Oil field slim hole drilling technology improving

Journal Article · Mon Nov 23 04:00:00 EST 1992 · Oil and Gas Journal; (United States)

OSTI ID:6939211

Recent advances in slim hole drilling technology have improved the application of this drilling technique to oil and gas exploration and development wells. These advancements include Optimization of slim hole drilling hydraulics, Application of a small particle weighing agent to improve well control and coring operations, Use of slim hole techniques to drill horizontal wells, Use of a new polycrystalline diamond compact cutter to allow economical re-entry of small diameter wells in hard rock. Slim hole continuous coring and drilling is becoming more accepted as a viable drilling method, especially as exploration budgets become smaller. Typical applications for slim hole equipment include drilling in frontier areas where logistics can be a problem and reentry operations in which the existing well has a small diameter. Typically, slim hole drilling operations use technology borrowed from the mining industry. The rigs are smaller and drill with much higher rotational speeds. Definitions of slim holes vary from a well with 90% drilled, with a diameter of less than 7 in. To a well with 70% drilled with less than 5 in. A goal of slim hole, however it is defined, is the drilling of a well with a diameter smaller than that used on conventional wells in the area. The reduced diameter helps cut rig time and cost and reduces the cost of the tubulars. Another goal of slim hole drilling is the ability to retrieve cores from the entire well during drilling.

• OSTI ID: 6939211
• Journal Information: Oil and Gas Journal; (United States), Journal Name: Oil and Gas Journal; (United States) Vol. 90:47; ISSN OIGJAV; ISSN 0030-1388
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
03 NATURAL GAS
030300 -- Natural Gas-- Drilling
Production
& Processing
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
294002 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Petroleum
440400 -- Well Logging Instrumentation
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
CARBON
CRYSTALS
CUTTING TOOLS
DIAMONDS
DRILL CORES
DRILLING
ELEMENTAL MINERALS
ELEMENTS
ENGINEERING
EXPLORATION
MINERALS
NATURAL GAS WELLS
NONMETALS
OIL WELLS
OPTIMIZATION
PLANNING
POLYCRYSTALS
RESERVOIR ENGINEERING
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
TOOLS
WELL DRILLING
WELLS