Contents

1.

Introduction.............................................................................................................................1
1.1 Definition of Extended Reach (ERD) Well...........................................................................1
1.2 Objectives of report...............................................................................................................2

2.

OPPORTUNITY IDENTIFCATION......................................................................................3
2.1 Prospect identification...........................................................................................................3
2.1.1 Subsurface survey..........................................................................................................3
2.1.1 Further analysis of opportunity......................................................................................5
2.1.2 Hydrocarbon volume calculation...................................................................................8
2.2 Wells Economics.................................................................................................................10

3.

Life Cycle of a Well..............................................................................................................13

3.1 Planning..............................................................................................................................13
3.1.2 Build Rate....................................................................................................................15
3.1.3 Hole sizing and selection............................................................................................16
3.2 Drilling................................................................................................................................17
3.2.1 Rig Type.......................................................................................................................17
3.2.2 Rotary Drilling Components........................................................................................19
3.3 Drilling Fluid.......................................................................................................................28
3.4 Casing and Cementing.........................................................................................................29
3.5 Drilling Operations.............................................................................................................30

4.

CONCLUSION.....................................................................................................................32

HOW TO DRILL A WELL

EXTENDED REACH WELL

1. Introduction
With the end of the era of easy oil and with major oil fields being situated in deep waters and
difficult terrains, drilling a well becomes a more and more complex matter. Since 1987,
implementation of horizontal well technology and extended reach drilling technology has been
done to produce oil and gas in a field in the most cost effective way. The use of these new
techniques can make old nonprofitable fields profitable, prolong an existing fields economic
life and make new and uncertain field discoveries technically possible.
1.1 Definition of Extended Reach (ERD) Well
Specific definition of an extended reach well is considered as a debatable issue. However, the
current consensus agrees on the following definition - a well is defined as extended reach if it has
a StepOut Ratio of 2 or more. Stepout Ratio is defined as the horizontal displacement (HD)
divided by the true vertical depth (TVD) at total depth. But, for most highly deviated wells in
deepwater environments, this definition clearly does not fit.
Some methods have evolved to categorize wells according to their stepout within different
vertical-depth ranges. ERD wells then can be described conveniently as shallow, intermediate,
deep, and ultradeep. Other variants are associated with operating in deep water and highpressure/high-temperature environments.
The following are other generally accepted definitions of an ERD well:
i.

Wells having horizontal displacements greater than twice the wells true vertical depth,

ii.

yielding inclination angles in excess of 63.4 degrees;

Wells which approach the limits of what has been achieved by the industry in terms of

iii.

horizontal displacement;
Highangle directional wells that approach the capabilities of the contracted rig.

It should be noted that to date, there is still no standard accepted definition for an ERD well.

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1.2 Objectives of report
The objective of this report is to:
i. Introduce the different elements that are pertinent to drilling
ii. Describe some of the variation of these elements when it comes to Extended Reach Drilling
iii. Touch on the general drilling operation sequence

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1. OPPORTUNITY IDENTIFCATION
2.1 Prospect identification
The formation of hydrocarbon reserves occur due to geological processes that spans over a large
period of time. Organic remains being the main ingredient of this process, forms the gasses and
oils that migrated into the reservoir rock which is then trapped there by overlying rock
formations with very low permeability.
In other words, for a hydrocarbon reservoir to exist we need the following to be available at the
same location:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

A source rock containing the original organic remains.

Pressure and temperature conditions suitable to convert the organic remains into oil and gas.
A porous, permeable reservoir rock where the hydrocarbon can accumulate.
A migration pathway from the source rock to the reservoir rock for the hydrocarbons.
A suitable trap to keep the hydrocarbons in the reservoir rock.

2.1.1 Subsurface survey

The first in line to identify these traps are geologists and geophysicists. In the olden days,
primary identification was done by interpreting surface features, surface rock and soil types, and
perhaps some small core samples obtained by shallow drilling. Currently, surface and rock
terrain is still done but with a more sophisticated approach of using satellite images and aerial
photographs for limited surface access areas.
However, they also use a variety of other methods to find oil such as using:

Sensitive gravity meters & magnetometers - measures tiny changes in the Earth's
gravitational and magnetic field that could be caused by flowing oil,
Sniffers electronic nose that can detect the smell of hydrocarbons
Seismology Most common method of detection by creating shock waves that pass through
hidden rock layers and interpreting the waves that are reflected back to the surface.
In seismic surveys, a shock wave could be created by either of the following:

Compressed-air gun - shoots pulses of air into the water (for exploration over water)

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Seismic Vibrator Truck (Thumper trucks) Uses hydraulic actuator to vibrate base plate of

the truck, generating rapid massive force also known as thumps. (for exploration over land)
Explosives - detonated after being drilled into the ground (for exploration over land) or
thrown overboard (for exploration over water)

Figure 1. Airgun (left) and illustration of seismic streamers (right)

Figure 2. Ilustration of thumper trucks emitting massive force to geophone receivers.

The shock waves travel beneath the surface of the Earth and are reflected back by the various
rock layers. The type or density of the rock layers passed affects the reflection speed and these
reflections are detected by sensitive microphones or vibration. Seismologists interpret the
readings for signs of oil and gas traps.
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Once geologists find a prospective oil strike, they mark the location using GPS coordinates on
land or by marker buoys on water.

2.1.1 Further analysis of opportunity

However, knowing a hydrocarbon reserve exist, does not necessarily equate to drilling a well to
extract it. Due to the high capital intensity nature of the oil and gas industry, thoroughly
researched considerations are made to ensure that all deductions on the reservoir are as precise as
possible and it is worth producing.
For investors assurance and further confirmation on production worth, the following matters are
taken into considerations:

The location of the hydrocarbon reserves

Volume of formation hydrocarbon present and their producible amount.
Rate of formation hydrocarbon production
Uncertainties in determining the above matters.

These questions are answered with the least amount of uncertainties possible by the combined
effort of the subsurface team comprising of production geologist, production technologies,
reservoir engineer and petrophysicist who obtains and analyze formation and fluid information.
Table 1 and Table 2 in the next page contains the type of information acquired and their
description.
Table 1. Formation information
Type of Information
Depth
Gross thickness

Description
The depth or location at which the reservoir is located
It is the thickness of the stratigraphically defined interval in which
the reservoir beds occur, including such non-productive intervals as

Net Reservoir
Porosity

may be interbedded between the productive intervals.

It is the volume of the gross thickness that contains reservoir rocks
The porosity of a reservoir rock is defined as that fraction of the bulk
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volume of the reservoir that is not occupied by the solid framework
Permeability

of the reservoir.
The rocks ability to conduct fluids is termed as permeability. The
permeability of a rock depends on its effective porosity,
consequently, it is affected by the rock grain size, grain shape, grain
size distribution (sorting), grain packing, and the degree of

Lithology

consolidation and cementation.

Litho is latin for rock. It is used as a gross identification for a rock
layer in the subsurface There are 3 major rock types which are
sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rock. Sedimentary rocks are
further subdivided into Siliciclastic or carbonate. In Brunei, the type

Velocity

of rock is mostly Siliciclastic.

The uniform seismic velocity of a particular homogeneous rock type.

Formation Dip

For a rock thickness h and a single-travel time t, Vfor= h/t

Formation dip is an imaginary line constructed down-slope on a
sedimentary bed or fault. The dip direction is perpendicular to the
strike direction and usually expressed in bearing and an angle of tilt
(dip) measured from the horizontal plane to the top of a bed or fault-a dip angle may not exceed 90 degrees.
Table 2. Fluid Information

Type of Information
Type

Significance
To determine the type of fluid in the subsurface whether it is
hydrocarbon or water

Distribution
Saturation

Saturation controls the mobility of liquids (water and free product)

Pressure
Viscosity
Density
Contaminants

through a porous medium.

Energy drive to push hydrocarbon from the subsurface
Measure of how resistant a fluid is to flow
Mass per unit volume of a substance
Contaminants are anything that is foreign to the fluid system and it is

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responsible for over 75% of all system failures hence its monitoring
is very important.

Aside from that, there are also other petrophysical information required:

Hole Volume
Reservoir pressure
Reservoir temperature
Perforation interval
Top of cement / cement quality
Corrosion monitoring
Production rate
Identification of production issues

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2.1.2 Hydrocarbon volume calculation
The calculation of hydrocarbon volume requires us to know the volume of the formations
containing hydrocarbons (the reservoir rock volume), the porosity of each formation, and the
hydrocarbon saturation in each formation.
Volume of reservoir rock
The volume of reservoir rock in a single zone depends on the area of the zone A, and the
thickness of reservoir in the zone h. Data obtainable from the seismic data given by the geologist
which is the only data not obtained via petrophysical technique.

Figure 3. Illustration of a zone of reservoir rock and formula of calculation

Volume of pore in the rock
The relative amount of pore space to the bulk volume is denoted by the porosity , where the
porosity is the fraction of the bulk volume occupied by pore volume, and is expressed as a
fraction or as a percentage;

= Vpore /Vbulk
Hydrocarbon Saturation

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In general the porosity is completely occupied by either water and hydrocarbon, where the
saturation of the water is Sw, and that of the hydrocarbon is Sh, and Sw + Sh = 1. Hence,
hydrocarbon saturation could be computed from this.

Sh = (1 - Sw)
Volume of Hydrocarbon in Place (HCIP)
Finally, the volume of hydrocarbon as it would be in the subsurface and can be calculated by
combining the earlier mentioned formulas:

HCIP= A x h x (N/G) x x (1-Sw)

The determination of this value is the primary job of the petrophysicist, and requires a
lithological assessment and zonation of the reservoir. At a later stage the petrophysicist may also
be called upon to assess the permeability of the reservoir under various conditions. However, the
primary function of the petrophysicist is to assess the amount of hydrocarbons initially in place.

Figure 4.. Illustration of HCIP equation derivation.

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HCIP indicates the volume of hydrocarbon when it is in the subsurface where it is subjected to
raised temperature and pressure. This would change once it is brought to the surface. Hence,
when determining the surface volume, the formation volume factor B o (for oil) and Bg (for gas) is
included into the HCIP equation.
2.2 Wells Economics
There are many points in the project life cycle where an oil and gas operating company has to
decide whether operations remain commercially viable. In fact, only 10% of wells are likely to
be successful in frontier offshore exploration areas.
In Wytch farm, due to aesthetic and environmental regulation, British Petroleum developed a
project that initially called for an artificial island with conventional directional at a cost of $330
million. However, it was replaced instead with an ERD well at less than half the cost (app. $150
million). Although in the above case, an ERD well is considered as more economical, in general,
ERD wells are deemed high on the capital intensity scale than conventional wells which averages
from $30 to $40 million.
The cost to drill and equip a well, any well, varies by such factors as the depth of the well, its
general location, and industry economics that drive demand for drilling rigs in the immediate
area of the well site.
The reason for the enhanced cost in drilling an ERD well is due to the requirement for higher
spec equipments such as drilling rig with larger capacity and also the requirement of additional
tools or resources due to the complex nature. For example, the drilling mud used in an ERD well
is typically Oil Based Mud or Synthetic Based Mud because of their higher friction reduction
properties which is less in cheaper water based mud.

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The costs for drilling, completing and servicing a well could be further broken down into three
basic elements with subsets (Refer to Figure 3)

Time-dependent costs
Depth-dependent costs
Fixed costs or Once-off costs

Contract
Payment
Small Unit
Personnel
Big Unit
Timedependent

Consumables
Services Fees
Company
Overhead

Types of Costs

Equipment
Depthdependent
Consumables
Fixed Cost
Once Off Cost
Figure 5. Cost Breakdown Overview

Overall well cost may be expressed using the following formula:

Cwdo = Cd + Co

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Cd is the drilling cost or hole-making cost (including the cost of each bit used)

Co is all other costs of drilling (e.g. casings, mud, cementing services, logging services,
coring services, site preparation, fuel, transportation and completion).

Co can be easily calculated simply total of each individual costs.

Cd, drilling cost, can be expressed as:

Cd = drilling cost $/m

Cb = cost of bit, $/bit
Cr = fixed operating cost of rig, $/hr
tb = total rotating time, hrs
tc = total non-rotating time (e.g. connecting time), hrs
tt = total trip time (round trip), hrs
D= depth drilled with bit, m/bit

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2. Life Cycle of a Well
The stages by which an extended reach well or also known as ERD well undergoes, is the same
to that of a conventional well. However, special consideration to certain aspects within the stages
due to the increase of complexity that heightens some issues pre-existing in any well drilling
project.
The following diagram shows the key stages of the typical oil and gas project life cycle.

Planning

Drilling

Completion

Production

Abandonm
ent

3.1 Planning
Well planning is usually an iterative process to determine the optimal balance among wellpath,
fluid and hydraulic requirements, drillstring design, torque & drag analysis, casing setting depth
and others.
In other to achieve an optimum well path, the following aspects are considered to be key factors
in well planning:

Well Trajectory
Build Rate
Surveying and Target Sizing

3.1.1 Well Trajectory

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Optimum well trajectory for directional drilling is determined by the identified limiting factors
which could be in terms of most critical operations or wellbore characteristic. There are several
approaches to trajectory design to achieve long reaches with the fewest possible limitations on
other downhole operations. Table 3 is a general comparison of the major options while Figure 6
is a representation of the various trajectory profiles.

Table3. Trajectory design major options

Option
Multiple Build Profile: Rate of
build increases with depth in
several discrete steps to tangent
angle, hold constant tangent angle
Build and Hold: Constant build
rate to tangent angle, hold constant
tangent angle
Double Build: Buildholdbuild
hold trajectory, can use two
different BURs in the build sections
UnderSection: Build and hold
with deep KOP

Advantages
Very long reach,
torque/drag values,
casing wear

Disadvantages
low High tangent angle
low

Simple,
long
reaches
achievable, low tangent
angle
Very long reaches possible
with low contact forces in
upper build
Reducing hanging weight
below build section, reduces
contact force in build
Inverted: Tangent angle above Flexibility for multiple
horizontal so the wellbore enters the targets, avoids gas cap
reservoir from underneath

Potentially high contact

force in build (torque,
casing wear)
May
require
deep
steering, High second
tangent angle
High tangent angle,
shorter reach

Higher axial (buckling)

loads to push string
uphill, deep steering
required
3D: Any of the above with Flexibility to handle anti More curvature means
significant azimuth changes
collision and multiple target more torque and drag,
deep steering may be
requirements
required, shorter reach

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Figure 6. Illustration of the various trajectory profile

3.1.2 Build Rate
Build rate may have a marginal effect on torque and drag levels for very high ratio wells. This is
due to the increasing percentage of string weight supported on the low side of the hole resulting
in lower tensile forces at surface. However contact forces may be sufficient to promote
unacceptable casing wear at the higher build rates. As a guideline, build rates in excess of 2.5 o /
30m may cause concern with respect to high contact forces. If higher build rates than this are
planned, the difficulty of achieving a smooth build also has to be considered where an increasing

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percentage of the build will be performed while sliding and not rotating the assembly. Some
other important things to note about build rate are:

High Reach/TVD ratio wells may tolerate high BUR because the string tension in the curve
is low and may even be in mechanical compression.

Low Reach/TVD ratio wells do not tolerate high BUR since drill string tension in the curve is
higher.

High build rates can cause casing wear problems, especially in high Reach/TVD ratio wells
where there may be high tensile loads through the build section during trips out of the hole
and backreaming.

Low BURs result in lower contact forces. This typically means lower casing wear.

Low tortuosity is also achievable with low BURs. It tends to be more difficult to maintain
low tortuosity with a high BUR.

Generally, with lower build rate, more can be achieved while rotating the assembly and thus
the chances of achieving the desired smooth build will be greatest.

3.1.3 Hole sizing and selection

The majority of ERD wells drilled around the world use a combination of 17, 12 , and 8 hole
sizes (K & M Technologies, 2003). According to K & M Technologies, the reasons for this include
the availability of tools and equipment, ability to drill smaller hole sizes, and simply the depth of
experience in these sizes.
There are instances when different hole sizes are used for example in two-strings well design where
considerations could be given to using 13 and 9 7/8 hole sizes.

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3.2 Drilling
The selection of rig and its components along with the bottom hole assembly, drill string, casing,
and cementing designs are governed by the issues that are either specific to ERD wells or simply
magnified in comparison to other conventional wells. Aside from that, the procedures involved in
drilling are also adapted in order to mitigate any risks involved in such a complex well design.
Below are the major contributing factors in equipment and procedure done during drilling:

Directional Well Design,

Torque and Drag Limitations,
Hydraulics and Hole Cleaning,
Vibration and Wellbore Stability,
Equivalent Circulation Density Management, as well as Mud Rheology and Solids Control.

3.2.1 Rig Type

Drilling rigs are categorized according to whether it is used for land drilling or offshore drilling.
This is further subdivided accordingly. (Refer to Figure 7)
Bottom Supported Rigs
Onshore
Trailer mounted
Barges

Drilling rigs

Bottom
Supported

Platforms
Jackup

Offshore

Drill Ship
Floating

Semi -submersible
tension leg platform

Figure 7. Different types of drilling rigs

Extended reach wells challenge the capabilities of the drilling rig more than a conventional
directional well of the same measured depth except for pickup loads. Rig and logistics issues
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include storage space, setback space, accuracy of load indicators, pump pressure and volume
capacity, and top-drive output torque.
Factors in choosing rig:

Anticipated formation pressure

Hole and casing programme

Preferred drill string size and weight(s) to be used

Hoisting requirement

Hydraulic requirement

Rotary requirements

Auxiliary equipment required

Figure 8. Different types of offshore rigs and their relative operating depth visual representation

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3.2.2 Rotary Drilling Components
Rotary drilling rigs are used in drilling an extended reached well. They function to create rotation
of the drill string and lift the drill stringas well as casings and special equipment into and out of
the hole drilled. The main components of a rotary drilling rig are:

Power system
Hoisting system
Rotating
Circulating
Figure 9 Illustration of the rotary drilling main components overview

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3.2.2.1 Power System
In most rigs, the power is consumed by hoisting and fluid circulating system. The early drilling
rigs were powered by steam. Modern rigs are powered by internal combustion diesel engine and
classified as:
(i)

Diesel electric type

(ii)

Direct Drive type

For ERD wells, power may be limited, especially in a backreaming scenario where pickup,
torque and pumps are all operating at/or near their limit. The combined power usage when deep
on a long ERD well may thus become an issue because it is often at this point that maximum
output levels are required from the mud pump, drawworks and the rotary system. Many of the
industrys rigs that are being utilized for conventional directional drilling do not have the
capability to meet these combined output requirements.

Figure 10.

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3.2.2.2 Hoisting System
The main task of the hoisting system is to lower and raise the drill string, casings, and other
subsurface equipment into or out of the well.
The hoisting equipment itself consists of:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Draw works,
Fast line,
Crown block,
Travelling block,
Dead line,
Dead line anchor,
Storage reel,
Hook and
Derrick,

Figure 11. Hoisting equipment elements set up.

3.2.2.3 Rotary System

The function of the rotary system is to transmit rotation to the drill string and consequently rotate
the bit. During drilling operation, this rotation is to the right. The main parts of the rotary system
in a conventional well are:
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1. Swivel,
2. Rotary hose,
3. Kelly,
4. Rotary drive (master bushing, Kelly pushing),
5. Rotary table and
6. Drill string
For Extended reach drilling, certain parts are either replaced with more specialized ones or
additional equipments are added.
Rotary table
Rotary table rotate clockwise or anti-clockwise and apply torque to the drill string and anything
attached to it. Other than that, it supports the entire string on slips when the pipe is not suspended
from the hook

Figure 12. Rotary Table

In drilling extended-reach wells, drillpipe is rotated not by the rotary table but instead by the
topdrive, which travels the length of the derrick and permits drilling with an entire stand of pipe.
The topdrive also provides backreaming capacity and the capability to push casing down the well
when high drag is encountered. Maximum output from the top drive system is closely related to
the maximum torque capacity of the drill pipe used.

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Figure 13. Example of Overdrive from Halliburton.

Drill string Design
The drill string is an important part of the rotary drilling process. It is the connection between the
rig and the drill bit. The components of a drill string are:

Kelly

Drill pipe

Drill collars

Other various pieces of equipment (Bottom Hole Assembly) above the drill bit such as
stabilisers and reamers.

A drill string serve to function as Weight-on-bit provider, transmitter of

torque to bit, deviation controller, and conduit for drilling fluid.
In drillstring design for ERD, the following considerations are taken into account:
(1) determining expected loads;

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(2) selecting drillstring components;
(3) verifying each components condition;
(4) setting operating limits for the rig team; and
(5) monitoring condition during drilling.
In conventional wells, drillstring tension may be a primary concern, but in ERD, drillstring
torsion may be the limiting factor. Running normal-weight drill pipe to apply weight to the bit in
ERD can lead to buckling of the drill pipe and rapid fatigue failure. Conventional drilling tools
are prone to twist-off because of unanticipated failure under high torsional and tensile loads of an
extended-reach well.
Drillpipe
Torque and drag occurred during the drilling of an extended-reach well (ERW), when the drill
string is pushed through the long horizontal hole section is a limiting factor for conventional drill
pipe technology presented by standard steel drill pipes.
High-strength grades are ideal when lighter drill pipe are required to minimize torque and drag in
ultra-extended reach wells. Reducing wall thickness also improves hydraulic programs, making
it easier to reach drilling targets efficiently. Substantial ERD projects have used and continue to
use either or both 6-5/8" and 5-1/2" drillpipe (DP). However, wider diameter drill pipe could also
prove to be a better option for ERD wells

Drillpipe connection
Additional torsional strength and better hydraulics compared to standard connections providing
exceptional performance in difficult well conditions, such as extended reach wells.

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Figure 14. Sample strong connection VAM DS.

Bottom Hole Assembly
The bottom hole assembly, or BHA, is that portion of the drill string closest to the drill bit it is
designed in consideration of the key issues of involved in overall drilling and hole cleaning
process. It consists of several components:

Heavy-weight drill pipe, which has the same outer diameter as regular drill pipe but with

thicker walls for greater weight, used as a transition between drill collars and drill pipe.
Drill collars, which are heavy, large diameter pipe located above the bit and below the heavy

wall and used to apply weight to the bit.

Stabilizers, which are short drill collars with larger diameter blades that are used to control

contact with the borehole wall.

Subs, which are devices used to connect various parts of the BHA.
Steerable system such as Rotary BHAs, in which the power to turn the bit is supplied by the

rotary table and downhole motor to provide bit power.

MWD or LWD tools for monitoring of downhole conditions.

Drill Bit
One of the important aspects of rotary drilling is the drill bit. A drill bit is located at the end of a
drill string and its core purpose is to cut or bore into the underground formation. Other than that,
it also acts as a conduit for drilling fluid circulation which aids in removal of drilled cuttings.
There are several types of drill bits which have varying properties that makes them better suited
to drill for their respective formation.

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Selection of the best type of drill bit also depends on the performance of the drill bit during
drilling the specified formation. These performances will be recorded against the formation type
and used for formulating the ideal bit. The performance is measured by:
i.

Rate of Penetration (ROP)

ii.

Bit Life (In hours)

iii.

Cost per Unit drilled (Example: Pound per meter, dollars per foot)

There are two major types of drill bit that are commonly used nowadays:

Roller Cone Bits

Fixed Cutter bit

Figure 15. Roller cone and fixed cutter bit.

3.2.1.4 Circulating System

A typical circulating system on rotary drilling rig consists of fluid that moves and equipment to
move as well as clean and condition fluid. Perhaps the single most important aspect of ERD well
planning is ensuring that the rigs pumps, solids control equipment, drillstring components and
selected mud system are adequate to keep the hole clean. Hole cleaning is one of the most crucial
areas in successfully drilling an ERD well.
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The principle components of the mud circulation system are mud pumps, flow lines, drill pipe,
nozzles, mud pits/tanks, mud mixing equipment and contaminant removal (solid control
equipments).

Figure 16. Overview of circulating system

The parameters which affect hole cleaning more than any are flow rate (determines transport and
annular velocity), hole angle (determines mechamism of removal, fluid rheology and flow
regime, mud density, rate of penetration drill pipe rotation, geometry, eccentricity, cuttings Size,
cuttings Shape, cuttings Density and formation.
The mud flow rate is the most important factor for hole cleaning in deviated wells. This is
because increased pumping speed equates to the faster cuttings removal out of the hole when
coupled with ample rotary speed.
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Thus, mud pumps and liner sizes should be selected to ensure a sufficiently high flow rate when
drilling ERD wells. Pump pressure is often the limiting factor for achieving the required flow
rate. Consideration should thus be given to this during the bottom hole assembly (BHA) design
and bit nozzle selection to reduce pump pressure. Ideally, maximum available flow rates should
be used for every section of an ERD well, up to the surface pressure or downhole tool limits.
3.3 Drilling Fluid
Drilling fluid is essentially a mixture of base fluid and chemical additives. There are generally 3
types of drilling fluid / mud:

Water based mud

Oil Based Mud
Synthetic Based mud

ERD requires longer hole sections, which require longer drilling times; the result is increased
exposure of destabilizing fluids to the well bore. Oil-based muds are superior to water-based
muds in ERD as water-based muds may not provide the inhibition, lubrication or confining
support of oil-based muds.
3.4 Casing and Cementing
At a certain stage during the drilling of oil and gas wells. it becomes necessary to line the walls
of a borehole with steel pipe which is called casing. Casing serves numerous purposes during the
drilling and production history of oil and gas wells, these include:

Keeping the hole open by preventing the weak format ions from collapsing. i.e. caving of the

hole.
Serving as a high strength flow conduit to surface for both drilling and production fluids.
Protecting the freshwater-bearing formations from contamination by drilling and production
fluids.

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Providing a suitable support for wellhead equipment and blowout preventers for controlling

subsurface pressure. and for the installation of tubing and subsurface equipment.
Providing safe passage for running wireline equipment
Allowing isolated communication with selectively perforated formation(s) of interest.
There are 5 different types of casing used to isolate different depths/zones of formations. They
are conductor casing, surface casing, intermediate casing, production casing and liner.

Figure 17. Different types of casings illustration.

3.5 Drilling Operations
In Drilling operations, the previously discussed components are brought together to successfully
drill a well. Below is an overview of how a well is drilled in general:
1. Preparation of drilling location
2. Rig up
3. Safety and risk assessment (e.g. walk the line)
4. Hammer conductor casing into the ground
5. Install diverter on top
6. Drilling of pilot hole to depth below shallow gas zone

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7. Open pilot hole using stage opener to the size required for surface casing
8. Run and cement surface casing to surface

Cementing is carried out according to the type of procedure decided upon either
single or multiple stage cementing.

Figure 18. a sample of procedure and accessories in cementing

9. Install wellhead and BOP

10. Drill to intermediate casing setting depth

Intermediate casing may consist of several casings

Cuttings are removed, cleaned and re-circulated via circulating system

Drilling fluid in ERD wells are usually highly lubricated

Fast pumping is required for proper hole cleaning at horizontal section

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Constant monitoring of Equivalent Circulating Density would be required during

drilling

Due to build trajectory, real time monitoring and rotary steerable system is
required for accurate arrival at target.

Bit change out may be required in case of bit wear out during drilling and this
requires tripping in and tripping out.

11. Run and cement intermediate casing.

Intermediate casing will be run using a combination of high powered overdrive

with proprietary grip and accessories that minimizes torque and drag effects such
as non-rotating drill pipe and floating casing.

12. Drill to total depth

13. Run and cement production casing
14. Completion
15. Handover to production
Drill 8-1/2"
Pilot Hole

Open Pilot
Hole to 24"

Run and
cement 185/8" casing

Drill 16"
hole

12 Hole
Check Trip

SBT/Neutron
Log Inside
13 3/8
Casing

Drill 12-1/4"
hole section

Run and
Cement 133/8" casing

Run and
Cement 9
5/8 Casing

Drill 8 x
8 hole

Run and
Cement 7
Liner

Drill 6 x 6
Hole

Figure 19. Example of a drilling sequence

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3. CONCLUSION
Drilling a conventional well or an extended drilled well follows the same sequence of event from
planning to drilling execution. However, due to the issues that are heightened during the latter
type of well, either specialized or upgraded form of equipment could be required. Other than
that, more careful procedure in terms of matters such as hole cleaning are done. The topic on
How to drill an Extended Reach Well is a complex matter that would not be completely
divulged in a short report.

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