Deepwater Drilling Design and Operations

Deepwater Drilling Challenges and History 

• Deepwater drilling operations

• Deepwater history

• Deepwater locations and geology

• Overburden and compaction

• Pore and fracture pressures

On the first day participants will be given an introduction to deepwater operations and an overview of the offshore drilling history.  The class will then look at the more detailed aspects of the deepwater geology and the various deepwater locations in the world. This portion will cover how deepwater reservoirs are formed and why some of the geological challenges associated with deepwater can be explained by the geological settings. Next participants will look at the overburden and compaction issues associated with deepwater locations as it explains the critical differences for pore and fracture pressures between deepwater and shallow water operations.

Planning Operations 

• Metocean and currents

• Rig selection

• Station keeping

• Open water operations (ROV’s)

• Conductors

The second day will continue with the discussion on deepwater aspects that have to be taken into account when planning operations, the issues associated with weather and currents, and the impact these have on a deepwater operation. This will lead into station-keeping requirements and methods, and then how rigs are selected: what selection criteria may be required, and how to select which rig type and contractor.

The day will continue with a discussion over the ROV systems required for deepwater operations and the shallow hazards faced.

Conductors, Surface Casing and Well Design

• Conductors

• Subsea wellheads and casing strings

• Cementing

• BOP systems

On day three, participants will continue to learn about the installation of conductors, subsea wellhead systems, surface casing and subsequent casing strings.  They will also learn how deepwater well design is impacted by wellhead systems. 

Cementing challenges associated with deepwater surface casings and deeper hole sections will be covered.  Participants will also focus on BOP systems for deepwater

Deepwater Rig Surface Equipment and Well Operations 

• Drilling Riser Systems

• Drilling equipment for deepwater

• Deepwater well control

• Fluids

• Salt

During the fourth day participants will look at drilling risers systems and then take closer look at the surface equipment and system automation employed on deepwater rigs.  This will include drilling systems, as well as mud handling and riser handling systems.  Deepwater well control will focus on the issues associated with deepwater well control, including a discussion on the BP Macondo well, and some of the common well control issues associated with deepwater operations, including shallow water, gas flows, hydrates, and riser gas issues.  Finally concerns associated with drilling fluids will be addressed, and key issues in dealing with salt will be discussed.

Drilling Fluids, Subsalt Issues, and New Technologies 

• Multi-axis rigs

• Dynamic pressure drilling

• Testing, completions and interventions

• Operations management

The final day will be spent discussing new technology implementation, deepwater testing, completions and interventions.  and then the issues and solutions in managing well operations in deepwater, the advanced rig systems employed, and the complex deepwater drilling operations.