A technological breakthrough in the well construction process was recently accomplished in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. An 11-3/4" O.D. liner was successfully installed through a whipstock window cut into a 13-5/8" casing. It was the first documented attempt worldwide to run casing larger than 10-3/4" O.D. through a 13-5/8" window.

The job's success can be attributed to thorough planning of well site operations and computer modeling of the proposed installation. The primary components of the planning activity included 1) analysis of available casing exit systems, 2) modeling of the bending and compressive loading on the 11-3/4" liner connections, and 3) detailed modeling of the drag expected during liner running operations both through the whipstock and into the deviated hole to total depth.

Keywords:
pipe, open hole, installation, well construction process, liner, simulation, assembly, drillstring design, torque, resistance
Subjects:
Well Planning, Drillstring Design, Drilling Operations, Drilling Fluids and Materials, Casing and Cementing, Trajectory design, Torque and drag analysis, Directional drilling, Drilling fluid selection and formulation (chemistry, properties)
Copyright 2002, IADC/SPE Drilling Conference
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