Many companies operate on a global basis. Often a new idea or technology can make a step-change in the economics, or performance, in a particular province or field. That leaves the company with the enviable problem of understanding how and where it could impact its operations in other areas of the world.

One area where bp has had such success is in the North Slope of Alaska, where TTD has made a dramatic impact on their infill-drilling programme. In fact, Alaska had developed two distinct TTD techniques, Coiled Tubing Drilling (CTD) and Through Tubing Rotary Drilling (TTRD). This paper discusses how we transferred the technology to the North Sea. The subject is tackled on three levels:

  • Transfer of practical knowledge

  • The tactical choice on the optimum technique

  • Determination of the strategic value of the technology

It illustrates what needs to be done to ensure a successful business outcome when trying to gain the benefits of a new technology, but in a different operating environment.

To illustrate the issues, the paper will present performance information on both TTD techniques used in Alaska. It will talk about their differences, and why the application of CTD, in particular, has made such a significant impact. It will then discuss how the North Sea operating environment differs from the North Slope, how this influenced the choice of technology and the potential magnitude of the benefit that could be realised.

By the end of the analysis, it became clear that the solution and strategy for the North Sea had to be different from that of Alaska. It also makes it apparent why CTD has struggled to make an impact in the North Sea.

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