Heavy oil: cluster drilling aids development

Journal Article · Wed Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1981 · Drilling Contract.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6370254

A heavy atmosphere of uncertainty prevails in the Canadian oil and gas industry. Even the most antagonistic players in the on-going game of energy politics agree on one point: that the abundant heavy oil and tar sands deposits in west Canada must inevitably play a vital role in the country's energy future. As relatively untried technology, heavy oil drilling presents some unique problems and challenges, and a number of pilot projects and research labs in Alberta are working at solving some of these problems. One company which has been active in developing and refining heavy oil drilling applications for a number of years is Calgary-based Simmons drilling. Simmons drilling has been involved with cluster drilling projects since 1967, and has applied this technology to oil sands in situ development drilling. The company's first oil sands drilling application was in 1975 when it drilled shallow aquifer depressurization wells for Syncrude - the immense 150,000 BPD oil sands mining project near Fort McMurray, Alta. Simmons has been contracted to apply its directional drilling expertise to a number of projects, including Shell Canada Resources Peace River Project, Petro-Canada's Heating Pilot at Fort McMurray and Esso Resources Canada Ltd. in situ pilot project at Cold Lake, Alta. Simmons applied cluster drilling technology at Cold Lake Pilot Project.

• OSTI ID: 6370254
• Journal Information: Drilling Contract.; (United States), Journal Name: Drilling Contract.; (United States) Vol. 37:4; ISSN DRCOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040300 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Drilling
Fracturing & Mining
ALBERTA
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CANADA
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
DRILLING
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
MATERIALS
NORTH AMERICA
OIL SANDS
OIL WELLS
PETROLEUM
ROCKS
ROTARY DRILLING
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
VISCOSITY
WELL DRILLING
WELLS