Extended drilling record set

June 24, 2002
Weatherford International announced a record in extended-reach drilling set on ChevronTexaco's Captain field block 13/22a in the North Sea. The drilling was done through Weatherford's roller-tool technology and torque and drag modeling.

Weatherford International announced a record in extended-reach drilling set on ChevronTexaco's Captain field block 13/22a in the North Sea. The drilling was done through Weatherford's roller-tool technology and torque and drag modeling. The roller tools reduce friction and extend the completion reach to approximately 16,000 ft to overcome problems associated with drilling and high-angle wells completion. The tools are used on a series of 16 wells drilled by the semisubmersible Sedco 704 from a template on the Captain field. The reservoir is at a vertical depth of less than 3,000 ft.
The company says the latest and most challenging of the wells to date was 13/22a-B10y, where previous roller-tool experience and front engineering gave the asset team confidence that the well targets could be achieved. With 2,800 ft TVD and a horizontal section more than 11,000 ft, the engineering difficulties become apparent. The ground-breaking achievement lies in the aspect ratio of the well. At 4.6:1, this is the largest ratio ever achieved from a subsea development and a semisubmersible rig.