SPE 100927
Case Studies—Proactive Managed Pressure Drilling and Underbalanced Drilling
Application in San Joaquin Wells, Venezuela
J.C. Beltran, O. Gabaldon, and G. Puerto, Weatherford Inc.; P. Alvarado, PDVSA Gas; and V. Varon, Weatherford Inc.
Copyright 2006, Society of Petroleum Engineers
This paper was prepared for presentation at the 2006 SPE Annual Technical Conference and
Exhibition held in San Antonio, Texas, U.S.A., 24–27 September 2006.
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Abstract
The San Joaquin field was discovered in the 1930's and is one
of the largest oil-gas fields in the eastern Venezuela. It field
currently including over 240 wells producing from 662
different reservoirs. The average daily production is about 800
MMSCFGD and 8000 BOD of condensate.
Due to the reservoir characteristics and the natural
decrease of the reservoirs virgin pressure, drilling operations
applying conventional overbalanced methods have induced
significant Operational Problems and formation damage.
To reduce initially the operational problems (average
fluid losses, which were more than 2,000 barrels per well) and
to decrease Productivity Index damages due to differential
pressures on the depleted formations, the Near/Under
Balanced technique was considered.
Several months of reservoir evaluations with
geomechanical and stability studies were spent, before the
decision to use Managed Pressure Drilling through-out
shale/sandstone-layered gas payzones formations was taken.
Twelve wells have been performed up to date using
proactive Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) & Underbalanced
Drilling (UBD) techniques in the Merecure and San Juan
formations (8½” and 6½” hole sections respectively). Nitrogen
injection has been applied in the San Juan formation to
achieve the required ECD below 6.0 ppg.
These types of wells were the first of their kind drilled in
Latin America using these techniques in conjunction with the
Down Hole Deployment Valve (DDV).
The application of the MPD technology to solve the
varied range of operational problems that had been
experienced in the San Joaquin field, began in December 2004
in the 8½” section of the G-92 well, with an excellent
operational and production result. After this milestone, the
MPD program has included the performance of the following
wells, up today: JM-229, JM-230, JM-233, JM-235, JM-236,
JM-237, JM-238, JM-239, G-96, JM-240, JM-242.
A total of sixty days and US$1.4 Million have been
saved using the above practice in the first five wells (8½” and
6½” hole sections). As a result, PDVSA will continue
applying the technique in the San Joaquin field. The well bore
stability study is currently under evaluation for the 12 ¼” hole
section to enable the MPD application in an effort to optimize
time and costs in the upper section too.
This paper describes how the planning and operational
procedures have been performed in order to obtain savings
during the drilling activity in San Joaquin wells and How the
improvements in the production are being achieved following
a great step forward in today's industry needs for recovering
production from complex reservoirs.
Introduction
IADC UBO/MPD committee has defined MPD (Accepted by
committee vote, March 16th, 2004) as an adaptive drilling
process used to (more) precisely control the annular pressure
profile throughout the wellbore. The objectives are to
ascertain the downhole pressure environment limits and to
manage the annular hydraulic pressure profile accordingly.
MPD is an advanced form of primary well control
typically employing a closed, pressurizable fluid system that
allows greater and more precise control of the wellbore
pressure profile than mud weight and mud pump rate
adjustments alone. As opposed to a conventional open to
atmosphere returns system, MPD enables the circulating fluids
system to be viewed as a pressure vessel.
MPD is a collection of tools and techniques that offers
incredible advantages to drill in a safer mode. The Reactive
MPD involves tooled up to more efficiently react to downhole
surprises. In a Proactive MPD System the fluids and casing
programs are designed, from the start, to drill with ability to:
• Adjust BHP with minimum interruptions to drilling
ahead
• Achieve a deeper open hole
• HSSE performance
The closed system utilized in MPD and UBO operations has
the potential for safer well control due to: More sensitive kick
detection, the influx is stopped faster and we can perform a
faster kill in the case this will be mandatory.
During a conventional circulation, annulus friction
pressure is added to hydrostatic pressure and increase total
2 SPE 100927
BHP. In a Constant Bottomhole Pressure variant of Managed
Pressure Drilling (CBHP), reduced surface annulus pressure
compensates for increases in annulus flowing pressure during
circulation.
The Presence of pressure differentials of more than 3,000
psi between contiguous layers involve the frequent risk of lost
circulation and well control combination that was typical
during drilling operations in the productive zones of the San
Joaquin Field and it has been a very important issue on well
construction costs.
Industry studies have shown that drilling costs and non
productive time (NPT) increase as reservoirs become depleted.
The top two causes of NPT and the related additional costs
associated with drilling depleted areas in San Joaquin Field
are: Differential sticking and lost circulation incidents. With
MPD & UBD, related incidents and associated costs have
been reduced or avoided in this specific Field.
Field General Information
The San Joaquin field (Fig. 1) is located 400 km south east of
Caracas in Eastern Venezuela covering an approximate area of
450 km2 and being part of a very important hydrocarbon
producing province called Anaco District. The field has been
an oil producer since 1938 and from the year 2001 it has been
transformed from a marginal oil field into the most important
gas field in Venezuela. This has been achieved through an
aggressive drilling and workover campaign in the last five
years.
Fig.1- The San Joaquin Gas Field
The field is formed by a sequence of three aligned domes
in the N50E direction caused by an important influence of
compressive and tensile stresses that form the rises and
foldings in the structure. The Proactive Managed Pressure
Drilling and Underbalanced Drilling Application have been
performed in the Merecure and San Juan formations (Fig. 2).
These are considered the most prolific zones, from a gas
production point of view, with permeability in the range of 50
and 500 md, porosity between 5% and 20% and pressure less
than 4,000 psi. These reservoirs produce gas condensates and
recover injected gas from the oil ages, which have specific
gravity of about 0.7 and API gravity that varies from 40 to 60
API units. The Merecure formation (Oligocene) is composed
by a repetitive alternation of consolidated sands and narrow
shales with abundant lignites of great lateral extension (Fig.
2). The sandstone reservoirs are layered and have great
extension. Some wells have been drilled through up to 28
diverse reservoirs with pressure differentials that range from
700 to 4,000 psi.
The San Juan formation is a gas condensate reservoir
from the Cretaceous, constituted by three major consolidated
sands that present scarce shale layering and a clay matrix. The
upper layers are depleted and fractured and lower layers can
have pressures in excess of 2,000 psi greater than the depleted
layers.
Fig. 2– Typical lithology and pressure profile showing the
shale/sandstone-layered characteristic of Merecure and San Juan
formations and the extreme pore pressure differentials on these
productive zones.
Wells Cases Study & Times Analysis
All the wells are vertical in essence. Although, in
somewells, the significant dome-type structural effect imposes
the need for vertical control, through the use of directional
drilling equipment, in order to assure hitting the targets. This
scenario has an important effect on rate of penetration (ROP)
and lostcirculation control.
The combination of conventional overbalanced drilling,
the presence of consolidated sands, elevated pressure
differentials and directional drilling for vertical control
structure the perfect mix that results in inadequate drilling
performance in over 60% of the wells. When drilling through
high (4,000 psi) and low pressured (700 psi) formations, NPT
events relating to lost circulation and well control often occur.
SPE 100927 3

The difficulties traditional drilling techniques have WELL PLANNED REAL

encountered with these intervals can easily be seen from the
offset data in Tables 1-5 The data in Table 1 shows that Days Days
average real drilling time for the 8 ½-in hole section during JM-235 31.00 18.13
the conventional overbalanced drilling operation in the
JM-236 28.00 42.00
Merecure formations, was 28.61 days. Table 4 illustrates that
an average of 16.23 days were required to drill through the JM-237 27.00 26.00
Merecure Formations using MPD Systems. On the other JM-238 15.00 13.00
hand, Table 2 shows that average real drilling time for the 6
½-in hole section during the conventional overbalanced
drilling operation in San Juan Formations, was 19.94 days AVERAGE 12.63 12.39
compared to an average of 12.36 days (Table 5) to drill
Table 3- rilling time for the 12 1/4-in. hole section (MPD)
through this same formations using UBD Systems.
WELL PLANNED REAL
Days Days
WELL PLANNED REAL
G-91 16.00 27.00
Days Days
G-93 22.00 25.70
G-92 16.00 20.50
JM-204 25.00 50.00
JM-229 20.00 19.00
JM-205 30.00 34.00
JM-214 25.00 30.40 JM-230 18.00 21.20
JM-215 19.00 19.30 JM-233 20.00 17.80
JM-216 22.00 31.30 JM-235 15.00 12.13
JM-220 17.00 23.30 JM-236 14.00 11.00
JM-221 20.00 31.40 JM-237 14.00 15.00
JM-225 19.00 21.60 JM-238 16.00 13.20
JM-227 18.00 20.70
AVERAGE 16.63 16.23
AVERAGE 21.18 28.61
Table 1- Drilling time for the 8 ½-in. hole section (Overbalanced Drilling) Table 4. Drilling time for the 8 ½-in. hole section (MPD)

For a mature field, the operation and production costs are

increased linearly with time until the abandonment point. In a WELL PLANNED REAL
time “T”, a technology “X” is introduced which increases the
costs until the learning curve is fulfilled and the cost become Days Days
stabilized, then it will increase again with a slope similar to G-92 14.00 7.40
the original curve (Fig. 3) JM-229 14.00 24.00
WELL PLANNED REAL JM-230 14.00 22.40
Days Days
JM-233 14.00 14.80
G-91 14.00 9.00
JM-235 13.00 9.50
G-93 20.00 11.80
JM-236 14.00 2.00
JM-193 25.00 19.00
JM-237 14.00 3.00
JM-205 30.00 24.21
JM-238 11.00 8.00
JM-214 18.00 20.70
JM-215 20.00 29.60
JM-216 18.00 33.50 AVERAGE 13.50 11.39
JM-220 14.00 21.90 Table 5. Drilling time for the 6 ½-in. hole section (MPD)
JM-221 24.00 19.10
JM-225 18.00 14.10 It is common in the industry to complete underbalanced
or MPD wells openhole to avoid damaging the formations
JM-227 21.00 16.40 with heavy slurries. In the San Joaquin field, experience by the
operator indicated it would not be prudent to attempt to
AVERAGE 20.18 19.94 penetrate the San Juan while the Merecure was still exposed.
This means that while the San Juan formations could be
Table 2- Drilling time for the 6 ½-in. hole section (Overbalanced Drilling)
4 SPE 100927
produced openhole, the Merecure formation had to be covered
to cement during the casing process. To maximize production
and take advantage of the fact that minimal damage was done
to the formation while drilling because of the at-balance nature
of MPD, it was decided that the well should be cemented
using the latest in lightweight cementing technology. To
isolate the Merecure from the San Juan, a 7 5/8-in. liner is
normally selected to case off this exposed portion of the
wellbore.
Production Curve, Mature Field
Introduction of a New Technology
COSTS (US$ MM)
Real Case History, San Joaquin Field MPD
TIME
Fig. 3– Behavior of a mature field costs
Because many of the problems of drilling depleted zones
(and the associated extra costs) are avoided with MPD, the
real advantage of this technology could be observed later in
the life of a field, after reservoir depletion has occurred. This
can be best observed in Figure 4. When the reservoir life cycle
has advanced and the New Technology start operating on the
right side of the dashed line, the additional increase rate
associated with MPD is often significantly overshadowed by
the increase in trouble drilling costs.
Fig. 4– Relationship of relative field development drilling costs
Operational Drilling Considerations in order to Drill 12
¼”, 8 ½” and 6 ½” hole sections in the San Joaquin and
Guario Wells Using Proactive MPD and UBD Systems.
The application of MPD & UBD in their diverse
modalities to solve the varied range of operational problems
that were experienced during the conventionally drilling
campaing in San Joaquin field, began with Guario-92 well,
with excellent operational and production results. The
continuation of the Drilling program shows eleven more wells
uptoday, all with excellent real results.
One of the associated main problems to drill this kind of
wells in this area is the loss of recurrent circulation in the
members of San Juan, formation catalogued like the primary
objective of production. On the other hand, the severe losses
of circulation observed in the Merecure formation, in whose
sandstone due to the high differential pressure, existing
between the multiple layers, it has been worked with high
values of overbalanced. Additionally, these types of events
have been also observed in the members Amarillo and
Colorado from the Oficina Formation.
This kind of problems, common in zones where
sandstone packages are drilled with different pressure levels as
it is the case of Oficina, Merecure and San Juan formations,
entails great loss of time and economic resources for its
solution when it is drilled in a conventional way, combined to
a constant formation damage due to the fluid invasion towards
to the payzone. On the other hand, the great flexibility that
MPD has, generating and maintaining a specific value of
Equivalent Circulating Density (ECD), constitutes a
fundamental tool to handle in a more efficient way these
problems.
This has been demonstrated effectively during the
Managed Pressured drilling program in San Joaquin
performed on the last 18 months. These wells were drilled,
observing minimum losses of mud in the worse of the cases.
More recently, the JM-237 and JM-238 wells used MPD to
drill the members Naranja, Verde, Amarillo and Colorado
from the Oficina formation with great successful.
In San Juan Formation, characterized to have the
superior layer (SJ-A) with a very low equivalent pressure (3.2
ppg), the UBD is constituted in the best option as much to
reduce the inherent costs of circulation losses like to reduce
the formation damage induced by the high degree of
overbalanced used on these sandstones when they are drilled
conventionally.
In the present paper, the different alternatives for the
application of this technology are analyzed as much
considering the particular conditions of each well and based
on the available information concerning to the formation
pressures profile and reservoir characterization. On the same
way, technical, Operational and QHSSE considerations are
included,in order to perform the operation in a successful way.
The 12 ¼” section throughout the members Naranja,
Verde, Amarillo and Colorado from the Oficina formation,
this include 4,500 feet approximately. The objective for this
section is to Rig up the MPD equipment, and to drill in
conventional form until signs of instability from the well
appear, which commonly happens in form of gas kick, at level
medium sandstones from the Amarillo member. From that
moment on, to circulate through control and separation system
of Weatherford Controlled Pressured Drilling & Testing
Services, being continued the drilling operation using Flow
Drilling. On this way, it is persecuted to drill the section with
the smaller possible ECD in bottom, to avoid losses of
circulation normally observed as the CO-A sandstone level.
This last one has an equivalent of 2.5 ppg frecuently. When it
is drilled conventionally, this sand is susceptible to loss of
circulation, since this one is put under a high level of
SPE 100927
overbalanced when heavy muds near to 12 ppg, are necessary
to control the sandstones such as CO-K, which has generally
pore pressures about 11.5 ppg.
In main lines, the objectives to drill the 12 ¼” hole
section in the modality of near balanced/flow drilling are:
• To allow the formation gas flow to controlled rates.
• To conduct the operation with an Equivalent
Circulation Density that minimizes the risks of
circulation losses towards the sandstones of smaller
pressure as well as to avoid stuck pipe by differential
pressure sticking.
• To avoid the fluid invasion towards the potentially
producing formations.
For the case of the 8½” hole section, in which about
1,250-1,500 feet of the Merecure formation are drilled, from
ME-A sandstone to the Base of the Vidoño formation, it has a
package of 29 diferents members, which have a very little
information concerning to their pore pressures. Nevertheless,
taking in consideration the information available from
previous wells drilled in the area, it has been observed in most
of those sandstones of high pressure, like ME-Q and ME-T1,
2; have a rating from 9.6 ppg to 10 ppg in some cases. On the
same way, there are other sandstones with lower pressure like
ME-F, ME-J1L and ME-T4, 5 frequently; with equivalent
pressures equivalent fewer than 4.0 ppg.
This differential pressure is the cause of the great
difficulty to drill this zone with a conventional technology. On
the other hand, the application of the MPD & UBD technology
allows to work with a fluid of a smaller density to the one
normally used in a conventional overbalanced drilling and
simultaneously permit to handle the formation inflow with all
the mandatory safety of the case in real time. Taking
advantage of this same situation the modalities of near
balanced and flow drilling are used to drilling ahead in the 8
½” hole section, making use of the gas that can possibly
flowed from the pressurized sandstones or layers, without
losing the operational window defined by the geomechanical
study already made, which recommends the minimum weight
of mud to be applied in each one of these hole sections. Other
drilling objectives for the 8½” hole section in the modality of
near balanced/flow drilling are:
• To allow the formation gas flow to controlled rates.
• To conduct the operation with an Equivalent
Circulation Density that minimizes the risks of
circulation losses towards the sandstone of smaller
pressure as well as to avoid stuck pipe by
differential pressure sticking.
• To increase the rate of penetration (ROP).
• To avoid the fluid invasion towards the objective
formation, and consequently, to increase the
productivity.
In the case of the 6½” hole section about 700-800 feet
are drilled through the San Juan formation. The SJ-A (3.2-3.5
ppg), SJ-B (6.2-6.5 ppg) and SJ-C (5.6-6.0 ppg) are normally
the members to be drilled in this productive gas zone. In this
section the first layer to be drilled presents a very low pore
pressure for that reason, it is needed from the beginning to
generate a near balanced condition to control the losses of
circulation, which is obtained using nitrified Mineral Oil
5
Based Mud. The injection of this inert gas (nitrogen) is
performed through the drilling string. On this way, an ECD of
5.5 ppg could be reached, avoiding and/or eliminating losses
of circulation and minimizing the problems of operational
type.
As secondary objectives We had:
• Once, the SJ-B formation is targered, to allow that
this one flows to controlled rates, in the case of gas
inflow.
• To Minimize or to eliminate the possibility of
differential sticking.
• To increase the rate of penetration ROP).
• To increase the productivity of the SJ-A and SJ-C
formations that are primary objectives.
Additionally, is highly recommended to use in this kind
of wells, Downhole Deployment Valve (DDV) which is
installed in order to reach the following objectives:
• To avoid having to balance the well in order to
make the pipe trips.
• To optimize the pipe trips being diminished the
length of string to be RIH or POOH with well head
pressure.
• To reduce the operational times and therefore the
associate cost.
• To allow making electric logs, to run to liner and the
completion string in live well condition.
• To have a safer condition in surface during most of
the pipe trips time and while the string remains
outside the hole.
Wellbore Stability Issues. The stability study of holes to be
drilled in San Joaquin field threw as result that the minimum
density to be used during the drilling of the 8½” hole section
must be about 6.5 ppg to avoid hole collapse. Also it notices
on this study that with ECDs below to 8.0 ppg cavings could
presented in the shales of the SJ-A, SJ-B y SJ-C formations by
breakouts present in the interval due to the release of the
efforts without this means that the hole is going to collapsed.
Therefore the precaution of constantly returns monitoring
must be applied during the operation in order to determine if
the hole is being effectively cleaned or not. However, within
the operational recommendations it has not been considered to
reduce the ECD below 7.0 ppg during the drilling of this
section.
In whatever to the 6½” hole section to be drilled through
SJ-A, SJ-B and SJ-C layers, the geomechanical study
recommended to use the smaller fluid density that it does not
jeopardize the properties of suspension and transportation of
itself without lowering belloe to 4.5 ppg. Also, for mud
weights smaller to 8.0 ppg cavings could be presented in the
sahles of SJ-A, SJ-B and SJ-C formations. According to this,
the minimum ECD recommended for this section is of 5.0
ppg.
For the 12 ¼” hole section has not been made study of
hole stability to evaluate the effects of the near/underbalanced
condition. Nevertheless, the exposition for the drilling of this
phase does not contemplate to lower the ECD below to 8.5-9.0
ppg, reason why is not hoped to observe instability problems.
Nevertheless, it is recommended to maintain Straits
monitoring of signs or indications of possible instability.
6 SPE 100927
IADC Classification of the Operation Executed in the San
Joaquin Wells.
Under the standards of the IADC (International
Association of Drilling Contractors), the MPD, Flow Drilling
and UBD operations to be performed in 8½” hole section to
solve the lost of circulation problems at the level of the
Merecure formation is catalogued like 4-B-5. LEVEL 4 -
Hydrocarbon production: Maximum pressure of well closing
smaller than the operating pressure of the equipment, having
catastrophic consequences in case of fault of some equipment
or component. CONDITION B: Wells to be drilled in
underbalanced condition. Type of drilling fluid 5: Fluids of a
single phase (liquid).
The 6½” hole section in the San Juan formation can get
to have two classifications, first of them applies for sand SJ-A
in the case of being drilled with nitrified Oil Based Fluid
would have a IADC Classification of 2-A-4. LEVEL 2: Well
able to flow naturally until surface but being possible to
control it with conventional methods, having limited
catastrophic consequences in case of fault of some equipment.
CONDITION A: Wells to be drilled in near balanced
condition. Type of drilling fluid 4: Gasified fluids. The second
classification it applies for the drilling of SJ-B and SJ-C
formations which will be drilled in Under Balance condition
using Flow Drilling. In this case an equal classification to the
one of the Section of 8½” hole section must be obtained 4-B-
5.
The Risk Analys for each one of the hole section have
been determined too. The level of risk obtained was of 5.7 and
5.4 for the 8 ½” and 6½” hole section respectively, in the scale
from 1 to 10, the which means that exists a manageable
moderate risk with the equipment and the technology to be
applied on these cases.
Flow Control Matrix for MPD & UBD
Pressures in well Head and manageable gas flow rates
will have to be determined to assure and continous and safer
drilling operation. The flow control matrix defines these
parameters for drilling operations. Therefore, the design of
this matrix is required based on the risk. This matrix will have
to be cradle in:
• A safety factor based on maximum flow capacity of
the separation system in surface.
• Pressure rating of the flow control equipment, as
Emergency Shutdown Valve -ESDV (If this is
installed), primary flow line and UBD choke
manifold.
• Erosion rates of flow line in surface and choke
manifold.
• Maximizing the interval on service for the Rotating
control Diverter.
Tactically important points of safety
1. Rotating Control Diverter: Williams model 7100,
2,500 psi in dynamic condition and 5,000 psi in
static condition.
2. Separation Equipment:
• Maximum rate of gas flow (separator) = 30
MMSCFD
• Maximum rate of gas flow (Erosion in the line
of flow) = 12 MMSCFD.
Concerning to these parameters, the flow control matrix
establish the actions of control in surface based on the rate of
gas flow and the flowing well head pressure. The colors
indicate the valuation of the risk level. The adjustment regions
(yellow areas) are established to allow a safe time of reaction
to return the operations to the condition indicated by the box
of green color. The areas of red color indicate situations in
which a well control procedure is re
1,250-2,000 psi > 2K
12-
22.5
> 22.5
Table 5. Drilling time for the 6 ½-in. hole section (MPD)
Surface and Downhole Equipment
Surface equipment is divided in three basic systems:
a. Compression/Injection system (for special
requirements): it is composed by 2,500 SCFM of air
package, the 1,250 SCFM nitrogen generating unit
(membrane type) and pressure elevators to 1800 psi and
4000 psi. It is responsible for producing and injecting
the nitrogen taken from air with a maximum quality of
98% at the discharge.
b. Separation system: it is composed by a four phase
horizontal separator responsible for segregating gas,
crude oil, water and solids (drilling cuttings). The
separation package has a three way UBD Choke
Manifold incorparated. The gas separated is diverted to
vertical burner (flare stack) after being measured; crude
oil is deviated to a storage tank; and, water, drilling fluid
and drilling cuttings are diverted to the discharge flow
line through the solids control equipment and are cycled
in the circulation system as in conventional drilling.
c. Well control system: it is made up by the rotating
control diverter with a double stripper rubber that
adjusts directly for security while drilling, oil lubricator
equipment, a remote, modular and explosion proof
power unit, and a remote console for control and
monitoring.
Downhole equipment is composed by floating valves for
safe and fast connections and the surface operated downhole
Deployment valve. The DDV in San Joaquin wells is installed
permanently and, therefore, cemented with the casing previous
to the payzone section.
Conclusions
• ROP increase, lost circulation control and reduction of
normalized drilling time present the clear opportunity to
SPE 100927
continuous improvement in drilling performance in San
Joaquin field.
• 12 ¼” Phase: Better handling of the influxes associated
to lost circulation events.
• 12 ¼” Phase: Improvement of the net drilling times.
• 8½” Phase: Better handling of the influxes associated to
lost circulation events, diminution of lost circulation,
increase ROP.
• 6½” Phase: Increase the ROP, diminution of lost
circulation. Diminution of formation damage.
• Sand evaluation of formation in real time, allow knowing
pressures impossible to detect by conventional methods.
• Because there are some condensate reservoirs, the
influxes in Merecure (8 ½” hole section) are not easily
detected but only when this one already is near to the
surface, causing some safety problems.
• 5.
Recommendations
1. To establish a disciplinary UBD & MPD group
between the Oprator & the Controoled Pressurred
Drilling Services Company for the decision making.
2. To try to implement the hanger and top packers
installation in a single and simultaneous run.
3. To install perforables shoes with PDC bits.
4. To implement the use of PWD in the phase of 8 ½” in
order to follows a better control of the ECD
5. To avoid unnecessary well fillings in the phase of
6½” when it is had nitrogen injection like alternative
to the lost circulation control and to minimize the
formation damage.
6. Lack of information regarding PVT (Diagram of
phase) from the reservoir fluids, for a better flow
simulation during the drilling operations.
Acknowledgments
We thank to the PDVSA Gas Anaco Management for the
permission to share this case history; and to all the Engineers
from the Reservoir, Drilling and VCD department, who
worked vigorously in supporting and promoting this MPD &
UBD project in San Joaquin and Guario Fields. We also thank
to our Weatherford CPD & Testing personnel involved in the
planning and execution of these proactive MPD & UBD jobs.
7
References
1. Saponja, J. et al.: “Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) Field
Trials Demonstrate Technology Value”, Paper IADC/SPE
presented at the 2005 Managed Pressure Drilling
Conference and Exhibition, San Antonio, 20 – 21 April.
2. Azeemuddin, M. et al.: “Underbalanced Drilling Borehole
Stability Evaluation and Implementation in Depleted
Reservoirs, San Joaquin Field, Eastern Venezuela” Paper
SPE/IADC 99165prepared for the 2006 SPE/IADC Drilling
Conference, Miami, February 21 – 23.
3. IADC Underbalanced Operations & Managed Pressure
Drilling Committee: “IADC Well Classification System for
Underbalanced Operations and Managed Pressure Drilling”
Adopted by the IADC Board of Directors, 9 March 2005.
4. Soto, R. et al.: “Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD):
Planning a Solution for San Joaquin Field, Venezuela,”
Paper IADC/SPE 99116 presented at the 2006 Drilling
Conference, Miami, Florida, USA, 21-23 February.
Don Hannegan. “Extended Variations of MPD” -
SPE/IADC Paper presented at the Managed Pressure
Drilling & Underbalanced Operations Conference, Moody
Gardens, March 28, 2006.
6. Kulakofsky, D. et al.: “Ultra-Lightweight Cementing
Technology Sets World’s Record for Liner Cementing with
a 5.4 lb/gal Slurry Density,” paper IADC/SPE 98124
presented at the 2006 Drilling Conference, Miami, Florida,
USA., 21-23 February.
SI Metric Conversion Factors
Ft x 3.048 E-01= m
Psi x 6.894757 E-03= Mpa
Mmcfgd x 2.831684 E+01= mcmgd
Ppg x 1.198264 E+02= kg/m3