TECHNOLOGY FOCUS

Drilling Technology and Rigs

Michael H. Weatherl, SPE, Engineering Consultant and President, Well Integrity

Sustaining innovation and well perfor- Once again, there are and further insight into specific solutions
mance during economic downcycles is on the most urgent drilling challenges,
a hot topic right now, familiar in many a number of common including safety, environmental protec-
ways to those of us privileged enough to threads revealed in the tion, operational efficiency, reliability,
have been involved in upstream opera- and well integrity.
tions for 3 decades or more. However,
paths to success: dedicated Once again, there are a number of
the severity of this downturn has result- leaders with clear vision common threads revealed in the paths
ed in an unprecedented purging of exist- beyond near-term economic to success: dedicated leaders with clear
ing paradigms. In parallel with a pro- vision beyond near-term economic
longed period of depressed commodi- and organizational hurdles; and organizational hurdles; retention
ty pricing, geopolitical upheaval, budget retention of competent, of competent, highly motivated tech-
constraints, and loss of experienced per- nical teams; and the courage to push
sonnel all contributed to challenges in highly motivated technical new ideas and persevere through early
delivering performance and technology teams; and the courage trial-and-error phases.
through 2016 and into the new year. The wisdom of history continues to
In this context, it is particular-
to push new ideas and teach us that complex-well solutions can
ly important to reveal and highlight persevere through early be discovered and captured best when
new initiatives and success stories. As trial-and-error phases. the essential elements are present: ade-
will be shown in this feature, across quate levels of time and talent, front-end
operator/service companies and geo- loading, and continuity of key personnel.
graphical boundaries, breakthroughs in well-control/blowout contingency plan- The featured papers reinforce these prin-
safer and more-innovative and -efficient ning, new remote-operations concepts ciples, and the common threads in the
well-construction strategies continue to for extreme Arctic landscapes, break- paths to success are evident for us to con-
occur. Highlighted papers include topics through steerable-liner drilling, and tinue to recognize and apply. JPT
with particular relevance: recent deepwa- improved drilling fluids for long hori-
ter casing and cement design, improved zontal onshore wells. Beyond these head-
understanding of rig-control systems, lines, the reader will find valuable content Recommended additional reading
at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org.
Michael H. Weatherl, SPE, is an engineering consultant and presi- IADC/SPE 178883 Improved Drilling
dent of Well Integrity in Houston. He holds a BS degree in petro- Performance in Extended Horizontals
leum engineering from The University of Tulsa and has been a Using Clean Brines in the Williston Basin
registered petroleum engineer in Texas since 1993. Before starting by J. Davidson, QEP Energy, et al.
Well Integrity in August 2014, Weatherl worked as a drilling and SPE 181415 Drill-Rig Control Systems:
completion team leader for Hess’ New Ventures Unit in Houston Debugging, Tuning, and Long-Term Needs
following assignments in Norway and Offshore Americas. Before by Paul Pastusek, ExxonMobil Development,
Hess, he worked for 25 years for Chevron, including in a number of et al.
positions in production and drilling in Louisiana and Texas. Weatherl is a member of the IADC/SPE 178811 World Record Using
JPT Editorial Committee and serves on the SPE Deepwater Drilling and Completion Steerable-Drilling-Liner Technology To
Conference Committee. He is a 30-year SPE member, has authored several papers, and Secure a Previously Nondrillable Section
served as a technical editor for SPE Drilling and Completion from 1991 to 2013. Weatherl in Unstable Shale by Vincent Bossis, Statoil,
can be reached at weatherlsr@yahoo.com. et al.

JPT • FEBRUARY 2017 45