Integrated Drilling and Logging Program Approach in

HPHT Environment: Successful Drilling of Deepwater

Oberan Field, Nigeria, ENI Deepest Well in Deep
Offshore Nigeria

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Integrated Drilling and Logging Program Approach in HPHT Environment: Successful
Drilling of Deepwater Oberan Field, Nigeria, ENI Deepest Well in Deep Offshore Nigeria

Outline
 Field Location
 Design Requirements
 Approach
 Lean Casing Profile Application
 Pore Pressure Prediction
 Well Verticality
 Formation Evaluation
 Execution
 Pore Pressure Prediction and Mud Weight Management using LWD
Sonic and Resistivity while drilling
 Well Verticality
 Integrated Formation Evaluation
 Conclusions
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Integrated Drilling and Logging Program Approach in HPHT Environment: Successful
Drilling of Deepwater Oberan Field, Nigeria, ENI Deepest Well in Deep Offshore Nigeria

Oberan Field Location

 High Pressure and High  Need a picture of
Temperature Field Oberan Field
 High Pressure (~ 10,800 psia)
 High Temperature (~157 degC
extrapolated SBHT @ TD)
 Oberan-2
 Exploration/Appraisal Well 80 km
from coastline in 674m water
depth
 Test and characterize deep
section of anticline structure in
equivalent Miocene Bonga
Clastic sequence
 Planned TD to 4,479 mMD with
lean casing profile
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Integrated Drilling and Logging Program Approach in HPHT Environment: Successful
Drilling of Deepwater Oberan Field, Nigeria, ENI Deepest Well in Deep Offshore Nigeria

Design Requirements
 1. Each section should be drilled to maximum
possible depth
 Pore Pressure Prediction and Well Verticality
 2. Casing seat point should be set in sand based
on criteria of maximum kick tolerance
 Lean Casing Profile Application
 Mud Weight Management
 3. Detailed evaluation of all geological targets
should be done.
 Gas, clays, radioactive minerals and complex lithology

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 Integrated Drilling and Logging Program Approach in HPHT Environment: Successful
Drilling of Deepwater Oberan Field, Nigeria, ENI Deepest Well in Deep Offshore Nigeria

Lean Casing Profile

Application
 Closed loop system to help drill and case
well at reduced time and cost
 Consolidated technology keeping the
same production casing and reducing
diameters of surface and intermediate
casings
 Better rate of penetration due to smaller hole
diameter
 Reduced cutting volumes, improved hole
cleaning and controlled annular pressure
losses
 Reduction of annular clearances requires
closer monitoring of all aspects of operation
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 Integrated Drilling and Logging Program Approach in HPHT Environment: Successful
Drilling of Deepwater Oberan Field, Nigeria, ENI Deepest Well in Deep Offshore Nigeria

Eni - Circulating
Device
 Combined with LWD annular pressure
tool ensured effective pore pressure and
shock management
 Each well section was drilled to
maximum depth allowing real time
decision in setting casing points. Each
section should be drilled to maximum
possible depth
 Eni patented Circulating Device was
used to effectively manage mud weight
within narrow margin between fracture
gradient and pore pressure.

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Integrated Drilling and Logging Program Approach in HPHT Environment: Successful
Drilling of Deepwater Oberan Field, Nigeria, ENI Deepest Well in Deep Offshore Nigeria

Pore Pressure Prediction

 Help increase and optimize borehole stability
 Failure to maintain mud weight within hydraulic
operating range can compromise setting deeper
casing points
 LWD sonic data was primary in under compaction
model because less affected by temperature and
salinity
 LWD Resistivity data was used in hole sections where
sonic data was unavailable

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 Integrated Drilling and Logging Program Approach in HPHT Environment: Successful
Drilling of Deepwater Oberan Field, Nigeria, ENI Deepest Well in Deep Offshore Nigeria

Pore Pressure Prediction

 Pre-Drill Model was created using
interval velocity from surface
seismic and offset well data of
Oberan-1
 High quality real-time sonic and
resistivity data enabler for pore
pressure prediction model update.
Model was calibrated using data
from Wireline formation tester for
the section completed to have
revised model for next section
 Leak off test at the start of each
section provided critical calibration
point

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Integrated Drilling and Logging Program Approach in HPHT Environment: Successful
Drilling of Deepwater Oberan Field, Nigeria, ENI Deepest Well in Deep Offshore Nigeria

Pore Pressure
Prediction
 Robust real-time
communication and
workflow was
established
 All data was shared
using real-time data
transmission
system to make
timely and efficient
decisions
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Integrated Drilling and Logging Program Approach in HPHT Environment: Successful
Drilling of Deepwater Oberan Field, Nigeria, ENI Deepest Well in Deep Offshore Nigeria

Well Verticality
 Maintaining well verticality helps reduce departure
 Less total drilling length helps reduce risks and costs in high pressure
high temperature environment
 Automated Vertical Rotary Steerable System (RSS) was used to
maintain verticality
 RSS helps in mud weight management and borehole quality through
continuous rotating
Well Name Average ROP Maximum Total Depth
Inclination
Oberan – 2 38 m/hr 0.26 4,479 mMD

Oberan – 1 5 m/hr 2.61 4,340 mMD

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Integrated Drilling and Logging Program Approach in HPHT Environment: Successful
Drilling of Deepwater Oberan Field, Nigeria, ENI Deepest Well in Deep Offshore Nigeria

Formation
Evaluation
 Comprehensive
Wireline Logging
Program in 13.5” and
10.625” open hole well
section
 13.5” Section:
 High Resolution platform
express and LWD resistivity for
fast and robust results
 Dipole Shear Imager tool was
run for compressional and
shear acquisition

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 Integrated Drilling and Logging Program Approach in HPHT Environment: Successful
Drilling of Deepwater Oberan Field, Nigeria, ENI Deepest Well in Deep Offshore Nigeria

Formation
Evaluation
 10.625” Section:
 Accelerator Porosity tool was run
to acquired epithermal neutron
measurement for lithology
evaluation and gas detection
 High Resolution Gamma Ray
Spectral Measurement assisted in
clay typing and volume indications

 Petrophysical
information collected
was key for MDT
operations

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Integrated Drilling and Logging Program Approach in HPHT Environment: Successful
Drilling of Deepwater Oberan Field, Nigeria, ENI Deepest Well in Deep Offshore Nigeria

Formation Pressure and

Sampling
 Modular Dynamic
Formation Tester was
run in 3 well sections
 141 pretest acquired
and 85 reliable
pressure points
 Several downhole fluid
analysis and sampling
stations were
performed
 Fully characterize
hydrocarbon bearing
zones and aquifers
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Integrated Drilling and Logging Program Approach in HPHT Environment: Successful
Drilling of Deepwater Oberan Field, Nigeria, ENI Deepest Well in Deep Offshore Nigeria

Formation
Pressure and
Sampling
 Some sampling
stations used focused
technique (Quick Silver
Probe)
Mud
contaminated
fluid

 Allows to capture
contaminated fluid and
discharge into
wellbore and direct

formation fluid
clean fluid to fluid

Pure
analyzers and
sampling bottles
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Integrated Drilling and Logging Program Approach in HPHT Environment: Successful
Drilling of Deepwater Oberan Field, Nigeria, ENI Deepest Well in Deep Offshore Nigeria

Well
Performance
 Oberan-2 was drilled
to target TD without
having to use last
planned casing string
 Total Depth – 4,479 mMD
 Maximum Pressure
Recorded - 10,800 psi
 Maximum Temperature
Recorded – 153.3 ˚C
 Maximum Deviation – 1.18 ˚

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Integrated Drilling and Logging Program Approach in HPHT Environment: Successful
Drilling of Deepwater Oberan Field, Nigeria, ENI Deepest Well in Deep Offshore Nigeria

Conclusions
 Drilling performance on Oberan-2 was optimized
using:
 Intelligent fit for purpose new technologies
 Risks and challenges were assessed in planning stage to safely achieve
well targets

 Drilling technologies including automated rotary

steerable system, lean profile application, eni
circulating device and real-time pore pressure
helped:
 To set deeper casing points
 To maintain well verticality
 To increase ROP by drilling close to balance and no sliding
 To ensure safer drilling practices

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