Michael J. Jellison

Landing Tubulars Design, Manufacture, Inspection and Use Issues

The increase in water depth of offshore drilling combined with heavier casing loads has led to dramatic increases in the load requirement of landing tubulars. Landing tubulars to handle these high loads are relatively new, non-standard and generally application specific. As a result, there are no industry specifications or guidelines relating specifically to these products. This paper explores these issues related to landing tubulars and provides a methodology for design, specifying, and review of ultra-critical landing tubular strings.

Evolution of Drilling Programs and Complex Well Profiles Drive Development of Fourth-Generation Hardband Technology

The evolution of drilling programs and complex well profiles has driven the industry to develop new, more suitable hardband materials. This paper reviews the historical changes in drilling practices, development of drill stem hardbanding materials, and their shortfalls in meeting the industry’s needs. Testing, verification, and performance evaluation of hardband materials have followed a similar evolution. Also presented are recent developments in laboratory testing to repeatedly predict hardband/tool joint wear performance. Finally, the development, laboratory testing and field trial of a fourth-generation hardband material is described. Initially, hardband was designed only to protect drill stem elements from rotational wear and to extend their life. Casing wear was not an issue for vertical holes. As wells became deeper and deviated, the first casing friendly hardbands were developed. Today, water depth is increasing and well target depths and step-outs are being extended. The nature of these ultra-deep, ultra-deep water and ERD well designs is further increasing the time the drill stem is rotating inside casing, increasing the demands on hardband. Today, the focus is on protection of both casing and drill stem components in both cased and open hole conditions. The result of this 36-month development program is a fourth-generation spall resistant, high-performance hardband. The innovative laboratory testing program surpasses the earlier DEA 42 methodology and provides repeatable and accurate prediction of the hardband’s wear performance. The test concludes with field trials. Advanced nanotechnology and a systematic design approach enabled the manipulation of material properties to yield a spall-resistant hardband that offers superb drill stem wear resistance and casing wear protection while reducing friction. These materials are ideally suited for today’s long and complex drilling programs where extended drilling through casing is required.

Challenging Drilling Applications Demand New Technologies

This paper provides an update on recent developments and highlights some problem areas associated with the latest generation of extreme drilling applications. Deepwater, extended-reach (ER) and ultra-deep (UD) wells dictate large spread rates that can benefit from reduced tripping times.

High Performance, Slim-hole Drilling with 4 in. Drill Pipe and a Streamline Connection

Saudi Aramco and Total Indonesia used 4-in. drillpipe with streamlined double-shoulder connections to drill wells for which 31/2-in. drillpipe was unsuitable. The 4-in. drillpipe with enhanced torsional, tensile, and hydraulic characteristics was used to drill longer slimholes at a lower overall cost. The selected double-shoulder connection has an outside diameter (OD) similar to standard 31/2-in.-drillpipe tool joints while maintaining the fishability of the 4-in. pipe in casing and open hole. The streamline-connection design provides 22,000 ft-lbf of working torque, a 47/8-in. OD, and an oversized internal bore that promotes hydraulic efficiency.

How to Evaluate and Select Premium Casing Connectors

Selecting the appropriate connector for each casing string in a well represents a difficult challenge for drilling engineers. The engineer must decide if an application requires a premium connector or can be satisfied with an API connector. If use of a premium connector is dictated by the well conditions the large number of premium connectors available further complicates the decision of which connector to use. This paper provides guidelines on how to evaluate and select premium connectors for drilling and production casing, tieback and liner applications. In addition, guidelines to assist in determining when a premium connector is required over an API connector are presented.