some area.

2.3. Development of the completion tasks.

Once the finishing equipment is assembled, the well is first cleaned and
the finishing fluid is conditioned, and then, using the so-called "cased-
hole profiles", usually radioactive and acoustic, to determine the position
of the strata, those that were already identified by the "profiles to open
well", as well as the position of the couplings of the tubing and on the
other hand the continuity and adherence of the cement, both to the
pipeline and to the formation.

In case of low productivity of the formation, either by the very nature of

it or because it has been damaged by drilling fluids or by cementation,
or even by the completion fluid, the productive formation must be
stimulated. The most used procedures are: acidification and hydraulic
fracturing.

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  Acidification consists of the injection under pressure of acidic
solutions that penetrate the formation through the punches,
dissolving the solid elements that disturb the flow of the fluids.
 Hydraulic fracturing consists of inducing the fracturing of the
formation by pumping at high flow and pressure of a fluid that
penetrates deep into the formation, causing its rupture and
simultaneously filling the fracture produced with a solid that acts as
a support agent.

2.4. The human element.

To carry out the tasks of drilling, completion and repair of wells is necessary
a group of people with different degrees of specialization: engineers,
geologists, technicians, specialized workers and they have direct
responsibilities such as programming, supervision, operation and
maintenance, and indirect responsibilities, such as those of the companies
providing technical services, chemical products and drilling fluids, cement
mixing and pumping units or other pumping services, units for running
records electrical, bits and auxiliary service providers such as
transportation of equipment, materials, liquid loads, personnel, etc.

The direct and indirect personnel involved in drilling a well, when it comes
to drilling on land in development wells, amounts to between ninety and
one hundred people; to the extent that the complexity of the work
increases, as, for example, in deep exploratory wells, offshore wells, the
amount of personnel required may double.

A drilling, completion or repair team operates 24 hours a day, every day of

the year, with personnel working on rotating 8-hour shifts.

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III. CONCLUSIONS.-
In conclusion, the only way to really know if there is oil at the site of interest is
by drilling a well, for that is necessary many tools and equipments, like the
above mentioned. And for other part the trepan is the cutting tool that allows
drilling, their common diameters are 12 ¼ and 8 ½ inches.

The use of multilateral drilling to define a multilateral well as one that from the
same wellhead is accessed with two or more branches, to one or several
productive horizons. For that to carry out the tasks of drilling, completion and
repair of wells is necessary a group of people with different degrees of
specialization: engineers, geologists, technicians, specialized workers and
workers.

IV. RECOMMENDATIONS
Perform well drilling in the study area to concatenate the real information of the
strata (ANNEXE 4) with electric drilling carried out and reduce the degree of
uncertainty to interpret the results.

Perform multilateral drilling to increase well production, as long as it is feasible.

Study in greater detail the behavior of the predominant strata in the sector to
delimit the reservoir geometry.

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INSTITUTO TÉCNICO DE IDIOMAS DEL EJÉRCITO.
ITIE. FILIAL SANTA CRUZ
BOLIVIA
ANNEXES

DRILL STRING

ANNEXE 1: DRILLING STAGE

ANNEXE 2: THE BIT
ANNEXE 3: MULTILATERAL WELL

ANNEXE 4: STRATA
INSTITUTO TÉCNICO DE IDIOMAS DEL EJÉRCITO.3

ITIE. FILIAL SANTA CRUZ

BOLIVIA

BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://www.glossary.oilfield.slb.com/es/Terms/d/drilling_rig.aspx

https://www.monografias.com/trabajos11/pope/pope.shtml

http://www.ptolomeo.unam.mx:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/132.248.52.100/1089/A6.pdf

https://www.ihrdc.com/elearning/catalogs/courseCatalog/spa/petroleumonline/Perforacio
n_y_terminacion_de_pozos_petroleros.asp?w=POS&t=b